(1) Kenneth Booker, a member of the Switzerland County High School Class of 2000, was killed in a roadside bombing while on patrol with his men in Iraq. He was the commander of an eight-wheel-drive Stryker vehicle.
(2) The towns of Vevay and Patriot elected new town councils, with both being historic. Vevay elected a Republican majority for the first time, with Tye Sullivan and Kirk Works being elected to the board along with incumbent Democrat Jamie Hayes.
In Patriot, the community held its first election in 24 years, as Democrats James Caudill, Cindy Kerr, and Danielle Hutchinson were elected.
(3) Switzerland County School Superintendent Tracy Caddell confirmed that he was a candidate for the superintendent’s position at the Eastern Howard County School Corporation. In December, he would accept the job and leave at the end of 2007.
(4) Vevay Main Street, Inc., was awarded several honors at the state preservation conference. Ron Hocker was named as the “Board Member of the Year’; David Attaway was named as the “Staff Member of the Year”; and The Mercantile of Switzerland County was honored for having the best window display.
(5) The Switzerland County Marching Pacer band and Flag Corps completed their marching season with a perfect record – winning every competition that they entered. Tifani Rider is the Drum Major of the band; and Tabitha Arnoldy is the captain of the Flag Corps.
(6) Vevay Newspapers profiled Eugene Smith, who lives at Florence. He was a member of the famed “Tuskegee Airmen” of World War II, but he is also the only member of the group who isn’t African-American. A prejudice doctor classified him as “colored” on his birth certificate because his father was half American-Indian, which led to a lifetime of confusion for the World War II hero.
(7) Kirk Works, longtime president of the Swiss Wine Festival, was honored by the Indiana State Festivals Association with the Jo Hauck Award for outstanding contributions to Indiana festivals.
(8) The Vevay Police Department announced that it had made a total of 15 arrests on drug-related charges during the culmination of an investigation in town.
(9) Sally Kinghorn was honored for her long tenure of service with the Switzerland County Nurse-Managed Clinic. She was the first nurse practitioner in the clinic, and following her retirement, she remained as a member of the board of directors.
(10) Dr. Scott Frede was honored by the Indiana Rural Health Association for his dedication to providing quality healthcare to residents of a rural area. The award was called the “Doc Hollywood” award.