The Worthington Times

October is here and the leaves have started changing their colors.  By the end of the month, the show will be over.  Some years it’s hard to predict which weekend will be the most colorful one, and the very best time to take that Sunday afternoon drive.  So do you know about Indiana’s leaf cams?  Here’s a link to watch the leaves change colors day-by-day through The Leaf Cam in Brown County State Park… There are others at locations farther north or south but the leaves here in Greene County progress at about the same rate as those in Brown County.  The leaf cams are turned off at night but are on every day through the Fall Season.  The leaf cam will also be listed in the Weather Links on the Times site.  For those who are far from home and can’t see the leaves out their kitchen window, check out the leaf cam - remember when you were kicking through those bright yellow leaves walking up Main Street after school in Worthington? 

In the Greene County Daily World today - if you read their article about the reaction of county law enforcement agencies to the rising gas prices, you’ll be proud of the Worthington Police Department.  Where others say they are now cutting back on off-duty driving, the WPD said they started conserving long before the current crisis and have started foot patrols!  Click here  to read it on the World site.

The Worthington Girl Scouts, Spring 2007 

Interest in scouting may have waned in this modern-day, but not for the crew pictured above. The Worthington Girl Scouts are small in number but big on commitment.

The members of Girl Scout Troop 1461 include Cassie Pipkins, Stephanie Pierce and Virginia Rochelle in the front row; and in the back row, Courtney French, Kayti Savage, Laura Moore and Chantel Bredeweg, plus Kelly Sapp who is not pictured.

Scouts in the front row are Cadets. Those in the top row are all Senior Scouts, with Laura and Chantel graduating from WRV this year. They are led by Troop Leader Belinda Pipkins and Assistant Troop Leader Ruthie French. All started their scouting careers at a young age and likely will continue on, perhaps to eventually become leaders themselves. There’s no problem getting them to show up — they look forward to their weekly meetings on Monday evenings in the basement of the Methodist Church.

Besides selling nuts, candy and their famous cookies, camping, caroling, and working on badges (their top priority badge this year was Law & Order), they have a tendency to step up for extra duty.

They volunteered to work as assistants for WonderLab when they staged a science and nature fair for younger children, they volunteered for extra duty at the Walk-A-Thon for Aubree, and every year they volunteer to be behind-the-scenes workers at the annual Haunted Camp enjoyed by all other girl scouts in the area. They also have the distinction of starting the first Girl Scout-produced newsletter for all area Girl Scouts.

Besides working hard in their jeans, this group knows how to “put on the Ritz.” Instead of spending their extra money on an end-of-year pizza or skating party, they will vote to treat themselves to a night on the town. Their last evening out was spent at Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre in Indianapolis to see the musical “Singing In The Rain.”

Troop 1461 is a unique group of young ladies and their hometown can be proud of the way they have represented Worthington in scouting.

Last Monday morning at WRV High School, a note found in the girls’ restroom in the junior high area carried a threatening message. It was taken very seriously and the school was evacuated.

As students left the building, law enforcement officers went in. While students waited on the track and baseball fields well away from the building, administrators made the decision to dismiss for the day at all three WRV schools. Word spread quickly through the community and parents arrived in short order to pick up students. All possessions in the school and all cars in the parking lot had to be left behind so student drivers took buses or found other ways to get home.

Much later in the day, an all-clear signal went out and students were allowed to return for necessities from the school and vehicles from the lot.

School was in session as normal on Tuesday morning when this paper went to press.

By many accounts related to the Times by parents and by students who were there, the WRV community can breathe a small sigh of relief, because students and school are safe, and because we now see a well-thought-out plan in place, administrators who do not hesitate, teachers who remain calm, and parents who do not panic but react quickly.

We all hope this plan is never tested again, but it is nice to know that WRV has been doing their homework.

School is expected to be in session as usual tomorrow, Tuesday, May 22.  Here’s the revised schedule for the week that was posted on the WRV High website this afternoon.

WHITE RIVER VALLEY JR./SR. HIGH SCHOOL

DUE TO THE BOMB THREAT AND THE CANCELLATION OF SCHOOL ON MONDAY, MAY 21, WE WILL NEED TO RESCHEDULE SOME EVENTS FOR THIS WEEK. THE NEW SCHEDULE IS AS FOLLOWS:

TUESDAY: SENIORS WILL ATTEND A FULL DAY TO FINISH FINALS.

SENIORS WILL HAVE PIZZA PROVIDED FOR 2^ND LUNCH BY SENIOR PARENTS.

8^TH GRADE AWARDS PROGRAM WILL BE HELD AT 1:30 IN THE CAFETERIA.

WEDNESDAY: 7:30 AM – SENIOR/STAFF BREAKFAST

AFTER BREAKFAST, SENIORS WILL PRACTICE FOR GRADUATION AND WILL BE RELEASED TO LEAVE.

GRADES 7-11 – FINALS PERIODS 1,3,5,7

THURSDAY: GRADES 7-11 – FINALS PERIODS 2,4,6,7

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL.

For more updates on the WRV situation, here are links to other news websites that have posted the story and may post more information as announcements are made:

The Greene County Daily World

WTWO Channel Two in Terre Haute

WTHI Channel Ten in Terre Haute

The Greene County Daily World and several other news organizations have reported that all WRV Schools, including WRV Worthington and WRV Lyons as well as the high school, are being dismissed early.  Students will be leaving as soon as the buses can get there to take them home or as soon as parents pick them up.  Until then, students are outside the building on the track and baseball fields.

The Greene County Sheriff’s Office was called and the Indiana State Police are bringing in a bomb squad.  The bomb threat was called in earlier today. 

This info is now confirmed - go pick up your kids.  What is not confirmed is an actual bomb being found in the building.  That may not be known for awhile until the bomb squad goes through every nook and cranny.

Readers calling in say school has been dismissed for the day and students are being sent home - this is uncomfirmed but seems likely.  Also reported is that a dog team from Crane has been called in.  The eighth grade graduation ceremonies were scheduled for this afternoon - that can wait.    

Uncomfirmed report by a reader that there has been a bomb threat at the WRV High School.

Jefferson Township Trustee Mike Steward would like to remind all owners of personal property in Jefferson Township that the due date for filing a personal property tax return was May 15.

A filing must be made on the following personal property: business inventory and equipment, RVs, motor homes, pickup campers, three- and four-wheelers, and farm inventory and equipment. No dog tax is due at this time.

If a return is not filed, a $25 penalty may be added to the taxes due.

The trustee’s office is located at 12 N Washington in downtown Worthington. For more information, call 875-2711.