Out of precaution due to COVID-19 (which has not reached Brown County), the following schedule changes or restrictions are being made.
To add your group, business or event to this list, please email [email protected].
CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC
- Brown County schools. All schools and the Brown County Career Resource Center will be closed until May 1 by order of Gov. Eric Holcomb. The school has 20 “waiver” days to use, which forgive 20 of the 180 days students are required to be in school. Those waiver days mean that no assignments are being given. BCS is on spring break March 16-20, then using 10 waiver days March 23-April 3. Superintendent Laura Hammack told parents via Facebook Live on March 19 that the tentative plan is to have eLearning days the week of April 6-10, another week of waiver days April 13-17 (giving students that week to turn in their assignments from the previous week), then another week of eLearning days April 20-24, and another week of waiver days through the end of April. However, that schedule could change. WiFi is available in school parking lots and at other public buildings; a list is being put together. Hammack will give more specific guidance on accessing assignments closer to date for parents who aren’t comfortable with it or who need help getting a device. “It’s all going to be quite individualized and we’ll be here to help sort out how we get those devices to families,” she said.
- Town Hall is closed to visitors. Staff members are still working and payments can still be made through the drop box at the front of the building. Town Hall’s phone numbers are 812-988-5526 or 812-988-7064.
- Brown County Water Utility is closed to visitors. Staff members are still working and payments can be made at the drive-thru, at the night depository box or over the phone at 844-286-1786. BCWU’s phone number is 812-988-6611 and emails can be sent through BCWU’s website at browncountywater.com.
- Brown County Health & Living Community is closed to visitors. Staff members are still working and immediate family members will only be allowed in for end-of-life or medically necessary situations.
- The Cordry-Sweetwater Conservancy District office is closed to visitors. Staff members are still working and able to assist customers by phone and email. Payments can be made and documents dropped off through the drop box, or payments can be made over the website or phone. Work orders for the maintenance crew can be called in or submitted via the customer portal. Boat decal renewal sales will begin as soon as the office reopens. The phone number is 317-933-2893 and the website is cscd-in.org.
- The drive-thru at the Brown County Recycle Center is closed. Drive-through service will not be available until Monday, March 30, at which time it will be reassessed. The outside drop-off containers will remain available.
- The Brown County Purdue Extension office and Brown County Soil and Water Conservation District office, as well as the Community Room meeting room on Memorial Drive at the fairgrounds, will close on March 20. Staff will be working remotely. Contact educators Kara Hammes at [email protected] or Britt Copeland at [email protected].
- The Brown County Art Gallery is closing until further notice. The Mabel B. Annis Student Art Competition is also canceled until next year and the entire exhibition schedule is on hold. The Gallery will be setting up an online shopping opportunity and the manager will be on-site for a few hours daily to answer calls and emails.
- The T.C. Steele State Historic Site is closed along with other state historic sites and the Indiana State Museum.
- The Brown County YMCA is closed until March 29.
- The Brown County Playhouse will be closed until the end of March. More information will be provided soon regarding the rescheduling of events.
- The Brown County History Center is closed through April 6.
- The Brown County Art Guild is closed until April 6. Artwork for sale will be shared through Facebook and online at bcartguildshop.com. For questions or purchases, email [email protected].
- Hoosier Artist Gallery is closed until April 4. In the meantime, it will be posting “interesting things and presentations from our artists” on its Facebook page.
- The Brown County Democrat’s office is closed to the public; however, other operations will still go on as normal inside the building, and newspaper delivery will continue. Papers can still be picked up in the entryway for subscribers who have those longstanding arrangements. Payments and other documents can be dropped through the mail slot in the door. We are still available by phone and email: 812-988-2221, [email protected] or [email protected].
STOREFRONTS CLOSED
- Nashville Spice Company and Nashville Spice Company Home are closed until April 1. The company’s online spice shop is still open and still shipping.
- Mulberry Cottage storefront is closed “for the next few weeks.” Its website and Facebook page are still active.
- The Totem Post is closed until April.
- Hillbilly Footwash is closed for the time being. Check its Facebook page for reopening information.
- The Educated Otter is closed until April 1.
- Foxfire Gift, Foxfire Boutique and The Ferguson House are all closed until at least April 1.
- Papertrix is closed through April 30, but will be taking phone orders: 812-988-2002.
- For Bare Feet Too on Main Street and For Bare Feet Originals on Jefferson Street will be closed until April 1.
- Willow Ridge in Franklin Square is temporarily closed.
- Rich Hill’s Magic Shop is closed until April 15.
- Both JB Goods shops are closed for a couple of weeks.
LIMITED ENTRY
- Brown County offices are on limited entry, with the exception of offices related to Brown Circuit Court, which must remain open by law. Anyone needing to do business with county government is encouraged to call or email that office to see if the request can be handled without coming in. A list of contact information is on the county’s website at http://browncounty-in.gov/Departments.aspx.
- The Brown County Humane Society is operating on a by-appointment basis only. Before visiting the shelter for any reason (adopting, surrendering or redeeming an animal), call the shelter first at 812-988-7362 and set up a time to visit. If staff is unable to answer, leave a message.
- Brown County Eye Care will open for essential dental procedures only due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Office hours will be limited to Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon. The eye doctor office will return to normal hours on April 6. If you have a dental emergency, please contact the office at 812-988-2215.
CANCELLATIONS or POSTPONEMENTS
- All events and services at Unity Baptist Church for the next four weeks, including Easter services.
- All meetings at Town Hall indefinitely, except for the town council meeting on Thursday, March 19, which will have a shortened agenda.
- All programs at the Brown County Public Library from March 14-27. The library itself also is closed.
- The “Power of Your Plate” plant-based eating class on Sunday, March 15. No reschedule date has been set yet.
- Senior meals served by Thrive Alliance at Willow Manor, suspended indefinitely beginning Monday, March 16.
- The Helmsburg Regional Sewer District meeting on Monday, March 16. The board will meet again in April.
- The Brown County Council meeting on Monday, March 16. It has been postponed to Monday, April 13 at 6:30 p.m. at the County Office Building.
- The Brown County Board of Health meeting on Tuesday, March 17. The board will meet again in April.
- The Cordry-Sweetwater Conservancy District’s meeting on Tuesday, March 17. It has been postponed to Tuesday, April 21 at 7 p.m. at the Cordry-Sweetwater District Office, 8377 Cordry Drive. This meeting was previously rescheduled for March 25 and was postponed again until April 21.
- Two Brown County Music Center shows: Warrant on Saturday, March 14 (rescheduled to June 5) and Carrot Top on Thursday, March 19.
- The League of Women Voters’ candidate forums on Monday, March 23 and Monday, March 30.
- The fifth annual Taste of Art auction that had been scheduled for Saturday, March 28. It has been postponed to Friday, May 8 at the Seasons Lodge and Conference Center, starting at 5:30 p.m.
- The Brown County Art Gallery’s Victorian Tea on Sunday, April 5. A reschedule date has not been announced.
- All Brown County Schools sports competitions until further notice.
- Cottonwood Church services are cancelled until April 5.
- Bean Blossom Community Church has cancelled all services for the week of March 16. Sermons and updates will be available on the church’s website, beanblossomchurch.com.
- The Centerstone Talk Saves Lives event has been posted until further notice. Another date will be announced in the future.
- Parkview Church of the Nazarene will not have any events the week of March 16.
- The Brown County Community Closet will be closed until April 6 and no donations will be accepted.
- The Brown County Redevelopment Commission planning retreat that was scheduled for this Saturday, March 21 is postponed to an undetermined date.
- The Lake Lemon Conservancy District Board meeting on March 26 is canceled and a new date has not yet been announced. The public boat ramp at Riddle Point Park will remain open during this time.
- The Brown County Area Plan Commission meeting and public hearing on March 24 has been postponed until further notice. The docket items will be moved to a future date to be announced, Planning Director Christine Ritzmann said.
- The Brown County Board of Zoning Appeals meeting and public hearing on March 25 has also been postponed until further notice. The docket items will be moved to a future date to be announced, Planning Director Christine Ritzmann said.
- The Community Corrections Advisory Board on March 26 has been canceled. The board will next meet on April 16 as previously scheduled.
- Brown County Community Church is suspending all services until further notice.
- Rising Hope Baptist Church has canceled services until April 5.
- All in-person Brown County Purdue Extension events are canceled through at least May 18. This includes 4-H activities.
- The Salvation Army’s Sunday services are cancelled through April 5, subject to change. The food pantry will continue to be open its normal hours of Wednesdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., but will be run as a drive thru. Park in the back lot. Call the office at 812-988-7019 and a staff member will have a few questions and set you up.
- Faith Full Gospel church is closed until further notice.
- Brown County Presbyterian is suspending services until Easter. As of now, it will be open Easter Sunday.
- St. Agnes Catholic Church, like other parishes in the Indianapolis Archdiocese, has suspended services.
- The Brown County Parks and Recreation Department’s Easter egg hunt scheduled for April 11 has been canceled. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, parks and rec will not host the annual Easter egg hunt this year.
- The Johnson County Garden Club’s annual Garden Celebration Saturday, May 2 has been canceled. Brown County resident Dawn Slack was to speak at this event.
- The Crystal Source on South Van Buren Street will be closed until April 6. The closure will be re-evaluated at that point per order by the state.
- The John Hartford Memorial Festival which had been set for May 27-30 will be rescheduled to Sept. 30-Oct. 3 at Bill Monroe Memorial Music Park. “Our lineup may change a bit, but we are working hard to keep as many of the original bands as possible,” the organizers stated in a Facebook post.
