A look at water gardens.

MOUNT VERNON -- The Mount Vernon Police Department's elite Emergency Services Unit deployed for the first time Friday in a raid at the Curtis Inn in downtown Mount Vernon. Blue Uriah Bain, 29, a guest at the hotel, was taken into custody and transported to the Knox County Jail, where he will be charged with trafficking in controlled substances.

FREDERICKTOWN -- Carving ice is Greg Butauski's self-confessed "No. 1 passion." He runs a world-renown business out of Columbus called Elegant Ice Creations which specializes in ice carvings. But he has to admit that sculpting sand has some distinct advantages.

MOUNT VERNON -- SummerBrook, the Alzheimer's-dementia care wing at Summerville at HillenVale, is specially designed to protect and care for -- while also stimulating the senses of -- patients with dementia.

MOUNT VERNON -- The Mount Vernon Developmental Center is the setting for the Easter Seals Adult Day Program, where elders and others who need round-the-clock attention can spend their days while their family members work.

MOUNT VERNON -- The progression of Alzheimer's disease is slow, somtimes taking years. Before its victims need full-time care and the protection of a confined environment, they are able to remain at home. As the disease progresses, they need more and more help handling the daily chores of life.

MOUNT VERNON -- There is no known cure and no known prevention for Alzheimer's disease. It is the eighth-leading cause of death in the United States, and the sixth-leading cause of death among the elderly.

MOUNT VERNON -- Passing vehicles honked their horns for Mount Vernon Developmental Center staff members who gathered at the entrance of the center to protest staffing, safety and overtime issues. The informational picket began at 6 a.m. is scheduled to last until 6 p.m. today.

MOUNT VERNON -- Alzheimer's disease is just one member of the family of dementia types but is, by far, the most common type in the United States. It accounts for about 60 percent of all dementia cases in patients 65 and older, and is associated with 100,000 deaths each year. The Alzheimer's Association estimates that more than 5 million Americans suffer from the disease.

MOUNT VERNON -- The Mount Vernon Amateur Radio Club participated in the 75th annual Amateur Radio Field Day on Saturday and Sunday. The club set up ham radios in the American Red Cross Training Center in Mount Vernon and made contact with amateur radio operators nationally and internationally.

MOUNT VERNON -- Until recently, garlic scapes were considered a "wasted" part of the garlic plant. The scape is the flowering stalk found on members of the Allium family (onions, leeks, chives and garlic). Garlic scapes, which only appear on hardneck garlic varieties, curl upward as they grow, ultimately straighten, and then grow little seed-like bulbs. The garlic scapes are at their tenderest and best flavor while they are still in full curl.

MOUNT VERNON -- Bud Bushway is a long-time devotee of vintage WACO biplanes. And he is a faithful attendee at the annual fly-in being held this week at Brian Wynkoop's grass airport here in Mount Vernon. Bushway flew to Mount Vernon on Wednesday from his home in South Strafford, Vt.

MOUNT VERNON -- What's so special about an auction? What is it that attracts hundreds or even thousands of people out to pour over boxes of "stuff" and maybe go through a highly charged bidding process for the privilege of paying more money for some item than anyone else is willing to pay?

BRINKHAVEN -- The Bridge of Dreams on the Mohican Valley Trail is "the gateway into Knox County," as Kim Marshall puts it. Marshall is the director of the Knox County Park District, which recently took over administration of the trail from the Knox County Commissioners.

DANVILLE -- Saturday marked the last of three beautiful days for the Danville-Howard Turkey Festival. Sunny skies and a cool breeze led the way for the parade, which started promptly at 7 p.m. for the scores of families and individuals lining the streets.

MOUNT VERNON -- Foundation Park was the scene Sunday for the annual Rotary/Kiwanis Club Father's Day Family Regatta.

FREDERICKTOWN -- As buying fresh, local food becomes more and more of an issue with each new report of contaminated food imported from overseas, the problem that quickly emerges is, where can I go to get the freshest food, and lots of it? In addition to the well-established Farmers Market in downtown Mount Vernon on Saturdays, the Owl Creek Produce Auction is emerging as a popular venue, both for family buyers and bulk buyers.

MOUNT VERNON -- Early season raspberries are going to be bearing fruit soon and now is a good time to train your raspberry bushes. Basically this means trellising them.

DANVILLE -- The Eastern Knox County Joint Fire District held its annual fire department demonstration Friday night during day two at the Danville-Howard Turkey Festival.

DANVILLE -- Each youngster in the Little Miss Turkey/Little Mister Turkey contest on Thursday gobbled and walked like a turkey and drew smiles and laughs from on-lookers. The contest was the main event at the opening day of the 19th Annual Danville-Howard Turkey Festival at Danville Memorial Park.

MOUNT VERNON -- Organic or all natural products have caught the attention of many who are health conscious, and the growing use of dietary supplements to better improve one's health has created a competitive industry. Although medical conditions and other ailments are still widely managed with prescription drugs, all-natural products continue to find consumers who are searching for alternative remedies without any side affects.

GAMBIER -- The Mount Vernon Rotary Club was busy swinging hammers, measuring twice and cutting once, and hoisting trusses overhead Tuesday night -- tasks many of these volunteers don't often have the opportunity to pursue. However, through Rotary's partnership with the Knox County Park District, the opportunity comes around a little more often these days.

MOUNT VERNON -- Thanks to the efforts of Team 10 students from Mount Vernon High School, recess at East Elementary School is a lot more interesting -- and educational. Forty sophomores, divided into small groups, redesigned the playground and, in a two-day painting blitz, completed a variety of colorful play areas to "give the little kids something to do at recess."

The 1880's era bridge gets dropped into the Kokosing River.

LOUDONVILLE -- Saturday marked the inaugural River Float parade, held during the River Days Celebration on the Mohican River.

FREDERICKTOWN -- Hundreds turned out on a bright and warm afternoon Sunday for the opening ceremony for the Healing Field of Honor at the intersection of Ohio 13 and Waterford Road, just outside of Fredericktown. Hundreds of American flags were arrayed across the field, crisply flapping in the warm breeze.

MOUNT VERNON -- Lilac bushes can be large, hearty plants and, if left on their own, can grow to be the size of a small- or medium-size tree. As lilac bushes grow older, the lower parts of the plant can lose their leaves due to lack of sunlight and air circulation. This gives them an ugly, leggy look.

DANVILLE -- What if my school bus flips over? What if my child is on a crashed school bus? What if I am the first emergency responder on the scene? Those questions and more were answered during a mock school bus crash drill held for all county school bus drivers.

A small crowd of eager young people opened the new Mount Vernon Water Park on Tuesday evening, even though the air temperature was only 65 degrees.

FREDERICKTOWN -- Gold Star Dad Bob Lehmiller rolled into Fredericktown on Tuesday, delivering 1,500 flags for the Healing Field of Honor Memorial. The flags will be the centerpiece of a six-day event held June 10-15 at Kokosing Construction Co. field at the intersection of Ohio 13 and Waterford Road.

MOUNT VERNON -- The students in Frank McCoy's Career Based Intervention class at the Mount Vernon Middle School learned more than history and math this past school year. These students earned a valuable life lesson that has helped prepare them for the “real world.”

MOUNT VERNON -- Sunshine and humidity rang in summer with a perfect day for the kickoff of the eighth year of the Farmers Market on Public Square. Vendors lined up with products ranging from herbs and greens to meat and cheese, with plenty of surprises along the way. This is early in the season for most vegetables, but there were a few, particularly onions, radishes and leeks.

MOUNT VERNON --Bagworms can be very destructive pests and, during certain stages of its life cycle, very hard to detect.

MOUNT VERNON --First Friday, the monthly street festival on Public Square, may be sponsered and organized by The Heritage Centre Association, but the event would never happen without a little help from unexpected volunteers.

MOUNT VERNON --City officials honored the numerous individuals who helped turn the idea of a new water park into a reality during a dedication ceremony Friday. About 150 people turned out for the event at the newly constructed Hiawatha Water Park/Pool on Sychar Road.

MOUNT VERNON -- The use of Tasers by law enforcement has created concerns around the nation. Reports of individuals dying as a result of being tasered has expanded the controversy. Locally, the Franklin County Sheriff's office is investigating the death of Patrick Hagans, 42, of Columbus. He was tasered by officers on May 13 and died three days later.

MOUNT VERNON -- Two men were trapped in a structure fire that ravaged a home at 503 W. Burgess St. Thursday night. It took the joint effort of the Mount Vernon police and fire departments to rescue the victims. Patrolman Jessica Butler and Cpl. Beth Marti of the MVPD and Jay Laymon of the MVFD entered the burning house to pull out the two victims.