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Election Day for the 2024 Primary Election is Tuesday, May 7.  Polls will be open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Remember to take your photo ID to the polling location.

Following are the polling locations in Washington County:

Salem I, II, III & IV--Salem Armory, 1100 N. Shelby St., Salem

Washington I, III &IV--Washington County Fairgrounds 4-H Building, 118 N. Fair St., Salem

Brown/Vernon Townships--Community Building, 125 S. Sycamore St., Campbellsburg

Franklin Township--Franklin Twp. Firehouse, 7047 E. State Road 160, Salem

Gibson Township--Gibson Twp. Firehouse, 571 N. State Road 39, Little York

Howard Township--Howard Twp. Firehouse, 5279 S. Beck's Mill Road, Salem

Jackson Township--Jackson Twp. Firehouse, 4330 E. Martinsburg Fire Road, Pekin

Jefferson/Monroe Townships--Monroe Twp. Firehouse, 8382 N. Lick Skillet Road, Vallonia

Madison Township--Livonia Firehouse--383 E. Main St., Campbellsburg

Pierce/Polk Townships--Pekin Park Community Building, 340 S. Park St., Pekin

Posey Township--Fellowship Baptist Mission Center, 9271 W. US Highway 150, Hardinsburg

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By Jerry Curry, Staff Writer

The Pekin Community Betterment Committee, lead by Shelby Lain Whitaker, is planning a mural for the exterior of the shelter building in Pekin Park, in conjunction with Center for Rural Engagement. The IU Center for Rural Engagement will be designing the mural.

Nicole Vasconi , the IU Hoosier Quality Place Liaison, gave a presentation Thursday May 2, at the shelter house. Assisting her was Sara Marshall, Rural Placemaking Fellow.

Graham Phillips and Quincy Scott are in charge of comprehensive design. They work in tandem with IU ServeDesign Center at the Eskenazi School of Art.

The initial discussion of the meeting covered Pekin community assets. Categories included education, employers and employment, political, public services, natural resources, leadership, social networks, housing, food services and health and wellness.

Attendees were asked to consider a hypothetical question “What if Pekin Park because a gem of southern Indiana.” One thing mentioned was the Monon Trail as a natural asset. Whitaker’s statement was, “Upgrade things without stepping on toes and preserve history.” The driving focus should be to bring out the strengths of the community.

More information can be found at PekinFourthofJuly.com/PCBO. Indiana University will create the design and Pekin Community Betterment Organizations’ Shelby Whitaker will be in charge of fund-raising and finding an artist. Several designs will be submitted to before one is chosen.

In attendance was the Pekin Town Manager, Jaden Stone. The Washington County Community Foundation was represented by Judy Johnson, executive director, and Lindsey Wage-Smith. Resenting Washington County Tourism were Susan Lloyd and Laurie Jackson.

Pekin Park is used for many events including weddings, Easter egg hunts and, of course, the playground.

Pekin is noted for its Fourth of July Parade. This year will be the town’s 194th annual parade.

Staff photos by Jerry Curry

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Indiana’s Natural Resources Commission (NRC) has opened a second public comment period for proposed changes to Indiana’s deer hunting rules before it votes on final adoption of the proposed changes. Most proposed changes intend to simplify Indiana’s deer hunting rules to make them easier to understand.

Public comments can be submitted online at IN.gov/nrc/rules/rulemaking-docket via the “Submit Comments Here” link in the Rulemaking Docket for the Deer Hunting Amendments. Comments can also be mailed to:

Natural Resources Commission 
Indiana Government Center North  
100 North Senate Ave., Room N103 
Indianapolis, IN 46204

The deadline for submitting public comments is May 20. A public hearing will be held on May 20 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. ET at Atterbury Fish & Wildlife Area, 7970 S. Rowe St., Edinburgh, IN 46124; you can attend in person or online during that timeframe. There will also be an in-person-only open house immediately before the hearing, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. ET at the same location. To attend the public hearing online, starting at 5:30 p.m. on May 20, go to Microsoft Teams and enter Meeting ID 213 479 076 835 and Passcode Ack2vu.

Sign up for updates online at wildlife.IN.gov/rule-regulation-changes.

Proposed changes include:

• A statewide bag limit of six antlerless deer as well as a newly created county antlerless bag limit instead of season antlerless bag limits. Because of this change, the bonus antlerless license would be the multiple-season antlerless license that could be used in the archery, muzzleloader, and firearms seasons.
• Hunters would not be able to harvest an antlerless deer on Fish & Wildlife properties with a firearm.
• The use of crossbow equipment would be allowed under the archery license.
• The minimum caliber for a muzzleloader would be reduced from 0.44 inches to 0.40 inches.
• If a deer is unfit for human consumption, DNR staff would be able to issue an authorization to take an antlerless deer in its place that will not count toward the statewide bag limit or county limit.
• Adding the deer reduction zones and county antlerless bag limits.
• Removing the special antlerless firearms season. 

For more information on the proposed rule changes, visit wildlife.IN.gov/rule-regulation-changes/

Questions about the proposed deer regulation changes should be directed to 812-334-3795 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..