Beacon Aug 2023
Your hometown news source. Regional Reach. Community Commitment. Covering Dearborn, Franklin, Ohio, and Ripley Counties in Southeast Indiana and Southwest Ohio.
Your hometown news source. Regional Reach. Community Commitment. Covering Dearborn, Franklin, Ohio, and Ripley Counties in Southeast Indiana and Southwest Ohio.
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Page 8B THE BEACON <strong>Aug</strong>ust <strong>2023</strong><br />
OLDENBURG<br />
By<br />
Sue<br />
Siefert<br />
Community<br />
Correspondent<br />
O<br />
ur<br />
Communities<br />
oldenburg@goBEACONnews.com<br />
OA’s Graduation<br />
OA held its commencement<br />
on June 4 with the class<br />
earning over $4.3 million in<br />
college scholarships, 89%<br />
pursuing post-secondary<br />
education, and 11% pursuing<br />
a trade school or associate<br />
degree.<br />
The class includes 2 Next<br />
Generation Hoosier Educators<br />
Scholars, 8 Academic<br />
All-State Honorees, 2 Congressional<br />
Art Awards, and 4<br />
students who earned Centennial<br />
Service Awards. 41%<br />
of the graduates achieved<br />
the Indiana College Core 30<br />
through Ivy Tech Community<br />
College. 66% earned Indiana<br />
Academic Honors Diplomas.<br />
Congratulations to Valedictorian,<br />
Madelyn Henry,<br />
daughter of Brad and Miranda<br />
Henry, who will seek a<br />
degree in pharmacy at Butler<br />
University. Co-Salutatorians,<br />
Erin Pottschmidt, daughter<br />
of Todd and Carolyn Pottschmidt<br />
who plans to study<br />
architecture at Ohio State<br />
University, and Clare Van<br />
Meter, daughter of Daniel<br />
and Jennifer Van Meter, who<br />
will study architecture at the<br />
University of Kentucky. All of<br />
7247 State Road 46E<br />
Batesville, IN 47006<br />
812.932.3300<br />
the grads left with blessings<br />
from the faculty, staff, and the<br />
Sisters of St. Francis as they<br />
embark upon their plans for<br />
the future.<br />
Congratulations Power<br />
lifters!<br />
Those attending the fiftythird<br />
annual Summer Games<br />
of Special Olympics Indiana<br />
witnessed the extraordinary<br />
talents and unstoppable<br />
spirit of local athletes as<br />
they competed. With months<br />
of training and unwavering<br />
determination, the delegation<br />
from Special Olympics Indiana<br />
– Ripley Ohio Dearborn<br />
Celebrating lives<br />
of the ones you love.<br />
(812) 576-4301 • 25615 STATE RT 1 • DOVER, IN<br />
OA Class of <strong>2023</strong> (Photo courtesy of Alyssa Krekeler)<br />
Powerlifters team members Coach Tim Paul, Alex Kieffer,<br />
Corbin Johnson, Payton Amberger, Asst. Coach Heather<br />
Amberger. Front: David Paul, Joey Hountz.<br />
TOPSOIL<br />
(Regular and Shredded)<br />
FILL DIRT<br />
GRAVEL<br />
SPECIALIZED HAULING<br />
& DELIVERY<br />
NICOLE WUESTEFELD<br />
WWW.ANDRES-WUESTEFELD.COM<br />
Counties, (ROD) consisting<br />
of 64 exceptional athletes, 12<br />
Unified Partners, 14 passionate<br />
coaches, and 15 dedicated<br />
team members at the prestigious<br />
campuses of Indiana<br />
State University and Rose<br />
Hulman Institute of Technology.<br />
The Games featured a<br />
wide range of Olympic-type<br />
sports, including bocce, bowling,<br />
cycling, power lifting,<br />
swimming, track and field,<br />
and volleyball. The ROD<br />
delegation included 5 power<br />
lifters, 9 swimmers, 11 track<br />
and field athletes, 11 volleyball<br />
players, and 40 bowlers.<br />
Locally, power lifting coach<br />
Timothy Paul reported that<br />
“The <strong>2023</strong> ROD Special<br />
Olympic Power lifting Team<br />
came home with 18 Gold, 2<br />
Silver, and 1 Bronze Medal in<br />
the recent Special Olympics<br />
Meet! Members hit 44 out of<br />
45 attempts with 3 new competition<br />
PRs. David Paul was<br />
the number one bench presser<br />
in all weight divisions with a<br />
259 LB bench press and is an<br />
eight-time consecutive state<br />
champion in his weight division.”<br />
Coach Paul was raised in<br />
Oldenburg and is David “Big<br />
Dawg” Paul’s father. Coach<br />
lives in Milan with David and<br />
works in Oldenburg where a<br />
village full of David’s relatives<br />
and supporters reside.<br />
David may have been born<br />
with Cerebral Palsy, yet he<br />
never allows CP to define<br />
him or his capabilities as he<br />
continues to set weight lifting<br />
records.<br />
Congratulations to all the<br />
Special Olympics Athletes …<br />
especially “Big Dawg” for<br />
breaking records and inspiring<br />
us all!<br />
Das ist alles von der ’Burg!<br />
1954 basketball team members Gene White, Ray Craft,<br />
Roger Schroder, and Rollin Cutter.<br />
MILAN<br />
By<br />
Sialia<br />
Swainson<br />
Community<br />
Correspondent<br />
e<br />
milan@goBEACONnews.com<br />
With Independence Day<br />
celebrations in the rear view,<br />
we are settling in for the dog<br />
days of summer. Hope you<br />
get a chance to slow down<br />
and enjoy the sights and<br />
sounds and smells of summer<br />
in our little corner of the<br />
world.<br />
Ripley County EMS has<br />
spent the past few months<br />
settling into their newly<br />
renovated quarters in Milan.<br />
The building was originally<br />
constructed in 1992 for Milan<br />
Rescue 30 and built on property<br />
donated by the Porter<br />
Krick family. With the evolution<br />
of county sourced EMS<br />
services there was a need for<br />
more space so it was decided<br />
to expand and upgrade the<br />
Milan facility. The project<br />
was funded with ARP money<br />
at a price tag of $788,000.<br />
Like any home improvement<br />
project, a few hiccups<br />
occurred along the way, but<br />
the building was finally ready<br />
to occupy in late December of<br />
2022. I was given a tour recently<br />
by county EMS Director<br />
Scott Huffman and was so<br />
impressed with this beautiful<br />
facility. Having more than<br />
doubled the square footage,<br />
five parking bays, newly<br />
added sleeping quarters for<br />
EMTs and paramedics were<br />
added. The radio room, laundry,<br />
and kitchen/living area<br />
have all been updated. The<br />
common areas are bright and<br />
spacious while the sleeping<br />
rooms are private and quiet.<br />
Even a bit of green space with<br />
a small patio and garden plot<br />
are included.<br />
The county’s EMS has seen<br />
many advances under Mr.<br />
Huffman’s fifteen-year tenure<br />
as the director. The ambulances<br />
housed in Milan now<br />
carry sophisticated equipment<br />
including a LUCAS CPR<br />
Compression Device, cardiac<br />
monitors and ventilators, and<br />
VSCAN ultrasound devices.<br />
And sadly, a sign of the times<br />
we live in, the trucks also<br />
carry body armor to be worn<br />
by the EMTs and medics at<br />
volatile scenes. Milan area<br />
residents are fortunate to have<br />
these advanced services based<br />
in town and ready to serve<br />
them. The building project is<br />
now complete with the recent<br />
dedication of the Safe Haven<br />
Baby Box.<br />
Director Huffman had this<br />
to say about the sixty employees<br />
who provide life saving<br />
care for the community: “I<br />
am proud of the health care<br />
professionals that work for<br />
Ripley County EMS. They are<br />
hard working and dedicated.<br />
We are lucky to have such<br />
professionals working here<br />
in the county.” And if you’ve<br />
ever considered joining the<br />
EMS ranks, they plan to host<br />
an EMT class in Milan this<br />
fall.<br />
Another renovation<br />
wrapped up recently with<br />
the dedication of the new<br />
school lobby, an event that<br />
was well attended by patrons<br />
who came to see the beautiful<br />
new entrance that now greets<br />
visitors. Front and center is<br />
the ‘54 basketball trophy that<br />
is still a fan favorite of people<br />
from near and far. Above the<br />
trophy case is a large collage<br />
type mural that highlights<br />
the many successes of Milan<br />
athletes over the years. Four<br />
members of the ‘54 team<br />
(Gene White, Ray Craft,<br />
Roger Schroder, and Rollin<br />
Cutter) were on hand for the<br />
dedication and to sign autographs.<br />
A locally owned and operated<br />
family business started<br />
by Tom and Karen Poole,<br />
was the general contractor<br />
for both of these projects and<br />
is to be commended for the<br />
great work. Both buildings are<br />
a great asset for the town of<br />
Milan.<br />
Until next month, enjoy the<br />
summer and as always, if you<br />
have any news to share feel<br />
free to email me at milan@<br />
goBEACONnews.com.<br />
ST. LEON VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT<br />
MUSIC FRIDAY<br />
7:30-10:30 pm EDST<br />
Dan Gutapfel<br />
Friday & Saturday • <strong>Aug</strong>. 4 & 5<br />
MUSIC SATURDAY<br />
7:30-11:30 pm EDST<br />
DJ Dan Morris<br />
Get it All at www.goBEACONnews.com<br />
Smoked Pork Chop (limited quantity)<br />
OR Fish Dinner<br />
Friday 5-8 p.m. EDST<br />
Chicken Dinner<br />
Saturday 3:30-8 p.m. EDST<br />
Games • Food • Refreshments<br />
Fun for Everyone<br />
License # 002511 -- IGC Reference # 158505
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