March 10 - No. 1
- Vicki Weger
- Mar 2
- 8 min read
Updated: Mar 18
I’m a journalist. It’s my life’s work — and I’ve loved every second of it — from the newsroom at WTHI-TV to the pressroom at the Macksville Gazette, to the weekly column for the Terre Haute Tribune to the far-flung fields of NBC Nightly News. And I’ve been doing the work for a very long time. I’ve worked as a TV newsroom producer, assignment editor, managing editor, field producer, you-name-it, for decades. In the good ol’ USA, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
I sailed with the Belgian Navy in the North Sea to cover the story when a shipload of uranium hexafluoride overturned.
I was served tea in the Ritz Hotel in Paris, France, by Sidney Johnson who was the butler to the Duchess of Windsor, on the announcement of her death. You might have heard of her — the King of England gave up the throne to marry the divorced Wallis Simpson.
I walked through the townships of Soweto in South Africa, talked with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and met Winnie Mandela, leader of the African National Congress, as her husband Nelson Mandela languished in prison. And I saw with my own eyes scores of tiny black children with bellies distended from hunger, displaying the horrors of apartheid.
I covered the O.J. Simpson murder trial in Los Angeles, and I stood in the cornfield outside the federal prison in Terre Haute with David Bloom to cover the execution of Timothy McVeigh for The Today Show. And I was with the first news crew into Lincoln, Montana, on the arrest of Unabomber Ted Kaczynski.
A look back surprises even this girl from Sugar Creek Township, Indiana. But as the saying goes, everybody’s gotta be someplace!
I’ve been back home again in Indiana for a while, but that old reporter instinct just won’t quit me. Heck — I gotta just jump in. And I think it can’t be anything but fun.
There are a lot of things going on that never get told. You got no idea how hard the local reporters are working. Staffs have been cut back but the news just gets bigger and more important. Local reporters are worked to death, under paid and under-appreciated. They don’t have time to tell us half the stuff that’s going on that you need to know — much less the stuff that you’d just like to know.
So, let’s give it a shot!
It is Hail & Farewell to REV. JESSE JACKSON, the valiant fighter for the rights of all Americans. Looking back on his life from the vantage point we can appreciate that he was fighting for right over might. He battled for the rights of Black Americans who fought in two World Wars and the Korean War but were regularly denied the right to cast a ballot across the American South until President Johnson passed the Voting Rights Act in 1965.
Think about it. How angry would you be if you were an American but weren’t allowed to vote because you were a woman. Or had a physical handicap. Or were too short. Or couldn’t speak. Jesse was fighting for people whose skin was too dark a shade of white.
Mark Bennett’s piece on Reverend Jackson in the Terre Haute Tribune was a stellar piece of writing if there ever was one, reflecting on Jesse’s visit to Terre Haute to receive the Debs Award in 1978. I was honored to be in attendance on that occasion and crossed paths with the “Rev” several times over the decades.
Like the rest of us, he had his flaws, but his good works far outweighed the bad. He left us words we should always hold in our hearts: “KEEP HOPE ALIVE!”
With the war in Iran cranking up more every day, the possibility that National Guard troops around our nation may be called up.
Our own Mayor BRANDON SAKBUN, of course is a member of the Indiana National Guard. Mayor Sakbun served in the United States Army 5 years. And during that time, he rose to the ranks of Captain, a fast ascent to such a high rank. His Honor wasn’t in any “sit behind a desk and issue orders” situation. No-Siree! He saw action on numerous strike teams with the 75th Ranger Regiment. When he mustered out of the army, he transferred to the Indiana National Guard. And of course, he ran for Mayor and got elected, got married and he and his beautiful wife, PAITON, had the sweetest baby girl you ever saw! And then a couple weeks ago things got a little complicated.
With the “War” the White House will now not call a “War,” Trump says it may become necessary to send some ground forces into Iran.
Mayor Sakbun is already as busy as any human can be, running the city, attending regular guard duty requirements, and helping take care of baby SCARLETT, and brand new baby daughter, ELLE JAMES, just arrived! There are myriad concerns for the Sakbun family without a doubt. But there is also this question: If the Mayor gets called to military duty out of the country — Who runs the city?
Fortunately, the legislature has covered that base. Indiana law states “… in the absence of the Mayor, the City Controller shall assume the duties.”
Ah… well, you might ask, “Who dat?” I gotcha covered. That qualified individual would be JESSICA THOME, who was appointed by Mayor Sakbun in December 2023. Jessica served as Chief Deputy Controller during the last three years of MAYOR DUKE BENNETT’S administration.
In addition to Jessica’s expertise in the numerical end of things, JESS TOHILL, who is the Mayor’s Director of Public Works & Safety.
Jesse is the guy who already handles the nuts & bolts of city business every day — and many nights while the Mayor is doing 40 other things.
An active-duty call hit Paris, Illinois, city employees and business leaders in 2003-04, when Governor Rod Blagojevich activated the Illinois National Guard. That unit remained in the Middle East for six months.
That war started just like the current situation in Iraq — a “quick little non-war” that you will never imagine could touch our community. But it touches us all in many ways. Seeing the bodies of fallen young people off-loaded from the belly of a giant transport plane in Delaware is the reality of our votes, our participation in elections. It is on us. And the actions of those we elect is on us — either for our vote — or for not working hard enough for the other person.
There are no excuses. That’s how it’s done in a democracy.
You may be aware there is an effort underway in our Indiana legislature to shorten the time for EARLY VOTING for our primary election. If there was ever a crummy idea — here it is! If you haven’t been paying attention, now is the time to start.
There are all kinds of efforts underway to overthrow our democracy — AND THAT IS NO OVERSTATEMENT!
There are efforts to make it impossible for a woman who took her husband’s name when she got married to have all the necessary credentials when she shows up to vote — birth certificate — passport — driver’s license — criminey! We’ll probably have to take a urine test before it’s over!!!
And this is serious as a heart attack — there is HONEST TO GOD TALK that there will be ICE AGENTS at the polling places to intimidate voters. NOT A JOKE.
Can’t let this month fly by without a thousand thanks to the excellent crews at the VIGO COUNTY HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT & the TERRE HAUTE CITY STREET DEPARTMENT. Never have the roads and streets — yes and even the alleys — been so wonderfully cleared. It was a whopper of a storm, and those trucks and plows were out with sand and salt hitting our highways and byways as the first flakes hit the earth. We are truly fortunate to have such wonderful departments to take care of our communities. We got a lot miles of highways and byways and alleys and bridges — and those folks got next to “NO REST” for a very long time! We are soooo grateful!!!
Enjoyed the Missouri Valley Conference tournament greatly this year. The Indiana State University Sycamore squad is a great compilation of young guys, nicest you can imagine. They played their hearts out for the fans in Hulman Center and the Hauteans love them back beyond words!! Coolest guys you’ll ever meet!
Former ISU Coach JOSH SCHERTZ has those St. Louis Billikens ready to roll into the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament. And ROBBIE AVILA, the sweetest guy you’ll ever meet, is the star of the show. Robbie is a real contender for the A-10 Player of the Year! It was a joy to have Coach Schertz and Robbie here with us during those years we’ll never forget.
And here’s a fun little squibble for you! JEOPARDY champion HARRISON WHITAKER, who grew up in Terre Haute and whose parents, BETH & TODD, were formerly affiliated with ISU, are now living in the St. Louis area. Harrison’s father, Todd, is a big fan of the St. Louis University Billikens, the A-10’s top basketball team, where COACH JOSH SCHERTZ rules! And check this out — their biggest star is sweet little ROBBIE AVILA!! I bumped into Beth Whitaker at the ball game and she sends love to their Terre Haute friends!
And thinking back, the upside of the big snow was the gazillion delighted sledders on SNOW HILL in DEMING PARK! It was the biggest turnout in many years. The giggles and laughter could be heard all over the east side of the county. Kudos to all the folks in the CITY PARKS DEPARTMENT for making an otherwise crummy snowstorm a gigantic pile of fun for lots of kiddos — and grownups!
In case you haven’t heard, there’s a primary election coming up in Indiana on May 5th. Let’s demonstrate to all Americans that Hoosiers conduct themselves in a civilized manner and that we respect all candidates and each other. And we don’t need any armed & masked federal guards “guarding” our precincts. What we have going on in our precincts here in Vigo County, Indiana, USA, is called “DEMOCRACY” — and it’s working out very well, thank you, without any outside interference. Get yourself registered to vote if you are not!
Do get yourself to the absolutely wonderful-beyond-words LADYBIRD CAFÉ, a fairly recently-opened and totally delicious eatery at 9th & Wabash in downtown Terre Haute. It will just curl your toes! You might think it’s gonna be prissy or snooty — but it’s just a great welcoming and memorable place to eat! There are no reservations, and the food is perfect! It’s done by the same folks who have Charley’s and The Terminal — people who know how to feed you. You’ll bump into everybody you know — they have a mind-blowing selection on their menu — and it’s affordable.
A sure sign of spring, the fanatic auto racing fans interrupted their viewing of the Winter Olympics to watch a spectacular Daytona 500 — and for sure that included racing fanatic MICHELLE ROBINSON. Couldn’t have been a more exciting finish — last lap crash claimed leading car after leading car … and TYLER REDDICK wended his way to the checkered flag! It was a giant
of a finish!!!
When you hear the roar of the engines, the morel mushrooms can’t be far behind! If you out-of-towners don’t know what that means, just ask a Hoosier.
And as the weather begins to warm up — handsome JACK GIBSON will undoubtedly be out fishing somewhere closer to home. That guy loves to fish more than any human being you will ever meet! He is a true lover of this planet. He cherishes the outdoors and respects it with all his heart! We should all take a lesson from Jack.
Salute this week to RICKY HAMMOND, THE BIG KAHUNA for the Vigo County Government. Ricky is the guardian of maintenance of all properties of the Vigo County government. He has the responsibility to maintain EVERYTHING and to fix it when it goes wrong — or might go wrong — in all the county buildings, which includes the JAIL, the COURT HOUSE, the ANNEX, all the storage buildings, and facilities that number in the teens. He obviously never sleeps. How he always has a smile is beyond belief! He is amazing! He is frequently called out in the middle of the night to address another emergency. You know, it would be real thoughtful if the County Commissioners could chip in and get him a pair of pajamas with a built-in tool belt.
That’s not all we know, but it’s all we’re telling — till next week.
Fascinating column and columnist!!!
Love this, Vicki! You have had such an interesting life, and I'm so proud to call you my cousin!!!!!!!!