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THE BEACON
21,000 distribution & growing! To advertise, call 812-637-0660
August 2014
THE
www.goBEACONnews.com
INSIDE
The BEACON
photo by Bob Sommer
It Started with a Dream
The history of the St. Leon
Fire Department spans fifty
years.
Page 7
Chemical Spill Exercise
Emergency staff and volun-
teers gathered for emergency
training.
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BEACON
PUBLISHED MONTHLY SINCE 1994
Salt Fork Road Bridge Closed Indefinitely
The Dearborn County Highway Department has closed
the bridge on Salt Fork Road near Jackson Ridge Road
until further notice. The decision to block off the struc-
ture was made early on July 7 when a crack caused by the
shifting of the deck was discovered on the bridge.
The structural integrity of Bridge #59 was brought into
question early Friday morning when the steel support
beams were found to be rusted and starting to fail.
Constructed in 1978, Bridge #59 is formally named the
Campground Branch Bridge. Approximately 1100 automo-
biles per day travel across the structure.
Engineering specifications for the superstructure re-
placement have been written and include the placement of
a cast-in-place superstructure and bridge rails. Wing wall
protection and structural guard rail installation are also
specified.
The project is currently being advertised for bid. In-
terested construction companies had to have their bids
submitted to the Highway Department by July 27, at
which time the bids were publicly opened. Bidders must
be pre-qualified contractors for highways or bridges over
water per the Indiana Department of Transportation.
All qualifying bids were presented to and reviewed by
the Board of Commissioners during their regularly sched-
uled meeting on August 1. The contract was expected to be
awarded at that time.
"We anticipate that construction on this project will
begin mid to late August," stated Todd Listerman, county
engineer. "The completion of the project should be around
the middle of October."
Please check www.goBEACONnews.com for updates.
Smart 911
and Rave Alert
Now Available
Fun and Fairs
and Festivals-
Oh My!
A young man enjoyed all that Mother
Nature had to offer at the Dearborn
County 4H Fair activity. (photo by
Elizabeth Beiersdorfer)
Mary
Rodenhuis
and Levi
Plummer
prepare a
Southdown
ewe for
Franklin
County's
Purdue
Extension
Mini 4H
Day.
SAY Soccer
National Event
SAY Soccer hosts fiftieth
anniversary national event in
Lawrenceburg.
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In the
Garden is
Back!
Salt Fork Road Bridge #59 is closed indefinitely.
Jeffrey
Thomas
Rauen
of Bright
got to
explore
a fire
truck on
a warm
summer
outing.
Area residents are enjoying
the summertime in many differ-
ent ways. Church festivals, county
fairs, and local events filled with
fun, laughter, and great food
can be found in all corners
of our community.
Mr. John
Hawley joins
the Purdue
Extension
team.
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September 2017
Dearborn County residents have
another way to keep their fami-
lies and loved ones safe. The new
911 program and mass notification
system for the county is now in
place. This emergency alert system
is comprised of two parts- Smart911
and Rave Alert.
Smart911, a free service, auto-
matically provides 911 operators
with details based on information
that callers have entered into their
online profiles. These profiles may
include specifics about the residents
and their households that will aid in
emergency situations. Profiles can
provide pertinent medical informa-
tion for household members, as
well as vital contact information of
friends and family.
Details about a resident's home can
also be included in a profile. Knowl-
edge about the layout of a structure
may save valuable time for emergen-
cy responders. For example, being
able to quickly locate gas or water
shutoff valves can aid firemen and
EMTs during a house fire or rescue.
Information about household mem-
bers, their ages, any health concerns,
and even the number of pets, are
all facts that can be entered into a
Smart911.com profile.
“Seconds count during emergen-
cies, and Smart911 can save critical
time,” said Jared Teaney, Dearborn
County 911 Director. “The key
Continued on Page 3
Replenishing the Bounty Each and Every Day
By Susan Ray
As summertime winds down, fewer afternoons are spent
picnicking near the river and there isn’t as much time in the
evenings to enjoy fresh berry cobbler while the kids chase
fireflies. Family and friends gather for the last of the back-
yard cookouts and hand-cranked ice cream becomes just a
sweet, sticky memory.
Soon it will be time for bright apples in the fall, and then
mugs of hot chocolate in winter, baskets filled with tender
asparagus in spring, and generous slices of cold melon when
summer returns. Choosing, preparing, and eating differ-
ent foods are part of the seasons of life for many people
– but unfortunately, that isn’t true for everyone. In spite of
mailboxes overflowing with grocery ads, and online shop-
ping requiring little more than a click of the mouse, in 2014,
fourteen-percent of American households experienced food
insecurity according to WorldHunger.org. Food insecurity is
defined by the USDA as a ‘household-level economic
Continued on Page 4
Sister Marge Wissman, of the Sisters of Saint Francis,
Oldenburg, and Anne Baran, Batesville Food Pantry
Co-Coordinator work with fellow staff members and
volunteers to provide food and basic supplies to local
families going through difficult times.
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