Latest news with #DecaturCounty4-HFair
11-04-2025
- Business
Fairgrounds construction concerns 2025 event planners
GREENSBURG – The planned revamp of the Decatur County Fairgrounds was a topic of discussion at a recent meeting of the Decatur County Board of Commissioners. It should be noted that the Decatur County 4-H Fair in July and Power of the Past in August, as well as most events at the Decatur County Fairgrounds in 2025, will be impacted by construction of the new Headquarters Building on the grounds, as Power of the Past Coordinator Kim Carpenter learned at Monday's meeting. Carpenter attended to seek approval for a beer garden at the 2025 POP, which is scheduled for the third weekend of August. Carpenter said the beer garden would be located below an awning where the old Community Building sat. Commissioner Jeremy Pasel told her that would not be possible as construction would be in progress in that area during the event. At 2024's POP, The Beach Tiki Bar and Restaurant was the vendor operating the beer 'booth' in the Community Building, which is scheduled for demolition. Because the beer booth was inside the building, Carpenter chose to make entry age-restricted. This made it difficult for families to sit together while consuming adult refreshments. Carpenter said St. Paul Tavern is the chosen beer vendor for 2025 and an open air/barricaded beer garden selling canned beer was planned. Pasel said the area from the Community Building to the Livestock Pavilion would be under construction and unusable for festival purposes during POP. In reference to the area she called 'food alley,' Carpenter said there would be enough space to include the beer garden but asked about the availability of electricity there. Pasel and Commissioners Brian Wenning both said that was still being worked out. Pasel said that all electrical power, including internet and PA wiring, would be moved underground during construction. The remaining poles would be outfitted with electrical, but final details are not firm at this time. County Councilors Danny Peters and Bill Metz were present in the audience and voiced their concerns about electrical and vendor placement as well. Currently, with asbestos remediation taking place in the Community Building, the building stands without a roof waiting for demolition to begin. No date for the demolition has been set yet, and timing for the project has not been announced.
28-01-2025
- Politics
2025 Decatur County 4-H Fair Committee members announced
Jan. 27—GREENSBURG — The members of the 2025 Decatur County Fair Committee were recently announced, and planning for the important yearly event is beginning in earnest. The 2025 Decatur County Fair Committee members are President Kevin Crites, serving a 4 year term; Vice President Mark Koors, 2 years; Treasurer Mary Lou Davis, 4 years; Secretary Barb Waechter, 2 years; Scott Best, 4 years; Scott Smith, 4 years; Mark Hirt, 2 years; Commissioner Jeremy Pasel and Decatur County Councilor Danny Peters; and Chris Ramey, at-large. The 2025 Decatur County 4-H Fair is scheduled for July 10 to 16. The Decatur County 4-H Fair has a long and treasured local history, but the history of the committee in charge of preparing and putting on the fair has met with challenges. In August 2021, the Daily News reported on the surprise dissolution of the 21 member Fair Committee by the Decatur County Board of Commissioners, citing their lack of financial accountability for county fairs in the past and their general mismanagement of the Decatur County Fairgrounds. The Fair Committee was unable to produce records accounting for an estimated $30,000 to $40,000 of past year's fair profits. Commissioners Chuck Emsweller and Mark Koors asked the Decatur County Visitors Center Board to manage the Decatur County Fairgrounds and accept the responsibility of managing the Decatur County Fair starting in 2022. After much deliberation, the issue was tabled. Eventually, the Decatur County Visitors Center Board of Directors declined the request. In June 2022, a new nine-member Fair Committee was announced less than a month prior to the start of the annual event. Commissioner Jeremy Pasel explained he favored formation of a new committee to help insulate the fair from changes resulting from elections and their possible negative impact on the fair's 4-H focus. "I don't want the fair to suffer, and I don't want the kids to have a lesser fair going forward in the future," he said. "I want to make sure that we have a Fair Committee in place and people who actually know about the fair can care about it. They'll have a vested interest in it. So that's why I wanted to see a Fair Committee come back." Those selected to serve on the new committee serve voluntarily as Pasel said these will be non-paid positions. He said prior involvement with the fair was a requirement for application because orchestrating a fair was complicated. However, he added, diverse backgrounds and experiences would be helpful in tackling the many different issues execution of a successful event could present. He then asked local media to share a draft of new Fair Committee bylaws and asked that they be publicized so Decatur County citizens know what's planned and what the expectations are. For more information about the 2025 Decatur County 4-H Fair, visit www. Contact Bill Rethlake at 812-651-0876 or email
