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Since 1882 ~ Successor to The Poseyville News and The New Harmony Times • New Harmony, IN (USPS 439-500) Posey County’s locally-owned newspaper
Community Calendar Flag Retirement Ceremony is set The Annual flag retirement ceremony by Troop 386 and New Harmony American Legion Post 370 is scheduled for Nov. 10 at 2 p.m. It will be held in Murphy Park. If you have any worn or torn flags that need to be retired, please drop them off at the American Legion or contact one of the boy scouts in New Harmony. Public is invited and encouraged to attend.
Flag Retirement Ceremony is No. 11 American Legion Post 5 in Mount Vernon will hold it’s annual ‘Flag Retirement and Disposal Ceremony’ on the court square in front of the coliseum, November 11. This is an event that parents and grandparents should bring the children to, it teaches one more step in respecting our countries flag. If you have a flag that is unserviceable please take it to the American Legion at 203 Walnut Street or to City Hall and we will add it to the count. You may also bring them to the ceremony, at 5 p.m.
Veterans Day Ceremony planned Owen Dunn Post 5 of The American Legion will hold its annual Veterans Day ceremony on the east lawn of the post home at 203 Walnut Street in Mount Vernon, Monday, November 11 at 11 a.m. Unit 5 Auxiliary will provide refreshments after the ceremony. All are welcome to attend and please bring your children if possible.
Four Freedoms Veterans Parade set Four Freedoms Veterans Parade will march down Riverside Drive in Evansville, Ind., Saturday, November 9, 2013 at 2:30 p.m. The River City Thunderbolt MVCC of Evansville, a chapter of the national organization the Military Vehicle Preservation Association (MVPA), and the local American Legion Riders Post 265 are proud to host and sponsor the Fourth Annual Four Freedoms Veterans Parade. The parade is an opportunity to show appreciation to the men and women of our community that have sacrificed for the protection of our liberties and freedoms. This is an annual event that occurs on the second Saturday of November. The citizens in the tri-state can show their appreciation to veterans during Veterans Appreciations Week in many ways. Examples of appreciations include: 1.) flying the American flag at your home or work place, 2.) making contributions or volunteering with organizations that support veterans in our community (such as Lucas Place II and Operation Support on the Homefront), and 3.) volunteer to bring an elderly or disabled veteran to the Breakfast for Veterans sponsored by Browning Funeral Home aboard the LST 325 Ship Memorial on November 9, 2013 (call (812) 425-2896 for details). For more information on supporting veterans, attend the Four Freedoms Veterans Parade and visit the information table.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Volume 133 Edition 45
Posey schools receive grant money By Dave Pearce It was announced on Friday, November 1, that the newly established Indiana Secured School Safety Board has approved more than $9 million in grant money to be awarded to individual schools and school corporations across the state. The school resource officer program in the Metropolitan School District of North Posey, which began in the fall of 2011, needed a funding source as former grants had expired at the conclusion of last school year. Posey County Sheriff Greg Oeth is
happy to relate that the school resource officer program now can continue on with funds received through this grant announcement. “Having the option of future funds also gives us the opportunity to discuss expansion of these types of programs,” said Oeth. The 2013 session of the Indiana General Assembly established the Indiana Secured School Fund, under the administration of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. The program provides matching grants to enable school corporations and charter schools to establish programs to: (1)
employ school resource officers; (2) conduct threat assessments of school buildings; or (3) purchase safety equipment and technology. School corporations, charter schools, or coalitions with an average daily membership (ADM) of at least 1,000 students may apply for grants up to $50,000 each year. Eligible school entities with an ADM of less than 1,000 students may apply for grants up to $35,000 per year. Locally the Metropolitan School District of North Posey received $20,000 for school security equipment and to em-
ploy a school resource officer and the Metropolitan School District of Mount Vernon received $50,000 for school security equipment. “Students deserve a safe, secure school environment to make the most of their learning experience,” Oeth said. “This program gives us additional funding resources that will further insure the safety and security of our school facilities. We will remain dedicated and committed to making our schools safe places where the focus can be directed toward educating our kids.”
Liquor store break-in leads to habitual offender term Special to the News Daniel Joseph Sherretz of Mount Vernon, Ind., was convicted and sentenced on Tuesday, October 29, 2013, in Posey County Superior Court for having burglarized a local business, During the evening hours of June 6, 2013, members of the Mount Vernon Police Department were dispatched to the Roadhouse Liquor Store, located at 819 E. Fourth Street, in Mount Vernon, to investigate a burglary and theft. City Police Officers Darrin Lemberg and Anthony Stallings found a window to the liquor store had been broken by someone using a large piece of metal scaffolding. There was blood on the broken glass and a blood trail that led the police from the liquor store directly to the front door of the home located at 320 N. Kimball Street a few blocks away. Posey County Prosecutor Travis Clowers was contacted and drafted a Search Warrant for the Kimball Street residence, Julie Robb, the person living at the Kimball Street residence at that time, approached the home just as the police were about to execute the Search Warrant. Once inside the home, police located a pair of bloody blue jeans and inside a pocket they found an Indiana Identification card bearing the name and photo of Daniel Joseph Sherretz. Robb eventually admitted that Sherretz had been to the home earlier that evening and that she cleaned and bandaged a cut to his arm. Police also found an unopened bottle of Seagram’s Canadian Whiskey with blood on the bottle inside the home.
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Head of the New Harmony Music Festival and School, Chris Layer and Indiana folk master Mac Belner join the head of the New Harmony Artists’ Guild, Randy Pease, for his song, ‘Ma Belle Rivière’ at the Field Forest and Stream Concert at Thrall’s Opera House on Saturday night. All proceeds benefitted local educational outreach programs. Photo by Zach Straw
County’s tech funds challenged By Valerie Werkmeister Posey County Commissioners learned the county’s information technology resources are in dire straits during their October 15 meeting. Council and commissioner executive assistant, Keely Winiger, explained that an e-mail virus had been accidentally opened via an e-mail preview in the Microsoft Outlook program within the Auditor’s office. Winiger stated the virus flooded the network and all of the files were held at ransom. The office was targeted since it holds all of the county’s accounting records. AOS, an IT company working with the county, determined no information was compromised and is working with Winiger to recover the files. In August, AOS completed an IT assessment for the county. It was determined the county needs to update immediately at a total cost of $98,000. However, budget constraints put those needs on the back burner. With the recent chaos caused by the virus, Winiger formed a committee consisting of Treasurer Justin White, Auditor Nick Wildeman, Assessor Nancy Hoehn, Recorder Mary Rhodes, and Building Commissioner Ed Battieger. She asked the committee members to search within their budgets for additional funds that could be used towards the immediate IT needs. AOS agreed to reduce the $98,000 to a figure be-
tween $73,000-$76,000 and work with the county until October 31, to help resolve their current problems. The commissioners agreed to sign the contract. Commissioners also approved an agreement with Midwest Fertilizer Company previously signed by Commissioner President Carl Schmitz and Posey County Council President Bob Gentil. The council must also approve the agreement at their next meeting. The bonds were scheduled to be reissued last Thursday and then again in March or April when construction on the plant begins. Battieger discussed a nuisance complaint at 1620 S. Lavon Drive, owned by Paula Taylor. Battieger stated there is a lot of junk that has accumulated. A public hearing was opened, although no one spoke during that time. The commissioners directed Attorney William H. Bender to send a letter to the homeowners giving them 30 days to clean up the property. Beth Powlen, Business Development Representative from Wessler Engineering gave a presentation for her firm’s professional services for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s MS4 program. The program involves municipal separate storm sewer systems and requires the county become compliant with a list of all outfalls and drainage systems in the county.
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Final chapter closes on Cynthiana Argus By Cathy Powers Since July 16, 1993, the old printing equipment that once cranked out the Cynthiana Argus have set silently in the small building where the newspaper was once printed weekly. That was the date of the last issue. Recently, Michael Oursler watched the old presses being loaded up by a new owner, and that was the final chapter to a publication that began over 100 years ago. The paper had been in the Oursler family since 1914. Oursler’s grandfather, Floyd, and grandmother, Mabel, were the owners and publishers for decades. The paper was first named the Cynthiana Post, which began in June of 1888, and it was originally owned by Josiah DeLong and James E Fisher. In the beginning, it was housed in the upstairs of Levi Wilkinson’s store, which ultimately became Hall’s grocery store. In June of 1890, Joseph L. Blase purchased the paper, and re-named it the Argus. It was moved to Blase Drug Store, which later became the old Cynthiana Bank building. Claude Malcolm began an interest in the business when he was only 12 years old. Beginning to learn the trade as a ‘printer’s devil,’ he eventually made it his career. He worked for Blase for several years before leaving to pursue other interests when he married. Malcolm returned later to become publisher after Blase passed away.
Retrospective .... A 4 Legals ................ B 4 Classifieds ......B6-7 Community ...... A 5
Eventually, he accepted another position in Illinois, and Dr H.V. Whiting was the owner who moved the paper still one more time, to a building near the present city hall (that building was torn down to make way for the ‘new’ telephone exchange building in 1920). The next owner, Frank Lewis, took the operation to what would later become the Masonic Hall, which at that time, also housed a movie
Michael Oursler stands next to his late father’s vintage Kluge printing machine, weighing nearly 4,000 pounds. Photo by Zach Straw
Deaths ............... A 3 Church ............. A 7 Social ................ A 6 School ............... A 8
theatre. Enoch Bixler and W.E. McCord were the next owners. After so many ownership and location changes, it was sold to Floyd Oursler on August 1, 1914. The following year, the paper found its final home, and was permanently owned by the Oursler family. Floyd and Mabel worked side by side for many years to make the Argus a success. The Ourslers had three sons, Clellie, born in 1915, Doyle came along in 1917, and the baby of the family, Bob, was born in 1926. Clellie had no interest in the printing business and became a school teacher. The two other brothers assisted their father and mother with the Argus for many years until Doyle moved to Franklin in 1966 to become manager of the Indiana Free Masons. At that time Floyd retired, and Bob took over the paper. Floyd passed away in 1970, followed by Mabel in 1984. Michael remembers working at the paper as a boy. He learned a lot of different small tasks as he grew up. Many of the long-time employees became like family. Although there were several employees through the years, he particularly remembers Jeanette Thompson, Dorothy Bixler, Ruth Moore, John Ingram, and Wayne Beard. As with most businesses, the equipment changed as time passed. Oursler particularly recalls the old Campbell Printing Press. Driven by a belt, it had a
Sports .............B1-2 Bus/Ag .............. A 9 Opinion ........... A10 www.poseycountynews.com
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