Limo in Fortville, IN

By Shelley Swift | Daily Reporter

FORTVILLE — A Christmas tree lighting Thursday in downtown Fortville will be a prelude to the annual Winterfest in town on Saturday.

The public is invited to the tree lighting at 6 p.m. Thursday in The Alley off Main Street in downtown Fortville.

The annual Trees on Main event is hosted by Fortville Action Inc., a volunteer group that strives to enhance and promote the downtown area year-round.

“We will have Mt. Vernon High School choir carolers, hot chocolate from Scooter’s, cookies to decorate and a very possible Santa sighting,” said longtime member Milda Sterrett.

“We also have included a mailbox in The Alley for anyone who wants to send a letter to the big guy,” she said.

Thursday’s tree lighting is an unofficial kickoff to Fortville’s annual Winterfest, which takes place along Main Street from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday. The event, organized by Discover Fortville, features a vendor market, ice skating, crafts, live music and a holiday parade.

This is the third year for Trees on Main, which has grown to include 29 trees this year.

The display has expanded to include trees on The Patio, a seating area on the south end of Main Street.

Both areas — set off by ornate signs in bright gold lettering — were created by Fortville Action Inc.

The group started Trees on Main in 2023, inviting businesses to sponsor and decorate trees from Sambol’s Tree Farm.

Sterrett said the holiday display raises money for Fortville Action while generating traffic to downtown businesses, which is crucial to their success at the holidays.

Money raised goes toward community projects, such as spring flower planting, miscellaneous community projects and a scholarship for Mt. Vernon High School students.

“This year we have also received help from the Hancock County Tourism board in the form of a much-appreciated grant,” Sterrett said.

The longtime Fortville resident encourages visitors from Fortville and beyond to attend Thursday’s tree lighting, or stroll among the Trees on Main anytime in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

“The Alley area has been historically a very, very popular photo destination, and just a great area to stroll and get in the holiday spirit,” she said.

The Community Foundation of Hancock County’s board of directors announced its new president and CEO on Wednesday.

Fortville native Lee Ann Oden will take over the reins at the foundation after outgoing president, Mary Gibble, retires at the end of the year.

Oden brings more than 30 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, fundraising and community engagement.

According to a foundation press release, she has helped raise more than $35 million for education, medical research and other local nonprofit organizations throughout the years.

Before joining the Community Foundation of Hancock County, she worked at the Indiana University School of Medicine, Butler University and the Children’s Bureau, among other area nonprofits.

“Over the last several years, we’ve worked hard to position the foundation for the next chapter of our impact,” said Board Chair Willie McKinney.

“The foundation has established itself as one of central Indiana’s most trusted philanthropic partners. We know that Lee will not only steward this legacy well but also build on it, meeting the challenges of honoring Hancock County’s past, addressing our current needs and helping to prepare for our future,” he said.

Oden grew up in Fortville and said she’s proud to have recently moved back to her hometown, just a few houses down from where she grew up.

“My parents were both teachers in Hancock County, and my brother and I both graduated from Mt. Vernon schools,” she said. “This community shaped who I am, and I’m honored to lead the foundation at this pivotal time.”

Earlier this year, the foundation established an eight-member search committee and engaged Talbott Talent, a national executive search firm exclusively serving nonprofits, to identify, recruit and onboard Oden to the role.

The Community Foundation of Hancock County is a nonprofit, public charity that encourages philanthropy, convenes and leads community initiatives, provides educational support and supports nonprofit organizations.

Its $70 million in assets and more than $2 million in annual grantmaking countywide are administered by a staff of eight at the foundation’s offices in Greenfield.

A more in-depth story on Oden will appear in a future edition of the Daily Reporter.

The Richmond Flying Mummies announced Fortville’s Mason Rapp as its first field manager in franchise history.

Rapp, a graduate of Mt. Vernon High School and letterman of the Marauders baseball program, is currently serving as an assistant baseball coach for Minnesota Morris University.

This summer he will lead the Indiana team in its inaugural 2026 Northwoods League season.

“I’m incredibly honored to be named the first manager in Flying Mummies history,” Rapp said in a press release from the organization. “I am beyond excited to represent my home state in a place I am very familiar with while getting to be back in the Northwoods League. We’re going to build a team that plays a fun brand of baseball, competes every night, and represents the Richmond community with pride!”

Rapp brings a deep understanding of player development and collegiate summer baseball to the Flying Mummies. Before joining Minnesota Morris, he served as a graduate assistant at the University of Mary and has coached in the Northwoods League with the Willmar Stingers, giving him firsthand experience with the summer-league grind and recruiting networks.

Rapp played collegiately at Defiance College, where he was a three-time Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) All-Academic selection. He is a native of Fortville and has remained active in youth baseball development across the Midwest.

EH looking for HOF nominees

The Eastern Hancock Athletic Boosters are seeking nominations for the 2026 class of the Eastern Hancock Athletic Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame recognizes the achievements of former athletes, teams, coaches, administrators, and other contributors to the athletic programs at Eastern Hancock, Charlottesville, Westland, and Wilkinson high schools.

To be eligible, an athlete must be seven years removed from competition, coaches five years removed, and teams 10 years removed.

Nominations are due to the EH Athletic Director’s office or by email to ehboosters@gmail.com by 3:30 pm on November 26, 2025.

The 2026 Hall of Fame class will be recognized at halftime of the EH-Triton Central boys varsity basketball game on January 31, 2026.

For more information or to obtain a nomination form, visit ehathletics.org, or contact Greg Hall at gghall58@gmail.com.

IBCA Honors

The Indiana Basketball Coaches Association named Leo’s Leah Shappell, Pendleton Heights’ Adah Hupfer and Boonville’s Emily Parker as its IBCA Players of the Week for games played from Nov. 10-15.

Shappell represents District 1, Hupfer was named for District 2 and Parker for District 3.

Class 4A No. 1 Homestead was selected Team of the Week.

Shappell averaged 20.7 points and posted a pair of double-doubles in three wins.

Hupfer had norms of 23.5 points and 12.5 rebounds in posting two double-doubles in No. 15 Pendleton Heights’ wins over New Castle and Heritage Christian.

Parker averaged 42.0 points and 8.5 rebounds in a win over Pike Central and loss to Evansville Harrison. She scored 51 points against Harrison.

Homestead defeated No. 11 Northridge (68-47) and No. 3 Pike (71-57) last week.