Charlestown Police K-9 Officer John Cheney, accompanied by his K-9 partner Max, stopped a passenger vehicle for a traffic violation on Market Street in Charlestown on Thursday afternoon.
    During the traffic stop, the occupants of the stopped vehicle showed signs of being unusually nervous in contact with officers. K-9 Max was deployed by Officer Cheney and performed an exterior narcotics sweep of the vehicle resulting in three alerts for the presence of narcotics around the vehicle.
    A search of the vehicle and its occupants, Christie D. Ditto and Kevin C. McLeod, both of Charlestown, uncovered drug paraphernalia, rolling papers and over 50 grams of marijuana.
    Ditto, 29, was cited for possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia, Class A Misdemeanors.
    McLeod, 25, was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana, a Class D Felony and possession of paraphernalia, a Class A Misdemeanor, before being transported to the Clark County Jail.
    The Charlestown Police Department urges citizens to report, as it occurs whenever possible, suspicious and illegal activity in Charlestown. Callers can remain anonymous upon request at 256-6345, anytime day or night.
    For more information on helping the Charlestown Police Department fight crime and illegal drugs in your neighborhood, log onto www.ctownpd.com

     The Clark County Relay For Life Planning Committee have been meeting for several months planning the details of the upcoming Clark County Relay For Life to be held in May at Jeffersonville High School.
    The American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life is an overnight celebration of life, dedicated to current and former cancer patients, their families and friends. Relay For Life raises funds to fight cancer while raising awareness about cancer prevention and the programs and services offered by the American Cancer Society. While the Relay is underway, a celebratory atmosphere is created by team members camping out, enjoying entertainment, food, games and camaraderie.
    Participants form teams from corporations, social organizations, civic groups, churches and schools take turns in the Relay. Team members walk around the track during the event. Teams are encouraged to camp out at the event site and have a team "theme." The teams decorate their campsites and planning their attire according to the theme of the year. Each participant sets a personal goal to raise $100 or more for the American Cancer Society. Participants will receive a Relay For Life t-shirt prior to the event, and incentive prizes are awarded for fundraising efforts.
    Event highlights include the kick off to the event. All cancer survivors are invited to come out and walk the first lap. This is a celebration of life! Throughout the event, participants enjoy many on-site activities, games, contests, musical entertainment and a general "party" atmosphere. Prizes will be awarded to the "best campsite", "top fundraising team," just to name a couple of the awards presented by the Clark County Relay For Life Planning Committee. At nightfall a beautiful candle lighting ceremony is held to honor and remember those who have battled cancer.
    For more information on forming a Relay For Life team, becoming involved with the Planning Committee or more information on the Relay For Life please contact Russell Schuman, American Cancer Society Development Representative at 502-560-6041, Margie Fetter, Clark County Relay For Life Event Co-Chair, at 288-9584 or Debbie Johnson, Event Co-Chair at 944-9583.

    Every child growing up has dreams of what they want to do when they become adults. When they get a little older, they expand their dreams and when they get into their profession of choice, they key in on more specific dreams.
    Sellersburg Police Chief Russ Whelan is preparing for his dream of attending the FBI National Academy. His goal of graduating from the Academy has been a long process for the Chief.
    Whelan was nominated by the Sellersburg Town Council for the opportunity last April.
    "I spoke to President Doug Reiter about training and the classes offered at the Academy. The training is one of the things I brought up to him as something I would like to do. However, it was not totally up to the town or myself. It was a nomination process with the decision being made by the FBI," Whelan explained.
    He continued, "When I first got into police work, I heard stories about the FBI National Academy, about how good it was and about how good the training was. At that time, it was a long ways off. You have to have a minimum of 10 years experience and at least be a Lieutenant to be nominated. When I was first starting out, I thought it would be nice but that it would never happen."
    Whelan had never put his dreams of attending the Academy far from his mind.
    "Throughout the years I have talked to several officers who attended the Academy. They all told me how great it (Academy) was and that it was the best training they had ever had," Whelan added. "They all told me if I ever had the opportunity to go, it is a once-in-a-lifetime chance and that I should take it, if offered. It’s something in your career you mark to achieve if given the opportunity. I am looking forward to attending and see if all I have heard is true."
    Whelan is always looking for the best training for himself and the department. The training he will receive at the Academy will benefit the department, Whelan and the Town of Sellersburg.
    "One of the things I would never turn down is training. Training will always be beneficial to you. Especially in my present position, as Chief, training is one thing I am always looking for. I’ve been told the leadership classes are excellent, the training at the Academy will be beneficial to myself and the Town of Sellersburg."
    After the nomination by the Town Council Whelan had to fill out a packet for the FBI including personal information, work experience, positions held in law enforcement and the responsibilities with each position. The initial packet was sent to the FBI which released them to do a thorough background investigation.
    "Then I was contacted on the phone by the FBI for a phone interview. They let me know what the process would be as far as interviews," Whelan stated. "Then a couple of months passed. I was contacted again by phone by the FBI Office in Indianapolis and they let me know the background check was complete. They then told me I would have an interview with an FBI Agent here at work."
    He continued, "The FBI Agent came to the office and interviewed me here. It consisted of more background information and why I want to go. It lasted about 30 minutes. He told me he would forward the information back to Indianapolis and from there they would forward it to Quantico where the Academy is."
    Whelan continued explaining the process of being accepted to the Academy, "Again, a little while passed. Then a packet was sent to the Town Board regarding the application. The packet was received in October. In this packet was FBI Fingerprint Cards, medical exam and physical forms," Whelan said. "They gave me two weeks to get the information back to them. I did a physical at my doctor and sent it all back. A few weeks passed on then I got the letter."
    The final decision, called Third Level Approval, was made by the Selection Board.
    The acceptance letter Whelan received on November 29 stated he received the final and third level of approval. The letter gave Whelan more information on how to prepare for the Academy.
    "Through all of this, I still kept thinking I was not going to get in. Then when I got the medical packet, I started thinking, maybe I will get in. But I still had it in the back of my mind that I might not. I was starting to think maybe, but I still did not want to get excited. And, then I got the letter," Whelan said.
    Whelan laughed when he was asked what his first thoughts were after finding out he had been accepted to the Academy.
    "My first initial thought after I got the letter was I was a little nervous. Up until that point, I never thought I’d get in. I was just going through the motions of what I had to do. I had a couple of different reasons why I was nervous and hesitant, the first one is that I would be away from my family for 10 weeks and number two is that I would be away from my job for 10 weeks," Whelan said. "Then I began thinking about getting ready for classes. Actually, these are college-level courses. It’s been a long time since I’ve done that type of classes. The physical fitness side, I was never real worried about, but the academics, I was a little nervous about because I have not been in that situation for so many years."
    Whelan said when he finished the Academy, he has been told that he would have accumulated 19 college credits.
    Once Whelan received the confirmation that he had been accepted to the FBI National Academy, the first person he shared his achievements with was his Assistant Chief, Donald Ross.
    "The first person I told was Donnie Ross, my Assistant Chief. He knew the process was going on for a while. He first congratulated me on that. He was very supportive and saying what an opportunity it will be for me and of course that I would be able to bring back the knowledge to the Town of Sellersburg and that it would be good for the police department and the town," Whelan explained.
    The officers of the department and Whelan’s family have also been very supportive of his opportunity.
    "Everyone has been very supportive. They know it’s a good opportunity for me and the police department. Once the Town Board found out, I let them know in one of the meetings, they have also been very, very supportive," Whelan explained. "That really eased my mind. Being away from work and my family for 10 weeks, it makes it easier knowing I have the support of the police department and the town board and my family, they know how important it is to me, they are very supportive."
    Whelan leaves for the 10-week Academy located in Quantico, Virginia, on March 30. He will graduate from the FBI National Academy on June 8.
    Once Whelan was accepted, and for many months prior, he has been preparing for the opportunity the Academy will give him.
    "After I was notified, they sent a packet that told me the different things to start getting ready. The physical side of it, as soon as I was nominated, I started running. I have been running for a while. I always tried to run two or three miles before to stay in shape," Whelan explained. "One of the last challenges at the Academy is a 10-mile run in the last week. I wanted to make sure I could complete that. I don’t accept failure really well. I like to succeed in what ever I do. I wanted to make sure I could run the 10-miles at the end of the Academy."
    Whelan has been working for the goal of running the 10-miles for almost a year. He began running early last year in order to hit the 10-mile mark. He figured it would take a while to build himself up to the 10-mile run.
    "I have been running everyday for almost a year. I can now run 10-miles pretty easy. I have no intention to run any more than 10 miles. I have people asking me now that I can run 10 miles, if I am going to run a mini-marathon or a marathon. I have no intention of doing those things. All I can say is thank God for IPODs. I think if I could not listen to my music while running, I would go stir crazy."
    Whelan said he can complete the 10-mile run in about 1 hour and 42 minutes right now.
    "And, just so you know, I did ask them about taking my IPOD with me. They will let me take my IPOD to be able to complete the 10-mile run," Whelan added with a laugh.
    The physical aspect of the Academy is one part Whelan is prepared for, the academic portion is another side.
    "The academic side is a different story. They said it would be approximately 20 term papers in 10 weeks. It’s been a while since I wrote a term paper but I believe I can still complete a term paper with no problem," Whelan added.
    He recently traveled to Indianapolis to have one last briefing with the FBI office there before he went to the Academy.
    "When I went to Indianapolis they had a recent graduate from the Academy. I asked him the specific question about term papers. He actually completed 15 term papers but he said it depended on the classes I chose," Whelan stated.
    Whelan will be faced with mid-terms and final examinations just like college students. Each course Whelan completes will give him college credit. He received some tips from the recent graduate about the courses.
    Whelan has chosen the courses he will take during the 10-week Academy. He said he received a list of classes offered and was to choose one class in each section.
    Whelan chose: Goal 1- Leadership Preparation- the class he chose is "Conflict Resolution for Law Enforcement Managers"; Goal 2- Technical and Operational Skills- Whelan chose the class of "Contemporary Issues in Police and Media Relations"; Goal 3- Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice- the class he chose is "Legal Issues for Command Level Officers"; Goal 4- Trends & Issues in Organizational Behavior- Whelan chose the class entitled, "Labor Law Issues for Law Enforcement Administrators"; Goal 5- Personal and Professional Development- he chose "Microcomputers in Law Enforcement." Plus mandatory in Goal 5 is a class entitled "Fitness in Law Enforcement." Whelan said that is the classroom side of the physical fitness aspect of the Academy.
    After choosing one class in each Goal section, Whelan then had to choose one additional class from the entire schedule. For his additional class, he picked, "Management for Law Enforcement."
    Whelan continued about the good tips he received from the recent Academy graduate.
    "He said to take good notes and don’t wait to the last minute. He said there is so much going on that you have to budget your time for each class and you have to also enjoy it," Whelan stated. "He said the instructors are very good. If you are struggling and you aren’t afraid to ask, they will meet with you after class. They also have study groups. Plus on top of these, four days a week for two hours is physical fitness."
    He added about what the recent graduate stated, "He said it was one of the best times he’d had throughout his police career. He said a lot of the guys did not take the time to enjoy it. He said to be sure to take advantage of all the other activities going on."
    Now that Whelan’s time to leave for the Academy is drawing closer he is anxiously awaiting the day he can get started on his opportunity of a life time.
    "Right now it’s 18 days (as of Monday). At this point I still have some things that I have to do before I leave. I still have some packing to do and some last minute things I need to get. I have prepared myself mentally and physically for the challenges at the Academy. Now I am at the point to go. This last month has seemed longer than the past nine months leading up to it. The closer it gets, the longer it seems it takes to get here," Whelan added as he looked over a list of academic supplies he still needed to purchase before he left.
    Admission to the FBI National Academy is very limited, according to a release from the Academy, "only ½ of one percent of all law enforcement in the free world is invited by the Director of the FBI to attend the Academy." Since the Academy begin in 1935, a total of 37,740 graduates now represent the FBI National Academy, of those, 22,600, are still active.
    "The reason I’m going to this training and the classes I picked is to make myself a better leader and bring back information that will benefit the police department and the Town of Sellersburg. This is not something for myself, I will gain self satisfaction when I complete it, but the main goal is to bring back information to benefit the guys and the town itself," Whelan concluded.

     CASA, the voice of Clark County’s children needs volunteers to act as court appointed special advocates for children in the Clark County court system.
   These children have most often been placed in foster care due to abuse and neglect. As an independent, objective observed, and based upon the facts of the case, the volunteer submits a report to the court and recommends what is best for the child’s future.
   The volunteer will also appear in court and attend hearings regarding the child’s case. The most important qualities in a volunteer are commitment, objectivity, communication skills and a concern for children.
   Volunteers must be 21 or older, pass a criminal background check, participate in a face-to-face interview and complete 30 hours of training.
   The next training session is planned for the end of April.
   For more information please contact Elizabeth Wilson at 288-6451, ext. 217.