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By Jerry Curry, Staff Writer

The local Washington County Family YMCA has many vibrant projects and activities.

In an effort to bring together their members, staff, and those passionate about gardening they have planted a community garden. The garden is “for those that want to learn to be able to better the place we live.”

All are invited to come out and help care for the garden. This includes weeding and pruning. The garden is full of nutritional vegetables. There are multiple types of peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, cabbage, sweet corn, green beans, green onions, some herbs, okra, cucumbers, zucchini, broccoli, brussel sprouts, and swiss chard.

In conjunction with the harvest of these delicious vegetables, the Y will be having classes on nutrition and canning.
Inside the lobby they will be having their annual “Give what you can, take what you need market”. If anybody has extra produce from their garden, they are encourage to drop it off.

All plants and tools were donated by Ace Hardware of Salem, Tractor Supply, Mark Worley, Tom Baker and staff.

The garden is located behind the YMCA parking lot at 1709 N. Shelby St. in Salem.

Follow the YMCA on their Face Book page, “Washington Co. Family YMCA” for updates and classes.

If anybody has questions, please reach out to Devin Shields at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. The organization has a wish list on Amazon of items that are needed—it can be reached on the Facebook page under the “Community Garden” posting.

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By Abigail Shields, Website Editor

Crown Hill Cemetery, 207 S. Shelby St., Salem, will be the location for the Memorial Day Ceremony, honoring deceased soldiers, on Monday, May 27, at 11 a.m.

The guest speaker is Major General Dale Lyles, who is Indiana's current adjutant general.

Salem High School band members will be singing and performing. Boy Scout Troop 4029 will attend to the flag.

Delbert Wray is the chaplain for this event.

American Legion Post 41 will have the color guard duties, and VFW post 6636 will be the firing squad.

Ladies from the American Legion, VFW and DAR will be placing the wreaths.

John Quatroke will be readfing the names of verterans who have passed away since Memorial Day 2023.

There will be a free dinner avaliable to the public after the event at the American Legion Post 41 which is located at 105 Hughes Veteran Drive. Donations can be made to the Sons of American Legion to help with the food costs.

Flags have been placed on over 8,000 graves of county veterans. Andrew D. Bush, Washington County Veterans Service Officer, thanks the many volunteers who assisted with this task

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This Memorial Day, families can embrace various measures to honor fallen veterans.

The freedoms people living in the United States are afforded would not have been possible to provide if not for the brave efforts and undying commitment of the many individuals who have served in the nation's armed forces. American military personnel have played vital roles in securing freedoms for their fellow citizens as well as individuals overseas.

Each year on the final Monday in May, the United States commemorates military personnel who lost their lives while serving in the armed forces. Those individuals made the ultimate sacrifice, and Memorial Day is a way to honor them and thank their families for their selfless acts. This Memorial Day, families can embrace various measures to honor fallen veterans.

· Visit a local veterans cemetery. The United Service Organization (USO) notes that most states have national veterans cemeteries. Though some veterans cemeteries are open only to family members of service personnel, others are open to the general public. Visiting a veterans cemetery is a great way to honor fallen military members and ensure the memory of their service and sacrifice is not forgotten on Memorial Day.

· Celebrate veterans over Memorial Day weekend. Memorial Day weekend is now synonymous with getaways and backyard barbecues. By taking time out during the weekend to honor fallen veterans, families can ensure the meaning behind the holiday is not lost in the midst of celebrations with family and friends. Take time out during a family barbecue to discuss a family member who served or, if traveling, make an effort to visit a veterans memorial along your travel route.

· Help raise funds for veterans organizations. Fun runs or community Memorial Day walks may benefit local veterans organizations that help service members in need. Many service members may need help dealing with the deaths of friends or family members who died while serving in the armed forces, and veterans organizations may provide such help or direct funds to groups that do. That makes participation in events that benefit veterans organizations a great way to honor current military personnel and those who have served in the past, including those who died in service of their country.

· Teach youngsters about the role of the armed forces. There's a lot competing for the attention of today's young people, and that can make it easy to overlook the very freedoms that make the United States such a unique country throughout world history. Parents and guardians can emphasize the role the armed forces play in procuring and protecting freedoms in the United States and emphasize the significance of the sacrifices of those who gave their lives to ensure a higher quality of life for all U.S. residents.

Memorial Day commemorates military personnel who died while serving in the armed forces. There is much families can do to ensure those sacrifices are never forgotten or taken for granted.

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By: Washington County Community Foundation

The generous donors of the Washington County Community Foundation awarded grants to non-profit organizations serving Washington County by for the Spring 2024 grant cycle. Grants are awarded from the foundation’s Touch Tomorrow Funds.

Outside the Walls was awarded a grant for $3,375.00 to build wheelchair ramps in order to provide a safe way for elderly and disabled residents to enter and exit their homes.

The Dulcimer Homecoming Retreat will be making its way back to Washington County in 2025 thanks to a $1,100.00 grant.

Get ready for fun at the Pekin Fourth of July Celebration! The Pekin Community Betterment Organization was awarded a $4,750.00 grant to assist with carnival rides at the festival.

Jackson Township Volunteer Fire Department was awarded a $5,500.00 grant to assist with Personal Protection Equipment for the volunteer firefighters. The equipment protects them from toxic and hazardous materials during fires.

Several students at East Washington Elementary School will be getting new backpacks and water bottles to kick off the new school year. A $1,060.93 grant will be used to purchase those items for their back to school event.

Students in all county schools will be learning about Financial Literacy from Junior Achievement due to a $2,500.00 grant to the organization. Students will be visiting Biz Town and Finance Park in addition to the lessons they’ll be learning.

Free family fun across the county will be available throughout the year thanks to a $14,500.00 grant to the Washington County Family YMCA for substance free alternative events. Look for the events on social media so you can be sure to sign up.

The Home Stretch Foundation, a new nonprofit in Washington County, has been awarded a $6,000.00 grant to support their mission of being a catalyst that paves a smooth transition to successful adulthood for at-risk youth.

A new entertainment platform will be the newest addition at Becks Mill. They were awarded a $4,500.00 grant to aid in the construction of the platform.

Thank you to the donors of Washington County Community Foundation for making our community a better place for our residents through their generosity and compassion for Washington County.

Washington County Community Foundation is a nonprofit public charity established in 1993 to serve donors, award grants, and provide leadership to improve Washington County forever.

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Southern Indiana Junior Rodeo is gearing up for the 2024 season!

Some helpful information for the season and all rodeos:

1.Check-in takes place Friday nights between 7-8pm and again Saturday mornings from 7-8am

We need to know all scratches and additions BEFORE 8am Saturday morning of the rodeo. If you have signed up for a rodeo and are not going to be able to make it, you need to call the Rodeo Secretary BEFORE 8am Saturday morning of the rodeo so that we do not delay the rodeo looking for your child(ren).

2. Western attire is mandatory for competitors in the arena: long sleeve western shirt, boots and cowboy hat or helmet are required to be worn by anyone competing in the arena. Pre-K competitors are encouraged to follow this as well.

3. The run sheet you have received over email may not exactly match the one the Announcer and Judges will have. This is because we may have someone "scratch" out of an event which would cause the run order to bump up. We may also have some last minute entries to that event as well. Just be ready when your event is going on and listen for your name!

4. Your child(ren)'s minimum $100 sponsorship is due by the third rodeo, July 6, 2024. The minimum per family is $300 for 3 or more children. It is important to meet this deadline so that your child can continue to earn points towards year-end placings. You have the rest of the Season to turn in any additional sponsorship monies if you want to reach other levels of sponsorship awards!

5. If you feed Kalmbach Feeds, save those Proof of Purchase tags from your Tribute Equine Nutrition bags of feed and turn them in at the Announcer's Booth. For each proof of purchase we collect, Kalmbach will give 25 cents back to our Association.

All rodeos take place at:

Southern Indiana Junior Rodeo Arena

7596 West State Road 56

Salem, Indiana 47167

For more information, please visit sijra.org