Patoka 2000, the beautification committee of the Jasper Chamber of Commerce is getting ready to place summer flowers in the planters along the Patoka River Bridge.  Patoka 2000 works to maintain this area as an entryway into the City of Jasper.

The planters are spruced up with live flowers three times a year.  Donations are accepted and received and it is this money that helps maintain these planter urns on the Patoka River Bridge.

Crop producers from around southwest Indiana are invited to attend a free Purdue Extension crop workshop March 6 in Bretzville covering field crop management and herbicide-resistant plants.

The Southwest Indiana Crop Seminar will run from 12:25 to 4:45 p.m. at the Dubois County 4-H Fairgrounds, 4157 S. state Route 162, about six miles south of Jasper.

"We want to give local crop producers an opportunity to meet with industry professionals and academic specialists to discuss topics that might affect this year's crop," said Kenneth Eck, Dubois County Extension educator.

Topics and their presenters are:

There were 354 homes sold in Dubois County last year, up 12.4% from 2011 according to new data from the Indiana Association of REALTORS.  The figure mirrored the statewide totals, which showed more homes selling and a higher average sales price.

However, in Pike County, just 76 homes sold during the year, compared to 86 in 2011, a drop of 11.6%.

The monthly Indiana Real Estate Markets Report today released by the state’s realtors provides year-end data which they say shows that 2012 was a strong turnaround year for Indiana housing markets.

The data includes detached single family homes, condos and townhomes.

The median sales price for homes sold in Dubois County was $123.500 compared to $125,000 in 2011, while in Pike County dropped from $81,250 to $75,900.

Statewide, there were 8,531 more homes sold in 2012 than in 2011 – a 14.7 percent increase year-over-year.