(1) The Switzerland County Economic Development Corporation officially announced plans to pursue the creation of a new business park on a 117-acre tract of land near the Markland Dam.
(2) Rickie D. Dilts, Jr., 31, of near Center Square, was killed during an accident at the North American Stainless plant near Ghent. He was an employee of United Group Services, a firm that was doing some work at the plant.
(3) Kaleesa Archer was honored by the Indiana FFA organization as a “Star Over Indiana” for her beef production supervised agricultural experience. She was honored at this year’s FFA State Convention held at Purdue University. She is the daughter of Mark Archer and Tonya Krall.
(4) Tom Demaree and The Ridge Winery of Switzerland County was again honored with multiple medals at the International Wine Competition held in Indianapolis. The wines of The Ridge Winery captured five medals, including a gold medal for its Country Rose’.
(5) After years of waiting on federal funds to come through, Switzerland County Commissioners were now waiting on the approval of the state of Indiana to finally begin work on the replacement of the Turtle Creek bridge near Florence.
(6) Sydney Pike and Mat Deaton were crowned as the Princess and Prince of the 2006 Swiss Wine Festival following a scholarship competition held at Belterra. In the princess competition: Megan Lohide was the first runner up; Emilee Waldron was the second runner up; Brianne Martin was the third runner up; Laura Hoskins was the fourth runner up; and Brittany Mukadam was Miss Congeniality.
For the boys: Loren Lamson was the first runner up; Justin Wagner was the second runner up; Jake Haskell was the third runner up and Mister Congeniality; and the fourth runner up spot was a tie between T.J. Sefton and Travis Webster.
(7) County children will get free books thanks to a new program introduced here through the Community Foundation of Switzerland County. Dolly Parton’s “Imagination Library” sends a free children’s book to every enrolled child once a month from birth to age five – meaning that a child has the potential of getting 60 free books.
Other groups helping fund the program are the Switzerland County School Corporation; the Switzerland County School Endowment Corporation; and the United Fund of Switzerland County.
(8) Lensi Parham was announced as a national winner of the “Kids of King” essay contest – a contest designed to coincide with the unveiling of the Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial in Washington, D.C. She was one of only 12 winners from across the country, and wrote the essay as a part of Konna Padgett’s class at Jefferson-Craig Elementary School.
She is the daughter of Joe and Crystal Parham of near Vevay.
(9) Rachel Gurley was crowned as the 2006 Edelweiss Teen Princess as the Swiss Wine Festival got underway. The first runner up was Emily Lanman; the second runner up was Laci Daugherty; the third runner up was Baylie Judy; the fourth runner up was Morgan Nay; and Beth Abbott was Miss Congeniality.
(10) It was announced that the new connector road running south from the Markland Dam and connecting with Interstate 71 was due to be open to traffic by Thanksgiving.