Johnson County - Daily Journal

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SPORTS B1
INSIDE A2
DAILY JOURNAL
dailyjournal.net
WEATHER
GENERATION GAP
Military groups challenged to recruit younger members
Today
Skies: Partly sunny
Temps: High 37; low 24
BY STEVE GARBACZ
DAILY JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
sgarbacz@dailyjournal.net
MAP, PAGE A8
M
embership in local military
organizations is changing;
and attracting new, younger
members is a key to keeping the
groups running.
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Johnson County, Indiana
MONDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2014
But getting those younger veterans
from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to
join and get involved remains a
tough sell for some local groups.
For the Edinburgh American
Legion Post 233 and VFW Post
No. 6978 in Whiteland, membership
has dropped about 10 percent in
recent years.
The Whiteland post has had to
move its lodge twice in the past two
years after it could no longer afford
the building on Main Street due to
declining membership and a drop in
income from bingo nights and food
and drink sales.
(SEE GAP PAGE A8)
Pictured: Britton Shoellhorn is the new commander of the VFW Post 5864 in Greenwood. MIKE WOLANIN | FOR THE DAILY JOURNAL
HOUSING MARKET
BUILDING BACK
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DEATHS
Franklin
Lloyd K. Stogdill, 91
Greenwood
Mary Beth (McCrea) Hord,
73
Rachel R. (Moslander)
Yaden, 41
June L. Wilson, 80
Indianapolis
Delores J. Owen, 94
Whiteland
Lois J. Whitaker, 81
INDEX
Classifieds....................B6-B7
Comics...............................B5
Editorials............................A4
Obituaries..........................A5
Police, fire.............................A3
Sports..........................B1-B3
Southside............................A3
TV listings............................A6
Weather..............................A8
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DAILY
Construction growth expected in region
W
ith fewer homes on the
market, buyers might have
to pay more; and new-home
construction is expected to increase
to fill the demand.
In Johnson County and
across central Indiana, home
sales are either slightly down or
stable compared with last year.
But the price homes are selling for
is up. And fewer homes are listed
for sale.
And developers are hearing about
Last month, the number of homes
for more new homes, but
need
a
for sale in the county was down by
ing is still slower than it
build
home
al
centr
s
acros
16 percent, and
years past.
in
been
has
Indiana listings were down 8
higher prices,
mean
can
That
poliMetro
the
to
ding
percent, accor
estate agents
Real
said.
ins
Watk
tan Board of Indianapolis Realtors.
s have had the same
know
ins
Watk
were
s
home
2,600
In 2006, about
commissions as last year but sold
for sale on the southside, but now
fewer houses overall, meaning
to
half
in
cut
been
has
that number
s are up.
about 1,300, said Pat Watkins, a real price
ins
Watk
Mike
with
estate agent
(SEE GROW TH PAGE A8)
Real Estate.
Homebuilder plans to expand subdivision
ne of Franklin’s largest
neighborhoods is envisioned
as growing more.
Arbor Homes is continuing
the vision that C.P. Morgan
had when the Heritage subdivision
off Hurricane Road was built in
2004. When C.P. Morgan went
O
out of business in 2009, the
company left one-third of the
subdivision undeveloped.
Now, Arbor Homes plans
to complete the initial blueprint
and to expand on the north end of
the subdivision, building 30 homes
at a time.
More than 340 homes were built
by C.P. Morgan in the five years
before the company closed. When
the neighborhood was proposed
more than 10 years ago, the plan
was to build more than 700 homes.
ON THE MARKET
Average sales price in
Johnson County (through November)
2013: $152,237
2014: $163,576
Increase: 7 percent
Homes sold in Johnson County
(through November)
2013: 2,321
2014: 2,284
Decrease: 1.5 percent
Number of building permits issued
through November in Johnson County
2010: 383
2012: 493
2014: 590
(SEE EXPAND PAGE A8)
ERSON
STORIES BY ABBY ARMBRUSTER PHOTOS BY SCOTT ROB
Pictured above, top: Homes under construction are shown Friday in the Enclave
at Stones Crossing subdivision.
Attention scooter users: Rules change this week
Beginning Thursday, license, registration required; move helps state track drivers
BY STEVE GARBACZ
DAILY JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
sgarbacz@dailyjournal.net
A new law will require people to
register their scooters or mopeds
but won’t necessarily make roads
safer, police said.
Previously, anyone 15 years or
older could drive a scooter without
a valid driver’s license or any type
of road training. That changes on
Thursday. Drivers who don’t have
INSIDE, A8: BMV informs county
officials of new surtax coming
for moped, scooter drivers.
a license, such as teens or adults
who have had theirs suspended or
revoked, will need to take a short
written test to earn an endorsement allowing them to drive
a scooter.
Owners also will need to register
and plate their scooters, which
will allow them to be tracked in
the state’s vehicle database.
State legislators approved the
law to add additional regulations
for small scooters and mopeds
with engines of a certain size.
Those scooters are the most
common type you see on
roads, with a maximum speed of
about 30 mph. Larger scooters
with higher speeds already had
more rules in place and are treated similarly to motorcycles.
Previously, officers couldn’t easily tell whether a scooter had a
large engine and therefore more
regulations. Now all scooters are
required to have license plates,
and the plates for the two types
will be printed in different colors
so officers will be able to quickly
identify what rules apply, according to Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles spokesman Josh Gillespie.
Although the law will require
unlicensed drivers to take a short
written test about street signs and
some basic road rules, the new
rules don’t require insurance, helmets for adults or more in-depth
driver training. Police will have
more opportunities to write tickets
to drivers who don’t have plates or
the right endorsement, but the law
doesn’t do much to improve safety
for scooter drivers and other vehicles, police said.
(SEE RULES PAGE A8)