** OCTOBER 24 IS ABSENTEE VOTING DEADLINE **
T
P C N SINCE 1882 Successor to The Poseyville News & New Harmony Times POSEY COUNTY’S ONLY LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED NEWSPAPER
Volume 139 Edition 41
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
$1.00
Posey County under burn ban By Lois Mittino Gray Posey County Commission President Carl Schmitz encouraged his fellow commissioners to approve an Open Burn Ban Policy at their October 1, morning meeting at the Hovey House. He observed, “Posey County is the only county in Southern Indiana and Western Kentucky that has not declared a burn ban as yet.” To rectify the situation, the commissioners unanimously passed the policy which states, “The Posey County Commissioners, in order to protect the public welfare during this unusually dry period of time and pursuant to Chapter 33.11 (B) of the Posey County Code of Ordinances, hereby proclaim an Open Burn Emergency. This burn ban shall be in effect for all unincorporated areas of Posey County and valid 24 hours a day. This burn ban shall take effect on October 2, 2019 and run until October 15, 2019, unless further extended or terminated early by the Board of Commissioners.” Schmitz noted this ban can be rescinded at any time the Commissioners feel it is safe to do so. In other legal matters, the second reading of the Sheriff’s K9 Fund ordinance number 2019-09-17-01 passed establishing a fund for the purpose of accepting monetary donation to the Posey County Sheriff’s Law Enforcement K9 program. Posey County Sheriff Tom Latham said he currently has the following commitments from the community in support of acquiring a new canine. They are $10,000 committed for a dog purchase, $10,000 committed for kennels, and $40,000 committed for a K9 Vehicle. Sheriff Latham also requested to amend the original booking fee ordinance, originally adopted on July 2nd of this year. The original ordinance reads that the Sheriff’s department would collect the $50.00 booking fee from an inmate’s commissary fund. Sheriff Latham reported that inmates were circumventing the system by remov-
ing funds from their commissary account to prevent this fee from being collected. The Sheriff said he spoke with Posey County Judge Goedde asking him to allow that fee to be collected by the Posey County Circuit/Superior Court Clerk’s office. The amendment states the Clerk shall deposit these funds into a separate non-reverting prisoner reimbursement fund. The fund shall by appropriated by the Posey County Council for the Sheriff’s office to purchase County Jail supplies and equipment and may also be used for County Jail training purposes. The amendment was unanimously approved. Posey County Sheriff, Tom Latham, informed the commissioners the jail is housing the following inmates: 66 Posey County inmates, 72 Vanderburgh County inmates, 10 Department of Corrections inmates, and 2 Sullivan County inmates, for a total of 150. President Schmitz asked if the jail is crowded now, as 150 is somewhat higher than the usual, around 120. The Sheriff replied no, he could take on more inmates, if he had the staff to do so safely. • Posey County Emergency Medical Services Director Charles Thompson reported the new Ford 450 Type 3 box ambulance is now all equipped and in service at this time. • President Schmitz read the Animal Control report for September as follows: 35 Complaints with 6 Animals picked up. • Due to holidays and an upcoming Commissioners Conference, three meeting date changes were announced, up until the end of the year. Due to the Columbus Day holiday, the Commissioners will meet on Wednesday, October 16. Due to Election Day, they will meet on Monday, November 4 and due to attending the conference will meet on Monday, December 2, in lieu of their regular Tuesday meetings.
MSDMV touts ISTEP test scores By Lois Mittino Gray Kyle Jones, Director of Technology and Curriculum for Mount Vernon Schools, gave a report on ILearn and ISTEP scores for the district at the September 16, school board meeting. The Spring 2019 test scores were not released until this month. He reviewed the numbers for individual grade levels, with breakdowns for each school. The entire district passing average is 18 points higher than the state average. Elementary grades tested above state levels in all items, with much variation among the three schools. In third grade English /Language Arts (ELA), the district average is 18 points higher than the state average, while third grade Math is 19
points higher. In fourth grade ELA, the district is 12 points higher than the state average, while fourth grade Math is 20 points higher. Fourth grade Science tested 24 points above the state average. In fifth grade ELA, the district is only three points higher than the state average, but fifth grade Math is 15 points higher. Fifth grade Social Studies is 12 points above the state proficiency average. At the junior high level, the sixth grade ELA is only two points higher than the state average, but the sixth grade Math is 15 points higher. Sixth grade Science tested 8 points above the state average. In a downward trend, the district average of 47 percent passing seventh grade ELA was two points lower
than the state average of 49 percent passing. Seventh grade Math scores were two points higher at 43 percent proficient than the state average of 41 percent. Eighth grade ELA scores of 54 percent were four points above the state average of 50 percent proficient. The eighth grade state average for Math proficiency was only 37 percent, so the district was 21 points above that number with 58 percent proficient. The high school was tested in tenth grade for English and Math and in ninth grade for Biology. The English passing rate for the state was 60 percent, with MV scoring 68 percent. The Math passing rate was only 34 percent for the state,
Progress persists in MV
Phosphorous Project could be used to purchase the launder trays, which would ultimately save time and money. Board member Larry Williams asked how long the launder trays would last and Superintendent Gray replied between 10 and 15 years. The cost of the launder tray project, with installation, is $140,000, with $90,000 being left in SRF funds. The Board of Works voted unanimously to approve the remaining money for use on the purchase. Gray said it may take 16 weeks or so to deliver the custom-designed covers and it may be completed by early summer. Gray also reported that Clarifier Number 2 has been repaired by DeBra for other problems. His department flushed a total of 8,228 feet of sewer main and 14 trouble lines, and worked on two odor complaints since the last meeting.
By Lois Mittino Gray Members of the Mount Vernon Common Council heard updates at the September 26, meeting on several construction projects going on around the city, as well as some positive moves to clear up the rusty water problem reported by Marilyn Spurlock at the prior meeting. Mayor Bill Curtis stated he is “cautiously optimistic” that there will be parking behind City Hall by the October 10 meeting. The paving of the ripped–up lot is scheduled for the next week. He advised everyone to still be careful, as it will remain a construction zone, and there will still be “lips” in the improved lot. He stated traffic flow in front of City Hall is tricky, while that section of the Main Street Project is being done, and drivers need to be cautious. The steps are being removed in front of the Posey County Courthouse on Main Street to improve the view of the historic structure. Work will begin on the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) ramp in that area. There will still be steps in place, going straight up the middle. He also wanted to let concerned citizens know that nothing will be done with the statue and monument in front of the courthouse. The history plaque at the location will be taken down, refinished, and put back up. He reminded everyone that Main Street is one way going south while the work is being done. “Not a day passes that I don’t see someone going north on it and they don’t always like being told that by me,” the Mayor remarked. He added Main Street could be open both ways in three weeks. “With so little rain, they are making good time and they may be done sooner than expected.” Utility Superintendent Chuck Gray reported that construction on the new water tower on the East side of town is progressing well, with 156 vertical feet of concrete poured as of the meeting. The construction firm will take a week off to go to Missouri to finish a project and get a part and will be back. When asked what it will look like, he described it as a concrete column with a million gallon bowl on the top, like the one at USI. “It will look like a giant flashlight in the air,” he said with a smile. Superintendent Gray also stated the East Side Gravity Flow Sewer Project is going well, too. Workers should start to “tie on” Monday and will start work on the main next week. As a way to improve Mrs. Scurlock’s rusty water problem, as discussed at the last meeting, Gray said he had her lines very well flushed, and the auto
Continued on Page A7
Continued on Page A7
Continued on Page A7
Water supply in MV is still concern By Lois Mittino Gray Sometimes the solution to one problem leads to another new one. Members of the Mount Vernon Board of Works learned at their September 26, meeting that such is the case at the city’s wastewater treatment plant. The city completed a $1.8 million plus project to put in processes to remove phosphorus from the water as required by federal law. The new equipment does its job so well now that the water in very clear, not cloudy, in the two clarifier tanks. This allows sunlight to penetrate down to the bottom depths of the clarifiers and algae blooms in great amounts in the circular tanks, disrupting the system. Utilities Superintendent Chuck Gray said employees have to manually clean the tanks and requested to purchase two fiberglass launder tray covers to block the sunlight and discourage photosynthesis. Mayor Bill Curtis said they just received word from the State Revolving Fund (SRF) that the remaining funds left over from the
Ty Cole got just a little ketchup around his mouth while enjoying the food at the Marrs Burgoo on Saturday afternoon. Photo by Dave Pearce
Griffin friends celebrate 100 years
“When you stop expecting people to be perfect, you can like them for who they are”
Past and present members of the Griffin Friendship Club celebrate their Centennial: Front row from left, JoAnn Nelson, Pat Hancock, Donna Nash, Judy Phipps, Sharon Fifer, Diana Meyer. Back row Shelley Powell, Liz Mumford, Julie Staples, Georgeanna Kern, Lesli Payne, Lori Lingafelter, Lisa Daugherty, Maddy Overton, Amanda Morlock, Gertie Lingafelter and Kendra Glaser. Photo by Lois Mittino Gray
(USPS 439-500)
By Lois Mittino Gray The ladies of the Griffin Friendship Club sure do know how to have fun! It’s a legacy club members have kept going for one hundred years. This year in September, they celebrated their Centennial together, laughing and recalling stories of their escapades and publishing a 155 page cookbook of their favorite foods through the years. The fourteen current members of the club, along with a few members who moved away, celebrated the Centennial anniversary with a dinner together at Griffin’s Depot Diner. Afterwards, they went over for a monthly club meeting at the Griffin Christian Church. The Roll Call question for the evening was, “What is your favorite memory of being a club member?” That’s when the fun stories began!
Sharon Fifer is the current member who has been in the longest, celebrating over fifty years with the social group. Following close behind is her longtime friend, JoAnn Nelson, who has 48 years with the club. Both giggled while Sharon recounted the tale of ‘The Stolen Clothes Fashion Show.’ “We always try to think of fun things to do at club meetings when it is our turn to hostess. Several years ago, I decided to stage a different kind of fashion show. We asked member’s husbands to sneak some of their clothes to us without telling them. However, we had two or three members with no mates, so we took the matter in our own hands. One day Donna Nash and I thought my mother-in-law, Bertha Fifer, wasn’t
Continued on Page A9