Washington
A Hiker’s Path: Knob scrambling to Pinnacle Peak in southern Indiana
I recently hiked on one of my favorite trails: the Knob Lake trail.
The trail is located in the Jackson-Washington State Forest. The forest encompasses nearly 18,000 acres in Jackson and Washington counties in the heart of southern Indiana.
The majority of the land that now makes up this beautiful forest was purchased by the state in the 1930s and the 1950s. This part of the state contains unique topography know as the “knobs”. The region provides scenic views and offers some breathtaking hiking opportunities.
The Knob Lake trail is no exception.
The trail combines three trails to make a loop and is 4.3 miles in total length. It’s considered very rugged in ease of hiking mostly due to the knobs one must climb.
It was a fantastic day weather wise when I hiked this trail. The temperature was in the upper 70s and it was sunny with a blue sky overhead. I decided to hike the whole loop of the trail which consists of trails 1-3.
The path follows a ridge top made up of several knobs. The knob hills must be ascended and descended. It’s a straight up and down path on each one. No switchbacks to make it easier. And some of them are pretty steep. I started my hike on trail 2.
The late summer forest was beautiful.
Last week’s column: Hiking among the treetops in Pine Hills Nature Preserve
The trail was marked, but it would have been hard to miss the high knobs that I ended up climbing in succession. I think I counted 10, but lost count in between breaths. The climbs were steep. I have found that most of the trails in the southern part of the state are like that. It makes them all a very fun challenge.
The goal was to reach Pinnacle Peak, the highest point of the trail. The highest elevation I could find on the trail was 976 feet. All of the knobs neared the 900-foot mark.
So the path finally intersected with the Pinnacle Peak trail, which is a spur trail that goes off the main loop and up to Pinnacle Peak. I had more climbing to do, but I knew I was almost there. Never mind that it appeared to be steeper and there was loose gravel to be found on the trail in places.
I finally reached the top! I must say, the views were fantastic on top of the peak. There were lots of large rocks scattered about and some of the rocks had etchings on them that dated back over 100 years.
It was a special moment for me on that high peak. Quite serene.
Soon it was time to head back. I still had a bit of hiking and climbs to make, but for the most part, it was downhill and then back to the car. It had been a wonderful hike.
To get to this place: From Brownstown, take Ind. 250 East for approximately 2 miles. Turn left at the state forest sign. Knob Lake will be approximately 1 mile on right. Be sure to pick up a map at the gate!
A quote for your week: “A lake carries you into recesses of feeling otherwise impenetrable.” — William Wordsworth, English poet, 1770-1850
Until the next trail,Susan
Washington
Suspect arrested in deadly shooting of 15-year-old girl in Washington County
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ga. (WJBF) – A man is in custody, charged with Murder in the shooting death of a teenage girl.
Washington County Deputies responded to calls of a shooting at a home on Hagan Circle, Friday night just before 10 p.m.
Once there, deputies located 15-year-old LuVenya Knight lying unresponsive inside the home. Life-saving measures were attempted but unsuccessful. Knight was pronounced dead at the scene.
22-year-old Kermarion Markel Washington of Tennille has been arrested and charged in the case.
Washington is charged with Felony Murder, Malice Murder, Child Molestation, Statutory Rape, Aggravated Assault, and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony.
Additional charges may be forthcoming.
Washington is currently being held at the Washington County Jail.
Washington
IMPD adds third public safety camera along Washington St in three months
INDIANAPOLIS — IMPD has a new public safety camera downtown to help address crime or deter it altogether.
The technology is up and running at the intersection of W Washington Street and N Illinois Street. It’s the third camera to be installed along Washington Street in the last three months.
“We’ve had a lot of success with our cameras, using them with juvenile mitigation or violence crime reduction efforts to identify those people involved in crimes, and we’ve been able to make arrests because the cameras are there,” IMPD Downtown District Commander Shane Foley said. “If the cameras weren’t there, there’s certain situations we would not be able to make arrests.”
The other intersections that had cameras installed back in March previously had mobile surveillance units in place, but that wasn’t true for the Illinois Street location.
“Washington and Illinois is one of the most travelled parts of downtown and it’s important to have this tool to monitor activity,” Foley said. “We didn’t have a camera at this location at all, so that really emphasizes the importance of this location being added.”
The streams from the cameras are monitored by IMPD’s real-time crime center, but also by officers on the streets. The video can alert officers to incidents before 911 is even called.
“We have five different camera angles, and as you can see here, this can be used for traffic investigations,” Foley said while showing the stream from inside of his car. “If there was a crash or a pedestrian struck, this might help identify a vehicle involved in that incident.”
The Conrad Hotel on the corner paid to put the camera in place, an investment General Manager Ryan Fitzgerald hopes helps officers better secure the area.
”All the men and women that are down here making the city safe, it’s really important to us and we just wanted an opportunity to support that,” Fitzgerald said. “They do all the hard work, so anything we can do to support that effort is in the interest of all of our residents, our team members and our guests.”
Video from the cameras that don’t show criminal activity is thrown out after 30 days. IMPD is hopeful to further secure community partnerships to fund more cameras in the future.
“Ultimately, the goal of these cameras is to make downtown a safer place for people to work, live and visit,” Foley said.
Washington
Washington Nationals vs. Tampa Bay Rays prediction, pick for Friday 6/19/26
Keagan Smith gives you a preview, prediction and pick for today’s game between the Washington Nationals and Tampa Bay Rays on Friday’s MLB slate.
Did anyone have the Tampa Bay Rays and Washington Nationals competing for the MLB Postseason on their bingo cards? It’s June 19 and both these teams have winning records, but the ways they’ve gotten there are completely different. On Friday evening, this pitching-reliant Rays group squares off against the Nats’ formidable offense, setting up a fun battle at the Trop.
As the new series begins tonight at 7:40 p.m. ET, here’s a betting prediction and pick for this Nationals vs. Rays matchup courtesy of MLB odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Nationals vs. Rays prediction, preview
Washington Nationals
The Nats are perhaps the most fun team in the entire MLB this season. With a group of talented young bats, they’ve cruised to a 39-36 record on the campaign with a +15 run differential, also going 6-4 over their last 10 games. The upside of this offense is immense, and if they can get the pitching figured out, we could be looking at a future power in the NL. Washington produces an MLB-best 5.43 runs per game with a .744 OPS that ranks fifth overall. The full slash line reads .247/.323/.421 with a .287 BABIP; tonight, the group faces a RHP with a split of .238/.311/.414 for a .725 OPS against similar handedness. It may be the lower of their splits, but the Nationals do have 73 of their 96 homers against righties. The club’s .174 ISO comes in at fourth in the sport, but a composite speed score of 6.0 also leads all other teams, too. Plus, a 21.0% K% and 8.9% BB% are solid-enough marks.
RHP Cade Cavalli was scheduled to start for the Nats today but has now been scratched due to illness. A new starter is currently TBD, but this section will be updated when the announcement is made. The bullpen’s numbers aren’t great though, sitting 24th in ERA at 4.71 with a 1.42 WHIP and 7.5% K-BB%.
Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays have dropped from the top spot in the AL East after a few rough weeks in June, now sitting 41-30 with a +5 run differential. However, momentum is not on their side after going 4-6 over their last 10 and dropping both of their last two series — one to the Angels and the other to the Dodgers. Their offense is good with 4.44 runs per game, but doesn’t quite have the elite upside of today’s opponent. Tampa Bay has a .713 OPS and a slash line of .255/.333/.379, and the club gets the better of its lefty/righty splits today at .259/.339/.393 for a .732 cumulative mark against right-handed pitching. That’s a positive, as is a BB/K ratio of 0.50 fueled by an MLB-best 19.1% K% and a 9.6% BB%. A .301 BABIP is nice to see, but a .124 ISO and 58 home runs this year leave much to be desired in terms of power. That’s the biggest weakness of this team by far, but they have hit 45 of those off a RHP.
RHP Griffin Jax gets the starting nod for Tampa Bay today. He’s 1-5 across 20 games and nine starts. His numbers include a 3.68 ERA, a 1.36 WHIP and 41 SO in 44.0 IP. He’s forced ground balls at an above-average rate and has seen positive results in terms of chase and whiff rate as well. The Rays’ bullpen has a 4.67 ERA that ranks 22nd with a 1.37 WHIP and 10.9% K-BB%.
Nationals vs. Rays pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Rays as -126 Moneyline favorites at home today. The Rays are underdogs at +104 odds to win outright with the run total set at eight.
Best Bet: WAS Nationals ML (+104)
A straight-up pick is the move tonight as we target the Nats for an outright win on the road. Here’s the logic. I like the Washington offense far more than Tampa Bay’s, especially as of late. The Nationals have an .840 OPS in the last two weeks with a .221 ISO, though that drops a smidge to .772 and .185 over the last seven days in particular. They’re just as productive as usual though, if not more so. On the opposite side, the Rays are dead last over the last week at a .609 OPS and an .088 ISO, and while their strikeout rate has remained the same as on the full year, the OBP has dropped and they’re hitting a paltry .216. Looking at the last two weeks, they’re still 25th in the league with a .676 OPS as well and below .100 in ISO once again at .097. Jax has been solid as per usual, but it hasn’t translated to wins yet this year and likely won’t against such a high-powered lineup.
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