Local road blocks are scheduled for this Saturday, October 13, to benefit Supporting Heroes.
    Road blocks will be held by the New Washington Volunteer Fire Department and Charlestown Volunteer Fire Department at the intersections of Highway 3 and 62 and 403 and 3. A road block will also be held at Highway 31 and 160 by the Monroe Township Volunteer Fire Department.
    The road blocks will be held from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
    According to Charlie Moon of the Charlestown Volunteer Fire Department, there will be approximately 60 road blocks throughout the local area and Jefferson and Oldham Counties in Kentucky on Saturday and all of the proceeds from these roadblocks will benefit Supporting Heroes.
    "All of these proceeds will go to the Supporting Heroes," stated Moon. "Supporting Heroes is for anyone killed in the line of duty that is a firefighter, police officer or E.M.S. I have been really involved in Supporting Heroes."

     Sellersburg is getting a facelift. The Town Council determined that it was time to pay attention to the sidewalks and drainage problems in the downtown area that are in need of improvements, said Councilman Paul Rhodes. "One of this Council’s goals is to bring the infrastructure of the town, which has been neglected over the years, up to date."
    Two years ago, the Council, in conjunction with Sellersburg citizens, developed a downtown improvement plan. With the award of a $50,000 planning grant, the town examined aspects of downtown that needed improvement with the maximum impact for its residents. The plan emphasized that the area needed many infrastructure improvements. "Sidewalks and drainage for downtown have been ignored for too many years, causing businesses to relocate to Hamburg," said Council President Doug Reiter.
    Next month the town will bid for the reconstructions of sidewalks along North and South New Albany. Said Reiter, "Even though the unsuccessful bid for state help has slowed the process, the Town feels confident it can complete the project in the upcoming years," The Council has already replaced 30 percent of the sidewalks and plans to continue with the progress over the next several years.
    Wilkerson Park is also taking on a new look. The Parks Board and the Public Works Department have erected a new gazebo that features a brick floor with a commemorative plaque honoring all who have served in the armed forces. There has also been new landscaping added. Decorative railing and lighting will also be installed in the gazebo over the next few months. Add in the new signage which has already been installed throughout the town, and Sellersburg is on its way to a new look and a new beginning.

    Mid Southern Conference Champions!!!
    The Pirates of Charlestown earned their first outright conference title since 1989 last Friday night as they took a convincing 49-0 victory over the home-standing Cougars of North Harrison.
    The title was celebrated after the contest as fans again surged onto the field to congratulate their Pirates and coaching staff.
    The victory circle had first year head coach Jason Hawkins and the team enclosed as Hawkins talked to his team. They celebrated the victory but decided the job is not complete.
    "Let’s be perfect," was simply stated by senior Colin Nash. The perfect season is in sight for the Pirates as Charlestown sits on top of the conference undefeated at 8-0 with one remaining game. Charlestown, ranked fourth in Class 3A when they took to the field last Friday night, will travel to Lawrenceburg this Friday night to attempt the perfect season, a perfect 9-0.
    "They are very smart and they want to be perfect," stated Hawkins. "They have worked hard all season. They deserve to be conference champs."
    Charlestown was firing on all cylinders against the Cougars.
    The Pirates forced North Harrison to punt on the game opening possession. Charlestown took just two plays to find the endzone.
    Senior quarterback Andrew Smith, who was a perfect 7 for 7 on the night, hooked up with sophomore Josh Graham for a 42-yard touchdown pass. Senior Craig Brown tacked on the extra point for the early 7-0 Pirate advantage at the 6:12 mark of the first quarter.
    The defensive line forced a second punt on the Cougars next possession. Charlestown would again capitalize.
    For the second time of the quarter Smith threw a touchdown pass. He hooked up with classmate Stephen Grayson on a 20-yard strike. Brown split the uprights for the 14-0 lead at the 1:23 mark.
    Charlestown held the Cougars on defense as they again forced a punt. The Pirates then drove down the field in 3:15. The drive was capped by Smith on a one-foot quarterback keeper. Brown nailed the extra point for the 21-0 Charlestown advantage.
    The Cougar offense gambled on a fourth and three as freshman Matt Bruderle was stopped short of the first down by several Pirate defenders.
    Charlestown’s Smith threw his third and final touchdown pass as he hooked up with junior Damon Vest for a 60-yard catch and run. Brown tacked on the extra point. The Pirates held the 28-0 advantage heading into the halftime break.
    The Pirates took the third quarter kick off. Charlestown took 2:34 to add to the scoreboard. Graham scampered 15 yards to the goal line before Brown connected for the extra point to extend the Pirate lead 35-0.
    North Harrison drove deep into Pirate territory on their opening possession of the second half. Charlestown senior defensive end Bowman Thrasher stripped Bruderle and recovered the fumble.
    The Pirates took over on their own 18 yard line.
    Charlestown junior Cameron Metzger found a hole. The opening was all he needed as he sprinted 82 yards for another Pirate touchdown. Brown’s extra point pushed the Charlestown lead to 42-0 with 7:25 remaining in the third quarter.
    The Cougars’ Zach Stephenson punted the ball away on the following North Harrison possession.
    Metzger, who tallied 195 yards on the night, would finish the scoring as he found the endzone from four yards out. Brown again split the uprights as the Pirates took the 49-0 victory and Mid Southern Conference title.
    The shutout was Charlestown’s third this season.
    As the Pirates continue to put big numbers on the scoreboard the Pirate cheerleaders keep the fans counting. After each touchdown the cheerleaders hit the pavement and count out the points on the scoreboard with push ups. The cheerleaders hit a milestone during the ballgame as they hit the 1,000 push up point.
    Hawkins was very proud of his Pirates following the win.
    "This is a very special football team," Hawkins said. "They surprise me as the head coach every week. I think we can improve until the last game. They play hard every week. They don’t ever have a down week."
    He continued with praise to the coaching staff.
    "We did a good job teaching the little things. I am proud of my coaching staff and of the kids," Hawkins concluded.

    Families that participate in the Clark County WIC (Women, Infant and Children) Program are in for some positive changes. On Tuesday, October 9, newly renovated space in New Hope Commons, 1302 Wall Street, opened to provide services to those eligible in Clark County.
   WIC provides nutritional support and vouchers for food at local grocery stores for cereal, juice, milk, cheese peanut butter and formula to make it easier to feed children in a healthy manner.
   Location will not be the only change that WIC participants notice. New Hope Services, Inc., which already manages the WIC Program in Jackson and Scott Counties, has taken over the management of the Clark County Program as well.
   "We can provide a very pleasant atmosphere for all we serve at this new location," said Jean Robbins, Director of Kids Place in Scottsburg and the WIC Programs. "Our goal is to provide a friendly, positive experience for all WIC participants. We realize that raising a family takes more than love, it takes money, and that’s exactly what WIC does. It provides checks families can use to get nutritious foods, free."
   Pregnant women, new mothers (up to six months after delivery), breastfeeding mothers (up to one year after delivery), infants and children under the age of five are eligible for services, as long as they line in the state of Indiana and meet income guidelines. If qualified, families receive a personalized nutrition assessment to see if the program is right for their family.
   "New Hope Services, Inc. is happy and excited to take over the Clark County WIC Program," stated James A Bosley, President and CEO of New Hope Services, Inc. "Our new space, New Hope Commons, is located just two blocks from the old WIC location and a half a mile from New Hope Center and will provide much more space than the current WIC location, plus it will give us the opportunity to expand some of our other services. We already know that we will be moving our Clark County Healthy Families and the Family Support and Preservation Programs to the new location. The experience we’ve gained by managing the WIC Programs in Jackson and Scott Counties will be of great value to us in running the Clark County program. Families are going to like the change."
   Statewide, WIC provides assistance to more than 150,000 Hoosiers each month. "We want to expand the numbers receiving assistance in Clark County," said Bosley. "Having the space and the experience should make that happen quickly."
   For more information or direction to the new location, call the WIC office at 812-288-2715 or call New Hope Services, Inc. at 812-288-8248, extension 110.