October 13, 2015 - The Posey County News

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Briefly St. Paul’s UCC sells Burgoo St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, German Township, will sell burgoo on Saturday, October 17, 2015. Bulk sales at $15 per gallon (containers provided) will begin at 4 p.m. Dinners will be served from 4-7 p.m. and include burgoo, brat or hotdog, kuchen and drink. Cost is $7 for adults, $3 for ages five10, and free for ages four and younger. Brats, kuchens, cinnamon rolls and other baked goods will be available from 10 a.m. until sold out. The church is located at 8701 Highway 65 (Big Cynthiana Road).

Friends of WMI plan Chili Cook-Off The Friends of the Working Men’s Institute will hold a Chili Cook-Off on Saturday, October 17, 2015 on the lawn of the Working Men’s Institute. The Cook-Off will start at Noon and will go to 4 p.m., when the winner will be announced. Come and cast your vote for the best chili. There will also be games and activities. Tasting tickets are just 50 cents each, plus hot dogs and cookies will also be available to purchase.

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

By Valerie Werkmeister A change in state legislation regarding bond requirements for elected officials and some of their staff will cause some headaches for Posey County officials. Andy Weintraut of Schultheis Insurance addressed the Posey County Commissioners last Tuesday, October 6, to explain some of the legislative requirements and request a list of individuals who will need to be bonded under the new laws. Senate Enrolled Act 393 specifies the list of office holders and others who will need to have a new surety bond each year they serve in office. They will no longer be able to obtain a continuation certificate

each year. Weintraut explained the bonds must be stackable, or allow coverage for every year in office. Some of the positions the new law will effect include Sheriff Greg Oeth, who was previously covered under the crime policy attached to the base policy the county, as a whole, was covered by. This new law will require the county to obtain a new separate bond for Oeth. Circuit Court clerks and the Solid Waste District Controller must also get a bond in the amount of $30,000 for every $1 million of receipts they handle. The chief deputy of the sheriff department and the county surveyor are also new bonds that

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Minor sports to get major gains

NH celebrates Arbor Day

The Posey County Council on Aging invites the public to join them November 4, 2015 for the first Evansville Icemen Game. The group will leave the Mount Vernon Center at 8:30 a.m. sharp and offers VIP delivery to the door and special seats. The cost for this event is $15, deadline is October 15. Call 812-838-4645 for more information.

MV Elks Golf Outing set The Mount Vernon Elks Lodge 277 will hold its Fourth Annual Jack Lawson Veterans Memorial Golf Outing on Sunday, October 18 at Western Hills Country Club. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. with shotgun tee off at 9 a.m. Individual Players at $50. Hole Sponsors are $50. Event Sponsors are $100 and Team Sponsors are $200. Everyone one is welcome-teams or individuals. The outing supports our local veterans programs throughout the year. Contact Jim Powers 812-4999152 with questions.

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Charles Carter of the Posey County Sheriff’s Department is presented with a Lifesaving Award by Sheriff Greg Oeth. Carter helped save the life of an inmate who was choking by performing the Heimlich maneuver. Photo by Valerie Werkmeister

There will be an indoor rummage sale held at the Posey County Community Center on the Posey County 4-H Fairgrounds on Saturday, October 17 from 8 a.m. till noon. There is still vendor booth space available for $25 for two, eight foot tables (provided). For more information or to sign up as a vendor, please contact the Purdue Extension office at: 812-838-1331 or by e-mail at: neufelde@purdue.edu.

Join PCCA for Icemen Game

(USPS S4 439-500) 39 500))

New bonding laws are costly measure

Fall Rummage Sale to be held in Posey County

Join members of the New Harmony Parks and Recreation/Tree Board along with the local Boy Scouts in celebrating Arbor Day in Murphy Park. The celebration will be held on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015 at 10 a.m. At that time, the scouts will present the colors and the board will present the town with a River Birch in honor of Arbor Day. Also, winners of the Arbor Day Poster Contest from North Elementary will be announced and presented with awards. The public is welcome.

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Oil spill teams from around the world traveled to New Harmony on Wednesday for live cleanup exercises on the Wabash River. Seen here, groups loaded onto a Kvchak, trash boat and work boats to practice clean-up techniques. The event was sponsored by local company Elastec, the largest manufacturer of oil spill and environmental equipment in North America, which provided equipment and training. Photo by Zach Straw

By Lois Mittino Gray It’s 2016 school budget time around the state and the Mount Vernon School Board met on October 5 to tie up loose ends on their proposed district plan and hear what residents had to say about the advertised numbers. School Superintendent Tom Kopatich opened a public hearing on the budget, but no citizens had questions or comments at the meeting. The Board will now consider all the components of the 2016 budget, including the Capital Projects Plan and Bus Replacement Plan, for adoption at the next meeting planned for October l9 at 5:45 p.m. in the junior high school library. Kopatich closed the hearing and announced there will also be a reception for new teachers right before the school board meeting on October 19 at 5 p.m. in the junior high school cafeteria. He proudly announced that Jackie Maier, Director of Special Services, was selected as the 2015 State Special Olympics Coach of the

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Garden at Ford Home is soothing, filling By Lois Mittino Gray “My joy is in watching one of our ladies pick a zinnia to smell and smile at the memory it calls to mind or watching them pick a fresh juicy tomato from the basket and eat it,” said Connie Tousley, the Maintenance Director at the Charles Ford Home in New Harmony. She took the position about a year ago after coming to town from Colorado Springs, Colo., seeking a quieter, lower cost of living lifestyle. Connie, an avid gardener, listened to the request for fresh grown vegetables and flowers from the residents and ran with the idea of putting in a garden in back of the assisted living home. The small plot between the wheelchair ramp and building is now filled with flowers, vegetables, and herbs. Two rolling raised beds on wheels are nearby so residents may easily stand and reach them to work the soil and plant seeds. Later in summer, a Connie Tousley, Maintenance Director of the Charles Ford Home, gourd garden trellis was added and shows off produce in the new garden area. Photo by Zach Straw squash plantings spilled out into the

back flower beds. “This first year was just a test and we have had incredible output,” said Connie. “The residents planted all the seeds and we started them in pots on the front sun porch or in the rolling carts. We ordered some favorite flower choices and took requests. Ruthie wanted eggplant, Lina wanted arugula, Jodie wanted kohlrabi and Jerri likes peppers. All wanted nice fresh tomatoes.” Ford Home Director Amy Koch said the garden leads to great empowerment for the aged residents. “They came to us and said they wanted a garden with fresh fruits and vegetables for Chef Chad to cook with and pretty flowers to smell and admire. Connie took their idea and is very careful that residents are directing their project and making the decisions about it. She is their hands and feet to make it happen. It’s just the level she takes it to and it’s so life enriching,” said

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State mandates send Posey looking for jail answers By Valerie Werkmeister In a joint meeting last Tuesday, Posey County Commissioners and Council members learned possible funding options for a large expansion at the county jail. Changes in the criminal code for housing will require additional inmates to be housed here rather than sent to other state facilities. The current jail is almost 40-years-old and frequently has crowding issues, especially when it is necessary to keep mental health inmates and females separated from other male inmates. The county is looking at plans to add 20,000 square feet to the east of the current jail. A central control area will allow 360-degree view of new pod-type cells and new day only type cells for trustees and those on work-release programs. The improved observation area will provide additional safety for inmates as well as jail staff.

There will also be improvements made to the medical area, additional classrooms for education and special programs. The kitchen and laundry areas will also be modernized. No updates have been done to the jail since it was built in 1978. The new jail design allows for easy access to plumbing and electric lines behind each cell. Contractors will no longer have to enter the jail cell to access those lines for maintenance. Deteriorated sewer lines will be updated to become more efficient and less maintenance. Once plans are approved and the design process is finalized in four to six months, construction can begin and be completed by mid-summer or early Fall in 2017. Matt Eckerle of Umbaugh and Associates, a financial advisory firm, provided an analysis of various funding options the county

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Bus/Ag .................A9 Classifieds ........ B 8 - 9 Community...........A4 Church...................A7

Deaths .................... A3 Legals ...............B4, 7 Opinion ................A11 Retrospective........A5

School .................A8 Social .....................A6 Sports ...... .........B1-3 TV Guide...........B5-6


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October 13, 2015 - The Posey County News by The Posey County News - Issuu