Here is a look at the Top 10 local news stories of 2022:
#10 Ripley County jail employee wins million dollar jackpot
After nearly a year of growing jackpots, a winner was picked in June in the Milan American Legion Post Treasure Hunt. Taylor Waldman, who works at the Ripley County Jail, drew the lucky #19 that earned her the winning jackpot. The 24-year-old Waldman was the lucky winner of $1,080,400 – before taxes. The Post has started another Treasure Hunt, and the jackpot stood at $86,908 as of December 27.
#9 Tucker and Enneking fill vacancies on Batesville City Council
Two vacancies that came up on Batesville City Council in November were filled as the result of a Ripley County Republican Party caucus. Melissa Tucker was chosen to serve as the At-Large member, while Beth Enneking was selected to serve Council District 3. Tucker replaced Bill Flannery, who stepped down because he is moving to Florida for part of the year.
Enneking filled the vacancy created when Jim Fritsch resigned after nine years on council. Both unexpired terms end on January 1, 2024.
#8 Discipline charges filed against Decatur County judge
The Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications filed disciplinary charges in December against Decatur Circuit Judge Tim Day. He’s facing two counts of misconduct in Child In Need of Services cases related to a pattern of not including Court Appointed Special Advocates in proceedings and fostering a culture of one-sided communications. The case will go before the Indiana Supreme Court, which will decide whether or not judicial misconduct took place. The Court’s options range from dismissing the charges all the way to permanently banning Judge Day from holding a judicial office in Indiana.
#7 Two convicted murderers sentenced in Ripley County
Convicted double murderer Nicholas Kedrowitz was sentenced in February in Ripley Circuit Court to a total of 100 years in prison. He was 13 years old when he smothered two younger siblings – two-year-old Desiree McCartney and 11-month-old Nathaniel Ritz, in a pair of incidents separated by 80 days at their home in Osgood back in 2017. Kedrowitz was convicted of the killings in August 2021.
Jordan Knudson was sentenced in June to a maximum of 65 years in prison for the January 2021 shooting death of his former girlfriend, Kristina Asche Jones. A Ripley County jury convicted Knudson in April. Jones filed a protective order against Knudson in December 2020. Less than a month later, she was found dead in the bathtub at a friend’s house near Holton – killed by three shots at close range.
#6 Liz Leising named Margaret Mary Health President and CEO
The Board of Directors of Margaret Mary Health in February appointed Liz Leising hospital President and Chief Executive Officer. Leising had been serving as interim President and CEO since September 2021. She came into the position with nearly 20 years of clinical experience and 15 years in various leadership roles. Prior to joining MMH in 2016 as Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Patient Services, Leising held a variety of leadership roles for IU Health.
#5 No charges against Brookville police officers accused of politically-motivated arrest
Two Brookville police officers who were accused of arresting a citizen running for town council because they believed the man made negative comments about law enforcement, learned in October that would not be criminally charged. Special prosecutor A.J. Bryson from Union County, who was appointed to the case by Indiana State Police, decided not to charge either Police Chief Terry Mitchum or Officer Ryan Geiser. Lt. Geiser arrested a Brookville Town Board candidate on rape and drug possession charges and claimed in court that Chief Mitchum ordered the arrest. The candidate’s attorney said the pair obtained a search warrant after claiming they smelled marijuana on the man and his friend. The drug charge was eventually dropped and the rape charge was void because it was based on an old allegation that did not result in prosecution. Franklin County Prosecutor Chris Huerkamp said he was disturbed by how the investigation and arrest were conducted and asked ISP to step in. Although the man at the center of the incident was cleared, he was forced to drop out of the town board race.
#4 Decatur County Memorial Hospital celebrates its 100th anniversary
Several hundred community members turned out on a Saturday afternoon in May for Decatur County Memorial Hospital’s 100th Anniversary Celebration and Open House.
DCMH opened its doors on February 4, 1922, and was established after a group of citizens demanded a hospital to serve the Greensburg/Decatur County area in the aftermath of World War I. Mayor Joshua Marsh presented a Key to the City of Greensburg to hospital President and CEO Rex McKinney on behalf of the hospital to mark DCMH’s centennial. It was the first Key to the City presented during the Marsh Administration.
#3 General election races are decided quickly and by wide margins
Although the ballots in area counties were light on contested races, there were those that generated interest and higher than normal voter turnout for a midterm election on November 8.
Republican challenger Bill Meyerrose avenged his narrow defeat four years ago when he unseated Incumbent Dave Durant in the Decatur County Sheriff’s race by a 64 percent to 36 percent margin. It was one of the closest-watched races heading into the election.
Voter interest was driven by the Franklin County School Board at-large race, which featured nine candidates vying for three seats. The winners were incumbent Beth Foster, along with Kevin Kaiser and Brandy Wilson.
Also drawing interest was the County Council District 4 race, in which Republican challenger Bob Evans unseated Democrat incumbent Joe Gillespie Jr., 63 percent to 37 percent.
In Ripley County, the winners were Vicki Taylor in the Shelby Township Trustee race; Sarah Bauman in the Versailles Clerk-Treasurer’s race; the top vote-getters in the Jackson Township Board race were Jane Ann Van Kirk, Judy Mulford, and Denise Schmaltz. and four newcomers were elected to the South Ripley School Board. They were Kimberly Sue Jolly, Brittany Bradley, Andy Comer, and Thomas Welch.
In addition, Joseph Bulach topped incumbent and board president Michael Norman in the Sunman-Dearborn School Board District 1race. That race was voted on by residents of both Ripley and Dearborn counties.
Speaking of Dearborn County, the only contested political race saw Republican Kevin Turner overwhelmingly win the County Council District 3 race. And the newly redrawn 9th Congressional District, which covers all of Southeastern Indiana, will be represented on Capitol Hill by Republican and former State Senator Eric Houchin.
#2 Decatur County Bicentennial
200 years of Decatur County history was celebrated in 2022. A series of special events and activities kicked into high gear in May when Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer-to-be and noted musician Bronson Arroyo delivered the first pitch you might say, with a free concert at Rebekah Park. More than 50 events were held throughout the year, including the Bicentennial parade in June which had more than 100 entries; a ribbon cutting and unveiling of Bicentennial banners lining the streets of Greensburg honoring Decatur County veterans and non-military accomplished natives; a series of concerts and lectures, and the unveiling of the list of Decatur County’s Top 200 athletes.
#1 Hillenbrand sells Batesville Casket Company
Hillenbrand, Inc. announced in mid-December that was selling its Batesville Casket business to a private equity firm for $761.5 million. The company announced in July that its Board of Directors was looking for strategic alternatives for the Batesville business, which was founded as the Batesville Coffin Company in 1884, purchased by John A. Hillenbrand in 1906, and renamed the Batesville Casket Company. The transaction, which is expected to close in the first quarter of 2023, will allow both Hillenbrand and Batesville to concentrate on their respective core industries. Hillenbrand is transitioning toward markets such as plastics, food, and recycling, while Batesville will continue manufacturing funeral, cremation, and burial products. Once the transaction becomes final, both Hillenbrand and Batesville will remain headquartered locally.
