The Charlestown Beautification Committee and the City of Charlestown will be hosting its annual Trunk or Treat on the square on Wednesday, October 31 from 6 to 9 p.m.
    The members of the CBC would like to encourage all residents and businesses to join in the festivities. Everyone is welcome to bring candy and goodies to distribute or just bring the family and trick or treat.
    The Beautification Committee will be selling hot cocoa and hot dogs. They will also be holding a costume contest.
    For more information please contact Donna Coomer or Heather Mick at 256-7126 or visit the website at www.ctownbeautification.com.

    Sign-up dates for the new Livestock Compensation Program and Crop Disaster Program have been announced by Robert L. Backus, CED of the Clark and Scott County FSA Offices. Eligible ranchers and other livestock producers can apply to receive benefits under the Livestock Compensation Program (LCP). Eligible farmers can sig-up for the Crop Disaster Program (CDP) if they suffered quantity losses to their crops.
    LCP compensates livestock producers for feed losses or and LIP for livestock losses occurring between January 1, 2005 and February 28, 2007, due to a natural disaster. Producers in primary counties declared secretarial disaster areas or certain counties declared presidential disaster areas between January 1, 2005 and February 28, 2007, are eligible as are producers located in counties contiguous to those counties.
    Clark, Scott and several southern Indiana counties were declared disaster counties for drought conditions that occurred from May 1-August 1, 2005. Therefore, livestock producers in each county may apply for the Livestock Compensation Program for the 2005 crop year. Eligible livestock are beef and dairy cattle, buffalo and beefalo, sheep, goats, swine, equine and poultry. Equine must be used for commercial purposes as part of a farming operation or in the production of an agricultural product.
    Livestock producers must certify the type, acres and percentages of pasture loss on the application, as well as the number and type of eligible livestock. Again, this covers the 2005 drought designation.
    Drought is not an eligible cause of loss for the Livestock Indemnity Program, where livestock are lost as a result of a natural disaster. Therefore, Clark and Scott County livestock producers will not be eligible for the Livestock Indemnity Program.
    2007 Drought Conditions
    Many livestock producers have been calling the FSA Offices inquiring about assistance for hay or feed due to the 2007 drought. The current drought is not covered by an current disaster designation or program eligibility, although disaster reports have been submitted for the current conditions. In the event that future legislation is passed the might offer assistance on this current drought, the FSA recommends all livestock producers document all actions that have been taken to care for livestock as a result of the drought. Therefore, keep a log of when you began feeding hay, if you had to purchase extra hay or feed, rent extra pasture, etc. Also document extra measures you have taken to provide water to your livestock during the drought conditions. The FSA will release information if future programs or assistance becomes available for this situation.
    Crop Disaster Program
    CDP provides benefits to farmers who suffered quantity and quality losses to 2005, 2006 or 2007 crops from natural disasters if the crop was planted before February 28, 2007. Producers who incurred qualifying losses in 2005, 2006 or 2007 must choose only one year to apply for benefits. Producers may apply for benefits for losses to multiple commodities as long as the losses occurred in the same crop year. Only producers who obtained crop insurance coverage or coverage under the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) for the year of loss will be eligible for CDP benefits. Producers must have suffered quantity losses in excess of 35 percent to be eligible for CDP. Eligible losses will be paid at 42 percent of the average market price for that crop.
    To clarify the above statements, the only 2007 crop losses that will be covered by this crop disaster program is insured wheat loses that were covered by a crop insurance claim due to the April frost. Any 2007 crop losses occurring due to the summer drought are not covered under this current crop disaster program.
    Clark County farmers should contact the Clark County FSA office by calling 256-2330 or visiting the county office at 9608 Highway 62, Suite 3, Charlestown. Scott County farmers should contact the Scott County FSA Office at 812-752-2269 or visit the office at 656 S. Boatman Road in Scottsburg.

    This time of year, as the leaves are changing the brilliant burnt orange and red Brown County, Indiana is one of the hottest tourist spots in the state. Last Thursday and Friday local students were off for Fall Break. Friday gave a great opportunity for fans of Pirate football to enjoy the fall colors and great shopping in Nashville, Indiana and more importantly the chance to see the 9-0 Pirates face off with the Eagles of Brown County in the first round of Sectional 23 play.
   The Charlestown faithful poured into the two sets of small wooden bleachers on the visiting side of Brown County’s football field. One problem became very apparent really quickly. The visiting bleachers were full. The overflow fans took over nearly half of the Eagles home bleachers allowing for some great Charlestown cheers from all sides of the field.
   The Pirates did not fail their fans as they took the opening round sectional win 49-20. Charlestown pushed their record to 10-0 while Brown County ended their season 0-10.
   The Pirates found the scoreboard first when junior Damon Vest scampered 27-yards to the goal line. Senior Craig Brown nailed the extra point for the early 7-0 lead with 8:46 remaining in the first quarter.
   Brown County senior Travis Arnold took the ensuing kick off to the Pirates 14 yard line. Sophomore Kirk Graber dove into the endzone from just one yard out for the Eagle touchdown. Sophomore Shane Hedrick tacked on the extra point for Brown County. The score would prove to be the final one for the opening quarter as the teams were knotted at 7.
   Charlestown dominated the second quarter as the Pirates found the endzone three times in the 12 minute stanza.
   Pirate junior Cameron Metzger was first in the endzone in the second frame as he sprinted 34 yards to pay dirt. Brown, who again was perfect on the night at 7-for-7, split the uprights at the 9:17 mark. Charlestown held the 14-7 advantage.
   Just 1:40 later sophomore Josh Graham rambled 20 yards to the endzone. Brown’s extra point at the 7:37 mark was good for the Pirate 21-7 lead.
   The final touchdown of the half came from senior quarterback Andrew Smith on a one-yard quarterback keeper. Brown calmly nailed the extra point with just 14 seconds remaining in the half.
   Charlestown enjoyed the 28-7 lead at the halftime break.
   The script stayed the same for the Pirates in the third quarter. Charlestown again found the endzone three times in the period.
   Pirate junior Mike Blackford found a small hole and punched the pigskin in from three yards out. The extra point attempt was again good by Brown at the 6:35 mark. Charlestown held the 35-7 advantage.
   Graham scored the Pirates next two touchdowns as he dove into the endzone from five yards out for the first. He then broke free down the sideline for 46 yards before finding the endzone by going airborne over the Eagle defense. After each touchdown Brown added the extra point.
   The third quarter scoreboard seen Charlestown leading the home-standing Eagles 49-7. The beginning of the final period seen the Pirate starters get a break as the second team received some quality sectional experience.
   Brown County’s Hedrick found sophomore Garrett Davis for a 43-yard touchdown pass. Hedrick would tack on the extra point for the 49-14 Charlestown advantage.
   The Eagles would put the final touchdown on the scoreboard when sophomore Mike Leggins rambled 23 yards to the goal line. The extra point attempt for Brown County failed as the Pirates took the 49-20 Sectional opening round win.
   Charlestown was led by Graham with 11 carries for 177 yards followed by Metzger with 12 carries for 138 yards. Smith completed 10-of-18 passes for 130 yards. The Pirates gained 387 yards on the ground and 130 in the air for a total of 517 yards on the night.
   Metzger is leading the Pirates on the season with 1,764 yards on 211 carries for an average of 8.36 yards per carry. He has 25 touchdowns on the season. Graham has a total of 519 yards on 65 carries on the season for an average of 7.98 yards per carry. Vest has 278 yards on 29 carries while Blackford has 108 yards on 26 carries.
   Charlestown head coach Jason Hawkins spoke highly of his runningbacks, Josh Graham, Damon Vest and Cameron Metzger, after the win.
   "All three of them can get a 100 yards each game. They joke around about not getting enough touches," Hawkins stated.
   He continued, "Our kids don’t quit. They play hard."
   Hawkins concluded about the Pirate Pride that is running rampant through the city of Charlestown.
   "I am very happy with the community support," he said.
   The Pirates will now get the one thing Charlestown has wanted all season, a chance at the No. 1 Patriots of Heritage Hills.
   "Our kids were looking ahead to next week. Heritage Hills has a great football team. They are going to hit us in the mouth. We’ve got one of two choices, we can either lay down or get back up and punch them right back," Hawkins concluded.
   The game which will pit Heritage Hills, the number one team in Class 3A with the No. 3 Pirates will be held at Charlestown’s Dutch Reis Field. The kick off is set for 8 p.m. this Friday night. Heritage Hills and Charlestown are both undefeated at 10-0 with the winner advancing to the Sectional 23 championship game the following week.