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Message from CAST:

Creating Avenues For Student Transformation (CAST) in Washington County is offering two wonderful events to raise funds. CAST provides tutoring and mentoring to county students. All proceeds will benefit CAST and Southern Indiana Dyslexia Resource Center.

"The Most Magical Raffle on Earth"


Tickets are on sale now for “The Most Magical Raffle On Earth.”

The grand prize includes $2,000 in Disney gift cards.

The Local Gift Card bundle features gift cards donated by local businesses.  They include Raquel’s Restaurant, Born, El Maguey, Nice’s Family Diner, Totally Baked, Lisa’s Farmhouse Market, Poppy Lane Bakery, Tees & Tumblers and more.

A bundle of four Big Splash tickets is also up for grabs.

Tickets are $20 apiece or three tickets for $50.  Those wanting tickets may stop by the CAST any weekday in September between 9 a.m. and 12 noon or by appointment. The CAST office is located at 1707 N. Shelby Street, Suite 107, Salem.

Tickets can also be purchased from Kim Scifres, Allison Ezzell, Lorie Campbell, Ashley Hubbard, Cassie Summers-Corp, Micah Gilliam or Steve Corp.  Cash, checks, credit cards or Venmo will be accepted.

The drawing for the raffle winners will occur at the CAST office at 6 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 30.

Please call 812-620-7907 or email castwashco.org for more information.

"A Night At The Salem Speedway"

CAST is hosting “A Night At The Salem Speedway” on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 5 p.m. that will feature dinner and racing at the historic track. The speedway is located at 2729 W. State Road 56, Salem.

Sponsors are needed, and all proceeds will benefit CAST, a 501c3 non-profit organization.

According to Cassie Corp, CAST director, sponsors’  “tax-deductible contributions for this event will help students in Washington County and beyond!”

“Dyslexia is a specific learning disability related to reading. Studies show up to 20% of the population in the United States is affected at some level with dyslexia. Children who are unable to read by the third grade are more likely to drop out of school.”

“Help our students achieve their full potential by supporting this effort,” she added.

Sponsorship levels include the following: Banner Sponsors—$2,500:  Media recognition, event admission, a table for eight, banner recognition. Winner’s Circle—$1,000:  Media recognition, event admission, table for eight. Fast Track—$500:  Media recognition, event admission, table for four. Rev Your Engine—$250:  Media recognition, event admission, table for two. Individual Tickets—$50:  Reserved seats for the night’s race, a VIP armband with access to the High Banks Club, and a fully catered dinner (Kids 12 and under are free with the purchase of an adult ticket).

Please email Cassie Corp at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 812-620-7907 to become a sponsor or to RSVP for tickets to the event.

• Law & Justice

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National Forensic Science Week brings recognition to the role that proper forensic science plays in the investigation of crimes throughout the nation, from exonerating the innocent to identifying the guilty. Running throughout the week of September 15-21, National Forensic Science Week strives to honor the linchpins of a better world where science meets justice and threads of truth are woven.
For more information about National Forensic Week, visit: http://www.forensicscienceweek.org/
For information about the Indiana State Police Laboratory Division and the services they provide, visit: http://www.in.gov/isp/labs/

Below are some interesting stats from the past year (2023):

• There were 24,399 new cases submitted for analysis at the four Indiana State Police laboratories
• Crime Scene Investigators responded to 1,020 different crime scenes throughout the state
• Polygraph Examiners conducted 761 polygraph tests
• Digital Forensic Unit completed 633 cases
• In 2023, there were 698 cases in Indiana linked to a potential suspect by a CODIS DNA match

There are four Indiana State Police laboratory facilities statewide and for additional information, please contact the Public Information Officer (PIO) listed adjacent to the named laboratory location:

• Lowell Laboratory PIO contact is Sgt. Glen Fifield at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  
• Fort Wayne Laboratory PIO contact is Sgt. Brian Walker at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  
• Evansville Laboratory PIO contact is Sgt. Todd Ringle at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Indianapolis Laboratory PIO contact is Sgt. John Perrine at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Captain Ron Galaviz at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

• City of Salem
• Government
• Zoning

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By: Becky Killian

A majority of city officials have approved the rezoning of land owned by a developer who intends to build a combination of single-family houses and townhomes.

The 3-to-2 vote was made during the Monday, Sept. 9, meeting of the Salem Common Council.

The vote changes the zoning of about 5 and a half acres that will be accessible from an entrance along Old State Road 60 east of Eastview Church of Christ from R-1, which allows single-family homes, to R-3, which allows multiple-family dwellings like townhomes.

The rezoning came to the Common Council after the Salem Plan Commission gave it a favorable recommendation during its Aug. 26 meeting.

The city’s attorney, Alyssa Cochran, explained to Council members that the only decision before them was whether to rezone the land.

Council member Dylan Moore was first to make the motion to approve the rezoning; however, his fellow council member, Danny Libka, suggested that the matter be tabled due to the controversy it had garnered. He noted that one of Cochran’s firm members, Jake Vissing, was most familiar with the rezoning and he wanted to wait until Vissing was present to give his input.

Libka’s suggestion found no footing, so Moore reiterated his motion. The rezoning passed with Libka and Steve Crane opposing it. Moore, Randy Lee Jr., and Roger Pennington voted in favor of the change.

The rezoning isn’t the last hurdle the developer, Anthony Mosby, of Pekin, will have to clear. Before any construction begins, he will need to return to the Plan Commission with development plans that will have to be approved.

Mosby has pursued the rezoning for more than a year. After public resistance to the development made officials balk at approving his request, Mosby changed his plans multiple times only to be confounded by further negative votes.

The most recent draft of the development showed about 10 single family houses and about 30 townhomes.

A controversial entrance from the adjacent Eastview Terrace Subdivision has been eliminated from the plans.

The homes will be sold for around $300,000. Most of the townhomes will be sold and the remaining units will be available for an estimated rent of about $1,100 a month, which Mosby said is comparable to existing rental prices in Salem.

Building Commissioner Ronnie Voyles said the reasoning behind the request for R-3 zoning is that it has less of a setback requirement than R-1. That lesser setback requirement allows for the higher-density development Mosby has proposed.

Mosby has maintained he wants a higher-end development. The quality development – and the prices it commands – will help him to recoup the investment in the property, including the costly infrastructure required like the installation of roads of utility lines.

A 2019 housing study found that Salem has a desperate need for more housing, including luxury housing.

Mosby has told officials if the development comes to fruition and is successful, it will provide an incentive for more developers to take on projects in the city.

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The new SalemLeader.com website Is officially going live this weekend!

There may be some delays, as the new website has to go through procedures to “replicate” itself on the internet.

Anyone who has problems reaching the new website by searching “www.salemleader.com” may find that they will need to reboot their computers or clear their cache to directly connect with the website.

For the past couple of months, many people have been able to access the beta website that was under construction and listed as www.southernindiana.us. As soon as the new website has been fully replicated, the new website will be reached by entering www.salemleader.com.

Advantages of using SalemLeader.com:

FREE NEWS is available 24 hours a day / 7 days a week.
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News and advertising are posted as soon as it is received.

Advanced navigation buttons at the top of the Home Page, the Footer and Search function make locating stories effortless.

Stories and obituaries remain on the site indefinitely, so you will be able to find an article you may have missed.

There are over 40 categories to make finding news easier. We post news constantly as soon as we receive it. Many stories will roll off of the Home Page, but will still be available under category headings.

Please try out the new website! We hope you will be pleased with the new format.

Sincerely,
Nancy Grossman, Publisher
Leader Publishing Company of Salem, Inc.