Around The Region

PAOLI, Ind.-- A one-room schoolhouse in southern Indiana's Orange County has been approved for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.\nFormer Lynd School teacher Bethel Cornwell received a letter last notifying her of the distinction.\nThe nearly 130-year-old building, which served as a voting site for Tuesday's elections, has been listed on the Indiana Register of Historic Places since August.\nThe letter was read during an event held at the schoolhouse last week, Cornwell said.\n"When we read the letter, they all clapped their hands great big. They're happy too," she said. "It makes you feel like we've got something special in Stampers Creek Township, for it is the only one-room school left around here."\nBRAZIL, Ind. -- The Indianapolis law firm that represented the Clay Community school board in a lawsuit filed by a former school board member is asking the school district to pay a $7,200 bill for legal expenses.\nBose, McKinney and Evans represented the school board in a lawsuit filed by former school board member David Wise, who accused the board of violating Indiana's open meetings law by discussing school board candidates in executive session.\nA judge in Clay Circuit Court ruled that the school board did not violate the law. Wise has said he will appeal the decision.\nLegal expenses to be paid by the school district will increase because the bill covers legal services only from May 2 to July 30, and the trial did not take place until October.\nThe law firm's claim was filed in October but was not made public until this week. School corporation business manager Randy Burns said Friday he was unsure whether the bill was a public record before it was presented to the school board.