Frankfort

The 51st Season is underway for Frankfort's Red Barn Summer Theatre. This week continues the play A Thousand Clowns by Herb Gardner, and on July 11th, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum opens. WBAA's John Clare spoke with company members Luke McLaughlin, Danielle Ullman, and Aaron Moon about their roles and the productions.

On January 11, the last dry cleaner in Clinton County -- Frankfort Cleaners -- closed its doors.  

State leaders have pinned Indiana’s economic fortunes to regional economic development initiatives.  

Many programs have been created in the last few years to foster cooperation between nearby counties and cities.

But as WBAA’s Chris Morisse Vizza reports, at least two West Central Indiana mayors say the inherent instinct to compete for jobs and corporate investment is an obstacle.

It’s no secret Indiana has a drug problem. Many cities and town have been racked with drug crime, overdoses and increased incidence of the diseases that are shared through contact with dirty needles.

But this month, Frankfort leaders got news that their problem may be continuing to worsen. This week on Ask The Mayor, we chat with Chris McBarnes about what his limited resources allow him to do about it.

The number of English learner students in Indiana is increasing, but the number of number of certified English language instructors is not.

Indiana Public Broadcasting’s Claire McInerny visited the Community Schools of Frankfort, the district with the highest percentage of English learners in the state, and reports on the school's struggle to bridge the gap.

The city of Frankfort is undergoing a construction binge of sorts. A ConAgra factory bigger than the Indianapolis convention center is being built, complete with its own access road from State Road 28.

But that state highway is a problem, as are the various railroad tracks that crisscross the city. WBAA’s Stan Jastrzebski recently took a trip around Frankfort with Mayor Chris McBarnes, who says there are places in his city that make him “embarrassed.”

Some questions asked of the mayor this week:

You recently got back an assessment from a company in South Carolina assessing how ready the county is for economic development. Tell me your initial impressions of what the report says.

Some questions for the mayor this week:

Shortly after we spoke last month about the city’s plans to possibly demolish blighted buildings, the state announced another round of funding to cities trying to do exactly that. Is Frankfort getting any of that cash?

You’re getting set to knock down your first home following the creation of the Hearing Authority, right?

You and I also talked last month about INDOT’s plan to rehab SR 28 leading into town and you said you thought it was on the near horizon. How quickly do you think that will start in earnest?

Some questions for the mayor on this month's program:

You and I spoke a couple weeks ago when the city pool was closed about some of the overhaul that was needed to make that facility safer. What’s the latest on those efforts?

You say in your latest 200-day plan you want to review the condition of aging police and fire facilities. Is it likely the city will have to rehab or replace several of those?

What kind of money does the city have in its capital projects budget to pay for updates to infrastructure?

Frankfort’s mayor has announced changes to the city’s swimming pool that he hopes will make it safer when it reopens next summer.

In a press release Monday, Chris McBarnes laid out a three-pronged safety plan instigated by the death of a 15-year old swimmer last month.

Topping the mayor’s priorities is the creation of a written safety plan for the pool which will replace oral rules taught to lifeguards upon their hiring.