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Campaign finance reports filed in May show two local political candidates spending thousands of dollars on their respective 2024 primary election campaigns, while many others spent a few hundred dollars or less. The two candidates reporting the greatest expenditures also identified sizeable monetary contributions from individuals in their bid for seats on the Owen County Board of Commissioners and Owen County Council.
The Owen News reviewed all available campaign finance report filings covering Jan. 1 to April 12, the end of the pre-primary reporting period. It should be noted that campaign contributions included in-kind contributions and loans, as well as cash contributions.
Owen County Commissioner, District II
Incumbent commissioner Robert (Bob) Curry, a Republican, reported $0 cash on hand at the beginning of the reporting period. He listed a single $700 itemized contribution from his wife, Brenda Curry, along with one expenditure, also totaling $700, for yard signs purchased from Nite Owl Promotions.
Republican opponent Leonard “Sam” Hobbs II also reported $0 cash on hand at the beginning of the reporting period, while his itemized contributions totaled $26,200. He reported a loan to himself totaling $5,000, in addition to a direct contribution of $10,000 from Mike McCracken, a second $10,000 direct contribution from Mike McCracken, a $1,000 direct contribution from Will Daubenspeck, and a $200 direct contribution from Ernie Dufault.
Hobbs’ campaign expenditures totaled $11,032.12 and included: Main Street Checks ($17.71), Winners Circle Designs ($3,000), Spencer Hardware ($468.02), Daniel Browning ($200) campaign contribution, Norman Warner ($200.00) campaign contribution, UPrinting ($250.80), Postcard Mania ($662.34), Postcard Mania ($932.69), Postcard Mania ($813.38), Winners Circle Designs ($1,280), 48-Hour Print ($214.26), Postcard Mania ($813.97), Norman Warner ($200) campaign contribution, Republican Party-Owen County ($300), Postcard Mania ($555.95), Postmaster-Spencer ($53), and Winners Circle Designs ($1,070).
Hobbs’ remaining cash on hand at the end of the reporting period totaled $15,167.88.
Owen County Commissioner, District III
District III challenger David Risk, a Republican, reported $0 cash on hand at the beginning of the reporting period, while his itemized contributions totaled $23,050. Contributors to his campaign for the county commissioner seat in District III included a $10,000 direct contribution from Mike McCracken, along with an $8,000 direct contribution/loan, also from Mike McCracken. Additionally, his campaign finance report listed a loan to himself totaling $5,050.
Risk’s campaign expenditures totaled $16,902.55, including: Main Street Checks ($17.71), Patriot Manufacturing ($150.32), Uprinting ($250.82), Postcard Mania ($662.34), Rocket Signs ($6,398.25), Fountain County GOP ($44.90), UZ Marketing ($608.18), Winners Circle ($909.50), Postcard Mania ($932.69), 48-Hour Printing ($214.26), Kelsie Reyes ($1,000), Walmart ($18.84), Owen County GOP ($300), Spencer Hardware ($134.63), Walmart ($30.58), Vistago Print ($659.95), Walmart ($55.70), USPS ($205.00), USPS ($106.68), RWB Consulting ($500), Committee to Elect Kristi Risk ($2,000), Postcard Mania ($539.76), Postcard Mania ($539.76), USPS ($106.68), Ethan Wright ($500), and USPS ($106).
Risk’s remaining cash on hand at the end of the reporting period totaled $6,147.45.
Republican challenger Amy Casebeer reported $1,705 cash on hand at the beginning of the reporting period. She did not list any itemized or unitemized contributions.
Casebeer reported a lone direct campaign contribution from herself totaling $1,705 and one expenditure, also totaling $1,705, to Nite Owl Promotions.
In the District III democratic race for county commissioner, John Wayne Keene reported $0 cash on hand at the beginning of the reporting period. He also listed $0 cash on hand at the end of the reporting period and no expenditures.
Democratic challenger William Jennings reported $0 cash on hand at the beginning of the reporting period and made note of itemized contributions totaling $628.15, all self-funded. He reported $0 cash on hand at the end of the reporting period.
Jennings’ expenditures included: Johnnys Signs ($335.00), WCLS radio announcement ($97.76), Johnnys Signs ($192.60), and Staples ($37.44).
Owen County Council, At-Large
Incumbent Republican Polly Chesser reported $0 cash on hand at the beginning of the reporting period and itemized contributions to her re-election campaign totaling $1,800. Contributors to her campaign for county council at-large included a direct contribution from herself totaling $1,700, along with a $100 direct contribution from Nina Morris.
Chesser’s reported expenditures totaled $1,548.55 and included: Owen County Republicans ($100), Rob Mason ($157.44) for equipment repair, Postmaster-Martinsville ($68), Tab Co. ($1,148.11) for printing, and the Gosport Community Building ($75).
Her remaining cash on hand at the end of the reporting period totaled $251.45.
Republican challenger Norman Warner reported $75 cash on hand at beginning of the reporting period and itemized contributions totaling $1,451.29. He received a direct contribution from the Committee to Elect Sam Hobbs totaling $400, along with a direct campaign loan from Warner and his wife, Lori, totaling $1,051.29.
Warner did not list any itemized expenditures or any remaining cash on hand at the end of the reporting period.
Daniel Browning, also a Republican, reported $0 cash on hand at the beginning of the reporting period and one itemized contribution, a $200 direct contribution from Leonard Sam Hobbs.
Browning’s itemized expenditures totaled $413.03 and included: Vista Print ($46.42), Signs on the Cheap ($266.96) for yard signs, and Amazon ($99.65) for hats.
Republican challenger William Pursell reported $0 cash on hand at the beginning of the reporting period and one unitemized contribution totaling $100. His campaign finance report did not identify any campaign expenditures in his bid for county council at-large, or remaining cash on hand at the end of the reporting period.
Daniel Joseph “Joe” Frye, also a Republican, reported $0 cash on hand at the beginning of the reporting period and a lone itemized contribution totaling $1,500, a self-funded campaign loan.
Frye reported one itemized expenditure totaling $1,217.23 to signsonthecheap.com ($1,217.23) for signs. His remaining cash on hand at the end of the reporting period totaled $282.77.
In the democratic race for Owen County Council at-Large, Sandra (Wood) Calvert reported $0 cash on hand at the beginning of the reporting period and one unitemized contribution totaling $40. Her remaining cash on hand at the end of the reporting period also totaled $40.
Owen County Auditor
Incumbent county auditor Sheila Reeves, a Republican, noted no expenditures were incurred by her campaign due to utilizing yard signs remaining from her prior election bid. She reported $0 cash on hand at the end of the reporting period.
Precinct Committee Members
Republican Viola Hall, incumbent precinct committee member for Wayne I, reported $0 cash on hand at the beginning of the reporting period and itemized contributions totaling $295.32, all self-funded.
Her expenditures also totaled $295.32 – a single purchase of yard signs from Nite Owl Promotions. She listed $0 cash on hand at the end of the reporting period.
Larry Bruce Norman, Republican challenger for Wayne I precinct committee member, reported $276.45 cash on hand at the beginning of the reporting period, all self-funded. His itemized contributions totaled $251.45 and unitemized contributions $25.
Norman’s expenditures totaled $276.45 and included: Signs on the Cheap ($251.45) for yard signs and Hub City Slaps ($25.00) for decals and stickers.
In the race for Morgan Township precinct committee member, Republican candidate Sharon Close reported $200.47 cash on hand at the beginning of the reporting period. She made note of one itemized contribution totaling $200.47 from herself and one expenditure, also totaling $200.47, from Signs on the Cheap. She reported $0 cash on hand at the end of the reporting period.
Two of the three Owen County Commissioners are new to their positions. Those new commissioners are former sheriff Sam Hobbs and David Risk.
In fact, the only commissioner who isn’t new to the position is Gary Burton, the board's former president.
At the beginning of the commissioners’ first meeting of 2025, held on Jan. 9, Hobbs was unanimously elected president of the board, and Risk was unanimously elected vice president.
Immediately following the reorganization, Hobbs gave a monologue about what can be expected from the board moving forward.
“It’s going to be kind of a lengthy meeting. We got a lot to go through. I’m not here to upset the apple cart with anybody, but I’m going to. It’s just the nature of the beast,” Hobbs began. “I base my faith off of God being in control because He is. We’re just here to do His will and try to make the best of a community that is falling apart.”
After sharing his long-standing attendance at these sorts of public meetings, Hobbs commented on a trend.
“The thing that I’ve seen in the last several years of coming to the meetings and stuff like that is the discord and dislike between the employees, whether you’re elected or appointed or whatever, has turned into a hatred. And it’s going to end. The reason I say that is we’re a team here together,” Hobbs said. “We were elected to serve the people and that’s exactly what we’re going to do. The people have a voice. You’re taxpayers. You’ll have a voice in every commissioners’ meeting. That’s only right. I expect your ideas, your vision, your goals and your solutions to some of the problems that we have.”
Hobbs then quoted Proverbs 23:19.
“This county is going to have a vision for everybody, not just for self-centered seeking thumb-sucking selfish people. I won’t tolerate it. I won’t tolerate rude behavior from nobody,” Hobbs said. “I’m in no way here to tell anybody to pack up and get going. If you’re not doing your job that’s required of you, there’s going to be a problem.”
Hobbs then said that employees are the county’s biggest liability and the county’s biggest asset.
“We’re going to work together as a team,” he said.
He then reiterated that the commissioners do not have any authority over other elected officials. He also said that commissioners should allow for autonomy and leadership from the county’s department heads saying they have a business to run.
Hobbs was clear that department heads could and should ask for guidance and help from the commissioners when needed and said the commissioners will not interfere unless asked or unless there is an issue.
“I’m new at this part [being a commissioner], but I’m not new at being around here. I’ve seen how some people have been treated and mistreated, and rest assured of one thing. That’s coming to an end, like real soon,” Hobbs said.
Then, instead of making the usual first meeting of the year liaison appointments, Hobbs announced that those appointments would not be made until February. He cited a “legal problem” but did not go into details.
“There’s some things facing this county that is going to be revealed in the next 30 to 60 days that could change the whole outlook on certain things,” he said.
One and only one liaison appointment was made, and that was for Risk to serve as the liaison for the highway department.
“Gary cannot do that because his wife works there,” Hobbs said.
Until appointments are made in February, Hobbs said that he would serve as the liaison for the auditor’s office and appointed department heads. He noted that elected officials can go to any of the commissioners that they want.
The commissioners then began with the routine business of approving the meeting minutes and claims.
In both this meeting and the Jan. 23 meeting, the commissioners addressed the extensive and inappropriate amount of out-of-cycle claims.
The board then went on to new business.
“This is where the rubber is going to meet the road for some of you,” Hobbs said, adding that it was unfortunate that not everything was going to be good news.
The first matter that was addressed was the contract with Dana Kerr for his services as county attorney.
“We’ve been through this for a couple of months. The current attorney is not here today. He is sick. We wish him the best in his recovery,” Hobbs began. “Dana is not here today, but we have to proceed with business. This has been discussed briefly in a couple commissioners meetings. The contract that the current attorney has is on a week-to-week basis at the moment.”
“Mr. Kerr’s last day will be Jan. 31. I’m not going to sit here and bad mouth him, run him down or anything like that. He did what he did and done what he’s done for what he thought was right. He’s an attorney. I do feel and I believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that Mr. Kerr was led down a couple roads that he shouldn’t have had to go down. That’s my two cents worth. I think if Mr. Kerr had things to do over again, they would be done different. Again, this is my opinion.”
With that, Hobbs moved to relieve Kerr of his duties as county attorney as of Jan. 31. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
“This is not the end of this story,” Hobbs said.
After allowing him to introduce himself, the commissioners hired Tony Overholt from Frost Brown Todd Attorneys in Indianapolis. Overholt has served as the attorney for the county council. The commissioners hired Overholt, who has been an attorney for 30 years, for six months. Overholt has experience representing local government.
Overholt will be paid between $350 and $375 per hour.
There is $160,000 budgeted for the county attorney. Under Kerr’s extended 2022 contract that served from week to week until the end of January, approximately $13,000 would have been spent from the $160,000 budgeted for county legal expenses.
The council separately has budgeted approximately $40,000 for their legal expenses, as Kerr did not represent the council.
At the high end of Overholt’s rate, the county commissioners would have a total of 392 hours before exceeding the appropriation. This translates to a weekly average of roughly 7.5 hours per week without going to the county council for an additional appropriation.
During the approximately four-hour first meeting, the commissioners also:
The commissioners also held a joint meeting with the Owen County Council on Jan. 23. A story on that meeting will be made available soon on The Owen News website, theowennews.org. The commissioners met again yesterday, Feb. 6, and they will meet again at 6 p.m. on Feb. 20 in the second-floor Commissioners Room of the Owen County Courthouse, 60 S. Main St., Spencer.
In celebration of its 31st anniversary, the Owen County Community Foundation (OCCF) is thrilled to announce the return of the $1 for $1 Anniversary Match Campaign, building on the incredible success of last year’s 30th anniversary event.
In 2024, nearly $200,000 was raised to support local nonprofits serving Owen County. This year, OCCF invites donors and nonprofits to make an even greater impact.
Running from Feb. 1 through Feb. 28, this match campaign offers a $1 for $1 match for donations made to Agency and Designated funds established at OCCF. These funds specifically support the work of nonprofits serving Owen County, providing them with both immediate resources and long-term sustainability.
“Spencer Main Street, Inc., took a big step forward in 2024 by establishing an agency fund with ‘our’ Owen County Community Foundation,” Julie Coffin, President of Spencer Main Street, Inc. said. “I think we don’t even realize yet how this strengthens our organization in terms of keeping us sustainable and giving us longevity. And those are vital qualities to have because we intend to keep working to make sure that Historic Downtown Spencer continues to be the heart and center of our community for another 205 years. The first word of our mission statement is ‘collaboration,’ and we are so grateful for OCCF’s support and collaboration as we all go forward!”
How the Match Works
For every dollar donated to an eligible fund, OCCF will provide a matching gift, which is designed to strengthen nonprofits in two ways:
This model allows nonprofits to meet immediate needs while building a stable financial foundation for the future.Participating Funds
Only Agency and Designated funds are eligible for the match. These funds support a wide range of causes, including youth development, historic preservation, animal welfare, community health, and more. A full list of participating funds is available on the OCCF website or by contacting the OCCF office directly. As of Feb. 5, the following funds were included in the matching campaign:
How to Donate
Organizations can accept donations in the following ways:
Join Us in Building a Brighter Future“The success of last year’s 30th Anniversary Match Campaign was a testament to the generosity and commitment of our community,” Karah Bobeck, OCCF’s Programs and Communications Director said. “We’re excited to offer this opportunity again and look forward to seeing the incredible impact it will have for Owen County nonprofits.”Nonprofits interested in participating in this campaign and establishing a fund at the OCCF, should contact the OCCF’s office at 812-829-1725.
A Gosport home was destroyed by a fast-moving fire that broke out around 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 24.
The first wave of firefighters and emergency personnel arrived on the scene a short time later to find heavy smoke billowing from the roof and flames engulfing the front porch of the home at 246 E. South St.
Homeowner Bryan Rogers was at home when the fire broke out and was reportedly unharmed, declining medical treatment at the scene from the Owen County Emergency Medical Service.
The American Red Cross was later contacted to help meet Rogers’ immediate emergency needs.
According to the Gosport Volunteer Fire Department, a cause for the fire was undetermined.
Firefighters estimated around 30,000 gallons of water was used to battle the morning blaze.
The Gosport VFD received mutual aid from the Owen Valley Fire Territory, Bean Blossom Township-Stinesville VFD, Owen County Sheriff’s Department and the Owen County EMS.
Fire personnel were called back to the scene around 12:30 p.m. where they were able to quickly squelch the rekindled debris at the home, located on the southwest corner of East South and South Second streets.
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