SOUTH MADISON COUNTY — The year started off like normal, but soon it became apparent it would be anything but.
The COVID-19 pandemic soon touched every aspect of life, if not life itself: From work to school, from socializing to shopping, from celebrating the birth of a child to mourning the death of a loved one.
Coronavirus no doubt is the biggest story of the year (decade? century?), but there were many other stories that took place under its cloud.
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Below is a selection of those stories from The Times-Post that helped define a year like no other.
Town swears in five, changes lawyer
Originally published Jan. 9.
PENDLETON — The town judge, three Pendleton Town Council members and the new clerk-treasurer took their oaths of office Tuesday during a special council meeting.
Town hall was packed, and applause followed each person who was sworn in: Longtime Town Judge George Gasparovic; 10-year Councilman Chet Babb; Shane Davis, who was appointed to council in the spring and elected in November; first-time Councilman Steve Denny; and Clerk-Treasurer Willie Boles.
The council voted Babb as council president and Davis as vice president.
Babb announced that the town has a new attorney, Jeffrey Graham of Graham, Hopper, Farrer and Wilson, P.C., a Madison County firm with an office in Pendleton.
Graham, a Pendleton resident, replaces Alex Intermill of Bose, McKinney and Evans LLP of Indianapolis.
Council rings in year with changes
Originally published Jan. 9.
LAPEL — The initial Lapel Town Council meeting of 2020 was all about change.
There will be new leadership.
There will be a new board meeting schedule.
And there will be a different way the council works with town employees.
Vice president Tom Marvel called the Jan. 2 meeting to order and welcomed newcomer Teresa Retherford, who was attending her first meeting as a member of the council.
She was one of three Republican at-large council candidates selected during the May 2019 primary and who were unopposed in November.
The others were Jason Kleinbub, who retained his seat, and Chad Blake, who was appointed to the council at the end of November 2019 when Tony Pearson resigned.
By a vote of 3-2, Blake was elected to be the new president of the council.
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The council decided to trim its meeting schedule from twice per month to once per month. The council will meet the third Thursday of each month. Previously, meetings took place on the first and third Thursdays.
Blake said the council would revisit the frequency of meetings for the spring when things traditionally become busier, but will meet just once in February and March.
The board also voted to do away with council members being assigned as liaisons to town departments.
Kleinbub made the official recommendation/motion to remove the responsibilities from all board members and that department heads should contact either the council president (Blake) or vice president (Marvel) with specific issues.
Pendleton town manager resigns
Originally published Jan. 16.
PENDLETON — Pendleton will not be without a town manager for long, Town Council President Chet Babb said.
“It’s not going to take months; I won’t allow it to take months,” he said in response to a question from a reporter.
The comment came after a surprise announcement during the Jan. 9 regular council meeting.
Item 7(e) on the agenda that day was the town manager’s report.
Instead of hearing the usual updates on
town projects from Tim McClintick — town manager since 2013, and town employee and firefighter for many years previously — Councilwoman Jessica Smith read a signed letter she said she found in her town mailbox earlier that day from
McClintick, who was not at the meeting.
“Dear Town Council Members, It has been my pleasure and a privilege to serve the citizens of Pendleton for the past 41 years. As Town Manager, I have taken great pride in everything we have accomplished and planned for the future. I appreciate the support I have received from several Council Members over the years and especially our amazing staff. I wish you and the community nothing but success.”
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While some in attendance at the meeting applauded, council members said little about the resignation, instead asking new town attorney Jeffrey Graham whether the council should vote to accept the letter.
He said yes, and the council voted 4-1, with Smith opposing.
“We’re going to set up an executive session as quickly as we can,” Babb said, noting a search for a replacement will begin immediately.
There was no mention as to why McClintick resigned, and McClintick did not return calls for comment.
Town manager spot filled for now
Originally published Feb. 6.
PENDLETON — By split votes, Pendleton Town Council appointed an interim town manager and terminated its public works director; in each case, a council member voting in the minority indicated politics factored into the decisions.
At a special meeting Jan. 29, the council voted 4-1 for Assistant Planning Director Rachel Christenson to serve as interim town manager, filling the position vacated by Tim McClintick, who resigned Jan. 9 after serving in the role since 2013.
The town manager supervises the town’s planning and public works departments as well as the utility office, and fulfills administrative duties of the town council.
McClintick also was the town’s planning director, a role in which Christenson also will serve.
“I’m sure there will be some extra hours put in,” Christenson said after the meeting, stating she is prepared for the extra work.
“We have a lot of challenges this year that are going to be on our plate,” she said, citing staff changes and local projects.
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Councilman Steve Denny voted against hiring Christenson for the job.
“I was elected into this position to effect change in this town,” he said, stating the town is headed in the wrong direction.
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In another staff change, the council voted 3-2 to fire Public Works Director/Building Inspector Jeff Barger.
“I move to terminate the employment of Jeff Barger immediately,” Babb said.
Barger was hired by the town in May 2011 as electric lineman. He became public works director in April 2016 at a pay rate of $39.89 per hour.
During a roll call vote, Councilwoman Jessica Smith voted against terminating Barger, stating it was not “the appropriate time to make structural changes to this organization.”
The Public Works Department maintains public infrastructure, including streets, sidewalks, storm drains, electric lines, and drinking water treatment and distribution.
It also issues building permits and certificates of occupancy.
“We’re already going to be short-staffed,” Smith said.
“I see this as nothing more than fulfilling political promises,” she said.
Councilman Bob Jones also voted against the move.
“I think we’re making a rash decision,” he said.
Councilmen Denny and Shane Davis voted with Babb to fire Barger.
Town declaration targets virus
Originally published March 12.
PENDLETON — In response to “the potential rapid spread” of the COVID-19 coronavirus in Indiana, Pendleton on Tuesday declared a local state of emergency, restricting public access to town hall and canceling its public meetings.
“Public access to the Pendleton Town Hall (located at 100 W. State St.) shall be restricted to town employees and other personnel deemed essential” by either the town manager or clerk-treasurer, the declaration reads.
Otherwise, “all town departments, including first responders, are to continue to operate as normal during the pendency of this emergency. Citizens making utility payments are instructed to utilize the drop box attached to the town hall or make an online payment.”
The declaration is set to expire in 10 days. It cited federal, state and county information to justify limiting public interaction to fight the virus.
The declaration authorizes Pendleton police “to take lawful action necessary to effectuate the terms and intent of this declaration, to reduce the risk of further spread of the coronavirus.”
Ingalls wants vehicles moved
Originally published March 12.
INGALLS — After several complaints came in concerning abandoned vehicles and junked cars, Ingalls Town Council is working on a plan to have property owners clean up.
At the Monday, March 9, meeting, town council President Scot Lawyer said town offices have received a number of calls concerning abandoned cars and neglected personal property.
Lawyer said a letter of notice, along with a copy of the ordinance, will be sent to property owners in their next water bills.
“We want to give people ample time to make arrangements to make those vehicles legal or get them moved off,” Lawyer said of what he called an ongoing problem.
“There are several cars around town that need to be cleaned up or moved out. They’ve been sitting there for years,” council member Teresa Egerton added.
Community responds to novel virus threat
Originally published March 19.
SOUTH MADISON COUNTY — Judy Rhoades expressed mixed feelings about the public reaction to COVID -19 and the impact the disease is having on daily life.
“I think it could be very scary,” the Pendleton resident said as she walked her 7-year-old bichon frise, Sophie, through Falls Park on Friday. “I think some people are overreacting, and some people aren’t.”
One thing is certain: Public officials and organizations in charge of events or facilities where people congregate are limiting or shutting operations, as federal, state and county officials ask the public to stay home when possible and practice social distancing.
And as the number of coronavirus cases has climbed in Indiana, along with the second death from the disease announced on Tuesday, a cascade of closings and cancellations has rippled through communities.
In South Madison County, this includes school closings, restricted public access at town offices, corrections facilities and a senior living facility, and cancellations of programs by social groups and public libraries.
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Pendleton Town Council President Chet Babb, who on Monday extended the town’s 10-day declaration of emergency by seven days (ending March 24), said there’s no telling how long the virus measures will remain in place.
“People are realizing it’s more than the flu,” Babb said Friday. “They’re closing schools, shut down the basketball tournament, shut down March Madness. It’s a serious thing.”
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Other local government offices, including Lapel and Ingalls town halls, remained open Tuesday but were asking residents to avoid in-person transactions if possible.
“Due to the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, the Town of Ingalls is taking measures to help prevent the spread of the virus, both to our employees and the public,” read a message on the town website. “Please refrain from unnecessary visits to town offices.”
It stated utility payments can be made at a dropbox at the town hall 24 hours a day or by phone during business hours.
“Please call first with any questions,” it stated.
“If it is necessary to come in, please utilize the hand sanitizer provided on the counter. If you are sick or showing signs, please contact the office to see if other arrangements can be made first.”
COVID-19 challenges local businesses
Originally published March 19.
SOUTH MADISON COUNTY — Greg Adams was working at his Main Street shop in Lapel last week, finishing off wooden flowerpots with willow trim.
“We’ve never been through anything like
this; it’s kind of scary,” he said, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic spreading around the world. “All the businesses are shutting down. It’s going to be hard for people.”
Since then, state and county government have ordered, among other things, residents to stay home, except for work deemed essential and select permitted activities, such as taking care of others, obtaining necessary supplies, and for health and safety.
The battle against the virus’ spread, like the virus itself, is changing the way people live, work and play around the world, and South Madison County is no exception.
Some local businesses are facing acute challenges, worrying about the future of their enterprises and the well-being of their employees and others who depend on them financially.
At The Bank Restaurant on State Street in Pendleton, owner Garry Brammer said he was forced recently to do “the hardest thing we had to do in years … we laid off all of our employees except for two.”
That’s a mix of 16 part-time and full-time workers.
“We were off to our best start in six years, by far,” Brammer said of the business.
And while he was heartened by customers who expressed support and ordered take-out meals after the state ordered dine-in areas shut, it just might not be enough to keep the doors open, he said.
“The bills are still coming in,” he said, and new headaches continue to crop up: one of his suppliers closed down recently while another has switched to COD — cash on delivery.
Any shutdown would be temporary, he said.
Julie Schnepp, co-owner of RE/MAX Legacy and president of Pendleton Business Association, said the COVID-19 crisis is having a mixed impact on local businesses; some are taking a big hit, some continue more-or-less as usual, while yet others have benefited from the changing times.
Real estate, her primary business, is holding its own, she said — people are still listing and selling homes, with most of the work being done virtually.
But at one end of the spectrum, there are businesses struggling to contend with and survive forces beyond their control.
“I think our local business owners are incredibly hard workers — are creative in ways to run their businesses,” she said. “They are going to, I believe, do everything in their power to make it through this crisis and stay in business.”
Towns update COVID-19 responses
Originally published April 2.
SOUTH MADISON COUNTY — In the past week, during which COVID-19 cases in Madison County have jumped dramatically to 38 — including the county’s first death — local governments are taking steps to align their emergency responses with state orders and adjust their local operations.
The Town of Lapel conducted a brief special meeting via gotomeeting.com on Monday, dealing with two issues related to the coronavirus.
The council amended its Declaration of Local Emergency, which had been approved at its regular meeting March 19.
Town attorney Jeff Graham said the ordinance summarizes what municipalities must do to comply with COVID-19-related executive orders from Gov. Eric Holcomb, including the stay-at-home directive, as well as recent federal statutes established by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which relates to a variety of things including sick time.
The town also approved establishing a town relief fund Graham said is an effort to “get ahead of the game.”
“It’s anticipated by everyone at some point that relief monies either through the state or the federal government will be coming to local governments,” Graham told the council. “The first thing that needs to be created is a fund so the feds or the state can see that you are spending that money properly.”
Police chief Kelly Naselroad, through Lapel’s Facebook page, thanked the town for doing its part to comply with Holcomb’s stay-at-home order in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic.
“This town truly has the best people!” Naselroad wrote.
Naselroad encouraged residents to check on elderly neighbors to make sure they are getting essential supplies and, if they know someone who needs more help than they can provide, to reach out to the police department or town hall.
Pendleton Town Council met Thursday, March 26, and passed two ordinances related to COVID-19, similar to the ones passed in Lapel on Monday, including one amending the local emergency declaration and one establishing a relief fund.
The town also explains at its website how it is operating in response to COVID-19.
Town council president Daniel Roseberry said one major project has been put on hold because of restrictions associated with the coronavirus.
At its mid-February council meeting, the town approved a rezoning request for an expansion of local business Mark Tool and Die Inc. The company had planned on adding a new building next to its current location.
Roseberry also said Markleville East Christian Church will be closed all of April. Bright Point Christian Church is doing live streaming of its Sunday service through Facebook.
Superintendent Buck retires
Originally published April 9.
PENDLETON — With a career in education spanning 40 years, the last nine as South Madison Community School Corp. superintendent, Joe Buck will retire effective July 1.
“When I left Pendleton Heights High School after 13 years, I really missed being around the students. After working at the central office for the past 14 years, I will miss working with the administration, faculty and staff,” Buck said in an email to The Times-Post.
Buck’s retirement request was accepted by the South Madison board Thursday, April 2, at a meeting conducted at the district administration building and online through meet.google.com because of COVID-19.
Buck was named superintendent in 2011 after being district chief financial officer, finance/buildings and grounds, from 2007-11. He succeeded Superintendent Thomas Warmke.
County task force discusses virus
Originally published April 9.
MADISON COUNTY — Eleven deaths in Madison County have been reported as directly related to COVID-19 as of Tuesday, but the number may be higher, said Stephenie Grimes, Madison County Health Department administrator.
“Five of (the 11) were at Bethany Pointe, and the remainder was throughout the county,” Grimes said Tuesday morning.
Bethany Pointe is a nursing facility in Anderson.
Grimes said a communication problem between the state and county may account for a discrepancy in some numbers reported as well as the number of positive tests or related deaths.
Grimes said Madison County has a higher incidence of COVID-19 than several counties in Indiana because the population is more at risk.
“More than 24 percent of Madison County population is over 60, which means that we have a higher percentage of people at risk,” Grimes said.
Most of the county’s deaths have occurred in the past week, with five being added overnight Thursday, April 2.
Bring in the noise — residents sound off about their gratitude
Originally published April 30.
PENDLETON — In an era of COVID-19 hot spots, Pam Jones led the formation of one centered not on the disease but on love and appreciation in the face of it.
Jones, who lives on West Water Street, invited people in town to step outside at 7 p.m. Friday to clap, cheer, bang pots and pans, and otherwise make some noise, to start what’s planned to be a regular outpouring of solidarity and thanks in town.
“It helps to hear from each other,” said Jones, who said she was inspired by similar events elsewhere in the country and around the world. “Why not do something that’s fun, that takes 10 minutes?
“We know how to do this, we know how to be grateful.”
At the prescribed time on Friday on Jones’ street, adults and children were out in force on their front porches and in their yards; they used a variety of sound-emitting devices, with the wooden spoon and metal pot appearing to be most popular.
In addition to the people who participated on her street, Jones said she had gotten the message out to people in other parts of town on social media and through her church, and some of those people joined in.
She received photos from some of those people, and heard from others who said they “could hear the noise” in their neighborhoods.
“Its purpose is to create a show of unity and support for our neighbors, our community and our health care workers,” Jones said in an email sent out to friends and neighbors last week.
George and Norma Gasparovic participated in the collective event, which Jones has named the “Unity and Gratitude Gathering.”
“I felt it was important to stand up and say thanks to our first responders and caregivers on so many levels,” Norma Gasparovic said in an email. “They are in a dangerous and life-
threatening situation daily. Our church regularly prays for those in harm’s way during this time. We have no idea what they face daily.”
Hall named next superintendent
Originally published May 28.
PENDLETON — To fill the spot of its longtime leader, South Madison Community School Corp. stayed within the organization.
At the Thursday, May 21, Board of School Trustees meeting, the board approved the recommendation to promote Dr. Mark Hall, assistant superintendent for secondary curriculum, instruction, and college and career readiness, to take over the duties when Superintendent Joe Buck retires at the end of June.
Hall has been in education since fall 1997 and at the district since 2002.
Lapel’s Class of 2020 gets unique sendoff
Originally published June 4.
LAPEL — In a year when almost all senior traditions were taken away, Lapel High School principal John Willis believed the Class of 2020 could start some new ones.
“One of the things we talked about with the graduation committee was doing something where the class could create their own tradition,” Willis said.
“We weren’t going to have the traditional (graduation commencement), so what could we create?”
There were no spring sports. There was no prom. There was no “in-person” last day of school.
On the date the traditional commencement was scheduled and then canceled because of COVID-19 — May 31 — the Lapel High School Class of 2020 graduated, like no other before.
Earlier this month, the school announced, with approval from Frankton-Lapel Community School Board, an in-person graduation.
Using guidelines set by the state’s Department of Health and Department of Education and abiding by Indiana’s social distancing regulations, Lapel’s committee put together a memorable day for the 115-member Lapel Class of 2020.
One by one, seniors — with a maximum of 15 family members and friends — entered the school auditorium.
The student’s name was read as he or she walked across the stage, while his or her contingent watched in the audience.
Afterward, the students walked down the stage steps, reunited with family and posed for pictures in the neighboring choir room. Then, it was out the door and time to bring in the next student.
“It’s definitely a blessing that I got to walk across the stage and have my family there with me,” graduate Harrison Burrell said.
“It wasn’t as long (as most graduations). It was short. You just come for the good part and go.”
“I was, personally, nervous, because we didn’t know what to expect,” said Lori Burrell, Harrison’s mother. “I thought they did an amazing job, keeping everyone safe and making it feel like a graduation.”
PHHS Class of 2020 graduates … online
Originally published June 4.
PENDLETON — With several hundred people tuned in to the live feed — and with more than 2,500 views as of Tuesday afternoon — Pendleton Heights High School Class of 2020’s virtual graduation went off without a glitch at 2 p.m. Sunday.
This, even after intentions for an in-person commencement ceremony that could accommodate the 322-member class were announced recently, set tentatively for 2 p.m. July 12.
The slickly produced hour-and-a-half digital show featured pre-
recorded speeches by half a dozen students and several teachers, as well as Principal Connie Rickert and district Superintendent Joe Buck. There were songs, video montages and traditional elements, such as an invitation to seniors to turn their tassels.
Coronavirus was the reason for the school arranging the virtual affair, after the virus led South Madison to shut its doors for the year at spring break and switch to online-only instruction.
Coronavirus and its impacts provided a thread throughout the commencement speeches, as did the students’ response to the upending of the end of their high school careers.
The date for the in-person event was chosen to remain “compliant with all local and state-mandated reopening guidelines,” the site states.
Protesters unite around anti-racism
Originally published June 11.
PENDLETON — “Thank you, and THANK YOU!”
Joseph Dixon of Anderson said these words to a woman Saturday morning at a Black Lives Matter protest march in Pendleton.
The first thank you was for letting him take her photo; the second was for her showing up to support the event.
“This is just wonderful to see, and I just wanted to thank her for that,” said Dixon, 48, who is Black and described the event as incredible.
About 200 people participated in the event, which was billed as a “peaceful protest” and a chance to “stand for justice.”
The protest was one of a long and growing list of such events going on nation- and worldwide, sparked by the death of George Floyd, the unarmed Black man who died May 25 after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes.
Local march participants gathered at Pendleton Elementary School-
Intermediate, where organizer Lacey Barnett — who less than a week prior graduated from Pendleton Heights High School — spoke briefly about why they were there.
“Thanks for coming. I know it means a lot to a lot of people in this community,” Barnett told the crowd. “And I’m very impressed by this turnout, honestly. Like, you all should be proud of yourselves for speaking out and using your voice when it comes to such an important matter. So thank you all for coming out and speaking your voice and using it for good.”
Pendleton hires new town manager
Originally published July 2.
PENDLETON — When Pendleton town manager Tim McClintick resigned in January, town council President Chet Babb said the vacancy would not stand open for long.
“It’s not going to take months; I won’t allow it to take months,” he said then.
No one was factoring in a lengthy delay caused by a global pandemic, of course, and on Monday the council did its best to make up for lost time.
In a special meeting lasting just a few minutes, the council voted 5-0 to hire Scott Reske — former Marine helicopter pilot, former Indiana state representative, civil engineer and almost lifelong Pendleton resident — as McClintick’s permanent replacement.
“Just a matter of record — we, the council, met two weeks ago in executive session, started the interviews, and we ended up just interviewing three people that night and one the following Monday,” Babb said at the start of the meeting. “Four people out of the total people that applied for the job.
“At that point, we got down to one person, and that person’s here tonight, so I’m going to entertain a motion to vote on hiring a new town manager.”
The council went on to vote unanimously for Reske, and the meeting was adjourned without discussion.
“I’m very happy with our selection,” Babb said on Tuesday.
Pendleton Heights graduates in person
Originally published July 16.
PENDLETON — It was a warm sunny day as students from the Pendleton Heights Class of 2020 streamed from the school and walked to the entrances at the football stadium.
In cap and gown, they waited there for a few minutes — just a few minutes longer after a six-week delay — for the start of their in-person high school commencement ceremony that almost never was.
“I think it went great. It was a beautiful day,” Principal Connie Rickert said in a post-event assessment. “The storm somehow missed us, and so I think everybody was really pleased. We’ve gotten a lot of great reviews from it, so far. A lot of thank-yous.”
Of the 311 members of the class, about 136 members came out for the Sunday afternoon event, which was a re-do of a May 31 ceremony moved online only because of COVID-19.
School systems announce plans
Originally published July 23.
PENDLETON — Area school corporations have released plans for the reopening of schools in August, with the acknowledgment that the situation is fluid in light of COVID-19.
South Madison Community School Corp. has released its detailed plan for the opening of traditional, in-person school on Aug. 6.
Superintendent Mark Hall informed students and families in June that administrators were working on a detailed re-entry plan of bringing children back to school safely without altering the traditional school calendar.
With the fluidity of the situation, Hall added that the corporation will be flexible in adjusting when needed.
“Essentially, we are going to react to see how the spread is in the community,” Hall said. “If it increases, we’ll change the level, and if it decreases, we’ll change the level.”
Frankton-Lapel Community Schools released a 2020-21 reentry plan earlier this month. Frankton-Lapel schools are scheduled to open on time with students on Aug. 13. Educators will also offer the FLCS Academy for students who choose to continue online studies. The academy is also available to students who have, or students with immediate family who have, risk-factor health issues.
Jamboree will not be
Originally published July 23.
PENDLETON — This year’s Pendleton Lions Club June Jamboree — which had been rescheduled to August — is canceled completely as the longtime providers of the carnival entertainment opted out of the event.
“This would have been the 52nd consecutive year that Luehrs’ Ideal Rides would have been with us,” Lions Club President Dick Creger said. “We’ve worked with that family all the way through. They’re just really great people to work with. And they tried their best, I’ll tell you.”
Council veteran Green steps down
Originally published July 23.
INGALLS — A longtime leader in Ingalls plans to step down from the town council.
Tim Green, a former president and a 30-year member of the Ingalls council, sent a letter of resignation to other members and leaders of the Madison County Republican Party.
Green sent the letter last week, stating July 20 as his final day.
He resubmitted the letter Monday, naming July 28 as his last day.
Green said he has differences with town attorney Gregg Morelock, as well as how the town has handled some billing and collection procedures, among other issues.
(The board accepted Green’s resignation at its July 27 meeting.)
Water project estimate: $4.6 million
Originally published July 30.
LAPEL — There’s a need for $4.6 million in repairs to the Lapel water system, according to an assessment by the recently hired firm Commonwealth Engineers Inc.
“The findings were extensive, beyond what we were told (by another firm) we needed in the past,” said Lapel Town Council President Chad Blake, speaking at a recent town meeting.
The project will be part of a town application for a state grant from the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA); the maximum available grant amount is $700,000.
The project includes repairs to wells, improvements to an elevated water tank and replacement of asbestos water lines.
As recently as a year ago, the sum for then-
identified repairs totaled less than $1 million.
Blake said there were alternative funding sources, in addition to the grant, that could help with the growing project.
He said the State Revolving Fund (SRF), a low-interest loan program in Indiana that is used for community improvements for wastewater and drinking water infrastructure, would be a viable option.
Markleville celebrates at one-night event
Originally published Aug. 6.
MARKLEVILLE — Markleville Music Night — a one-night event planned after the town’s annual two-day jamboree was nixed because of COVID-19 — attracted hundreds of visitors to Community Park on Friday.
“I think it was a success — we had a really good turnout,” organizer Dianna Driver Smith said. “I’d say at least 300 (people) were there at one time,” at the peak.
Attractions included a tractor show, police and firefighter softball game, and live music performances, as well as food vendors Fat John’s Walleye Wagon and Greek’s Pizza.
New athletic training facility planned
Originally published Sept. 24.
PENDLETON — An indoor facility to hone baseball, softball and golf skills is in the works for Pendleton.
Cal Wilson, the head of the developing team, said the 9,600-square-feet facility, which will be located near the Pendleton Sports Complex, will include turf and nets and focus on baseball, softball training and conditioning, as well as golf fitness.
Wilson said he sees it as a resource that would provide both private instruction and private rental.
“We’re still pretty early on in the stages,” Wilson said of the project that will be built near the town’s youth baseball and softball diamonds and soccer fields.
Wilson said he and his team are still going through the bidding process for construction as well as working on financing and other approvals.
Lapel pursues plan for growth
Originally published Sept. 24.
LAPEL — Lapel Town Council reviewed bids from firms vying to help develop a new town comprehensive plan, as well as conducted public hearings for the 2021 budget and additional appropriations for the 2020 budget, during a regular meeting Thursday, Sept. 17, at town hall.
Council President Chad Blake said Lapel has not had a comprehensive plan written in more than 10 years.
“In that time, we’ve grown a little bit with the annex, and we have reached out for bids to complete a new plan to help direct and guide the future growth of the town,” Blake said.
Town resignation baffles council
Originally published Oct. 1.
PENDLETON — In what several members of Pendleton Town Council called a complete surprise, Councilwoman Jessica Smith has resigned her seat. She said she was at odds with the council’s “values and principles.”
Her resignation letter caused a stir among her fellow council members, who struggled to understand her motivation. She later explained her feelings more fully in an interview with The Times-Post.
“I am proud to have served as one of the youngest council members, and the first female council president in the town’s history,” reads Smith’s letter, sent Monday to Madison County Clerk Olivia Pratt.
“I am incredibly thankful to the people that placed their trust in me and supported me during my tenure. I voted my conscience and made the choices I thought were for the best of the town. Every decision I made, every vote I cast, I believed was the best decision for the town’s future.
“Sadly, the values and principles of the current council do not represent my beliefs,” the letter continued. “I find it unconscionable the police chief was reinstated after publicly mocking the Black Lives Matter movement, women, the LGBT community, and religious minorities. It is unacceptable that good employees were fired while insubordinate employees were rehired.
“Furthermore, it is unbelievable that current council members find it acceptable to use their position for their own personal gain,” she wrote.
“In short, I no longer wish to remain connected to a council whose priorities are so firmly in the grip of the good ol’ boys club.”
Several council members said Smith’s resignation was unexpected and that they learned about it after the fact, indirectly in various cases, through texts or phone calls.
They also said they did not understand what the second-term councilwoman is referring to in places in the letter, especially the part about personal gain, as well as the part about personnel decisions.
With regard to the hiring and firing, she said she did disagree with some of the decisions, including the decision to rehire one employee who quit last year, after using some “very colorful language” when he left.
That rehiring “was not done correctly at all — it was not done in the open … and with no consideration about how (the employee) was going to be paid when he was back, because the salary ordinance for the year had already been set and the budget had already been set.”
Her comment about personal gain was not meant to imply illegal behavior or financial misdeeds, she said.
She said she was commenting on the attitudes she saw displayed.
Train, semi collide
Originally published Oct. 15.
PENDLETON — A train smashed into a truck near Madison Avenue and State Road 67 on Friday.
The accident took place at about 5:30 p.m., after the tractor-trailer turned off State Road 67 onto westbound Madison Avenue.
There were no injuries, Pendleton Fire Chief Jeff Moore said.
“Southbound train hit a tractortrailer that was trying to make the crossing at Madison Avenue and got stuck,” Moore said.
The driver of the truck — Baba Algam, 27, Midlothian, Illinois — exited the truck, Moore said, and was able to escape physical harm. Moore said he heard Algam was able to disengage the truck’s hitch before the train hit so the trailer didn’t get pulled down the track by the locomotive.
“There was a fire in the tractor that we put out, and they’re currently trying to clean up the mess and get the trains back on,” Moore said at about 8 p.m.
The CSX train dragged the tractor down the tracks while the trailer remained back at the crossing with the stop arm resting on top of it.
The truck belongs to Kline America of Harrison, New York, Pendleton Police Chief Marc Farrer said.
By the time the train stopped, there were 12 rail cars in addition to two engines past the point of collision.
The railroad tracks run parallel to State Road 67 and — at Madison Avenue — are about 50 feet west of State Road 67.
Multiple area agencies responded to the call, which was still listed as active after 10:30 p.m.
New tree trimming program aims to reduce outages
Originally published Oct. 22.
PENDLETON — The Town of Pendleton will spend more than $500,000 during the next five years to trim and remove trees and brush near electrical lines. The goal is to keep the power on.
“The problem we’re trying to solve is … we’ve got a lot of power outages, and they’re simply trees that have weakened by the tornado and now the drought, and these limbs, not very big limbs, are falling on the lines, that are touching two lines, and then they’re shorting out the lines, and then people are losing their power,” town manager Scott Reske said.
“Sometimes there’s a tree that a branch is up into the lines that a squirrel, for instance, or a bird will actually make the connections between two lines, and the circuit breaker will kick in and kick that transformer offline.”
“It’s gotten pretty bad.”
The town is using a firm called Plant Growth Management Systems of Niles, Michigan, to lead the effort, Reske said.
The company was hired to inventory and mark the trees that need attention along the town’s 54 miles of primary and secondary power lines.
Reske said there are about 2,200 trees such as maples and oaks that will have to be trimmed or removed.
Volunteers plant more than 300 trees in Pendleton
Originally published Oct. 29.
PENDLETON — “This is where I start to cry — people are nice!” Carrie Tauscher said out loud as volunteers streamed into the parking lot at Falls Park Office on Saturday for a day of planting trees in Pendleton.
Tauscher, urban forestry coordinator for Indiana Department of Natural Resources, has worked for months with the Town of Pendleton and several local organizations, including South Madison Community Foundation, to help plan the effort.
It all came together under sunny skies.
In the end, more than 150 volunteers from town and beyond came out to help plant more than 300 trees — 200 at local residences and more than 100 in the park.
Pendleton received a $15,800 Arbor Day Foundation’s Community Tree Recovery Program grant to fund the project, which was designed to help replace some of the 500 trees lost in Pendleton after the 2019 Memorial Day tornado.
The grant was funded by Memphis-based International Paper.
Long lines don’t deter eager voters
Originally published Nov. 5.
SOUTH MADISON COUNTY — Grace Bennett, 22, of Lapel waited five hours to cast a ballot on Election Day at the Lapel Lions Club building.
It was her first time voting. Was it worth it?
“Yeah, it was,” she said, exiting the polling station after 3 p.m. “It feels good to have done it.”
That was the prevailing mood at several polling locations in South Madison County, where the waits to cast a ballot were often hours long — about five hours in some locations Tuesday afternoon.
The top of the ticket — the presidential race — was what was on people’s minds. Several people asked couldn’t name another race they were thinking about.
Judy Gilliatt and Angie Retz were in line at Pendleton Christian Church, facing a more than three-hour wait at about 4 p.m.
The wait didn’t matter to them, they said. They always vote and would wait however long it took.
Lapel to move on multi-million-dollar water project
Originally published Nov. 5.
LAPEL — Whether Lapel’s next attempt to secure an Office of Community and Rural Affairs Grant (OCRA) is successful, the town plans to move forward on a more than $4 million water improvement plan.
Lapel Town Council conducted a public hearing to discuss its grant application at its meeting Oct. 15.
Mike Kleinpeter of Whiteland-based Kleinpeter Consulting, the town’s grant administrator, said Lapel’s application for an OCRA grant of $700,000 will be submitted Nov. 20. OCRA announces awarded grants on Dec. 15.
Along with the grant application, the town plans to use $66,000 from the water operating fund and seek a loan from Indiana State Revolving Loan Fund of $3,955,200, for a total grant match of $4,021,200.
Robert Bellucci of Indianapolis-based Commonwealth Engineers, the town consultant for the project, detailed the work to be done to improve the town’s water, which includes cleaning existing wells, replacing the pump and other upgrades at the Fourth Street well, improvements at the water treatment plant and a new mixing system that is to improve water quality.
In addition, a study will identify sites for future wells, flag substandard piping for replacement and determine other possible enhancements for the town’s water system.
Madison County 2020 election results
Originally published Nov. 12.
MADISON COUNTY — It was an especially good year to be a Republican on the ballot in Madison County, as the number of voters choosing to punch a straight GOP party ticket was almost 63%, up from just more than 56% during the last presidential election four years ago.
Republicans won all county-level races — including auditor, coroner and surveyor, as well as county commission and council seats — and voters contributed to Republican wins in most races for state and national office.
It was not necessarily a great year to be an Election Day voter in the county, however, as lines to cast a ballot were extremely long in many cases, even though fewer ballots were cast this year than in the presidential election in 2016.
“I’ve heard people waited up to seven hours,” Madison County Clerk Olivia Pratt said.
It was a foreseeable situation that many in county government — including herself — had warned about, Pratt said, but “came to pass. It should not have ever happened.”
The waits, she said, resulted from the failure of the county to follow through on a process to transition to the use of vote centers — where any voter can vote at any county polling site — including a failure to double the number of new machines prior to the election.
Consultant urges town to prepare for growth
Originally published Nov. 19.
INGALLS — In a report to Ingalls Town Council, consultant Dax Norton recommended gatherings with other town boards to create a strategy for the town’s expected growth.
“In my opinion, the plan commission, redevelopment commission and town council should meet whether there’s something on the agenda or not,” Norton told the council at its Nov. 9 meeting at town hall.
Norton noted updating a comprehensive plan, UDO (Unified Development Ordinance) and thoroughfare plans among other ideas for the future.
“You really can’t get far without knowing where it is you’re going,” Norton told the council.
Norton, a municipal administration and management specialist from MS Consultants Inc., has been working with the town since the beginning of July.
Norton has done, and is doing, similar work with other Indiana towns, including Nashville and Jamestown. He was formerly the town manager, for six years, in Whitestown.
Town council President Scot Lawyer later said one of the reasons Norton was brought on board was his ample experience in working with towns like Ingalls, a community on the verge of growth.
“We all know that the growth is coming. It’s not a matter of if, it’s when,” Lawyer said. “That’s one of the reasons I brought Dax in, for his experience of dealing with these types of things.
“He can provide a lot of education to all of us so we can be more proactive than reactive. If we’re going to have any say in the growth and control the growth, I think education of the boards is essential.”
Drive-thru display brings holiday cheer
Originally published Dec. 3.
PENDLETON — It’s been a frequent message this year: “(Insert event name) has been canceled because of COVID-19.”
Locally, Christmas in Pendleton was one of the big ones that got nixed.
Some people in town, however, are turning their pandemic fatigue into a festive force, fueling the creation of what might be a new local holiday tradition: Falls Park Hometown Christmas, a drive-thru light and decorations display at the park.
More than 20 organizations, businesses and local families contributed time and resources to decorating areas in Falls Park, so that everyone can enjoy an old-fashioned — and, yes, socially distanced — good time.
(The light display will be up through Jan. 10.)
Council gives thumbs down to rezone
Originally published Dec. 17.
PENDLETON — Pendleton Town Council denied a request to rezone about 54 acres of land north of town, stopping — at least for now — the construction of a proposed 145-unit residential development.
“Your discussion here doesn’t convince me that’s the best thing for this property at this time. For me it’s not,” council President Chet Babb said after about an hour-long presentation of the plan by M/I Homes representative Jonathan Isaacs.
The land is located between Falls Park and State Road 67, northeast of Pendleton Sports Complex. It is owned by Prairie Creek LLC and South Madison Community Foundation and zoned agricultural.
M/I Homes of Indiana applied to rezone the land residential in August and received a 5-2 favorable recommendation from Pendleton Plan Commission in November.
The town council tabled the issue at its November meeting before denying it last week.
Virus vaccines on their way
Originally published Dec. 17.
PENDLETON — Local health care workers will start receiving COVID-19 vaccinations this week, with long-term care residents and staff to follow in the next week or two, Madison County Health Department Administrator Stephenie Grimes said Tuesday.
“I know some (health care workers) who already have appointments to go get their vaccine on Friday,” she said.
Community Hospital Anderson is one of about 50 hospitals statewide that will inoculate doctors, nurses and other hospital staff.
“Long-term care facilities (staff and residents) are being covered by Walgreens and CVS, however,” she said.
Grimes said the health department is gearing up to receive the vaccine for the general public beginning the first week of January.
Health care workers and long-term care facility staff and residents will receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Grimes said, while the health department will receive the Moderna vaccine for the public, if it’s approved as expected.
To plan, she said she hopes to receive details soon on quantity of doses to expect and eligibility.
“We can vaccinate 150 people in a day,” she said.
Lapel roads get big boost from the state
Originally published Dec. 24.
SOUTH MADISON COUNTY — In what is the largest grant for a road project in town history, Lapel recently received $699,438 from Indiana Department of Transportation’s Community Crossings Matching Grant program.
Town council President Chad Blake said the amount, when combined with a town match of $233,161, will add up to significant improvement of local roads.
“Between nearly $1 million in road projects and $4.7 million in water projects, 2021 is going to be a very busy year for Lapel,” Blake wrote in an email.
The roadwork involves 2.23 miles of Lapel streets, including County Roads 200 South, 950 West (Brookside Road) and 500 South (Alliance Road). Also included are Vine Street, 10th Street, Ash Way, Beechwood Drive, Briar Drive and Oakmont Drive.
The water projects Blake mentioned (reported previously in The Times-Post) have been in discussion for some time and involve upgrades and other work to an existing water treatment plant, elevated storage tank and installation of new water mains at various locations through town. The town is seeking grant funds from Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) for that work.
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The state also announced recently that Pendleton will receive $317,416 of Community Crossings funds.
Pendleton and Lapel are among 241 Indiana cities, towns and counties that received a combined $101 million in state matching funds this month for local road projects.
Pendleton town manager Scott Reske said Pendleton’s state funds, which will be paired with about $307,000 in local funds, will enable the town to address flooding in a several-block stretch downtown.
“We’re reconstructing Water Street basically from Pendleton Avenue to East Street. And then we’re putting in a new (storm)water line basically from Caroline Street to the park,” where it will connect to an existing stormwater line near the pond, Reske said.
County councilman faces felony charges
Originally published Dec. 24.
MADISON COUNTY — Madison County Councilman Steve Sumner was arrested Tuesday morning on felony charges of child seduction and possession of child pornography, according to Indiana State Police.
ISP started a criminal investigation in August that found Sumner “had allegedly engaged in child seduction with a minor under the age of 16 and also possessed child pornography,” a press release states.
Evidence gathered from interviews and analysis of electronic devices by the ISP Cyber Crimes Division were given to Madison County Prosecutor’s Office for review, after which an arrest warrant was issued, according to the release.
Sumner, 52, represents council District 2, which includes Lafayette and parts of Anderson and Union townships.
