Learn more about invasive species
If you would like to learn more about how to identify and control winter creeper, the Brown County Native Woodland Project will sponsor a Weed Wrangle Day at 10:30 a.m. on February, Feb. 10 on the Salt Creek Trial. Participants will pull vines spreading on the ground and use appropriate techniques to cut and treat vines climbing trees near the trail.
Meet at the YMCA, far end of the parking lot by the trailhead. Bring loppers, gloves, and wear warm comfortable clothes and sturdy shoes. Tools and gloves will be provided for those who need them.
Winter Creeper, or creeping Euonymus, is an evergreen perennial vine that was introduced into the U.S. as an ornamental ground cover. It is invasive in natural areas such as our Brown County woodlands. It can tolerate a broad range of environmental conditions ranging from full sun to deep shade, in many types of soil including low nutrient areas. The vine invades forest openings and margins growing across the ground under the leaves displacing native wildflowers and seedlings. As a vine, it climbs trees, clinging to the bark, where it blooms and fruits. Here the berries are consumed and spread by birds and other wildlife. New seedlings can often be found at the base of the trees where the birds have perched. The plant is an evergreen woody vine with glossy, dark green, oval leaves. Fruits are small round pin-re capsules that split open to expose the seeds.
Free legal aid clinic set for next week
Legal Aid is holding a Legal Aid Phone Clinic for residents of their eight-county district on Tuesday, Feb. 14. The district includes Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Jackson, Jennings, Johnson, Rush, and Shelby Counties. The phone clinic will be conducted from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. though registration is required between noon and 2 p.m.
The Legal Aid Clinic and Pro Bono Program utilizes local volunteer attorneys, offering free legal consultations to low-income individuals for the provision of legal advice and assistance in furtherance of equal access to justice within our communities whom might not otherwise be able to afford the counsel of an attorney.
Individuals calling to the Legal Aid Phone Clinic can expect to receive a brief consultation to answer general and eviction questions, offer legal information, or to receive other limited pro se assistance or advice, over the phone. Individuals seeking legal consultation must register by calling Legal Aid at 812-378-0358 on Tuesday, Feb. 14, between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. A volunteer attorney will return calls to registered individuals between 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Individuals must be available between 3 and 5:30 p.m. to answer a call from an attorney.
Legal Aid will be offering additional Phone clinics throughout the service region. The next Legal Aid Phone Clinic is on Tuesday, March 14 with the same registration requirements and time frame.
Aglow community lighthouse meeting
Aglow International will hold a Community Lighthouse meeting on Feb. 7 from 10 a.m. to noon in the chapel at Cornerstone Inn, 54 E. Franklin St.
The meeting will feature testimonies, worship, fellowship and prayer.
Future meetings will be on the first Tuesday of each month. For more information about Aglow, visit aglow.org.
For questions, contact Sandy Bothell at 765-342-3151 or [email protected].
Parking at Cornerstone Inn is for customers only.
Upcoming events at the library
The Brown County Public Library, 205 Locust Lane, has upcoming events on its calendar for visitors of all ages.
Pre-K Days: Words & Wiggles, Tuesday, Feb 7 at 10:30 a.m., Creative movement and dance followed by open play time. For kids ages 0-6. Registration requested.
Monday Morning Storytime, Feb. 13, 20 and 27, 10:30 a.m., Stories, songs, rhymes and crafts for kids 6 and under with their caregivers.
Lego Club, Monday, Feb. 13, 5 to 7 p.m., Drop in and show off your LEGO skills and collaborate with other LEGO builders.
StoryWalk on the Salt Creek Trail, Friday, Feb. 17, 10:30 a.m., Meet Miss Samantha on the Salt Creek Trail for a morning walk while she reads the latest StoryWalk book. The walk will begin from the YMCA trailhead. Registration requested.
Tech Night at the Library, Thursday, Feb. 16 from 3 to 6 p.m., Play with fun technology like Oculus Virtual Reality, Squishy Circuits, Bloxels and more. There will be tech toys for all ages. Registration requested.
ATLAS: At the Library After School meets on Wednesdays, Feb. 8 and 15 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Hang time, games, crafts and snacks for kids and teens grades ages to 6 to 12.
Homeschool Huddle: Global Kids Southern Hemisphere, Friday, Feb. 10, 1 to 2 p.m., Activities for kids and family networking for adults. Open to all Brown County homeschoolers. Registration requested.
Novel Bunch Book Club, Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 2 p.m., Join the discussion of Tom Franklin’s “Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter” at the Main Library in Meeting Room B. Everyone is welcome.
CSW Bookies Book Club, Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the Cordry Sweetwater Branch Library, Join the discussion of the “The Surgeon’s Daughter” by Audrey Blake. Everyone is welcome.
Beekeeping for Beginners, Saturday, Feb. 11, 1 to 3 p.m., Learn to raise honeybees. Join the 10 o’Clock Beeline Beekeepers Club at the Brown County Public Library for an in-depth panel discussion of beekeeping including types of bee hives, necessary equipment, how to care for bees throughout the year, how to get bees to raise and how to find a beekeeping mentor. Attendance is free and all ages are welcome to attend. Registration is requested — visit BrownCountyLibrary.info/beekeeping or call the Library at 812.988.2850 to sign up.
Free Tax Preparation is happening at the library from Feb. 1 through April 12. The library is once again partnering with United Way of Monroe County to offer free basic state and federal tax preparation to qualified Brown County residents. Residents may stop by or call the library to see if they qualify. Once qualified, participants will receive a packet of information to complete and return to the library. Certified volunteer tax preparers will complete the returns and schedule in-person appointments with taxpayers when their tax returns are ready for review and pick up. To see if you qualify for free tax preparation, visit BrownCountyLibrary.info/freetaxprep.
Friends of the Library DVD and Audiobook Sale will be Monday through Saturday, Feb. 13 through Feb. 18, A wide selection of used DVDs and audiobooks on CD will be on sale at the Nashville branch during regular library hours. All proceeds benefit the Friends of the Library.
For program details and registration visit BrownCountyLibrary.info/events or call the library at 812-988-2850.
Foster grandparent signups now open
Thrive Alliance and AmeriCorps Seniors are currently looking for foster grandparents for children.
Thrive Alliance and AmeriCorps Seniors work with public and faith-based schools, Head Start Centers and youth serving facilities in five counties, including Brown, being role models, mentors, tutors and friends.
Those interested should call 812-374-2711, 812-372-6918, or visit fostergrandparentsthrive.org.
Bible studies ongoing in county
Community Bible Study meets on Tuesdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the chapel at Cornerstone Inn, 54 E. Franklin St.
They will study James, 1 and 2, Peter, as well as 1 and 2 Samuel.
After individual study during the week, the group will gather for a group discussion, a teaching and commentary.
For registration and questions, contact Mike Heil at 605-660-8250 or [email protected].
Project Lifesaver applications open
TRIAD and the Brown County Sheriff’s Department have announced that applications are now open for Project Lifesaver.
Those with loved ones at risk of wandering would obtain a personalized wrist-watch sized radio transmitter fitted to their wrist that would be used to locate them if they go missing.
This program is available to any Brown County resident due to a grant support from the Brown County Community Foundation and its partners.
For more information, call TRIAD at 812-988-5606.
Grants available for septic, well repairs
The Great Lakes Community Action Partnership Decentralized Water Systems program recently announced the availability of grants for water well, in-home water treatment and septic system repairs.
The maximum loan amount is $15,000 with a 1% interest rate. The maturity may not exceed 20 years and will depend on repayment ability.
To be eligible for the grant, the applicant’s household income cannot exceed $33,470. In addition, applicants must own and occupy the home or be in the process of purchasing the home for occupancy. New home construction and community water systems are not eligible.
For more information and to apply, call the Brown County Health Department at 812-988-2255.
