Terry Spradlin

No to school choice expansion; support k-12 public education

The tone of the 2021 budget session of the Indiana General Assembly has been quite different from the last budget session in 2019 when K-12 public education leaders stood with legislative leaders to announce a state budget that devoted $763 million in new funding for K-12 public education. Fast forward to this session, and it has been one consumed with a contentious debate on the proposed expansion of school choice programs that devote significant funds to private education. Indiana already ranks fifth for spending of state tax dollars on private school programs, but now ranks just 39th in the nation for per-pupil expenditures for public schools and the more than 1 million students we serve—down from 22nd among states in 2004. Why this shift in legislative priority has occurred is befuddling, given that the facts neither support the need nor benefit of state funding for private schools.

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An Eventful Walk

It was a beautiful day for the St. Lawrence School Walk-a-Thon. The students had a fun afternoon. The school thanks everyone who donated as the Panthers raised over $20,000. The students, teachers and staff can’t thank you enough. Thanks go to Katie Lainhart, Melissa Lahey and the St. Lawrence PTO for planning and organizing the walk-a-thon. SUBMITTED PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK

This group photograph of G.A.R. Huff Post No. 89 Civil War soldiers of Lawrenceburg was taken on May 30, 1923. William “Pap” Early is standing in the back row on the right. The second man in the first row standing is Edmond Jameson. In this group photograph, Jameson and Early were the last of the Civil War soldiers to pass in this group. (Register Publications, 1992) SUBMITTED PHOTO FROM DEARBORN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Pap Early, served in Civil War, interred in Greendale

The story of brave African Americans from Dearborn County fighting in the Civil War is worth telling. One of the last survivors of the Lawrenceburg G.A.R. Huff Post No. 89 in our county was former slave William J. Early “Pap” Gaines born on Sept. 18, 1843 in Boone County, Kentucky. At the time there was a large slave owning family with the name “Gaines” living in Petersburg, Kentucky, so more than likely this is where he was enslaved.

What’s Going On?

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COURTESY OF INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Ind. 62 closed east of Friendship

Indiana Department of Transportation contractor Sunesis Construction plans to close the Ind. 62 bridge over Caesar Creek in Ripley County on or after Thursday, April 1, for a deck overlay project.

Library shows off during tour

KPC Architectural Products Inc. recently stopped by the Ohio County Public Library and gave a public shout out, saying they adored the library tour.

Larry Pence shows off a wooden plaque made to hold the shell casings from a 21 rifle salute at a funeral of a veteran. Pence made these wooden structures as a way for families to display the shells. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Pitching for a veteran

The Sons of the American Legion will kick off its spring horseshoe tournaments Thursday, April 8. This year the games will be a bit less competitive in that one of their greatest pitchers passed away earlier this month at his apartment in Rising Sun.