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July 18-23, 2022
SINCE 1882 Successor to The Poseyville News & New Harmony Times
T
P C N Tuesday, July 5, 2022
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Volume 142 Edition 27
Poseyville makes plans for $700,000 wastewater grant By Therera Bratcher The Poseyville Town Hall conference room, filled to capacity, was bustling with excitement as a new yet familiar face joined the council. Justin Rutledge, well known for his community involvement not only in Poseyville but all of Posey County, was sworn in as the new council member attending his first official meeting. Rutledge, and those in attendance, got a good ‘breaking-in’ as there were multiple issues on the table and many decisions to be made at the June meeting. Andy Zeller from EREP presided over the OCARA hearing portion of the meeting, giving an explanation and budget for a grant for the wastewater plant. The grant will provide $700,000 if awarded. Zeller assured there would be no rate increases due to this grant application, and explained the town’s responsibility, the timeline, bidding, and construction proposed schedule. Relaying that along with the OCRA grant, the town was also seeking assistance through SRF (State Revolving Fund), another bond and grant opportunity, he then opened the meeting for public comment seeking input from those who have dealt with back sewage or over-
Justin Rutledge, second from left, was sworn in to the Poseyville Town Council during the June meeting. Pictured l to r are: Council President Mike Baehl, Rutledge, Board Member Bruce Baker, and Town Clerk/Treasurer Christy Foster. Photo supplied
flow at their residence. Resident Carol Lupfer asked if the work that was to be done at the waste plant would affect property taxes and was assured by council President Mike Baehl this was not a property tax funded project, so taxes would not be affected. Roger Heathcotte spoke on the conditions of the plant and equipment that are in a “harsh environment.” He continued, “Components break down or just wear out. If we are not prepared it could cause some serious problems in our environment. This could cause some health and safety issues if not addressed now.” Baehl shared, “Hopefully we can save money with this project. Our crew does a terrific job of making repairs. The guys get up in the middle of the night if a float goes bad and repairs them. This is so that no one goes without service or handles issues that occur due to float not operating properly. Right now, we have a box fan on a control panel it to keep it from overheating. We need to address this in the worst way. If we can address these issues it will save money in the end.”
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MV youngster dies in fireworks mishap By Dave Pearce Under the waning light of a setting Waxing Crescent moon in Mount Vernon on the evening of July 3, 2022, a Mount Vernon child lost his life as the result of a fireworks incident near the corner of East Tenth and Canal streets. Eleven-year-old Camrynn Ray McMichael reportedly died of his injuries while enroute to the hospital. Posey County 911 was called around 9:45 by someone who reported a child being seriously injured in a fireworks incident. Radio traffic called for the first available response team as soon as possible. LifeFlight was called to the scene and was only a few minutes away when they were reportedly told to abandon the
flight. Several friends and family members were at the west parking lot at the Mount Vernon High School football field where police were asked to assist with the situation. Following the disbursement of the crowd at the high school parking lot, members of the Indiana State Police Department met on or near the front parking lot at Theodosis Auto on East Tenth Street. Mount Vernon Police offices had secured the scene earlier. Kyrra McMichael, the boy’s mother, told news sources that her son was dedicated, hard-working, and intelligent, with a passion for football and baseball, and dreams to one day make it to the
Camrynn Ray McMichael with younger sister. NFL or NBA. This incident remains under investigation by ISP, Mt. Vernon Police Department, and the Posey County Coroner. An autopsy was conducted on Tuesday.
Restaurant to open on Fourth in MV By Lois Mittino Gray There’s another Mexican cuisine restaurant coming to Mount Vernon. The new owner is ready to make changes on the property by putting in a patio for alfresco dining. Javier Cisneros appeared before the Mount Vernon Board of Little Anderson Voelker shows his patriotism while Works at its June 30, meeting requestwaiting for the fireworks to begin in Mount Vernon on ing to relocate a dumpster at his new restaurant, Maria’s Mexican Grill. The Saturday evening. Photo provided
site was formerly El Vaquero Restaurant at 125 West Fourth Street. Cisneros would like to move the dumpster to the back of the car wash on the empty lot by Subway. Mayor Bill Curtis pointed out that it could be put at the back of the lot, the northwest corner of the back of Buds Hardware. There will be a pad there and the trash bins from Maria’s as well as Subway’s
both could fit there. The Mayor talked to Bud’s Hardware representatives and they are agreeable to the plan, as are the car wash owners. Subway has not yet been contacted. Curtis asked if Cisneros planned to do the patio right away and he replied he hopes to start the patio in the next
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MV students get chance to wear stripes By Trisha L. Lopez Mount Vernon High School students will have the opportunity to add a new skill set to their resumes when classes resume next month: athletic officiating. The shortage of qualified sports officials has impacted athletics at nearly every level across the country. According to the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS), more than 50,000 officials have stepped away from high school athletics since the 2018-19 season. NFHS leaders say issues ranging from age to fan harassment have resulted in diminishing numbers that have already begun to impact young athletes’ ability to take the field. Wildcats Athletic Director Leigh Latshaw and Principal Kyle Jones learned about a class proposed by the state’s high school sports governing body geared at addressing the shortage from the ground up during an Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) meeting early last year. “If we can get our hooks in kids while they’re still in high school, we may be able to get them licensed and keep them as IHSAA officials as young adults,” Latshaw said. Students will have the opportunity to pursue licensure in several sports through in-class instruction. The IHSAA has partnered with the Indiana Department of Education to develop curriculum for the class, which will count as a physical education credit for students. “With this class, students can learn the rules of the game on a more in-depth level and learn the mechanics of officiating various sports. Once they pass the course and tests to earn a probationary license that allows them to officiate feeder league and junior high school contests to gain experience and earn some money,” Jones said. Jones said the class is a great opportunity for kids…many current high school athletes themselves…to stay connected with their sport long after their time in a Wildcats jersey has ended. “Unless they are one of the minority of students who go
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on to compete in college, many student athletes graduate and then begin to miss being a part of something. They are missing the sports they played in high school,” Jones said. “Officiating gives them a way to give back to their favorite sport, continue to be involved in that sport and make some money while giving back.” Jones said 13 students have enrolled in the inaugural class for the fall semester. Hank Lopez, physical education teacher and assistant athletic director, will teach the class. “This will help our students and Mount Vernon Junior High School because it is difficult to find officials. We are fortunate to have Mr. Hank Lopez on staff to teach the course. He has been a head coach in several sports and has the right knowledge, experience and disposition to be a great instructor in this course.” Lopez, who schedules officials for Mount Vernon High School sporting events, has dealt with the difficulty in finding officials firsthand. Baseball, soccer and swimming can be the most difficult slots to fill, he said. Students will have the option to choose which sports they’d like covered in class. “This past school year there were games where we had to make numerous phone calls to find available officials. Most were already booked. The number of total officials in this area is shrinking,” Lopez said. “The harsh truth is that if we don’t find ways to get more people involved in officiating, we are going to have to start canceling games. No one wants that.” Lopez earned his official’s license in baseball and basketball after taking an officiating class as a student at Indiana State University in Terre Haute. While he no longer dons the stripes…he moved from the field to the sidelines as a coach… he said he is excited about the chance to help with the development of the next generation of officials. The IHSAA offers licensure in 20 different sports. ProspecAurora Davis smiles with anticipation of the upcoming tive candidates must score at least 75 percent on a computer Mount Vernon Fireworks display on Saturday evening on the Mount Vernon riverfront. She is the daughter of AusContinued on Page A7 tin and Madison Davis. Photo by Dave Pearce