Linda White, left, waves to her son Adam as the bus leaves Center Grove High School bound for the Orange Bowl Parade in Miami, Florida in 1989.
Daily Journal Archive Photo
News from around Johnson County as reported on Dec. 29 in the pages of the Daily Journal and the Franklin Evening Star from the last 110 years.
On this day in 1989, Center Grove High School’s marching band was heading to prime time.
Capping off a year in which they won more than 50 trophies — including their first state title — the Trojans were heading for Miami for a national-television appearance in the Orange Bowl Parade. The 96-member band, under the direction of Tom Dirks, was going to march down Biscayne Boulevard.
While no competition was involved, band members were excited about showcasing their skills.
“We’ve had a really good year,” said Keith Potter, a senior drum major. “Now, everybody’s anxious to show what we can do in front of a million people on television.”
The parade was only part of a whirlwind trip that began a day earlier as band members, directors and 18 chaperons pulled out of the White River Township school in five chartered buses.
Center Grove was among 30 high school bands chosen for the parade.
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Other memorable Johnson County stories from this day
2018
The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office was investigating at least 50 mailbox thefts after multiple stacks of mail were found in a Greenwood neighborhood.
2000
Local residents were on their way to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California as the Purdue Boilermakers faced the Washington Huskies.
1987
A pipe-wielding Indianapolis hitchhiker was shot by an off-duty Salt Lake City police officer in Whiteland. The shooting was believed to be self-defense, and the hitchhiker was taken to an Indianapolis hospital for treatment.
