SOUTH MADISON COUNTY — Looking back on 2022 as the year comes to a close, it’s apparent that much was accomplished during the year to move local communities forward, even as pandemic-related concerns faded and more familiar economic and political uncertainties arose.

Below is a selection of stories published in The Times-Post, reflecting these and other developments from the past 12 months.

The full versions of these and other related stories are available at ptlpnews.com.

Originally published Jan. 13

Town OKs new cams for PPD

PENDLETON — Pendleton Police Department and a town maintenance building will soon receive upgrades courtesy of federal American Rescue Plan funds received last year.

Pendleton Town Council recently approved spending $126,411 for a new police body camera and in-vehicle camera system, and about $14,000 for an emergency power generator, money that comes out of the town’s first ARP installment of $493,425.

“We need to protect our police officers like we need to protect our residents,” Town Council President Chet Babb said of the new camera system.

The generator will address an issue that arose during the 2019 tornado in Pendleton, during which the town couldn’t immediately access certain equipment in the maintenance building on North Pendleton Avenue; the power was out so the doors wouldn’t open, Babb said.

The purchases were approved at a special town council meeting Thursday, Jan. 6.

PPD Captain Lucas Traylor said the new Watch Guard/Motorola Solutions system — comprised of 13 body cameras and 11 vehicle set-ups that will replace the existing set-up — represents a move to “the latest and greatest” for the 11 full-time officer department.

Originally published Jan. 29

New office building opens (lumberyard building)

PENDLETON — With a nod to the past, a new office building called Pendleton Lumberyard is nearing completion at the southwest corner of Pendleton Avenue and High Street — the past site of Pendleton Lumber Co. and similar businesses that date back to the 19th century.

“We have four tenants so far,” co-owner Chris Schulhof said on a recent Tuesday afternoon, on the day he received the certificate of occupancy for the building, address 200 S. Pendleton Ave.

A fifth tenant has signed on since, leaving 10 spaces available in the 5,130-square-foot building.

“I think we’ll be full by summer,” he said.

Schulhof said he and a business partner bought the property, which most recently had been home to Iron Horse Martial Arts, in 2019; after COVID-19-related delays, renovations to the 1950-built structure resumed last year, and tenants recently started moving in.

Originally published March 10

South Madison rolls back COVID rules

PENDLETON — It is not completely back to pre-pandemic ways, but South Madison Community School Corporation’s updated COVID-19 Operation Plan is the closest thing to it since the world-altering virus arrived in 2020.

At the SMCSC Board of School Trustees meeting on Thursday, March 3, the board approved changes recommended by Superintendent Mark Hall.

The major changes included:

• Face coverings will be optional in all schools regardless of positivity rate.

• All schools will operate on a traditional schedule regardless of the positivity rate.

• Face coverings will be optional on school buses.

• Schools will no longer conduct contact tracing or quarantine students.

• Parents will be notified of potential student exposures to COVID-19.

• Visitor restrictions will be relaxed.

Hall said the modifications were made based on recent changes to the Indiana Department of Health COVID-19 Control Measures and the federal mandate concerning public transportation.

Originally published March 17

Town approves bonds for park (park schematic)

PENDLETON — Plans for upgrades to Falls Park, including a resigned playground area, took a a step forward with the town council’s approval of bonds to finance the work.

The council voted 4-0 on Thursday, March 10, to approve bonds, on behalf of the Pendleton-Fall Creek Township Park and recreation District, not to exceed $3,450,000, with about $2.1 million of the borrowing for the improvements and potential land acquisition.

The bond amount includes more than $1 million of debt dating to 2013 that will be refinanced at a lower interest rate, if doing so will save money when the financing is lined up, as well as other overall financing costs, including fees and interest.

The planned park improvements include playground equipment, restrooms, parking lots, golf course equipment and improvements, trail construction and more.

The playground plan includes play areas for certain age groups/ability levels, such as ages 2-5/lower ability and ages 5-12/upper ability. It also includes picnic and storytime areas, as well as a range of equipment, including slides and climbing structures.

Park Superintendent Aaron Burris said the cost for the playground project are estimated at $1.77 million “on the high end.”

Originally published April 14

Lapel’s long-awaited water project gets underway

LAPEL — The town of Lapel has reached the next step in its $4 million-plus water improvement project.

On Tuesday, April 12, at the town’s water treatment plant, a groundbreaking ceremony kicked off the construction portion of a project that will include improvements both at the facility and throughout town.

Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch and town council President Teresa Retherford were among the speakers at the event that included representatives from consulting firm Commonwealth Engineers Inc., grant administrator Kleinpeter Consulting Group LLC, construction companies Thieneman Construction and Atlas Excavating, along with the Indiana State Revolving Fund and other town officials.

The town had been seeking financial aid during the past four years through a grant from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, but had lost out on the competitive award prior to this year.

The town, with the guidance of Commonwealth Engineers and Kleinpeter Consulting, created a bigger project and was awarded an OCRA grant of $700,000. It also applied and received funding from the revolving fund.

“This is a project that needed to be done for a long time,” Retherford said. “Finally being able to put one foot in front of the other and to get here today is just unbelievable.”

“It’s necessary for the sustained growth of the town,” council Vice President Chad Blake said. “While this isn’t increasing the size of our water system, it is preparing it for the future growth, replacing undersized water lines, the new pump station, water mains.”

The project will be constructed into two divisions.

Division A, which will be done by Thieneman Construction, will provide well, treatment and storage improvements.

Division B, the Atlas Excavating portion of the project, is for improvements in the distribution system.

Woman grows business in ‘dream’ location (one photo, Howard family)

INGALLS — It truly is a dream come true.

Keelie Howard had driven by the cabin-like, two-story structure in Ingalls, just off West Broadway Street, many

times.

She had admired the building, formerly Green’s Auto Sales.

“Growing up, I always thought this was the coolest building. Passing it, I always thought it was so neat,” said Howard, who grew up in the area and is a 2009 graduate of Pendleton Heights High School.

That building is now home to Howard Health LLC, which provides mental health services for youths and adults. It provides therapy, case work, life skills and supervised visitation and also wrap-around services through Indiana Department of Mental Health and Addiction.

A business open house took place on April 1

Originally published April 28

Fire sends five to hospital

PENDLETON — An electrical fire at Pendleton Correctional Facility on Tuesday caused five people to be “sent to area hospitals with injuries,” Indiana DOC Chief Communications Officer Annie Goeller said in an email Tuesday.

“No incarcerated individuals were involved,” Goeller said in the email.

Pendleton Fire Department Chief Chris Nodine said the fire call came at 5:08 p.m.

Pendleton Fire Department and EMS, and Adams Township Fire Department responded. Corrections staff put out the fire before firefighters arrived, Nodine said via text.

Originally published March 31

Pendleton, townships adopt South Madison Fire Territory (map of territory, picture of chief describing plan)

PENDLETON — Public officials from the town of Pendleton, and Fall Creek and Green Townships voted unanimously to approve the creation of South Madison Fire Territory, which will begin with the first tax levy in July 2023.

The five-member town council and three-member township boards voted separately to adopt the territory agreement as well as to create an equipment replacement fund during a special meeting Tuesday, March 29, at Pendleton Town Hall Tuesday.

Pendleton council member Steve Denny, who worked closely with the fire department, Chief Chris Nodine and consultant firm Baker Tilly on the territory proposal, addressed those in attendance following the approval. He thanked all those involved in creating and approving what he called, “a historic occasion.”

He added, “Finally, I’d just like to thank everybody that has served on the fire department as a volunteer over the last 100-plus years. Before I got into this I always heard wonderful things about our volunteer fire department. I always say, they are in the top 1-2 in the state. I just want to thank everybody who has participated over the years … There’s only better things to come now with this becoming a territory. It was an honor and privilege to be a small piece of this project. Fifty years from now they’re going to be talking about this.”

In the first of three public meetings in January, Nodine said that adopting the fire territory would give him the ability to start hiring full-time paid firefighters and staff and give residents better, more efficient coverage around the clock.

The proposed budget for the territory in 2023 is $2.1 million and would increase to $5.1 million in 2024 and $6.6 million in 2025. It would enable Nodine to increase the full-time staff each year.

The fire territory service area runs about 10 miles east to west and seven miles north to south in southwest Madison County.

Originally published April 7

Grant will create new paths in Ingalls

INGALLS — A grant received from the Indiana Department of Health Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity will help construct bicycle and pedestrian trails in the town of Ingalls.

The award is for a maximum of $20,000 and is part of the 2022 Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Grant Program.

Ingalls Director of Planning and Development Neil Stevenson said the town was selected from among applicants of Tier 1 category, which includes communities with population under 5,000. There are no matching funds required.

“We will probably be right around $20,000,” Stevenson said of the plan that would create townwide trails for walkers and bike riders. “It’ll cover the entire community.”

Originally published April 28

‘All new’ voting system

MADISON COUNTY — With less than a week before Primary Election Day, Madison County voters still have a lot of options as to where and when to cast their ballots ahead of time.

They can cast their ballots on the first floor of Madison County Government Center, 16 E. Ninth St, Anderson, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through Friday, April 29; 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 30; and 8 a.m. to noon Monday, May 2.

Voters also can make their political choices at any of the eight satellite voting locations in the county, including one at Pendleton Community

Public Library, 595 E. Water St. Remaining hours at these are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Friday, April 29; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 30.

The county switched to vote centers this year, which enables voters to cast their ballots at any of the voting locations in the county regardless of where they live. On Primary Election Day, there will be 30 vote centers open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Madison County Election Director Mary Retherford said on Tuesday that there have been no problems with the new system.

She said the total ballots cast daily at each of the satellite locations has ranged from about five to 50.

“It’s all new,” she said. “It takes a while for something new to catch on.”

Originally published May 5

Ingalls plans for station remodel

INGALLS — Ingalls Town Council has come up with the funding to accept a bid to pay for remodeling its fire station.

At its March 28 meeting, unsure which account would need to be used for the funding, the council delayed accepting an $82,600 bid from Fredericks Inc. Contractors to renovate the town’s fire station.

At the council’s April 11 meeting, it chose to reappropriate funds from its public safety account to pay for the work that includes separating sleeping facilities and common space from engine room, as well as adding a restroom and showering facility so there are separate ones for males and females.

Originally published May 12

Local historical group to get boost

PENDLETON — Indiana Landmarks has selected Historic Fall Creek, Pendleton Settlement to participate in the inaugural Affiliate Advancement Program, a year-long training initiative aimed at strengthening volunteer-driven local groups.

The Pendleton organization and four others were selected “through a competitive application process from among Indiana Landmarks’ 61 affiliate organizations, which work as local partners to help save and revitalize historic places,” a press release states.

Hutton honored by school board association

PENDLETON — Longtime South Madison Community School Corp. board member Bill Hutton received the Indiana School Board Association’s Exemplary Governance Award.

Hutton has been a member of the school board for 12 years. He is a former educator and administrator in the school system. He spent 18 years in the classroom and 18 more years as an administrator.

Originally published May 19

Trio delivers on goal of gallery feature (two pictures — one of tree lowering, the other of copper leaves and boys)

PENDLETON — It took three years and hundreds of hours of work — with a break for a pandemic and pauses for donated services to occur — but Gallery 119 finally has its landmark sculpture outside its building.

“It puts us on the map a little better,” said Tracy Davidson, one of three artists who created the 750-plus-pound, 17½-feet-tall metal tree. “It shows that we’re here and capable and creative.”

The tree stands in a 40-inch-wide-by-30-inch-deep space between the gallery — located on the south side of State Street, between Pendleton Avenue and Main Street — and the building to the west.

The sculpture, with a forged steel framework inside and covered outside with 22-gauge steel sheeting hammered and worked with a welder to look like bark, has branches adorned with more than 650 copper leaves.

“I’m really happy with the way it turned out,” said Jerry Wymer, who with Davidson and Vic Eichhorn comprised the artistic trio.

The sculpture was installed in April and dedicated in a ceremony on Monday.

Originally published May 19

Big changes coming to corporation

LAPEL — There will be new leadership for Frankton-Lapel Community Schools for the 2022-23 school year.

Longtime superintendent and educator Bobby Fields is retiring at the end of the academic year.

Fields has spent 39 years in education, the past 14 as superintendent.

Fields’ replacement, and other leadership changes, involve a shifting of positions among people familiar to those in the school system.

Current assistant superintendent Sterling Boles will become the new superintendent.

Instead of hiring a new assistant superintendent, the board approved two new positions to serve FLCS students and staff.

Wendy Smedley, who had been an assistant principal at Frankton Junior-Senior High School, will be chief learning officer.

John Willis, currently principal at Lapel High School, is the new chief operating officer.

“We looked at five districts larger than us and five districts smaller,” Boles said. “We looked at how many certified central office staff personnel they had. No other district our size had just two. The five larger and the five smaller we looked at, one had three and the rest had four to six.”

Originally published June 23

Cigar, whiskey lounge opens in Ingalls (photo)

INGALLS — Rob Boyland’s passion is now his business.

After retiring from his sales job of 30 years and spending one year as the general manager of a cigar lounge in Greenwood, Boyland has brought a cigar and whiskey lounge to Ingalls.

Final Third Cigar and Whiskey Lounge is located at 180 E. Broadway Street (formerly Serendipity Hair Salon). The business, which opened its doors in March, had a ribbon-cutting ceremony performed by the Madison County Chamber of Commerce over the weekend to introduce the outdoor patio, “The Cigarden.”

“It’s a beautiful facility they completely renovated. They’ve added a classy amenity,” Madison County Chamber President/CEO Clayton Whitson said. “South Madison has seen a lot of population growth and a lot of new folks coming up along the Ind. 67, I-69 corridors. This is just another quality business that our community can now feature in southern Madison County.

“As far as our municipalities in Madison County go, Ingalls, with their town planner (Neil Stevenson) and the planning department in Pendleton, they’ve set their communities up to be ahead of the curve,” Whitson continued. “They are really in a good position to be able to control the growth. They have a really solid strategic plan and a strategic vision for how they want to grow. I really appreciate their long-term vision and longterm planning.”

Originally published June 30

Museum, state ensure local man’s legacy sees light of day (one photo)

PENDLETON — That Pendleton-born actor William “Bill” Walker appeared in TV shows and movies, including the 1962

film “To Kill a Mockingbird” starring Gregory Peck, is no secret.

But the full extent of Walker’s life story is one the Pendleton Historical Museum board thought deserved more attention.

To that end, after three years of effort, the board — with the help of a state agency and donors — has installed a large historical marker in Falls Park to better honor Walker’s legacy.

“The more we learned about William Walker, the better a story it became,” board Vice President Jeanette Isbell said as she addressed an audience of about 20 people at a dedication ceremony on Friday.

The large marker sits on a post just west of the museum’s front entrance.

Originally published July 14

(A better than) Fair return (two pictures — horses and toy presentation)

LAPEL — Lapel Village Fair came roaring back to life for the first time since 2019, drawing people to town for a two-day

celebration with food, live music, a parade, children’s activities and more.

“Everything went on — it was a great success,” said Margo Sink, who was in charge of booths for Lapel Community Association, which organizes the fair.

After the rain on Friday, July 8, “it was packed” that night, she said. And on Saturday it was sunshine all day.

“There was very good turnout; the vendors did well.”

A good indicator of how busy it was — despite the fair being canceled the past two years because of COVID-19 — is that many vendors sold out of merchandise and went ahead and paid next year’s vendor fee, Sink said.

“It was a good show,” she said.

Originally published July 28

$1 million in road work coming to Pendleton

PENDLETON — Pendleton Town Council approved a bid from E & B Paving to repave more than dozen sections of street in town at a cost of more than $1 million.

“The bids came in, like everything else, they’re high right now,” town manager Scott Reske told the council, before it voted 5-0 to approve the bid from the Anderson-based company at its regular July meeting.

The town received a $701,840 Community Crossings Grant from Indiana Department of Transportation, a program designed to pay 75% of the cost with towns picking up 25% of the cost of the work.

Originally published Aug. 4

New owners have a new vision for local campground (one photo)

PENDLETON — The former Pine Lakes Fishing and Camping Resort in Pendleton has found not only new owners but a new direction under the name Mystic Waters Family Campground.

Lisa Holverson, husband Brent and business partner Pete Watson have created a destination designed for family fun and relaxation.

A variety of cabins, RV and tent camping, recreational water sports and special events are all part of the 38-acre site that houses three lakes, located off State Road 38 just west of Interstate 69.

Purchased in December, the owners and staff worked long hours to prepare the overgrown area for a May opening. They cleared the campground, which was completely overgrown with weeds. Some of the cabins were removed to create additional space between them. The bait shop is now the camp lodge with a camp store, TV, video games, ping-pong table and foosball game.

“We wanted to make this a place for families,” Holverson said. “We have so much land, there’s lots we can do.”

Originally published Aug. 18

Spartz: Country is too divided

PENDLETON — U.S. Congresswoman Victoria Spartz conducted a town hall-style meeting in Pendleton on Saturday

morning.

Spartz, who represents Indiana’s 5th District, discussed a variety of issues during an hour-long meeting in a crowded room at Pendleton Community Public Library.

Her overarching point was that the United States is too divided.

“We do have challenges in the country,” Spartz said. “But I’ll be honest with you, it’s a challenging time. The country’s divided, the country has a lot of drama going on right now.”

While she is on the opposite side of President Joe Biden on most issues, she blames Congress for a lot of the challenges going on.

“We have to govern, and Congress hasn’t been governing for a long time,” said Spartz, whose will face Democratic challenger Jeannine Lake in November’s election. “It’s not for the first time or the last time… We can’t just blame presidents; ultimately I blame Congress, too.”

Originally published Sept. 8

Business trio set to open ‘Bar and Table’

INGALLS — When Clinton Hiatt — president of Taylor Inc. and owner of Taylor’s Pub and Grill locations in Indianapolis — heard there was an available spot for a business in Ingalls, his knee-jerk reaction was to say no.

It was 2021, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, and company Vice President Kyle Davis said the location was in the middle of nowhere.

However, one day, after dropping his daughter off at school, Hiatt drove to the location and said he passed houses that “had nowhere to go.”

His assessment was, “Son of a gun, somebody’s gonna do really, really well there.”

Later, Hiatt, Davis and Pablo Uribe, treasurer and vice president, decided the potential rewards were worth the risks. They took the space, and the plan for a new location — Taylor’s Bar and Table in Ingalls — was born.

Originally published Sept. 22

PAS Plein Air Competition opens to the public (one photo of painter by fountain)

PENDLETON — Jeff Compton of Orestes sat in his lawn chair at midday Saturday at the north entrance to Falls Park, sketching a drawing of the park’s Red Barn.

It was about noon and the sketch was the start of what would become his second painting of the day, as part of the Pendleton Artists Association’s first open-to-the-public Plein Air Competition.

“I look for shade, parking and bathrooms,” he said, explaining how he chooses where to set up when he competes in such outdoor art events, which he has done for about two years. “This is the trifecta right here.”

Compton and 14 other artists participated in the Pendleton competition, which required people to register themselves along with their supplies in the morning at the log cabin across from the barn, to verify they were starting with a blank slate. Then, they had until 3 p.m. to finish and submit their work.

Originally published Oct. 13

Group shines new light on two Revolutionary War soldiers

PENDLETON — Shirley Gerhart of Lafayette has long been interested in family history, specifically her father’s family, which arrived in Virginia in 1743 and was involved in the founding of Nashville, Indiana.

But about five years ago, she started looking into her husband’s family.

It was his family history that led her to drive to Pendleton’s Grovelawn Cemetery on Monday to attend the dedication of memorial markers in honor of two American Revolutionary War soldiers who had settled and died in Madison County.

Kikthawenund Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, conducted the dedication ceremony for William Wall and Philip Hobaugh. The latter is an ancestor of Gerhart’s husband, John, who died in 2018.

“I just found out about (the family connection and marker dedication) about a week ago,” Gerhart, 86, said following the ceremony that included speakers and color guard service. “I thought it was very nice. It’s very informative.”

About 40 people attended the dedication, most of whom were members of DAR, Sons of the American Revolution or Children of the American Revolution.

Originally published Nov. 10

Republicans the big winners in local, county races

MADISON COUNTY — In a General Election with nearly 40% voter turnout in Madison County, several local races were decided by wide margins, a result that could be seen countywide as the Republican party found sweeping success.

Two of Pendleton Town Council’s five seats were on the ballot.

In the District 3 race, Republican Jennifer Roberts defeated Democrat Joe Noel with almost 65% of the vote, 1,140 to 619.

The district is the most southeasterly of the town’s three districts. The two were vying to replace longtime Councilman Bob Jones, who decided not to run again.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect; I’m just really thankful to be elected into this position,” Roberts said shortly after the results came in. “It’s humbling, and I don’t take that responsibility lightly. I have big shoes to fill following Bob Jones, but I’m excited for the opportunity and I’m up to the challenge.

“I just feel like Pendleton is in such a pivotal time for growth and what that looks like, and controlling and preserving what Pendleton is. And I’m just really excited to be a part of that.”

In District 4 (at large), Republican incumbent Marissa Skaggs won with more than 70% of the votes against Democrat

Josh Ring, who announced in October that he was dropping out of the race.

It was too late to remove his name from the ballot, and he nonetheless received 524 votes to Skaggs’ 1,233.

Skaggs was appointed to the seat in November 2020 after Councilwoman Jessica Smith stepped down.

The tighter outcomes came in the non-partisan school board races.

Originally published Nov. 17

Infrastructure upgrades key to success

ANDERSON — Several local leaders spoke about the outlook for their communities at the recent State of the County event, organized by the Madison County Chamber of Commerce.

Speakers at the annual gathering, which took place Thursday, Nov. 10, at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino, made a common point: Communities must prioritize infrastructure improvements and be able to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to growth heading their way.

“Our priority, though, is to protect the amenities, and not sacrifice the quality of life just for growth’s sake. Our planning commission, BZA (Board of Zoning Appeals), town council are all in line with that concept,” Pendleton town manager Scott Reske said. “We believe that rapid growth can be nothing more than cancer. If we don’t grow smart, then all you’re going to end up with is crowded streets, and the people who have lived there for years are not going to recognize their own town. We want to keep that in mind when we make those decisions getting ready for that growth.”

For Reske and other civic leaders, it’s not just about being prepared for the growth, but also finding a fiscally responsible

way to navigate it.

“We’re going to try and do it without going into debt,” Reske said. “When you look at Fishers, and some of the other towns to the south down (Interstate) 69, they suffered a lot of debt building their infrastructure as the growth happened.”

Originally published Dec. 1

A coach honored (one picture)

LAPEL — Former players, coaches, colleagues, family and friends were at the Lapel vs. Frankton boys basketball game on Saturday to join in honoring former coach Jimmie Howell.

An emotional Howell and his wife, Angie, stood at center court in the Lapel gym to officially accept the dedication and naming of the hardwood as Jimmie Howell Court.

Frankton-Lapel Community Schools Superintendent Sterling Boles presented the plaque to Howell, a Lapel High School graduate who came full circle from student to coach, amassing accolades as few coaches ever do.

He led the Bulldogs to two state titles in 2005 as a Class 1A champion and again in 2016 as the Class 2A champion.

Originally published Dec. 8

Families, friends celebrate former lumberyard owners

PENDLETON — Pendleton residents who have lived in town a couple of decades or more probably remember Pendleton Lumber Co., or True Value Lumber Co., as it was later called. The business operated at the southwest corner of Pendleton Avenue and High Street from 1947 until 2004.

Although it has been gone for almost 20 years, several Pendleton residents and former employees fondly remember the time they spent there.

Real estate agent and longtime Pendleton resident Mike Hanna wanted to ensure the memories and good times would not be forgotten when the building was sold.

“When I sold this building … I asked the new owner, (Chris) Schulhof, if we could do something for these guys,” Hanna said. “Everybody respected and knew them.”

Schulhof, who renovated the space into an office and retail building — and gave a nod to the past by calling it the Lumberyard — agreed to place a plaque at the front door commemorating former owners Jim Craig, Laurel Stoner and Kurt Kahl.

On Monday afternoon, a group of old friends and customers along with family members gathered at the site of the former lumberyard to see the unveiling of the plaque.

Originally published Dec. 15

Town receives $300K for roadwork

PENDLETON — Pendleton received almost $300,000 in the most recent round of state Community Crossings grant awards, bringing the town’s total this year to $1 million.

That information, along with updates from the town’s fire and police chiefs, was presented during the Pendleton Town Council meeting on Dec. 8.

The state announced earlier this month that Pendleton would receive $298,160 in the second of two rounds for the Community Crossings matching grant program. With that, Pendleton reached its annual cap.

Pendleton’s latest funding will be used for local road paving and crack sealing.

The town must contribute a 25% match for the funds, which amounts to $250,000 for the year, town manager Scott Reske later said.

Originally published Dec. 22

New athletic training facility opens in Pendleton

PENDLETON — A long-awaited Pendleton indoor sports facility held its grand opening on Saturday when W Athletics, located in the Falls Park Sports

Complex, opened its doors to the public.

The 9,600-square-feet facility had been in development since September 2020 and will be used to hone skills in baseball, softball and golf, along with speed, agility and strength training.

The facility is owned and operated by Pendleton residents Cal and Jody Wilson with the hopes of it being a place that can benefit the Pendleton community.