Vigo County approves Bono Road closure for Pioneer Days; parks staff outline bike‑park opening and Fowler Park dredging application

The Vigo County Board of Commissioners approved closing Bono Road for Pioneer Days in October, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, following a request from event organizers at the meeting.

The closure request came from Adam Grossman, who told commissioners the closure is a safety measure for thousands of visitors who cross Bono from parking areas to the event village. "We've got thousands of people coming across Bono from the parking area across the from the village. Just for safety," Grossman said. He said recent traffic caused by people cutting through from Dallas had made the crossings dangerous and that organizers plan to use barricades and other measures to keep pedestrians safe.

Commissioners also heard multiple parks updates. Grossman said the county will restrict public access to the event village when fourth‑graders from Vigo County visit for school Pioneer Days programming; the student sessions are scheduled roughly 9 a.m. to about 12:30–1 p.m. daily and will include a resource officer onsite. He also announced a ribbon cutting for the Griffin Bike Park building on Oct. 17 with an opening ceremony, live music and a punch‑list walkthrough planned beforehand.

Separately, Grossman said staff submitted an application to the state Division of Water to dredge the "fingers" at Fowler Park by the campgrounds. "Were gonna try to dredge that out 4 or 5 feet deep," he said, describing decades of silt accumulation that has left little usable water for fishing and campers. He said County Highway and Republic (a private hauler named in the discussion) have agreed to help with trucks and logistics if the state approves the permit. If approved and without unexpected delays, staff said the plan is to begin drawdown around Nov. 1 and perform dredging over the winter months.

Grossman also previewed the inaugural West Central Indiana Outdoor Expo planned for April at the fairgrounds, intended to promote regional outdoor recreation, campgrounds, and birding tourism, and said staff are working with neighboring counties and the fair board on dates and vendor recruitment.

The road‑closure motion was offered and seconded at the meeting and recorded as approved. The transcript records commissioners saying "Aye" in response to the roll call; an explicit vote tally by name was not specified.

The commissioners did not take further formal action on the dredging application at the meeting; staff said the project is pending state approval and local logistical coordination.

If the state permits the dredge, staff indicated County Highway and a private contractor would assist; an exact project schedule and cost estimate were not provided at the meeting and remain pending state review.