More News Category

Home
More News Category

The public is invited to a retirement party for Buddy Smith and David Rockey, who are stepping down from their positions with the Town of New Pekin. The event will be Thursday, Dec. 12, beginning at 6 p.m., at Cornerstone Hall, 1500 East RC Morris Drive in Salem.

Buddy Smith currently serves as Utility Supervisor. He started working in 1992.

David Rockey is a Field Technician who began working for the town in 1993.

A statement released by the Town of New Pekin states, “For over 30 years these guys have been the heartbeat of the town. They have given up their time to make sure you have water when you turn on the faucet, plowed snow to make sure we could all travel safely and run the sewer system so the wastewater could be collected and treated. All times of day and night, these two men have kept the town streets and utilities operating.”

Town Of New Pekin Manager Jaden Stone said, “We are so very thankful for all their years of service. They will be greatly missed and extremely hard to replace.”

He added that after they leave their positions, even though the urge will be great during an emergency, Pekin residents should refrain from calling the two men for help.

“Let them enjoy their retirement,” Stone said humorously.

Stone encourages everyone to attend the retirement party to thank the gentlemen for all they have done and to wish them the very best during retirement.

Write a comment

1. Misleading Social Media Ads: As you scroll through your social media feed, you often see products advertised. Always research before you buy. BBB Scam Tracker receives daily reports of people paying for items that they never receive, getting charged monthly for a free trial they never signed up for, or receiving an item that is counterfeit or much different from the one advertised.

2. Social Media Gift Exchanges: Each holiday season this scheme pops back up. Newer versions of this scam revolve around exchanging bottles of wine or bourbon; another suggests purchasing $10 gifts online. In all these versions, participants unwittingly share their personal information, along with those of their family members and friends, and are further tricked into buying and shipping gifts or money to unknown individuals. It's also an illegal pyramid scheme. Stick to buying your friends gifts from trustworthy businesses, and check BBB.org before you buy.

3. Holiday Apps: Apple's App Store and Google Play list dozens of holiday-themed apps where children can video chat live with Santa, light the menorah, watch Santa feed live reindeer, track his sleigh on Christmas Eve, or relay their holiday wish lists. Review privacy policies to see what information will be collected. Be wary of free apps, as they can sometimes contain more advertising than apps that require a nominal fee. Free apps can also contain malware.

4. Fake Toll Collection Texts: watch out for fake road toll collection texts, which have been on the rise this year. In this con, scammers impersonate a state road tollway collection service and text you saying you owe a road toll fee and provide a link to click to make your payment. If you receive at text, don’t click the link. Instead, if you think you may owe road tolls, verify your outstanding balance with the legitimate agency.

5. Free Gift Cards: Scammers have been known to send bulk phishing emails requesting personal information to receive free gift cards. In some of these emails, scammers impersonate legitimate companies and promise gift cards to reward their loyal customers. They may also use pop-up ads or send text messages with links saying you were randomly selected as the winner of a prize. If you have received an unsolicited email with gift card offers, do not open it. Instead, mark it as spam or junk and delete it. However, if you opened the email, do not click on any links.

6. Temporary Holiday Jobs: Retailers typically hire seasonal workers to help meet the demands of holiday shoppers. Shippers and delivery services are top holiday employers because of the increase in online orders that need to be delivered before Christmas. Job seekers need to be wary of employment scams aimed at stealing money and personal information from job applicants.

7. Imposter Scams: Impostor scams can take many forms, especially during the holiday season when you may be purchasing and returning gifts. When shopping online, be on the lookout for fake, look-alike websites created by scammers to trick people into downloading malware, making dead-end purchases, and sharing private information. If you’re reaching out to a business on social media for customer support, watch out for fake social media accounts pretending to be a customer service representative for a business. When in doubt, go to the business’s website and find their official social media handles, or use the information on the site to reach out.

8. Fake Charities: Avoid impromptu donation decisions to unfamiliar organizations. Responsible organizations will welcome a gift tomorrow as much as they do today. Verify a charity at BBB's Give.org or on the Canada Revenue Agency website. Where possible, donate to the charity through their website and use a credit card.

9. Fake Shipping Notifications: More consumers making online purchases during the holidays leads to an increase in the number of notifications about shipping details from retailers and carriers. Scammers use this surge to send phishing emails and texts about package deliveries with links enclosed that may allow unwanted access to your private information or download malware onto your device. Never click a link in a text or email that you’re not expecting. If you want to track a package, find the original email or text confirmation you received directly from the store and use that link.

10. Advent Calendars: In past years, BBB received reports to Scam Tracker about advent calendar ads on social media not delivering as promised. Some were not received, and others received inferior products or incomplete orders. Consumers should research before they buy, read reviews and look up the company on BBB.org before purchasing. BBB also has a shopper's guide to help you purchase that niche advent calendar.

11. Holiday Wish List Items: Low-priced luxury goods, jewelry, designer clothing, and electronics are almost always cheap counterfeits and knockoffs. The same applies to popular toys. This year, the Ms.Rachel Speak & Sing Doll, Barbies, Bluey toys, and brain teasers and puzzles are some of the items in high demand. Be very cautious when considering purchasing popular toys from resellers on Facebook Marketplace and other platforms.

12. Puppy Scams: Many families may be considering adding a furry friend to their household this year. However, be on the lookout for scams. Many would-be pet owners turn to the internet to find their future cat or dog, but experts say a shocking 80% of sponsored pet advertisements may be fake. Be sure to see the pet in person before making a purchase.

(Left to right) Back row: Alan Tarr and Jonathan Smith. Front row: Jack Branaman, Jacob Metz, Kingsley Abney, Darren Ledford, and Hank Weeden.

Write a comment

By Nathaniel Smith, Editor

The county-wide Operation Christmas Child shoebox collection has officially been sent off to deliver Christmas joy around the world! First Baptist Church of Salem led the charge by being our area’s designated drop-off location.

A total of 2,033 shoeboxes were donated from 24 churches, 5 organizations and 17 individuals throughout our community. With the help of Hank Weeden and Salem Lions Football players, the total collection was packed and loaded into a truck donated by Sternberg Truck & Van Rental.

Operation Christmas Child is a wonderful ministry led by Franklin Graham and the Samaritan’s Purse organization. Each year, millions of Christmas shoeboxes are sent all over the world with the goal of giving children in far away places a wonderful Christmas experience, and to teach them about Jesus Christ. Many of these children have never heard of Jesus or Christmas before. Last year, more than 11.3 million shoeboxes full of toys and exciting treats were sent across the world in the hope of bringing children love and joy, and the goal for 2024 is even more ambitious. Samaritan's Purse hopes to have enough shoeboxes this year to reach 12 million children.

The overwhelming support that was poured into this ministry shows the level of grace and generosity that can be found in Washington County. 2,033 more children will get to experience the joy of Christmas this year thanks to the love shown throughout our community.

“Thank you, Washington County, for going above and beyond the goal that was set before us. Thank you, everyone, for sharing your time, talents, gifts and prayers in packing each and every box," said Kate Henderson of First Baptist Church. "May God bless each Operation Christmas Child through Samaritan's Purse.”

OCC 5

OCC 1

OCC 2

OCC 3

OCC 6

OCC 8

OCC 9

OCC 10

OCC 7

OCC 11

OCC 12

OCC 13

OCC 16 OCC drop-off coordinators Cathy Kalb, Jonathan Smith, and Dawn Smith.

OCC 17 Cora Cole dropping off shoeboxes from Salem Community Church.

OCC 15 Truck provided by Sternberg Truck & Van Rental.

Photos by Nathaniel Smith.

Write a comment

By Philip Hensley, Indiana State Police Master Trooper

A crash Monday along State Road 56 in Washington County took the life of an Austin man and seriously injured a second driver.

Around 7:31 a.m. Monday, 62-year-old James Fox of Austin was traveling east on State Road 56 near Elk Creek Road. Investigators believe Fox crossed into the westbound lanes and into the path of 46-year-old Jason Terrell of Bedford. Terrell was traveling west on State Road 56. Fox’s 2007 Chevrolet Silverado collided with Terrell’s 2013 GMC Sierra in a near head-on collision, which forced both vehicles out of the roadway.

Fox was pronounced dead at the scene by the Washington County Coroner’s Office. Terrell was extricated from his GMC and was transported to the University of Louisville Hospital for his injuries.

State Road 56 was closed for nearly four hours as the State Police Crash Reconstruction Team investigated the collision and the scene was cleared.

The family of the deceased has been notified, but the crash remains under investigation.

Write a comment

By Becky Killian, Staff Writer

Officials heard about an incentive that could lead to more broadband service in underserved and unserved areas of the county. The discussion happened during the Tuesday, Dec. 3, meeting of the Washington County Board of Commissioners.

Representatives from Mainstream Media said they have already invested $5 million to install broadband in the county. To help continue their investment, they asked commissioners to consider declaring portions of the county as an Infrastructure Development Zone. If implemented, any provider that provides broadband within that zone will be exempt from personal property tax on the fiber and equipment that is installed in the ground.

The area proposed for the zone is in the west and southwest portions of the county, including Hardinsburg and Palmyra.

Commissioner Todd Ewen said the county currently has about 75 percent broadband coverage thanks to tax abatements county officials approved for broadband providers like Jackson Connect and Orange County Telemedia.

Ewen advised the Mainstream Media representatives to approach the County Council about the request to establish the Infrastructure Development Zone.