SPORTS: Forest Park vs. Heritage Hills tennis

FEATURE: Homeschool Robin Hood

Esther Brimm of Huntingburg, 9, stuck out her tongue as she focused her aim while shooting an arrow during an archery lesson for homeschool children Friday afternoon at Josh Hasenour's family home in Jasper. Hasenour and his wife Hannah helped instruct the children in proper archery etiquette and shooting technique. "It was hard," Esther said of trying to shoot a prop deer. "The bow was heavy and the target was really far away. I wish I could have hit it."

FEATURE: Backyard BB Gun

Kolton Denu of Jasper, 8, pointed his gun toward a bird as he practiced his shot with a BB gun in his backyard Thursday in Jasper. It is the second day he's had his gun since October 2010, and is learning how to shoot with in hopes of passing hunter's education courses in October.

FEATURE: Horseshoes and merry-go-rounds

Dave Jones of Dale, 62, lifted a horseshoe to his eye level as he aimed at the metal peg in the sandpit at his partner Eric Underhill's feet, of English, as the two competed against other pairs in a horseshoe tournament Saturday at the Birdseye Picnic. Jones has played horseshoes for more than 30 years. "You've just got to look at the peg, throw it and hit it," Jones said. "It's a lot harder than it looks though."



Rielly Eckert of Duff, 6, left, laughed as she and Lily Litkenhus of Birdseye, 6, spun around on a merry-go-round at a playground Saturday afternoon during the Birdseye Picnic in Birdseye.

Sports: Forest Park vs. NE Dubois soccer

Forest Park's Collin Wollenmann juggled the ball midair as he worked his way upfield during the first half Saturday in Dubois. Forest Park beat Northeast Dubois 2-0.



Forest Park's Collin Wollenmann, center, headed the ball past Northeast Dubois players Lucas Schulthies, left, and Ross Kluesner during the second half Saturday in Dubois. The Rangers beat the Jeeps 2-0.



Northeast Dubois' Kaytlynn Dodd, left, challenged Forest Park's Adi Dilger for the ball during the second half Saturday in Dubois. The Rangers beat the Jeeps 6-0.

SPORTS: Forest Park vs. Perry Central football

Forest Park's Dakota Geyer evaded Perry Central's Greg Coultas, who grabbed a fistful of jersey in an effort to tackle him Friday night during the second quarter in Ferdinand. Forest Park beat Perry Central 31-12.



Forest Park's Dylan Popplewell, center, bowed his head with his teammates during a pre-game prayer Friday night before playing Perry Central at Forest Park High School.



Perry Central's Spencer Wright tackled Forest Park's Travis Schnell Friday night during the first quarter in Ferdinand.



Forest Park's Ben Braunecker celebrated with teammate Lance Buechler after catch a touchdown pass during the second half Friday night against Perry Central in Ferdinand. The Rangers won 31-12.



Forest Park's Dylan Popplewell threw his hands up and shouted out in celebration at the end of the game Friday night against Perry Central in Ferdinand.

SPORTS: Boonville at Southridge Volleyball

Southridge's Nikki Bueltel reached to hit the ball over the net Thursday night at Southridge High School.



Southridge players, from left, Cassie Wertman, Morgan Meyer, Shayla Gill, Amy Ingle and Nikki Bueltel celebrate after scoring the last point and winning the fifth set Thursday night at Southridge High School. Southridge won 3-2 to beat Boonville in a series of five sets.



Southridge's Shayla Gill set the ball for a teammate Thursday night at Southridge High School. Southridge won 3-2 to beat Boonville in a series of five sets.



LEFT: Boonville's Sonya Walters watched as Southridge's Shayla Gill bumped the ball after a spike. RIGHT: Southridge's Cassie Wertman kept her eye on the ball as she jumped to spike the ball upon Boonville opponents.



Southridge players, from left, Megan Dippel, Shayla Gill, Natalie Alstadt, Amy Ingle, Jacey Neukam, Cassie Wertman and the rest of the team celebrated together as they cheered in the locker room after winning a the last set Thursday night at Southridge High School. Southridge won 3-2 to beat Boonville in a series of five sets.

GEN. NEWS: Welcome home, First Lt. Lofthouse

First Lieutenant Russ Lofthouse of Evansville, 39, kissed his wife Amy as he held her tightly at a terminal Wednesday morning at the Evansville Regional Airport after returning from Afghanistan on his third tour of duty one year ago. Lofthouse has been enlisted full-time in the army for seven years, but started as a reservist 21 years ago. "My words can't describe how grateful it is to have him back," Amy Lofthouse said, as he is a father of five. "Once I got word he was on U.S. soil, I was relieved. Honestly, when he is over there, it's so scary not knowing if he will make it back." Russ and Amy have been married for 18 years. He said seeing them for the first time after a trip is always emotional. “It’s just really special, to come home and have people you care about here in the U.S., who have supported you through my time in Afghanistan," he said. "They go through a lot here without me, so to have them there, it’s just truly incredible."

FEATURE: Dunked Dad

Haley Clark of Jasper, 7, looked on soaking wet after being splashed by Ben Mundy of Jasper, center, who makes faces at his son Kade Mundy, 6, after he dunked his father by kicking a soccer ball at a target Sunday afternoon at Kick-Off Day at Schroeder Soccer Complex in Jasper.

FEATURE: Bogus bogey

Jasper's Allison Neuhoff looked up in disgust after missing a putt for par on Hole 10 Saturday afternoon at the Wildcat Invitational at Jasper Municipal Golf Course. She completed the hole with a bogey.

FEATURE: Chutes and Laughter

LaKiesha Wampler, 10, left, laughed along with her neighbors Kimberly Bolton, 11, and Caitlyn Bolton, 13, as their sister Rebekah Bolton, 14, laid on her back to slide down the slide of the play set in their backyard off of US-231 Wednesday night in Huntingburg. All of the girls are from Huntingburg. LaKiesha said she tries to get all of her homework done at school because then she can play with her neighbors. The Bolton sisters have known LaKiesha for more than four years. "I was itty-bitty back then," she said, "I was like half the size I am now, but they still say I'm only twice the size of an elf."

SAT. FEATURE: Cardboard Boat Regatta

Kerri Mehringer of Schnellville folded a cardboard flap on the side of a corporate-sponsored boats he and Ben Hasenour of St. Anthony constructed for the Holy Family School Patoka Cardboard Boat Regatta while working at Hasenour's barn on July 6.



Kylie Krempp of Jasper, 10, right, joked with her friend Maria Mehringer of Schnellville, not pictured, while the two attacked each other with paint rollers Aug. 9 while painting their cardboard boat. At left is Maria’s brother Lucas, 11.



Holy Family School Principal Sally Sternberg of Jasper, center left, laughed while sixth grade teacher Denise Miller of Jasper as the two told jokes and funny "what-if" scenarios while building a large piece of cardboard into what resembled a sheet of 3-ring sheet paper to decorate their boat for the cardboard boat regatta as a float in the Strassenfest Parade. The parade will start at 1 p.m. Sunday downtown. The cardboard boat regatta will be Aug. 13 at Jasper Riverwalk.



Herald employees Jason Recker, counterclockwise from back left, Brendan Perkins, Justin Rumbach, Dave Weatherwax, Alex Sondeen and John Patishnock frantically paddled their newspaper hat boat down the Patoka River during last Saturday’s Holy Family School Patoka Cardboard Boat Regatta. The event attracted more than 1,000 spectators who watched 13 boats, made almost entirely of cardboard, attempt to stay afloat.



The Kitchen Jewels boat crew paddled along on the river during one of its races. Its boat won the trophy for most artistic. Members of the crew were Abby Gress, Dale Gress, Darren Gress, Joseph Fischer, Emily Gress, Luke Rogers, Lauren Schmidt and Jasen Springer, all of Jasper.



Zachary Wendholt of Ferdinand, 13, left, Connor Schulz of Ferdinand, 13, Heath Hoffman of Huntingburg, 12, Levi Hoffman of Huntingburg, 12, Bryce Becher of Ferdinand, 13, and Jacob Weisman of Huntingburg, 13, continued paddling as hard as they could as the bow of their boat flooded with water, sinking their ship moments before crossing the finish line. The pirate-themed team was unable to finish the race and lost.



Lucas Mehringer presented his first-place trophy to his mother, Tori, after the regatta’s awards ceremony. The trophies were constructed from cardboard. “I’ve never won anything this big before,” Lucas said.

SPORTS: Babe Ruth baseball

Alex Allen, left, and Tyler Nottingham, both of Jasper and 13, boarded the bus with the other nine members of the Jasper Babe Ruth baseball team Wednesday morning to head to the Babe Ruth World Series while family members gathered to say goodbye and wish them luck. The bus drove to Evansville, where the team boarded a plane and flew to Clifton Park, N.Y., to compete with nine other teams. This is the first trip for the Jasper Babe Ruth team to the World Series in the program’s 11-year history.



Craig Shepherd of Jasper, 14, laughed as he and Ben Schueter of Jasper, 14, swapped stories in the dugout while eating sub sandwiches after baseball practice Tuesday night at Ruxer Field in Jasper. The two are teammates on the 11-member Jasper Babe Ruth baseball team, which left Wednesday to compete in its first-ever World Series in the program's 11-year history.

FEATURE:: Park prep

Donnie Kleiser of Jasper, a city Park and Recreation employee, raked the infield of a baseball field atop a riding tractor Wednesday morning at Bohnert Park. Kleiser has been tending to the fields at Bohnert Park for six years. A 30-minute job per field, he cleans them three times a week.

FEATURE: Birthday party

From left: Rachel Sternberg, 14, Victoria Alexi, 16, of Germany, Savannah Kerstiens, 14, Bailee Seifert, 15, Emma Stout, 15, Taylor Kleinhelter, 15, Katelyn Fuhs, 15, Anna Mundy, 15, and Alex Krapf, all of Jasper, laughed as they all attempted to remember German phrases from class last school year at Katelyn Fuhs' birthday party in her backyard Saturday evening on Wernsing Road. About 50 teenagers came to the party to hang out for Fuhs' fifteenth birthday, and also to socialize before the school year started. "I can see all my friends before school starts," Fuhs said, "because I haven't seen them all summer."

FEATURE: First Day of Kindergarten

Margery Villatta, 5, second from left, greeted Linette Quintanilla, 5, both of Huntingburg, sitting next to Kenley Hayes, 5, of Huntingburg clinging to her mothe's side, scared to leave her mother Tangula Hayes of Huntingburg who comforted her with a kiss on the forehead while waiting to be assigned a teacher and classroom on the first day of kindergarten Wednesday morning at Huntingburg Elementary School.



Tonya Sternberg of Huntingburg embraced her son Brayton, 5, as he cried while waiting for his teacher to call his name and be led to his classroom on the first day of kindergarten Wednesday morning at Huntingburg Elementary School.

FEATURE: Strassenfest (black and white)

Xavier Rasche of Jasper, 5, wore a traditional German hat passed down through his family for 20 years while walking through downtown Jasper Thursday afternoon to celebrate the kickoff to the 2011 Jasper Strassenfest. He has been to every Strassenfest celebration since he was born.



Caroline Prechtel, 9, left, and Christopher Gutgsell, 6, watched as her brother Jeb Prechtel, 6, all of Jasper, ate all the liquid from his melting popsicle on the steps of the courthouse Saturday at the 2011 Jasper Strassenfest in downtown Jasper.





Chris Hardan of Indianapolis, left, leaned in for a kiss from Estell Judd of French Lick while the two danced in the beer garden Saturday at the 2011 Jasper Strassenfest in downtown Jasper.

FEATURE: Strassenfest (color)

German Club President Birnie Jeffries of St. Anthony, center, raised his beer stein as he and other German Club members heartily sang "Ziggy Zaggy, Ziggy Zaggy, Oi, Oi, Oi," as is tradition after tapping the first keg in the beer garden after the Burgermeister Proclamation Thursday evening kicking off the 2011 Jasper Strassenfest. "If our forefathers were here today, they would be proud we've kept our heritage and its traditions alive," Jeffries said.



Tylee Friede of Jasper, 4, held her arms out and pretended to fly as she rode in a floating boat held by chains at the carnival rides Saturday at the 2011 Jasper Strassenfest in downtown Jasper.



The shadow of a saxophone player takes up a majority of the dance floor as he and other band members lead members of the German Club to the stage in the beer garden to tap the first keg Thursday evening at the 2011 Jasper Strassenfest in downtown Jasper.



Best friends Amanda Kraft of Jasper, 16, left, and Alyssa Schepers of Jasper, 14, swapped stories as the two wore birthday hats Thursday evening at the 2011 Jasper Strassenfest in downtown Jasper. "It's not really our birthdays," she said. "We just like to be unique and have a little fun. It adds some excitement to hanging out."





Eli Rasche of Jasper, 3, right, and his brother Xavier, 5, looked around as they wandered around Thursday evening at the 2011 Jasper Strassenfest in downtown Jasper dressed in lederhosen passed down through their family for 20 years. Neither Rasche brother has missed a Strassenfest since they were born.



From left: Abby Pierce, 15, Gina Kiefer, 15, Shelby Mehringer, 16, and Sydney Berger, 15, all of Jasper, all reached out to try and grab a ball that was thrown to them from a float Sunday afternoon at the 2011 Jasper Strassenfest Parade in downtown Jasper.



German Club member Ron Keusch of Jasper, left, tried to coach Janel Knies of Jasper as she takes the final few pulls during the log sawing competition Thursday evening at the 2011 Jasper Strassenfest in downtown Jasper.



Preston Smith of Sellersburg, 86, sat in the back of a float greeting people Sunday afternoon at the 2011 Jasper Strassenfest Parade in downtown Jasper.

FEATURE: Goodnight moon

A crescent moon was visible amidst the lights attached to the courthouse above the Square for the 2011 Jasper Strassenfest on Thursday evening.