Top 10 Local News Stories Of 2016: 6 Through 10

Friday, December 30, 2016 at 6:27 AM

By Mike Perleberg and Travis Thayer (Undated) - The year 2016 in Eagle Country has been marked by surprises, inspiration, losses, and championships. Each final week of December, the Eagle Country 99.3 news team reflects on the year that was in local news. We've compiled a list of the top 10 local news stories we've covered over the past 12 months. These stories were chosen because of their importance, staying power, and popularity among website visitors. Stories #6 through #10 are listed below. The five biggest stories of 2016 will be revealed on the Eagle Country 99.3 Morning Show Friday morning and published online. 6. Burglars Torch An Important Rising Sun Business File photo. Valley Supple Hardware was the only hardware shop in the small city of Rising Sun. Friendly and familiar faces greeted customers who wanted to save time driving to other hardware stores out of town. That bit of small town Americana all went up in flames when the hardware store was gutted by an intense fire in May. Investigators determined the fire was arson. A couple weeks later, police arrested an employee of the store and an accomplice who detectives believe set the fire in an attempt to cover up a burglary. The criminal cases against Devon Radcliff and Curtis Taulbee are still pending in Ohio County court. A jury trial is currently scheduled for February 27. Both men are facing up to 50 years if convicted. The store owned by the Copeland family has yet to reopen. 7. Controversy at the Aurora Farmers Fair Photo by ThrowAwayAllTheHate/Imgur. Some said it was upsetting. Many others viewed it as not such a big deal. Regardless, the float entered in the parade by the Linkmeyer family was the one that had everybody talking. In a contentious election year, the float featured men dressed up as presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Some took issue with the Clinton character sitting in an electric chair with the switch being thrown by a Trump look-a-like. A statue painted in blackface with a sign reading “OBAMA” also brought criticism that the float was permitted to appear in the parade. The Aurora Lions Club, organizers of the fair and parade, said the float did not represent their views. The City of Aurora also released a statement expressing disappointment with the float and defending the Aurora Lions Club. 8. Eagle Country Lost Many Notable Individuals In 2016 While many world-renowned musicians, actors, actresses, and athletes died in 2016, our area lost its share of local celebrities this year. Two of them were associated with Eagle Country 99.3. Louie Dreith, host of the popular Sunday morning program "The Country Church," died in June at the age of 81. Since the mid-1990s, he hosted the weekly radio show featuring gospel music, stories, poems, and honoring service members. Milan Town Board member Bob Branigan had been a longtime sportscaster on Eagle Country 99.3 up until 2006. The former East Central High School teacher and Ivy Tech Community College instructor died in January at age 68. Other well-known individuals who passed away this year include:

Bob Engel – He wore jersey number 5 on the legendary Milan High School 1954 state championship basketball team that inspired the movie Hoosiers. Though a good player in the eyes of teammate Bobby Plump, a back injury and family circumstances kept him from playing ball after high school. His death leaves nine of the 11 ’54 team members still living.

Bill Kuntz – “The Voice of the Wildcats” was 90-years-old when he died in February. Kuntz was the public address announcer on Friday nights for football games at Harrison High School. The 1943 Harrison graduate only missed two Wildcat home games in that time. He was 90.

Lonnie Mack – World-famous rock, blues, and country guitarist born and raised in Dearborn County. He died in April at 74-years-old.

Peggy “Miss Kitty” Eckerty – A longtime teacher at Switzerland County Community Schools who was once the Indiana History Teacher of the Year. She died of breast cancer at age 63 in August.

Phil Weaver – The Dearborn County Treasurer and former clerk of courts served in elected office for 36 consecutive years. He was an honorary Indiana Bicentennial Torchbearer just weeks before his death at age 66 in October.

Clarence Kelly – The Milan 1954 team lost another key member in 2016. “Coach” Kelly was an assistant under MHS head coach Marvin Wood during the Indians’ timeless championship season. He also led the construction of Milan High School’s first running track.

9. 40-Vehicle Pileup On Interstate 74 Photo by Indiana State Police. National headlines were made locally when a blinding snow squall contributed to a pileup of 40 cars, trucks, and semis on Interstate 74 in West Harrison on January 12. After an initial accident near the Brookville exit, other upcoming drivers could not stop in time to avoid a series of collisions. Miraculously, only one person suffered minor injuries when they were struck by debris. Motorists stranded with their cars stuck in the wreck were housed at nearby Shelton Fireworks. Police, firefighters, and towing crews worked hard to get the highway back open within 10 hours of the crash. Listen to 911 calls from the pile-up here. 10. Southeastern Indiana High School Athletes Excel Photo courtesy JCDSports / Twitter. 2016 was a special year for local high school sports. Five southeastern Indiana teams or individuals made appearances in state championship games or matches. Lawrenceburg High School’s Mason Parris became the first wrestler in school history to earn the title of "state champion" in February. The 220-pound then-sophomore completed a 52-0 season with a 13-4 decision in the final match against Avon’s Gunnar Larson. It was the only match all season which he did not win by a pin or tech fall. The City of Lawrenceburg declared February 22 “Mason Parris Day” in the city. The Jac-Cen-Del High School Lady Eagles captured the small school’s first girls basketball state championship in February. The 27-1 title season was capped with a 57-39 win over Argos in the IHSAA 1A Championship game, highlighted by 12 points from Lilly Simon. JCD head coach Scott Smith has had many talented teams over his 16 years leading the program, but none had achieved this level of success. In October, the Lawrenceburg girls soccer team came within a game of a state championship. The Bill Offutt-coached Tigers had won their fourth straight regional championship, and parlayed that into a state finals appearance. #10 LHS fell in the title game to #7 Andrean by a 2-0 score in the IHSAA 1A state championship game. Like Parris, Oldenburg Academy senior cross country runner Curt Eckstein was dominant in his run to a state title in October. After finishing third in the 2015 state finals, Eckstein returned determined. He outran the field and crossed the finish line at the state championship meet in 15:13, about 27 seconds faster than the next closest competitor. Eckstein, who has committed to continue his cross country career at Purdue University, was also honored with the IHSAA’s Charles F. Mass Mental Attitude Award. Tiger Town had another athletic accomplishment to be proud of in November. Led by quarterback Reid Strobl and record-setting tailback Austin Bowling, the Lawrenceburg football team returned to the IHSAA football state finals for the first time since 1985. The championship game didn’t go the Tigers’ way, however, as Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran defeated them 56-14. Senior linebacker Jake Ruberg was given the IHSAA’s Blake Ress Mental Attitude Award for Class 3A football. The Tigers finished the season with a 13-2 record. Honorable mention "Worst of the worst" child molester sentenced to the maximum The New York Times publishes article about Dearborn County justice system Quality of life improvements idea behind I-275 beautification, Lawrenceburg riverfront development proposals Ripley County's EMS service controversy South Ripley High School named a National Blue Ribbon School Citizens challenge South Dearborn High School improvements