The stage is being set for this weekends activities.

Work was underway yesterday along Vaughn Drive and in Bicentennial Park for Riverrun 2012. Vendors were arriving and the performance stage was being set up and made ready for the 3 day music fest that takes place in the park located along Vaughn Drive and West Street.
The festival,formerly known as Folk Festival,takes place this weekend here in Madison. This is the 7th anniversary of the show and it looks to have a great lineup.

Check out the events website at: http://www.ohiorivervalleyfolkfestival.com/ for more information on this fun,family friendly,folk festival that’s become a Madison tradition!

Related Posts:

1. River Level at Madison Indiana
2. Ohio River Flirting with Flood Stage (March 2011)
3. “Madison” Screening at Bicentennial Park

Mayor Welch has announced a potential new employer coming to Madison. You can watch the video below for more details and leave a comment to share your thoughts. Read more on the city’s blog.

Quick Information

• “Confidential” California-based manufacturer in the “renewable energy” field
• Over $3 million in grants already approved
• Madison will construct the building on 6 acres using the new industrial park and then lease it back to said company
• Potential of 200 jobs paying $16 per hour
• Further action will be taken next Tuesday 22 May at the city council

Obviously, there are many questions to ask about this proposal and the video above only gives broad details of the potential deal. At first listen, it sounds like all the investment is coming from local sources. But the prospect of new jobs is something every small city is desperately seeking.

Related Posts:

1. Madison’s 2011 Mayoral Election: Damon Welch Vs. Tim Armstrong

Save the Roadrunner!

With all the spirited discussion about campus closings in Madison, there is one minor point we shouldn’t overlook.

This whole shortfall is closely related to declining enrollment. But the report, even allows for worse problems if enrollment declines escalate.

Especially when these two schools have such good numbers with the Indiana DOE. Dupont (link) and Anderson (link)

Do Closings Accelerate Enrollment Drain?

With so many choices for parents (open districts, charter, private, and homeschool),  what do we expect all this conflict will produce? Can you think of a faster way to further drain enrollment than pulling the plug on much-loved schools?

It all seems like a vicious cycle. We’d love to hear your opinion. Leave a comment below.

Related Posts:

1. Private School Vouchers in Madison
2. Weather Closings in Madison & Jefferson County Indiana
3. Two Madison Elementary Schools Facing Closure

Image Courtesy of Google Earth, Deputy Elementary Safe for Now

Another year, another round of school closing proposals.

• Click here for the May 15 presentation
• You can also take the MCS funding survey.

At a special community meeting on 15 May 2012, the acting  Superintendent of Madison Consolidated Schools recommended new closures of two additional elementary schools.

Dupont (link) and Anderson (link) are both on the chopping block. At least that was the recommendation from acting chief of schools, Steve Gookins.

Readers will remember that last March, Dr. Thomas G. Patterson (now retired), Superintendent of Madison Consolidated Schools, has suggested that two local elementary schools be closed. Based on the March 9th 2011 school board minutes, this would help the school corporation avoid a financial crisis.

Last year it was Dupont Elementary and Deputy Elementary. The outlying county schools currently have smaller enrollment, although Census trends suggest the county will continue to grow while the city population declines.

This May 2012 discussion comes only 2 years after the Board voted to close Canaan Elementary. Those cuts have not satisfied the current budget shortfalls.

This issue is just beginning and the community still has a chance to help the board see other alternatives. Click here if you would like to leave a comment about this issue.

Related Posts:

1. Southwestern Schools in Hanover “Balanced Calendar” for 2011-2012
2. Madison Consolidated Schools 2011-2012 Balanced Calendar
3. Don’t Miss the Fine Print in Gookins School Board Report

Is drug & alcohol abuse a growing problem in our community?

At a recent event with the Mayor, I raised the issue of drug & alcohol abuse in our community. My point was a little off-topic for the meeting, but it’s something that needs more discussion.

If you talk to anyone in local law enforcement, they will tell you about our drug problem. Almost all of the inmates at our county jail have some connection to substance abuse.

If you talk to the local child protective service, they will tell you about our drug problem. Almost all of the families who require these services also struggle with drug or alcohol issues.

If you talk to our local educators, they will tell you about our drug problem. Almost all of the students who are “dropping out” have some connection to “getting high.”

If you read our local newspaper (which you really should), you will see we have it all. From Meth, DUI, prescription pills, and the latest synthetics.

Of course, there are no easy answers. This was not a problem that begin in one generation and it will take several decades to reverse the trends. At the same time, our community can’t keep quite.

We need more enforcement, more prevention, more education, more rehabilitation, and more public compassion. All of that starts with awareness.

Are we worse than other towns our size? Maybe not, but it seems bad when they bust a meth lab only a few blocks away.

Comments are open below. I would love to hear your feedback on this issue.

No related posts.

A view of the Madison-Milton Bridge taken from the Milton side.

Update 1:30 PM on May 2012: The bridge has re-opened, but no new findings yet.

At 10:45 p.m. Friday, Kentucky State Police closed the Madison-Milton Bridge until further notice for an “emergency inspection” due to reports of falling debris coming from the bridge itself.

Inspectors are waiting until daylight to assess the damage (if any). Here is the official statement:

5/12/2012 – Milton-Madison Bridge Team News Release
The Milton-Madison Bridge was closed late last night by law enforcement on both sides of the river after calls regarding safety concerns on the bridge were received through the Madison, Ind. 911 system. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet sent a bridge engineer to review the structure last night. An initial review did not show anything out of the ordinary. A full team of KYTC bridge inspectors is at work at the bridge this morning.

The Mayor’s office sent out txt message at 1:20 PM confirming the bridge is back open… no word yet on why objects were falling off overnight. “Caveat emptor”

Related Posts:

1. Madison-Milton Bridge Closure Dates
2. Madison Bridge Explosion: 3 Demolition Videos
3. Ohio River Flirting with Flood Stage (March 2011)

John Cline: Canoe Commuter

“Down beside where the waters flow…
On the banks of the Ohio ”

The Madison-Milton bridge which has stood for 80+ years is currently closed for five days(beginning at 12:10 am Wednesday April 25th)so that the existing approach ramps on both sides can be demolished and the new,temporary,ramps may be attached.

The closure has forced those on each side of the Ohio River to drive well out of their way to travel between the two cities that the bridge is named for.

A drive that previously lasted perhaps all of 5 minutes now takes no less than an hour for those crossing at Markland Dam (and at least two hours if they were to drive to Louisville or Jeffersonville to cross).

This extended driving time, coupled with the already high,and still rising,gas prices has inspired some area residents to commute,at least part of their way, to work via boat.

I was able to speak with a few of those hearty souls who have chosen this means of getting themselves to and from Madison and Milton.

John Cline is one of those souls.

Mr. Cline, father of nine children and a Milton,Kentucky resident,stated that he was facing a 3hr drive each morning in order to get to his job in North Vernon until he decided to canoe across the river instead.

 Mr.Cline leaves his vehicle at the Milton Wesleyan Church. From the church he,and his eldest son,then paddle across the river to the landing at the base of Ferry Street where they part ways,with father walking up Ferry to Pilgrim Holiness Church. He then picks up his parents’ vehicle and continues on to work while his son turns around and paddles back to Kentucky, returning later in order to bring his father home.

The Hudson family making their return trip to Milton,KY

The Hudson family has also chosen to take to the river to get to their respective places of work and school here on the Indiana side.

Savannah Mullikin (née Hudson),along with her sister Amanda and their father Kevin, also stated the extended drive time and the higher gas prices were reasons to choose this method of getting to work and school. Mr. Hudson is the owner of  Hudson Auto Sales on East Second and Harrison Streets in Madison;his daughter ,Savannah,works at KDH as a medical assistant,and  his younger daughter,Amanda,is a student at Hope Baptist Academy in Chelsea, Indiana.

Savannah and Amanda both say that so far they’ve been enjoying their atypical mode of crossing  the river,adding that they’re “an adventurous family”.  Savannah said that they’ve had only one ‘scary’ moment and that was earlier this same day as they paddled over to the Madison side. The fog on the river was still quite dense at that time and they were fearful that they may collide with one of the many barges that ply the Ohio.

Despite the enjoyable nature of the experience they said that they would not want to do this all the time.

Related Posts:

1. Ohio River Flirting with Flood Stage (March 2011)
2. Madison-Milton Bridge Closed For Emergency Inspection
3. River Level at Madison Indiana

The talk of the town today was the impending demolition at the Milton-Madison Bridge. After waiting all morning (and into the afternoon) the big explosion came around 1:20 PM. This page will link to video & photographs of the bridge explosion below.

More Video of the Milton-Madison Bridge Implosion

• Wave3 posted this areial footage on Facebook
• Ken Richie posted this video to the Madison Courier
• The Mayor’s office posted the video above on YouTube
• Close-up video from the workers location
• WHAS 11 posted their video and story
• Walter Long posted his video on YouTube (watch below)

Photos from Facebook

• Welders cutting the supports before the explosion
• Excavator removing the road surface overnight
• Walter Long’s video of the bridge approach before the ramps were demolished
• After the explosion demo photograph

City of Madison

• The Mayor’s office (Facebook & Twitter) will post media later this afternoon.
• Video of Mayor Welch onsite during overnight road removal

Madison Courier Video & Reports

• Video slideshow of overnight photos before the explosion
• The Madison Courier (Facebook & Twitter) will have more coverage forthcoming

Local Television Coverage

• Several local stations were onsite. We’ll link their coverage once it’s online

This is only the first phase of the building project. The demolition above is the Indiana approach. The full demolition will be later in 2012.

The Bridge spans the Ohio River between Milton, Kentucky and Madison, Indiana. It was dedicated on December 20, 1929 and has served the community for over 82 years.

Related Posts:

1. Madison-Milton Bridge Closed For Emergency Inspection
2. Madison-Milton Bridge Closure Dates
3. Marble Hill Demolition Video

The first week of bridge closure will be Wednesday 25 April 2012 until Sunday 29 April 2012.

During those dates, traffic will be shifted to the new temporary ramps. Drivers are expected to use the temporary ramps for approximately nine months while construction continues on the temporary piers and new truss bridge just west of the existing bridge.

One major impact will be the new traffic flow along Ferry Street, beside Key West Shrimp House. The intersection of SR 56 and Ferry St. will convert to a 3-way stop. A 3-way stop will be placed at Ferry St. and Vaughn Dr. in Madison.

More details from the official press release

During the planned five-day closure, ferry service will be provided to carry emergency vehicles across the river from the Milton boat ramp to a temporary boat ramp at Ferry St. in Madison. The Milton boat ramp will be closed to boaters during the closure period. During the closure, drivers will detour to the Markland Locks and Dam Bridge, 26 miles upstream, or  Louisville, 46 miles downstream.

Mayor Welch Talking About the Dates

Related Posts:

1. Madison-Milton Bridge Closed For Emergency Inspection
2. Madison Bridge Explosion: 3 Demolition Videos
3. Canoe Commuters: On The Banks Of The Ohio

March is always a great time to visit Madison, but this year several downtown businesses have planned special events around Saint Patrick’s Day. For more detailed information, be sure to call the visitor’s center (812-265-2956) or download their flyer.

Friday 16 March 2012 “St. Paddy’s Party”

Taste of Ireland $20..00 Per Person. Sample 5 traditional Irish dishes at participating restaurants. Advance Tickets required by March 14th at the Visitors Center and Partiiciipatiing restaurants. Colcannon at Shooters Soda Bread, Scones & Marmalade at Franco’’s Champ at Thomas Family Winery, Guinness Stew at Joeyg’s, Irish Apple Cake at the Downtowner

Irish Road Bowliing. 5–7 pm (kilts optional) in the alley South of Main between West & Jefferson Street. (sign up at Jefferson St.

Leprechaun Costume $50 prize to be awarded. Stores wiil be open later for shopping. You can enjoy free Trolley Rides, bagpipers, step dancing, and random leprechaun sightings.

You can learn more about St. Patrick’s Day on Wikipedia. Just watch out for Leprechauns,

Related Posts:

1. Population Growth of Jefferson County Indiana
2. Madison Population as a Percent of Jefferson County Indiana
3. Historical Population of Madison, Indiana (Chart)