November 8, 2022 - The Posey County News

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SINCE 1882 Successor to The Poseyville News & New Harmony Times

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P C N Tuesday, November 8, 2022

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Volume 142 Edition 45

Mail-in ballot issue spurs emergency Posey County election board meeting By Trisha L. Lopez Missing initials on the back of up to 107 mail-in ballots led to a flurry of phone calls on Friday as election workers rushed to inform voters that, unless steps were taken before 6 p.m. on Election Day, their votes could not be counted. State law requires the initials of both a Republican and a Democratic election worker on the back of ballots. Ballots lacking both sets are considered spoiled and cannot be tabulated. Posey County Clerk Kay Kilgore said she learned last week that some voters had received bal-

lots that contained just one signature. Kilgore met with members of the Posey County Election Board to discuss the steps needed to notify voters possibly impacted by what she called “an inadvertent error” and provide options to ensure that each voter had the chance to submit a new ballot. Kilgore was adamant that the issue would be resolved and told those in attendance that she did not wish to cause voter panic. “We will do whatever we need to do,” Kilgore said at Friday’s emergency meeting. Posey County

Democratic Chair and Black Township Board Candidate Ed Adams, Posey County Republican Chair and Commissioner Candidate Greg Newman, Indiana Representative District 76 Candidate Katherine Rybak, and Posey County Sheriff Candidate Tobin Riney were in attendance. Impacted voters were called on Friday and given the following options: if a ballot had already been submitted, the voter could go to the election office and have that ballot

Vote, continued on Page A6

Stolen cruiser leads to 15 charges Special to the News er and fled the scene. Multiple law enforcement units A Mount Vernon woman was arrrested and faces sev- responded to the area to assist in the apprehension of eral charges after members of the Mount Vernon Police Billings. Department reported that she stole a police After a short pursuit, the cruiser came to rest cruiser and led police on a rural Posey County in a ditch located just west of Gun Club Road. chase on Sunday afternoon. Billings was apprehended, medically cleared According to information released from and then transported to the Posey County Jail. the MVPD, officers with the Mount Vernon Billings was charged with (15) total chargPolice Department responded to a burglary in es, (10) of which were felonies, including: Esprogress 500 block of E. Water Street around cape- Level 5 Felony; Burglary- Level 6 Felo4:50 p.m. on Sunday. ny; Possession of Methamphetamine- Level 6 Upon arrival, officers located Samantha Felony; Possession of Paraphernalia- Level 6; Little Catherine Nellis was intense during the annual Saint Philip Card Billings unlawfully in the building. After arTheft of a Vehicle- Level 6 Felony; Theft of Party held this week at the school. Photo by Dave Pearce resting and cuffing Billings, officers placed Samantha Billings a Firearm- Level 6 Felony; Theft over $750her in the back of the cruiser. Officers conLevel 6 Felony; Operating While Intoxicated tinued to check the remaining part of the building for Endangerment (refusal); Criminal Recklessness- Level any other individuals who might be involved in the bur- 6 Felony; Resisting Law Enforcement in a vehicle- Levglary. el 6 Felony (two counts). By Dave Pearce While officers were searching the building, Billings Assisting agencies at the scene include the Indiana A 26-year-old Mount Vernon was able to get her cuffs in front of her, manipulate the State Police, the Posey County Sheriff’s Department, man lost his life in a single-vehicle window on the police cruiser cage and gain entry into the Posey County EMS, as well as the New Harmony traffic accident on Sunday morning, the front of the cruiser. She then took off with the cruis- Town Marshal. Nov. 6, 2022. According to information gathered by the Posey County News staff, Zack Allyn, a rural Posey Special to the News At sentencing, Davis faced a maximum of 16 years in County Farmer, was driving on InA Mount Vernon woman has been sentenced to 15 prison. Evidence was presented at sentencing regarding diana State Route 68 just west of years in prison after being convicted of multiple charges Davis’s prior federal conviction in 2014 for Conspiracy Interstate 69 near Haubstadt when related to dealing methamphetamine in Posey to Manufacture, Distribute and Possess with he apparently lost control of the County. Intent to Distribute a Substance Containing vehicle he was driving and the veDawn Marie Davis, 53, appeared in the Methamphetamine. hicle struck a tree. Both lanes of Posey Circuit Court on the afternoon of TuesPosey County Prosecutor Thomas Clowers the highway were closed due to the day, November 1, where she was sentenced by commented: “Without question, drug addicemergency. Judge Craig Goedde after pleading guilty multion has a devastating impact on our commuAccording to family members, tiple charges, including Dealing in Methamnity and families within our community. Ms. Allyn was headed to meet his fatherZack Allyn phetamine, a Level 3 Felony, and Maintaining Davis has been part of this problem, and I’m in-law to participate in a spot shoot glad she was held accountable for her actions. ing at Schneider Funeral Home in a Common Nuisance, a Level 6 Felony. when the accident occurred. Pursuant to her guilty plea, Davis admitted I’m grateful for the thorough investigation Allyn is survived by his wife Mount Vernon at press time. A full conducted by our Drug Task Force – (Posey Makayla; twin six-month old sons obituary will appear in next week’s to selling methamphetamine to an undercover Dawn Davis County Prosecutor’s Office) Investigator KenKnox Allyn and Rhett Allyn; par- edition of the Posey County News. confidential informant in February and March neth Rose, (Posey County Sheriff’s Office) ents Matthew and Heather Allyn; In the meantime, information on of 2022. Davis and 13 other drug offenders were arrested on Detective Dustin Seitz, and (Mount Vernon Police Desisters Amber and Alaina Allyn; and arrangements will be available at www.schneiderfuneralhome.com as April 14, 2022 as a result of “Operation Bryan,” an partment) Detective Karlee Eickhoff. Their efforts rea brother, Grant Allyn. undercover drug investigation conducted by the Posey sulted in a twice-convicted drug dealer being removed Funeral arrangements were pend- they become finalized. County Drug Task Force which began in August 2021. from Posey County for a significant period of time.” Davis has been held in the Posey County Jail since the Davis will be transported to the Indiana Department date of her arrest of Correction to serve her

Posey man dies in wreck

Posey woman faces drug sentence

City considers lateral hire bonus By Lois Mittino Gray “Lateral Transfers” was the buzzword of the day at the Mount Vernon Board of Works October 20, meeting. Board members discussed what the advantage would be to hire them as city employees in several departments and how to get them on board. City Police Chief Andrew Rush initiated the discussion by reporting he has only four applications submitted so far in their current hiring process. They need several officers. None of them are laterals, as he hoped. He said laterals coming over from another agency have already been trained at the Police Academy. That takes three and one-half months to complete. Other agencies are offering hiring incentives to attract lateral transfers. He cited Evansville Police Department as an example, as they offer a $2,500 hiring bonus, with an additional $2,500 after three years of service. Rush said he just wanted to put the idea “out there” for consideration. “I like what Evansville is doing, spreading it out over time, especially considering three months are gone to training with non-lateral hires,” remarked Board Member Andy Hoehn. Rush added it is actually a longer time than that. “After a trainee gets back from the Academy, there is also the FTO (field training officer) program, which lasts for six months.” “What exactly constitutes a lateral hire?” Hoehn Sabrina Harms, left, puts her arm around the neck of Kathy Beyer. Harms was the winner of the quilt made and donated by Beyer at the asked. “Can it be a sheriff deputy, corrections officer, Basket Bingo held this week at the fairgrounds. Photo by Dave Pearce a state police officer? Rush replied, “Yes, it can even

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be officers from other states like Henderson and Carmi. I would prefer someone from Indiana. In fact, I would like to restrict a lateral hire to an Indiana officer,” he emphasized. Hoehn stated he would like to see the cost of hiring a lateral versus a new hire on paper. He would like to see how they can save X amount of dollars by hiring a lateral. If it all looks good, he would be in favor of bumping up the incentive dollar amount. Board member David Dodd agreed and added that it is a good idea. Hoehn observed this idea of lateral transfer incentives would actually fit across several different departments. For instance, already certified water and sewage operators and perhaps at the street department as well, depending on level of experience. Utilities Superintendent Chuck Gray added, “At the water department, it takes two years to certify.” Hoehn noted this is the nature of the industry now. In New Business, Mount Vernon High School students Lilly Denning and Sadie Redman approached the board as representatives of the Christmas on Main Street Committee. Redman stated the Christmas on Main Street festival this year will be on December 9 and 10. They came to request street closures for the parade on December 9. Lineup will start at 6 p.m at the high school parking lot, with the parade itself actually starting at 7

Hire, continued on Page A6


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