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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 52
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
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Familiar faces will lead New Harmony into new year By Lois Mittino Gray Wrapping up 2019 and looking toward next year, President Alvin Blaylock conducted several business items Tuesday morning at the December 17, meeting of the New Harmony Town Council. Afterwards, members of the council were administered oaths of office by Clerk-Treasurer Karla Atkins, including Tom Williams, the only fresh new face on the council. And what will these elected officials be paid next year for their services? Under Old Business, the Salary Ordinance for 2020 was passed giving Atkins a five percent increase of $90.49 atop her current salary. As for the Council members annual salary of $3,600 per year, Blaylock told the others, “You need to decide if that figure will go up or down or stay the same. Speaking for myself, I’m not sitting up here for the money. I want to do good for the
community and residents. As far as I’m concerned, my recommendation is to leave it as is with no raise this year,” he remarked. The others agreed and gave themselves no raise in pay. David Flanders is leaving the council, creating two vacancies on government boards. Councilman Roger Wade was appointed to take his place on the Board of Zoning Appeals, and Councilman Gary Watson was tapped to replace Flanders on the Plan and Historic Preservation Commission. Blaylock and Town Attorney Erin Bauer will also serve another four year term on that commission. Councilwoman Virginia Alsop re-upped for another term on the Board of Zoning Appeals. Sue Krozel opted not to take another term on the New Harmony Park Board and her slot will be filled by Brenda Sawyer, who agreed to give it a try.
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Karla Atkins, Clerk-Treasurer, administers the Oath of Office to members of the 2020 Town Council on Tuesday, December 17, 2019. Pictured left to right are Atkins, Gary Watson, Roger Wade, Alvin Blaylock, Tom Williams, and Virginia Alsop. Photo by Sally Denning
Community supports ‘Tre’s Journey’
A benefit dinner and welcome home for Tre Wesley Schapker was held Saturday evening at Ziggy’s Pub in Poseyville. Tre was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor, has undergone a lengthy surgery, began rehab, and will soon start chemotherapy. The prognosis is encouraging and, according to his mother, “Tre has smiled through it all.” Here he is pictured with mom Autumn Cardwell and Ziggy’s owner David Zickefoose. Visit the ‘Tre’s Journey’ Facebook page to hear his story, get updates, and to make donations. Photo by Theresa Bratcher
From Facebook Page I want to start with some background on my son Tre, he is 10-years-old and in the fifth grade. He is a big boy at five feet two inches tall, also very loving and kind. Around first grade Tre was diagnosed with ADHD, he was a fairly normal boy, he just couldn’t pay attention for very long periods of time. As the years went on we noticed things were getting worse, and he began showing other signs, such as clumsiness, forgetting small things, fine motor control, ect. By the fourth grade Tre’s ADHD was still getting worse and none of the medicines were working the way we thought. His handwriting was getting worse (normally that’s the first difference you see when they start taking a medicine for ADHD), his coordination, memory, just everything was getting worse. This kid couldn’t even stand on one leg to put his pants on without falling, tie his shoes or button his jeans without problems. He was having headaches off and on so in August 2019 I took him to the eye doctor and he got glasses. The headaches then turned into migraines, he was sick to his stomach just not feeling good at all. As soon as we arrived at Deaconess Gateway ER November 12, I could see the check-in nurse was concerned
with how he was acting. He was scheduled for a CT scan right away. I can’t remember exactly how or when but at some point they told us there was a mass. After speaking with family there at the hospital it was decided we wanted to go to Indy to Riley hospital. Tre was life-flighted to Indy where the doctor felt it was in his best interest to operate immediately to relieve the pressure from the mass. As we were driving up, I gave consent for them to operate. I started to really panic the closer we got the hospital because they hadn’t called me to tell me he was out of surgery. His Neurosurgeon met us in the hallway as soon as we walked in. The first thing she said to me was, “You made the right choice, he had 35 to 40 amounts of pressure. Normal is 20 or below.” She went on to tell us they had placed a small tube to drain the extra CSF. After another CT Scan and then a second MRI the Neurosurgeon (different from the first one) introduced himself and began speaking to us about what was going on. He did explain how quickly everything would go and that it seems really fast then it slows down. He explained it was in the fourth ventricle and that these can be difficult, we
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Insurance increase for Poco small By Lois Mittino Gray While most citizens are rankled by an increase in their insurance premiums every year, the Posey County Commissioners took the news of a three percent increase for 2020 in stride as they voted to accept the $372,606 annual bill at their December 17, meeting. Schultheis Insurance Agent Andy Weintraut appeared before the commissioners to explain the three year package saying, “We are the county’s agency of choice and we take seriously our challenge to try to keep these prices in check.” The total increase this year amounts to $14,923.75 from 2019. The agent said the total bill is comprised of three parts. The first figure of $261,634 is for the primary policy covering buildings, autos, personal liability and umbrella issues. It includes a three percent annual increase, which is a standard trend, as replacement value inflation on
buildings is calculated into the fees. Auto rates are also on the rise and companies are becoming more diligent on requesting Motor Vehicle Reports on all insured county employee drivers. The earthquake coverage portion of $30,340 has also increased by three percent. Posey County has the highest earthquake rates in Indiana, as it is located in two earthquake seismic zones, the New Madrid and Wabash Valley Faults. Weintraut said some companies won’t even write earthquake policies for our county for that reason. Where the county really shines is in the third part of the bill, the workmen’s compensation fee of $80,632. Even though the payroll has increased with over 200 plus employees to cover, the cost is $426 less than last year,
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Council handles odd payroll issue By Lois Mittino Gray Every 11 years, there will be 27 biweekly pay periods in the year, instead of the usual 26. How to deal with that sticky wicket was the major discussion point at the Posey County Council’s last meeting of the year on December 10 at the Hovey House. Several scenarios were discussed on how to handle the extra pay issue and the $750 per employee pay raise approved for next year. If an employee’s regular annual salary is divided by 27, instead of 26, take home pay would go down every pay period,
even with the raise. “This could really make a difference, especially if they are used to a certain amount and are living paycheck to paycheck,” observed Council President Heather Allyn. “We have our first payroll to make on January 2, 2020 and we need to make a decision today.” Councilman Aaron Wilson noted, “Our employees expect to be paid a certain amount every check. We saved almost $70,000 over the next four years in health insurance costs and I say just pay them an extra pay next year. Our employees know we
have their back.” President Allyn said she checked with the Mount Vernon School District Budget Director Loren Evans and he said they will divide by 27, but teachers get paid only for a set number of days. Councilman Marilyn Brenton, a Human Resources Specialist, warned against dividing the annual pay by 27 saying, “Making changes like that can lead us down a slippery slope. It’s a one-time year and then we would have to go
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Little Sophee Lockwood enjoys visiting with Santa Claus when he came to CSB State Bank in Poseyville on Saturday Morning. Photo submitted
Fostering a positive relationship Saint Wendel couple turns fostering into a loving family right at Christmas By Lynda Baker Christmas came on December 16 for Justin and Jacqueline Rutledge this year. That is when Justin and Jacqueline joyously became the parents of Colby, age five, and Gunner, age two. Justin and Jacqueline, high school sweethearts, were married in 2012 and made their home in Saint Wendel. Justin, a detective with the Posey County Sheriff’s Department, having seen so many children of all ages go through difficult times, had considered fostering children, but had never shared his feelings with Jacqueline. “I had actually considered it for several years, but never said anything.” Jacqueline’s career in nursing women and infants at Saint Vincent’s Women’s Hospital had also triggered the same compassion in her, but she had not shared her feelings with Justin. In June of 2017, Jacqueline read an article about therapeutic foster care that would change their lives. When she excitedly shared the article with Justin, he was thrilled. “We decided right away to jump on it. It just felt right,” Justin recalled. They contacted a friend, who just happened to be a case manager with The Villages of Evansville, right away. In 2017 they began attending weekly three-hour classes, for a period of five weeks, in order to be licensed as a therapeutic foster home.
(USPS 439-500)
From the very beginning, Justin and Jacqueline had the total support of their families. “Our parents, brothers and sisters have been so supportive. They all said that they would love any child like we loved them; regardless of race, gender or whatever.” In February of 2018 the Rutledges received their first placement, a young brother and sister, who were eventually returned to their mother. “We still see them every couple of months and try to be a support system for their extended family. The goal is to provide love and stability. Sometimes the parents need a sense of belonging too,” Jacqueline shared. After a home study and several phone interviews, Colby and Gunner came to share the Rutledge home on Halloween of 2018. The boys had been living with a foster family in Perry County with four children of their own. “Their then foster parents prepped the boys very well for the move. They showed them a lot of pictures of us and there was a lot of Face-timing,” Jacqueline explained. “We don’t know how we got so lucky. That foster family still sees them every few weeks. They have been present at court hearings, holidays and birthday parties. The boys consider them to be another aunt and
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Justin and Jacqueline Rutledge with sons Colby, left, and Gunner, right. Photo submitted