The year 2012 started with some unusual and horrific events.

In January 2012, a passenger cruise ship named Costa Concordia ran aground and capsized off the coast of Italy, killing 32 passengers. And it could have been worse.

In February, Egypt’s deadliest football incident known as the Port Said Stadium riot was sparked after local Port Said Al Massry fans attacked supporters of Cairo-based team. The dispute resulted in 74 dead fans. Seventy-two visiting fans were killed, one police officer, and one home team fan. Most of the deaths were caused by stabbing, fans thrown off the stands and a stampede.

Near the capital of the Republic of Congo, they made explosives. In March of 2012, someone “goofed-up” and there was a series of explosions at a munitions dump in Brazzaville. When they searched and evaluated the damages, they counted at least 250 people dead from the incident.

Enough of the bad news.

You may not believe this — in May 2012, a pastel version of The Scream, by the Norwegian painter Edvard Munch, sold for $120 million in a New York City auction, setting a new world record for an auctioned work of art.

Also in May 2012, Japan had the tallest self-supporting structure in the world at 634 meters. It is called the “Tokyo Sky Tree.” It opened to the public that year. This writer is one person who cannot handle great heights; my legs give out before I can reach high places.

In August 2012, Curiosity, the Mars Science Laboratory mission’s rover was successfully launched and landed on Mars.

In October 2012, an Austrian skydiver named Felix Baumgartner jumped from a helium balloon and landed in none other than Roswell, New Mexico.

On Nov. 6, 2012 citizens of the United States elected Barack Obama as President of the United States, defeating his Republican challenger Mitt Romney.

The weather during 2012 was exceptional; March average temperatures were 56.6 degrees. Henryville, Indiana got hit by a very bad tornado. We were experiencing a recession. The national debt was increasing. The Tea Party Patriots were very popular.

On Dec. 12, 2012, is the last time in the 21st century that the month, day and final two digits of the year are the exact same (12/12/12). The next time this will happen will be on New Year’s Day in 2101 (01/01/01). Can you wait for that time?

During 2012, we lost several people who entertained us. Here are a few notables: Joe Paterno — America’s football coach; Ben Gazzara — actor; Don Cornelius — television host; Janice Voss — astronaut; Whitney Huston — singer; Davy Jones — singer; Andrew Breitbart — writer; Earl Scruggs — Banjo music; Mike Wallace — newscaster; Dick Clark — television host; Kitty Wells — country singer; Sally Ride — astronaut; Chad Everett — actor; Phyllis Diller — actress and comedian; Jerry Nelson — puppeteer; Gary Collins — television host; George McGovern — politician; and Larry Hagman — actor, and 27 year old pop star Amy Winehouse was found dead at home.

Back at Lapel High School, the staff responsible for guiding the senior class through the grades and successfully graduating them, much of the credit goes to the following faculty: Nate Andrews, Justin Anderson, Julie Baer, David Barker, Mark Boudrot, Ron Buckner, Dorinda Cassiday, Anita Casterline, Steve Crandall, Donna Caudill, Diane Clark, Nick Clarkson, Justin Coomer, Danita Dittlinger, Ken Gross, Greg Granger, Bob Helvering, Denise Hersberger-Gray, Kent Hesson, Homayoun Honamandian, Jerry Hoss Sr, Jimmie Howell, Debbie Johnson, Marianne Julius, Chad Kemerly, Jerry Kemerly, Gayle Kepner, Barrett Key, Sherry Krause, John Maryan, Sheron McDermit, Brenda Mills, Jennifer Morgan, Kim Murdock, Tami Paddock, Larry Shuler, Greg Scott, Rebecca Sears, Jane Shively, Cindy Stephenson, Julie Storm, Jeannine Terhune, Kristina Wagner, Stacy Wainscott, Andrea Westphal, John Wills and Tina Wilson.

The LHS senior valedictorian for 2012 was Matthew Conrad, and the salutatorian was Jared Knepp. The LHS senior class of 2012 was an exceptional group. Their yearbook was ranked (by me) as one of the best in several years. The Frankton-Lapel Community School Corp. received 528 transfer students. That was a state school record.

One of the school transfers and his brother decided they were going to LHS from Anderson. He was a junior and joined the football and wrestling teams. His brother said, “Lapel does more school activities and has more fun spirit days and the students here have a lot better school spirit.”

Here are the graduating LHS senior class of 2012: Crisstofer Allender, Alec Baker, Morgan Baker, Anna Berger, Dustin Bernard, Beth Blever, Bradley Blever, Chandler Bowen, Nathan Breeck, Nicholas Browning, Emily Caldwell, Austin Castor, Rupal Chhiba, Nathan Clark, Matthew Conrad, Michael Davis, Gabrielle Davidson, Tommy Dildine, Michaekla Ellis, Kelsey Emory, Miracle Enyeart, Brandan Esparza, Kayla Fattig, Boston Fields, Alexis Fite, Kyle Flowers, Joseph George, Andrew Gibson, Brady Gilbert, Kelli Girt, Julia Hall, Jacob Handwork, Jenna Helm, Todd Hersberger, Kaleb Hobbs, Tyler Hobbs, Kayla Holman, Joseph Hormell, Lindsey Hormell, Benjamin Hubbard, Olivia Humphrey, Devon Humphries, Adam Huntzinger, Jacob Huntzinger, Thomas Inholt, Brady Johnson, Austin Jones, Derek Jones, Kalvin Kenemer, Jared Knepp, Kathryn Lee, Whitney Mackey, Cameron Mason, Jordan Maxey, Lucas Mendel, Drake Meyers, Mariah Miller, Cameron Mills, Evan Mohr, Raven Morris, Brenden Mudd, Kyle Nardi, Mitchell Neff, Mariah Neidert, Ryan Newman, Ali Nicholson, Vincent Norrick, Ashley Owen, Derek Packer, Brittany Phillips, Parker Pickett, Josiah Ponsler, Staci Riffey, Holdan Robertson, Jaimie Rushton, Jordan Rushton, Clayton Savage, Sarah Seifert, Emily Shell, Paul Sheller, Melody Shepherd, Aleia Short, Kazanna Shrock, Alissa Smart, Hannah Smith, Karlee Spangler, Morgan Sparks, Sara St. Clair, Rachel Steele, Garth Stichler, Erin Stottlemyer, James Summers, Jonathen Thompson, Nathan Thompson, Duncan Titus, Ashley Turner, Morgan Turner, Hunter Vale, Benjamin Wasilewski, Joshua Wilkins, Haley Williams, Megan Woods and Zachary Zehner.

According to the 2012 yearbook, the boys varsity basketball team ended the season with a record of 17 wins and only five losses – great job guys!

When Grant Mountcastle was diagnosed in November 2010 with medulloblastoma, a form of cancer, his friends at LHS banded together to herald him through. Less than a month after his diagnosis, the senior class organized a fundraiser dance that made $1,536 for the Mountcastle family. Grant received rigorous a chemo stint at Riley Hospital during August 2011 and after long months of fighting cancer, he was declared cancer free!

Jerry Kemerly was very pleased to become a part of the LHS family when he walked through the doors on his very first day in 1972.

“‘The awesome responsibility that went with teaching kids was kids of overwhelming for me at that time,” Kemerly reflected.

He went on to become successful as an administrator, after being assistant principal and elementary principal, and later became high school principal. The 1976 baseball team had its best record in years, thanks to coach Kemerly’s stellar leadership skills. I hope he is enjoying his retirement.

Ray Tincher attended Ball State University and retired from Indiana Department of Correction in 1997. He worked at IDOC for 30 years, serving in a variety of roles, from correctional officer to warden. At retirement, he received the Sagamore of the Wabash Award from Gov. Frank O’Bannon. He wrote several training manuals as part of his employment and is a published author: “Inmate #13225 John Herbert Dillinger (2007).” He and his wife, Marilyn, live in Lapel.