The Sun from Vincennes, Indiana • A1

This edition of the Sun-Commercial is printed on recycled paper. Dear Inside www.suncommercial.com Vol. 86, No. 231 4 sections, 20 pages Sports Spartans run to league First Newspaper-Since 1804VincennesSun-Commercial the Spirit of the Lord is, there is II Cor. 3:17 Sunday, September 30, 2018 $1.99 Weather Today will be sunny with a high of Bible Verse And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Hebrews just be walking across the parking lot and stop and look around and say to myself, God, how did this happen? How did we get to this point with all this in just six Judge Jim Osborne, founder and cura- tor of the Indiana Military Museum, 715 S. Sixth stopped by The Sun-Commer- cial this week to do a little reminiscing and a little pleading reminiscing about the last 31 years since the start of the museum and pleading for help in getting the word out about the latest and possibly last major expansion at the facility. been telling people is got a 10-foot ladder and on the ninth Osborne said. almost to the top but still got just a little farther to go to get Last year the museum received a $250,000 grant from the Office of Tourism Development to help with the cost of transforming a shop into a exhibit hall. With the grant and matching con- tributions, the museum had $750,000 to work with.

quite honestly, we thought that was going to be Osborne said. when we ran the plans past George, we thought we were in great shape with the finances and what was really going to be the problem was being able to get the work to a point to be able to open at the first of the is architect George Ridgway, a Knox County native who was the princi- pal architect working with Bloomington philanthropists Bill and Gayle Cook on the restoration of the hotels at French Lick and other projects. looked over what we were planning to do and kind of Osborne said. he pulled his glass- es down on his nose and looked up over them like he does and said it would take $1 million to do it all. I laughed and told him he was he said.

now had to admit to him he was right all along. basically we need another $250,000 to compelte everything we have For 25 years, the Indiana Militar Museum was located out on Old Brucev- ille Road; for some three decades before that items and ar tifacts were housed all over in various storage sheds, in garage, his basement, even as a young boy under his bed. When the opportunity came to buy the old Blackford Glass property on Sixth Street downtown, Osborne leapt at the chance. when I look back on it now, I wonder what the heck I was he said. had this grand vision of what we could do with that property once we had it, but basically we have two nickels to rub together to pay for any of It was then Osborne and his volun- teer squad of veterans and comrades who share an abiding love for history learned they had allies a lot of allies both near and far who were willing to help.

late Bob Bierhaus right away came through with a big donation that really gave us the hope we could make this Osborne said. never really stopped, the support has just been unbelievable over the Sometimes the financial support has come from unexpected sources. Ridgway recalled how one morning at work Bill Cook had mentioned how love the chance to drive a Sherman tank. told him, know a guy and I think can make that Ridgway said. Bill gave me one of those looks, like I was just bragging or was crazy or But Ridgway came through, and on a Sunday afternoon Cook and a few of his friends showed up at the museum grounds where Osborne was waiting for them.

SEE A2 IMM launching fundraising push to complete new exhibit hall BY GAYLE R. ROBBINS Sun-Commercial photo by Gayle R. Robbins Judge Jim Osborne, founder and curator of the Indiana Military Museum, 715 S. Sixth said the museum needs another $250,000 to complete the final phase of its expansion a exhibit hall. Vincennes University officials have reached an agreement with the Francis Vigo Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution for the demolition of their current chapter house at 3 West Harrison as well as their Queen Anne-style rental home nearby, to make way for a brand new multi-purpose facil- ity.

Regent Haley Lancaster said follow- ing a meeting of the local DAR chapter this week, members voted to partner with VU in the construction of a com- bined chapter house and center for Grouseland, the William Henry Har- rison mansion located next door, which the chapter owns. Discussions began months ago, Lancaster said, and while the vote was close, the majority of local DAR mem- bers thought par tnering with VU in building a new facility was their best option. The Francis Vigo Chapter, Lancast- er explained, is one of only four in the state that owns and maintains a chapter house. And the only chapter, she said, to own rental property. Keeping up with the maintenance of both, Lancaster said, has been an ongo- ing financial strain.

been in that building since the Lancaster said of the chap- ter house, an old military barracks from George Field. tried to hard to maintain our properties, but it will soon come to a point where beyond our management. SEE A4 VU to raze, build new DAR chapter house and center BY JENNY MCNEECE Officials with Voice, a local non- profit serving the victims of domestic vio- lence, will officially welcome October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month with a special event on the Riverwalk. The kickoff event will be held from 4-6 p.m. on Thursday and will feature speak- ers including Voice director Melis- sa Haaf and Kathy Evans, a counselor with Vincennes University, as well as a special message from a survivor of domestic vio- lence, according to Cathy Bush, a assistant with the organization.

want to be here for local survivors and show them the services we can Bush said. violence impacts our community. It impacts families in our community, and we need to raise aware- ness until we have a zero tolerance policy. really, about empowering vic- Bush said the event Thursday will also feature family-friendly activities. Areas will be set up where kids can paint Knox Rocks, or she said, and there will be a bracelet-making station as well.

have a photo booth with lots of purple she said. is the offi- cial color for National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. at the end of the event, all going to walk down the Riverwalk in our purple to show solidarity, to show that we support the survivors of domestic vio- lence and in memory of those who have lost their Also in October, Voice, which operates under Children and Family Ser- vices, is working with students at the Vin- cennes Beauty College to provide free manicures. part of a larger, national effort called the Nail In Bush said, where the ring finger is painted purple to promote awareness during the month of October. Voice will also once again work with local hair stylists to help them recog- nize and direct possible victims of domestic violence to local resources that can help.

And on Monday, Graze 1885, a new bakery and coffee shop at 116 Main St. will promote National Domestic Violence Awareness Month by placing purple rib- bons on its baked goods, Bush said. Information about Voice, too, will be made available to patrons. SEE A4 Voice to recognize National Domestic Violence Awareness Month BY JENNY MCNEECE Sun-Commercial photo by Gayle R. Robbins A partnership with Vincennes University could land the Francis Vigo Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution a new chapter house and Grouseland a visi- center.

The current chapter house is a repurposed barracks from George Field, dating back to World War II. So much drama this week, from Capitol Hill hearings to stories in the local newspaper. From reading The Associated Press reports and accounts in other newspapers, I may have been the only person in the country who glued to his television set or device of choice, watching the dueling testimonies of Judge Kavanaugh and Dr. Ford. than 20 million people watched gripping testimony by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the woman who accused him of a sexual assault that allegedly occurred in the 1980s, Christine Blasey Ford, on six television was the lede for AP Media Writer David report.

put that in perspective, an audience size similar to that for a playoff football game or the Academy Well, never watched more than a couple of minutes of any football game on TV, and the last time I watched the Academy Awards a streaker interrupted David Niven. In edition we published a report about the origin of the allegations of sexual misconduct made against Father David Fleck, who earlier this month was placed on administrative leave by the Evansville Diocese. These are difficult times for the Catholic church, which waited too long before investigating the earliest claims of abuse years ago and looks to be making up for that lapse by acting without delay at the first hint of possible misconduct now. SEE A2 So much drama, so little evidence.