East Hancock school moves to hire security officer
CHARLOTTESVILLE — When Eastern Hancock students return to school after spring break March 30, they’ll be met with enhanced security features, including a school security officer.
Eastern Hancock School Board on Monday approved hiring a police officer, making it the last school district in the county to take the step in increasing security.
Superintendent Randy Harris said the board began discussing the issues last year while preparing to apply for the second round of the Secured School Safety grant program, an Indiana Department of Homeland Security effort that provides funding to help schools improve security.
Greenfield-Central, Southern Hancock and Mt. Vernon schools already have security officers employed.
Man accused of fondling child in public restroom
GREENFIELD — A convicted child molester was arrested Monday amid accusations he inappropriately touched a young boy in late February in the men’s restroom at Walmart in Greenfield.
David A. Paterson, 27, of Indianapolis, faces a felony charge of child molesting after the 7-year-old came forward, telling his mother and authorities Paterson touched him while they were alone in the bathroom.
Paterson is a registered sex offender, after having been convicted of child molesting in 2009. There is no indication that Paterson knew the victim, police said.
According to court documents, Paterson was shopping at the store before the alleged incident and was already in the restroom when the boy entered.
He appeared in court for an initial hearing on Tuesday and is charged with child molesting, a Level 4 felony, which carries a penalty of two to 12 years and up to $10,000 in fines.
Donation campaign effort nets foundations $65,000
GREENFIELD — Local school foundations saw a boost of more than $65,000 through a matching donation campaign with the Hancock County Community Foundation.
That’s money that will help teachers fund special projects and reach creative goals, say local volunteers who were busy the past two months raising awareness of their foundations.
The concept was simple: For every dollar donated, the foundation used Lilly Endowment money and its own funds to match those dollars and up the ante 50 cents, for a $2.50 total donation.
The inaugural initiative was so successful that each education foundation exhausted available matching dollars.
