Looking back

August 18, 1958

State Police from the Jasper post are investigating the theft of a 1,000 pound safe from the wholesale grocery establishment of J. Winkler & Son in Dale over the weekend. The owners of the wholesale house are puzzled as to how the burglars gained entrance to the building. No windows were broken and no doors were damaged. Tracks on the floor indicate that two men loaded the heavy safe onto a two-wheeled truck and carted it off to an exit where it was apparently loaded into an auto or onto a truck. The safe was later found, broken open, in a mine pit near the Santa Claus Campground. Records of the firm were left scattered about, but an estimated $600 in cash and $4,400 in checks were missing, according to Jack Winkler, a member of the firm. The owners of the firm believe that the burglary was committed around 1 A. M. Sunday, when the watchman, Frank Huff, left the building to get lunch.

August 19

At Monday night’s regular meeting of Mayor P. C. Giltner and the Huntingburg City Council, the officials voted unanimously to allow the use of boats on the city lake. A petition requesting this privilege had been circulated in recent weeks, and at last night’s meeting Bob Prior, who spearheaded the drive for boats on the lake, presented some additional signatures. The boats may be placed on the lake as soon as the council draws up a set of rules and regulations. The council will take the necessary steps dictated by the State Board of Health in deciding on rules governing the use of boats. The lake is the source of Huntingburg’s water supply.

August 20

Up to yesterday, the auto license branch office in Jasper had issued 402 beginner driving permits and 57 driver education permits since the beginning of the year, it has been reported by Manager Jim Hoffman. This means that in Dubois County alone, about 15 new drivers are taking to the streets and highways each week. Jim Hoffman reports that there is still considerable misunderstanding regarding applications by those under 18 years of age. Mr. Hoffman points out that the law states clearly that when drivers under 18 apply for a beginner permit or to take their test for operator’s license, the father must give his consent in writing in the presence of the license branch personnel. If the father is dead, or doesn’t have custody of the applicant, the mother or guardian must give a signed permission for the applicant to get the desired permit or license.

August 21

BULLETIN: The body of Thomas Lewis Mattingly, 29, of Rt. 5, Jasper, a salesman for the Fuller Brush Co., was found in Beaver Lake shortly after 11 A. M. today, apparently a victim of drowning. Mr. Mattingly left his home around 5:30 this morning to go fishing in the lake. When he had not returned by around 11 o’clock, Mrs. Mattingly notified the State Police. The body was floating just below the surface, and about 30 feet from the water’s edge, in the vicinity of the valve tower near the dam. The county coroner, E. H. Schmutzler, was out of town. A local physician who served in the capacity of deputy coroner said Mr. Mattingly had apparently worked his way out to a city boat that is attached to a wire and maintains its position about midway between the dam and the concrete tower in which the shut-off valve is located. Apparently he lost his balance in the boat and it turned partly on its side.

August 22

The Indiana Democratic Editorial Association will hold its regular fall meeting at the French Lick-Sheraton Hotel today and Saturday. Association business and preparations for the fall political campaign will keep the editors on a busy agenda. Mayor Vance Hartke of Evansville, a candidate for U. S. senator, will arrive at the meeting to confer with party editors. The principal speaker will be Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey of Minnesota, who will make an address following the Saturday evening banquet.

The Harbison township schools will have their organization day next Wednesday, August 27. Buses will run at the usual time in the morning and school will be dismissed for the day at noon. Two new teachers have been added to the high school faculty. Marilyn Martin of Shelburn, a June graduate of Indiana State Teachers College, will teach home-making. Howard Anderson, a graduate of Dubois High School and Oakland City College, will teach social studies.

August 23

The State Highway Commission announced Friday that the right of way in front of one piece of property along highway 162, which is to be widened and improved, has been donated to the state. The land donated to the state is that in front of the Jasper Engine Exchange in Little Kentucky. The right to widen the road at this point without compensation to the property owner was given by Alvin C. Ruxer, who operates the Engine Exchange. R. W. Schwartz, project engineer on the road improvement, expressed appreciation to Mr. Ruxer on behalf of the highway commission. Construction on the road between the Patoka River bridge and the Bretzville crossing calls for a 40-foot street, with curb and gutter, from the bridge as far south as the Messmer Lumber Company in Holy Family Parish.

August 20, 1973

Pictured on the front page of this issue is Huntingburg Mayor Dale Helmerich. He is shown shaking the hand of the new Huntingburg Chief of Police, Don Stonecipher. Stonecipher was formerly the Corydon Chief of Police. Also in the photo is Robert Schaaf, newly appointed police sergeant. The Board of Public Works and Safety made the final decision on these appointments at a meeting Sunday night.

William J. Rohleder, 39, the director of sales and finances for the Seufert Construction Company of Ferdinand, died at his home at 727 West Eighth Street, Jasper, at around 6:45 p.m. Saturday of an acute cerebral hemorrhage. He suffered a stroke a short time after returning to his home from Jasper Lake, where he had worked all day on his cabin.

August 21

State superintendent of public instruction Harold H. Negley today announced plans to expand the services of a new Southern Indiana Education Center at Huntingburg and presented a $250,000 grant to the operating Southwest Dubois County School Corporation. The announcement was made in Indianapolis this morning as Supt. Negley was preparing to fly to Huntingburg for an early afternoon news conference. Details of the news conference will be reported Wednesday.

Negley said the new center is to serve 38 school corporations in Southern Indiana and said he hoped to offer similar services “all over Southern Indiana before I am through.” He said Huntingburg was picked because the city “is geographically located” where it can best serve the area.

August 22

A ribbon-cutting ceremony signalizing the start of the grand opening of the newest store in the Southgate Industries shopping complex on Jasper’s southwest side will take place at 10 a.m. Thursday. City Councilman Tom Beckman will officiate at the ceremony that will signal the beginning of a three-day grand opening for The Golden Dolphin Bath Shop in the 3-D Plaza. Last June, when it was announced that the new business firm was going into operation, A. Wayne Place, president of Southgate Industries, Inc., termed Golden Dolphin one of the most highly respected names in the bath shop field and predicted that the new firm will provide an entirely new concept in one-stop bathroom decorating in the community. Prizes will be given away during the grand opening, which extends from Thursday through Saturday. Free gifts will be given to the first 150 customers, it was announced by the manager, Diane Spindler.

August 23

Richmond strutted to its first Indiana State Fair high school marching band title Wednesday night, beating out Alexandria and Anderson Highland. The Jasper High School Marching Wildcats were among the16 finalists chosen after preliminary competition, and then finished 11th. Competition among 16 finalists was staged before a standing room only crowd at the grandstand area. Five-time champion Ben Davis placed fourth and New Castle was fifth. Before the finals, Alexandria band director Jim Craig promised his players that should they place in the first three, he’d walk back to the school. Craig indicated preliminary plans to make the 50-mile trek next Monday!

August 24

Dedication ceremonies and open house of the new Southridge High School in Huntingburg will be held on Sunday afternoon, September 9.

Open house will be from 1:30 to 5 p.m. with dedication ceremonies scheduled in the auditorium at 2 p.m. Dr. Merle T. Strom, professor of Educational Administration and Supervision at Ball State University in Muncie, will be the featured speaker. The Rev. Karl Kessler of St. James Lutheran Church in Holland will give the invocation, and Max Olinger, president of the board of trustees of the Southwest Dubois County School Corporation, will introduce guests on the platform. Supt. William E. Schnute will introduce the featured speaker. The program will close with the band playing “Thus Spoke Zarathustra” and the benediction by Fr. Marcellus Fisher, pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Huntingburg.

August 25

Two Forest Park High School seniors were recently notified that they are to be featured in the seventh annual addition of “Who’s Who Among American High School Students,” the largest student award publication in the nation. They are Steve Jahn, son of Mr. and Mrs. Linus Jahn of Rt. 3, Huntingburg, and Ronald Welp, son of Mr. and Mrs. Aloysius Welp, also of Rt. 3, Huntingburg. Steve Jahn is president of the Forest Park High School Student Council and is a member of the Beta Club, the National Honor Society and the band. Ronald Welp is a member of the Beta Club and the National Honor Society. In addition to having their biographies published in the book, Steve and Ronald will also compete for one of ten $1,000 scholarship awards funded by the publishers and will be invited to participate in the firm’s annual “Survey of High Achievers” later in the academic year.

August 17, 1998

The State Fair wine contest drew a record number of entrants — 2,146 from 19 countries — but it was a local couple’s offerings that won more medals than any other. John Doty, a loan officer at First Bank of Huntingburg, and his wife, Kim, postmaster at Huntingburg, saw their French Lick Winery win 30 medals and be named a runner-up for the Governor’s Trophy at the Indy International Wine Competition’s award reception August 6 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. “We were especially pleased with the gold medal on our newest wine, Muscat Canelli,” said Kim, the winery’s cellar master. The Doty’s make their wine in the huge cellar of the Beechwood Mansion at 8498 W. State Road 56, near downtown French Lick.

August 18

By the end of the month, the city might have to decide whether to delay construction of a new $13 million water plant or to spend an extra $150,000 a year in higher interest rates to stay on the planned schedule.

Last month, the Jasper utility board decided to apply for a low-interest loan through the Drinking Water State Revolving Loan program. But Don Silvey, of Commonwealth Engineers, informed the board Monday that the state program is not off the ground yet. Silvey said the state hopes to have the program’s seed money from the Environmental Protection Agency within two weeks. He recommended that the city wait until then to make a decision on whether to continue pursuing the loan. While the city could expect an annual interest rate of less than 3.9% from the state, getting a loan on the open market would cost at least 5.25% in interest each year. With an annual savings of $150,000, the state loan would save the city $3 million over 20 years.

August 19

Just when you thought it was time to pick up the phone and dial 911, the Dubois County Dragons showed signs of life. Maybe it’s false hope, or maybe it’s called playing for pride, but the Dragons proved Tuesday night that there may just be some fight left in them. Solid pitching, superb defense, and most important, extreme patience at the plate proved to be lethal for Dubois County, which snapped a two-game losing streak with an 8-1 Heartland League victory over the Cook County Cheetahs at League Stadium. “This is just a big win — how many times have we opened up, (a series) with a win? Plus, we’ve never taken a four-game series all year,” Dragons manager Jay Welker said. “We’d just love to go out of here (the season ends Friday) with a four-game sweep and leave on a good note, and hopefully put a good taste in peoples mouths as far as leaving on winning ways.”

August 20

The Indiana High School Athletic Association is willing to give Huntingburg a chance to make a thud, considering Indianapolis was such a dud. Memorial Gym, or should we say “Mrs. Popularity,” has been chosen as new home of the 1999 2A south semistate, taking over the job previously held for one year by Butler University’s Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, according to Southridge athletic director Jim Bardwell. “I talked to Ray Craft ( Associate Commissioner of the IHSAA) and he told me Southridge High School is getting the 2A semistate,” Bardwell confirmed Wednesday evening. “ I think it is tremendous for the area because at the present time it’s a four-team tourney, and people are going to be coming into the community on Friday night and probably staying Saturday night. So I think it is a big plus for everybody in the area.

August 21

It’s official: the man who once was a cherubed-faced 21-year-old from Paducah, Ky. Is now a walking, talking timeline. “Boy, that sure means I’ve been around for a long while,” gasped Jerry Brewer, who began his coaching career in 1959 fresh out of college. “I guess that means I coached Methuselah when he was in the eighth grade.” But as he enters into his 40th year of coaching football at Jasper, the winningest football coach in Indiana is more than history. Rather he remains an unfinished volume eager to usher another group of high school boys under the Friday night floodlights of the gridiron. “You know, I’m really looking forward to it,” said Brewer. Bob Fell was the first football coach at Jasper. From 1953 to 1955 he compiled a record of 4-11-2. Tom Stokes took it over in 1956 and went 20-4-1 before leaving the Wildcats after the ‘58 season. Then came Brewer. The 61-year-old has guided the program to 38 winning seasons, 17 conference championships, eight regional championships, four second-place finishes at the state finals and an overall record of 319-92-2 — unmatched in the state.

August 22

The Paoli Rams were the opponent, but it really was history the Southridge Raiders were battling Friday. Not since 1983 had the Raiders won their season opener. Fourteen years, fourteen straight losses — including a one-point defeat at the hands of the Rams last season. However, nothing lasts forever. The Raiders made sure of that. Southridge rushed for 320 yards and five touchdowns and led by 30 points at halftime en route to a 43-6 non-conference victory at Raider Field. “I think we played well, we executed well. I thought we came ready to play,” Southridge head football coach Brad Hanner said. Now they have a big boost of confidence, which will come in handy next Friday when they attempt to break another hex: 14 straight losses to their arch enemy, the Jasper Wildcats. The Raiders’ last season-opening win was also their last victory over the Wildcats, a 6-0 squeaker. Last year the Raiders came close, but fell just short, 28-26.

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