TOP STORY OF THE DAY, brought to you free by WICU: 2021 YEAR REVIEW

COVID, crime highlights of busy 2021

JANUARY

COVID-19 CONTINUES

• The COVID-19 pandemic rang in 2021 with a vengeance and a note of hope, or at least it seemed that way.

A vaccine for COVID-19 arrived with the start of 2021, and the Clay County Health Department and the Indiana State Department of Health worked together to set up a POD clinic at the Clay County 4-H Fairgrounds. Emergency Planning Coordinator Tom Champion organized a planning walk-through with local officials to help ensure the vaccine clinic’s setup was ready.

CASEY’S ROBBERY

• Officials seek the public’s assistance in identifying or locating an armed robbery suspect allegedly involved in a January 3, 2021, robbery at Casey’s General Store, 930 West National Avenue, Brazil.

“This community has been a great assistance to law enforcement during cases like this in the past,” said Brazil Police Department Detective Graig Bass.

LOCAL SPORTS COVERAGE

• Ever since Tony Sanabria took over Northview’s wrestling program, he’s made it known he would like to have a strong female presence throughout his team.

And after years of putting that plan into place, the 2020-21 roster features four in freshmen Varzidy Batchelor and Mercedes Tellechea, sophomore Daelynn Torbert and senior Madison Slaughter.

It’s the first time in over 20 years the Knights have a female wrestling for them.

But that’s not the whole story.

Together, the quartet of Lady Knights, have formed a girls team and have been wrestling in different tournaments and invitationals around the state, against other girls.

It’s the first of any kid at Northview High School.

• Coming into Saturday night’s boys high school basketball game against Owen Valley, Northview’s Caleb Swearingen sat just 11 points away from the 1,000-point threshold.

The senior scored 19 points on the night to lead the Knights past the Patriots.

And during the third quarter, Swearingen etched his name into the Northview High School history books.

Swearingen curled around a screen set by Jacob Fowler and received a pass at the right elbow from Drew Cook.

He took one dribble, shot faked and then faded away off his left foot while releasing the ball.

It swished through the net, sending his teammates into complete jubilation on the bench.

Swearingen joins Kenny Rowan (1989), Micah Workman (1993), Chris DeHart (1999), Logan Whitman (2004), Zack Keyes (2004) and Brigham Booe (2018) in Northview’s 1,000-point club.

FEBRUARY

LT. GOVERNOR VISITS

• On February 12, Brazil Mayor Brian Wyndham spoke during a visit by Lt. Governor Suzanna Crouch.

Brazil Elks partnered with the City of Brazil for a program how the city implemented its $75,000 CARES Act grant last summer from the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA).

REMEMBERING ERNIE

• The lights were on at Northview High School’s football field as a memorial for Ernie Simpson. Simpson, the current Director of Human Services at Clay Community School Corporation, recently passed away. During the February school board of trustee’s meeting, President Tom Reberger said the lights were “Friday Night Lights for Ernie.”

• Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021 will go down as one of the best days for Landin and Logan Moore.

The twin brothers were with their Northview wrestling teammates competing in the Bloomington North Sectional with a chance to get to the Bloomington South Regional.

Logan (132) clinched his spot first and proceeded to throw his warmup jacket and pants back on before rushing across the gym to the mat where Landin (138) was set to wrestle for a bid of his own.

Logan cheered on Landin throughout the consolation bracket match. And when he watched his brother pin Sullivan’s Preston Anthony to advance to the regional round for the first time in his high school career, he jumped up and down and gave Landin a congratulatory hug.

The two said it meant the world to them to advance to the regional round together for the first time.

MARCH

BOMB THREATS

• Clay Community School Corporation received two bomb threats to start March 2021. Northview High School was the first target on the 1st, with another incident on the 2nd in the north parking lot of Northview High School before the start of school.

“We thank our local law enforcement agencies for their speedy response,” said Superintendent Jeff Fritz, confirming parents were notified through the corporation’s notification system. “Northview High School followed its safety protocols, and at no time were any students or staff members in danger.”

EASTER BUNNY ARRIVES

• Hundreds of people showed up at Craig Park for the American Legion Auxiliary’s annual Easter Egg Hunt.

“We moved the egg hunt to Craig Park this year, which allows us a lot more space for the various age groups and social distancing,” said Auxiliary President Lori Knight.

The large crowd started gathering around 12:30 p.m. and were surprised to see the Easter Bunny arrive on a motorcycle for the event with more than 2,000 Easter Eggs, lots of prizes, and a bicycle given away in each age category.• One of the best qualities of good teams is when the opponent takes away something that has been successful, others step up to fill in and make them pay.

Edgewood focused a lot of its defensive attention in Saturday night’s Owen Valley Sectional championship game on Knight guard Brevin Cooper, and teammate Drew Cook understood why.

Cook scored a career-high 25 points as some of the attention was put elsewhere by Edgewood.

• One year ago, coming off the program’s first ever sectional championship, Northview’s bowling team didn’t fare as well as it would have hoped in the regional round.

The Knights vowed to make 2020 a thing of the past with Brylan Hill, Kade Pflueger, Joey Price and Zane Schauber kicking Saturday off with the Singles Regional at Plaza Lanes in Crawfordsville.

Price finished 13th and Schauber finished 22nd, leaving Hill and Pflueger with the chance to represent Northview in the Singles Semi-State.

Hill took sixth, officially punching his ticket to the next round, while Pflueger tied for tenth, forcing a two-frame roll-off to determine whether he or Crawfordsville’s Peyton Groumoutis would snag the final spot.

APRIL

BRONZE STAR AWARD

• Girl Scout Cadet Harley Soots received the Bronze Cross from her Troop Leader Carolyn Robison on March 12, 2021.

On July 23, 2020, Harley Soots, 15, was waiting at her home on South Chicago Street in Brazil to turn in a Girl Scout project to Troop Leader Carolyn Robison.

When Harley went outside to give Robinson the handmade pillow for the troop’s community improvement project for the Silver Award, she witnessed Robinson fall and the minivan take off down the street.

Harley chased down the moving minivan before it hit a tree.

“I caught it, pushed the brake with my hand, but couldn’t find the park gear,” said Harley. “I had to chase it when it took off again.”

NATIONAL PUPPY DAY

• To celebrate National Puppy Day on Tuesday, March 23, Great Dane Trailers hoped to collect a few bags of dog food to help the Clay County Humane Society. Great Dane sent out the word and asked the community to lend a helping hand; Brazil didn’t disappoint once again.

In just a few short days, 438 people donated bags of dry dog food which amounted to 5,700 pounds.

LOCAL SPORTS COVERAGE

• In her final softball season at Clay City, Harley Sinders, who has since changed her name after marrying Zach Skinner last August, put together an eye-popping batting line of .348/.403/.409 to go along with four doubles, three runs scored and 15 runs batted in.

After graduating, Sinders moved to Indianapolis to begin working towards a degree from IUPUI’s School of Health and Human Sciences, and in doing so, hung up her cleats for good.

But the love for the game of softball and the passion to help young student-athletes get better in the sport always held a place in her heart.

After all, she’s a coach’s child, as her father is Clay City’s softball coach Jason Sinders.

Skinner grew up watching her dad coach and knew from an early age it was something she wanted to get into at some point in her life.

• Coming into the high school baseball season, Northview coach Craig Trout knew he had a special duo at the top of his pitching rotation in right-hander Gavin Morris and left-hander Dylan Zentko.

After all, Morris is headed to pitch collegiately at the University of Southern Indiana, while Zentko will be doing the same at Anderson University.

They both possess top-of-the-line stuff to go with pinpoint command, making it difficult for anyone that steps to the plate to get a hit off them.

On April 6, Morris went six hitless innings before turning it over to Zentko who struck out the side to record a combined no-hitter – the first in many years.

Zentko and Morris made sure to shorten the span between no-no’s in the program’s history books Friday night against Owen Valley.

The senior southpaw took the ball to begin the game and went four hitless frames before Trout handed it off to the flame-throwing righty to take the Knights home.

MAY

MISSING WOMAN FOUND

• The Clay County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Vigo County resident Jessica Nascimbene, 36, died in a strange vehicle accident along State Road 59. in April.

Wabash Valley law enforcement had been looking for Nascimbene, who had been missing since April 29.

Nascimbene was discovered in a vehicle submerged in a pond on State Road 59.

Law enforcement used cell phone technology to track Nascimbene’s location.

A NEW PARK FOR CARBON

• Carbon celebrated bringing their small park back to life during Community Day on April 27. Laughter and giggles of children playing echoed in the Carbon Park while Town Board officials served lunch, and a friendly T-Rex stopped by to share some candy. Officials are encouraged to say there will be more good news in the future for the town and its residents.

“We would like to thank everyone for coming out today,” said Mike Bemis, town board president. “It took a lot of people working together to help bring this park back to life.”

LOCAL SPORTS COVERAGE

• Northview’s softball team entered Wednesday night’s Class 3A Edgewood sectional championship against the host Mustangs in search of winning back-to-back titles for just the second time in program history.

The Lady Knights defeated West Vigo back in 2019 but weren’t able to defend their championship in 2020 due to COVID-19 canceling the entire high school softball season.

But after a 21-win regular season and a 17-0 throttling of Brown County in the sectional semifinal Tuesday, Class 3A No. 14 Northview was back and eager to take on Class 3A No. 8 Edgewood after the Mustangs walked them off earlier in the year.

There was no chance for the home team to celebrate on its own field Wednesday with the way the Knights played. Backed by Lauren Sackett’s 16-strikeout complete-game shutout, homers from Ellie Carter and Olyvia Notter and timely hitting up and down the lineup, Northview defeated Edgewood 7-0.

Hot start, strong finish push Clay City by Eminence in battle of Eels

By Joey Bennett, Times Editor

Clay City took a 3-0 lead after sending just five hitters to the plate in the top of the first inning on Tuesday night, and pushed across seven in the of the sixth to seal a 14-4 win over Eminence in high school softball semifinal action.

JUNE

EARTHQUAKE

• On Thursday, June 17, 2021, the United States Geological Survey (www.usgs.gov) reported a 3.8 earthquake at approximately 3:18 p.m. in Indiana. The epicenter was about seven miles south of Rockville and northeast of Montezuma.

During the previous 24 hours, Indiana had been shaken by one quake of a magnitude 4.4 and three quakes between 3.0 and 4.0.

YARD SALE FOR A CAUSE

• Annunciation Church St. Vincent DePaul Food Pantry President Patrick Hardman invited the public to stop during the 18th National Road Yard Sale Festival on June 4, 2021. The food pantry held a yard sale to raise funds for their new building in the parking lot across Annunciation Church, 19 North Alabama Street.

They also provided FREE hand sanitizer, personal cleaning wipes, and various soaps to anyone who wanted them.

LOCAL SPORTS COVERAGE

• The last time Northview’s softball program was celebrating a regional championship, none of the players on the 2021 roster had been born.

That wasn’t at the top of the mind for Northview Tuesday night at the Class 3A Cathedral Regional, but it was a statistic that popped up and was discussed ad nauseam – and rightfully so – once Hayden Smith squeezed the final out on a Cathedral pop up as the Knights defeated the Irish 5-1 to become regional champions for the first time since 1995.

• “Chicks Dig the Long Ball” was a famous Nike advertising slogan a few years before any members of the current Clay City softball team were born.

Whether aware of that catchphrase or not, the 2021 Eels definitely used it to their advantage on Tuesday evening in a 13-3 win over Bethesda Christian that gave the school its second regional softball title and a berth in Saturday’s North Daviess Semi-State.

• While Northview waited for last weekend’s Class 3A North Montgomery first semifinal baseball game between the hosts and No. 3 Lebanon to reach its conclusion, the realization came over the Knights that if they took care of business against Frankfort, they’d likely be seeing the Chargers in the championship.

That’s exactly what happened as Lebanon decided to hold the team’s ace and University of Cincinnati signee Garrett Harker for the title game – that never came for the Tigers.

So, knowing that, Northview prepared throughout the week – leading into Saturday’s Class 3A Danville Regional semifinal against Edgewood – for the Mustangs’ flame-throwing ace in Luke Hayden, while also knowing Edgewood could go the route Lebanon did seven days earlier and save him for the regional championship.

• On Friday evening, Clay City made its first-ever state finals appearance in any high school sport when it took the field for the Class A softball state championship game against Northfield.

It took an extra 90 minutes for the Lady Eels to get play underway in front of the droves of fans in the stands and around the periphery of the outfield fence that were there to support them due to a lightning delay, as well as a pair of rain delays.

But once it got going, the game between the Eels and Norsemen made for one that will be remembered for eternity.

Northfield erased a slim one-run deficit with a single run in the sixth and two runs in the seventh – all off leadoff hitter Addi Baker’s bat – to down Clay City by a score of 3-1, ending the Eels’ historic season as the state runner ups.

JULY

TOP SENIOR BOWLER

• Clay County resident Bob Hill was presented the 2020-21 Senior Bowler of the Year award from the Greater Terre Haute USBC. Hill paused for a picture with Zane Schauber, Shawn Schauber, Brylan Hill, and Scott Hill.

HONORING A BROTHER

• Veterans Stronghold organized a benefit motorcycle and Jeep ride to support Darrin E. Dant’s family on Saturday, July 24.

The ride started at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1127, 303 South Depot Street, Brazil, at 11 a.m., with the Brazil Police Department leading the way. More than 50 vehicles took a special detour and turned north on Walnut Street to drive through the Dant family’s neighborhood before leaving for the ride.

YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS

• Four young entrepreneurs are working and selling a yellow and white hybrid of “Obsession Sweet Corn” this summer.

Brothers Colin and Jackson Phillips and cousins Zane and Zoe Phillips are busy, and they are splitting the proceeds.

“It’s juicy and sweet,” said Colin, who admits he has eaten an ear or two of the corn raw in the field. “It’s good.”

SENATE RECOGNITION

• Indiana Senator Jon Ford presented Posey Township Volunteer Firefighter Garald “Eddie” Hastings with Senate Resolution #69 in July. The recognition was to honor his service as a first responder and being awarded the 2020 First Responder of the Year Award and the 2020 Firefighter of the Year Award from the Posey Township Volunteer Fire Department.

LOCAL SPORTS COVERAGE

• When Northview graduate Ilias Gordon made the two-hour trip to Anderson University on Tuesday to begin preparing for Friday’s Indiana Football Coaches Association North-South All-Star Classic, he was making history within the program he left his legacy with.

Gordon became the third Knight to be invited to the prestigious All-Star game, joining Joey Evinger and Mason Moon.

“It was really an honor to represent Northview and be the third person in Northview history to play in this game,” said Gordon.

• Last week, as the 2021 MLB Draft took place in Denver, Colorado, former Clay City and University of Dayton left-handed pitcher Hunter Wolfe kept an eye on the picks that were being made, although it wasn’t just to see if his name would get called.

He also wanted to see if any of his Flyer teammates would get selected to pursue their professional dreams.

“I followed the draft, especially to see when my teammates were drafted,” said Wolfe. “It is also fun to see people you have played against get drafted as well.”

Wolfe was not selected and did not get approached by any front office members from around the league about potentially signing an undrafted free agent contract, which officially ended his playing career.

AUGUST

FACE MASK DEBATE

• The August 2021 School Board meeting was packed with concerned parents and residents about the issue of face masks. Board President Tom Reberger thanked the group for attending the meetings and being involved, which was a sentiment that all board members shook their heads in agreement.

He, and the other board members, appreciated the professional and respectful way the group presented varying ideas during the media.

Reberger said:

“I can’t let this meeting end without thanking the parents who have been here. I’ve seen lots of footage on national television of board meetings that are just literally out of control because people aren’t listening to each other. I want to sum this up by saying we are listening to each other. We are going to get through this. We are going to make some tough decisions in the days ahead and weeks. I can assure you that every decision this board makes will be in the kids’ best interest.”

PARADE OF HORSES

• Clay City was a buzz of activity Saturday, August 21, 2021, for the Saddle Up® for St. Jude event at Goshorn Park.

First on the agenda was a horse parade down the main street. Event organizer Chuck Harden stopped by to visit with the Clay City Police during the parade that kicked off the event along main street.

LOCAL SPORTS COVERAGE

• On the first hole of Saturday’s Western Indiana Conference girls golf championship hosted by Forest Park, Northview’s Karsyn Kikta was unable to get on the green as quickly as she had hoped.

However, she recovered nicely by saving par.

She went on to par the second and third holes before knocking in a birdie on the fourth. At that moment, she knew it could be a good day for her.

“On the first hole, I wasn’t on the green in regulation, but then I one putted. So, after I parred the first three holes and then birdied the fourth, I was like, ‘This is going to be a good day,’” said Kikta.

Not only was it a good day for Kikta, it was a day she and her teammates, as well as coaches Josh Trout and Sam Grimes, will remember for a long, long time.

Northview (305) shaved 73 strokes off last year’s WIC championship total while shattering just about every record in the history books en route to yet another conference title.

“We knew we had a good chance of winning today but we still wanted to come out and put up the best score we possibly could. We’ve been playing really well the past week and a half. The girls just had a lot of confidence coming into today. Still, I did not expect this good of a score, and I don’t think they expected this good of a score. It was definitely our day,” said Trout.

• Each of Clay City’s cross country teams returned a bundle of experienced runners to their respective programs this fall. But the Eels also feature a slew of underclassmen that have yet to run in a big crowd on a course like Terre Haute’s LaVern Gibson Championship Course.

So, it was imperative that Clay City was one of the 60 teams to participate in the annual Valley Kickoff meet hosted by Terre Haute South.

Clay City’s boys squad finished 25th overall on a day that coach Cole Schroer described as a ‘mixed bag’ when asked about the times the Eels posted Saturday morning.

“It was kind of a mix bag. We’ve got some guys that are ahead of the game and were probably ahead of expectations and we had some guys that were probably a little behind expectations. That’s how it is in any given season,” Schroer said.

Jacob Hogg, who ran at the Brown County Semi-State meet last October, opened his senior campaign with a time of 17:59.

SEPTEMBER

NEVER FORGET - 911

• On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, the world forever changed at 8:46 a.m., when the first plane struck the north tower at the World Trade Center.

In memory of the 20th anniversary, the Brazil Fire Department hoisted a large American Flag above US 40 in front of Brazil City Hall.

Many residents were talking about the quiet tribute, as many people stopped their cars along the road to privately reflect for a moment on the tragic loss of 2,986 victims and more than 6,000 others who were wounded and the many first responders who ran into harm’s way to help.

A NEW PLAYGROUND

• Brazil Moose Lodge #780 Treasurer Scott Eaglin, Administrator Doug Gaskill, LAUNCH Academy Board Member Ray Walters presented Executive Director/Instructor Pamela Fischer a check for $2,500 to support the building a new enclosed playground.

“We want these students to be leaders when they move on,” Fischer said about the 72 students currently at the school. “But they need some space to get out and stretch their legs.”

LOCAL SPORTS COVERAGE

• Having competed against Edgewood’s Emma Bitner in two previous races this fall, Clay City’s Macy Tucker knew she would have to beat the Mustang senior to claim her first-ever Clay City cross country Invitational crown Tuesday night.

Clay City girls cross country coach Melanie Laswell informed Tucker it would likely come down to Bitner and herself for the top spot and that if she wanted to take the invitational’s championship title, she would need to stick with her for most – if not all – of the race.

“We hadn’t seen all of the teams [that were competing in the invitational until the day of the race], but we knew that [Bitner], a girl she had been right with a couple of different times, would be there. I told her, ‘I’m not sure about a couple of the teams, but I’m pretty sure it’s going to be a two-person race out that,’” explained Laswell.

Tucker listened.

The junior standout not only stuck with Bitner, she led the race from beginning to end, crossing the finish line first with a time of 21:21.

“It was one she really wanted,” said Laswell of Tucker’s Clay City Invitational individual title. “I didn’t know if she should lead, but she felt good. It worked out.”

• There was little doubt which team had the biggest target placed on their backs at Friday afternoon’s girls golf Northview Sectional hosted by Forest Park.

It was the host team.

The Lady Knights, who had finished off their first unbeaten regular season in over a decade earlier in the week, entered postseason play on quite the roll.

And having already beaten Terre Haute North and Terre Haute South – the two teams to likely push them for the sectional title – twice each, Northview was undoubtedly the favorite to depart the golf course with a trophy in hand.

Northview didn’t allow any of the pressure of its 18-0 record or defending its home course get to them. Instead, the Lady Knights rolled the rest of the competition by posting a score of 316, which was plenty enough of a cushion to crown them sectional champions.

“They wanted it bad. Last year, we came up a little short. It was close and honestly, last year as a team, we struggled. It should’ve been a better score. So, I knew this was a big goal for them this year to get this sectional, especially with it being Brooklee’s [Bussing] senior year,” said Northview girls golf coach Josh Trout. “They were able to pull it off.”

OCTOBER

MAYORS RIDE

• Brazil Mayor Brian Wyndham took the lead during the 10th-annual Mayor’s Ride.

The fundraiser supports the Clay County Humane Society.

Gloomy weather and impending rain shortened the ride this year for safety reasons. Kickstands went up a little after 3 p.m., with riders leaving Brazil with a police and fire department escort. They traveled up State Road 59 to US 36, then to US 231 south, and back west along US 40 to Brazil.

NEW K-9 UNIT

• Despite the rainy afternoon, new officers for the Brazil Eagles Aerie #274 gathered on the front lawn to support the new K-9 Unit at the Brazil Police Department.

K-9 Handler Chandler Damon and K-9 Officer “Brick,” Brazil Police Chief Clint McQueen, and Brazil Mayor Brian Wyndham for a check presentation. The lodge, located at 122 East National Avenue, Brazil, presented $2,500 to the unit. Various local businesses, organizations, and the community also supported the unit throughout 2021.

LOCAL SPORTS COVERAGE

• Throughout the first 77:27 of Tuesday’s Class 2A Owen Valley girls soccer Sectional opening game between Northview and West Vigo, it was the Lady Vikings that held a one-goal advantage and were just a few minutes away from punching their ticket to the semifinal round.

Northview senior Raelee Everhart had other thoughts, though.

Everhart, who had just reentered the game after being tagged with a yellow card, made a heroic play that will go down in Lady Knight soccer lore when she tapped a shot up and over West Vigo goal keeper Avery Funk to knot things up at one apiece.

That sent the game into overtime where Everhart, again, came through in the clutch for her team.

Standing at the 25-yard line – Owen Valley, like Northview, plays its soccer games on its turf football field – Everhart sent a high line drive towards the goal.

The shot stayed straight as a string, which kept Funk from having any chance at deflecting it away.

• Having lost 3-2 to Parke Heritage in the regular season, the Northview Knights wanted a chance for sweet revenge on Tuesday evening in the semifinal round of the Crawfordsville Regional boys’ tennis tournament.

It wasn’t easy, but the Knights won two of the first three completed matches and added the final two wins for a 4-1 victory.

If the Knight roster looks eerily similar to the school’s regional runnerup basketball team of last winter, that’s no accident.

Ethan DeHart, whose victory at No. 1 singles gave Northview its third win of the night, was the only returning player from last year’s squad.

Joined by fellow varsity basketball veterans Landon Carr, Drew Cook and Christian Roembke, among others, the Knights have definitely surpassed expectations according to their proud coach.

NOVEMBER

HONORING A LOCAL HERO

• Veterans Day holds special significance for East Side Elementary in 2021.

In December 2020, Sergeant First Class Douglas M. Falls died from a heart attack while coordinating international COVID operations in Indianapolis and a military training partnership in Africa.

THRILL OF A LIFETIME

• Brazil native and veteran David Snow’s family turned back the clock to allow him to fly the Huey 049 helicopter he flew during two tours of duty in Vietnam in 1966.

Suprised, Snow flew his helicopter during the “American Huey 369” museum groundbreaking celebration.

“It was like riding a bicycle: You never forget,” said Dave about taking the reins of #049 one more time. “It just all came back. I took off and was flying everyone around. What a thrill.”

SPOT AWARD

• Welder and Area Safety Rep Kelvin Blankenship sprang into action when a fellow employee experienced a medical emergency at Great Dane Trailers.

First to respond and starting CPR immediately until other ASR members and health services arrived, Blankenship’s selfless and quick actions helped save a life.

He was awarded the Great Dane Spot Award.

LOCAL SPORTS COVERAGE

• Through the first two weeks of the high school football postseason, Northview achieved back-to-back history-making wins.

That put the Knights in their first-ever sectional championship game.

And making things even better, because of the blind draw held by the IHSAA weeks before, they got to host Friday night’s Class 4A title tilt with visiting Evansville Memorial in front of a jam-packed stadium rooting them on in the frigid November temperatures.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t as much to cheer for as everyone donned in the maroon and black had hoped as Evansville Memorial dominated the line of scrimmage on each side of the ball and held Northview’s strong offense off the scoreboard for 47 minutes and 41 seconds before a Donavin Cherry touchdown run spoiled the Tiger shutout bid.

It led to a season-ending 24-7 loss for the Knights, which concluded their remarkable 2021 season.

“They’re a really good team and they had a lot to do with [the loss],” said Northview head football coach Mark Raetz. “They were just the better football team tonight.”

• Clay City started their winter sports season off by welcoming all winter athletes and fans in a showcase event called Eel-a-Palooza. All junior high cheerleaders, basketball players, and coaches were in attendance. The Clay City Jr. Sr. High School Sports Boosters, led by Jamie Booe and Jenni Grupe, held the event as a fundraiser for the group. The Sports Boosters are made of parents of athletes that work and fundraise to ensure that the athletics at Clay City have all the necessary equipment. They work alongside the athletes, coaches, and administration to merge academic and athletic goals for the school and athletes.

In the past, the Sports Boosters held similar type of events that saw the Indiana Pacers’ mascot, Boomer, and their dance team, the Pacemates, make the trip to the Eel Dome. Booe said they wanted to revive the start-of-basketball season celebration again this year especially after the up and down winter athletic season last year due to COVID-19.

“We came up with this idea because we wanted to have a fun night to highlight our athletes, especially after a crazy year and a half of school and sports,” said Booe. “We used to have [a kick-off event] where we brought the Pacers mascot Boomer, and the cheerleaders, [and] it was so much fun. With all of the uncertainty surrounding COVID, we didn’t want to plan something to that extreme, but still wanted to highlight our athletes.”

• With 8.5 seconds left in Tuesday night’s game and Parke Heritage High School’s Wolves Den gymnasium rocking after Grace Ramsay had just knocked down three consecutive free throws to tie the score, the Northview girls basketball team huddled up around head coach Zack Keyes who scribbled out a play he wanted them to run coming out of the timeout.

Keyes admitted there was some frustration on Northview’s bench with the foul being called a three-point attempt instead of a two-pointer. However, he said before the team broke the huddle with their usual ‘1-2-3, Knights,” Macey Timberman, who continued her sensational start to her senior season, left the group with some words of wisdom to build confidence within them.

“The girls were frustrated because it was a two-point shot and they called it a three – and everybody in the gym knew it – and she makes all three. We were down a little bit, but Macey stepped up and said, ‘We’re going to be fine.’ And we were fine,” said Keyes.

Out of the break, Tara Pearce inbounded the ball into the hands of Timberman who had a pair of Wolves draped on her back. Using her quickness, the 5-foot-6 guard motored down the right sideline before picking up her dribble a few steps away from the baseline.

Still being double teamed, Timberman jumped in the air and passed the ball out to a wide open Audri Spencer at the top of the key.

DECEMBER

OFFICER SHOOTING

• Shortly after 10 a.m. Friday, December 3, shots were fired upon Clay County Sheriff’s Deputies trying to serve a warrant in southern Clay County.

The lengthy standoff occurred near the New Brunswick Bridge on State Road 59, approximately six miles south of Clay City.

Sgt. Brison Swearingen was shot in the leg by Joe L. Hofmann, 42, Jasonville.

Hofmann was charged with level 1 felony Attempted murder and level 4 Unlawful Possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon.

The prosecution also filed for Habitual Offender and Firearm Enhancements in the case. Hofmann also has four outstanding cases in Vigo County.

JAIL STRUGGLES

• What started in May when the Clay County commissioners held a not-well-attended public hearing about potentially expanding the 15-year old jail at the Clay County Justice Center turned into a hot topic in the latter portion of 2021: The ICE program at the center of the debate.

Mariposa Legal and Cosecha Indiana members and Communities Not Cages members gathered on the front lawn of the Clay County Courthouse in September and started attending meetings at the courthouse.

The debate urged the commissioners to delay any final actions on jail expansion.

As tensions rose in October, by December, the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) and Mariposa Legal filed a complaint in Clay Circuit Çourt Wednesday, December 15, 2021, alleging the Clay County Commissioners, Clay County Council, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Department violated the Indiana Open Door Law and Indiana Access to Public Records Act.

On Monday, December 20, 2021, the investigation by the Indiana Public Access Counselor (IPAC) announced in a written letter it “could not identify any issues of law or fact.”

IPAC Luke H. Britt wrote in a statement:

“After piecing together the various meeting minutes - both regularly scheduled and otherwise - and comparing them to your complaint, I still did not identify any gaps in discussions that would lead me to believe any allegations could be substantiated.”

LOCAL SPORTS COVERAGE

• Macey Timberman’s countdown towards 1,000 points had been on for quite a while.

The senior, who entered Tuesday’s game at South Vermillion ranked No. 5 on the state’s points per game list, was not keeping tabs on her career point total, but those in and around the Northview’s girls basketball program certainly were.

She needed 19 points against Lebanon on Saturday to achieve the accomplishment but scored 17, delaying the celebration for another game.

Timberman said she didn’t feel any nerves over the course of the three-day stretch that led into Tuesday’s game, admitting she wasn’t sure how far away from the milestone she was until her teammates let her know.

Even with the knowledge of being one basket shy of an accomplishment she’s thought about for the last five years, the butterflies never came, and it showed as the 5-foot-6 guard buried a 3-pointer at the 7:09 mark of the first quarter to become the sixth member of Northview’s 1,000-point club joining Julia Whitted, Spring Raines, Mikayla Rowan, Stacy Payton and Jenny Lundy.

• Throughout the entirety of the girls high school basketball season, defense is what Northview has hung its hat on.

So, when Parke Heritage scored 30 first half points against the Knights in Thursday night’s Jenni Marietta State Farm Holiday Classic championship game to put the hosts in a 15-point hole, it was a shock to the system of those wearing Northview across their chests on the court and in the stands.

But in the locker room, head coach Zack Keyes switched the defensive attack. He decided to turn the pressure up, which turned out to be one of the best strategic moves he made over the two-day event.

Northview scored the first 10 points of the second half and methodically chipped away at the daunting deficit. That was until the 3:24 mark of the fourth quarter when Macey Timberman scored five points in 10-second span to put the Knights on top for the first time.

They never looked back as they closed out the Wolves to win 47-43 and become the first-ever Jenni Marietta State Farm Holiday Classic champions.