Duke Energy has awarded $10,000 to the River Ridge Commerce Center in Jeffersonville for infrastructure improvements key to economic development.
    The grant will help fund improvements to roadways within the 6,000 acre industrial development.
    "In today’s competitive arena to attract industry and jobs to an area, it’s important to have sites that are attractive to business," said Jeff Janes, Duke Energy’s business relations manager. "This is an attractive location for industry and this road work will enhance River Ridge’s appearance and use."
    "We are very pleased to partner with Duke Energy," said Marc Elliott, executive director for River Ridge Commerce Center. "Road and infrastructure improvements are key to the future development of River Ridge. The grant from Duke Energy will help bring the current road and infrastructure up to modern business park standards and increase economic development in the area."
    The grant is from the Duke Energy Indiana Community Growth Partnership Grant Program, aimed at generating new jobs and capital investment in Indiana. Four grant recipients, all local or regional economic development organizations, are receiving $10,000 each toward economic development projects. Duke Energy requires grant recipients to demonstrate that they have leveraged other resources or partners in addition to Duke Energy for their projects. The funding for the Community Growth Partnership Grant Program is provided by the shareholder-funded Duke Energy Foundation.

    The Charlestown Little League will be holding registrations for the 2008 baseball and softball programs on January 12, 19 and 26 at the Charlestown Little League Concession Stand from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. You must provide proof of residence and date of birth. A registration fee of $60 for one child, $95 for two children and $125 for three children or more will be charged. Financial assistance will be available. Anyone wishing to play baseball or softball between the ages of five and 16 years old is welcome.
    If you reside in the Henryville, New Washington or Scottsburg areas, you are eligible to play in the Charlestown Little League programs.
    The Board of Directors would like to take this opportunity to welcome anyone wishing to coach, umpire, work on the fields, help in the concession stand or do anything to help improve the Little League Program. Volunteer applications will be available at the sign-ups. If you have any questions please contact Darrell Adams Jr., President, at 256-5528 or Geneva Adams, Player Agent at 256-6666.

    The citizens of the Charlestown and the Oregon Township Fire District were outraged recently as allegations were made regarding the use of eight inmates from the Henryville Correctional Facility.
    Approximately 100 of those concerned citizens attended the Fire Board meeting held last Thursday night at the Charlestown Public Library. The overwhelming response to the meeting left standing room only and many citizens listening from the hallway.
    The Fire Board allowed those who wanted to speak regarding their concerns and those who were in favor of the Inmate Program during the opening two hours of the scheduled meeting.
    The Inmate Program was implemented by the Charlestown Volunteer Fire Department after a recent situation where Fire Chief Lee Slaughter had no firefighters during several hours on a day shift and had to pull three of his most experienced Cadets from school.
    Slaughter, who had seen how the inmates work, thought using the pilot program was a "win-win" situation.
    "I truly thought it was a win-win situation for us. I just tried it. It was a pilot program and that is what I kept telling the guys. It’s just a pilot program, if it doesn’t work we’ll take it out," Slaughter explained.
    Since last Thursday night’s meeting Slaughter has made a big decision.
    "I have decided to indefinitely suspend the program. I have just had so much negative comments about it I thought it was best to just suspend it," he stated about the Inmate Program.
    After explaining the program had been suspended, Slaughter wanted to explain what the inmates had accomplished.
    "They all passed the 24 hour firefighter minimum standards. That is the same class that any firefighter takes, paid and volunteer. They attended all the extra training they could. They worked with the Cadet Program and went to Scottsburg to train at the center," Slaughter stated. "After the training at Scottsburg in the burn room, I had guys in the department that were against it at first, change their minds. Once they worked in a simulated fire situation with these guys they came to me and said those guys were working circles around them and they would work on any fire scene with them."
    Slaughter said the fire department did not have to pay insurance on the inmates due to the state paying for the insurance.
    "All we had to do was pick them up. That was an eight man team that was available anytime we needed them. We even had it worked out with the D.O.C. (Department of Corrections) that if we needed them on the weekend or 2 or 3 a.m., all I had to do was make a phone call and tell them to get my unit ready, run over and pick them up and then there could have been eight more fire fighters on the scene," Slaughter continued.
    According to Slaughter, the inmates were very appreciative of the opportunity.
    "They never had anybody take a chance on them like we did. I even had two qualify for work release and they turned it down to remain a part of the program," he added. "They also completed all of the hose testing. I think this is the first year all of the pump tests and hose tests were completed ahead of schedule."
    The program began with 50 inmates signing up for the opportunity. The D.O.C. picked 30 and then the department, according to Slaughter, tested them on agility, climbing the ladder and dragging the hose, which gave the department the top eight.
    Although the Inmate Program, with the eight responding to fires and fighting fires, has been suspended, the inmates will still be used around the fire departments.
    "I will still use the inmates for maintenance and such at the firehouse," Slaughter stated. "They will also, in the summer, cut grass, weedeat and do yard maintenance at the four stations."
    According to Slaughter, the inmates have been working around the firehouse in maintenance for approximately a year.

  While most locals were trying to recuperate from the hustle and bustle of the recent Christmas holiday four local high school boys basketball teams had one thing they wanted to ring in 2008 with, a Silver Creek Holiday Tournament title.
    Since 1961 the Pirates of Charlestown, Generals of Clarksville, Pioneers of Providence and Dragons of Silver Creek have met the weekend prior to the New Year to battle for the Holiday Tourney trophy.
    This season the Pirates were hungry to take the trophy and traveling barrel. Charlestown had not enjoyed the title since 1993. The wait is now over as the Pirates took the 2007 championship with the 39-29 victory over Providence. The Pirates stopped the Pioneers’ bid for their fourth consecutive tourney title.
    The opening night of ballgames pitted the Pioneers of Providence with the Dragons of Silver Creek in the first game and the nightcap featured the Pirates of Charlestown and the Clarksville Generals.
Providence- 60
Silver Creek- 57
    During the first quarter of the opening game both teams battled back and forth as Providence held the early 12-10 advantage. The Pioneers took the lead with an 8-0 run in the first eight minutes.
    Silver Creek’s Nick Townsend began the scoring in the second stanza at the 7:12 mark to tie the ballgame at 12.
    Providence’s Nick Koetter answered at the 6:49 mark with a lay-up of his own.
    The Dragons’ J.T. Hamm nailed a trey at the 4:36 mark to give Silver Creek the 19-16 advantage. The Pioneers’ Tucker Coots and John Hardin scored the next four points to give Providence the 21-19 lead.
    The teams traded baskets the remainder of the first half as they went into the halftime break knotted at 27.
    Silver Creek’s Spencer Robinson hit a bomb from behind the arc to open the third stanza. The Dragons built a six point lead, 36-30, before Hardin and Koetter nailed a pair of treys.
    Providence headed into the final stanza with the slim 38-37 lead.
    The Pioneers finished the game 9-of-12 from the charity stripe to advance to their fourth consecutive championship game, 60-57.
Charlestown- 70
Clarksville- 53
    The nightcap proved to belong to the Pirates as Charlestown opened with the 24-8 advantage after the first stanza.
    Charlestown’s Zach Merschbrock and Chris Chastain recorded 17 of the team’s 24 points first quarter points as Chastain nailed two triples in the period.
    The Generals got the first two buckets in the second to cut the lead in half, 24-12.
    Chastain nailed his third three of the half to extend the Pirate lead to 15.
    Charlestown closed out the half on a 10-4 run as Z. Merschbrock tallied all 10 in the run.
    The Pirates took the 39-20 lead into the locker room for the halftime break.
    Charlestown continued their run into the second half. The Pirates were just too much for the Generals of Clarksville as they took the convincing 70-53 win and right to advance to the championship game for the first time since 1999.
    After the final buzzer on opening night of the tournament the match-ups for championship night had been set.
    The consolation game pitted the home-standing Dragons of Silver Creek and the Generals of Clarksville while the championship game featured the Pirates of Charlestown and the Pioneers of Providence.
Silver Creek- 81
Clarksville- 67
    Spencer Robinson started the scoring for the Dragons on a lay up at the 5:52 mark. Clarksville’s Robert Noe and Ryan Gettlefinger nailed back-to-back threes before Stephen Reeves hit a lay up for the 8-2 General lead.
    Silver Creek’s Justin Kight tallied the next four points to cut the lead to two, 8-6, with 3:41 remaining in the quarter. Teammate Michael Seaton nailed two of three from the charity stripe to knot the ballgame at 8.
    The Generals’ Landon Glidewell and Noe hit triples to take the 16-10 lead.
    Silver Creek’s Kight would close out the scoring in the quarter. The Dragons trailed 16-12 heading into the second quarter.
    Clarksville opened the stanza on an 11-2 run. CJ Johnson recorded five points in the run on an old-fashioned three point play and a bucket.
    The Dragons, down by 13, clawed their way within a bucket, 34-32, heading into the halftime break.
    After the halftime break the Generals started with an 11-4 run before Silver Creek’s Seaton sparked a 10-2 run of their own to cut the lead 47-44.
    TJ Hamm nailed a three at the 1:42 mark pulling the Dragons within two, 49-47, before teammate Kight tied the game at 49.
    The Dragons’ Robinson gave Silver Creek the lead, 52-49, with seconds remaining in the third quarter with a bomb from behind the arc. Silver Creek would not relinquish the lead.
    Silver Creek began the fourth quarter on a 9-0 run for the 61-49 lead with 5:39 in the ballgame. The teams traded baskets the remainder of the ballgame as each team recorded 20 points.
    The Dragons celebrated the 81-67 victory.
Charlestown- 39
Providence- 29
    Pioneer senior Matthew Leist began the scoring on a jumper at the 6:47 mark before Charlestown’s Zach Merschbrock and classmate Bowman Thrasher nailed back-to-back buckets for the early 4-2 Pirate lead at the 5:15 mark.
    The teams traded buckets for the remainder of the quarter. The Pirates held the 12-8 advantage after the first quarter.
    Charlestown’s Clayton Merschbrock started the scoring in the second quarter on a bucket at the 7:33 mark. The bucket gave the Pirates the 14-8 advantage.
    Providence’s John Hardin recorded the Pioneer’s four points in the second stanza. Heading into the halftime break Charlestown held the 23-12 advantage.
    The Pirates’ Z. Merschbrock and C. Merschbrock tallied the first two buckets of the third period before Providence’s David Schellenberger nailed a trey at the 3:31 mark for the 28-15 Pirate advantage. Charlestown’s Z. Merschbrock recorded a bucket at the 1:31 mark to double their lead 30-15.
    Providence’s Leist would record the last bucket of the quarter with :50 on the clock.
    Charlestown held the 30-17 advantage heading into the final eight minutes of the ballgame.
    The Pirates would hit 6-of-8 from the charity stripe in the final :56 of the ballgame to capture the 39-29 victory. The Holiday Tourney title was Charlestown’s first since 1993.
    "It’s been a long time. Thirteen or 14 years since we’ve gotten to take home the traveling barrel. I’m so happy for these young men," Sean Smith, Pirate head coach stated. "It was a battle, we had a lot of good looks and turnovers late. At the end of the day, all that matters is, we got the win.
    Smith concluded, "Providence is a top-notch team and program. Coach Lefevre is the best coach around here. It’s a great honor itself to have a victory over his team."
    The MVP of the tournament was Charlestown’s Zach Merschbrock. Joining Merschbrock on the All-Tourney team were: Charlestown’s Chris Chastain and Stephen Grayson; Providence’s John Hardin and Matthew Leist; Silver Creek’s Spencer Robinson and Nick Townsend and Clarksville’s Ryan Gettlefinger.