Law & Government

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE WASHINGTON COUNTY BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS Please take notice that the Washington County Board of Zoning Appeals of Washington County, Indiana will hold a public hearing, pursuant to statute, on December 1, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. at the Washington County Courthouse, 2nd Floor, Salem, Indiana in regard to an application for a standards variance filed by Beeswax, Not Yours LLC with the Plan Director of the Board of Zoning Appeals of Washington Coun

The Washington County Commissioners awarded the new 4-H community building project to AML Construction on November 4 and approved the updated contractual services agreement with Purdue Extension.

After a special Merit Board meeting on November 2, a Washington County Sheriff's Department sergeant remains on unpaid suspension. The board approved an agreement keeping him off the job until criminal charges against him are fully resolved.

Following Tuesday night's general election, we had the pleasure of speaking with Sheriff-elect Wayne Blevins regarding his landslide win. He spoke about how he plans to run the department, as well as his touching motivation to run in the first place. Congratulations Sheriff-elect Blevins!

In this week’s Washington County Council meeting, the council raised the county’s mileage reimbursement rate and daily per diem Monday morning, approved transfers and additional appropriations, and committed an extra $250,000 next year toward the new 4-H building at the fairgrounds.

Below are the unofficial results of Washington County's 2026 General Election. The winners of all races are projected until results are verified by the State. Reminder – these are Washington County votes ONLY. They do not reflect vote totals for federal or state races, which combine Washington County results with other counties.

The following is a press release from the Washington County Indiana Sheriff's Department. Washington County Sheriff Brent Miller announced the arrest of a 53-year-old Borden man following an attempted kidnapping involving a teenage girl in Salem on Friday, October 23. At approximately 4:30 p.m., deputies with the Washington County Sheriff's Department responded to a residence on North Naugle Road after receiving a report of a male attempting to abduct a juvenile at gunpoint.

On October 23 at approximately 6:44 pm, emergency responders were dispatched to W Purlee Rd near SR-135 S regarding a structure fire. It has been reported that no one was inside the structure at the time of the incident, and no injuries have been reported as of this time.

The following is a press release from the Washington County Prosecutor's Office: Washington County Prosecutor Tara Coats Hunt announced the successful prosecution and sentencing of five individuals involved in significant drug dealing offenses in Washington County. The convictions resulted in substantial prison sentences: • Gerald Williams – 20 years (3 years suspended) for Level 2 Dealing in Methamphetamine. • Kinsley Bentel – 20 years (3 years suspended) for Level 2 Fe

Our 2026 general election candidate interview series continues with Renee Mather, Democratic candidate for Washington Township Trustee. Mather discusses township assistance, financial transparency, the use of taxpayer funds and coordination with local organizations to connect residents with resources.

Our 2026 general election candidate interview series continues with Josh Anderson, Republican candidate for reelection as Washington Township Trustee. Anderson discusses township assistance, financial management, government transparency and the need for affordable housing. He also reflects on modernizing township operations, expanding assistance to residents in need and his plans to improve services and resources if reelected.

The Washington County Commissioners adopted a policy Tuesday night that allows for further electronic participation in meetings along with opening three bids for the new 4-H building at the fairgrounds. They also approved a proclamation for “Operation Green Light,” asking residents and businesses to shine green lights for veterans from November 4 through November 11.

This afternoon, Friday, October 16 at approximately 12:22 pm, Salem emergency responders were dispatched to the intersection of W SR-60 and W SR-56 regarding a motor vehicle accident that involved a jackknifed semi and a van.

Our 2026 general election candidate interview series continues with David Norton, Democratic candidate for Washington County Recorder. Norton discusses record accuracy, digitization and online access, government transparency, protecting sensitive information and his plans for maintaining the office’s current systems while improving accountability. He also outlines ways to expand public access to records and promote property fraud alerts.

On October 13, at approximately 8:18 pm, Washington County emergency responders were dispatched to a house fire on S Jackson St. According to dispatch, the caller stated no one was inside the home at the time. We later confirmed this during a conversation with Salem Fire Chief Mark Day and Assistant Fire Chief Max Gamble.

WW School Board candidate Brandon Johnson discusses his views on transparency, communication, competitive salaries for teachers, and more.

Candidate for West Washington School Board Justin Davidson discusses his priorities for transparency, public forums, teacher recruitment and retention, and more.

The Washington County Board of Commissioners met October 6, the day after the County Council heard Ken Temple offer to keep the new highway garage and refund the county. Commissioners voted 2-1 to hire a Corydon firm for a second inspection, then listened as Temple repeated the offer and called the council’s review a campaign to tear the county apart.

The Washington County Council adopted the 2027 county budget Monday morning, then spent the front half of the meeting on an unfinished inspection of the highway garage and a claim from Ken Temple, president of Temple & Temple Excavating and Paving, that he will keep the facility.

Our 2026 general election candidate interview series continues with Tara Coats Hunt, Republican candidate and incumbent Washington County Prosecutor. Hunt discusses criminal case filings, drug-related crime, victims’ rights, staffing, law enforcement partnerships and her priorities for a second term.