Since 1882 ~ Successor to The Poseyville News and The New Harmony Times • New Harmony, IN
“Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain.” Posey County’s locally-owned newspaper
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
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Volume 133 Edition 46
Adams files Open Door complaint over GOP action By Dave Pearce As a result of action taken during last month’s Posey County Commissioner’s meeting, Posey County resident Ed Adams has filed a formal complaint with the Office of the Public Access Counselor concerning an alleged violation of the Open Door Law. The lone Democrat of the three Posey County Commissioners Jim Alsop, as reported by the Posey County News, appeared to be blind-sided by the removal of all three members of the Posey County Redevelopment Commission who were in office when the Republicans took over in January of this year. Commissioner President Carl Schmitz indicated that he had done research and could not find
minutes of meeting by the council which consisted of Mike Ashworth, James Scarafia, Rodney Wade and Gary Thiem. During that early October meeting, Schmitz asked Attorney William H. Bender to read a resolution the attorney had prepared prior to the meeting. The resolution # 2013-10-01-01 said the new members of the commission would include William Gillenwater III, Terry Gottman and George Postletheweight as the three new voting members. Linda O’Risky was named as a non-voting member. All their terms will expire on December 31, 2014. “This reeks of politics. I never thought we were going to get to this point. You guys have the authority to do that. I will not sign the document.
The people that have been on there have done a good job. They’ve worked at it. They haven’t had meetings because there haven’t been items [to discuss]. The fertilizer plant, at this point in time, has not identified a site. I know Mr. Ashworth has worked very hard on this. You guys do what you need to do, but I disagree with it.” “After hearing Republicans say how they were going to do everything by the book and by the code, and after sitting in the meeting where this first started, I just couldn’t believe I heard what I heard,” Adams said when contacted this week. “I did some checking into it and I called some people and after talking to several people, I just decided I would hold their (the GOP Republicans’) feet to the fire on things like this.”
Adams said a meeting of some sort, apparently with a quorum present and prior to the open meeting, was clearly a violation of the Open Door Law in his opinion. Adams is Chairman of the Posey County Democratic Party. But Posey County Republican Party Chairman indicated on Sunday there is no doubt in his mind that the complaint is politically motivated. “When Mr. Adams does soehting like this, it is politically motivated despite his denials to the contraty,” Newman said. “One of the examples I would cite is the suit filed against Chris Harp, who won the office of Posey County Treasurer. He claimed that was not policically motivated
Agreement reached in funds stolen from MVYB
Record corn crop expected despite heavy spring rains Special to the News The U.S. corn crop is projected to reach record production this year but won’t be quite as large as initially expected because heavy spring rain in parts of the country prevented some acres from being planted, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Friday, Nov. 8 crop production report. Indiana’s corn crop also is expected to set a record. The report gave farmers and commodities traders their first glimpse at U.S. crop production since September because the partial federal government shutdown canceled the October report. The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service is projecting that corn production will reach 14 billion bushels, up nearly one billion bushels from the record set in 2007. While a record, Purdue Extension
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New Harmony Park Board meeting changed Notice is hereby given that the regularly scheduled meeting of the Town of New Harmony Park Board for November 2013 has been changed. The meeting will be held on November 19, 2013, at 5 p.m. The regularly scheduled meeting of November 14, 2013, has been cancelled.
Community Choir Invites Singers All singers, including Youth Choir members, are invited to join the Ecumenical Community Choir for the Fourth Annual Mount Vernon Community Thanksgiving Celebration. Choir rehearsals for this year’s Celebration will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, November 20 and 21 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at St. Matthew Catholic Church. St. Matthew is located near the corner of Walnut and Fifth streets. For more information contact Choir Director, Frank Liberti at 812-430-1462. This year’s Thanksgiving Celebration will be held at 4 p.m. on Sunday, November 24, at St. Matthew Catholic Church.
NP Band Bucks Winners The November winners for the North Posey Band Bucks raffle are as follows: Margaret Scherzinger -$100, John Pierce - $75, Kevin Beshears - $50, and Cindy Dreshfield - $25.
Plow Day Rescheduled Due to this weeks rain, the plow day scheduled for Saturday the ninth, has been postponed until Saturday November 16. Please notify anyone who may be planning on attending that does not have email. Due to rain in the forecast for next week, we will try to have an update sent out via email next Thursday evening on whether we will be able to plow next Saturday. Also, don’t forget the annual KG Christmas dinner/auction on December 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the Posey County Community Center at the fairgrounds. Please bring a side and/or a dessert along with an item for the auction.
Bake Sale Scheduled Trinity United Church of Christ in Mount Vernon will hold a Sugar and Spice Bake Sale on Saturday, November 23, 2013 in the Fellowship Hall from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Homemade sweets featured are cinnamon rolls, kuchen, cakes, cookies, candy and pies. Freezer Dumplings will also be available. Trinity Fellowship Hall is located at the corner of Fifth and Mulberry Streets and is wheelchair accessible. Call Wilma Jacobs 8383917 for more information.
agricultural economist Chris Hurt said production won’t be as high as some expected, which is good news for farmers. “There was a lot of fear coming into this report that the corn crop would be so large that prices would be extremely low,” he said. “But while yields were up substantially, prevented planting acres offset some of that.” USDA Lowered harvested corn acres by nearly 1.9 million and soybean acres by about 700,000, primarily because of land that did not get planted due to excessive spring rains. Another positive result for farmers is that USDA recognized the growing demand for the nation’s corn and soybean crops from both export buyers, such as China, and domestic buyers, such as livestock producers. “A lot of people are breathing a sigh of relief that the crop is not larger and
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In honor of Veteran’s Day, members of the community joined Boy Scout Troop 386 for a special flag retirement ceremony at Murphy Park on Saturday afternoon. Photo by Zach Straw
Sandra Burkhardt’s killer pleads guilty
By Dave Pearce The former treasurer of the Mount Vernon Youth Baseball Association could avoid jail time if he pays back the $5,000 he took from the organization last year. In a rare plea bargain agreement, Mount Vernon resident Adam Bauman pleaded guilty to eight Felony Counts Adam Bauman of Theft. He was sentenced to four years in prison; however, the sentence is suspended on the condition that he pays back $5,000 in restitution to Mount Vernon Youth Baseball. The sentencing took place in Posey Circuit Court with Judge Jim Redwine presiding. In addition to the restitution, the defendant will be subject to random drug testing as well as all other standard conditions of probation; how-
By Dave Pearce the girl’s nose. In a White County courtroom in Carmi, Ill, on Posey County Prosecutor Travis Clowers says DaWednesday morning, Thomas Davidson pled guilty vidson was questioned and confessed to the shooting of murder in the killing of 58-year-old rural outside of the Huck’s Convenience Store in Posey County woman Sandra Burkhardt in Mount Vernon and that he also gave a stateContinued on Page A12 August of 2013. ment concerning Burkhardt and her body It was part of a plea deal in which the Carthat was found near Crossville, Illinois. At mi, Ill., prosecutor agreed to drop all other that point, Davidson had been driving Burcharges against Davidson in exchange for a khardt’s new Ford Focus. guilty plea. While driving Sandra’s car, officials say Davidson will be sentenced to 60 years in Davidson ran into a tree and then stole anprison for first-degree murder and will not be other vehicle. eligible for early release. Following his senThe Pike County Sheriff’s Office says Datencing in Illinois, Davidson will still face Thomas Davidson vidson was found and taken into custody in charges in Posey County including kidnapPike County, four miles east of Pike Central ping and attempted murder. High School in a wooded area. They say he was also in By Dave Pearce Early Thursday morning NovemFollowing Burkhardt’s disappearance, Davidson al- possession of a handgun. ber 7, at approximately 12:25 a.m., legedly pistol-whipped a 19-year-old girl in Sandra’s the Posey County Sheriff’s DepartContinued on Page A8 car in Mount Vernon, then fired two shots that grazed ment was notified of a vehicle crash on State Road 66 near the Eastlake Subdivision. Responding officers were inBy Dave Pearce home of Colton Cox, age 21, 11230 County Homes formed that the crash involved a sinAccording to information released by Kenneth Rose, Drive, Evansville, Posey County, Ind. gle vehicle, which appeared to have Supervisor of the Posey County Drug Task Force, two Oeth said that sheriff’s deputies entered the resi- rolled over multiple times. Upon arPosey County men are in the Posey County Jail after dence under the authority of the warrant and found rival emergency responders discovbeing arrested on drug charges. two individuals engaged in the me- ered a severely damaged Red 2001 Posey County Sheriff Greg chanics of an active methamphet- Ford Explorer Sport Trac, in an upOeth identified the two individuamine processing operation. Both right position blocking the eastbound als as 22-year-old Colton M. Cox individuals were taken into custody lane of the highway. The driver was (11230 Country Homes Drive) and the residence was secured. A found ejected from the vehicle lying and 20-year-old Devon R. Craft Clandestine Laboratory Team was in the middle of the roadway just east (11100 Country Homes Drive). called to dismantle the operation of the vehicle location. Oeth said the homes are located as the two were transported to the The scene investigation deternear Parker Settlement. Posey County Jail. mined that the vehicle had rolled out According to Rose, on Nov. Officers recovered evidence that of control for over 500 feet before Devon Craft Colton Cox 7, 2013, members of the VanCox and Devon Craft, age 20, were coming to rest. derburgh County Joint Drug Task Force and the Posey actively involved in the illegal manufacture of methMedical responders from WadesCounty Narcotics Unit conducted a drug investigation ville Fire Department and personnel Continued on Page A12 which led to the execution of a search warrant at the with the Posey County EMS attempted resuscitation efforts on the single occupant of the vehicle to no avail. Posey County Coroner Jay Price pronounced the driver dead at the scene. Posey County Sheriff Greg Oeth said the driver was identified as 25-year-old Joshua R. Gray, of Grayville, Ill. An autopsy conducted in Evansville determined Gray died as a result of blunt force trauma from injuries sustained in the crash. Preliminary indications determined speed to be the primary factor of the crash. Investigators are awaiting toxicology results to conclude the investigation. Assisting the Sheriff’s Department were units from the Posey County New Harmony receives $500,000 for storm water improvements at a recently held award ceremony at the EMS, Indiana State Police, Wadesstatehouse. Left to right, Project Engineer Derick Wiggins; New Harmony Town Council member Linda ville Fire Department, and the Posey Warrum; Indiana Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann; Council Member Don Gibbs; Council Member Karen WalkCounty Coroner. er; and New Harmony Town Council President Joe Straw. Photo submitted
Grayville man dies in Posey Co. accident
Total of three face drug charges
Retrospective .... A 4 Legals ................ B 4 Classifieds ......B7-8 Community ...... A 5
Deaths ............... A 3 Church ............. A 7 Social ................ A 6 School ............... A 8
Sports .............B1-3 Bus/Ag ............ A11 Opinion ........... A14 www.poseycountynews.com