The Owen News -- July 17, 2026 (Vol. 3, Issue 8)

THREE DECADES OF SILENCE: the uns ved m d of Bryan Halt

lives with her husband, Tom Highland. “That’s the last thing I said to him, I said ‘have fun, I love you more.’ That was it. I’m just so thankful we weren’t arguing over anything though. I see so many parents that, you know, they’re arguing with their child... but they leave. And you know, that’s the last time they see them. And I’m so grateful we weren’t fi ghting.”

Late to the wheel

Given his father Ed Haltom’s background as a mechanic, it seemed almost inevitable that Bryan Haltom would develop a passion for cars—even if it took him a little longer than most teenagers to get behind the wheel. When he fi nally showed an interest in driving at 17, his parents began searching for a reliable vehicle.

By Travis Curry Senior Correspondent

Thirty years have passed since the headlights of a red Pontiac Trans Am cut through the night air on U.S. 231/67 just north of Spencer. There, a single gunshot shattered the quiet of July 17, 1996, cutting short the life of 18-yearold Bryan Edward Haltom and leaving an enduring wound in the heart of Owen County.

Today, the case remains one of the area’s most prominent unsolved mysteries—a stack of fi les transferred years ago from local custody to the Indiana State Police. For Haltom’s mother, Lynn Carmichael Highland, the passage of time hasn’t faded the memory of her fun-loving son, who was born on Christmas Day, 1977, nor has it quieted the agonizing questions that have lingered for half a lifetime.

Before he walked out the door that night during what was a typically busy county fair week, a mother and son shared a familiar, lighthearted exchange.

“We used to say… we’d do the ‘I love you more’ thing,” Highland shared in a recent retrospective interview from her home in Florida where she

“His dad was a mechanic, but Bryan didn’t actually get his license until he was about 17,” Highland recalled. “He really wasn’t interested in getting it right when he turned 16, and he didn’t even take driver’s ed. I think I was more interested in him getting it than he was, just so I could quit bussing him around while his dad and I were working.”

When the time came to pick out a vehicle, a clash of styles quickly emerged. While his mother had a sensible, practical vehicle in mind, Haltom had entirely diff erent ideas about what his fi rst set of wheels should look like.

“When he fi nally got interested, we started looking for a car. I defi nitely wanted him to get a Volkswagen Beetle, and he was like, ‘No way, Mom,’” Highland said.

FRIDAY, JULY 17,

Porter trial set to begin after mistrial

By Chloe Oden Correspondent

After more than a year of delays, the Owen County Circuit Court may make a decision on Quentin Lamont Porter, Jr.’s involvement in the murder of Malik Darea Sims this month.

Porter’s trial is set to begin at 9 a.m. on July 21 at the Owen County Courthouse. Porter, 27, was charged with one count of murder for the death of Sims, 23, shortly after the man’s body was found by

County announces higher jail costs

By Chloe Oden Correspondent

Owen County Commissioner

Sam Hobbs reaffirmed his commitment to the community’s safety and jail project’s legality during a heated July 2 commissioners’ meeting. The commissioners opened the floor for public discussion specifically relating to the jail project that Thursday night and announced that the land the county plans to purchase for the new jail construction is roughly

JAIL COSTS | PAGE 12

Vandalism causes boil advisory

By Chloe Oden Correspondent

The Town of Gosport was under a 48 hour boil water advisory until July 8.

The town is investigating an incident, Town Council President Marian McGee wrote in an email.

“As this is being investigated we are not allowed to talk about this, as soon as we know something we will let you know,” she wrote.

By Nicole DeCriscio Executive Editor

The standoff didn’t last long. A chance conversation at work opened the door to an aff ordable compromise that combined a teenager’s dream car with a project his mechanic father could easily handle. “Around that time, I was talking to a coworker at Boston Scientifi c who had a Pontiac Trans Am for sale,” Highland explained. “I told her I was looking for a car for UNSOLVED | PAGE 8

After the inaugural VentFest, Tony Award winner Jay Johnson told organizer Steve Withem that he had spent the entire weekend trying to pinpoint what made the fledgling festival special.

“It finally occurred to me,”

VentFest’s unique community draws the world’s best ventriloquists back to Spencer

Johnson told him on the drive to the airport. “This was the first time in my life I got to hang out with a number of ventriloquists who were all working, performing ventriloquists.”

That feeling has become the festival’s calling card, now in its fifth year.

It’s why Ronn Lucas, who was the first ventriloquist to have

a residency in Las Vegas and was dubbed “the world’s best ventriloquist” by The New York Times, wanted to come back.

And it’s why Jim Barber wanted to be part of this year’s lineup.

“For me, the reason to come back a second time was what

In a Facebook comment posted to the group “Gosport Chatter,” McGee said someone almost drained the water tower dry. The water tower sits along 6th Street.

A paper advisory sent to town residents said the water notice was due to vandalism.

The advisory encouraged anyone with questions to contact town hall at 812-879-4334.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Expect delays: S.R. 46 construction continues

Motorists traveling near Vandalia are navigating ongoing delays following the start of flagging operations on State BRIEF | PAGE 5

TRUSTED NEWS FOR A THRIVING COMMUNITY

HOW TO CONTACT US

PHYSICAL ADDRESS:

114 S. MAIN ST. SPENCER, IN 47460

MAILING ADDRESS:

P.O. BOX 64 SPENCER, IN 47460

PHONE: 812-210-4662

EMAIL:

INFO@THEOWENNEWS.ORG

OFFICE HOURS:

TUESDAYS 9 AM TO NOON

THURSDAYS 1:30 PM TO 5 PM

WWW.THEOWENNEWS.ORG

OUR BOARD

PRESIDENT TRAVIS CURRY

VICE PRESIDENT

AARON LAGRANGE

SECRETARY

TYLER DEFORD BOARD MEMBERS

JESSICA BRINSON

SUZANNAH COUCH

CAROLINE RILEY

STEFAN WELSH

OUR STAFF

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

NICOLE DECRISCIO PRODUCTION, ADVERTISING & BUSINESS MANAGER

VICTORIA ARTHUR SENIOR CORRESPONDENT

TRAVIS CURRY

BUSINESS INTERN

KATELYN SHELLEY EDITORIAL INTERN

CHLOE ODENOLA

PICKUP LOCATIONS

BABBS SUPERMARKET

MILLGROVE COUNTRY MART SPENCER PRIDE

CORRECTIONS POLICY

WE AIM FOR AS CLOSE TO PERFECTION AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE. PLEASE SEND CORRECTIONS TO INFO@THEOWENNEWS. ORG.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

WE WELCOME LETTERS TO THE EDITOR UP TO 300 WORDS. OUR FULL POLICY CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE.

HOW TO DONATE

WE BELIEVE THAT OUR COMMUNITY

DESERVES ACCESS TO RELIABLE, RESPONSIBLE AND ETHICAL NEWS. OUR MODEL IS RELIANT UPON DONATIONS MADE BY OUR READERS. ONLINE DONATIONS CAN BE MADE THROUGH OUR WEBSITE, BY USING THE QR CODE BELOW OR THROUGH THE OWEN COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. CASH OR CHECK DONATIONS CAN BE MAILED TO US AT THE ADDRESS ABOVE.

ABOUT THE OWEN NEWS

THE OWEN NEWS IS THE PRINTED NEWSPAPER OWNED BY THE OWEN NEWS PROJECT, INC, A NONPROFIT 501(C)3 ORGANIZATION. AT THE OWEN NEWS PROJECT, WE ARE COMMITTED TO DELIVERING RELIABLE AND UNBIASED LOCAL NEWS AND INFORMATION TO EMPOWER OUR READERS AND BUILD A STRONGER COMMUNITY.

THE OWEN NEWS IS A MEMBER OF THE HOOSIER STATE PRESS ASSOCIATION (HSPA). SINCE 1933, THE HSPA HAS BEEN INDIANA’S TRADE ORGANIZATION ADVOCATING FOR THE FREE PRESS, PROMOTING HIGH STANDARDS OF JOURNALISM AND PROVIDING SUPPORT AND SERVICES TO ITS MEMBER NEWSPAPERS. THE OWEN NEWS IS ONE OF THE FIRST NON-PROFIT NEWSPAPERS TO JOIN THE HSPA.

Freedom footpaths: Sidewalk work underway on 231

New sidewalks take shape on July 2 along U.S. 231 in Freedom as part of an Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) improvement project. Contractor Crider & Crider, Inc. began work recently between County Road 550 West and Freedom-Arney Road, with completion slated for late July, weather permitting.

The work is part of a $2.6 million contract awarded in February 2026. A 10-foot lane width restriction is currently in effect for both northbound and southbound traffic during construction. TRAVIS CURRY | THE OWEN NEWS

Government Meeting Calendar

July 20

Owen County Public Library Board, 5 p.m. in the OCPL Vault Room, 10 S. Montgomery St., Spencer.

Spencer Town Council, 6 p.m. in the Spencer Municipal Building, 90 N. West St., Spencer.

July 21

Owen County Advisory Plan Commission, 6:30 p.m., Commissioners’ Room, Owen County Courthouse, 60 S. Main St., Spencer.

July 27

Spencer Parks and Recreation Board, 6 p.m. in the Spencer Municipal Building, 90 N. West St., Spencer.

Owen County Council and Owen County Board of Commissioners Jail Project Joint Meeting, 6 p.m., Commissioners’ Room, Owen County Courthouse, 60 S. Main St., Spencer.

July 28

Spencer Plan Commission & BZA, 6 p.m. in the Spencer Municipal Building, 90 N. West St., Spencer.

Gosport Town Council, 7 p.m. in the Gosport Community Building, 301 N. Ninth St., Gosport.

Aug. 3

Owen County Council, 6 p.m., Commissioners’ Room, Owen County Courthouse,

60 S. Main St., Spencer. Spencer Town Council, 6 p.m. in the Spencer Municipal Building, 90 N. West St., Spencer. Aug. 6

Owen County Board of Commissioners, 6 p.m., Commissioners’ Room,

Owen County Courthouse, 60 S. Main St., Spencer. Aug. 10

Owen Valley Fire Territory Board, 6 p.m. at the Owen Valley Volunteer Fire Department, 401 Walnut St., Spencer. Cloverdale Community Schools Board of Trustees, 7 p.m. in the Arthur L. Johnson Administration Building, 310 E. Logan St., Cloverdale.

FRIDAY, JULY 17, 2026

Community Events Calendar

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Community Calendar is a free resource for sharing events that benefit the local community, including free events open to the public and ticketed events that directly benefit a non-profit organization or serve a community purpose. Commercial or for-profit events may not be included in the Community Calendar. To submit an event for consideration, contact: info@theowennews.org.

July 17

Fantastic Friday: Professor Steve’s Digging into Science Show, 3 to 4 p.m. in the pavilion at the Owen County Public Library, 10 S. Montgomery St., Spencer.

Rescue Recovery of Owen County weekly meeting, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 156 E. Market St., Spencer. Come connect every Friday night with others walking the same journey, where you will find support, strength and hope from breaking the chains of addiction. Free childcare and coffee available.

July 17 & 18

Free clothing and school supplies giveaway, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Freedom Church of the Nazarene Fellowship Hall, 5505 Jefferson St., Freedom.

July 18

Owen County Farmers’ Market, 8:30 a.m. to noon, 459 W. Morgan St., Spencer. Live music by High Sierra.

Owen County Theatre & Arts Alliance Summer Camp Performance, 10 a.m. at the Historic Tivoli Theatre, 24 N. Washington St., Spencer. Young thespians take the stage and share all they’ve been working on at camp. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for kids.

Rainbow Rollers open game night, 4 p.m. at the Spencer Pride commUnity center, 17 E. Franklin St., Spencer. Games will be provided and volunteers will be available to assist with learning new games. Contact Rainbow. Rollers@SpencerPride. org for more information.

First Annual Patriot Invitational, 5 p.m. at Patriot Field, Owen Valley High School. The

event will feature four soccer teams playing a combined four matches. Free admission. Concessions will be available for purchase. Live music by modern blues duet Bel & The Bad Wolfe, 5:30 p.m. at Owen Valley Winery, Vineyard & Bistro, 491 Timber Ridge Rd., Spencer. Free.

Tim Spurlock gospel concert, 6 p.m. at The Glorious Church, 8006 S.R. 43S, Spencer. Don’t miss this hometown favorite singing his great gospel hits. Doors open at 5 p.m.

Karaoke Night, 8 p.m. at the Gosport Tavern, 130 E. Main St., Gosport. Hosted by Buckethead Karaoke.

July 19

Rainbow Sunday Circle, 4 p.m. at the Spencer Pride commUnity center, 17 E. Franklin St., Spencer. A group for people who wish to live a more peaceful, joyful and loving life.

July 20 to July 24

Vacation Bible School, 7 p.m. nightly at the Spencer Church of Christ, 702 E. Morgan St., Spencer. All ages are welcome; infant-adult classes.

July 20

Dino Dig Sandbox making class, 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Owen County Public Library, 10 S. Montgomery St., Spencer. Call 812-8293392 to reserve your spot.

July 21

All Ages Storytime, 10 a.m. at the Owen County Public Library, 10 S. Montgomery St., Spencer.

Teen Retro Game Night, 4 to 7 p.m. in the Teen Room at the Owen County Public Library, 10 S. Montgomery St., Spencer. Snacks provided.

Spencer Lions Club meeting, 6:30 p.m. in the Lester F. Litten Community Building, 59 N. Main St., Spencer.

July 22

Free showings of “Spongebob: Search for Squarepants,” 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Historic Tivoli Theatre, 24 N. Washington St., Spencer. Sponsored by the Owen County Chamber of Commerce. Crafternoon, 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Owen County Public Library,

10 S. Montgomery St., Spencer.

Fiber Art Wednesdays, 3:30 p.m. in the Youth Services Area at the Owen County Public Library, 10 S. Montgomery St., Spencer.

Iris Youth Group meeting, 5 p.m. at the Spencer Pride commUnity center, 17 E. Franklin St., Spencer. A group for LGBTQ+ teens and allies (10-19) to connect, support each other and have fun.

Unbound Recovery meeting, 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Access Church, 499 N. Main St., Cloverdale. This is a faith-based, 12-step recovery community for anyone struggling with addiction or compulsive behaviors.

July 23

Gosport Farmers’ Market, 3 to 6 p.m. in the parking lot of the Lighthouse Fellowship Church, 5392 S.R. 67, Gosport.

Owen County SWCD Board of Supervisors meeting, 4:30 p.m. at the SWCD office, 788 Pottersville Rd., Spencer. Open to the public.

Free showing of “The Times of a Sign,” 7 p.m. at the Historic Tivoli Theatre, 24 N. Washington St., Spencer. Doors open at 6 p.m. Live music by The Midwest Liberation Front from 6 to 7 p.m. This is a fundraising event for the Owen County Democratic Party.

July 24

Fantastic Friday: Karen Land and Sophia, sled dog presentation, 3 to 4 p.m. in the pavilion at the Owen County Public Library, 10 S. Montgomery St., Spencer.

Craft Night, 5 to 7 p.m. at the Spencer Pride commUnity center, 17 E. Franklin St., Spencer. A group for people who quilt, scrapbook, paint, decoupage, etc. Bring your own supplies to work on a project while others do the same. For more information, contact Terry@ SpencerPride.org.

Rescue Recovery of Owen County weekly meeting, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 156 E. Market St., Spencer. Come connect every Friday night with others walking the same

journey, where you will find support, strength, and hope from breaking the chains of addiction. Free childcare and coffee available.

Trivia Night, 7:30 p.m. at the Gosport Tavern, 130 E. Main St., Gosport. The traveling trophy and bragging rights will be on the line.

July 25

Sale on the Square, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Franklin Street on the courthouse square in downtown Spencer. A “junk in the trunk” event every last Saturday of the month, May to October. Reserve a spot for $20; we refund $10 when you set up. Sign up and sell your yard sale stuff. And bring your shopping friends, because it’s always free to shop!

12th Annual Backto-School Beach Bash Expo, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Owen Valley Middle School, 626 S.R. 46W, Spencer. Free school supplies, clothes, hygiene products, games, refreshments and vision and hearing screenings.

Live music by Aaron Will, 5:30 p.m. at Owen Valley Winery, Vineyard & Bistro, 491 Timber Ridge Rd., Spencer. Free. July 27 to July 31

Back-to-school open house at Owen Valley High School, 622 W. S.R. 46, Spencer. Open for self-guided tours between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. daily.

July 27

Bingo Night, 6 p.m. at the Owen County Public Library, 10 S. Montgomery St., Spencer.

Spencer Main Street, Inc. board meeting, 6:30 p.m., Viquesney Room, Historic Tivoli Theatre, 24 N. Washington St., Spencer. Open to the public.

July 28

All Ages Storytime, 10 a.m. at the Owen County Public Library, 10 S. Montgomery St., Spencer.

Free senior adult lunch, 12:30 p.m. at the Gosport United Methodist Church, 119 N. Seventh St., Gosport. If you are a shut-in and need delivery, call 765-8604719.

Teen Retro Game Night, 4 to 7 p.m. in the Teen Room at the Owen

County Public Library, 10 S. Montgomery St., Spencer. Snacks provided.

Video Game Tournament, Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, 4 to 7 p.m. at the Owen County Public Library, 10 S. Montgomery St., Spencer. Sign-up required. Open to teens only.

Owen County SWCD Board of Supervisors meeting, 4:30 p.m. at the SWCD office, 788 Pottersville Rd., Spencer. Open to the public.

July 29

Crafternoon, 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Owen County Public Library, 10 S. Montgomery St., Spencer.

Fiber Art Wednesdays, 3:30 p.m. in the Youth Services Area at the Owen County Public Library, 10 S. Montgomery St., Spencer.

Unbound Recovery meeting, 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Access Church, 499 N. Main St., Cloverdale. This is a faith-based, 12-step recovery community for anyone struggling with addiction or compulsive behaviors.

July 30

Gosport Farmers’ Market, 3 to 6 p.m. in the parking lot of the Lighthouse Fellowship Church, 5392 S.R. 67, Gosport.

Back-to-School open house at Owen Valley Middle School, 5 to 7 p.m. at OVMS, 626 S.R. 46W, Spencer. July 31

Fantastic Friday: Foam Happy Foam Party, 3 to 4 p.m. in the pavilion at the Owen County Public Library, 10 S. Montgomery St., Spencer.

Block Party, 4 to 6 p.m. at the Owen County Public Library, 10 S. Montgomery St., Spencer.

Rescue Recovery of Owen County weekly meeting, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 156 E. Market St., Spencer. Come connect every Friday night with others walking the same journey, where you will find support, strength, and hope from breaking the chains of addiction. Free childcare and coffee available.

CALENDAR | PAGE 4

Jail Bookings

EDITOR’S NOTE: Booking information is provided by the Owen County Security Center. These are preliminary charges and may change as cases are processed through the circuit court system. To follow a court case, search the state’s court records at mycase.in.gov. This information is public record. All people are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

6-31

Juanfran Lemus, 19, Indianapolis, preliminary charge of driving without a license. Arrested by Owen County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) K9 Deputy Daniel Rhienhart.

Food Inspections

Routine food inspections were recently conducted by the Owen County Health Department, including the following:

5-30

Outlaw BBQ, Spring Demolition Derby, Owen County Fairgrounds. Routine inspection. No violations.

Hoosier Mama Cookin, Spring

7-5

Clark Williams III, 40, Indianapolis, preliminary charge of theft. OCSD Sergeant Torrey Wallace was the arresting officer.

Sanjin Kaliman, 36, Plainfield, preliminary charges of possession of a controlled substance, theft (four counts), and resisting law enforcement. Arrested by OCSD K9 Deputy Charles Hallam.

7-6

Evan Rice, 29, Indianapolis, preliminary charges of failure to appear and commitment order. OCSD Deputy Tony Stevens was the arresting officer.

Demolition Derby, Owen County Fairgrounds. Routine inspection. No violations.

Carlson Concessions, Spring Demolition Derby, Owen County Fairgrounds. Routine inspection. No violations.

6-5

Sweet Escape Baking Studio, 109 S. Main St., Spencer.

CALENDAR | FROM PAGE 3

Aug. 1

Live music by The Rotations, 5:30 p.m. at Owen Valley Winery, Vineyard & Bistro, 491 Timber Ridge Rd., Spencer. Free.

Aug. 1 & 2

Gathering of the People Powwow at 9582 Hi Ridge Trail in Cataract. Experience a vibrant celebration of Indigenous culture. Gates open daily at 10 a.m. Admission is $5 for ages 10 to 59, $3 for kids under 10, and free for ages three and under, elders 60+, veterans and first responders. Bring lawn chairs. Call Cyndi Capps at 812-821-4406 for more information.

Aug. 2

Live music by The Paul Bertsch Band, 1 p.m. at Owen Valley Winery, Vineyard & Bistro, 491 Timber Ridge Rd., Spencer. Free.

7-7

Christopher Weaver, 48, homeless, preliminary charges of battery, intimidation, criminal recklessness, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief, and burglary. Arrested by OCSD Deputy Elijah Volrich. Joseph Reimer, 23, Morgantown, preliminary charges of probation violation (two counts), cruelty to an animal, and theft. OCSD Deputy Mitchell Fleetwood was the arresting officer. John McGuire, 61, Solsberry, preliminary charges of intimidation and operating while intoxicated. Arrested by OCSD Deputy Brennan Clark. Shane Sparks, 47, Gosport,

Routine inspection. No violations.

7-6

Tasty Sweet Sips, 2026 Owen County Fair. Routine inspection. No violations.

Dottie’s Cinnamon Rolls, 2026 Owen County Fair. Routine inspection. No violations. China Rainbow, 2026 Owen County Fair.

Spencer Pride general meeting, 4 p.m. at the Spencer Pride commUnity center, 17 E. Franklin St., Spencer.

Aug. 3

Back-to-School open house at Gosport Elementary School, 4:30 to 6 p.m. at GES, 201 N. Ninth St., Gosport.

Back-to-School open house at McCormick’s Creek Elementary School, 4:30 to 6 p.m. at MCES, 1601 Flatwoods Rd., Spencer.

Back-to-School open house at Spencer Elementary School, 4:30 to 6 p.m. at SES, 151 E. Hillside Ave., Spencer.

Mini Art Open Studio, 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Activity Room at the Owen County Public Library, 10 S. Montgomery St., Spencer. Aug. 4

Back-to-School open house at Patricksburg Elementary School, 4:30 to 6 p.m. at PES, 9883 S.R. 246, Patricksburg. Spencer Lions Club meeting, 6:30 p.m. in the Lester F. Litten

preliminary charge of battery. OCSD Sergeant Torrey Wallace was the arresting officer.

7-8

Thomas Morgan, 68, Poland, IN, preliminary charges of obstruction of traffic and intimidation. Arrested by OCSD Deputy Tony Stevens. 7-10

James Featherston, 59, Spencer, preliminary charge of invasion of privacy. OCSD Sergeant Brandon Gasparovic was the arresting officer. Caleb Brewer, 31, Gosport, preliminary charges of criminal recklessness and violation of home detention. Arrested by OCSD Deputy Mitchell Fleetwood.

Routine inspection. No violations.

Jay’s Kitchen, 2026 Owen County Fair. Routine inspection. No violations. Wayz, 2026 Owen County Fair. Routine inspection. No violations. Gather Around BBQ 2026 Owen County Fair. Routine inspection. No violations.

Community Building, 59 N. Main St., Spencer.

Aug. 6

Spencer Exchange Club meeting, noon at the Owen County Family YMCA, 1111 W. S.R. 46, Spencer. Gosport Farmers’ Market, 3 to 6 p.m. in the parking lot of the Lighthouse Fellowship Church, 5392 S.R. 67, Gosport. Gosport Lions Club meeting, 6:30 p.m. at the Gosport Community Building, 301 N. Ninth St., Gosport.

Aug. 8

Live music by He & Harmony, 5:30 p.m. at Owen Valley Winery, Vineyard & Bistro, 491 Timber Ridge Rd., Spencer. Free.

Aug. 9

Live music by Marty Barrow, 1 p.m. at Owen Valley Winery, Vineyard & Bistro, 491 Timber Ridge Rd., Spencer. Free.

Aug. 10

Jolly Homemakers meeting, 1 p.m. at the Freedom

Metal Mania Designs, 2026 Owen County Fair. Routine inspection. No violations.

Serena’s Food Hut, 2026 Owen County Fair. Routine inspection. No violations.

Richie’s St. Tacos, 2026 Owen County Fair. Routine inspection. No violations.

Community Center, 5558 Freedom-Arney Rd., Freedom.

Aug. 11

Braysville Homemakers meeting, 5:30 p.m. in the upstairs meeting room at the Historic Tivoli Theatre, 24 N. Washington St., Spencer. Elevator access is available. For more information, call 812-829-5020.

Aug. 12

Harrison Homemakers meeting, noon at the Purdue Extension-Owen County office, 180 S. Washington St., Spencer. Iris Youth Group meeting, 5 p.m. at the Spencer Pride commUnity center, 17 E. Franklin St., Spencer. A group for LGBTQ+ teens and allies (10-19) to connect, support each other and have fun. Community Yoga, 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. at the Spencer Pride commUnity center, 17 E. Franklin St., Spencer. Designed for all people of all abilities. No experience required.

FRIDAY, JULY 17, 2026

Road 46 earlier this month. Indiana Department of contractors (INDOT) initiated the traffic restrictions on or after Monday, July 6, between White Hill Road/Bixler Road and County Road 750 W. Crews are currently working to waterproof the State Road 46 bridge over Six Mile Creek.

As part of the ongoing project, drivers should also prepare for an upcoming one-day total road closure at the bridge site. The overall project is expected to last through August, though the schedule remains weather dependent.

INDOT continues to urge drivers to use extra caution and remain alert when traveling through the active work zone.

OCSD seeking community support for K9 unit

The Owen County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) is calling on the community to help support its vital K9 program, which relies 100 percent on local donations to operate. The department’s two working K9s, Hank and Paya, serve a crucial role

in the county by tracking down missing or wanted individuals and detecting illegal drug activity. To keep Hank and Paya trained, healthy and active on the streets, the department is currently seeking financial contributions for its dedicated K9 fund.

Community members looking to support the program can donate directly to the fund by calling the Owen County Sheriff’s Department at 812-829-5757 and connecting with Sheriff Ryan White, Chief Deputy Matt Miller, Deputy Daniel Rhienhart (handler for K9 Hank) or Deputy Charles Hallam (handler for K9 Paya).

AAFCS honors

OVHS alumna and retired teacher

It was a historic, full-circle spring for Owen County education as Owen Valley High School alumna Lee Ann Dunning DeMoss (Class of 2000) and her former teacher, Brenda Duncan Davis, both received prestigious statewide honors.

DeMoss brought home a trio of accolades this spring, most notably being named the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) Indiana Teacher

of the Year. Currently an educator at Walker Career Center—located adjacent to Warren Central High School in Indianapolis—DeMoss also received the Walker Career Center Journey of a Graduate Award and was recognized as a Class of 2026 Warren Central Top 30 Award winner. Following her graduation from Owen Valley, DeMoss earned her bachelor’s degree from Purdue University in 2004 and later completed her master’s degree at Ball State University.

Outside of the classroom, DeMoss and her husband, Travis, reside in Cumberland, IN. Their daughter, Katie, will be a senior at New Palestine High School. Katie is highly active alongside her parents in the high school marching band program, as well as the Jazz and Concert bands, 4-H, and Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA).

Adding to the celebration, retired Owen Valley teacher Brenda Duncan Davis was also honored this year by the AAFCS. In a remarkable testament to the lasting impact of local educators, DeMoss was once a student in Davis’s high school child

development preschool program at OV—proving that great teaching truly comes full circle.

Sign up by July 18 for Cataract Lake Back-to-School

Event

The Cataract Lake Community Center has announced its upcoming Back-to-School Event, scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 1, from 12 to 2 p.m. at the center located at 5530 S.R. 42. Families interested in participating must register their children in advance, as space is limited to the first 50 children signed up, and children must be present at the event. The deadline for registering is July 18. To secure a spot, parents should email cataractlakecommunity center@gmail.com with the subject line “Back-toSchool Registration” and include the child’s name, age, and grade. The community center is also turning to the public for donations to ensure every child is equipped for the school year. The center is currently accepting new supplies, including backpacks, scissors, markers, crayons, erasers, glue sticks or bottles, hand sanitizers, and one gallon or quart-

sized Ziploc bags. Community members who can donate any of these items are asked to reach out via the center’s email address cataractlakecommunity center@gmail.com to arrange a meeting time at the facility for drop-off. For more information, call 765276-7154.

Daytime flagging operations underway near Carp

Local drivers are advised that daytime flagging operations began earlier this week on U.S. 231 near Carp. The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and its contractors reduced traffic to a single lane over Branch Mill Creek—located just southeast of Rocky Hill Road—starting on Monday, July 13. Flaggers are currently on-site during daytime hours to direct motorists through the construction zone while crews work to waterproof the bridge. The project is anticipated to continue through August, though the final timeline remains weatherdependent and subject to change.

BRIEF | PAGE 15

Gosports considers fire territory to stabilize fire protection funding

By Chloe Oden Correspondent

The number of volunteer firefighters across the United States is declining.

Gosport is no exception.

These unpaid responders account for more than 60 percent of firefighters and more than 80 percent of fire departments in the country, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

Gosport, a town of less than 900 people in rural Owen County, has relied on its volunteer fire department and a mutual aid agreement with the Owen Valley Fire Territory, but it might not be enough anymore.

“Fewer and fewer young people are becoming volunteer firemen,” Gosport town attorney Terry English said. “That’s not just here, that’s across the nation. And so we don’t have as many warm bodies as we might have had previously to man the pumps.”

To give the town fire protection, and keep decisions about funding it with tax rates with local leaders, the town is considering forming a fire territory. Fire territories are fire service consolidations that bring together two or more contiguous taxing units into one fire protection district.

In Gosport’s case, the territory would encompass the town, which is in Wayne Township and one of the other bordering townships, such as Montgomery Township to the west.

The main advantage of forming a territory is increasing revenue for fire protection services, which could fund equipment, property and positions for a territory serving Gosport. Creating the

TRIAL | FROM PAGE 1

a passerby July 15, 2024 off Stephenson Road near the Owen-Monroe county line.

An autopsy report determined Sims was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head. He was found about 20 feet from the road wearing red gym shorts, a white tank top, no shoes and had a black plastic bag pulled over his head. Evidence technicians also found what they believed to be related blood and glass fragments.

While law enforcement was at the crime scene, an individual appeared and told them that by using “Find my iPhone” software he could see Sims’ location had been at the spot he was found for at least 20 hours, according to a probable cause affidavit. Law enforcement preliminarily identified the body as Sims.

Another individual, Sims’ friend and roommate, showed up to the scene at about 5:25 p.m. and told investigators he last saw Sims at about 1 p.m. the day before. He later said he saw Sims after 2 p.m. that day with Porter on the front porch of their apartment.

Detectives also spoke to Sims’ girlfriend, who said Sims sent her a Snapchat message mentioning Porter the day before he was found. It said, “Be this ni**a QP got me going through some bulls***.”

Using Flock Safety data and cameras, law enforcement tracked Sims’ gray 2012 Audi A4 and found it was driven to an Indianapolis address registered to Porter’s grandmother on July 14, 2024. As of December 2025, more than 1,800 Flock license plate reader cameras operate in at least 80 Indiana counties and

territory would lead to raised tax rates for the town, but it could be successful in revitalizing fire protection for the area.

According to Gosport Volunteer Fire Department Fire Chief Brian Leonard, the maximum levy possibility for the territory would be 40 cents. Meaning, if a taxpayer’s home is worth $100,000, they would pay $400 per year toward fire protection. English said the actual rate funding the territory would likely end up being around Spencer’s tax levy of $128 per year.

“We’re not talking about great sums of money here, but we are talking about more money on top of taxpayers in Owen County, who are already burdened and already upset about the amount of the assessed valuations of their homes,” English said. “What you have to determine is whether or not fire protection is important enough.”

can track drivers in real time. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant for the residence on July 16, 2024, and did not find Porter there at the time, according to the affidavit.

During the search, Porter’s grandmother and family members told officers Porter arrived at the residence in the Audi A4 at 11 p.m. on July 14, 2024, and told them the vehicle “was going to be his” after being asked if it belonged to him.

Indiana State Police (ISP) evidence technicians processed the vehicle on July 17, 2024, and found a large amount of blood, bleach traces and spray paint on parts of the interior, as well as seat covers that led police to believe Porter had attempted to clean up or conceal the blood, the affidavit stated.

Using a receipt and surveillance video, ISP found that a man matching a picture of Porter had purchased seat covers and duct tape found in Sims’ vehicle at 10:22 a.m. on July 15, 2024, from O’Reilly Auto Parts.

At about 9 p.m. on July 17 2024, someone called JL Transport Towing and Recovery in Bloomington to tow what they said was a 2012 or 2013 Audi from Porter’s grandmother’s address to an auto care shop in Bloomington. The caller paid $400 for the towing with the same credit card used to purchase the items from O’Reilly, according to the affidavit.

The Owen County Sheriff’s Department arrested Porter with assistance from the Bloomington Police Department, ISP and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

Porter is also facing two level

According to the Journal Review, based in Crawfordsville, IN, Vernon Township in Hancock County increased its revenue by 488 percent by establishing a fire territory, and Pendleton increased its revenue by 921 percent.

This could go toward buying equipment that the State of Indiana may mandate, but that Gosport doesn’t currently have the money to buy.

“There’s no way we can stay open to the way we’re done,” town council member Michael Miller said. “The cost of everything has gone up so much.”

Regardless of the town’s final decision in creating a territory, Miller said the tax rates will go up regardless.

Public Law 134, signed by Gov. Mike Braun in March, requires local governments to

compile data on each township and assess their performance by Dec. 31, 2026 and requires qualifying townships to merge by Jan. 1, 2029.

Miller said depending on how the mergers affect Gosport and the Owen County township trustees, the county commissioners could move forward with determining tax rates for the areas that are higher than what they are now.

“Our population’s too small,” Miller said. “I mean we choose to live here because of that, but now it’s gonna cost us. We need to have the fire protection.”

The territory would have an advisory function, making decisions about property ownership and equipment purchases, for example. However, Indiana law requires one of the entities involved to act as the provider unit and oversee

the budgeting, accounting and bills. The Town of Gosport would take care of that end, giving the fire territory board a budget, English said.

The town needs to start having conversations about the territory, English said. The window to begin collecting money in 2028 requires the town to have finished the paperwork between Jan. 1 and March 31. The town is also required to hold three public hearings about the potential territory.

It’s just a matter of starting to move in the right direction and having the townships before we start committing money for preparation of documents, we have some idea from the township trustees that they, in fact, are interested in moving forward,” English said.

FRIDAY, JULY 17, 2026

VENTFEST |

FROM PAGE 1

I’d heard from other ventriloquists — the camaraderie. To be in a room with maybe five or six other people who do exactly what you do, you don’t even have to talk shop,” Lucas said, despite his first experience including a power outage that left him stuck at the airport for five hours.

“There’s just a certain communication, a certain feeling of ‘Oh yeah, we’re all in this together,’ and it’s very rare.”

Lucas said that sometimes he thinks of ventriloquists as solo artists, as they serve as their own writers, directors, producers, puppet builders, promoters and costumers, among other roles.

“I think, on a very unconscious level, we all want to think we’re the only one in the universe who can do what we do, and it jars us when another ventriloquist shows up,” he said. “But in this case, there was no competition. It was just all camaraderie. It was great, and I thought, I’ve got to come back to this.”

Barber, who will be performing at VentFest for the first time, echoed the sentiment.

“Rarely do I get a chance to perform on stage with my peers, my fellow ventriloquists.

Usually we’re in different places on the same nights performing, and all of these folks on the bill this year are friends of mine that I’ve known for years and years,” he said.

But the feeling of community is only part of the event’s success. The other crucial part is Withem himself.

“I think the reason I’m enjoying it so much is actually Steve Withem. He’s a very passionate person,” Lucas said, who had VentFest recommended to him by one of his mentees, Nikolas Bushi. “The group that he keeps calling together is just really good, solid family entertainment.”

This year’s festival may feature the strongest lineup in its history, with Johnson, Lucas, Barber, Willie Tyler, and other internationally recognized performers joining veteran favorites and rising stars.

“I’ve got ventriloquist friends of mine who are coming from around the globe—Australia, Canada, Europe, São Paulo, Brazil—to come see this lineup because they know how historic and extraordinary it is,” he said.

He said he hopes local residents will come check out the festival.

“The art form is honestly so unique. It’s so hard to do, and it’s rare to find good performers.

That’s just not the sort of thing people think of. It’s not the sort of thing they think to do. They think of going out and listening to music. They think of going out and watching a movie. They even think of going out to a comedy club, but not a ventriloquist show, which is comedy,” Withem said. “But it’s a very unique form of comedy, and when it’s done well, I think it’s one of the most entertaining art forms there can be. But it’s so hard to do and so rare to see it done well.”

Lucas also talked about the perceptions associated with ventriloquism.

“If you just mention I’m a ventriloquist, I’m a magician, I’m a juggler, there was an automatic negative connotation, or at least there was a direction to that,” he said, adding that in the past folks had to know they were good first.

But Lucas said there is more curiosity as a result of the success of folks like Jeff Dunham and other ventriloquists.

“So there’s been a serious turnaround, at least for ventriloquism, and definitely for magic, where everyone is kind of expecting and hoping that you’re going to be a good performer, so that’s what’s happened in my lifetime, and Jeff has been a big part of that,” he said.

The prevalence of the art form in recent times

is also something that Barber touched on.

“Ventriloquism, I think, is stronger than it’s ever been, thanks to some of our younger, upcoming artists like Darci Lynne [Farmer] and even Tansy [Lou] Davis, who’s going to be on our show this year,” he said.

That being said, Lucas stressed the importance of constantly challenging the art form.

In fact, his business card last year said: “Ventriloquism is a dying art, and I’m helping to kill it.”

He said he was asked if he really felt that way.

“I said, ‘Well, as long as we keep innovating and keep changing and keep adding things, then it’s going to be okay.’ My version of killing it was: not really contributing anything new to the art form,” he said. “But I’ve always done that. What makes me different is that I’ve always come up with different ways of trying to perform, different ways of approaching the art form.”

Barber challenges the art form with a bit of a role reversal with his main character, Seville.

“My main character, that I’m known for, is called the Barber and Seville, and Seville is actually a six-foot-tall ventriloquist holding a little dummy, but my head is on the dummy, the little body, so it looks

like a switch when we walk out on stage,” he said.

The full lineup for the July 24 to 26 festival and tickets for each show can be found at ventfest. org. Performances will kick off with a show at 7 p.m. Friday evening, continue with both a 2 p.m. matinee and a 7 p.m. evening show on Saturday and conclude with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday.

“You’re going to come and see a bunch of professionals that were handpicked by Steve Withem, and he is very much a ventriloquist aficionado. He picks really, really good people, and people that are different from each other. So you’re going to see a variety show, which is going to basically pivot around the art form of ventriloquism,” Lucas said.

Barber said he thinks first-time attendees will walk away excited for next year’s festival as they see several different takes on the art form.

“Comedy can go in a lot of different directions, and so can ventriloquism,” Lucas said. “I think the power of ventriloquism is you create a character that is once removed from reality, which means that everything he or she says, meaning the puppet, can bump people, but never really leaves a bruise.”

UNSOLVED |

FROM PAGE 1

Bryan and asked what she wanted for it. It wasn’t much at all—only about $1,000 or $1,500, because it had been wrecked a little bit in the front. It had a bra over the front that covered the damage, so it didn’t really make a difference, and Ed could fix anything wrong with it mechanically.”

Any lingering thoughts of a practical Volkswagen vanished the moment Haltom laid eyes on the red sports car. It was, his mom recalled, love at first sight.

“When we went out to look at it, Bryan’s eyes got huge. There went the VW right out the window,” Highland said. “We bought it from her, and he just fell in love with it. It had T-tops, and it was a four-speed, so Ed taught him how to drive it. We brought it home, and that was his car.”

A fateful ride and competing accounts

The evening of July 16, 1996, began like many others during an Indiana summer. The Owen County Fair was drawing crowds of teenagers into town, and though Haltom had initially planned to stay home, he headed out to meet friends after a phone call, agreeing to an 11 p.m. curfew his mom recalled.

Later that night, Haltom reportedly connected with Trevor Powell in the parking lot of Fulk’s OV Restaurant (today the site of Byers Home Furnishings).

Powell was described by Highland as more of a casual acquaintance than a close friend. According to early statements provided to police by Powell, the sequence of events that followed was framed as an escalating teenage night. Powell contended that they were traveling in Haltom’s Trans Am when another vehicle—described as a sporty maroon or dark red import—struck or passed them near Main and Morgan streets.

According to Powell’s

original account, an angered Haltom allegedly ran a red light, sped up to catch the maroon car, turned north on Fletcher Ave., passed it and pulled onto the shoulder less than a mile north of State Road 46. Powell claimed Haltom then exited his vehicle and walked back toward the trailing car, where a shot was fired from within the suspect vehicle, striking Haltom in the chest. Investigative files later revealed the weapon used was believed to be a .38 caliber semi-automatic handgun.

For decades, Haltom’s family has found this road-rage sequence difficult to accept. Bryan’s father publicly doubted the logistics of that timeline. “I still don’t believe what he’s telling me... you run a car 80 miles an hour down through the middle of town, somebody’s going to notice,” Ed Haltom noted in a 2000 interview printed in The Spencer Evening World. “It would be difficult for any car to wait completely through a red light at Main and Morgan and catch up with a second vehicle by Fletcher.”

Dispatch chaos and the midnight hunt

Archival accounts from the first responding officers paint a vivid picture of the immediate, chaotic aftermath of the shooting. Former Owen County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Joe Pettijohn recalled that the fair had just wound down when the call fractured the night.

“Everyone had dispersed from the fair; I was off and hadn’t been home more than 30 minutes, and I got a call from dispatch,” Pettijohn noted in an interview with The Spencer Evening World in 2011. “They told me they had a shooting on Epitomist Hill (just north of Boston Scientific), and they had a report that the suspect was driving a red mid-sized car, no make or model, and headed north.”

Pettijohn immediately

mobilized toward Gosport, parking just past where the Casey’s General Store stands today. Meanwhile, Sheriff Steve Cradick dispatched every available unit to strategic county lines.

“All notifications were made to area emergency personnel, Spencer Police and the sheriff’s department,” Pettijohn recalled. “All we knew was we were looking for a red, mid-sized car. Ellettsville, Bloomington, Greene County, Morgan County, Putnam County, all of the notifications were made... everybody was looking for a red car... we would have probably stopped a red Volkswagen even.”

Despite the massive net cast across southern Indiana, the shooter slipped away. Indiana State Police Evidence Technician J.D. Maxwell arrived on the scene shortly after the shooting, according to previous accounts, confirming the road was locked down north and south, but the suspected vehicle’s direction of travel was eventually reported as changing toward the south.

Powell’s early description of the gunman was documented: a wellbuilt male, roughly 30-years-old at the time, with dark hair and a two-day-old beard. Yet, as years dragged into decades, street gossip contaminated the official record.

“You had all kinds of people calling in saying, ‘I think so and so did it,’” Pettijohn lamented. “Word of mouth travels around... People just made their own assumptions. There was only one known witness to the crime.”

Pettijohn, who served with the sheriff’s department for more than 20 years before retiring, passed away on April 16, 2026, at the age of 63.

A mistaken accident, a shocking truth

The evening began normally, with Haltom leaving the house in the

late afternoon. Highland recalled the timeline of that night and her strict rules regarding her son’s curfew.

“Bryan left the house at approximately 4 to 4:15 p.m. I had to be at work the next morning, so by 10 p.m., I went to bed. I usually got up at 5 [a.m.]. When I told him to be home at a [certain] time, he better be home at that time or I’d take his car keys and he’d be grounded,” she said. “Not everyone had a cell phone then, so I always worried about him. Bryan was rarely ever late. If he was, he always had a good reason, and if he could get to a phone he called.”

As midnight approached, his dad grew anxious when his son failed to return home. While Highland said the police later claimed they tried to call the house, she disputed their account.

“Ed was outside working on a truck. Around 12 a.m., Ed came in and woke me to tell me Bryan wasn’t home yet.” Highland recalled. “He was worried that maybe he should go in [to town] and look. I looked at the clock and said to give him a few more minutes, that he must have had car trouble—a flat tire or something. Ed ended up falling asleep in the recliner, and we both fell asleep. The cops later said that they tried to call us and our phone was off the hook, which was very, very strange. I honestly never did believe it; our phone was not off the hook.”

The quiet night was abruptly shattered around 1:30 a.m. when their niece, Cindy Collins—who had been sent by family after the sheriff’s department notified them—came rushing into the unlocked home.

“Cindy came running through the door, screaming, ‘You have to get to the hospital, Bryan has been in an accident.’ It was July 17th so it’s hot, and we never locked doors or anything. She said, ‘You have to go through Gosport, don’t go

into Spencer,’ Highland recalled. “We pulled on our clothes and ran out the door. As we pulled up to the intersection at the end of Coon Path, there were firemen directing traffic. They knew who we were and told us to go through Gosport too. They said they weren’t sure what happened but to hurry. We raced all the way to Bloomington Hospital. We thought it was a car accident, and he wrapped himself around a tree in that damn car.”

Upon arriving at Bloomington Hospital, Highland ran inside to handle the paperwork, completely unaware of the violent nature of the incident until a doctor delivered the devastating news.

“When we got to the hospital, Steve Craddick [Owen County Sheriff] pulled in right behind us. Ed said, ‘I’m gonna go talk to Steve,’ and I went on in ‘cause I’m the one that carried the insurance,” Highland said. “The doctor walked up, introduced himself, and stated very matter-of-factly, ‘Your son has been shot to death.’ Bryan had been shot through the heart.”

Sifting through smalltown rumors

In the long absence of an arrest, local whispers grew increasingly complex. One prominent theory explored by the family involved a Stinesville man who had befriended area teenagers and was later arrested on unrelated drug and sexual misconduct charges. Rumors surfaced alleging that Haltom was on the verge of exposing the man’s illicit activities to authorities, prompting a retaliatory, paid hit.

Other persistent theories involved illicit drugs and even local political interference. While the barrage of gossip was exhausting, Highland viewed the community talk as a double-edged sword.

“In those rumors -somewhere -- is the truth.

UNSOLVED | PAGE 16

County pushes to apply for, adopt Mobile Integrated Health program

By Chloe Oden Correspondent

When someone falls and can’t get back up, emergency service responders arrive to help. They take them to the hospital if they’re hurt and provide medical care.

Oftentimes, these responders return to the same addresses to help with the same issues over and over.

Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) could change that, and fill a gap in preventative care for Owen County residents.

MIH delivers care to patients’ homes or in a mobile environment and connects them with resources that fit their needs. It focuses on giving individualized, holistic care to improve quality of life.

Owen County EMS Director Cris Lunsford recently applied for a five-year grant through Indiana Rural Health that would bring the program to the county.

Instead of waiting for injuries to treat, it works to identify how to reduce calls ahead of time. For example, rather than helping someone prone to falls again and again, MIH employees may be referred to a patient and identify the problem areas in their homes.

Shelby VanDerMoere, Bloomington community emergency medical technician and

TRIAL | FROM PAGE 6

MIH program manager, said the city’s MIH team goes through a home safety checklist and checks ways to prevent future injuries, such as by identifying hazards, areas that are not ergonomically safe or places where grab bars should be installed.

Or, maybe the problem is that someone fell because they become dizzy suddenly after standing up. A MIH responder might push them to get in contact with a doctor to address the root cause of their falls.

MIH includes telehealth platforms and in-person teams that can provide health screenings, vaccinations, treatments, follow-ups, social work, substance abuse resources, mental health resources and chronic disease management, among other services.

Both Bloomington’s MIH program and the still developing potential Owen County program include vehicles that will allow the MIH responder to meet patients where they’re at, whether it is their home, the street, a McDonald’s, doctor’s office or a park.

The Owen County grant, which would give $200,000 for the first year of the program, includes a paramedic position, their training, a vehicle outfitted with lights and graphics, a heart monitor and possibly a computer that can be used for

6 felony charges for auto theft and identity deception, as well as two misdemeanor theft charges. His trial was previously slated for Jan. 20, 2026, but was delayed to July after Owen Circuit Court I Judge Don VanDerMoere II declared a mistrial.

Of the 120 jury questionnaires sent out for

telehealth medicine.

Lunsford said MIH, which will give free services, will largely focus on prenatal and postnatal care. This would include teaching safe sleeping habits, ensuring the mothers and infants are taken care of and helping them navigate the healthcare system. It will also include followup care for patients who recently left the hospital.

“We have people that maybe have problems accessing medications, navigating the health care system,” Lunsford said. “Some people use the ER as their primary care physician, and this will help educate those people and help them maybe get in to see a primary care physician, instead of calling the ambulance to do that.”

It helps find solutions and alleviate some calls from the EMS load, he said. The program could also develop to include smoking cessation and drug rehabilitation.

VanDerMoere, who lives in Owen County, said she thinks the area could also really benefit from MIH providing elderly and chronic disease management.

One time, Bloomington MIH was able to help someone who had been homebound for several years get a ramp installed in their home, giving them the ability to leave.

Porter’s trial, 42 were not returned. The court was left with two open juror seats and only one potential juror remaining.

In May 2025, Porter appeared in court to face

and

“Mobile Integrated Health is going to be able to provide an outlet for those people to get the help they need with allowing people to realize that the only option isn’t just going into a nursing home,” she said.

Additionally, VanDerMoere recommended that the county’s future MIH program work closely with the local school resource officers to identify families that might need “a little bit of extra help and make sure that they have the things that they need to be successful.”

“Our school resource officers are going to be able to easily identify those families,” VanDerMoere said. “And then if you could just kind of wrap some extra love around them, to help make sure that the kiddos are having some protective shields around them in the hopes to maybe prevent some issues later in life, that’s a huge deal.”

Bloomington first implemented its MIH program about 3.5 years ago and has fleshed it out to include different areas of expertise.

“What it looks like from the beginning, if you do Mobile Integrated Health correctly, and you don’t get so focused on what you think it should look like, then it should constantly be evolving

related but separate charges of escape and battery against a public safety official, level 5 and 6 felonies. He was found guilty on both counts.

During the July

to what the community needs,” VanDerMoere said. “What it might need right now does not mean three years from now, is what it still needs.”

To keep serving the community well, it’s important for the MIH paramedics to remember the “why” behind what they’re doing and keep in close relationships with the community and its partners, she said.

Lunsford said one way he aims to do this is by seeking out the county’s Amish and Mennonite communities to see if MIH could be helpful to them.

“Taking the time to build the relationships up front is my biggest advice,” VanDerMoere said. “Take the time to invest up front, and build the relationships, and it will pay great dividends in the end.”

The grant is still very early in the process, but Lunsford said he hopes to start slowly implementing the program in January 2027. In the meantime, he plans to meet with MIH leaders in different counties to learn more about preparing for and integrating the program.

“There’s still a lot I need to learn,” Lunsford said. “We’re just hoping to make a difference in people’s lives, help people access what they need, help them and help the county also.”

trial, Porter will be represented by public defenders Jacob Fish and Megan Joan Schueler. Owen County Prosecutor Benjamin Kim would like to remind everyone that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Declaration of Independence read at courthouse

‘Gathering of the People Powwow’ returning to Cataract

By Travis Curry Senior Correspondent

A vibrant celebration of Indigenous culture, dance and history is returning to northern Owen County later this summer. The community is invited to attend the Gathering of the People Powwow, scheduled to take place Aug. 1 and 2 in Cataract.

The two-day cultural event will open at 10 a.m. both days at 9582 Hi Ridge Trail. Visitors will have multiple opportunities to witness the spectacular Grand Entry, which signifies the official beginning of the dance sessions. Grand Entries are scheduled for noon and 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1 and at noon on Sunday, Aug.

2. Additionally, a special Glow Dance is slated to take place at dusk on Saturday evening.

The gathering will feature powerful traditional music provided by Host Drum Iron Bear Singers and Co-Host Drum Little Whirlwind. An esteemed lineup of Head Staff will lead the weekend’s proceedings, anchored by Buffalo Child serving as the Master of Ceremony and Leroy Malaterre operating as the Arena Director and Co-MC. The leadership team also includes Head Veteran Daniel Blue Tail, Head Man Shawn Skeel, Head Lady Kichie Malaterre, Head Junior Man Kevin Hudson and Head Junior Lady Bentlie Malaterre.

A major highlight of this

year’s powwow is the return of Buffalo Child, who is of 14/16 Plains Cree and part Nakota heritage. An accomplished actor and performer, Buffalo Child has appeared in over 100 movies, films and television shows, with notable credits including Dances with Wolves, Crazy Horse and Call of the Wild. Beyond his master of ceremony duties, he will share the rich history of Smudging and Powwows and captivate audiences with a traditional Hoop Dance performance. These special presentations will run from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Organizers note that seating is limited, and attendees are strongly encouraged to

bring their own lawn chairs. The event offers affordable admission tiers to encourage wide community attendance. Children aged three and under can enter for free,

tickets for children under 10 are $3, individuals aged 10 to 59 are $5, and elders aged 60 and older receive free admission. Furthermore, complimentary entry is extended to all dancers,

veterans, EMTs, police officers and firefighters who present a valid ID. For more information regarding the event, the public can reach out to coordinator Cyndi Capps at 812-821-4406.

Spencer celebrates 250 years of liberty: Mural dedicated at VFW Post 1405

By Travis Curry Senior Correspondent

A new patriotic mural was officially dedicated on July 4 as part of the “Spencer Celebrates 250” block party hosted by Spencer Main Street and VFW Post #1405. The Independence Day celebration drew local families and veterans to North Washington Street, between East Morgan and East Franklin Streets, for an afternoon of free public entertainment and a historic tribute to local military service.

The day featured family-friendly festivities, including a bounce house and face painting, alongside live musical performances. Food and refreshments were offered throughout the afternoon by Civilian Brewing Corps and Post #1405.

The centerpiece and a special remembrance

The centerpiece of the celebration featured the official dedication of a new patriotic mural on the east side of Post #1405. The VFW Honor Guard kicked off the ceremony with a formal presentation before a crowd of local families and veterans.

Prior to the ceremony, the artist and organizers had the honor and privilege of remembering Army veteran and VFW Post #1405 member Mike Barger, the late husband of Past Department President and current Secretary of the VFW Post #1405 Auxiliary Sharron Barger. In a deeply moving tribute, Mike’s family mixed a small handful of his ashes into the paint, forever making Mike a part of this commemorative mural as they placed their own brushstrokes onto the wall, filling in the words “VFW Post 1405.”

Completion of the mural was made possible through the financial

Owen County Councilwoman Polly Chesser performs the National Anthem during the official dedication of the new mural on the east side of the VFW Post #1405.

The ceremony, held during the “Spencer Celebrates 250” block party, featured a formal presentation by the Owen County Honor Guard. More photos from the dedication can be found online at theowennews.org.

TRAVIS CURRY | THE OWEN NEWS

support of the Owen County Community Foundation, Wally DeFord, Rob Babbs, the Spencer Exchange Club, the Sons of the American Legion and the Spencer VFW Post #1405 and Auxiliary.

The artist behind the vision

The vibrant artwork was painted by neighboring Monroe County resident Adam Long. Remarkably, Long has no formal art training—having studied elementary education and business at Franklin College—and didn’t begin painting professionally until the age of 40. Today, he and his wife, Nicole, live in Smithville with their daughter, Lorene Maree. Long noted that Owen County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Marce Johnson came up with the original design concept for the project, while he added his “own spin with vivid colors and life.”

It took Long an estimated 20 hours to complete the piece on the VFW wall—a process made richer by the community itself.

“I enjoyed seeing many old friends stop by and made several new friends,” Long shared.

“People were inviting!”

Reflecting on the unique addition of Mike Barger’s ashes to the artwork, Long noted

the profound emotional weight of the project.

“Public art often tells the stories of communities, but this piece now carries something even deeper— the memory of a man who served his country and the love of the family who continues to carry his legacy forward,” Long said.

This is not Long’s first landmark piece in the area; in early 2025, he created a memorable mural for Travis and Krista Dill at their property along West State Road 46. For that project, Long quickly built upon an initial flag and eagle concept, expanding it over an estimated 40 hours to incorporate the scenic falls at McCormick’s Creek State Park, alongside “Spencer, Indiana” and the name of the couple’s business, KMSJ Services.

To contact the artist or to view more of his portfolio, visit “Adam Long” or “Art Happens” on Facebook.

A deeply rooted history of service

Following the Honor Guard’s presentation, Owen County Historian Tony Neff took the podium to deliver an insightful keynote address.

Neff explicitly connected the national milestone to local heritage, noting that July 4, 2026, marked the

250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, PA.

“This momentous event cannot be overstated,” Neff said. “Because the signing of the Declaration of Independence is the foundation stone of the world’s oldest modern constitutional democracy: Our United States of America.”

Neff walked the crowd through the earliest days of local settlement, pointing out that when Indiana became the 19th state in 1816, the first pioneers arrived in what would become Owen County.

He noted that in November of that year, Phillip Hart, his family, and James Bigger settled on the land where Boston Scientific is located today, just a few years before Spencer became the county seat in 1820.

Owen County’s lifelong connection to American conflict

The central theme of Neff’s address was the unbroken line of military service that defines local families.

He highlighted that Owen County residents have participated in every single American war, insurrection or expedition since 1776. Reading from an original Revolutionary War recruiting flyer that called on “all brave, healthy, able bodied and well-disposed young men” to join General George Washington, Neff emphasized that this exact mindset has long been the norm for the county.

“Revolutionary War, Indian Wars and War of 1812 veterans settled in Owen County,” Neff explained, crediting research by local historian and veteran journalist Dixie Richardson for identifying 34 American Revolutionary War veterans who made the

county their home. “Owen County and Spencer are named after soldiers who died in the Battle of Tippecanoe: Colonel Abraham Owen and Captain Spier Spencer, both from Kentucky.”

The symbols on the wall Turning the crowd’s attention to Long’s newly unveiled artwork, Neff broke down the deliberate historical and patriotic symbolism crafted into the design.

“The mural we are dedicating today shows the American flag and the freedom and unity it symbolizes,” Neff shared. “An American Eagle and the strength, independence and resilience it symbolizes. A WWI Doughboy in the heat of battle, showing the courage, honor, patriotism and the sacrifices of our veterans.”

Local heroes: The Cassady cousins Neff illustrated that courage by sharing the remarkable, interwoven histories of two Spencer High School graduates from the class of 1914 who went on to serve with distinct heroism in both World Wars.

The first, Captain Thomas G. Cassady of Freedom, bypassed a medical career to volunteer as an ambulance driver in France in 1916. He later joined the French Foreign Legion, became a fighter pilot and shot down five German planes.

When the United States entered WWI, he joined the U.S. Air Service and claimed four more aerial victories. On the day Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941, Cassady was called back to duty by the Secretary of the Navy to serve as an undercover agent in Vichy France, where he endured a year of German imprisonment before being exchanged. He concluded his service

MURAL | PAGE 19

Samick moves from interim to official PES principal

By Chloe Oden Correspondent

Kris Samick isn’t done with Patricksburg Elementary School (PES).

After a year of being interim principal at the school she taught at for 17 years, Samick was offered the official position. The PES staff had repeatedly asked if she would stay, and after talking to SpencerOwen Community Schools Corporation Superintendent Andy Cline, Samick was set up to continue what she started.

“One of the reasons I decided to stay and apply was because they wrote a letter to Mr. Cline, asking if I could stay another year, just for consistency and to continue on the changes that we had made, to get them more embedded in our culture,” Samick said.

During her year at PES, Samick said she heard people say the school felt very similar to how it did about 20 years ago. The school has a family atmosphere and many students are the children of kids she taught years ago, Samick said.

“It’s a very calm building,” Samick said. “It’s a happy building, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

Samick became interim principal last year on short notice, just two days before the school year began, because former principal Mike Robison was on medical leave.

She taught at Spencer Elementary School for seven years and had done administrative work at the S-OCS Central Office for eight years, including positions as S-OCS director of communications and district readiness coordinator, which she will continue in. Samick had gotten used to looking at the corporation-wide strategic plan and was able to see the school with a “district point of view.”

“It helped that I knew a lot of the staff too, but what I knew is that we had strong teachers and they just needed support,” Samick said.

One of the first things she did was send out a survey asking teachers and all other staff members how she could help support them during the academic year. With that input, Samick said she prioritized communication and being visible throughout the school year.

Samick strove to be accessible by being out at

the car pickup and dropoff lines. The staff should be at the door, welcoming kids into the building, Samick said.

“The best way we can teach them is have them there in the building, so if we can make it a fun place to be, kids want to be there and then when they’re there, they learn,” Samick said.

During the 2026-2027 school year, Samick plans to work on the district’s math interventions to be in line with state guidelines. She redid the schedule to ensure that the school offers a common time in the day for kids to work on the skills and standards they need.

“We’re trying to just plug kids in where they need the most assistance,” Samick said. “If they need help with math fluency or maybe just number sense, we want to drill down and meet our kids where they need us.”

When it comes to giving kids the assistance they need, Cline said Samick has prioritized making sure the needs of students of all abilities are met.

“Whether a child was dealing with a health impairment or whatever it may have been, trying to make it as normal as possible for the student to be successful,” Cline said. “Just taking time to involve all of the parties that need to be at the table to ensure those successes for children.”

She also plans to bolster student attendance by instilling an “intrinsic motivation” to learn. For PES, this means being a model for good behavior and citizenship. Samick’s philosophy for leading is to keep the kids at the forefront of all decisions and treat the teachers how she would want to be treated.

Cline said Samick puts lots of thought into the elementary school’s operations and takes the time to make changes for the betterment of the school and its students.

“Patricksburg is a hidden jewel, because it’s small, it’s a very nice building, the staff genuinely cares about the kids and wants what’s best for them, and they are fiercely protective of the students,” Samick said. “And I think when you come in the building, you can feel that there’s a great culture there, and that kids are happy, and the staff’s happy.”

$90,000 more expensive than originally believed.

A completed survey of the area between Walmart and the Owen County Family YMCA determined that the property is about an acre larger than initial agreements stated, bringing the property to 18.003 acres and $1,620,270.

Multiple attendees questioned how the property could justifiably cost $90,000 per acre, raising concerns about conflicts of interest in the property sale and asking why the county is moving toward building a jail in one of the most expensive parts of the county.

Former local business owner and county resident Denise Sudol encouraged the commissioners to take more time to consider the direction the county plans to go for the jail. Currently, the Owen County Commissioners and Owen County Council plan to hold a joint work session at 6 p.m. July 27 to make a decision about moving forward with the project. The meeting was originally scheduled for 5 p.m. on July 13 but was rescheduled last week.

“I’m asking you to stop this right now and let’s get another month and get it right,” Sudol said, receiving applause from some meeting attendees.

Hobbs also clarified that the county had not yet made a decision regarding where on the property the jail will sit. Some suggestions have been made to construct the jail at the back, so the county can sell the property nearest to the road and be more likely to sell it due to the sewer lines that will already be in the area. Hobbs said the county will eventually seek community input to decide what to do with the excess property.

For the past two weeks, Hobbs said, he has been hearing that he is corrupt or crooked. He maintained that he and the rest of the commissioners are not in their positions to do anything illegally.

“I would never do anything up there to jeopardize the safety of this community,” Hobbs said. “I live here. I have for many, many

years. I’ve served in this community for 16 years and will continue to serve to the best of my ability.”

No matter what, the decision made at the work session won’t satisfy everyone, he said.

Spencer Elementary School teacher Kevin Wright also made a comment and asked the community to consider the implications of further delaying progress with the jail and deciding not to buy the property.

The money spent on surveys, environmental studies and appraisals would be “down the toilet,” and the county would be forced to spend more time searching for another property, he said.

“We lose our momentum that we have with our current board of commissioners and our current council members who are ready to meet on the 13th and get this done after 14 years,” Wright said.

The need for a new jail was first discussed more than a decade ago, and each year construction is delayed racks up millions of dollars in rising costs and inflation. To avoid a lawsuit from inadequate conditions at the current jail and growing prices, county leadership has been pushing for planning decisions to be finalized.

With the added acreage costs, today the jail is expected to cost about $38 million. If the county fails to make progress, it could be mandated to build a jail, removing local say in the construction and planning, leaving the door open for even greater costs.

“The overall cost of what it’s costing us for the delay is insurmountable, $8,000 a day,” Hobbs said.

Township merger

At the meeting, commissioner Norman Warner discussed the state’s move toward combining townships that score four or more points on a state-issued performance evaluation. Public Law 134, signed by Gov. Mike Braun in March, requires local governments to compile data on each township and assess their performance by Dec. 31, 2026 and requires qualifying townships to merge by Jan. 1, 2029.

“We would like to get out in front of that instead of having the state tell us who that’s gonna be and where they’re gonna go,” Warner said.

He said the county government needs to plan meetings with the township trustees to begin those discussions.

Water protection ordinance

Plan commission member Alfio Saitta presented a draft of a water protection ordinance the plan commission began discussing in February.

The ordinance is aimed at filling a gap in county and state guidelines for water usage that falls between 10,000 and 100,000 gallons per day. The county has regulations for sources that draw less than 10,000 gallons and the state regulates high capacity wells with the capability of withdrawing greater than 100,000 gallons per day.

The plan would give the county more say over sources that would draw the amount of water in the gap and require them to produce things such as drainage plans and disclosing where the water will go.

Part of the ordinance includes suggesting creating a drainage board.

“We can’t control how much water they take out of the ground, but we have as a local entity, the law provides us the ability via a drainage board to have a say about what is happening once that water is taken out of the ground,” Saitta said. “The drainage board is a really critical vehicle to controlling that water usage.

At the June 16 plan commission meeting, Saitta explained that the ordinance would consider projects such as data centers, but also reassess and reevaluate the county’s water resources and put “those in a relationship with community needs.”

Warner said there will have to be readings and public input on the ordinance but the county needs to get started on approving it and getting something in place.

The commissioners will meet again at 6 p.m. July 16 in the Commissioners’ Room in the Commissioners

A sign of protest: Film revisits Bill Breeden’s streetsign theft, the manhunt it sparked during Iran-Contra

By Nicole DeCriscio Executive Editor

Forty years ago, Bill Breeden thought he was making a statement.

Instead, the Owen County resident sparked a week-and-a-half manhunt, found himself at the center of a federal prosecution and inspired an award-winning documentary after stealing a street sign honoring John Poindexter at the height of the IranContra scandal.

The film will be shown next week at the Historic Tivoli Theatre.

Breeden, who is the only individual to have served jail time in relation to the Iran-Contra scandal, recalled the series of events.

At the time, he was in his mid30s and lived in a teepee in Brown County. He didn’t have electricity, but he just so happened to stop by someone’s house who did. And it just so happened to be the same night that Ronald Reagan’s National Security Adviser John Poindexter resigned. Poindexter resigned as a result of the Iran-

Bill Breeden looks at a photo of himself with the John Poindexter sign and the book “A People’s History of American Empire: A Graphic Adaptation” by Howard Zinn. Breeden was the only individual to serve jail time for the Iran-Contra affair after he stole a sign bearing former National Security Adviser John Poindexter’s name, holding it for a $30 million ransom. It prompted the documentary, “The Times of a Sign,” which Breeden will show at the Tivoli at 7 p.m. July 23. His band, The Midwest Liberation Front, will provide live music starting at 6 p.m. NICOLE DECRISCIO | THE OWEN NEWS

Contra affair, a secret Reagan administration operation that illegally sold weapons to Iran and diverted the proceeds to Contra rebels in Nicaragua, despite a congressional ban.

Poindexter and Breeden were from the same small southern Indiana town of Odon, and Breeden’s sister dated him at one point.

Breeden watched as Poindexter claimed it was a secret operation he and Oliver North had conducted and

that Reagan had nothing to do with it.

“He believed that the government had the right to lie to the people, and he resigned,” Breeden said.

The next morning, Breeden went to see his mom in a nursing home in his hometown and saw a street sign for Poindexter.

When he asked what it was for, he was told that NBC had interviewed residents about Poindexter and the scandal. He said it was on the news that the people of Odon supported Poindexter and

were waiting for him to return to dedicate the sign and newly named street after him.

The street was four blocks long.

“I wanted people to know that some of us didn’t support it, and so I took this [sign]. We were going to take a picture, and my camera wouldn’t work, and then I decided to steal it, and I left a note on the sign saying, ‘There are some graduates of this high school who do not believe the government has the right to lie to the people, lo how the mighty have fallen,’ and

we signed it ‘the Midwest Liberation Front’ as a joke, and that was the thing that kicked it all off,” Breeden said.

That led to a week-and-ahalf manhunt for Breeden, as security officials believed Breeden was training guerrillas to kill Poindexter.

After a close encounter in Brown County, Breeden called the deputy sheriff in Odon and offered to turn himself in.

Breeden spent four days in jail and is the only documented person to serve jail time in relation

to the Iran-Contra affair.

“I say in a song I wrote about it that I took an inch and they gave me a mile or something like that because had they just ignored it, it would have never had the impact that it did,” Breeden said. “I was really fortunate, just lucky that I happened to see Poindexter resign at another house. I happened to see a sign put up the day before and took it down, so it was just kind of one of those things that landed in your lap, and you had to do something with it.”

It later became a senior prank for students to steal the Poindexter signs like Breeden had done.

The ordeal led to the awardwinning 1994 documentary, “The Times of a Sign,” which Breeden will show at the Tivoli at 7 p.m. on July 23. Breeden’s band, The Midwest Liberation Front, named after the experience, will provide live music starting at 6 p.m. The free showing is a fundraising event for the Owen County Democratic Party, of which Breeden is the chairman.

New Area 10 Agency on Aging director steps into role amid state level ‘challenges’

By Chloe Oden Correspondent

Amy Guerrettaz has been in various roles that support seniors at the Area 10 Agency on Aging for more than four years.

On May 1, she stepped into the executive director role, succeeding Chris Myers, who spent more than 10 years at the nonprofit.

The Area 10 Agency on Aging is an organization aimed at bridging older adults to resources that encourage living independently. This includes the Aging and Disability Resource Center, long-term care advocates, in-home care companions, case managers and home-delivered meals.

The agency also has a Reliable Experts Providing Accessibility, Independence Rehabilitation and Safety (REPAIRS) Team that can assist with repairing unsafe parts of the home, installing safety features and building ramps.

Area 10 also runs Rural Transit, a public transportation service that gives door-to-door service to anyone, regardless of age or ability, for $3 a ride in Monroe, Putnam, Lawrence and Owen counties.

When Myers decided to retire and focus more on her home life, Guerrettaz wanted the new executive director to understand the importance of the people Area 10 serves and the programs it has.

“We’ve had a lot of changes happening here in the state of Indiana with care management, Medicaid waivers and all the different services that we provide, as well as funding, lots of cuts to our funding,” Guerrettaz said. “I was concerned about what would happen if someone from the outside came into our agency.”

While at Area 10, Guerrettaz has served as a care manager, options counselor, activities

and programming manager and dementia outreach specialist.

“She really was shining in that community outreach, community leadership role, and [I] felt like that would be a good fit for potentially transitioning to fill my position after I decided to retire,” Myers said. “She was directly working with me, and so I got to really see her passion for our mission and ability to really drive a project and build community relations, and just really care about what we do.”

That was the most important quality Myers was looking for in a new executive director, she said. It is important in moving forward amid the “challenges” that come with the state shift to managed care for the 60 and older population two years ago and the upcoming shift affecting case management for the 60 and under population.

Indiana has 16 Area Agencies on Aging. In 2024, it transferred AAA management for those 60 and over to three Managed Care Entities — Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, United Healthcare Community Plan and Humana Health Horizons of Indiana.

The Indiana Capital Chronicle reported that this shift could cause AAAs to lose their ability to provide certain programming and services that the MCEs won’t.

On Aug. 1, a similar transition will happen for waiver case management for care for the 60 and under population.

Five Indiana agencies were selected to manage cases, 11 down from the 16 AAAs in the state.

“That takes the remaining Medicaid waiver care management away from Area 10 and Area Agencies on Aging, which is

really unfortunate, because those are truly your most vulnerable seniors and people with physical disabilities who need that kind of local connection for support, and now they’re going to be much more regionalized,” Myers said.

In regionalized care, people will fall through the cracks and be less trusting of their options, Myers said.

“There’s just no way you can have a local connection when you have, you know, so many counties that you have to represent for people,” Myers said. “That local connection, that trusted source of people who can help you navigate things and find the answers and resources is just so important.”

Myers trusts Guerrettaz to have the strength, focus and intelligence to do what is best for Area 10, she said, but acknowledged that she’ll need

community support.

“Many changes are being made at the upper state and federal levels, so many cuts are happening that I feel the stronger communities can be for each other and the stronger that communities can support their residents,” Guerrettaz said. “I think that’s the only way that people are going to be able to thrive and survive.”

As Guerrettaz continues in her new role, her goals for the organization include growing Rural Transit ridership. She also hopes to expand the home-delivered meals program and the Bloomington support groups for those living with brain change and their care partners.

To support Area 10, Guerrettaz said people can donate. To make a donation or find other ways to back the organization, visit area10agency.org/ showyoursupport.

FRIDAY, JULY 17, 2026

BRIEF | FROM PAGE 5

Next ‘Sale on the Square’ is July 25

Clear out your clutter or hunt hidden treasures at downtown Spencer’s next Sale on the Square, happening Saturday, July 25, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Organized by Spencer Main Street, this monthly community event transforms Franklin Street into a bustling open-air market filled with “little yard sales.”

Whether you are looking to shop local deals or want to set up your own stand, there is a spot for you. Vendor spaces can be reserved for $20, with a $10 refund given right back to you upon set-up. Can’t make it this month? Mark your calendars for the remaining dates of the season: Aug. 29, Sept. 26 and Oct. 31.

Come out to sell, shop and enjoy everything Downtown Spencer has to offer!

For more information or to reserve your spot, visit spencermainstreet. org/events.

Back-to-School

Beach Bash Expo is July 25

Area families can dive into preparation for the upcoming school year at the 12th Annual Back-toSchool Beach Bash Expo. This free community event will take place on Saturday, July 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Owen Valley Middle School, 626 S.R. 46 in Spencer.

The expo is packed

with free resources and essentials to help local students kick off the new school year. Attendees can receive free backpacks, school supplies, clothing, socks, shoes and hygiene products. Free haircuts, as well as vision and hearing screenings, will also be available onsite. In addition to these resources, the event features plenty of family fun, including games, prizes, refreshments, a Touch-a-Truck display and information from various community partners. The entire family is invited to attend this free bash to get ready for a successful school year.

S-OCS releases 2026-2027 open house schedules

Spencer-Owen Community Schools have released the open house schedules for the upcoming 2026–2027 school year, providing students and parents the opportunity to visit classrooms, meet teachers and explore their schools before classes begin.

Owen Valley High School, located at 622 W. S.R. 46 in Spencer, will kick things off with self-guided tours running from Monday, July 27 through Friday, July 31, between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. daily. Owen Valley Middle School, at 626 W. S.R. 46 in Spencer, will follow with its open house on Thursday, July 30, from 5 to 7 p.m. Elementary school

events are scheduled for early August. Spencer Elementary, located at 151 Hillside Ave. in Spencer, will open its doors on Monday, Aug. 3, from 4 to 6 p.m. That same evening, Gosport Elementary (201 N. 9th St., Gosport) and McCormick’s Creek Elementary (1601 Flatwoods Rd., Spencer) will both host their events from 4:30 to 6 p.m.

Patricksburg Elementary, located at 9883 S.R. 246 in Patricksburg, will round out the open houses on Tuesday, Aug. 4, from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

Parents are also reminded to ensure their children are registered for the new school year in FinalForms by visiting spencerowen-in. .finalforms.com.

Cloverdale announces back-to-school registration dates

Cloverdale Community Schools have announced key dates for families preparing for the upcoming 20262027 school year. School offices are scheduled to reopen on Monday, July 20, to assist families ahead of the official enrollment period. Student registration will then formally open on Wednesday, July 22.

Parents seeking additional details or specific enrollment instructions are encouraged to call their child’s respective

school building. For Cloverdale Elementary School (grades PreK–4th), call 765-795-4339. For Cloverdale Middle School (grades 5th–8th), contact the office at 765-7952900. For Cloverdale High School (grades 9th–12th), registration inquiries can be directed to 765-7954203.

Cloverdale Knoy After-School Program awarded $47,525 grant

Cloverdale Community Schools’ Knoy After-School Program has received a major financial boost to help support local students beyond the regular school day. The program announced it was recently awarded a $47,525.68 grant from the Putnam County Community Foundation. According to program representatives, this generous funding will be used to enhance daily programming, provide valuable educational resources and create new, meaningful learning opportunities for participating students.

The grant ensures the program can continue to deliver a safe, supportive and enriching environment for the children it serves.

Knoy After-School Program staff expressed immense gratitude to the Putnam County Community Foundation for investing in local students and for its ongoing commitment to supporting vital

nonprofit organizations throughout Putnam County.

2027 Lilly Scholarship applications now open

The Owen County Community Foundation has announced that the application period for the prestigious 2027 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship is officially open. One life-changing scholarship will be awarded to a singular Owen County resident or Owen Valley High School student, covering full tuition and required fees for four years at any accredited public or private four-year college or university in Indiana.

The scholarship also includes a $900 annual book stipend, though it does not cover room, board or travel expenses. To be eligible, applicants must be high school seniors graduating by June 30, 2027, and must either hold a permanent Owen County address or attend Owen Valley High School. Additionally, candidates must have achieved a minimum cumulative unweighted grade-point average of 3.75 and an SAT score of 1,100 or above (or an ACT equivalent of 21) by June 15, 2026. Financial need is not considered in the selection process.

The deadline to submit applications is Sunday, Aug. 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Interested students can find complete details and apply online by visiting bit. ly/OCCFscholarship.

UNSOLVED | FROM PAGE 8

It’s just a matter of following each one of them and find where the truth lays,” Highland stated in 2000. “And as a parent, you don’t want your son to be forgotten. At least if the rumors are going on, (the murder is) not being forgotten.”

Shadows on the highway

Archival records reveal that local law enforcement did encounter bizarre developments along the way. Around the time of the 11th anniversary in 2007, Indiana State Police Sgt. Jeff Deckard revealed a strange occurrence where a file folder scrawled with a specific individual’s name was found physically attached to Haltom’s roadside memorial cross north of Spencer.

Furthermore, first responders recalled unusual activity near the scene on the night of the crime. Former Owen County Sheriff’s Department Detective William Snodgrass, one of the first officers to arrive, noted that within 15 minutes of police arrival, a large group of local teenagers had gathered just down the road. Snodgrass noted in 2007, “It just seemed unlikely... maybe someone in that group that night knew more than they were willing to share with police.”

Snodgrass, now a Major with the sheriff’s department, today serves as Commander of the Owen County Jail. Highland also recalled a localized lead regarding a nearby ditch. A resident living near the site contacted her to report seeing an individual pacing the ditch the morning after the shooting, appearing to look for a discarded object. Though the sheriff’s department searched the area with metal detectors, no weapon was ever recovered, she said.

Waiting on a witness

With the passage of time and the absence of

key physical evidence, the path to justice in Haltom’s case has grown increasingly narrow. Fearing early investigative missteps and a lack of a physical weapon have limited the role that modern forensics can play, Highland believes the resolution of the mystery is likely to hinge entirely on human breakthrough rather than laboratory science.

“Oh, I think it is going to take a witness. If the person who knows what happened isn’t dead already—which is what concerns me—it’s not going to be solved through DNA or anything like that,” she said. “There is nothing really left. We never found a gun, and they screwed up the ballistics of it all. So ultimately, it’s going to take somebody finally breaking their silence.”

Left in the dark

Highland remains profoundly frustrated by the lack of communication and perceived stonewalling from investigators tasked with solving the case. When asked if she maintains contact with the law enforcement agencies overseeing the active investigation into her son’s death, Highland revealed a perceived rift between local efforts and the state authorities who now control the file.

“They gave Sam [Hobbs] an incredibly hard time when he was sheriff,’” Highland said, noting she believes the perceived pushback severely hindered local progress. “Sam did all kinds of legwork on Bryan’s case and they just, oh, they just gave him such a hard time about it and wouldn’t let him do all kinds of things.”

According to Highland, the jurisdictional handoff has left her completely in the dark regarding any potential breakthroughs or updates.

“[Sheriff] Ryan [White] told me it’s not under Owen County anymore. It hasn’t been for years,” she explained. “But yet the State Police have absolutely no contact with me whatsoever—they haven’t talked to me in at least 20 years.”

Investigation Shifted to Cold Case Team

The investigation has officially transitioned to a specialized state unit, according to Sheriff White. White confirmed on July 12 that the case was handed over to the Indiana State Police (ISP) Cold Case Team approximately three to four months ago. While White stressed that the extensive volume of evidence means a quick resolution is unlikely, he emphasized that lines of communication remain open.

“The case belonged to the Indiana State Police three days after the murder occurred, so it’s not been part of the sheriff’s office other than those first three days,” White said. “However, I did meet with the state police detective this past week regarding the case and discussed some key points that I thought needed to be looked at. Bryan‘s case has been turned over to the Cold Case Team with the Indiana State Police. There’s a lot to look at, so I’m sure it will not be quick. They have a lot of information to review before they can act on anything. I can’t discuss specifics regarding the case, but folks with information to share can contact me at my office, and I can share it with the ISP.”

A ‘mama’s boy’ frozen at 18

While the paper files and police logs focus on the logistics of a crime scene, Highland’s mind constantly returns to the vibrant, fun-loving teenager who filled her home with life. Three decades later, she still pictures the boy who loved high-energy summer nights and shared a unique, tender bond with his family.

“He was a mama’s boy, even if he wouldn’t admit it,” Highland smiled, recalling his protective yet affectionate nature.

Stolen on a dark stretch of U.S. 231 three decades ago, Haltom’s missing milestones leave an empty space that Highland frequently fills by imagining his unlived life—the career he would

have built, the partner he would have chosen and the family that should have been.

“I wonder all the time,” Highland shared, her voice carrying the quiet weight of three decades of unfulfilled dreams. “You know, about his kids... what they would look like, who he would be today.”

A mother’s final plea Today, Haltom rests in Riverside Cemetery. Years ago, Highland replaced his original limestone marker with a permanent black marble headstone bearing his etched photograph and the words “Love You More” carved on the back side of the stone.

As she navigates her 69th year, the lack of closure weighs heavily on Highland, compounded by the fear that she or her 86-year-old mother may pass away before justice is served.

“There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think of Bryan. Not one day. And there’s not very many days that I don’t think of the case,” Highland shared. “I want justice before I die. And I just don’t know if I’m gonna get it... The next time I go [to Indiana], I hope I’m in that damn courthouse. Yeah, that’s where I wanna be.”

With an independent investigative podcast slated to be released near the 30th anniversary of the tragedy, Highland hopes a human conscience will finally break the decades of silence.

“If it’s a stranger that

got away with it, it’s like, how could you just turn and run like that? You just changed our lives forever,” Highland said. “But, if it’s somebody that knew Bryan, knew us… how does he do that to us? To leave us hanging… all these years of not knowing what happened, cause the not knowing what happened is probably… it’s almost harder than losing Bryan.”

Three decades after losing her son, Highland wants the public conversation to shift away from the small-town rumors that clouded the investigation and return to the person she believes her son truly was. As the community marks this milestone anniversary, she hopes readers will look past the gossip and remember a young man defined by his kindness rather than the myths that followed his death.

“I want them to remember him like he really was. He was a truly kind kid,” she said. “I want people not to go off the rumors they heard about drugs and everything, because that wasn’t the kind of person he was. The rumors that went around back then were just horrible, and they simply weren’t who he was.”

Anyone with information regarding the July 17, 1996, shooting death of Bryan Edward Haltom is urged to contact the OCSD at 812829-5757, or the Indiana State Police Bloomington Post at 812-332-4411. Callers may remain anonymous.

Outdoor Type: Finding the right fishing spot isn’t always easy

By Larry LaGrange

youngest son on the west side of Evansville, and we made our way down to the lake.

I’ve always considered Reelfoot to be one of the gems of Midwest fisheries. The fact that I haven’t done that well there myself is because it’s one place where a guide is darn near a necessity, unless you want to constantly battle running into stumps and end up catching very few fish. But I’m too cheap (and too proud) to hire one. Hovey looked a lot like Reelfoot from the online images, so I thought we could catch some crappies. I also recall years ago reading Steve Ford’s outdoor columns in The Evansville Courier about the big crappie residing there.

Hovey is a natural lake, created when the Ohio changed course. It’s all of 1,400 acres inside a DNR managed property of over 7,000 acres. When Justin and I pulled up to the boat ramp parking lot on a nice Saturday afternoon, there was exactly one boat trailer.

“This can’t be good,” I thought.

We launched on a wide concrete ramp and headed out into a fishy-looking cypress tree-studded lake. The water color looked cloudy, but that can be OK. We spent some time casting the brushy bank for bass near the launch ramp, but no go. We then checked out the situation out in the middle where some standing trees looked inviting.

I had minnows and began dabbing them around while Justin continued to cast for bass. Nothing doing. The deepest water I could find on my graph was about seven feet, pretty shallow. The whole place just seemed dead as a fishery. Something just wasn’t right. About then Justin brushed into a tree limb and was bombarded by a horde of bugs, maybe mosquitoes. I wouldn’t want to be on this lake at sunset.

We continued motoring. Where was that other boat?

We found it way up toward the east side. We pulled up and inquired how they were doing. Anyone with a spider rigged boat like they had knows about crappie and is proficient at catching them.

“Any luck?” we inquired.

“Nothing on crappie, but we just caught a 25-pound catfish on sixpound line. Took us about 45 minutes to get him in.”

“Been here before?”

“Nope. First time. We won’t be back. It’s a waste of time.”

Darn, I thought. What a great looking lake to not hold anything but carp and catfish. We motored back to the ramp, spooking hundreds of rough fish out of the shallows along the way.

Craig Jansen, Big Rivers Fisheries biologist, told me that a crappie sampling with good results was done in the spring of 2017. There are very few bass or bluegills, but apparently the netting showed good numbers of large crappie and lots of big catfish.

If you like to fish for cats, this might be a place to try. The water level is influenced by the river somewhat, as once or twice a year flooding comes over the culvert pipes at the drain. Lower lake levels could be the result of natural silting, he

said. Waterfowl hunters should keep this place in mind too. You can see how ducks and geese would be attracted to the area.

Property Manager Nick Echterling told me that when the lake was five feet higher in February and March this year, crappie were caught by bank fishermen on the west (road) side.

“The lake is heavily influenced by the river levels, so that’s why there are rough fish. The crappie are there though,” Nick said. So, the takeaway is that this might be a place to check out in the early spring when the lake is up. Nick’s office is open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern; phone is 219-8382927.

The day was still ahead of us, so we went to Plan B, the Bluegrass Fish and Wildlife area northeast of Evansville. It’s a huge, reclaimed coal mine locale—2,532 acres overall with 28 strip pits and 600 acres of water. It’s named after the nearby Bluegrass Creek.

A few years ago Justin and I had tried the largest lake, naturally named Bluegrass, but the wind had driven us off. There were quite a few boat trailers in the big lake parking lot, and that was a good sign. After

discussing the area with a local fisherman, who bemoaned the good old crappie days at Hovey, we decided to try smaller Loon Lake just across the road, where we saw fewer trailers.

Outboards with a 10mph limit are permitted in Bluegrass, Loon and Otter pits. On the rest it’s trolling motor only. We motored out into a gorgeous pit with clear water and fishylooking grass beds here and there. Gin clear water is usually tough going for fishing.

After a couple of hours of fruitless casting, we got into the south neck of the lake that had some grass beds bordering a channel. I caught a nice two-pound bass on a crankbait, and it surely felt good. After that I caught a crappie, and Justin caught something that looked like a muskie. Maybe it was a pike or a pickerel. I had never seen a fish quite like it, 18-20 inches long and sporting odd markings and a nasty set of teeth.

That was it for the catching, but being with my son was well worth the drive. Our trips together don’t happen often enough. We talked incessantly about life and his brothers and his job and Evansville and, well, you know. It was all good.

Eat your water and skip the sunburn: A blueprint for summer safety

By Jamie Jo Lowder Health and Human Sciences Educator, Purdue ExtensionOwen County

If you’ve ever walked outside in July and immediately questioned every life decision that brought you to the driveway, welcome to an Indiana summer!

The air feels like you’re wearing a warm, wet blanket, your sunglasses fog up before you even get to the car, and just carrying groceries inside counts as your daily workout. Summer is full of backyard cookouts, county fairs, gardens bursting with fresh vegetables, vacations and afternoons by the pool. It’s one of my favorite seasons, but it also brings one important reminder: the heat is no joke.

I’m Jamie Jo Lowder, your Purdue Extension Health and Human Sciences (HHS) Educator serving Owen County. Health and Human Sciences is all about helping individuals and

families live healthier, safer, and more fulfilling lives through researchbased education. Each month, I enjoy sharing practical tips that you can use, and with temperatures climbing, there’s no better topic than staying safe while still enjoying everything summer has to offer. Our bodies are amazing. They come equipped with their own cooling system: sweat. The catch? That system only works well if we replace the fluids we lose. One of the biggest mistakes people make is waiting until they feel thirsty to grab a drink. By then, your body is already waving a little yellow caution flag. Instead, sip water throughout the day, especially if you’re spending time outdoors, exercising, gardening or cheering on the grandkids at the ball field. Think of your water bottle as your summer sidekick. Take it everywhere. Want another easy way to stay hydrated? Eat your water! That might sound funny, but many fruits and vegetables are packed with water. Watermelon earns its summer superstar status, but strawberries, oranges, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce and even celery all help add fluids back into

your body while providing important vitamins and minerals. It’s hard to beat a cold slice of watermelon after mowing the lawn. Speaking of mowing the lawn, timing can make all the difference. If you have gardening, yard work or outdoor exercise on your to-do list, try tackling it during the cooler morning or evening hours. The hottest part of the day is usually between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If you do need to be outside, take frequent breaks in the shade or somewhere air-conditioned. Your tomatoes may enjoy the sunshine all afternoon, but you don’t have to prove you’re tougher than the tomato plant.

What you wear matters, too. Loosefitting, lightweight, lightcolored clothing helps your body stay cooler by allowing air to circulate and reflecting sunlight instead of absorbing it. A wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses offer extra protection, and don’t skip the sunscreen. Even on cloudy days, ultraviolet rays can reach your skin. Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 and remember to reapply every two hours, or sooner if you’ve been swimming or sweating.

It’s also important to know when the heat is becoming dangerous. Heat exhaustion often starts with heavy sweating, dizziness, headache, muscle cramps, nausea, weakness and cool, clammy skin. If you notice these signs, head to a cool place, drink water if you’re able, loosen tight clothing and use cool, wet towels to help lower your body temperature. Heat stroke, however, is a true medical emergency. If someone has a body temperature above 103 degrees, becomes confused, stops sweating, has hot, red skin, loses consciousness or has a seizure, call 911 immediately. While waiting for help, move the person to a cooler area and begin cooling them with cold water, fans or ice packs if available. Some people are especially vulnerable during hot weather, including young children, older adults, individuals with chronic health conditions and those who work outside. Don’t forget to check on neighbors who may need a little extra help during heat waves. And of course, let’s not leave out our fourlegged family members. Pets need plenty of fresh water, access to shade

and should never be left in a parked vehicle. On an 85-degree day, the inside of a car can become dangerously hot in just minutes.

Summer memories should include sticky popsicles, fireflies, family picnics and cannonballs into the pool, not trips to the emergency room. A little planning goes a long way. Drink plenty of water, eat hydrating foods, dress for the weather, seek shade when you need it and learn the warning signs of heat-related illness. That way, the only thing melting this summer can be your ice cream cone. At Purdue Extension, we’re here to help you and your family make informed decisions every day. If there is a program or class you’d like to see offered on topics such as health, nutrition, food preservation, parenting, financial wellness or healthy living, I’d love to hear your ideas. Feel free to reach out by email at lowder0@purdue. edu or by phone at 812829-5020. I’m always happy to help connect our communities with practical, research-based information that makes everyday life a little healthier, a little easier and a lot more enjoyable.

Ramblings: Mother Nature’s gift

By Annie Bright Guest Columnist

Years ago, when I was a kid, mid-July was the middle of summer. We had six weeks left before school started. There were many days to play in the creek, explore the woods, ride our bikes, lay in the shade of a tree and read a book, or see what adventures we could conjure up. My brother Red was very good at creating adventures for

MURAL|

FROM PAGE 11

as a Chief Intelligence Officer for the OSS in newly liberated Paris.

The second hero, Admiral John H. Cassady, served in the Navy during WWI and rose to command the famed aircraft carrier Enterprise in the Pacific theater during WWII.

us. Of course, there were also days when mom or dad would hand out a list of chores. Those days, we spent cleaning the barn, cutting grass, weeding the garden or picking vegetables from the garden. Then there were hot hours spent in the kitchen helping mom “can” the vegetables we produced in those long rows we hoed. Picking blackberries was another task for mid-July.

Blackberries! They are one of the best gifts Mother Nature bestows upon us mortals. We do have to put a bit of effort into gathering the luscious fruits from the evil brambles. The rewards are many. Just for a moment, envision

Neff revealed an extraordinary piece of naval trivia regarding his appointment. “In 1943, Admiral Cassady took over the command of the aircraft carrier Enterprise in the Pacific from Admiral Henry M. Mullinnix, who was also born in Spencer, and who also served in both WWI and WWII,” Neff told the

a chilly winter morning. There is a big fluffy biscuit, fresh from the oven, slathered in blackberry jam sitting on your plate for breakfast! Picking blackberries was a family adventure. Everyone attended the event. If you were tall enough to reach the branches loaded with the juicy black jewels, you had a bucket to fill. If you weren’t, you just tagged along. One of the pickers would stick a berry in your mouth occasionally. It was perfectly allowed to eat a few as we picked. So many memories of sunny days and good times spent with the family on berry picking days.

When I bought my piece of forest in

crowd, noting that Mullinnix tragically went down with his ship later that year. “This is the only time in Navy History where a major Navy ship command was exchanged where both Admirals were from the same small town, Spencer.”

A lasting tribute Closing his address, Neff emphasized that

the ’90s, the huge old trees had been logged. Gaps in the canopy let sunlight reach the forest floor. Blackberries were among the first plants to appear. Before long, the brambles grew thick, and by the second year, they were producing berries. Walking through them was nearly impossible, but they served an important purpose. They and other plants helped hold the topsoil in place. Logging done hastily and without regard for the forest’s health is devastating. The wildlife panicked because their habitat had been destroyed. The critters that remained quickly took advantage of the berries. If I wanted a few

the vibrant new imagery on the VFW wall serves as a visual testament to the continuous protection of American liberty.

“In conclusion; this powerful, 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence mural, by the Spencer VFW Post #1405, we dedicate today, exemplifies our veterans’ role

for a pie I had to be quick to pick. Picking is easy now. My son put a half mile driveway down the edge of my property back to his place. The berries are thick on both sides of that road; in some places they arch over the drive. I can pick the black fruit from some of those briars without getting out of the car! But that is cheating. Blackberries are not only delicious, they are also nutritious. They give us manganese, calcium and vitamins E, C and K. Spring came early this year and so did the black berries. When you read this in mid-July most of them will be gone. There is always next year!

‘til next time.

Annie

in establishing and maintaining our nation and the freedoms we enjoy,” Neff said, offering a final word of gratitude to the community and a blessing for the country. “For 250 years, the story of America has been shaped by the service and sacrifices of the brave men and women who answered the call of duty.”

The new mural now stands as a permanent fixture in downtown Spencer, ensuring that the legacy of Owen County’s veterans—now physically and spiritually holding the memory of heroes like Mike Barger—continues to greet and inspire residents for generations to come.

Gosport VFW celebrates 80th anniversary

Commander Dave “Muffin” Hammons pose for a photo next to the 80th anniversary celebration banner. // Attendees enjoyed free hamburgers, hotdogs and sides as part of the 80th anniversary celebration for the Gosport VFW Post 7850 on July 11. // A cake marking the 80th anniversary of the Gosport VFW Post 7850 was part of the celebration. // The monument commemorating the 80th anniversary of Gosport VFW Post 7850, which was founded on June 24, 1946 can be seen.

NICOLE

DECRISCIO | THE OWEN NEWS