Top 10 Local News Stories Of 2017: 6 Through 10

By Mike Perleberg Eagle Country 99.3 News’ Mike Perleberg and Travis Thayer have ranked the top ten local news stories of the year. The rankings are based on each story’s impact, how long it remained in the headlines, and how popular respective articles were on the radio station’s website. Stories #6 through #10 are listed below. Find stories #1 through #5 here.   6. State lawmakers targeted local riverboat casino revenue Our number six story of the year largely went down at the Indiana Statehouse. State lawmakers passed House Bill 1350 and it was signed into law by Governor Eric Holcomb in May. The bill makes major changes to the way Indiana’s casinos are taxed, including the three riverboats in southeastern Indiana. Those tax changes will have an impact on local governments’ riverboat revenues. Local state lawmakers including State Rep. Randy Frye (R-Greensburg) succeeded in fighting some aspects of HB 1350. “It’s better than what we could have expected, because in the beginning, they – being other legislators – wanted all of our money,” Frye said when the final bill was passed. Local State Senator Chip Perfect was able to negotiate a provision into the law that will not allow the reduction in annual hold harmless funding received by casino host communities – such as Lawrenceburg and Rising Sun – to go into effect until 2021.   7. Local Special Olympian wins gold at World Games Shortly after is gold medal victory at the World Games in Austria, Chris was draped with the American Flag by fellow teammates. File photo. There were few stories carrying as much a feel-good vibe as that of local Special Olympian Chris Perdue. The 18-year-old South Ripley High School student won a gold medal in snowboarding giant slalom at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Austria last March. In addition to being a gold medalist, Chris Perdue has been a champion for the Ripley-Ohio-Dearborn Counties Special Olympics program. He was asked five years ago to join Special Olympics. “I thought about it for, like, a week and then I asked what kind of stuff they had. They mentioned snowboarding. I used to skateboard when I was little, so I figured if I could skateboard I could snowboard,” he told Eagle Country 99.3 in April. In November, Indiana Special Olympics honored the Versailles resident as the organization’s Spirit of Special Olympics Athlete of the Year. He was also honored by the Indiana Pacers and the Indiana House of Representatives.   8. Southwest Local Schools’ perseverance passes school levy, bond issue William Henry Harrison Junior High School. File photo. It took three attempts in three consecutive years, but the third time was the charm for the Southwest Local School District. In November, voters in the school district narrowly passed a school levy and bond issue which will generate $71.7 million for three new elementary schools, a new middle school, and renovations to Harrison High School. With enrollment growing by leaps and bounds, the district needs the new class space. Hamstra believes community engagement was the difference in getting the community to buy-in and pass the levy on its third appearance on the ballot. “It took place six months before the election. We got over 1,000 folks’ input on the process and there was a lot of compromise along the way. It was not just six to eight people at a table deciding what was going on the ballot. It was a thousand people giving their take,” Hamstra explains. The approved levy and bond issue will raise taxes for property owners in the school district in 2018 and years to follow. Renovations at Harrison High School may begin in 2018 and the four new school buildings could open in the fall of 2021, Hamstra has said.   9. Pride group comes out in southeastern Indiana Ohio River Valley Pride Coalition marched to the Lawrenceburg clock tower on April 7, 2017. Photo provided. The formation of an LGBTQ organization marked a significant step in the social progress of southeastern Indiana. What started as the Dearborn Pride Alliance in January widened its reach in becoming the Ohio River Valley Pride Coalition in April.  The group has allowed local LGBTQ people to become a visible presence in their communities, holding picnics, beach parties, and regular meetings offering support. The organization was formed in part by Shelly Snyder, a Bright woman with a transgender daughter. “Dearborn County is a wonderful place to live, but sometimes we live in bubbles. We have an issue of LGBTQ’s not always being accepted. I think there is a lot of shame,” Snyder said in a February interview. You can learn more about the Ohio River Valley Pride Coalition at www.ohiorivervalleypride.org.   10. Everybody watched the Great American Solar Eclipse South Ripley teacher Clint Giltner captured this image of the August 21, 2017 solar eclipse. Photo provided. Don’t stare too long. It’s the solar eclipse of 2017 checking in at number 10. It was the afternoon of August 21st when folks across the U.S. and across the tri-state paused to take a look at an astronomical phenomenon. Folks took off work or at least ventured outside for a moment to get a glimpse. The eclipse even caused some local school districts to call off classes or dismiss early in hopes of keeping kids from staring at the sun and harming their vision. Many area stores had trouble keeping solar eclipse glasses in stock.   Honorable mentions (in no particular order): Mother, Son Suspected In Dearborn Co. Break-Ins Explosive Device Goes Off In Suspect’s Own Home; May Have Been Targeting Others Iron Horsemen Motorcycle Gang Attacks Man At Hidden Valley Restaurant Switzerland County Player Seriously Injured In Football Game Welcome Back Rabbit Hash General Store Franklin Co. Prosecutor Clears Officers In Fatal Shooting   Most popular 2017 news stories by pageviews at EagleCountryOnline.com: Deputies: Grass Clippings In Road Caused Motorcycle Crash – 103,737 views Police Break Up Home Invasion Robbery in Progress; Leads To Cache Of Drugs – 36,125 views Iron Horsemen Motorcycle Gang Attacks Man At Hidden Valley Restaurant – 24,542 views SEI’s “Main Dealer” Of Meth, Others Charged – 24,114 views Police Find Children, Meth In Downtown Lawrenceburg Apartment – 22,561 views