News in Brief - February 2026

Burgess returning as OVHS head football coach

Veteran head coach Troy Burgess is returning to the sidelines of Patriot Field for the 2026-27 football season at Owen Valley High School (OVHS). Burgess was approved last month by the Spencer-Owen School Board.

Patriot fans will no doubt remember Burgess, who guided the varsity Patriots to a 33-9 overall record from 1998-2001, highlighted by a pair of undefeated regular seasons and three West Central Conference titles.

Burgess, who currently serves as athletic director at South Putnam High School, owns a 121-92 career record across 20 seasons. He last coached at Frontier (2017-19) before returning to South Putnam where he was head coach from 2006-13.

OVHS is where Burgess began his career, first as an assistant, then as head coach before assistant Duane Potts took over the reins for the next 19 years. Potts, who came back as an assistant last year for coach Eric Crouch, will remain on staff as defensive coordinator. Potts also serves as assistant principal at Owen Valley Middle School.

Burgess was recently added to the Wabash Valley Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame. His coaching career has included two sectional championships at South Putnam. He later led Evansville Central to the Class 4A title game in 2018, losing in a memorable four overtime showdown.

In high school, Burgess was Steve Alford's backcourt mate for two seasons at New Castle. He later played football for two years at Purdue before transferring to Ball State, where he was strictly a student.

PES hosts Hunter's Education course

Patricksburg Elementary School (PES) hosted a Hunter's Education course on Jan. 31. Nearly 70 participants received instruction in the areas of safe firearm use and handling while hunting, as well as in the home, hunter ethics and responsibility, game identification, and conservation management.

PES partnered with Indiana Conservation Officers Caleb Hutchison and Matt Mauder, along with Daniel Rhienhart and Mitchell Fleetwood to provide this valuable community service.

Officer Hutchison (an alumnus of PES) and Officer Mauder led the day-long Hunter's Education instruction, while Rhienhart and Fleetwood guided participants through the medical and safety portion of the training.

State law requires all hunters born on or after Dec. 31, 1986 to complete hunter education certification before purchasing a hunting license in Indiana.

Owen-Putnam State Forest 50/50 Trail Race

The annual Owen-Putnam State Forest 50/50 Trail Race will take place Saturday, Mar. 21. Participants will tackle a demanding mix of hiking trails, horse paths, and service roads throughout the state forest. Distance options include 50 miles, 50K, 14 miles, and a 10K.

For course information, complete details, and to register, visit www.ops5050.com.

The Owen-Putnam State Forest office is located at 2153 Fish Creek Rd., Spencer.

Indiana CCAA recognizes Judge Hanlon

Owen County Circuit Court II Judge Kelsey Hanlon was recently honored by the Indiana Commission on Court Appointed Attorneys (CCAA) for her eight years of service to the CCAA. Hanlon received a plaque of appreciation from CCAA Chair Mark Rutherford and CCAA Executive Director Derrick Mason.

Since 1989, the Indiana CCAA has existed to recommend standards for indigent defense in capital cases, to adopt guidelines of salary and fee schedules for individual county reimbursement eligibility, and to review and approve requests for reimbursement in capital cases. In 1993, the responsibility of the Commission was expanded to include the adoption of guidelines and standards for county reimbursement eligibility in non-capital cases.

The Commission is comprised of 11 members: three are appointed by the Governor; three by the Chief Justice; one by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute; two are members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House; and two are members of the Senate appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

To learn more about the CCAA, visit www.in.gov/ccaa.