T
P C N SINCE 1882 Successor to The Poseyville News & New Harmony Times POSEY COUNTY’S ONLY LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED NEWSPAPER
Volume 137 Edition 51
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
$1.00
Drug raid nabs four Jessica Keown
Patrick Lee Reynolds
Two suspects still at large Posey County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremy Fortune escorts Catherine Willis to a cruiser after she was arrested early Monday morning during a drug raid in Mount Vernon. Photo by Dave Pearce
By Dave Pearce During the wee hours of Monday morning, nearly 50 members of area law enforcement gathered in Posey County’s seat city to put the finishing touches on a long-term investigation. At press time, two of the four “leftover” warrants had been served and arrests made while a total of four arrests
Nickolas Stewart
Norman Strupp
Catherine Willis
Christopher Yates
these could turn out to be some pretty good leads.” On Sept. 1, 2017, the Posey County Drug Task Force initiated Operation Atlantis. The operation was conducted as a “clean-up” operation which was the result of investigation of additional suspects stemming from Operation Gray Ghost, executed in the spring of this year. “This is just another step in the follow through of commitments made by
had been made. “We got two of the four but Nickolas Stewart, age 25 of Mount Vernon and Jessica L. Keown, age 29, also of Mount Vernon, remain at large,” Oeth said. However, Oeth indicated that in this raid, just as the others that have been conducted over the past few years, there are some residual arrests that have been made. “Not only did we have success this morning, we also have developed two other good leads,” Oeth said. “We are working with the FBI Task Force and
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Juvenile Officer chosen
Council votes on plant bonds
Special to the News In response to ongoing problems with juveniles in the Mount Vernon area, Mount Vernon Police Chief Anthony Alldredge announced Friday that he has assigned Police Officer Skylar Turner to serve as Juvenile Officer for the greater Mount Vernon area. Turner will work closely with the Posey County Prosecutor’s Office, Posey County Juvenile Court staff, Child Protective Services, the Metropolitan School District of Mount Vernon and their staff and various other community agencies. The Juvenile Officer’s primarily
By Theresa Bratcher Members of the Posey County Council faced a crucial decision during their meeting on Tuesday morning at the Hovey House in Mount Vernon. A decision had to be made as to whether the Posey County Council would extend support of the bonds for the proposed Midwest Fertilizer Plant. The bonds must be under the auspices of a government entity and in this case, it must be the Posey County Council. The tricky part came when a 7-0 council vote was required to even hear the request. That was in question for a few minutes as long-time councilman Tom Schneider shed some light on his feelings regarding the plant and its future. “I represent the people of my district and a lot of people are telling me they don’t want the fertilizer plant on the west side of Mount Vernon,” Schneider said. “When the decision was made to move the plant from the port to the west side, not one time was the county
Briefly Information sought: The Mount Vernon Fire Department is investigating a house fire that occurred late Wednesday night. MVFD was dispatched to a fire at 520 East Second Street around 11:20 p.m. on December 13. The cause is still under investigation and the fire department is asking the public for information pertaining to the fire. Anyone with information is asked to call the Indiana Arson Hotline at 1-800-382-4628. A reward may be offered for information leading to an arrest. Holiday closings: All Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicle branches will be closed December 23 through December 26 and December 30 through January 1 in observance of the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. Candlelight service: First Presbyterian Church December 24, 7 p.m. 120 East Sixth, MV
School benefit: St. Philip School January 27, 6-11 p.m. Mount Vernon
More information on these and other events inside today’s Posey County News
(USPS 439-500)
Schneider: Midwest Fertilizer unwanted by many citizens
Mount Vernon Police Chief Anthony Alldredge, right, announced Friday that Police Officer Skylar Turner will serve as Juvenile Officer for the greater Mount Vernon area. Photo submitted responsibilities will include: Assisting children of all ages; assisting and overseeing all criminal investigations involving juvenile suspects; assisting parents who may report their children as possible runaways; assisting
the Metropolitan School District of Mount Vernon with issues of student truancy; and assisting other law en-
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Sewer tap-in committee to be formed East-end business owners appeal to council By Lois Mittino Gray Councilman Andy Hoehn thanked fellow Mount Vernon Common Council members for a “good discussion” at its December 7, meeting on expensive tap in fees involved with the East Side Gravity Flow Sewer Project. The fees, established by an ordinance in 2002, affect fifteen local business owners on the city’s east side, many of whom were present at the meeting to tell their story and share concerns. Terry Gottman, owner of Gottman Electric,
was first to the podium and told the council that he has been in business in Mount Vernon for 40 years in town and has paid taxes. “We decided to expand east of town about 25 years ago and give it a try to avoid paying city taxes. My brother and I bought more property in that area as well. In 2006, we were annexed and made part of the city. In conversations with the Mayor back then, we were told there was nothing we could do about it. We were told we would have sewers and lights in three years,” he recounted.
The 2006 ordinance, annexing the 162 acre city addition, contains a provision that all city amenities, such as street construction and lighting, sewer and water facilities, and stormwater drainage facilities, would be installed in three years. Since 2006, business owners have had to pay city taxes, which are approximately three times the rate of the county taxes paid previously. After eleven years of this taxation, there have been none of the promised amenities. The owners are now being asked to pay tap-in fees to the sewer lines at varying rates, depending on square footage, at high rates.
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Survey: Papers help Hoosiers solve shopping decisions
Van Haaften enters circuit judge race
Special to The News Seventy-seven percent of Hoosiers, more than 3.6 million adults, read a printed newspaper or access a newspaper website weekly if not more often. That’s one of many results found by a survey conducted by American Opinion Research (AOR) of Princeton, N.J., at the request of the Hoosier State Press Association Foundation. Hoosiers not only read local newspapers to keep informed about their community, they read it for the advertising to help make shopping decisions, according to the survey of more than 1,000 adult Hoosiers living across the state. In a growing digital landscape, printed newspapers remain No. 1 for providing useful advertising information and No. 1 as the source of helpful, local sales and shopping information. Daily, weekly and Sunday newspapers are easily the primary shopping source for Hoosiers, cited by 52 percent of the respondents. No other source comes close, according to AOR. Seven in 10 consumers visit stores or their websites after seeing specials or sales in a printed newspaper or on a newspaper website. The numbers are higher for females and younger adults.
Special to The News Trent Van Haaften, Mount Vernon attorney and former Posey County Prosecuting Attorney, announced today he will be a Democrat candidate for Posey Circuit Court Judge in the 2018 election. “I had not given serious thought to seeking this judgeship until Judge Redwine announced he was stepping down from the bench after 2018. It is important the next judge knows the law, the people of Posey County and is ready for the job on day one. After 26 years of practicing law in Posey County, I know my experience and temperament will provide the foundation to serve as judge. I have been a part of this community and my legal
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Trent Van Haaften