The Sun from Vincennes, Indiana • A1

Today's Bible Verse Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, Lord, and teachest him out of thy law. Psalms 94:1 2 Sports 47 Weather Spartans rack up 24-4 mark in June playBI Today will be mostly sunny with ahighof76A6 ViriCenneS fi Indiana's First Newspaper-Since 1804 oun-Commercial "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." II Cor. 3:17 Thursday, July 3, 2014 $1 4 City working for blighted home aid Process more difficult than officials expected zations like the local Kiwanis or Rotary clubs. Yochum said Cooper has narrowed his focus to about 13 local homes, but to be successful in its application, the city must already have a plan in place, meaning it has to have control of the property and a partner on board and ready to go. SEE AIDPAGE A2 would be giving an empty lot, if it's large enough, to Habitat for Humanity so a new home can be built on it.

The city could also give the properly to adjacent landowners for them to maintain as additional yard space, he said. Other potential partners could be the VincennesKnox County Historic Preservation Foundation, a local homeowner's association or even civic organi cago, someone or some organization that can then take over care of the property once it's cleaned up. For example, Yochum said if a house is adjacent to a church, the city could partner with that congregation, tear the house down, clean up the property, then give it to the church to use for parking or perhaps a community garden. Another option, he said, ing blighted houses. In the first round of awards, Several Indiana communities Fort Wayne got $4.7 million and last week received word they South Bend another $1.6 million would receive money from a new to help raze abandoned homes, state program aimed at eliminat- Gary Indianapolis, East Chi VCBD to offer social media seminar Sun-Commercial photos by Annie McMindes Vincennes native John Piper, now living in Richmond, shows some of the medals and honors he earned during his tour in Vietnam, including the Distinguished Service Cross, to Judge Jim Osborne at the Indiana Military Museum on Wednesday.

Piper donated his medals and a combat jacket he wore to the museum. Letting the stories live on Members of the Vincennes Central Business District next month will host a seminar on how to use social media to promote themselves. A VCBD committee aimed at growing the organization's membership announced Wednesday morning during its monthly meeting, this time held at the Knox County Chamber of Commerce, 316 Main that two members would host on Aug. 6 the first of what the committee hopes will be many professional development seminars in the coming months. VCBD treasurer Dr.

Jericho Quick, Vincennes Ocular Center, said the seminar will only take about 20 minutes, and they plan to hold it at Thursday Church, 218 Main in order to use the church's projector and to ensure enough space. The public, even business owners not currently involved with the VCBD, are welcome to attend. "This will focus on how to use Face-book, Twitter, Instagram and how to implement those into your business," Quick said. "We're hoping members, nonmembers will come and bring their employees." Teaching the seminar will be Jessica Hamilton, an employee at Halter's Tree Service, and Alex Spurgeon, a co-owner of Baker's Alley, both of whom use social media a great deal in promoting their businesses. "We hope to offer just some basic ideas on how to use free social media to help your business," Hamilton said.

For more information on the seminar, which will held at the end of the next VCBD meeting, scheduled for 8 a.m. Aug. 6, contact the organization's president Aaron Bauer, at 812-882-6000. Members of another committee aimed at beautifying downtown Main Street said downtown has a Good Samaritan. SEE SEMINARPAGE A2 Military museum gets items from Lincoln grad, Vietnam vet Piper to move into position for a surprise attack on LZ Bird in the Kim Son Valley.

The LZ landing zone was defended by three under-strength units. Within minutes enemy forces broke through the perimeter and occupied a number of the camp's gun positions. Piper and his troops fought back, hand-to-hand, with everything they had. At least 266 NVA died in the battle, and several of Piper's comrades never returned home. But because of his quick actions to save not only his men but their weapons to SEE MUSEUMPAGE A2 graduate of Lincoln High School and the youngest 1st Cavalry officer in the camp, sat wide-awake, armed and ready, despite the hour.

Suddenly a 60-mm mortar shell exploded in the dead center of LZ Bird, six feet from his tent. A two-day Christmas truce had expired at midnight and not more than 10 minutes later, Piper said, his camp was under fire. Three North Vietnamese Army battalions had used the two-day halt in hostilities The Indiana Military Museum, 715 S. Sixth has added another uniform to its growing collection, one once worn by a native son and one that has quite a story to tell It was just after midnight on Dec. 27, 1966, and a 22-year-old Vincennes native was waiting at a U.S.

Army artillery outpost in a Vietnamese coastal province. Lt. John Piper, a 1962 Vincennes native John Piper, left, and Judge Jim Osborne pose with the items Piper has donated to the Indiana Military Museum following a ceremony Wednesday morning. Piper received the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions on Dec. 27, 1966, at LZ Bird in Vietnam.

Bruceville residents can expect more utility rate hikes USDA fronted the bulk of the cost; the town took out a 40-year loan and has been making payments to chip away at the debt. The USDA expected the town to make nominal increases annually to the sewage rate to make the payments and pay for any repairs that would be needed, but the rates haven't gone up in the five years since installation. Board president Tim Murphy said the council has contacted the deterioration in the internal walls. Without spending between $14,000 and $15,000 to replace the materials and install concrete walls, waste will seep into the ground, something the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency won't stand for, Murphy explained, adding that the council members are incredulous that the system is already in such a poor condition.

SEE HIKESPAGE A2 USDA in the hope to start implementing the increases over time, similar to the water rate increases recently approved, but USDA officials denied the request. "It's not that they flat out told us no, but they did say that it's not going to help us any if we just increase it by 10-percent," Murphy said. 'We really don't want to do this after just raising the water rates, but it seems we don't have much of a choice here." Murphy said the council will hold a public hearing on the increasing rates before its August meeting. "The rates will be going up eventually, I think we all need to start preparing for it," he said. "If we don't we'll go broke and we'll be back to using outhouses.

"We have to do something to fill the void in this department, because we're looking at a lot of repairs already." The five-year-old system is already showing severe signs of BRUCEVILLE Residents here can look forward to even higher utility rates. Last year, officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported to the town council that rates needed to increase by 19.1 percent to keep the sewage department afloat. In 2009, when the town installed the new sewage-collection and treatment system, the Inside DearAbbyB7 OpinionA5 MarketB6 SportsBl ObituariesA3 TelevisionA4 www.suncommercial.com Vol.82, No. 158 2 sections, 14 pages AstrologyA6 ClassifiedB3 ComicsB7 6llli94 6 53'l0025 2.