Successor to The Poseyville News & New Harmony Times
LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1882
E, “OUR LIBERTIES WE PRIZ L MAINTAIN.” AND OUR RIGHTS WE WIL Posey County’s ONLY Locally Owned Newspaper.
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
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Volume 135 Edition 40
Skelton faces charges resulting from Breeze death By Dave Pearce An Evansville man was arrested Monday morning and charged with Causing Death by operating a Motor Vehicle with a Blood Alcohol Level of .08 or above, a Level Five Felony. As a result of the actions allegedly taken by the driver at the scene, he also faces charges of Battery against a Public Safety Official, a Level Six Felony. The charges stem from the motor vehicle accident which occurred on August 2 at around 9:25 p.m. at State Road 69 near the intersection of Church Street near New Harmony. The accident resulted in the death of former Posey County Recorder Martha Hoehn Breeze. Anthony L. Skelton of 1610 Broadmoor Avenue of Evansville was arrested and charged Monday morning and after processing, was taken to Posey County Circuit Court where he was formally charged and entered a plea of not guilty. Bond was set at $25,000 and Skelton was released on bond after the initial hearing with the stipulation that his driving privileges be revoked. Skelton agreed to the conditions and a progress hearing was set for November 4. Breeze was pronounced dead at the scene while medical personnel and responders worked to free Skelton from the wreckage of his 2009 Chevy Impala. According to the probably cause affidavit, officers smelled a strong odor of alcohol while working at Skelton’s vehicle. Indiana State Police officer Brandon Deig met with Anthony Skelton makes his way into the Posey County Courthouse Posey County Prosecutor Travis Clowers at the accion Monday morning to face a pair of felony charges in the death of dent scene in an attempt to obtain a search warrant for former Posey County Recorder Martha Breeze. Photo by Dave Pearce
the blood of Anthony Skelton. Once the warrant was issued, Deig traveled to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville to execute the warrant. Deig was instructed by hospital personnel that Skelton had already received five units of blood and the new blood would likely dilute the level of blood alcohol. With the dilution, the blood alcohol level returned at .14. The legal level is less than .08. Skelton also told hospital personnel that he had taken Xanax, a controlled substance prior to the crash. Written statements from Posey County Emergency services were taken at the crash scene. John Williams and James Litton indicated they administered care to Skelton immediately following the wreck. In his statements, Williams wrote that when he made contact with Anthony Skelton he was ‘alert’ but appeared to be ‘drunk,’ with the smell of alcohol emanating from his breath. Both men saw beer cans inside the vehicle. According to the affidavit, as Williams and Litton attempted to immobilize Skelton in an effort to administer aid, Skelton became angry and punched Williams in the right eye. In Litton’s statement, he indicated that Skelton told medical personnel that he was going nowhere with them and that he was going home. Litten then advised Skelton that he was in a very bad car collision and Skelton asked ‘How bad?’ Litton told Skelton that the other motorist had been killed in the collision. Both Williams and Litton then observed Skelton ‘chuckle’ and say, ‘oh really.’ Litton responded ‘yes’ and Skelton chuckled again.
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Ordinance continues to be nuisance By Lois Mittino Gray With Mayor John Tucker and some council members unavailable for meetings this past week, business for the City of Mount Vernon started off the month of October with a lull. The afternoon Board of Public Works meeting slated for October 1 was cancelled for lack of a quorum. The Mount Vernon Common Council did meet that night with Council Member Bill Curtis acting as Mayor Pro Tem.
The meeting was important as it was the advertised public hearing for the City of Mount Vernon’s proposed budget for the year 2016. The Mayor Pro Tem opened the hearing, but there was no one who wished to address the council on it. Closing the hearing, the council moved to pass on second reading the ordinance establishing appropriations and tax rates for the city for the year 2016. Also passed on second reading was an ordinance establishing salaries and wages for
Briefly St. Paul’s UCC selling 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 five-10, 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.
Fall Rummage Sale to be held in Posey County 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.
Cynthiana High School sets reunion date Cynthiana High School Reunion for the classes of the 1940s and the 1950s will be held on October 10, 2015, at noon at Wolf’s Bar-B-Q on First Avenue in Evansville, Ind. For reservations contact Sissy Crowder Coleman at 812874-3286, Biddy (Gwaltney) Steckler at 812-963-3286 or Mary Kay Boyle at 812-422-4043.
NP Class of 1965 schedules 50th reunion The North Posey Class of 1965 will hold their 50th class reunion on October 10, 2015 at the Red Wagon Restaurant in Poseyville. Meet and greet begins at 5:30 p.m., with dinner at 6 p.m. Classmate addresses are needed for the following: Don B. Willis, Eileen Barton Young, Sherry Cremeens Humston, Sheila Smith Majors, Bob Ingle, Jane and Janice Williams, and Judy Parsons. Please contact Jane Koch at 812-874-3203 if you know the addresses of these classmates.
New Harmony celebrates Arbor Day 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, October 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. Come join in the festivities and in honoring Arbor Day.
G.E. Retirement Luncheon set for October 13 The annual G.E. Retirement Luncheon will be held October 13, 2015 at 11:30 a.m., at Red Wagon in Poseyville. The featured speaker will share information concerning the General Electric insurance cancellation.
Correction Barbara Johnson was mis-identified as Kennedy Thompson’s mother in last weeks ‘Little Kennedy’ front-page story. She should have been identified as Kennedy’s aunt/temporary guardian. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
Retrospective........A4 Legals ...............B5-6 Classifieds ...... B9-10 Community...........A4
the appointed officers and city employees for 2016. Old Business on the agenda always includes the ongoing saga of the development of the nuisance ordinance for the city. Councilman Andy Hoehn said Councilman Brian Jeffries was to get back with the committee on a date for the next meeting, but they have heard nothing as yet. Jeffries was absent for the meeting, so could not respond at the time. Under New Business, City Attorney Beth McFadin Higgins said the Regional Cities Initiative, made up of Posey, Vanderburgh, Gibson and Warrick Counties, have put their plan together and will present their pitch to the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. They hope to be one of two regions in Indiana receiving $42 million dollars to help promote projects that concern quality of place, economic development and talent attraction. Seven regions are vying to be one of the
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Mount Vernon homecoming royalty Savannah Bush and Riley Snodgrass celebrate during Friday evening’s homecoming festivities. Photo by Garry Beeson
First UMC celebrates its 200th By Lois Mittino Gray University. He has worked in several locations around One year before Mount Vernon became a town, the Indiana, with the majority of it spent in Fort Wayne. humble beginnings of what is now the First United This summer he brought his wife and family down Methodist Church on Main Street came into being to the area and his three children -- Kara, James and in 1815. Now, 200 years later, the parishioners have Charlotte are students at West Elementary. been celebrating its Bicentennial with a triad of events “When we showed up with the truck, they were still and major refurbishing to the sanctuary and parson- working on the new floors,” the new pastor said. “The age, including parsonage a new parson looks great and who arrived we even have a on July 1. new refrigeraThe celetor, the old one bration events was a pretty started with old RCA.” a kick-off An eight dinner in the member Bispring, concentennial tinued with a Committee summer picworked on nic in Wesplanning all ley Hall, and events and imwill end with provements. a sermon and The church communion sanctuary was service led by sealed up for Bishop Miasbestos rechael Coyner moval and Above left: 1854 Methodist Church. Above right: New First United pews of Indianapowere Methodist Church Pastor Christopher Millay stands next to the guard- stacked to one lis in the newly-remodeled ian angel painted stained glass window from the 1905 church. Photo by side as each sanctuary. It Lois Mittino Gray side was reis slated for Sunday, October 18 at 10:30 a.m. and the painted and polished. Acoustics were improved. The public is invited to attend. A dinner is planned for the eight white triangular windows along the sides were congregation in Wesley Hall after the service. cleaned and painted and the walls are a shade lighter Christopher Millay, the new pastor, will be presid- and brighter green that before. “It is a warm, comforting and assisting with the Bishop’s visit. Rev. Millay ing color and it looks so nice against the clean white,” grew up as a member of Central Methodist Church in Evansville and went on to study at Duke Divinity Continued on Page A12
Deaths .................... A3 Church...................A7 Social .....................A6 School .................A8
Sports ...... .........B1-4 Bus/Ag .................A9 Opinion ................A11 TV Guide...........B7-8