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By Jerry Curry, Staff Writer
The Pekin bridge has been a bottle neck for a long time and the butt of many sarcastic Facebook jokes. The project is an Indiana Department Of Transportation (INDOT) project.
The bridge is a complete replacement project, located on S.R. 60 over the South Fork of the Blue River. Dealing with one lane during rush-hour createds a long line of cars and trucks. Motorist are at the mercy of the automated lights.
IDOT said the project began Spring of 2022. The contractor on the bridge is Beaty Construction.
IDOT spends millions of dollars on Washington County roads.
This bridge job and one in Clark County are part of a $5.1 million improvement project.
The bridge in Clark County is also on Highway 60 over Money’s Branch (4.1 west of Grant Line Rd) and will begin in July 2024. Temporary signals will also control traffic at this location through the Fall.
According to IDOT the reasons given for the longevity of the Pekin bridge project are supply chain issues and, of course, weather conditions.
The new completion date is July 2024. Hang in there!
This ceremony was for the completion of Salem road construction and town square improvements, plus the launching of new Wi-Fi on Salem Public Square. Speaking about the WIFI, the group agreed, this is the outcome of the collaborative of an outstanding team. This included the Regional Opportunity Initiative (ROI), the Washington County Community Foundation, Jackson County REMC, and the Washington County Commissioners.
Standing on the south side of the court house steps were Mark McKinney, CEO of Jackson County REMC, Judy Johnson of Washington County Community Foundation, and Mayor Justin Green, who gave thanks to all those involved.
The mayor also mentioned the improvements in the north corridor of the town and improvements to come on the south corridor.
Green said “It’s a feather in our cap, thanks to Jackson Co. REMC.” He also said it dresses up the downtown corridor.
Judy Johnson was quoted as saying, “If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together.” She was describing the project and all those involved. It was mentioned that not only the square had WIFI, but Wi-Fi was also available at the walking trail and Pekin Park.
The project was designed and purchased by Jackson REMC, but installed by county workers, according to McKinney. He also said even though the utility does not service this area, they have concerns for the community.
The Wi-Fi system exceeded the range coverage and extents farther than expected. The system has four access points on the court house, one on each side. It will operate at 100 MB data transfer rate.
The Washington Chamber of Commerce, on their website states that, “The free WIFI on the square is more than just connectivity: It’s a catalyst for growth, convenience, and a more vibrant community spirit.” The CEO of the chamber is Eric Bush.
It’s May in Indiana, and the Greatest Spectacle in Racing happens just 100 miles north of Salem. It is the Indianapolis 500.
Started in 1911 on the outskirts of Indy, in the small town of Speedway, this annual event draws over 300,000 fans for the biggest show on the planet. Sunday, May 26, is the 108th running of this Memorial Day classic. General admission this year is $55.
Some past race day traditions have faded. An example of this is the release of thousands of multi-color balloons on race day. The release of balloons was stopped because of the concerns of environmental groups.
Traditions that live on are the race’s winner drinking a celebratory bottle of milk, kissing the bricks, carburetor day (carbs are long gone) and singing “Back Home Again in Indiana."
Qualification days have been changed from four days to two. Most of these traditions date back to the 40’s and 50’s, some even longer.
One thing that has not changed is the need for speed and thirty-three of the fastest cars to grace an oval track.
This year’s top qualification speed was 234.220 miles per hour by Scott McLaughlin in a Penske Chevrolet. In fact, the first eight spots are Chevrolets. The other dominant engine is the Honda.
Gone are the days of the Offenhauser, Novi, Turbine and Ford engines. Out goes the old, in comes the new.
This year there is only one female in the race and that is Kathrine Legge, British driver, who’s four-lap average qualification speed was 230.092 miles per hour. She drives a Honda and sits on the inside of row 11.
If you can’t drive to Indy to enjoy the race in person, it can be watched live on NBC at 11 a.m. or listen on the radio in Washington County. It can be heard on WSLM stations 1220 AM or 97.7 FM.
By: Abigail Shields, Website Editor
Salem, Eastern, and West Washington high schools have announced dates and times for each of their graduation ceremonies, respectively.
Salem’s is May 25 at 2 p.m. at Brooks Memorial Gymnasium. Salem will graduate 120 seniors in this year’s class. The class president is Brooklyn Davisson. Salem has been very fortunate with scholarships given to the graduating class through the Salem Education Foundation, the Washington County Community Foundation as well as scholarships given to the students through their respective colleges and institutions. Two students from Salem will be going into the military. They are Draven Miller and Corey Ziegler. The featured speakers for the ceremony will be Brooklyn Davisson and Carolyn Casey.
Eastern will hold their graduation ceremony on May 24 at 7 p.m. in the gymnasium. The senior class will have 83 graduating this year, which is a smaller class size than in years past. Kaden Temple is the senior class president. Anakin McCormick was awarded the Lily scholar and is also this year’s salutatorian. Eastern did not have anyone going into the military at this time. The featured speakers are Anakin McCormick and Glen Gosnell who is the valedictorian for the class.
West Washington’s graduation ceremony is May 24 at 7:30 p.m. at Kermit Tower Gymnasium, also known as the sunken gym. There are 59 members of the senior class who will be graduating this year. The class presidents are Titan Williams and Riley Hall. West Washington has several notable scholarships this year. Katlyn Wingler received $10,000 from JoJo’s Jumpstart Foundation, Eva O'Toole and Audra Loughmiller each received $5,000 from the Kayde Sue Foundation, Riley Hall received the Winchester Scholarship from Kentucky Wesleyan College which is $80,000, and Elliot Nance received the Adam W Herbert Presidential Scholarship from Indiana University Southeast which is $48,000. The speakers for the ceremony are Titan Williams, Riley Hall, Kenton Chase, Jaxson Cambron, Cash Long and Elliot Nance.
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Latest Washington County Mugshots
The following individuals were arrested recently by local law enforcement agencies. Those listed, in most cases, are just facing charges at this point, and are to be considered innocent of those charges unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Charges are often dropped or lessened. Mugshots are collected from local law enforcement agencies on Mondays and are public records.
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