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 48
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
$1.00
Community input is abundant in APC public hearing By Dave Pearce A near-capacity crowd gathered at the Posey County Community Center of the Posey County 4-H Fairgrounds on Wednesday evening. Dominant colors dotted the crowd as many yellow shirts were worn to show disdain for the possibility of electric-generating wind turbines coming to Posey County under the ordinance which has been drafted by the Posey County Area Plan Commission. Several county residents in blue showed their support of wind energy coming to Posey County, but not necessarily under the conditions of the ordinance as drafted. The meeting was the public hearing
portion of the steps required for passage of an ordinance by the Board of Zoning Appeals. Poseyville farmer and Area Plan Commission President Mark Seib laid out the ground rules at the beginning of the meeting and asked members of the audience and those speaking to be respectful of the rules and the opinions of those who may not agree with individual or group stances. A strong police presence was never needed as neighbors proved respectful of each other in offering differing opinions. Each of the members of the Posey County Area Plan Commission are appointed by an entity to have a place on the board. It is important
to understand that the Posey County Area Plan Commission does not decide whether or not the wind turbines will come to Posey County. The purpose of the meeting was to determine how county residents feel about an ordinance that has been drafted, primarily because of the possibility that the turbine company could come before the commission to request permits to place the turbines in the county. It is also important to note that at the current time, no county government organization has been approached regarding the turbines locating in the county. “The point of the ordinance, at this point, is just to get something on the books in the event
the company approaches the county,” Posey County Commissioner Jay Price explained. Prior to 2019, there has been nothing on the books of the Posey County Area Plan Commission or Board of Zoning Appeals regarding wind energy. And despite the meeting, it is likely that an ordinance will not be on the books at the end of 2019 because of the steps necessary to place such an ordinance on the books. The Area Plan Commission was scheduled to meet on Monday evening to vote whether or not the ordinance, as it stands, should be placed on
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‘Trap’ brings a new level of excitement to Mount Vernon High School stage
By Amber Allyn Can I Tell You A Secret? The cast and crew of the Mount Vernon fall play, Trap, did an outstanding job Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. They certainly caught the audience off guard with a shocking ending. By not revealing the plot through their advertisements, many people were eager to come watch the play each day. The plot involved a high school play where everyone in the audience fell unconscious except one. At the beginning of the production, Director Kevin Roach told everyone that they were experiencing some electrical issues in the movie theatre. Shortly into the play, a blackout occurred in the middle of an actress’s Members of the Mount Vernon High School play, “Trap,” cast are, in front, JT Rapp, Ayden Whitney, Bella Kelley, Julia Kingery, and Daniel line. Trap began by the actors replicating the interviews from the night of Juncker. In back are Tyler Roos, Hank Denning, Renee Bippus, Ethan Parmenter, Genna Biggerstaff, Nathaniel Cole, Johnny Marshall, Emma Yarber, Maggie Scates, Lily Denning, Dalton Kuhn, Sydney Deno, Eli Jones, Olivia Gerton, Hagan Hollinger, and Kaitlyn McDaniel. Photo Continued on Page A11 courtesy of Studio B
Thrall’s Opera House will host Smithsonian exhibit in 2020
Posey couple charged with felony Child Neglect Special to the News A Mount Vernon couple has been arrested and charged with a Level 6 Felony, Neglect of a Dependent. Indiana State Police initiated a criminal investigation after the Indiana Department of Child Services removed John and Tammy Crowe’s children from their Mount Vernon residence on November 13 due to dangerous and deplorable conditions. John Crowe is 53 and his wife, Tammy, is 53. The home is located at 118 W. Ninth Street in Mount Vernon During the investigation, Indiana State Police Detective Wes Kuyken-
dall and Trooper T r e y Stewart revealed t h a t Crowe’s nine and eightyear-old John Crowe s o n s w e r e living in the upstairs portion of the residence and were often locked upstairs for long periods of time. There were several large holes in the walls and no electrical service to the light
By Lois Mittino Gray Dan Mason, Assistant Director of Historic New Harmony, was the only speaker during Open Forum at the November 19, New Harmony Town Council meeting. He said the news he brought would benefit the town and its visitors next year. “We are doing a scope of priorities assessment for the year 2020 that we want to bring to a public forum so we can partner with the town to discuss and ask questions and make sure we’re all on the same page. We want to tackle some deferred maintenance on sites and develop some Special to the News property into something new,” he reJohn Reynolds, of lated. “Right now, the details are goMount Vernon, aping through internal approvals, so the peared in the Posey Cirplan should be ready by February or cuit Court on Tuesday, March.” November 19, where he Town Council President Alvin was sentenced by Judge Blaylock assured Mason that the Craig Goedde to six (6) council would be interested in disyears in prison after becussing the details at a meeting. He ing convicted of several suggested it be after January 1 next drug related charges that year when the new council would beincluded possession of John Reynolds gin its term. Mason agreed and said, methamphetamine, as “We look forward to 2020 in every well as a conviction for resisting law enforcement. way.” Reynolds, age 71, pled guilty “open” to the He also announced that Thrall’s Court without a plea agreement from the prosecuOpera House was selected for what is tor. Reynolds faced one (1) to six (6) years in prison on the drug possession charge, and up to an adContinued on Page A11 ditional one (1) year for resisting law enforcement.
fixtures upstairs. There was one portable light set up and p o w ered by an exTammy Crowe tension cord. The boys were also required to use a plastic jug when they had to use the restroom because there wasn’t a restroom upstairs. The glass in a bedroom window was missing, ex-
posing the boys to the outside elements and cold temperatures. The upstairs bedroom was heated only by an electric fan mounted near the stairwell downstairs when the door was open and not locked. The Posey County Prosecutor’s Office reviewed the investigation and issued arrest warrants for Tammy and John Crowe. They were arrested this evening at their residence without incident. They were both taken to the Posey County Jail where they are currently being held on bond. The Mount Vernon Police Department assisted in the investigation.
Mount Vernon man faces six years on drug charges As part of his guilty plea, Reynolds admitted to possessing methamphetamine when officers with the Mount Vernon Police Department and Indiana State Police responded to his Mount Vernon residence on November 3, 2018. Due to the odor of burnt marijuana and drug paraphernalia in plain view, officers were able to obtain and execute a search warrant for the residence. Upon conducting a search of the residence, officers located multiple baggies of methamphetamine and marijuana, as well as several items of drug paraphernalia that included hypodermic needles. Reynolds was arrested and transported to the Posey County Jail. The Prosecutor’s Office charged Reynolds with possession of methamphetamine as a Level 5 felony, which includes an enhanced penalty due to Reynolds having a prior conviction in 2003 for dealing methamphetamine. Reynolds later posted bond and was released
from custody while awaiting trial on the drug charges. However, after failing to appear at a scheduled court appearance, a warrant was issued for his arrest. On April 11, 2019, law enforcement officers with the Mount Vernon Police Department and Indiana State Police were able to locate and apprehend Reynolds in Posey County. Reynolds refused to comply with the officers’ commands and forcibly resisted, which lead to the additional charge of resisting law enforcement. After hearing argument from defense and the prosecutor, Judge Goedde handed down a sentence of five (5) years in prison on the drug charges and one (1) year in prison for resisting arrest. Per Indiana law, the sentences are required to be served consecutively, or one after the other, for a total sen-
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Reading between the lines
Little Free Library allows community an opportunity to share literacy By Pam Robinson The husband and wife team of Fr. Allen and Lydia Rutherford has put Mount Vernon on the map. Their Little Free Library may be found on a global map posted at the official website, littlefreelibrary.org. Located at the intersection of Mulberry and Sixth streets, this handcrafted Little Free Library adorns the St. John Episcopal Church campus. According to the website, it is one of 90,000 such libraries registered across all 50 states and 91 countries. The Little Free Library organization has achieved such support in only 10 years. Having seen the Little Free Library on travels together with her husband, Lydia couldn’t shake the idea of providing one for her neighborhood and community. “Once I realized we can probably fairly easily do that, I asked Allen about it, and he took the idea to the vestry [church board]. Other people in the vestry were aware of the Little Free Library, and they gave us the OK to go ahead,” she states. With the blessing of St. John’s, Lydia approached Marissa Priddis, Director of Alexandrian Public Library in Mount Vernon. “We’re not taking anything away from the library,” Lydia asked. “’Oh no, no,’ she [Marissa] said. ‘I think it’s
(USPS 439-500)
a great idea.’” After all, the Little Free Library allows for a free book exchange. Although anyone may put up a free book exchange, the Little Free Library receives its trademark capitalized name and stands apart with its registration. A number is assigned each location at registration. “You can take a book; you can leave a book,” Lydia explains. Or, she adds, you can just take a book. An avid reader since childhood, she treasures the same love of reading in her daughter. They have enjoyed plenty of books in the home. She hopes to help patrons of St. John’s Little Free Library know the same joy of owning their own book. “I love the idea that adults or children, who may not have very many books in their home, can just take a book.” Her willing partner in the Little Free Library venture, Fr. Allen, shares his wife’s love of reading. He echoes her enthusiasm about passing books along through the Little Free Fr. Allen and Lydia Rutherford enjoy a quiet moment on the Library. “We were having a little difficulty in the first few weeks refurbished bench they donated for their Little Free Library on keeping it stocked. People were taking books faster than Saint John’s Episcopal Church campus. The husband and wife team unveiled their project this fall at the intersection of MulberContinued on Page A11 ry and Sixth streets in Mount Vernon. Photo by Pam Robinson