Margaret Mary Community Hospitals is located in downtown Batesville, providing care for the residents of Ripley County. The hospital has added diagnostic equipment and a new oncology wing for cancer treatment, expected to be completed by 2005. Dearborn County Hospital in Lawrenceburg is nearby.

Batesville, nicknamed "The Best Little City in America", is conveniently located in the triangle between Indianapolis IN, Cincinnati OH and Louisville KY, providing "small town living" within an hour's drive of the three major metropolitan areas.

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Dearborn County Hospital in Lawrenceburg and Margaret Mary Community Hospital in Batesville serves the area's medical needs. The nearest Community Mental Health Facility is in downtown Lawrenceburg.

Outdoor pursuits like hunting and fishing provide opportunities for recreation. Urban farmers have discovered the pleasures of living off the land, with spectacular gardens and small working farms dotting the landscape. Brookville Lake is the center of water sports, offering water recreation options including fishing, skiing, boating, swimming, canoeing, and more.

Small shops dot St. Leon, with most necessities available in nearby communities.

Wide open spaces mark the town of St. Leon, with only 600 residents spread over the 7 square miles of the town's boundaries. While there's plenty of room for rural pursuits, don't let the slow pace fool you-there's a lot to do here. St. Leon is a well-known repository for trilobites; fossil hunters are frequently found scouring the shale deposits along the area's county roads. Politics is a great source of debate in this town; St. Leon is well known for its election pole raising, an event that dates back to the 1870's. Each presidential election year Democrats go in the nearby woods with a crosscut saw to cut a tall straight hickory tree, which they trim except for a few branches at the top. Brackets are attached to fasten an American flag and the Democrat emblem, a rooster. A parade and speeches accompany the ceremony and the pole remains up until after the election. Housing in the area includes older ranch homes, country farm homes to some new construction.

St. Leon

Located along St. Rt. 1 off Interstate 74, 30 miles from Cincinnati.

Nearby Dearborn County Hospital in Lawrenceburg serves the county's medical needs, in the midst of a $38 million construction project improving the hospital to meet growing population demands. Hospitals in Cincinnati are a half hour drive away.

Gardening, fishing, numerous parks and the slow pace of country life focus on recreational sports and high school activities, and nearby river attractions. A spacious branch of the Dearborn County library acts as a community focus offering reading and leisure activities. Bright Meadows Park has playgrounds, ball fields and sports access.

Groceries and basic necessities along with a few restaurants, and shopping are at the heart of this snug city. Shopping sprees include a convenient half hour drive east to Cincinnati's malls, or other nearby Dearborn County towns.

Bright

Bright is located approximately 40 miles west of Cincinnati, and is within 30 minutes of the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. The community dining, shopping and worship thrives at the intersection of State Line Road and Salt Fork Road.

Milan residents have worked to develop a community park in which area children can play baseball, picnic, or fish. Milan is one of the few towns in the county that celebrates the Fourth of July with a giant fireworks display, a parade and numerous other fun activities for the family. Golf enthusiasts can enjoy their favorite game at the Lakeside Golf Club, a public golf course with a clubhouse and restaurant, pro shop, and practice area. Tourists like to drive the John Hunt Morgan Memorial Trail, following in the footsteps of the Confederate Calvary route through the area. The former Army site, Jefferson Proving grounds offers nearby recreational access.

Milan businesses feature all the necessities, and a shopping strip containing several specialty stores. One of the local restaurants offers bed and breakfast to travelers and Milan also boasts its own winery.

Named for the city in Italy, the city's name came from German settlers who focused on grape culture and processing of wine. Today a small winery still operates south of town. During the 1800's the village grew and was referred to as a substantial business center and an active Underground Railway Station of Antebellum days. Milan was also on the route followed by Gen. John Hunt Morgan and his Confederate Cavalry in 1863.  Downtown Milan isn't much more than a crossroads now, with little more than memories of its famous spot in sports history. The high school's championship-winning basketball team of 1954 inspired the 1986 movie, "Hoosiers". You will find more than just memorabilia of the 1954 State Basketball Championship at the Milan Museum. A display showcases the areas history about a farm community developing from the early 1800's through 1954 and on into today.

Milan

You'll need to meander some quiet country roads to reach Milan, located at the junction of St. Rt. 101, and St Rt. 350, about 45 minutes from Cincinnati.

Nearby Dearborn County Hospital in Lawrenceburg serves the county's medical needs. Community Mental Health Facility is in nearby Lawrenceburg, and Mercy Franciscan Hospital Center with flight access to downtown trauma centers is in nearby Harrison, Ohio. Hospitals in Cincinnati are a half-hour drive away.

Over 560 acres of common grounds and recreational areas are featured in this residential area with a focus on community activities and amenities. Activities include baseball and soccer at the sports complex, a beach, Olympic-sized pool and 18-hole golf course. An active civic club keeps life humming with several annual events. A fitness club is available for workout enthusiasts.

You'll need to drive to meet most shopping needs; the only commercial venture on site is a tavern called Willies. Nearby Lawrenceburg offers many retail outlets and is only ten minutes away from anywhere in the Valley. Numerous shopping centers in Greater Cincinnati are a convenient 30-minute drive away.

Hidden Valley

Easy access to Interstates 275 links Hidden Valley to interstates I74, and I75 for fast access to Cincinnati and Indianapolis. U.S. 50 links Hidden Valley with other Indiana communities for shopping and recreation.

Decatur Memorial Hospital provides emergency and intensive care services for the county.

Greensburg is known as Indiana’s Tower Tree City, named for the trees growing from the northwest corner of the courthouse tower, 110 feet above the ground. The tree was first spotted in 1870 and has been thriving ever since!

Decatur County uses Greensburg as its entertainment hub. The Arts and Cultural Council offers performances throughout the year; a community gym seats 4000 for additional entertainments. It’s home as well to the Decatur County Historical Society Museum, a new YMCA, and a Skate Park. Four nearby golf courses, skydiving, and kayaking keep the outdoor lover busy. Nearby is a 16-acre park complete with a stocked lake: paddle boats, fishing, playgrounds, and more!  The Bicentennial Bicycle trail winds  through here as well as the southeast Indian Trails to Freedom tour that includes stop at the Decatur County Courthouse. Festivals offer fun year round from the Fiddlefest or an agricultural nod to the Power of the Past Festival, with activities running from April to December. Explorers can jump in the car for tours of Round Barns, Amish Barns, and Iron Bridges.

Greensburg’s historic downtown buzzes with lots of shopping, from craft, antique and specialty shops to farmers markets and daily necessities. Just minutes away, the Edinburg Premium Outlets is Central Indiana’s premium outlet mall offering bargains to all shoppers.

About an hour drive from Cincinnati, Greensburg is the county seat for Decatur County, located 55 miles northwest of Cincinnati. With just over 10,000 residents, Greensburg is the center of activity for the county. Just as with other mainly rural counties, the town functions as political, entertainment, and social focus of the area. About evenly located between Cincinnati and Indianapolis, Greensburg is poised for future growth as the new home of incoming Honda Manufacturing’s 7th North American automobile plant. With Honda’s operations anticipated fall 2008 kickoff, Decatur County and Greensburg expect future growth in the region.

Greensburg

Greensburg is easily reached off Interstate 74 and the intersections of St. Rts. 421,  46, and 3. A railroad and a busy bus line serve residents.  Greensburg is a likely train stop on the proposed high-speed rail line between Indianapolis and Cincinnati. This line is part of the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative master plan in planning for the midwestern US. The Greensburg/Decatur Regional Airport is nearby, with the Indianapolis International and Greater Cincinnati International Airport the nearest international airports.

Osgood Volunteer Fire Department provides fire and EMS service. A satellite building of Margaret Mary Community Hospital provides general care for residents, or you can drive a short distance in either direction to reach two regional community hospitals: Margaret Mary Community Hospital 14 miles away in Batesville, or King’s Daughters Hospital and Health Services 25 miles away in Madison.

Osgood is home to the Ripley County Fairgrounds where the 4-H Fair is held each July; events such as car races and horse activities are also held there through the year. Artisans will enjoy the drive to see the artwork of sculpture Dale Loughery, whose whimsical iron works are scattered through town. Recreation is found at nearby Versailles State Park.

Shoppers will browse the antique and gift shops, but a larger shopping trip needs a jump in the car to nearby Versailles or Batesville.

Located in the southeast corner of Indiana Osgood’s 1,700 residentsAre spread along the villages 1.3 miles. Osgood today is seeing many changes  due to the generous gift of more than $23 million from the Gilmore and Golda Reynolds Foundation to assist the town government as well as local non-profit organizations. The past is evident, though, in many of the beautiful homes and buildings.

Osgood

Osgood is located off Interstate 74, along U.S. Rt. 421. Greater Cincinnati International Airport is 42 miles away, with regional airports, North Vernon, and Greensburg/Decatur less than a 20-minute drive.

Versailles residents can drive a short distance in either direction to reach two regional community hospitals: Margaret Mary Community Hospital 16 miles away in Batesville, or King’s Daughters Hospital and Health Services 22 miles away in Madison.

The Ripley County Historical Society is well known for its archives, historical information, and museum. Many historical homes and buildings line the Versailles streets, including the Fernando G. Taylor House (where the Ripley County Tourism Bureau office is located) and Tyson United Methodist Church, which are both on the National Register of Historic Places. Signs for Morgan's Raid are located on and near the square to mark the famous raid of 1863, and a driving tour of the raid is available. Recreation takes many forms here; the Southeastern Indiana YMCA is located in nearby Batesville. Versailles State Park, located just outside town off U.S. 50, is the second largest state park in Indiana. Annually the park draws over 400,000 people for camping, swimming, hiking, horseback riding, and more. The park also hosts an annual Bluegrass festival.  The historic Busching Bridge near the park entrance was built in 1885. With festivals and farmers markets, as well as old-fashioned pursuits like muzzle loading and turkey calling, there’s a country feel to life here.

Most of your shopping needs can be served in town, but for more extensive shopping a ride in the car is necessary.

Founded in 1818 on a hundred-acre tract, Versailles was named in honor of founder John DePauw’s native city in France. Versailles is located in rural Ripley County, in the southeastern corner of Indiana 52 miles from Cincinnati. 1800 residents reside in the 1.5 miles of the town. This is beautiful, peaceful countryside with many miles of country roads. Picturesque Laughery Creek flows through the area. As the county seat, Versailles is home to the Ripley County Courthouse and other government, political, historic and social activities.

Versailles

Heading west out of Cincinnati along U.S. Rt. 50, you’ll travel a scenic 50 miles to reach Versailles. Greater Cincinnati International Airport is 42 miles away, with regional airports, North Vernon, and Greensburg/Decatur less than a 20-minute drive.

Outdoor enthusiasts enjoy the many opportunities in and around Batesville. Fishing is permitted in city reservoirs; the Indiana Department of Natural Resources stocks them just for this purpose. Bischoff Lake, a Batesville city reservoir, also offers a public landing ramp for small craft like small fishing and pontoon boats. Nearby Brookville Lake offers recreational boating and beaches for swimming. Community activities form the fiber of Batesville's social structure. Citizen groups such as Central House Players, Ripley County Harmonettes and Tree City Players partner with the Rural Alliance for the Arts to perform many unique and widely remembered performances.

Shoppers can find unusual gifts in Batesville's specialty shops, which feature everything from sewing, crafts to books, photography to furniture. The only shopping options not found in Batesville are department store chains.

Batesville

Batesville has its own exit off Interstate 74; busiest connector roads through town are St. Rts. 46, 129 and 229.