The Indiana High School Rodeo Association is hosting a rodeo at the Clark County 4-H Fairgrounds in Charlestown this weekend, October 6-8. Performances are Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. Admission is $5 for children 7 years old through adult and children 6 and under are free.
    Rising rodeo starts from Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois will compete in various events such as steer wrestling, team roping, goat tying, saddle bronc, pole bending, calf roping, barrel racing and bull riding.
    The first 50 kids with a paid adult on Friday and Saturday nights will receive a free cowboy hat on Sunday the first 50 kids will receive a free cowboy Bible. There will be a kid’s boot race at each rodeo. Concessions will be available during all performances.
    On Sunday a special cowboy church service will be held at 11 a.m., cowboy breakfast will be served from 8 to 10 a.m. and the cost is only $5 per person.
    The Clark County 4-H Fairgrounds is located at 9608 State Road 62 in Charlestown.
    The Indiana High School Rodeo Association is a non-profit educational and athletic association. Visit www.ihsraonline.org for more information on the association.

by MICHAEL  ROSS
Staff Writer
Green Banner Publications

    The week leading up to Friday night’s football game at Dutch Reis Field was very spirited as the Pirates were celebrating Homecoming week. Celebrations included a bonfire, parade and pep rally.
    The Pirates were pumped up ready to defend their home field and try to take the Homecoming win over the visiting Braves of Brownstown Central. The Braves spoiled the Homecoming celebration as they handed the Pirates a 35-12 loss.
    `Charlestown fell to 2-5 on the season with two regular-season conference games remaining, this week at Salem and the following week hosting the Panthers of Corydon to finish the regular season.
    The Pirates took the opening kick-off and drove to the Brownstown 26-yard line before sophomore Blaze Hurley picked off an Andrew Smith pass in the endzone for a touchback.
    The Braves drove the ball down to the Pirate 17-yard line before settling for a field goal from senior Jared Geisler for the early 3-0 lead at the 6:34 mark in the first quarter.
    Brownstown then found the endzone for the first time on the night as senior runningback Dustin Allman scored from one yard out. The touchdown pushed the Braves lead to nine at the 2:50 mark.
    The second quarter was good to the visiting Braves as they outscored the Pirates 9-0 on a touchdown from freshman Michael Leitzman. Geisler tacked on the extra point to give Brownstown the 16-0 advantage with 8:43 left before the halftime break.
    The Braves defense did not want to be left out on the scoring as they forced a safety to close out the scoring in the first half. The safety gave Brownstown the 18-0 lead at the break.
    The rain did not cooperate with Charlestown’s Homecoming celebration as it began falling in the second quarter. The spirits of the gathered crowd could not be dampened as the Homecoming Court just grabbed umbrellas before showing off their beautiful smiles. The bragging rights and the peg leg for the most spirited class during the homecoming week of festivities went to the Class of 2009.
    During the halftime ceremony Charlestown senior Melissa Rone was crowned 2006 Football Homecoming Queen by last year’s queen Kayla Bowling.
    After the halftime celebration the Braves received the opening kick-off. It only took Brownstown 1:24 to find the endzone. Braves quarterback Alex McPike found senior Casey Maxie for a 58-yard touchdown pass. Geisler tacked on the extra point for the 25-0 lead with 10:36 left in the third stanza.
    Six minutes and 17 seconds later, Geisler nailed his second field goal of the ball game to extend the Braves lead to 28-0.
    The score would be the last for the quarter.
    The final 12 minutes of play began with McPike getting picked off by Charlestown junior Jon Roederer. The Pirates turned the ball over as Brownstown senior Steele Hurley picked off Smith.
    Charlestown junior Iram Politio recovered a fumble by Levi Shiner.
    The Pirates capitalized on the turnover as junior runningback Cameron Metzger found the goal line from three yards out with 4:48 remaining for Charlestown’s first score of the ball game. The Braves held the 28-6 advantage.
    The Braves answered in less than a minute as they found the endzone when sophomore Teddy Stucker sprinted for an 11-yard touchdown run. Geisler nailed the extra point to extend the Brownstown lead 35-6 with 3:57 left in the Mid Southern Conference match-up.
    Charlestown would end the scoring late in the ballgame as freshman Josh Graham scampered 15-yards to the endzone with 10 seconds showing on the game clock.
    The Braves captured the 35-12 win.
    Charlestown will travel to rival Salem this Friday night for a 7 p.m. kick-off.

by JANNA ROSS
Managing Editor
Green Banner Publications

    Students, dressed in their professional attire, filled the courtroom on Friday, September 22, readying for the 156^th session of Teen Court. Judge Jerry Jacobi has held Teen Court since 1998 and feels the program is a exceptional learning experience for the students in Clark County.
    "It has surpassed by wildest expectations. I’m overwhelmed with the participation and the level of participation from the schools," Judge Jacobi stated. "Clark County has nine high schools and all participate in the program. The larger the school, the more sessions they have."
    New Washington High School opened the 156^th session of Teen Court recently and gave Judge Jacobi a nice surprise.
    The school honored him with an appreciation certificate for all he does with the Teen Court program. The certificate was awarded to Judge Jacobi during the session which kicked off the 2006-2007 Teen Court schedule.
    New Washington High School Principal Ben Ledbetter explained what the Teen Court session is like.
    "It’s as close to a real life learning experience as anything we do on field trips," Ledbetter stated. "Have you ever seen ‘Perry Mason’ or ‘Law & Order’? It’s just like that."
    He continued, "New Washington sends our Government classes each semester, which are seniors. Our seventh graders go in the Spring, once a year. Then they write a paper about being a Judge for a Day. We’ve had the Judge for a Day two or three times."
    Drake Krohn, an eighth grade student at New Washington Middle School, participated in the Teen Court last year. He has been chosen to be a Judge for a Day in February.
    "I interacted with a lot of people that did wrong when I was there. It will make me think twice before I do something," Krohn stated. "Last year I watched what the Judge for a Day did, being up there, and it seemed cool. I’m real excited about being chosen."
    The Judge for a Day program is the middle school program equivalent to the high school Teen Court program. The seventh grade students who participate in the program then write an essay about their experience.
    The top essays are submitted for the best overall essay which is chosen by an individual committee to be the Judge for a Day honoree.
    The program began in 2000.
    "New Washington Middle School was the first school for the program," Judge Jacobi stated. "Then it was just a pilot program. We still have the pictures from that first session."
    Carolyn Rogers, the middle school representative for the Judge for a Day program and the Teen Court program, likes the idea that the program allows for opportunity that middle-school aged children normally would not have.
    "For those kids to get a chance to see a dual process. It is something that they never had the opportunity to see before. This way they can see the consequences that are given for the actions that they take," Rogers said.
    According to Rogers, middle school students sometimes serve on the jury of the Teen Court when they need more members if the high school class is not large enough to fill all the necessary spots.
    The Teen Court program is for the high school age students. The program gives students the opportunity to be lawyers, jury members, bailiffs and clerks. The students take on an actual case which is a peer. According to Jacobi, preparations are made to make sure the student does not attend the school that will be presenting the Teen Court session.
    Kathy Furnish, Teen Court Coordinator, helps determine which cases will be heard in Teen Court.
    "They are a first time, non-violence offense. They must admit they in deed did whatever the crime was," Furnish explained. "Teen Court does not decide if they are guilty or innocent. They are wanting a fresh start, clean slate. They are very remorseful and state they will never get in trouble again. We have a very, very, very low rate of re-offenders."
    Kathie Danner, Deputy Chief Probation Officer, works with Furnish to determine which cases would be good for Teen Court.
    "When I look at a case for referral to Teen Court I look for a case that other young people benefit from the case with their decision making," Danner stated. "It’s an alternate to having formal allegations filed. They need more than that. We try very hard to stay away from, if possible, cases with extreme circumstances for their sensitivity issues."
    Rogers and Tim McDonald are the teachers at New Washington who help prepare the students for the two programs. McDonald is the high school representative for the Teen Court program.
    "I do the easy work," stated Judge Jacobi. "Without the teachers the program goes no where. It is not funded on a tax budget to do it. We are able to do it with the efforts of the corporations and the interest level of the schools. The superintendent, in this case, Dr. Rohr, and the principals, in this case, Mr. Ledbetter, but even with them, the program goes nowhere without the teachers and students."
    McDonald stated the students begin prep work before attending court but their debriefing after court is the most impressive.
    "Prep work is done before we go to court then when we get back we have a debriefing session," McDonald said. "We discuss what they expected going into it and what experience they had when we get there."
    He continued, "I like to watch the faces of the jury. You can tell a lot by watching their expressions. This time we had one very sincere who displayed an amount of integrity and the other was not dressed as appropriately and did not have the same amount of integrity," McDonald concluded about the two clients who appeared in Teen Court.
    Danner discussed how students prepare for their Teen Court session.
    "The juveniles are present when they talk to the students at school. Advocates talk with them and ask questions," Danner stated. "It’s a way to take a negative and put it into a positive light. It’s a professional mentoring program."
    Jacobi added, "The spectators are blown away by the Teen Court. Especially first time visitors, they are not prepared for the professional atmosphere of it."
    The students participating in Teen Court are asked to dress in proper attire for a court session.
    "I had a nice shirt, tie and khakis on," stated Jarrett Kinder, who assumed the role of the defense advocate as he presented for the defense, during the second case.
    Local attorneys Mike Forsee and Mitch Harlan were the attorney mentors for the session.
    Krohn agreed with Kinder, "I had a nice shirt and khakis on, but I did not have on a tie."
    Danner added about the attire, "We have kids come in with their pants pinned up where they had to borrow their Dad’s pants or with a pair of shoes on that is two sizes too big. But they always make it work. It’s not something that parents have to go out and spend a lot of money on a wardrobe for them to participate."
    Ledbetter stated he is always impressed with the way the students take the program seriously and dress the parts.
    "They come in dressed like attorneys. They get notepads and come off as being well prepared advocates," Ledbetter added.
    Kinder had the toughest role to play during the first session of Teen Court.
    "I wasn’t anticipating her acting like that. She threw me a curve ball," he stated. "It was fun, especially going there and being an attorney. I learned a lot. It was a great learning experience."
    Brittany Davis played the role of defense advocate in the first case and was quick to explain what she learned from her experience.
    "I felt like I just learned how the court system and law works. I never thought of a career in it but coming out of there, I now think that might be a possibility," Davis stated. "It was fun because of the challenge but difficult."
    Davis stated she spent several hours preparing for her case and that she was a little nervous in the beginning.
    "I was a little nervous. I have never been in that kind of situation. I was a little apprehensive facing 12 people I see and know on a daily basis but I felt at ease presenting in front of them."
    Judge Jacobi continually gave credit to the teachers and schools for their cooperation in making the program such a huge success. The program has been implemented long enough that there are students who participated in the early sessions that have gone onto graduate and lead productive lives.
    "The really rewarding thing for me, and I am sure for Ms. Rogers, Mr. Lebetter and Mr. McDonald, is the pride that you have when students advance to college and beyond, have families and hold productive jobs. Some of them are now in their middle to late 20's and are married with children of their own. They see me and still talk about their experience in Teen Court. I realize how unusual it is and the experience they take with them," Jacobi concluded.
    McDonald concluded with his thoughts of the programs that help the students in Clark County learn about the courts and law and allow them first-hand knowledge of the consequences that come with decisions that are sometimes made.
    "I think the essence of the program can be stated in a quote from Teddy Roosevelt, ‘To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society.’ The outcomes from Teen Court can be exemplified by another Teddy Roosevelt quote, ‘With self-discipline, most anything is possible’," McDonald concluded.
    Teen Court sessions are scheduled throughout the fall. Henryville High School will participate on October 27 as Restoration Christian High School will be participating on November 17. Borden High School will participate in Teen Court on January 19 while Silver Creek will be presenting Teen Court on January 26 and February 23. New Washington is scheduled to participate again on February 9. Charlestown will participate on April 13 with Providence High School participating on October 6, November 10, February 2 and March 16.

    The Clark County Farm Bureau, Inc. will conduct a "Meet the Candidates" session on Thursday, October 12 at 6 p.m. in the Community Building at the Clark County 4-H Center. The fall "Meet the Candidates" session will feature all candidates running for county and state level offices. This will include candidates in unopposed races as well as contested races.
   The session is free of charge and open to the public.
    Those in attendance will also be able to ask candidates from the floor or privately.
    A dessert will be served as the session.
    Invitations have been sent to all registered candidates in state and county offices races.
    Questions about this session may be directed to Judy Popp at 812-256-5870 or John Adams, Jr. 812-246-9343.