Trojans hit road for JOURNEY OF SEMISTATE D I S C O V E R Y Letterboxes offer hidden treasures | ACCENT A6 SPORTS, B1 DAILY JOURNAL Iconic downtown pharmacy closes dailyjournal.net WEATHER 75 cents Johnson County, Indiana TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2014 Challenge competing with chains, construction cited as reasons Today Skies: Sunny; possible shower Temps: High 58; low 38 MAP, PAGE A8 FREE TIME DAILY JOURNAL, JOHNSON COUNTY, IND. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014 C3 THERE IS SOMETHING TO DO. SAVE THIS SECTION, PICK AN ACTIVITY, HAVE A BLAST. Free Time BY RYAN TRARES Henderson Drugs owner and pharmacist Travis Richey counts medication Monday. Richey is closing the store after more than 130 years in Franklin. courthouse square became a meeting place for neighbors to catch up. But as of this morning, the pharmacy becomes a part of Franklin history. Henderson Drugs has closed its downtown location effective this morning. The owners cited difficulties for an independent business to compete with larger chains, including navigating reimbursement requirements recently imposed by the federal government DAILY JOURNAL STAFF WRITER [email protected] For more than 130 years, Henderson Drugs has been filling prescriptions in downtown Franklin. Generations of customers have come for their medications, chatting with a pharmacist who knew them by name. Children have stopped in to buy candy or soda, and its location just off the SCOTT ROBERSON DAILY JOURNAL for patients with Medicaid and Medicare. Downtown Franklin, with the recent road construction that has blocked off streets and parking and façade work at multiple buildings, including at Henderson Drugs, also became too disruptive to business, owner Travis Richey said. “There are just too many obstacles for a small business to overcome these (SEE PHARMACY PAGE A5) A GUIDE TO ACTIVITIES FOR FAMILIES, FRIENDS, FUN SEASONAL HOLIDAY CHEAP THRILLS Park plans fall fun for all ages CHURCH COMMUNITY OUTREACH FESTIVAL, noon to 3 p.m. Oct. 19, Faith Baptist Church, 1640 Fry Road, Greenwood, services at 10:30 a.m., games refreshments, church tours, celebrating more than 10 years in Greenwood, all are welcome Johnson County Park will host two events this weekend aimed at getting locals into the park to enjoy the season. From 3 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, kids can participate Spread the word Want to have your own events added to our weekly Free Time listing? The best way to get your event publicized is to get the information to us at least three weeks in advance. Make sure to include all pertinent information and a phone number in case we have any questions. Send photographs if possible. Email the information to [email protected] or mail it to Free Time, Daily Journal, P.O. Box 699, Franklin, IN 46131. DAILY JOURNAL FILE PHOTO Franklin police discovered a large marijuana growing operation in this building at Hurricane Road and Eastview Drive on Feb. 22 during a traffic stop. WEB EXTRAS VOTE OF Get the early edition For a sneak preview of what stories reporters are working on, sign up for the Daily Journal email news update. The daily email keeps you up-to-date about what is going on in Franklin, the Center Grove area, Greenwood and central Indiana. We will alert you to breaking news, tell you about stories we are planning and let you in on what is going on in the newsroom. You can subscribe by sending an email to newsupdate@ dailyjournal.net. Put “subscribe” in the subject line. ON THE WEB Join us on Facebook, Twitter Keep up with the news and happenings in Johnson County communities through the Daily Journal’s Facebook and Twitter pages. facebook.com/ dailyjournalnews twitter.com/ dailyjournalnet DEATHS Franklin Robert E. Martin, 88 Indianapolis Jerry Evelyn Clark, 66 Whiteland Doris Jean Williams, 67 INDEX Accent..........................A6-A7 Classifieds....................B5-B7 Comics...............................B4 Editorials............................A4 Obituaries..........................A5 Police, fire.............................A3 Sports.......................B1-B3, B8 Southside............................A3 TV listings............................A7 Weather..............................A8 CALL US Main switchboard 736-7101 Delivery: 736-2777, 888-736-7101 Advertising: 736-2700 News tips: 736-2712 DAILY CONFIDENCE Few contested races translates to drop in spending BY STEVE GARBACZ DAILY JOURNAL STAFF WRITER [email protected] F ewer campaign signs line roadsides, and voters shouldn’t expect much more promotion of local races as the election approaches. 2014 With few contested races on the ballot this fall, candidates aren’t INSIDE: spending much on ■ Franklin fliers, advertisements Community and billboards. About 40 candidates school board whose names will be candidate on ballots didn’t spend Q&A, A2 any money on their ■ Board campaigns between candidates April 12 and Oct. 10, according to campaign address finance reports budget recently filed with the shortfall, A8 county election office. Most of the candidates who spent money put in only a few hundred dollars of their own money for yard signs or donations to events. Election The election is two weeks away. Here is what you need to know. Where to vote now If you’re busy on Election Day, or just want to get voting out of the way, you can vote now. You can cast your ballot at the county courthouse, located at 5 E. Jefferson St. in Franklin, on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On Saturday and Nov. 1, between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., you also can vote at the courthouse; Mount Pleasant Christian Church, at 381 Bluff Road, Greenwood; the Trafalgar Public Library, at 424 S. Tower St.; or Jonathan Byrd’s Cafeteria, at 100 Byrd Way in Greenwood. And from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 29 through 31, you also can vote at Jonathan Byrd’s Cafeteria, Mount Pleasant Christian Church, Trafalgar Public Library, Franklin Community Center, at 396 Branigan Blvd., or the Edinburgh Wright-Hageman Public Library, at 119 W. Main Cross St. Any changes in voting? What you will need Most voters will notice little to no changes from past years — as long as you have cast a ballot since the county switched to vote centers. County officials wanted to keep vote centers as similar as they could since voters are still getting used to them. The idea behind vote centers is to allow voters to cast their ballots at any of a handful of vote centers in the county. State law requires voters to show their identification before voting. The county uses electronic poll books. So no matter where you vote in the county, election workers should easily be able to look up your name and address and what ballot you need. As in the primary, voters will sign an electronic signature pad before casting their ballot. (SEE SPENDING PAGE A8) Top: Voters in Johnson County take advantage of early voting in October 2012 for the 2012 election at the voting center at Mount Pleasant Christian Church. Will there be any contested races? This year, voters in Johnson County have few contested races on their ballots. The only contested races are for eight school board seats, and for state senate and representative and U.S. Congress. None of the county offices on the ballot, including sheriff, prosecutor, county commissioner and council, are contested this fall since all the challenges were determined in the spring primary election. DAILY JOURNAL FILE PHOTO Major pot grower gets home detention Prosecutor: Indiana law doesn’t account for operation’s size BY STEVE GARBACZ DAILY JOURNAL STAFF WRITER [email protected] A Franklin man was sentenced to six months on home detention after police said he was growing more than 500 marijuana plants in an elaborate operation. Jonathan Z. Baker, 31, pleaded guilty to a single charge of posBAKER session of marijuana. He will spend six months on home detention, followed by six months on probation. Despite the large bust that occurred in May at Hurricane Road and Eastview Drive in Franklin, Indiana law doesn’t have a range of charges for people who grow marijuana, Johnson County Prosecutor Brad Cooper said. The Class D felony charge would have been the same even if police had found a million plants crammed into the building, he said. That type of charge is punishable by up to three years in prison, but Baker has no criminal history, so he wouldn’t get a maximum sentence, Cooper said. Changes in the state’s criminal code have lessened the penalties for growing marijuana even more, Cooper said. If the same crime occurred today, it would be only a misdemeanor. “We charged him with the most serious charge the law allows,” Cooper said. As part of the plea, Baker agreed to forfeit all of the equipment that police seized when (SEE DETENTION PAGE A5) LIVING A DREAM DAY Colts reward 10-year-old for working to overcome obstacles BY RYAN TRARES DAILY JOURNAL STAFF WRITER [email protected] I ndianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck lofted passes to receivers Reggie Wayne and T.Y. Hilton as part of their pregame routine. Other players ran drills and warmed up as the clock clicked down toward Sunday’s kickoff. Coaches watched and helped them get ready, and stadium staff prepared the field for the game against the Cincinnati Bengals. In the middle of it all, Franklin student Braidon Jamerson watched with wide eyes. He played catch in the Colts’ end zone with the coaching staff and helped the grounds crew make sure the yardage markers were correct. Braidon and his family were given the MVP treatment by the Colts as a reward for his hard work this school year. They rode to the game in a limousine, sat in special box seats with a perfect view of the field and Pictured: Braidon Jamerson poses on the field before Sunday’s Indianapolis Colts game. SUBMITTED PHOTO (SEE DREAM PAGE A5)