“Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain.” Since 1882 ~ Successor to The Poseyville News and The New Harmony Times • New Harmony, IN Posey County’s locally-owned newspaper
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
$1.00
(USPS 439-500) Volume 133 Edition 4
Molester of 4-year-old faces 30 years in prison ByDave Pearce Stephen Brakie, a 19-year-old Mount Vernon resident who was convicted last month, by a jury of six men and six women, of Child Molesting, causing serious bodily injury, a class A Felony, was sentenced this week. According to Posey County Prosecutor Travis Clowers, although nothing can ever give back what was taken from the young victim nor can rectify the pain and emotional scars, the remedy fit the crime according to the law. “He faced from 20 to 50 years and the judge sentenced him to 30 years, with all of it to be spent in the Indiana Department of Corrections,” Clowers explained. “We determined that because of the offense, as determined by law, Mr. Brakie is a creditrestricted felon. That means that he will serve six days before he receives one day of
Jolley guilty of attempted murder, faces 28-year term By Dave Pearce A 28-year-old Mount Vernon man who was charged last October with attempted murder has pled guilty and was sentenced this week. According to Posey County Prosecutor Travis Clowers, Christopher S. Jolley, of 1000 O’Donnell Jolley Road, pled guilty to the attempted murder charge, as well as burglary resulting in bodily injury, and theft. Jolley was sentenced to 28 years in prison in Posey County Circuit Court with Judge Brent Almon presiding. Following Jolley’s guilty plea, the elderly victim was contacted and was very happy that a resolution could be reached outside of a trail, according to Clowers. “She was very happy that she did not have to testify and we are hoping that this plea agreement can bring her some peace and closure,” Clowers said of the victim. “And the end result is that it takes a person who committed a very serious crime out of our community for a very long time.” Mount Vernon, Ind., police officers responding to a burglary complaint at Green Valley Apartment Complex where the lady lived and found the elderly woman in her apartment with injuries to the back of her head and throat. Their investigation led them to arrest Christopher S. Jolley, 28, on preliminary charges of attempted murder, burglary resulting in injury and aggravated battery. Officers dispatched to the apartment of Frances Jarvis found a back
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good time credit. He will serve roughly 85 percent of the sentence.” The conviction came last month as the result of an investigation by the Mount Vernon Police Department and more specifically, Detective Thomas Rueger. Clowers said that Rueger spoke at the sentencing hearing, stating that in his many years of law enforcement, there are going Stephen Brakie to be a handful of cases that are going to stay with you for the rest of your life and this is one of them. “I want to personally thank detective
Thomas Rueger for putting in a lot of hard work and for turning in the results of a very thorough investigation into the prosecutor’s office,” Clowers said. “He did an excellent job of detective work.” Clowers said Brakie’s father and his grandmother testified that Brakie is a good person and they don’t agree with the jury’s verdict and they believe he would never harm anyone. Clowers said the trial was particularly painful for the victim and the family. “Any time you have to put a child of that age on the stand to talk about such a horrific thing in front of 12 people she has never met, it is a very difficult and heart-wrenching,” Clowers said. “While most children that age are enjoying and preparing to enjoy the holiday on the day before Halloween, this young girl will always have to remember the day before Halloween as the day she
was molested. I cared very deeply about this case, especially after I got to know this young child and her family. This was one of the most horrific crimes against a child that I have ever seen.” Clowers said the victim and the family did not attend the sentencing but was kept informed through his office. “We had a pre-sentence investigation done a week or so before the sentencing,” Clowers explained the process. “All the parties have access to the pre-sentence investigation. The judge can look at the criminal history and the facts of the case. Judge (James) Redwine was the trial judge and knows all facts and the testimony regarding the trial.” Clowers said that Redwine said he took into consideration that Stephen Brakie was
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Members of the North Posey High School basketball homecoming court for Saturday night’s affair are, in front, Rhian Bailey, Lauren Gibbs, Hayley Harness, Megan Baehl, Courtney Crowder, Kendall Morris, Lizzie Watzlavik, Rachel Ungetheim, and Loryn Willis. In back are Austin Graves, Holt Will, Zach Carl, Eric O’Risky, Alec Werry, Jace Gentil, Chase Wilderman, Alex McAlister, and Grant Scheller. Photo by Dave Pearce
Greathouse faces nine years in Federal prison
By Dave Pearce The lines of communication between all levels of law enforcement and the citizens of Posey County have paid off again, according to Posey County Prosecutor Travis Clowers. This time, while executing a search warrant on Old Beech Road in rural Posey County near New Harmony, officers found several firearms in the home. Roger A. Greathouse, Jr., of Old Beech Road, was sentenced in Federal Court this week by United States District Court Chief Judge Richard Young. He was sentenced to 110 months in Federal Roger Greathouse, Jr. Prison. As an inmate of Federal Prison, Greathouse will serve 85 percent of that sentence as one day of good credit is the maximum allowance for every six days served. “This started as a search warrant from ATF and the Posey County Narcotics Unit came to the prosecutor’s office and we helped draft
a search warrant and took it to Posey Circuit Court Judge Brent Almon, who signed it,” Clowers explained further. “That led to the arrest and the seizure of numerous weapons. This was a joint effort by Posey County Narcotics, Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the Posey County Sheriff’s Department and the Indiana State Police.” The sentence was executed on a Federal Indictment of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon, Clowers explained. Upon completion of serving the substantial sentence, Greathouse will face three years of supervised release under the Federal Court system. “Ultimately, we are grateful for our Federal Prosecutor who picked this up and wanted to pursue Federal Charges,” Clowers said. The Federal Prosecutor in the case was Joe Hogsett. Greathouse was arrested in Illinois on in late October of 2011 on outstanding warrants from the Posey County Sheriff’s Department as well as federal charges. Greathouse remained lodged in the Posey County Jail on a $50,000 cash bond until his sentencing this week. Clowers said the federal charge kept Greathouse detained even if he would have been able
to come up with the $50,000 cash bond. The Posey County charges stem from an arrest warrant served on October 20 at Greathouse’s resident on Old Beech Road near New Harmony. According to Posey County Sheriff Greg Oeth, on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011, at approximately 3 p.m., law enforcement officers armed with a search warrant converged on the rural Posey County residence. The search warrant was issued through information obtained by an officer of the Posey County Sheriff’s Department. The informant was working through federal agents as well as the Posey County Sheriff’s Department deputies. “This whole case is a prime example of local law enforcement, specifically the Posey County Sheriff’s Department working with federal agents, the Alcohol and Tobacco and Firearms agents,” Clowers said. “They acted on information obtained from the informant. This was just very proactive.” Clowers went on to say the officers who worked the case deserve the credit for the arrest. “It is a pleasure working with officers who
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New Harmony Town Council replaces attorney Maudlin By Pam Robinson At the outset of the Thursday, Jan. 17, meeting of the New Harmony Town Council, Mount Vernon Attorney Adam Farrar took the seat typically reserved for Attorney Nathan Maudlin. Shortly after his re-election as Town President, David Campbell announced that Maudlin had retired as legal counsel for the Town of New Harmony. In due order, council agreed by vote to secure the legal services of Farrar at a rate of $165 per hour. Council member Karen Walker was absent from the meeting. Council called upon Farrar to do legal research not long after his appointment when New Harmony resident Jennifer Blaylock addressed council concerning the New Harmony Parks Board. Although she said she appreciated their work, Blaylock took issue with the authority of the New Harmony Parks Board to act independently of the New Harmony Town Council, the governing body that appoints parks board members. She indicated that state law allowed the parks board limited authority and placed
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control with town council. She called for council to “regroup” and vote regarding the matter at its next meeting. Readers will recall that at the December 6, 2012, meeting of the parks board, outgoing president Jeanne Maudlin, the wife of Attorney Nathan Maudlin, read a signed statement declaring the parks board could act independently and authorize the completion of the Colonel Richard Owen Veterans Memorial Trail in New Harmony. At the November 15, 2012, meeting of the New Harmony Town Council referenced in Maudlin’s statement, council members voted 4-1 to terminate this trail project and return the grant money and the contribution of matching grant money to complete the trail. Town President David Campbell cast the lone vote to go forward with the trail. In other business: •The four council members present voted to allow $2,168.87 in account write-offs. Immediately afterward, council voted that utilities for rental properties will be placed in the names of property owners. Council
member Don Gibbs cast the sole “nay” vote. •Campbell announced that John Dailey of Elberfeld has been hired as the new wastewater superintendent and will start work on February 4. • Campbell announced annual committee appointments: Laura Arneberg was named to the parks board while Jim Norton and David Flanders were named to the Plan Commission. •Council agreed by consensus for department heads to remain the same as in 2012: David Campbell, gas and cemetery; Don Gibbs, streets and solid waste; Linda Warrum, water and parks/trees; Karen Walker, sewer; and Joe Straw, police, fire and trails. •Council voted to keep the same meeting schedule: the third Thursday of each month at 5 p.m. in Town Hall. •Council approved the Keystone maintenance agreement for three programs and backup at a cost of $5,310. Keystone charged $5,080 for its services in 2012. •Connie Weinzapfel presented docu-
Inside this issue... Retrospective ................... A4 Community ........... A5 Social ...................... A6 Legals ................................. B5 Deaths ................ A3 Sports .................. B1-4 Classifieds ..................... B8-9 Church .................. A6 Bus/Ag ................... A8
ments from the New Harmony Bicentennial Commission and asked council to review the documents and vote on the plan for bicentennial activities and projects at its next meeting. After the meeting, Weinzapfel stated the documents would be released to media once council approved them. •Council expressed thanks to Boy Scout Troop 386 in New Harmony for their hard work to help clean up Maple Hill Cemetery. Two Scouts, Tristan Bolte and Cade Latshaw, came forward to say members of their troop had attended the meeting to prepare a report afterward and fulfill the requirements to earn a merit badge. •New Harmony business owner David Flanders announced the election of new officers for the New Harmony Business Associates: David Flanders, president; Jim Spann, vice president; Melissa Williams, secretary; and Chris Laughbaum, treasurer. The New Harmony Town Council will meet again in regular session Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, at 5 p.m. in New Harmony Town Hall.
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