Join us as we spend a few weeks checking in with our local magistrates

Last spring, an op-ed ran on this Opinion page concerning magistrates. The author briefly summarized the history of the position, and went into detail about the many functions that go along with holding the title.

In Whitley County, we have four districts, each with its own magistrate. I will admit that, until I looked into it further, I wasn’t totally sure what all these individuals were tasked with doing on a day-to-day basis.

I’m fairly certain that many of you reading this will also be unaware of the exact job description for our local magistrates, which is why I thought it might be worth the time to check in with each of them in the coming weeks to ask about some of the more important issues that they are currently dealing with in many of our individual communities.

I am looking forward to seeing how this series of articles comes together, as our magistrates are really the ones who have their fingers on the pulse of what’s going on out in the county. It will be interesting to see what folks are talking about in specific areas, such as Emlyn, Pleasant View, Rockholds, Canada Town, Goldbug, Woodbine, Wofford, etc., etc., etc.

Our intern, Leeann Fragosa, is nearing the end of her time with us here at the News Journal, but I plan on getting some help from her with this project before she leaves us at the end of next week. Stay tuned for more…

• Before I end my column I wanted to say a few words about my latest camping trip to the Sheltowee Trace Adventure Resort, located on Hwy. 90, about two miles off of Cumberland Falls Hwy. (US Hwy. 25).

I have set up at one of the campground’s primitive sites 4-5 times since last year, and generally speaking, I have really enjoyed my stays.

There was only one instance of having a neighbor that I would consider to be a little too noisy, and on one occasion it rained so much that I made the decision to just cut bait and head home early.

Other than those two exceptions, I have had a great time camping at Sheltowee. The site that I have stayed at the last couple of times is, I think, the most secluded. While there are other sites nearby, this one is a little more off to itself, which is what I prefer.

My son, Connor, has been staying with me some on these trips, and we usually eat pretty good while we’re out in the woods. We outdid ourselves on this last trip, though, frying up bacon and eggs, and then a couple of seasoned ribeye steaks, in a cast-iron skillet over an open flame. Yeah, it was as good as it sounds.

We did experience some stormy weather, with thunderstorms rolling in during the overnight period of our first night there, but I actually found it to be quite relaxing to lay in the tent and listen to the rumbles of thunder, and the rain falling on the tarp overhead. Seeing all the lightning flashes through the walls of the tent was also neat.

I had to move the tent to higher ground the following morning when we woke up to find ourselves in the middle of a giant water hole, but luckily, none of it seeped through the floor to soak our bedding.

Most of the rest of our time was spent reading in the hammock, strolling through the woods and watching the campfire. When I left out on Saturday afternoon, it was literally minutes before another strong thunderstorm with torrential rains, so I got lucky there.

All-in-all, it was another great trip, and I definitely recommend that you check out Sheltowee Trace if you’ve never visited. They have a lot more to do there than just camping, making it fun for the whole family.