November 2018 THE BEACON Page 11A

Aurora Mayor Donnie Hastings and City Manager Guinevere Emery recently attended the Dearborn County Commissioners ’ meeting to share a bit of history with the residents of Dearborn County . They presented a plaque to the commissioners that will be proudly displayed on the new USS Indiana ( SS789 ) that was commissioned on Sept . 29 , 2018 .

Each of the ninety-two counties in Indiana was offered the opportunity to have a plaque displayed on the vessel in honor of the men and women serving on it .

“ The plaque will be displayed in the submarine as a tribute to their service ,” said Ms . Emery .

The Navy ’ s newest fastattack submarine is 337 feet in length and weighs over 7800 tons . Its beam is 34 feet when submerged and operating at twenty-five knots .

This commissioning of a vessel named Indiana is the first in seventy-five years . The USS Indiana SSN 789 is the third ship to bear the name and the first to be a submarine . The USS Indiana SSN 789 will be led by Commander Jesse Zimbauer and will hold 130-140 crew members .

The VA-class submarine is the sixteenth of her class and is known for nuclear-powered fast attacks . They are designed for a broad range of

missions and were developed during the Cold War era . Its broad range of capabilities includes anti-submarine warfare ; anti-surface ship warfare ; strike warfare ; special operation forces ( SOF ) support ; intelligence , surveillance , and reconnaissance ; irregular warfare ; and mine warfare missions .

The plaque that Mayor Hastings presented to the commissioners is an engraved plaque that is mounted onto a beautifully milled piece of walnut that was from a farm in Dearborn County .

The crest of the USS Indiana SSN 789 reflects Indiana ’ s naval heritage . It is in the shape of Indiana and features the colors of the state flag . The blue and gold of the crest represent the traditional colors of the Navy . Two active warships have carried the name Indiana , BB1 and BB58 . The silhouettes of these ships are shown just above the inscription SSN789 . A wheat shock and a set of gears are tied to Indiana ’ s primary industriesagriculture and manufacturing . Nine stars represent the battle stars bestowed upon the USS Indiana BB58 during WWII . The art deco design of the crest is reflective of the design style used on the Indiana War Memorial located in Indianapolis .

“ It is an honor to have a plaque representing Dearborn County displayed in the USS Indiana ,” stated Commissioner Jim Thatcher .

By Snickers & Tammy Turner

Hi ! My name is Snickers , and I am an eleven-year-old

Snickers female pit . I want to share my story with you . After years of breeding in miserable situations and having numerous health issues , I was dropped off at the shelter . I have since been adopted and now am in a very loving home with several brothers and sisters . I was one of the lucky ones .

Do you know that an estimated 3.3 million dogs enter shelters annually and that 25 % of shelter dogs are purebred ? One reason is because of puppy mills . A puppy mill is a commercial dog breeding facility that is more interested in increasing profits than the welfare of the animals . Female dogs are bred with little to no opportunity for recovery between litters . The animals are kept in very small cages , sometimes stacked on top of one another , and with little to no veterinary care . The result is poor health and sometimes lifelong medical issues . Some of the problems they suffer from are parasites , ear infections , eye disorders , periodontal disease , and pyoderma ( skin disease secondary to urine soaked , matted fur ). Sometimes the cages are outside with no regard for weather conditions , and sometimes they are placed in warehouses with poor ventilation . Many females are bred for years and then are put down or are dropped at an animal shelter when they become too old to breed or have health problems . Being at the shelter , I have seen this happen a lot , and it makes me very sad .

According to the Humane Society of United States , an estimated 10,000 puppy mills

The plaque is mounted on a slab of walnut milled from a tree in Dearborn County .

exist in the US ( both licensed and unlicensed ). They also say that the cost of raiding a puppy mill of more than 250 animals is estimated at $ 500,000 . These numbers are staggering and will continue to rise as long as people do not research where they are getting their cute little puppy from .

Before you get on a community site or answer an ad for a “ designer dog ,” stop by your local shelter or rescue to see the dogs that may not be purebreds but have just as much love to give . They

Aurora ’ s city manager , Guinevere Emery , and Mayor Donnie Hastings presented the plaque at a Dearborn County Commissioners ’ meeting .

We Need Listings !

didn ’ t ask to be brought here . With most of us , our arrival at the shelter was through no fault of our own . We just want to give you unconditional love and devotion . And all we want in return is a warm place to sleep and to be loved . So if you are looking for that perfect pet , remember these three very important little words- ADOPT DON ’ T SHOP .

Hope to see you all soon . Even though I have been adopted , I still come back for visits , I love Paws . Love , Snickers

812.637.2220 CSTONEREALTY . COM

BRIGHT : Custom built brick 4 bedroom 2 story home on level 1.45 acre lot , updated kitchen and baths , spacious floor plan with large rooms , first floor laundry and master bed , 2 wood burning fireplaces , 2 by 6 construction , new Pella windows , oversized attached garage plus finished 30 ’ by 40 ’ pole barn . Must see to appreciate . $ 359,900

DILLSBORO : NEW LIST- ING ! 70 acres with house and several outbuildings . Make ideal horse or livestock farm . Estate owned . Sold in its present condition , property just needs mowed and cleaned up . Frontage along US 50 in a few areas . $ 349,900

LAND

ST . LEON : Nice 1.5 acre lot with city utilities at street . $ 44,900

LOGAN : Opportunities knocking with this level 4 acre tract zoned B2 with all utilities and frontage on 2 roads . $ 174,900

ST . LEON : Nice 7.7 ac building lot minutes from I-74 . Country feel w / convenient location ! $ 84,900

WEISBURG : 12.3 level acres with over 600 ft of frontage and city water , nearly all tillable , subject to crop rights . $ 109,900

We Need Listings ! Have buyers for farmland ! Dale Lutz

Randy Lutz

800-508-9811

The Beacon Joins the Fun of STEM

Tommy Smith of St . Leon was chosen by his teachers at North Dearborn Elementary to attend a week-long STEM ( science , technology , engineering , and math ) class at Bowling Green State University . Tommy is shown here holding a copy of the Beacon . Congrats Tommy !

Sudoku Sudoku is a logical puzzle game that may seem difficult at first glance , but actually it is not as hard as it looks ! Fill a number in to every cell in the grid , using the numbers 1 to 9 . You can only use each number once in each row , each column , and in each of the 3 × 3 boxes . The solution can be found on our website www . goBEACONnews . com / print _ edition . Click on the link for Sudoku and view the solution for this month and last .

Good luck and have fun !

Parade at 6pm - followed by Official Tree Lighting

Santa & his Reindeer * Festive Music * Roasted Marshmallows Food & Vendor Market * Events around Town & more ! For More Information : BatesvilleIN . com - 812.934.3101