Harrison REMC’s
A haunted Hoosier ROAD TRIP
Whether a fan of spooky legends or terrifying tales, this tour of some of Indiana’s haunted places has something for everyone
Pages 20-25
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from the editor
A month to celebrate co-ops
October is National Cooperative Month. Indiana Connection is published by Indiana Electric Cooperatives, which is the service organization for our state’s member-owned electric co-ops. If you’re receiving this magazine, you are probably a co-op member.
It’s easy to think of your co-op as just an electric company, but as I’ve learned over the last 10 months as editor, it is so much more than that.
Co-ops operate according to seven cooperative principles, which include:
• Voluntary and Open Membership
• Democratic Member Control
• Members’ Economic Participation
• Autonomy and Independence
• Education, Training, and Information
• Cooperation Among Cooperatives
• Concern for Community
These principles are the main reason that your co-op is different from a for-profit electric company. Unlike other electric companies, your co-op never takes in a profit. It only uses enough funds to power your electricity and returns the rest as capital credits.
I have been most impressed with how the co-ops take the “Concern for Community” principle seriously. From Operation Round Up to scholarships, Camp Kilowatt, and Youth Tour, the co-ops make a concerted effort to support their local communities. Those programs can make a huge difference in people’s lives.
It’s common practice for companies to be all about profits and competing with others. Indiana’s electric co-ops strive to be more than that and do some good along the way. That’s something to celebrate.
Britt Davis Editor bdavis@indianaec.org
On the menu: January: Submit your favorite peanut butter recipes, deadline Nov. 1. If we publish your recipe on our food pages, we’ll send you a $10 gift card.
Giveaway: Enter to win a Halloween prize pack. Visit indianaconnection.org/talk-to-us/contests or send your contact information to the address below. The deadline to enter is Oct. 31.
Three ways to contact us: To send us recipes, photos, letters and entries for gift drawings, please use the forms on our website indianaconnection.org; email info@indianaconnection.org; or send to Indiana Connection, 11805 Pennsylvania Street, Carmel, IN 46032.
VOLUME 74 • NUMBER 4 ISSN 0745-4651 • USPS 262-340
Published monthly by Indiana Electric Cooperatives
Indiana Connection is for and about members of Indiana’s locally-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperatives. It helps consumers use electricity safely and efficiently; understand energy issues; connect with their co-op; and celebrate life in Indiana. Over 311,000 residents and businesses receive the magazine as part of their electric co-op membership. The average printed and mailed cost per issue is 54 cents.
CONTACT US: 11805 Pennsylvania Street Carmel, IN 46032 317-487-2220 info@indianaconnection.org
IndianaConnection.org
INDIANA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES OFFICERS: Steve McMichael President Dr. Richard Leeper Vice President
Jamey Marcum Secretary/Treasurer John Cassady CEO
EDITORIAL STAFF: Britt Davis Editor
Holly Huffman Communication Support Specialist
Lauren Carman Communication Manager
Kiley Lipps Graphic Designer
Ashley Curry Production and Design Coordinator
Amber Knight Creative Manager
Mandy Barth Vice President of Communication
ADVERTISING: American MainStreet Publications
Cheryl Solomon, local ad representative; 512-441-5200; amp.coop Crosshair Media 502-216-8537; crosshairmedia.net
Paid advertisements are not endorsements by any electric cooperative or this publication.
UNSOLICITED MATERIAL: Indiana Connection does not use unsolicited freelance manuscripts or photographs and assumes no responsibility for the safekeeping or return of unsolicited material.
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POSTMASTER:
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No portion of Indiana Connection may be reproduced without permission of the editor.
Rise
Gather
Fans of spooky legends and terrifying tales will enjoy this haunted Hoosier road
Pie
This month’s feature takes readers on a road trip throughout Indiana, showcasing seven spooky and potentially paranormal locations.
www.harrisonremc.com
CONTACT US
812-738-4115
812-951-2323
Fax: 812-738-2378
Click on “Contact Us” at www.harrisonremc.com.
OFFICE HOURS
7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday
DRIVE-THRU WINDOW HOURS
7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday
LOBBY HOURS
8 a.m.–4 p.m., Monday–Friday
STREET ADDRESS
1165 Old Forest Road, Corydon, IN 47112
MAILING ADDRESS
P.O. Box 517, Corydon, IN 47112
SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS
To report a power outage, please call 812-738-4115 or 812-951-2323.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
David Poe (Floyds Knobs), President
Darin Duncan (Elizabeth), Vice President
Craig Engleman (Corydon), Secretary/Treasurer
Pat Book (Palmyra)
Brian Koetter (Borden)
David Walther (Lanesville)
C. Todd Uhl (Corydon)
Danny Wiseman (Mauckport)
Roy Zimmerman (Laconia)
Harrison REMC offers ...
LED security light rental; a community solar program; heating and cooling rebate program; surge protection information; home energy seminars; payment via phone, online, e-check, automatic payment plan and budget billing; REMC gift certificates; prepaid billing; and a mobile app with notification options!
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of Harrison REMC is to provide a well-informed membership with superior, competitively priced electric and related member service(s), accomplished by highly trained, committed employees. It is further the mission to improve the quality of life of the member-owners by promoting community, economic development and energy efficiency activities.
EPA RULE THREATENS ELECTRIC RELIABILITY
For the consumer-members of Harrison REMC, keeping the lights on at a cost you can afford is the focal point of everything we do. Transparency is one of our core values, so in addition to sharing co-op successes, I believe we are also responsible for telling you about the challenges.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a rule that impacts energy production from power plants. The power plant rule will undoubtedly threaten access to reliable electricity for our local community and communities nationwide.
The rule constrains existing coal and new natural gas plants by requiring them to install carbon capture and storage (CCS) — a technology that has potential but has not yet been proven to be viable as required. No power plant in North America currently uses CCS at the scale and levels mandated by EPA. When power plants aren’t able to comply with EPA’s CCS requirements, they will be required to shut down, significantly limit operations, or switch fuels. These unrealistic standards will force the unnecessary and early shutdown of many power plants that currently provide reliable electricity 24/7.
Renewable sources like solar and wind are important components of our overall generation mix. But given the intermittent nature of these energy sources, we simply cannot depend on them because the wind doesn’t always blow and the sun doesn’t always shine. The need for always-available powergenerating resources is still essential.
The timing of the power plant rule is equally troubling. At the same time the EPA is leading our nation down the path to fewer power plants, utilities are facing a surge in electricity demand — driven by the onshoring of manufacturing, the growth of the American economy, and
the rapid expansion of data centers to support artificial intelligence, e-commerce, and cryptocurrency.
Many states have already experienced rolling outages, and if the EPA’s power plant rule further threatens the supply of electricity, the problem will only get worse. In fact, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), the nation’s electric reliability watchdog, recently forecasted that over the next five years, all or parts of 19 states are at high risk of rolling power outages during normal peak electricity demand conditions.
It’s also no secret that costs go up when demand is high and supply is low. We are concerned about threats to reliability and cost increases to our members.
I don’t say all of this to worry you, but I want our members to understand the challenges ahead. As we’ve always done, we will look for solutions that serve our members best. We are joining electric co-ops across the country to fight these regulations, and we are working with our local elected officials to help them understand the consequences this would have on all Indiana residents.
Co-ops are no strangers to innovation, and we’re taking proactive steps to address today’s energy challenges and tomorrow’s energy needs. Electric cooperatives like Harrison REMC deliver power to 42 million Americans. Our top priority is to meet our members’ energy needs, and we must have reliable electricity available to do that.
To learn more or to make your voice heard on this matter, visit voicesforcooperativepower.com
DAVID LETT CEO
Get ready for heating season and tune up your system
REMINDER! The deadline to submit HVAC and heat pump water heater rebates to the REMC is Dec. 15.
Harrison REMC and Hoosier Energy have joined together to offer member homeowners an incentive to save money on Heat Pump or A/C tune-ups and maintenance. Up to a $50 rebate per member-household may be available for those services during 2024.
There are many benefits to getting a system tune-up by a licensed HVAC contractor. Maintenance now means fewer costly repairs in the future, improved air circulation, and increased quality of heating and cooling, along with what could result in the expanded life of your system. The peace of mind that your equipment is running properly is worth a homeowner’s time, let alone the possibility of lower utility bills.
Experts recommend having your HVAC serviced every six months. Eligible rebates for members include the following terms and conditions: Qualified HVAC systems must be in a home serviced by Harrison REMC. The unit must be at least three years old, and a licensed HVAC contractor must perform a predetermined list of services.
Rebates will be issued on a firstcome, first-served basis until dedicated funds have been used. Rebates will be issued as a bill credit. Completed rebate application and detailed receipt must be received within 90 days of service.
For help identifying qualifying equipment or for more details, contact Harrison REMC.
Electric cooperatives are not-for-profit, community-led utilities. Because we are a co-op, we can adapt to our local members’ needs, providing the programs and services you care about most. That’s the power of co-op membership.
program helps everyone BEAT THE PEAK
Beat the Peak is Harrison REMC’s voluntary program designed to encourage members to become more aware of the energy they use and to reduce their energy use during peak demand periods.
The program is simple. During times when the cost to purchase and produce power for members is high, we issue “Beat the Peak” alerts. During these alert periods, we ask members to conserve energy. We recommend you turn off unnecessary lights, delay using major appliances, such as dishwashers and dryers, and turn your thermostat up a few degrees in the summer and down a few degrees in the winter.
Currently, 72% of the REMC’s total expenses is for the wholesale power we purchase from Hoosier Energy.
Peak demand periods occur when the demand for electricity is the highest — weekdays in June through August from 3-8 p.m. and December through February from 7-10 a.m. and 6-9 p.m.
During these peak periods, the co-op is charged a higher cost from our power supplier, Hoosier Energy. If we can all work together to reduce the demand, we can reduce the REMC’s power costs and minimize increases you may receive on your bill.
When everyone cooperates, everyone benefits. That’s the power of co-op membership.
Sign up by going to harrisonremc.com/ beat-the-peak or filling out the form to the right.
TIPS TO HELP BEAT THE PEAK
• Delay the use of your dishwasher, dryer, and other electrical appliances until the peak period has passed.
• Turn off unnecessary lights and unplug unnecessary appliances.
• Program your thermostat to an energyefficient summer/winter setting.
FOR
BEAT THE PEAK
Get emails and/or text messages to reduce energy consumption during peak periods SIGN UP
ACCOUNT NUMBER*
LAST NAME ON ACCOUNT*
EMAIL ADDRESS
CELLPHONE NUMBER
I would like to volunteer to participate in the Beat the Peak program. By returning this form to P.O. Box 517, Corydon, IN 47112, I understand I am authorizing Harrison REMC to notify me by the method(s) indicated above when it is time to request my assistance to “Beat the Peak.”
HARRISON REMC CELEBRATES SUCCESSFUL LINEMAN RODEO
Kyle Armstrong, Jacobb White and Kody Kennedy participated in the 2024 Indiana Electric Cooperatives Lineman Rodeo on Aug. 22 and 23. There were 37 teams and 137 participants. Our Harrison REMC team did amazing! Look
INDIVIDUAL JOURNEYMAN
HURT MAN RESCUE
1 ST PLACE
Kody Kennedy
INDIVIDUAL JOURNEYMAN
SKILL CLIMB
1 ST PLACE
Kyle Armstrong
INDIVIDUAL JOURNEYMAN
KNOT TYING
1 ST PLACE
Kyle Armstrong
2 ND PLACE
Kody Kennedy
INDIVIDUAL JOURNEYMAN OVERALL
1 ST PLACE
Kody Kennedy
3 RD PLACE
Kyle Armstrong
TEAM PHASE DOWN LINE RESTORATION
3 RD PLACE
Harrison REMC
TEAM MYSTERY EVENT
3 RD PLACE
Harrison REMC
TEAM OVERALL
2 ND PLACE
Harrison REMC
Battery-powered VERSUS plug-in hybrid
The two types of electric vehicles offer flexibility for owners with different priorities
Electric vehicles continue to be a hot topic in the energy and environmental fields. However, throwing electric vehicles under one umbrella is not entirely accurate. Let’s look at the different types of electric vehicles available on the market.
BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES
What most people mean when they say “electric vehicle” is a fully battery-powered EV or BEV (battery electric vehicle).
BEVs run exclusively on electricity from at least one or multiple large batteries. There is no internal combustion engine to convert gasoline into propulsion power, so there is no need for oil changes and zero tailpipe emissions.
Fueling a BEV is done by plugging a charging cord and connector into a port that looks similar to a car’s traditional gas cap. It is estimated that around 80 to 90%
of BEV charging is done at home although public charging stations have become readily accessible. Depending on the vehicle, a single charge could last anywhere from 100 to 300 miles.
PLUG-IN HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLES
One of the alternatives is a plugin hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). These are similar to traditional hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) in that they run on gas and battery power, but PHEVs get their power from plug-in chargers like a BEV. Most can travel 20 to 35 miles purely on electricity and switch to a backup gas engine when the power runs out.
PHEVs can be charged at home and at public charging stations, which gives you a taste of EV life while still having the security of a tank full of gas for longer trips. The charging time is also much shorter because the battery is smaller — approximately 10 times smaller than
a BEV. In addition, PHEVs do a little bit of recharging while on the road, primarily via regenerative braking.
Although PHEVs fit a niche between BEVs and HEVs, they often cost at least $5,000 more because they have the components of gas engines and electric batteries.
Whether you’re just dipping your toe in the electric vehicle waters or ready to take the plunge, there are multiple options in the electric vehicle market. Find the BEV, HEV, or PHEV that is right for you.
by Matt Brames Manager of Engineering Dubois REC
Scott County
Scott County honors its pioneer past at the Scott County Heritage Center and Museum, located in the former Scott County Poor Farm. Established in the late 19th century, the poor farm provided shelter and care for those unable to support themselves because of economic hardship or disabilities before modern social welfare programs existed. Residents would harvest crops, tend gardens, manage household chores, and make or repair clothing and furniture.
GOT GOAT MILK?
Since 2005, the Jonas family has raised a herd of dairy goats on their farm in Scottsburg. This family of 10’s mission is to educate visitors about goats and goat milk’s many uses. At their farm store, Goat Milk Stuff, the Jonases sell soaps, lip balms, lotions, and more skin care products made from their goats’ extra milk. They also offer personalized recommendations on which goat milk products can help different skin types, like dry or oily skin, and skin conditions, like eczema or rosacea. Additionally, the Jonases offer a behind-the-scenes tour of their working dairy farm and an experience where visitors can meet and snuggle with the farm’s baby goats.
LAKE LIFE, HARDY STYLE
Hardy Lake — Indiana’s only state reservoir not created for flood control — maintains a stable water level yearround, which benefits its shoreline, fishing, and wildlife. Hardy Lake also features one of the Indiana Department of Natural Resource’s raptor centers. The Dwight R. Chamberlain Raptor Center cares for injured birds of prey and educates visitors about hawks, owls, falcons, and vultures. The Raptor Center’s name honors Dwight R. Chamberlain, a Scottsburg resident and conservationist known for his research on crows and ravens.
NATURE’S SWEET BLOOMS
Open July through October, Knobstone Flower Farm in Scottsburg has over 5 acres of sunflowers, 11 acres of wildflowers, a nature trail winding around the flower fields, and a 3-acre lake. Visitors can create custom bouquets at the farm’s You-Pick flower experience with blooms like zinnias and celosias. Knobstone Flower Farm also sells honey harvested from its bees, who collect nectar from the farm’s buckwheat cover crops. Throughout the year, the farm hosts events, including its recent Sunflower Music Festival with food trucks, live music performances, and yard games, like cornhole and croquet.
COUNTY FACTS
FOUNDED: 1820
NAMED FOR:
General Charles Scott, the governor of Kentucky from 1808 to 1812
POPULATION: 24,384
COUNTY SEAT: Scottsburg
INDIANA COUNTY NUMBER: 72
Scottsburg
Hardy Lake
Nicole Thomas is a freelance writer from Indianapolis.
Photo courtesy of Goat Milk Stuff
Photo courtesy of Scott County Visitors Commission
Photo courtesy of Knobstone Flower Farm
PRODUCT RECALLS
DEWALT BATTERY PUSH WALK-BEHIND MOWERS AND DEWALT BATTERY SELF-PROPELLED WALK-BEHIND MOWERS
If water gets into the DeWALT Battery Push walk-behind and selfpropelled mower’s handle support while the battery is installed, the mower can fail to shut off when the bail handle is released or start without a key, posing a laceration hazard to the user. The mowers were sold at The Home Depot, Tractor Supply, Ace Hardware, and various stores nationwide and online from January 2024 through July 2024. Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled mowers if they have gotten wet and contact DeWALT to receive a free repair at an authorized service center nearby. For more information, go to dewalt.com/push-mowers-recall or call 800-990-6421.
HALO 1000 PORTABLE POWER STATIONS
The lithium-ion batteries in the HALO 1000 Portable Power Station can overheat, posing fire and burn hazards that can lead to serious injury or death. The units were sold through ZAGG, ACG, and QVC from October 2021 through March 2022. Consumers should immediately stop using the portable power stations and contact the HALO Recall hotline for a free replacement portable power station. For more information, call 888-345-0481, email at halo5528@sedgwick.com, or go to halo1000recall.expertinquiry.com/.
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A hauntingly
GATHER YOUR GHASTLY GHOULS FOR A WEEK-LONG CELEBRATION OF ALL THINGS HALLOWEEN IN HISTORIC IRVINGTON
If you’re a Halloween fanatic, there’s only one spot to be this fall — the 78th Annual Historic Irvington Halloween Festival. A community-wide celebration of all things spooky, Irvington located about 15 minutes east of downtown Indianapolis, welcomes all to enjoy their shared affection for the haunting season. Kicking off on Oct. 19 with the Masquerade Ball, guests 21 and older will enjoy hors d’oeuvres, drinks, and intrigue.
Be bewitched at the Spooky Organ Concert on Oct. 20, purchase original art on Oct. 21, and try keeping your eyes open during the Horror Shorts Movie Night, presented by Heartland Film and Playground Productions on Oct. 22. If horror isn’t your genre, the Family Movie Night on the 23rd may be your ticket. Continue your patronage of the arts on the 24th and listen to a special reading of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and tales from local writers. Dress up and tour Irvington’s spine-chillingly decorated neighborhoods on Friday’s Zombie Bike Ride.
Saturday’s Vampire Run begins at 9:30 a.m., and the street fair opens at 10 a.m. Arrive early to register your canine or yourself in the festival’s costume contests. Kids 12 and under can get their mid-day wiggles out in the free Little Bat Dash at 11:30 a.m. Do your best Monster Mash with the kids at the family stage and jam out at the main stage as the battle of the bands rocks out. Shop for Halloween decor and handmade goods, and enjoy delicious food from vendors offering burgers, vegan fare, and sweet treats. Don’t miss the beer garden’s eight breweries and cidery or the family zone, home of the family stage, and pumpkin carving contest. The festival parade departs from Washington Street at 4:30 p.m., featuring witches, goblins, superheroes, princesses, and more of all ages in a final celebration of the spookiest festival of all.
Natalie Derrickson is a freelance writer from Indianapolis.
Photos courtesy of Historic Irvington Halloween Festival
FOR MASQUERADE BALL TICKETS, CONTEST AND RUN REGISTRATION, AND EVENT MAP AND TIMES, VISIT
safety THE UNIQUE ASPECTS OF electric vehicle safety
Electric vehicles (EVs) are gaining traction in the United States. If you drive an EV or are considering buying one, there are unique safety items to know.
“There are some important differences to keep in mind if you drive an EV instead of a gaspowered vehicle,” said Jon Elkins, vice president for safety, training, and compliance for Indiana Electric Cooperatives. “While EVs can be good investments for drivers, it’s important for owners to stay up to date on unique safety precautions related to these vehicles.”
OVERALL EV SAFETY
First, it can be helpful to remember that EVs seem to hold up well in simulated crashes. According to CBS News, tests done by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) showed that EVs are durable because their batteries make them heavier, offering better protection to those sitting inside.
You might be wondering about the fire safety risk of the lithium-ion batteries associated with EVs. While there are fewer EV fires than internal combustion engine fires, EV fires can pose unique challenges.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), damaged or defective lithium-ion batteries can enter a state called thermal runaway. That means the battery cells begin heating up uncontrollably, spreading from one battery cell to another and leading to
a fire. In addition, these batteries can release toxic and flammable gasses that could lead to an explosion.
AFTER AN ACCIDENT
What should you do if you’re in an accident, see smoke, flames, or smell burning coming from your EV? Here are some actions to take according to the NFPA:
• First, pull over as soon as you can safely and move to a safe location off the road.
• Once you are stopped, turn off the engine and get everyone out of the car. Do not return to the burning car for anything.
• Get everyone at least 100 feet from the burning car and well away from traffic. If you can, go where the wind blows away from the vehicle.
• Call 911 or your local emergency number and tell them there is an EV involved.
SAFE CHARGING
In addition to knowing what to do in an accident, here are some reminders from the NFPA about safely charging an EV at home:
• Remember that EVs have highvoltage batteries.
• Battery maintenance needs to be performed by the manufacturer.
• Do not touch the orange highvoltage cables.
Chris Adam is a freelance writer from Lafayette.
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Each pinecone — and therefore, each knife — has its own unique characteristics. And the back of the handle features hand tooling, a further demonstration of each piece’s individual nature.
e blade is nothing to scoff at either. Constructed of Damascus steel, a modern reworking of the legendary steel forged by ancient swordsmiths, this nearly 5-inch blade features 256 layers of steel that have been folded on top of each other to increase its durability. Our competitors are charging hundreds for boring, run-of-the-mill knives with no features worth bragging about. We’re asking JUST $99 for a knife unlike any you’ve seen before!
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Rise AND shine
Start your morning off right with a hearty breakfast
FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE
Angela Rouch, Peru
3, 8-oz French baguettes
8 oz cream cheese
2 tsp vanilla, divided
2 cups powdered sugar
2 cups fresh blueberries
6 eggs
2 cups milk
¾ cup sugar, divided
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
Grease a 3-quart baking dish. Cut each baguette into 1-inch slices, cutting to but not through the bottom of the loaf. For filling, in a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and 1 teaspoon of vanilla until smooth. Beat in the powdered sugar until combined. Fold in the blueberries. Arrange the baguettes side by side in the prepared dish. Spoon the filling between the baguette slices.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, 1/2 cup sugar, remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Pour over the bread. Cover and chill overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Uncover the dish. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle over the bread. Bake, uncovered, 45 minutes or until the egg mixture is set, covering with foil the last 15 minutes, if necessary, to prevent overbrowning. Remove and let cool slightly.
BISCUITS AND GRAVY CASSEROLE
Marilles Mauer, Greensburg
1 lb pork sausage
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp pepper
1 can of grand biscuits (8 count)
6 large eggs
¼ cup heavy cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 13x9 pan. In a skillet, brown the sausage. Add the crushed red pepper in the last few minutes of cooking. Once brown, set aside. In a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for several minutes, whisking constantly until the mixture turns golden brown. Slowly whisk in the milk, salt, onion powder, and pepper. Continue to whisk until the gravy thickens. Add ½ cup of the cooked sausage and stir to combine.
Cut the biscuits into quarters and scatter them in a single layer in the greased pan. Top with the browned sausage and sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with heavy cream until well combined. Pour the egg mixture over the cheese. Pour gravy over the egg mixture and cover with the remaining 1 cup of cheese. Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes until lightly browned and eggs are set.
TAILGATE BREAKFAST SLIDERS
Gale Rhodes, Battle Ground
1 package slider buns
8 eggs
¼ cup milk
2 tbsp sliced chives
Kosher salt
Freshly ground
black pepper
10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
3 tbsp butter, divided
1 tsp maple syrup
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Slice the slider buns in half lengthwise. On the bottom layer of the slider buns, sprinkle 2 cups of cheddar cheese. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with milk and chives. Season with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of butter. Cook eggs to desired consistency. Place the eggs and crumbled bacon on the bottom layer of the sliders. Top with the remaining 2 cups of cheese. Cover with the slider tops. In a small bowl, mix the butter with the maple syrup. Brush on top of the sliders. Bake for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and slider tops are golden. Makes 12 sliders.
A haunted Hoosier ROAD TRIP
Whether a fan of spooky legends or terrifying tales, this tour of some of Indiana’s haunted places has something for everyone
BY CHRIS ADAM
Avon Haunted Bridge
Photo courtesy of Visit Hendricks County
Are you a fan of fright and haunted places? Do you like to check out locations with spine-tingling tales?
If so, you don’t need to travel far. Indiana is home to many spooky locations with terrifying tales of their histories. Some of these places may be right in your backyard. This road trip features slightly scary to truly frightening places and legends across Indiana, from Fort Wayne to Evansville, with stops in between. Along the way, you can discover mansions, cemeteries, and other locations with sometimes ghastly folklore. Let’s go!
STOP 1: THE BELL MANSION, FORT WAYNE
Want to explore the unexplained? Then, visit the Bell Mansion in Fort Wayne.
It’s just one of many spooky mansions in Indiana. The Bell Mansion was a funeral home for over 90 years, where between 400,000 and 500,000 bodies were embalmed.
Paranormal tours and other events help maintain the 14,000-square-foot, 131-year-old mansion. People who work in or have visited the mansion have experienced everything from fullbody apparitions to footsteps with no one else in the building, music playing with no radio, lights being turned on, doors shutting on their own, and disembodied voices. The team at Bell Mansion has been told their spirits are super friendly and tricksters. Multiple paranormal teams who don’t know each other tell similar stories or have similar experiences.
The Bell Mansion offers ghost tours, and the historic event center can also be used for weddings and parties. Many volunteers work together to preserve it.
STOP 2: AVON HAUNTED BRIDGE, AVON
It’s time to make a stop at an Indiana bridge that’s said to be haunted. There are several legends about why ghosts could occupy the Avon Haunted Bridge.
According to Visit Indiana, one story that has circulated for years is that of a drunken rail worker who slipped during construction and was buried alive in the wet cement. The tale is that when a train goes over the bridge, people claim to still hear his moaning. Another story about the bridge is that a young mother was walking the tracks to take her sick baby to the doctor. She slipped and fell from the bridge, killing both her and her baby. At night, the sounds of the mother screaming for her infant can be heard. The last common legend is of four workers falling to their deaths into White Lick Creek. People claim to still hear thuds and splashes in the creek.
STOP 3: INDIANA STATE SANATORIUM, ROCKVILLE
The Indiana State Sanatorium in Rockville has been called the Midwest’s premier location for paranormal investigation and urban exploration.
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Indiana State Sanatorium
Photo courtesy of Ady Gaddis
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The Sanatorium was the state’s main tuberculosis hospital from 1908 to 1968. In 1976, it re-opened as a health care center. The site was a nursing home and private mental hospital until 2011, when it suddenly closed, leaving behind hundreds of beds and hospital equipment.
Today, the Sanatorium includes the historic tuberculosis hospital, nursing home, mental hospital and supporting buildings, with thousands of feet of steam tunnels.
If you want to explore this location for yourself, there are tours and paranormal investigation opportunities. You can also book the Sanatorium for special events.
STOP 4: EDNA COLLINS COVERED BRIDGE, PUTNAM COUNTY
The next stop on our road trip is another bridge — the Edna Collins Covered Bridge. According to Putnam County Historian Larry Tippin, this is the county’s shortest and most recently constructed covered bridge. Here’s the story, according to Tippin:
Some have claimed the bridge is haunted, either by Edna Collins or another young girl who was said to
have drowned in Little Walnut Creek below the bridge. Folklore suggests that this little girl’s parents would drop her off to swim at the bridge and run errands. Upon returning, they would honk their horn three times, and the child, accompanied by the family dog, would come to the parents’ car. One day, the parents returned to the bridge and honked. The family dog came running, but the child did not, and the parents found her drowned in shallow water.
Indiana State Sanatorium
Photo courtesy of Ady Gaddis
Edna Collins Bridge
Photo courtesy of Putnam County
Some stories add that the mother of the drowned child was so distraught she hung herself on the steps of a nearby church. The legend includes the warning that if a person parks by the bridge and honks three times, handprints will appear on the car windows.
Tippin adds that this legend appears to be based on factual events, but not at the Edna Collins Covered Bridge and not with the people noted.
STOP 5:
100 STEPS CEMETERY, CLAY COUNTY
Is the most haunted cemetery in Indiana near Brazil? Some say so.
The next stop on the haunted road trip is a cemetery in Clay County, known by a few names. Whether you call it the 100 Steps Cemetery, Carpenter Cemetery, or Cloverland Cemetery, it’s a magnet for folklore enthusiasts and ghost hunters.
According to Author Chris Flook, the cemetery was established during the American Civil War and is still active.
Visitors must ascend 100 steps to reach the summit.
According to Flook, a couple of ghostly legends surround this cemetery. The first is that at midnight, under a moonless sky, visitors should count 100 total steps when they reach the summit. Then, they should walk back down and count again — they might count a different number (perhaps caused by a supernatural sleight-of-hand).
The second legend is much spookier. In this one, the visitor looks down the hill from the summit and sees a caretaker who will reveal how the visitor will die. The vision was wrong if the visitor counted the same number of steps while going back down. If there is a different number, the visitor will die in the manner revealed by the phantom caretaker.
Here are two other notes about this haunted location: the cemetery was attacked by at least one body snatcher in 1892, and it’s only open from sunrise to sunset.
STOP 6:
THE BENJAMIN SCHENCK MANSION, VEVAY
This road trip includes another haunted mansion — this time in southern Indiana.
The Benjamin Schenck Mansion in Vevay is said to be one of the most haunted places in all of Indiana.
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100-steps cemetery
Photo courtesy of Chris Flook
The Benjamin Schenck Mansion
According to legend, the Schenck Mansion was built on the ruins of an older structure lost in a fire that consumed it and a couple trapped inside. There have also been stories about guests at the Schenck Mansion feeling the presence of “non-living guests” and single men being woken up by ghostly kisses. There have also been reports of flickering lights and unsourced sounds.
The Schenck Mansion was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2022. In 2020, it was sold to tattoo artist and television personality Kat Von D.
STOP 7: WILLARD LIBRARY, EVANSVILLE
You may have heard about the Willard Library, as it’s gained a lot of attention from ghost hunters.
Willard Library in Evansville was built as a tribute by Willard Carpenter, who never saw its completion due to his death in 1883. Opened in 1885, the gothic-revival library was left to the Board of Trustees, bypassing his family. His daughter, Louise, unsuccessfully sued for property rights and later moved to New England, where she died in 1908.
In 1937, the first sighting of the Grey Lady Ghost occurred in the library’s basement. continued from page 23
Wayne
Vevay
Evansville
Clay County
Rockville
Avon
Putnam County
A maintenance man saw a young woman in a Victorian-era dress disappear while stocking the furnace with coal. The Grey Lady Ghost has since made her presence known through the scent of perfume, distant crying, and books falling off shelves. Several sightings have also been captured on the library’s 24/7 ghost cams, which were installed in the early 2000s.
These haunted road trip stops are just the tip of the iceberg regarding scary places in Indiana. There are hundreds of locations across the state that have the potential to give you a fright. The opportunity to experience paranormal activity could be closer than you think.
Willard Library
Photo courtesy of Willard Library
GRAB A FORK AND BUCKLE UP
The Hoosier Pie Trail offers endless varieties for every kind of pie connoisseur
For fans of flaky crusts and an abundance of filling across Indiana, the Hoosier Pie Trail beckons. Indiana Foodways Alliance, a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to the celebration, promotion, and preservation of the authentic food culture of Indiana, has compiled a list of 36 stops throughout the state.
What’s your pleasure? Crispy, nutty, fruity, or velvety smooth? Seasonal, traditional, historical? The list includes diners, restaurants, candy stores, and even a brewery offering anything your palate might desire. Below, we highlight three stops that might tempt your appetite for travel and gastronomic adventure.
MRS. WICK’S RESTAURANT & PIE SHOP
100 Cherry St., Winchester wickspies.com | 765-584-7437
With 1940s beginnings as humble as the sugar cream pie believed to have been brought to the state in the mid-1800s by the Shaker community, Mrs. Wick’s Restaurant & Pie Shop has turned Indiana’s sweet trademark into a culinary empire, staking its claim as “the largest sugar cream pie manufacturer in the world.”
Still a Wickersham family enterprise with a restaurant and retail outlet at their full-service bakery on Cherry Street, Wick’s Pies include chicken, turkey, and beef, and dozens of dessert pies diners may eat in or have shipped. Just a sampling includes all the standards you would expect,
DAS DUTCHMAN ESSENHAUS
240 U.S. 20, Middlebury essenhaus.com | 574-825-9471
Opened in 1971 by Bob and Sue Miller as an Amish-style restaurant, Das Dutchman Essenhaus has grown to include an inn, conference center, and a bakery that landed the business on the Hoosier Pie Trail. In addition to pastries, bread, cookies, cakes, and muffins, the establishment’s pie menu offers about three dozen seasonal selections and several sugar-free options. The list includes shoofly, praline pecan cream, chocolate peanut butter banana, butterscotch, and their top two bestsellers, red raspberry cream and Dutch apple.
STORIE’S RESTAURANT
109 E. Main St., Greensburg facebook.com/storiesrestaurant | 812-663-9948
In the small town made famous for the tree growing from the top of its courthouse tower, Tony and Gega Sharp purchased Storie’s Restaurant in 2021, complete with the family recipes served there since its opening by the Storie family in 1977.
On the menu is the tale of the “tower tree,” as well as Storie’s comfort food staples, like its tenderloin sandwich, homemade meatloaf, and fried chicken. The restaurant’s dessert menu consists of an assortment of pies, including the traditional sugar cream and Reese’s pie, with an Oreo cookie crust, peanut butter, and melted chocolate topping. Whether fruit, cream, baked, or meringue, all the pies are made fresh in-store, sold whole or by the slice. About 150 pies are sold per week, with Sunday’s leftovers sold at
Veni Fields is a journalist and freelance writer from Virginia Beach.
To see all the Hoosier Pie Trail stops and to plan other culinary adventures with Indiana Foodways Alliances’ 20 other food trails, go to indianafoodways.com/trails.
A right-of-way in Hoosier National Forest was seeded and is growing into an environmentally friendly pollinator habitat.
A COMMITMENT TO HABITAT PROTECTION
Hoosier Energy receives Pollinate Program grant for purposeful vegetation management
Two years ago, Hoosier Energy became the first generation and transmission cooperative to receive a Certificate of Inclusion for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Nationwide Candidate Conservation Agree with Assurances (CCAA) for the monarch butterfly.
That commitment to integrated vegetation management and the practices encouraging habitat maintenance and development continues to reap benefits.
This summer, Hoosier Energy was one of 11 utilities awarded a grant from the Pollinate Program at the University of Illinois-Chicago’s Energy Resources Center. The $10,000 award will help develop an integrated vegetation management plan to maintain pollinator habitat on rights-of-way within the Hoosier National Forest.
It sounds simple enough, but the Monarch CCAA tied all the moving pieces together.
The project dates back to late 2021 when Hoosier Energy approached Hoosier National Forest about using herbicidal spray to control incompatible, woody-stemmed vegetation within the rights-of-way instead of mowing and, in some cases, hand-cutting brush.
With the Monarch CCAA in hand in 2022, Hoosier Energy began to file the paperwork necessary to revise its permit with Hoosier National Forest to allow the use of herbicides.
After going through local and regional levels, the request headed to Washington, D.C., where the decision was made that Hoosier Energy qualified for a categorical exclusion of “collaborative effort” with Hoosier National Forest for habitat development thanks to the Monarch CCAA.
“It was the first time that categorical exclusion had been used in this scenario,” said Dave Appel, Hoosier Energy Environmental Team Lead. “It was a landmark decision Washington came up with.”
The paperwork is ongoing with hopes of a final resolution in late 2024, but as this process was taking place, the opportunity to apply for the Pollinate Program award came up.
The goal is to use the grant money to develop new habitats and maintain ones already seeded. There was also a recent meeting with biologists from Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever at potential sites for future habitats.
It’s further proof that the Monarch CCAA was a worthwhile investment.
“This is a big win for Hoosier Energy,” Appel said. “As the first co-op G&T in the country to enter into this agreement, we see so many benefits to our enrollment.”
COOPERATIVE-SPONSORED YOUTH PROGRAMS LEAD TO REWARDING CAREER
In 2018, high school junior Greg Jekel applied to participate in the Indiana Electric Cooperatives Youth Tour to Washington, D.C., and received the approval of his co-op, Clark County REMC, to join the 100-member Hoosier delegation that June.
It wasn’t the last time Jekel would complete a successful IEC application. During his senior year, he inked a form for another youth program, Page Day, at the Indiana Statehouse and was rewarded with an inside look at state government.
But Jekel wasn’t finished. Four years later, mindful of his looming May 2023 graduation from Purdue University, he began contemplating career options and again felt drawn to IEC. “I liked the idea of a not-for-profit power company, and I liked the idea of working in the community I grew up in,” said the Floyds Knobs, Indiana, native. So he dug through old emails until he found one from Ann Mears, IEC careers and youth partnerships director.
“She was the one managing Youth Tour, and I knew she also headed up their recruitment efforts,” Jekel said. “I emailed her, and she told me about some employment opportunities.”
By the end of his graduation month, he had applied for and gained a new title — system planning engineer at Hoosier
Energy in Bloomington.
Though it wasn’t in the community he grew up in, the atmosphere feels homey enough to Jekel — both in and out of the office.
“Everyone is willing to trust you with responsibility,” he said of his coworkers, “and teach you everything you could ask.” Jekel is especially impressed by his co-op’s willingness to fill job openings with existing employees, citing an instance when “four people got promoted at once.”
Jekel said his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering has helped him understand the technical aspects of the job, whose duties include analyzing whether the power demands of a new neighborhood, manufacturer, or other client will overtax the current system.
“We have to figure out what should be built to allow them to put that power on the grid without damaging the existing system,” he said. “Is our substation suitable for that load, or are we going to have to upgrade our substation?”
“It’s very interesting to be in this job at this time,” Jekel said in what sounded like an understatement. He relishes the fact that his cutting-edge co-op career began with a high school trip to the nation’s capital: “I’m the poster child for Youth Tour.”
2018 ATTENDED Youth Tour to Washington, D.C. Clark County REMC
2019 ATTENDED Page Day Clark County REMC
2023 HIRED System
Planning Engineer Hoosier Energy
THE COLOR OF
My wife and I are country people, and for four or five months of the year, we watch as a lush green curtain is gradually pulled around us. It is a welcomed thing after we have outlasted the brown and muddy months of winter. Still, with deep woodlands behind us to the east and endless fields stretching toward the western horizon, we eventually look out every window in our house into a sea of green. In the hottest summer months, we feel nearly smothered by our own trees.
That is until late August and early September. By then, we begin to notice a thinning, a sense that the green is giving way to a new palette. First, in the skinny and reddened fingers of creepers and ivies that have spent all summer conquering fence posts and power poles alike, and then in the haggard yellowing leaves of the soybeans that often go to bronze in a matter of a few days. The opportunistic roadside sumacs seem to follow soon after.
By late in the ninth month, there are hints that we have reached a point of no return, that in a fevered rush, those once vigorous trees, juicy corn stalks, and ravenous and
spreading roadside weeds have entered into a race of sorts as they pull off a quick change and then drop into a ground carpet of rich decay. Their mingled scents, the bluer, clearer skies of October, and the almost-welcomed bite of first frosts and early sunsets and brown rattle usher in, then out, the colors of fall.
The two of us make the time in mid-October to take a special walk, one that has become a tradition. Together, we tramp along a rocky, shallow branch that gurgles out of the hills of her parents’ small farm, and from there, we climb to the top of a beautiful wooded ridge, always under the shade of poplars and beeches, each year noting that it takes just a bit longer for us to reach the top. It is a favorite day, for if we choose it well, the colors of fall are peaking, and there is no better place to see them than in the woods where she spent a childhood, one that she would return to in a minute if she had the chance.
I once asked a quantitative forest ecologist why trees changed colors and why some years were better suited for it than others. He told me that foliage changes
color in a “complex bioclimaticphysiological system,” and he mentioned temperature anomalies and precipitation amounts and the trees’ production of certain chemicals, such as “anthocyanin and carotenoids.” Partially because I once took a course in botany and am interested in such things, I even understood much of what he said.
But if you are ever to ask me, as our young grandsons have as we’ve hiked along the creek’s banks or climbed those same steep hillsides under a glittering shower of maple orange and black cherry gold, I would say it is magic, that the leaves tire of their greenness and drop for reasons we are too small to fully understand. We should just breathe deeply, take it all in, and enjoy it together while we can.
Mike Lunsford is a freelance columnist, feature writer, and photographer, primarily for the Terre Haute Tribune-Star and Terre Haute Living magazine. The author of seven books lives in Parke County with his wife, Joanie. Contact Lunsford at hickory913@gmail.com.
