We're "ON" It! - The Owen News

After more than a year of delays, the Owen County Circuit may make a decision on Quentin Lamont Porter, Jr.’s involvement in the murder of Malik Darea Sims this month.

Porter’s trial is set to begin 9 a.m. July 21 at the Owen County Courthouse. Porter, 27, was charged with one count of murder for the death of Sims, 23, shortly after the man’s body was found by a passerby July 15, 2024 off Stephenson Road near the Owen-Monroe county line. 

An autopsy report determined Sims was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head. He was found about 20 feet from the road wearing red gym shorts, a white tank top, no shoes and had a black plastic bag pulled over his head. Evidence technicians also found what they believed to be related blood and glass fragments.

While law enforcement was at the crime scene, an individual appeared and told them that by using “Find my iPhone” software he could see Sims’ location had been at the spot he was found for at least 20 hours, according to a probable cause affidavit. Law enforcement preliminarily identified the body as Sims.

Another individual, Sims’ friend and roommate, showed up to the scene at about 5:25 p.m. and told investigators he last saw Sims at about 1 p.m. the day before. He later said he saw Sims after 2 p.m. that day with Porter on the front porch of their apartment.

Detectives also spoke to Sims’ girlfriend, who said Sims sent her a Snapchat message mentioning Porter the day before he was found. It said, “Be this ni**a QP got me going through some bulls***.”

Using Flock Safety data and cameras, law enforcement tracked Sims’ gray 2012 Audi A4 and found it was driven to an Indianapolis address registered to Porter’s grandmother on July 14, 2024. As of December 2025, more than 1,800 Flock license plate reader cameras operate in at least 80 Indiana counties and can track drivers in real time. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant for the residence on July 16, 2024, and did not find Porter there at the time, according to the affidavit. 

During the search, Porter’s grandmother and family members told officers Porter arrived at the residence in the Audi A4 at 11 p.m. on July 14, 2024, and told them the vehicle “was going to be his” after being asked if it belonged to him.

Indiana State Police evidence technicians processed the vehicle on July 17, 2024, and found a large amount of blood, bleach traces and spray paint on parts of the interior, as well as seat covers that led police to believe Porter had attempted to clean up or conceal the blood, the affidavit stated.

Using a receipt and surveillance video, ISP found that a man matching a picture of Porter had purchased seat covers and duct tape found in Sims’ vehicle at 10:22 a.m. on July 15, 2024, from O’Reilly Auto Parts.

At about 9 p.m. on July 17 2024, someone called JL Transport Towing and Recovery in Bloomington to tow what they said was a 2012 or 2013 Audi from Porter’s grandmother’s address to an auto care shop in Bloomington. The caller paid $400 for the towing with the same credit card used to purchase the items from O’Reilly, according to the affidavit.

The Owen County Sheriff’s Department arrested Porter with assistance from the Bloomington Police Department, ISP and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

Porter is also facing two level 6 felony charges for auto theft and identity deception, as well as two misdemeanor theft charges. His trial was previously slated for Jan. 20, 2026, but was delayed to July after Owen Circuit Court I Judge Don VanDerMoere II declared a mistrial. 

Of the 120 jury questionnaires sent out for Porter’s trial, 42 were not returned. The court was left with two open juror seats and only one potential juror remaining. 

In May 2025, Porter appeared in court to face related but separate charges of escape and battery against a public safety official, level 5 and 6 felonies. He was found guilty on both counts.

During the July trial, Porter will be represented by public defenders Jacob Fish and Megan Joan Schueler. Owen County Prosecutor Benjamin Kim would like to remind everyone that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Owen County is spending more than $100,000 each year just to keep its aging jail limping along.

"That's just trying to keep it running," Jail Commander Major Bill Snodgrass said. "There's a lot of stuff that we should do that I'm not doing because I don't want to spend the money."

He pointed to the peeling paint on the walls in the jail cells at the Owen County Security Center, but he can't see spending money on a cosmetic repair when a new facility is on the horizon.

Or rather, with a new facility being closer than it has been since the need for a new jail was first discussed more than a decade ago. Snodgrass said he's avoided cosmetic repairs, like the new paint, for the last six years.

In the first six months of the year, Owen County has spent $44,305.39 on repairs just to keep the current jail functioning.

According to numbers provided by Snodgrass, HVAC repairs have cost the county $38,889.64, and plumbing repairs $2,732.85.

And those numbers are only climbing.

Snodgrass estimated that there is another $10,250 in repair expenses that have not yet been billed, including replacing a leaking HVAC valve and blower components serving both the entire facility and the administrative offices.

In addition, at a recent jail committee meeting it was estimated that each month the county waits to start building a new jail increases the cost by approximately $125,000.

A sinking foundation

In the current jail, all the sewer lines are beneath it, so as they deteriorate and need repair, the jail's concrete floor must be broken to access them. Then, new concrete has to be poured to repair the floor.

This all adds to the cost of repairing the jail.

In fact, a few years ago, when a drain collapsed in one of the holding cells known as a drunk tank, it cost $34,000 to repair.

Sheriff Ryan White said with the excess rain in mid-May, the entire facility smelled like raw sewage, and as he pointed out, if you look closely on the outside of the facility at its corners, the brick is cracking as the jail sinks further into the ground.

White, Chief Deputy Matt Miller and Snodgrass led a tour of the facility, and the first issue they pointed out was that the outside door leading into the sallyport is rusted and unable to be secured.

This is something noted in this year's jail inspection report.

"As mentioned in previous years' inspection reports, some doors do not function consistently in PODs F and J and require frequent repair. Sallyport side door does not lock at all, causing facility security issues from the outside," it reads.

This also means that between the booking area and holding cells, there is only one locked door preventing escape.

There hasn't been an escape at this jail facility, but White said they've come close.

"We had a murder suspect who made it all the way to this door and tried to get out," he said.

The jail inspection report also routinely indicates derogatory marks because items are stored in the hallway due to inadequate storage, and items cannot fit through the doors, which are not ADA-compliant. This poses a hazard for ingress and egress in the event of an emergency.

White pointed to the sealer for inmate belongings, which has cut down on disease, odors and insect infestations such as lice and bedbugs.

"It won't fit through the door. We wanted it in here, but it won't fit through the door," White said.

The indoor rec room is empty. Snodgrass would like to get some limited stationary workout equipment, but it too won't fit through the door of the current facility.

The door between the indoor and outdoor rec spaces is also defective. While it doesn't pose the same security threat as the sallyport door, in order to shut and lock the door, it has to be lifted with a crowbar.

When entering one of the pods, White pointed out the boot marks on the door leading into the pod.

"This is from them having to kick the door repeatedly to get the door to function," White said.

Miller said there are doors that haven't worked properly since he started working in the jail in 2004.

Cracks run along the edge where the floor and the wall meet as the two separate, and the jail sinks down. This causes insect problems as well.

"The inmates will take toilet paper, roll it up, get it wet and stuff those holes to keep the ants from coming up because since it's sinking, it has access to bugs," White said.

He also said that they have been fortunate because the current design provides bars up above the cell door, which are all possible ligature points and are off camera from what jail staff can see without entering the pod.

Aside from the high step both in and out of the shower, which the department said has led to inmates falling, the floor of the shower is rusted out, with a white liner added in as an attempt to avoid replacing it, which is pricey.

One of the questions on the jail inspection report asks if plumbing fixtures are repaired promptly.

"Yes, however, as mentioned in last year's inspection report, because of the age of the facility, plumbing issues continue to plague operations as the plumbing fixtures continue to deteriorate, causing operational interference," it reads.

What's worse is that, according to county commissioner Sam Hobbs, the county will be unable to insure the building next year unless they have started working on a new facility.

The county also risks being sued due to the conditions of the jail and the need to preserve constitutional rights.

"The vast majority of people in that facility are not convicted; they're pretrial; they're presumed innocent, and they are not criminals at this point," Miller said. "And even if they are, they still have constitutional rights and the basic conditions that we have to provide for them that we have no choice in that matter."

Eliminating blind entries

One of the important aspects of a new jail is safety, both for staff and inmates.

In the new design, the jail officer at the command center can see inside of every cell in every pod without relying upon a camera or a small window into the pod.

"Each cell, unlike now, each one of these cells also will have cameras in them. So all your shenanigans happen inside the cell, because we can't see in the cell," White said.

Currently, inmates have the ability to use paper to block the window and throw wet toilet paper at the camera to block that view.

"This creates a safe environment, one for the inmates, because if there's a fight, we can see it," White said of the new facility. "Whereas now we have no idea until we go back and review footage… Plus if we have to make entry, we don't know what we're entering. We have no idea; we can't see."

White said it is impossible to change that in the current facility.

Miller said this means officers have to enter the block blind.

"You have no idea what's on the other side of it," he said. "Not only is that an issue for the staff, it's an issue for the inmates because when they do that, it prolongs our entrance into that block to stop whatever may be happening in there."

When that happens, a road officer has to be dispatched to the jail. That officer could be in one of the far-flung parts of the county, requiring 20 minutes or more just to get to the facility.

In addition, the design of the booking desk in the current facility poses a risk to the jail officer booking them, as they can simply walk around the desk.

"When I worked in here, we had one jail officer that was on the floor and almost handcuffed with their own handcuffs before the other officer heard him yell and was able to get around here and get to him, so it does happen," Miller said.

The new facility eliminates that risk.

"This jail is so much more secure than that one. It meets all ADA standards. The safety for our officers and the inmates is absolutely amazing," White said.

Future-proofing the facility

As the project becomes a reality, Snodgrass and White stressed the importance of building for the future. There's a balance between setting the facility up to be used for the full 70 years and trimming costs.

Snodgrass worked in the previous jail, before the current one was built.

"In my opinion, you always want to build for the future in something that's this expensive, that's going to be around that long, not for what works for today; it needs to be bigger than what you need today," he said.

Snodgrass said that when the current jail opened in 1988, it featured 36 beds. It quickly became too small and was expanded to 72 beds by adding extra beds in the cells. This had more wear and tear on the infrastructure.

White said that the 112-bed facility is essential to the future because it has parts that cannot be expanded upon later should the county ever need another pod added on to the facility. The idea of the need for a second pod isn't far-fetched.

White and Hobbs, who was sheriff for two terms before White, said that the maximum that the current jail has had in the last decade was 104 inmates.

Prior to COVID, the jail averaged between 70 and 80 inmates on any given day.

With the pandemic came changes to pre-sentencing guidelines and the ability to release those who are accused on their own recognizance, and that has meant that the average population is between 40 and 60.

"To be honest with you right now, if we were to go out and serve every warrant that is active in the county right now, we'd fill this thing up double," Miller said. "That's just kind of how it goes."

In addition, the legislative changes could mean that the Level 5 felons are eventually housed at the local level, not just Level 6 felons and those with misdemeanor charges.

White pointed to the potential loss for Circuit Court II, which was nearly cut by the legislature this past year. He said that would cause a delay in the courts that would increase the inmate count as well.

The rec area for the new facility includes a toilet and a shower. This means, in a pinch due to a temporary increase in inmates, the new facility could house more inmates by putting portable beds called boats into the area.

Miller also explained that it's very rare that the current jail could hold 72 inmates and properly classify them.

"You have to understand that when you're talking about the population of inmates, a 72 bed count… that means physically we have a place for 72 people to lay their heads," Miller said. "According to jail standards and different statutes, we're required to classify inmates."

That requirement began in 2014 and requires that inmates be segregated not only between men and women but also by the type of crime. They are also required to house codefendants separately.

If the county were to build the 104-bed facility, it would lose adequate group holding and detox holding cells. White explained that these cannot be added on later, as they would require tearing down the sallyport, expanding the secure part of the jail and then rebuilding the sallyport.

"You can't go back. Once it's done, it's done, and you lose that forever," White said.

White also addressed why the site of the current jail isn't adequate for a new jail. There are power line easements that would have to be relocated and three residences that would have to be purchased, in addition to the logistics and cost of housing Owen County's inmates elsewhere for at least 18 months while the jail is being built. It also means the county could never add another pod on, if needed.

"We shoot ourselves in the foot in the future," White said.

There is a joint meeting of the county council and the county commissioners at 5 p.m. July 13. Details on the considerations, comments and concerns from the county council as well as coverage of the jail committee meeting that took place last week can be found on the Owen News' website, theowennews.org.

"The song and dance is over," Hobbs said. "We have to move forward because we don't want to waste any more money."

Persecution.

Freedom.

Fight.

Forgiveness.

About 15 people in the audience listened to Holocaust survivor Eva Mozes Kor's story and progression from anger to forgiving the Nazi doctor that conducted experiments on her in the Auschwitz concentration camp.

Filmmaker Ted Green and Kor's son, Alex Kor, presented the 2018 documentary "Eva A-7063" and facilitated a discussion on June 6 at the Owen County Public Library.

When Green first heard Eva speak, he was "mesmerized right away," he said. "Something struck me, something kind of gnawed at me about her talk."

Eva stood apart from other Holocaust survivors because of her focus on forgiving the Nazis who killed six million Jews and millions of others.

But, while listening to Eva's story, Green noticed something was missing. She presented her story in two parts: her life leading up to and being liberated from Auschwitz and how she forgave the Nazis. The decades in between were absent.

"Her forgiveness didn't quite work for me, because it just seemed so quick," Green said. "What I set out to do is to uncover those 50 years, in hopes that it would better reveal Eva, who she was, and also better explain her path to forgiveness."

The documentary begins with Eva's shaky recorded voice, detailing what she sees and feels during a 1984 trip to the concentration camp with her twin sister, Miriam Mozes Zeiger. Later in the film, more than 70 years after she was deported to the camp, Eva could still remember the moment she arrived and was separated from her mother. She remembered their arms stretched out to each other.

"Mom, I will tell our story," Eva says in the recording. "I will tell our story, because the world must know."

The film explores the history of the Holocaust and Eva's experience with cruelty and antisemitism before and after she was liberated by the Soviet Army. After meeting her husband Mickey — also a survivor — in Israel, the couple moved to Terre Haute, Indiana.

The forward facing goal of Green's work, he said, was to "chronicle the triumph of the human spirit."

In 1984, Eva created the organization Children of Auschwitz Nazi Deadly Lab Experiments Survivors (CANDLES) to find other twins that survived the abusive experiments — where many were mutilated, forcibly sterilized and injected with diseases — conducted by Dr. Josef Mengele.

She worked to bring attention to what she and 3,000 other twins endured and launched a campaign to publicize the experiments and hold Mengele accountable. Up until Eva died in 2019, she spread awareness of the Holocaust, but for many years, harbored anger, the documentary discussed.

She was a fiery activist and was arrested while she demonstrated in the U.S. Capitol rotunda in 1986.

Working toward forgiveness was her way of moving forward.

"She no longer despised her parents; she no longer hated anything German," Alex Kor, her son, said. "She realized that what she needed to do, in her name only, is forgive her mom, forgive her dad, who she really resented, because they didn't save the family. Forgive herself for hating them, forgive Mengele all in her name only. Because she knew it was healthier and happier, and that made her healthier and happier."

Some audiences were skeptical of the documentary at first, but many came to understand and respect her after watching it, Green said.

After hearing Eva's story, or listening to her speak at the CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Terre Haute, they noted the profound impact her message of forgiveness had on their lives.

Spencer resident Michelle DeFord attended the screening. She met Eva at the museum 10 to 15 years ago.

"She changed, my roommate and I, both of our lives just by her words of forgiveness," DeFord said. "I'm thinking, how does a person do that? How is this person able to forgive when such terrible things have happened?"

Both the audience and Alex wiped tears from their eyes that day, watching the film and discussing what forgiveness is to them.

Alex, also a full-time podiatrist, worked with Green on "Eva A-7063" and convinced his mother to be part of the film. He said even now, as he travels with Green to show and discuss the piece, he cries when watching it and often becomes emotional when he gives the presentation about his life, and his mother and father's stories after the screening.

"I would write, it'd be two, three, four in the morning on a Saturday night, writing, crying, reliving my mom's death, reliving my dad's death," Alex said. "And I thought, at some point, what's my end game? Why am I doing this?"

When speaking to some Fort Wayne, Indiana, high school students after their trip to the Dachau Concentration Camp, a professor and expert in death and dying gave a presentation with a slide that said "storytelling is healing" and Alex started crying.

He found an answer to why he was doing it, what he was meant to be doing. He hopes that by sharing his mother and father's stories, he does his part to "remember the past to protect the future."

Green and Alex are now working on developing a feature film about Eva's life.

"The message is so needed," Green said. "It's so critical beyond the Holocaust. I hate to say it, but it's true. With human rights, what's going on in our country, is going on around the world. You have to get these stories out there."

Laughter filled the Owen County Courthouse Square on Saturday, June 13, as residents and visitors gathered for the Owen County Chamber of Commerce's Second Annual Chester Chicken Chuck.

Beginning at 10 a.m., the unique event combined hometown fun with a beloved piece of Owen County history, drawing participants of all ages to downtown Spencer.

The festivities kicked off with a special appearance by Owen County's own Medal of Honor recipient, Sammy Lee Davis, who served as the honorary Master of Ceremonies and had the honor of tossing the very first chicken to officially begin the competition.

The main event, the Chester Chicken Chuck, featured seven teams competing to catch as many rubber chickens as possible as they were launched from the rooftop of the Owen County Courthouse by members of the Owen Valley Fire Territory. This year's competition included a new twist—a special Santa Claus Chicken, worth two points, adding even more excitement to the fast-paced contest.

When all the chickens had flown, The Mighty Clucks, consisting of Liam Ruple and Andrew Moore, emerged as this year's champions, earning bragging rights and the grand prize of Babbs Fried Chicken for a Year.

Following the championship competition, attention turned to the Charity Chicken Chuck, where six teams competed to catch just one chicken. Thanks to the generosity of the Owen County Community Foundation, each participating team received a $50 donation for the charity of its choice, making the event not only entertaining but impactful for local nonprofit organizations.

This year's celebration also expanded with several new activities that brought even more community involvement.

A Chicken Window Decorating Contest invited local businesses to showcase their creativity with custom chicken designs painted by local artist Steve Adams. The winning business, Spencer Pride, took home a traveling trophy topped with a chicken, earning a full year of "clucking rights."

Participants also had the opportunity to show off their creativity during the Chicken Costume Contest, where Jenny Osbourne and Chris Summit captured first place and the $50 grand prize with their crowd-pleasing costumes.

The fun continued with the ever-popular Open Flys, giving everyone a chance to join in the excitement. The festivities began with the Little Chick Fly for children ages 12 and under. Foam chickens, each carrying a prize sticker, were dropped from the courthouse roof, and young participants redeemed their catches at the Babbs tent for prizes.

Next came the Teen Scramble for ages 13 to 17, followed by the Babbs Open Fly for adults ages 18 and older. Every chicken was a winner, but one lucky participant, Robin Reynolds, caught the special prize chicken and walked away with the grand prize—a 98-second shopping spree at Babbs SuperValu.

The Chester Chicken Chuck is more than just a fun-filled competition. It is a modern recreation of a cherished Owen County tradition dating back to the 1930s. Shortly before Christmas, residents gathered downtown to catch live chickens, ducks, and turkeys, which they would then prepare for their family's holiday meal. The event was originally created by Dwight Johnson, Fred White and Chester Babbs as a way to encourage residents to shop locally during the holiday season. Today, the Chamber continues that tradition of supporting local businesses while celebrating the community's rich history. Chester Chicken himself proudly carries the name of one of the event's original founders, Chester Babbs.

The Owen County Chamber of Commerce extends its sincere appreciation to the Owen Valley Fire Territory, volunteers, participants, and the many sponsors whose generosity made this year's event possible.

Whole Bird Sponsors

• Babbs SuperValu
• Smithville
• Spencer Main Street
• Cook Medical
• Owen County Community Foundation

Half Bird Sponsors

• Insurance Services
• Indiana Uplands Realtor
• Technology Services
• World Arts
• Compass Rose

Nugget Sponsors

• Tote-Ally Fresh
• Bates Mechanical
• Andy and Beth Cline

Popcorn Sponsors

• Byers Home Furnishings
• Boys & Girls Club
• Patriot Manufacturing
• Busy Bee Café
• Owen Valley FFA

With another successful year in the books, the Second Annual Chester Chicken Chuck once again proved that few communities can combine history, hometown pride and feather-filled fun quite like Owen County. The Chamber is already looking forward to welcoming everyone back next year for another chance to catch a chicken, win big and celebrate one of the county's most unique traditions.

The Spencer-Owen Community School Corporation (S-OCS) might not be able to afford offering elementary school students free breakfast.

Superintendent Andy Cline told the S-OCS Board of School Trustees at its June 11 meeting that the district is analyzing whether or not it can continue to offer free breakfast. The board set a potential price for the breakfast and discussed price increases to school lunches.

The board requested a 10 cent maximum increase for elementary and secondary lunches, making them $2.90 and $3.30.

Reduced breakfast and lunches will stay the same, at 30 and 40 cents.

Adult lunches are not subject to the 10 cent maximum and will increase by 20 cents, making them $5.20. Across all S-OCS schools, 348,650 meals were served during the 2025-2026 school year.

S-OCS Food Service Director Balinda Wagner said the district's reimbursement rates haven't kept up with inflation, causing the district to reevaluate if they can sustain the program if the surplus costs are left to the district to pay.

Previously, the district was receiving close to $54,000 per year through funding issued during the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly covered the free breakfast. The district also used to receive food through the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program.

"That money was used to provide minimally processed local proteins and produce," Wagner said. "The farmers would get paid for that, and then the schools would receive that food, free of charge, because of the grant money paid for it. We would be able to get fresh beef from Fischer Farms."

The U.S. Department of Agriculture cut the program in March 2025, along with the Local Food Purchase Assistance cooperative agreement, totaling a roughly $1 billion cut in programs that connected communities to local farmers and ranchers.

If the district decides to proceed with paid elementary school breakfast, it would be $1.40. If a student qualifies for free or reduced meals, they will still receive free breakfast, Cline said.

During the 2025-2026 school year, the district served 104,947 free breakfasts for elementary school students, Wagner said in an email. Across all the elementary schools, 649 students qualify for free meals, 90 qualify for reduced meals and 523 don't qualify for either.

All board members were present during the meeting and approved Cline's contract renewal from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2028 for $135,000 annually. The contract also includes a $2,500 stipend if the corporation receives an A letter grade and a $1,000 stipend if it receives a B.

The board approved former assistant principal Jacob Steinmetz to take over as Owen Valley High School principal and former interim principal Kris Samick as Patricksburg Elementary School principal. Samick will also remain in the Director of Communications role.

The board also approved the 2026-2027 student handbooks for the elementary schools, Owen Valley Middle School (OVMS), Owen Valley High School (OVHS), OVHS Alternative School and the OVMS and OVHS athletic handbooks.

It unanimously approved the following items:

• Harmon Consulting Services, LLC 2026 to 2027 contract.
• OVMS first floor flooring quote.
• OVMS surplus item list for English/Language Arts.
• One time stipend for superintendent.

During the meeting, OVMS Principal Tom Arthur gave a presentation detailing data about the school. The school issued more than 460 high school credits this past year, the attendance rate slightly increased, and the school's discipline record has continued to trend downward, he said.

Arthur also talked about the school's approach to teaching math. This past year, the middle school had student teachers from Indiana University. Arthur received an email from IU Clinical Assistant Professor Lori Burch, who asked how the school had developed its conceptual understanding framework.

She told Arthur that IU teaches students that the students they go on to teach need to understand the "why" behind math and how things work.

"'The problem is when I send them out into the field, there's not very many classrooms that that's actually happening in,'" Arthur remembered Burch saying. "'It's still very procedural instruction,' she says. And Dr. Burch looked at us and said, 'To be honest with you, I think you guys are the only ones that's actually doing this.'"

Arthur said the school is working to create more partnerships to give college students field experience inside OVMS math classrooms.

Cline also announced the district had just finished up the grant preparation process for a $35 million artificial intelligence grant, part of a consortium of 10 school corporations. The district will find out by September if it will receive money or not, he said.

He encouraged businesses to attend the Owen County Chamber of Commerce's Employer Partnership Exchange event from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 14 at OVHS. New diploma requirements mean more community service, work or apprenticeship for local teenagers.

"We need our businesses to be prepared to take on some of our students for that type of work," Cline said. "Whether it be paid or not, it is going to be a requirement that will be a challenge for Owen Valley High School."

The board also approved three resignation, one contract, one retirement, one transfer and 13 employment requests.

Resignations

• Kaitlyn Orick, OVHS English teacher
• Chad Smith, OVHS boys cross country coach
• Susan Huffman, SES cook

Contract

• 2026-2028 superintendent contract

Retirement

• Karen Evans, SES nurse assistant

Transfer

• Kali Smith, OVMS bookkeeper

Employment and educational credential assessments

• Bryanna Noesges, SES second-grade teacher
• Emma Yartz, GES first-grade teacher
• Leigh Michael-Peterson, SES severe/moderate instructional assistant
• Holly Murray, SES instructional assistant
• Harrison Wright, SES kindergarten teacher
• Emilee Woods, PES summer custodian
• Matt Beckwith, OVMS YES sponsor
• Jacob Steinmetz, OVHS principal
• Kris Samick, PES principal
• Charley Truax, SES fifth-grade teacher
• Brian Greene, OVHS assistant football coach
• Chase Hiland, OVHS assistant football coach
• Chad Smith, OVHS assistant football coach

The board will meet next at 7 p.m. June 16 in the Mike Wells Memorial Board Room at Central Office, 205 E. Hillside Ave., Spencer.

Sixteen kids scribble inside paper booklets and shade in drawings with colored pencils and markers.

They're writing a children's book. One about a pig named Porky that eats penne pasta and becomes a knight. Another about horses. One girl writes about a chicken jockey from "A Minecraft Movie."

They're all participants at the Owen County Art Guild's fourth summer art camp.

Volunteer Leslie Asher helped lead the camp and said the children worked through several projects of different mediums. One of them involved using Indian ink and two-foot long drawing sticks. The kids created monocolored paintings on paper propped against easels.

The children also used pastels to create pastel drawings of green frogs sitting near lily pads in a pond, using their hands to blend the colors.

The young artists did a different project this year, which moved away from what the guild typically does, and created their own children's books, using their imaginations to practice storytelling.

Lucas Smeltzer wrote the story about Porky the pig. He said it's fun to see how silly art can look when it's only halfway finished but also appreciates the reward of a completed work.

"It's kind of challenging when you're doing it, but at the end, I think it's worth it just to see what you came up with and just all of the things you can do," he said.

Felicity Arthur's favorite thing to draw is horses. She said that creating art makes her, "Excited for what it's gonna look like at the end," she said. "I love it a lot."

For one collage project, the children painted a series of squares and drew designs on top. Then, they ripped them into pieces. On another sheet of paper, the kids glued the pieces in a halo of hair around a watercolor painting of a woman in dress.

Not only did the children create pieces of art to take home and present at the art show at the end of the camp, but they created artist trading cards to share with the other participants.

At the end of the five-day camp, Asher and the other volunteers, Sharon Moore and Linda Barrett, taught the kids how to do a gallery walk. Each child created 16 small cards and went around the room trading their original work with the other kids.

"They get a little piece of each person's art," Asher said. "It's very cool."

Asher said that what she enjoys most about leading the camp is watching the kids explore and be creative when creating and designing the different projects.

She hopes the camp gives them "The love of being creative and doing art."