News in Brief - April '26

ON finalist for four SPJ Indiana awards

The Owen News is a finalist for four awards in the Indiana Pro Chapter of The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) 2025 Best of the Best in Indiana contest.

The annual contest celebrates journalism from newsrooms across the state.

The Owen News is a finalist in the following categories: Coverage of Children's Issues, Coverage of Government or Politics, Criminal Justice Reporting and Features Writing.

"We're proud of the work that we do and are honored to play a crucial role in keeping our community informed and sharing our community's story. That is what defines success for us," Executive Editor Nicole DeCriscio said. "We're focused on providing the highest quality journalism that we can, and winning awards, especially in a wide variety of reporting categories helps display our overall commitment to excellence and is an affirmation of the quality of the work we produce to serve our community."

The awards contest is judged by journalists from another SPJ chapter, located outside of the state of Indiana.

"We're thankful that we get to serve the community in this way, and we couldn't do this work without the support of our community through volunteers, donors, advertisers and readers," DeCriscio added.

The placement of the award finalists will be announced at the SPJ Indiana Pro Chapter's annual banquet on April 17. The Owen News Facebook page will post information immediately following the banquet, and The Owen News website, theowennews.org, will have a story announcing the results in the next issue.

The Owen News, which began printing a monthly newspaper in April 2024, is Indiana's first nonprofit newspaper.

ON named in statewide news ecosystem report

A new statewide report from Indiana University's Media School examining the health of local journalism in Indiana has been released, and The Owen News is among the outlets specifically recognized.

The Indiana News Ecosystem Report analyzes more than 200 news organizations across the state and highlights key trends, including persistent gaps in local news coverage, particularly in rural communities, and the growing role of nonprofit and independent outlets in filling those gaps.

The report highlights both the challenges and opportunities for local journalism in Indiana. While one of the takeaways is the inequality of local news coverage between urban and rural communities, The Owen News is listed as a specific exception to this statewide trend.

The full report is available to read online through Indiana University's Media School website.

Fish Creek Watershed 319 Grant

The Owen County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) is proud to announce the official commencement of the Fish Creek Watershed 319 Implementation Grant. This initiative marks a significant step forward in local efforts to protect and restore water quality throughout the region through the implementation of conservation practices that specifically address nonpoint source sediment, nutrient, and E. coli issues.

To kick off the program, the SWCD will host the first Advisory Committee meeting on April 27 at 6 p.m. The meeting will take place at the Owen County Public Library, located at 10 S. Montgomery St., Spencer.

A primary goal of the upcoming meeting is to establish Cost-Share Program Guidelines. These guidelines will determine how financial incentives are distributed to local landowners who implement conservation practices on their property.

For more information about this initiative, visit watershed-alliance.org or owencountyswcd.org. You may also visit the Owen County SWCD office at 788 Pottersville Rd., Spencer.

Gosport History Museum opens in May

The Gosport History Museum will open the first weekend in May. At present, spring housecleaning is in progress, moving items, working on stored collections and general sprucing up for the new season.

New displays being considered feature the Gosport Community Building, which will have its 60th anniversary, and the Gosport Volunteer Fire Department, which has a long and interesting story.

As always, volunteers are needed, and anyone interested in being a docent, or serving in other functions may call Debbie Wampler at 812-821-3007.

Family researchers and other history buffs are invited to browse the museum's vast collection of documents and records of all things Gosport, Harrison and Wayne townships. After opening, the museum will welcome visitors on Fridays and Saturdays or by special appointment. The museum is located at 19 N. Fourth St., Gosport.

Sparks to compete in All-Star Futures Game

Aubrey Sparks, a sophomore at Owen Valley High School, was recently named to the South roster for the 2026 IndyStar Indiana Girls' All-Star "Futures Game." The game, set for June 1, will feature 24 (12 on each team) of the top freshmen and sophomores from across the state.

Players and coaches for the All-Star Futures Games are selected by a Futures Games committee co-chaired by games director Mike Broughton and Bill Zych, a retired coach who amassed a 478-375 record over 37 seasons while a head coach at Winamac, Rensselaer Central, Jay County, Center Grove, Shelbyville, Perry Meridian, Pike and Southport.

The Futures Games, one each for boys and girls, are a fourth-year part of the Indiana All-Star basketball program. The Futures Games will pair teams of current Indiana freshmen and sophomores in a North-South format. The fourth annual Futures Games doubleheader will be held at a site to be determined. The girls' game is set for 6 p.m., and the boys' game will follow around 8 p.m.

DAR honors S-OCS students

Spencer-Owen Community Schools recently recognized two students who were honored by the Bloomington chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).

McCormick's Creek Elementary School student Rob Anderson received the National Defense Committee Youth Leadership Award, while Owen Valley High School senior Sadie Neff was recognized with the DAR Good Citizen Award.

Rob is the son of Robert and Becca Anderson of Gosport, while Sadie is the daughter of Anton and Shannon Neff of Spencer.

National Technical Honors Society inductees

The following Cloverdale High School students were recently inducted into the National Technical Honors Society at the Area 30 Career Center: Keith Atkerson, Madison Shumaker, Kaylee Butler, Jace Gardner, Colby Sinclair, Skye Golson, Trevin Pease, Rylee Green, Jason Withrow and Mackenzie Finchum.

Honored returning students included: Kaidence Salsbury and Mackenzie Farmer.

2026 ISSMA State Solo & Ensemble Contest

Cloverdale students Blake Atkerson, Felicity Knight, Ethan Luthe, Baye Montgomery and Kendra Titus recently performed at the 2026 ISSMA State Solo & Ensemble Contest at North Central High School.

Titus and Luthe both received gold ratings for their solos.

Atkerson earned a silver rating for his solo, while the saxophone trio of Titus, Knight and Montgomery also received a silver rating.

Cook Group supports Backpack Buddies

Cook Group recently supported the Backpack Buddies Program at Spencer-Owen Community Schools (S-OCS). A food drive at Cook resulted in over 200 jars of peanut butter and 5,571 nonperishable food items to support this important cause.

Donations to the Backpack Buddies Program enable S-OCS to create food bags to send home weekly with students experiencing food insecurity.

Track chairs coming to State Parks

Visitors to Indiana State Parks with limited mobility will soon have a free tool available to help them get outside and explore trails, with state-of-the-art track chairs coming to all Indiana State Parks throughout the state, including McCormick's Creek.

A track chair is an all-terrain, electric-powered wheelchair that helps people with limited mobility safely explore rugged, off-road environments.

Purchase of 45 track chairs was made possible by $1 million in funding from Lilly Endowment, Inc. The funds were part of a $50 million grant the foundation made to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources in 2024 to support new development and upgrades across the Indiana State Park system. The track chairs will be distributed statewide for use at each Indiana State Park and Indiana State Park Inn. The new chairs supplement the 13 powered mobility chairs that are currently available at Indiana State Parks.

"DNR works daily to ensure Indiana's public lands are accessible to all," said Alan Morrison, DNR director. "Whether it's traversing a trail, viewing wildlife, enjoying the beach, fishing, hunting, or other outdoor pursuits, our DNR properties are open and welcome to Hoosiers of all interests and abilities. With support from Lilly Endowment, we're proud to be the national leader in track chairs at our state parks."

Caregiver support group to have April meeting

Area 10 Agency on Aging and Dementia Friendly Owen County facilitates care partner support groups at the Owen County Public Library, 10 S. Montgomery St. in Spencer, on the fourth Thursday of each month.

The morning support group offering is scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and the evening support group offering is scheduled from 5 to 6 p.m. The next support groups are scheduled for April 23.

Questions may be directed to Julia Mauder by calling 812-935-2582 or emailing jmauder@area10agency.org.