Better Newspaper Contest

Division 2 Best Short Feature Story/ Category 8 First Suzannah Couch Brown County Democrat (Nashville) Students gain greater awareness during Ability Week Clearly the strongest work in this group. Compelling lead, followed by vivid writing on disability simulations. Captures the voices of students, teacher and others with empathy. Very infor- mative without being dry. Second Jo Ann Spieth-Saylor The Corydon Democrat Georgetown man's new heart came in a box Third Ben Kibbey Brown County Democrat (Nashville) Restoring history: Cemetery preservation projects Best Profile Feature/Category 9 First Suzannah Couch Brown County Democrat (Nashville) 'I'm proud of my life': County's oldest veteran celebrates 100th birth- day Really enjoyed this profile — well-written, informative and colorful. I feel as if I know this man, which is the mark of a good profile piece. Second Kate Wehlann The Salem Democrat 'It's Been Good' Well-written piece about a man who has influenced countless lives in his career. Third Suzannah Couch Brown County Democrat (Nashville) 'Department of imagination' Well-researched, well-written profile. Best In-depth Feature or Feature Package/Category 10 First Suzannah Couch & Sara Clifford Brown County Democrat (Nashville) Citizens Law Enforcement Academy What a terrific idea...and an even better feature. Good story, terrific art. Really liked this entry. Second Stephanie Taylor-Ferriell The Salem Leader A taste of what the rest of the world eats Many communities have these "Taste of ..." things, but I enjoyed the story and presentation here. A good job. Third Staff Brown County Democrat (Nashville) Yesteryear Good series of stories. Especially enjoyed the Little Nashville story, having gone there several times years ago. Nice job. Students gain greater awareness during Ability Week 'I'm proud of my life': County's oldest veteran celebrates 100th birthday Suzannah Couch Brown County Democrat (Nashville) The task seemed simple: opening and closing the restroom door, going to the handicap stall, getting a piece of toilet paper, throwing it away and then washing and drying hands. But sixth-grader Audrey Harder struggled to even get the handicap stall door open. No one was helping her. Last week, Brown County Intermediate School students learned that tasks they might think were simple aren't that way for everyone. "I thought that wheelchairs weren't that hard to move around," Harder said. "(It was) hard to get out (of the bathroom)," fifth-grader Lexie Austin said. "I kept on getting in the way of the door, and then I opened the door and then I hit the wheelchair." Special education teacher Kristen Cole started Ability Week at Brown County Intermediate School last April. Students spend a week learning about and experiencing what it is like to have a disability. Cole has been a special education teacher in Brown County Schools for five years. She said she's always felt that the children and staff were "automatically already very accepting of my kids," but "a lot of times, especially if kids don't get outside of their community or outside their normal routine, they may not experience what it's like, or they may not see someone or run across someone who has a special need. "Or if they do, and they've never experienced it before, they panic because they don't know how to handle it or what to expect." Four Ability Weeks throughout the school year take students through exercises that simulate autism, hearing loss, physical impairments and visual impairments. 'Having that 24/7' Last April, students went through an autism simulation. They were given a test to take. But when they were told to start, the volunteers running the exercise turned on fans, squirted scents in the air and gave them visual distractions, all the while urging them to hurry. "You could just tell the anxiety started to come in some of the kids," Cole said. "And I said, 'OK guys, think. That feeling that you have, think about having that 24/7.'" Students were also given beads to put in their shoes. "Some of the kids, it drove them crazy," Cole said. "Other kids actually loved it and said they wanted it to remain; they wanted something like that. "I said, 'OK, this is a perfect example. Something that might bug you a little bit is something that doesn't bug someone else, but for a person with autism, it's amplified by like 100 ... and they have no way of letting you know what it is.'" Suzannah Couch Brown County Democrat (Nashville) When asked about the secret to living to see his 100th birthday, Robert "Bob" Vollmer raises his right hand and begins to recite an oath. It's not an oath that Brown County's oldest veteran took in the military. It's an oath he took as a child in Boy Scouts. "'On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty ...' That says it right there," Vollmer said. "'To help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.' That's what I do." Vollmer turned 100 on May 20. He and his wife, Katrina, celebrated with 150 to 200 people at their church near Bargersville. Earlier in the week, he also celebrated with the American Legion Post 13 at Veterans Hall on Deer Run Lane. "He is a wonderful man. He has a great sense of humor, and he's an encyclopedia of knowledge," said Ron Higgins, the service officer at the Brown County Veterans Affairs Office. "There's just almost nothing he doesn't know." He's also very generous, Higgins said. The first thing you see when you enter Veterans Hall, Vollmer donated. It's a carving of boots with an M16 rifle sticking in the ground and a helmet on top. Vollmer, a World War II veteran, attends all of the veteran meetings, Higgins said. He's a member of the American Legion Post 13 and VFW Post 6195. His life has been one of service and dedication — and he still hasn't stopped. He's still working for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, having been a surveyor for nearly 60 years. "I tried to quit several times, but I don't know. It just gets in your blood, and you keep going," he said. He doesn't know if he ever will retire. He likens himself to the Energizer Bunny. "He don't quit. He's my favorite character. You go until you fall down," Vollmer said. "That's the way you won the war. You didn't retreat. … If you retreated, you lost," he said. "I am proud of my life. I don't quit until I get it done." Vollmer served with the U.S. Navy SeaBees, the naval construction force. He was working for ADT in Detroit when Pearl Harbor happened. For the complete story, visit hspa.com. For the complete story, visit hspa.com. Citizens Law Enforcement Academy Suzannah Couch & Sara Clifford- Brown County Democrat (Nashville) On the back side of Brown County Sheriff's Department coffee mugs is a verse from the Gospel of John: "Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Thirty-one officers from four agencies patrol Brown County's highways, back roads, forests and lakes, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Thirteen others volunteer when they are able. They stand by when you're changing a tire, step in when a conversation gets out of hand, stand up for victims when laws have been broken, check it out when something in your neighborhood doesn't seem right. Yet, though we see them working daily, few citizens really know how officers do their jobs, Sheriff Scott Southerland said. To that end, the Brown County Sheriff's Department invited 20 people to a two-day Citizens Law Enforcement Academy this fall. Southerland hopes to expand it next year. "Many recent events in our county, state and nation have drawn attention to law enforcement agencies and the difficult mission of keeping our citizens safe while still guaranteeing their constitutionally protected rights," the sheriff wrote in a letter to participants. "Policies and techniques have experienced some rapid changes lately and I believe it is important that you, the leaders of our community, understand the mission, operating procedures, equipment, tactics and people of this department as we strive to serve you the best we can." They're not loafing How many times have you seen a group of officers lined up in their cars with their windows down, or packed into a booth at McDonald's, talking? Don't they have anything better to do? For the complete story, visit hspa.com. Page 23

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