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“OUR LIBERTIES WE PRIZE, AND OUR RIGHTS WE WILL MAINTAIN.” Posey County’s ONLY Locally Owned Newspaper.
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
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(USPS S4 439-500) 39 500)) Volume 136 Edition 5
Another hurdle cleared in Fertilizer plant vision
Mount Vernon homecoming king and queen, Jonah Blevins and Hadlee Whoberry, are all smiles following the coronation ceremonies Saturday evening at Mount Vernon High School. Photo by Garry Beeson
By Lois Mittino Gray Despite a hiatus that left Posey County officials wondering if the new fertilizer plant was really going to happen, Midwest Fertilizer Company, LLC announced last week that it has entered into a $2 billion-plus agreement to design and construct the facility that everyone hopes is not just talking fertilizer. On January 25, Midwest Fertilizer issued a press release awarding the contract to thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions (USA), Inc., to cover engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) and related services. The company will build a state-of-the-art nitrogen fertilizer manufacturing facility at an agreed aggregate fixed price in excess of $2 billion. The facility is expected to be fully operational in 2020, two years later than was originally anticipated. “The holdup was getting the EPC contract. There is so much building going on in the United States right now that it is a real challenge to get the right contract,” said Michael Chorlton, president and CEO of Midwest. “thyssenkrupp is a world leader in fertilizer plant technology. This partnership allows us to move forward with the next phases of this world-class project in southwest Indiana.” “Announcing the EPC contract was a significant development for this project. It requires a special skill set, so we had to find the right company that could do this and had the experience,” according to Roger C. Harvey, Principal, with the Bose Public Affairs PR firm. “Our plans this year include achiev-
ing financial close, purchasing the land, and holding a ground breaking. We do plan to aggressively recruit highly qualified local and Indiana based subcontractors to work on this exciting project.” Construction and land purchasing will start after the financial closing which should take place about mid-year. “All the land we need to purchase for the site is locked up already and optioned to buy. Now we have to start doing the paperwork and finalizing the options and start buying,” Harvey explained. The plant is going to be built on a 226 acre parcel outside of Mount Vernon at the southeast corner or Sauerkraut Lane and Mackey Ferry Road. Buying land was contingent on core samples taken earlier and Chorlton said the drilling went fine and will be used by the engineers to help design the building foundations. As for a planned groundbreaking date, one has not been set yet as several earlier dates have been cancelled, so Midwest will wait to see how it goes. Emily Wilson, Bose Group Public Relations Director, assured that it would be after mid-year 2016 which seems to be the time for all things to happen this summer. Midwest Fertilizer Company’s facility will produce Ammonia, Urea, Urea Ammonium Nitrate (UAN) and Diesel Exhaust Fluid. UAN is the preeminent liquid fertilizer used in the Midwest, UAN is made in liquid
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Time capsule reveals only disappointment By Lois Mittino Gray Everyone held their breath as the cover was pried off Mount Vernon’s buried city time capsule on Saturday, hoping to find its contents high and dry after twenty five years in the ground. The disappointed look on Bicentennial Chairman Becky Higgins’ face told the whole story as the contents were there floating in water and fine silty mud. “I was really excited to open it. I thought we buried it so good and we weren’t going to have water in it. I was heartbroken in 1991 and now I’m heartbroken again,” she said with a sad shake of her head. In 1991, on the 175th celebration of the city’s founding, the capsule was opened and water just poured out then to everyone’s dismay. Things were salvaged as best as possible and buried again by the steps of the City Hall building at 526 Main Street, thinking everything would be waterproof with plastic liners for the next 25-year stint. “Déjà vu for you, isn’t it dad?” Becky asked her father, long-time Mount Vernon Mayor Jackson Higgins, toweling off her wet fingers. He was Mayor of Mount Vernon in 1991 when the waterlogged capsule was dug up. Becky was on the 1991 committee along with Donald and Elizabeth Baier, who
were also present for the Saturday afternoon opening of the capsule at the Mount Vernon Police and Fire Station. Plans call for the Bicentennial Committee to salvage and dry what they can from the capsule and get a new one ready to bury on November 19 at the city’s official 200th birthday party. “We’ll be looking for suggestions on how to improve the burial site, possible putting the box above the ground and covered,” Becky said. “Or using PVC pipes with caps on them and the documents inside. The people who open it in 2041 in the next 25 years will be disappointed if it looks like it does now” Capsule contents included soggy newspaper clippings, letters from dignitaries in plastic zip bags, phonebooks, tee shirts, a bag of balloons, books and other memorabilia. Letters were read aloud from the 1991 committee to the 2016 Bicentennial Committee. Current Mayor John Tucker listened intently as a letter was read from former Mayor Higgins written to him in the future Local Historian Becky Higgins’ face shows the dison November 13, 1991. “I urge you to make the Bicentennial may everyone felt as the lid came off the buried time capsule and the contents were floating in water and Continued on Page A6 mud. Photo by Lois Mittino Gray
Briefly South Terrace raffle tickets on sale now Walt Disney World Tickets, St. Louis Cardinals Tickets, Holiday World Tickets and a ‘Visit Indy’ package are all prizes in a raffle the South Terrace Elementary PTO is conducting in conjunction with their annual Winter Carnival. Drawings will occur at the Carnival on February 27, 2016 from 11 a.m.-2p.m., ticketholders need not be present to win. Tickets are $5 each and can be purchased at the school, Barton’s Automotive, Froggy’s Restaurant, Silver Bell Restaurant, or by contacting the PTO at SouthTerraceElemPTO@ gmail.com. Meet Your Legislators February 6 On Saturday, February, 2016 the Southwest Indiana Chamber – Posey County Alliance will host Meet Your Legislators. The event featuring Rep. Wendy McNamara, Rep. Tom Washburne and Sen. Jim Tomes provides the community with an opportunity to meet with elected leaders to discuss projects, initiatives, and accomplishments, as well as any potential challenges facing the community and legislators. This event will take place at the Hovey House in Mount Vernon, 9 a.m. Questions? Contact Brittaney Johnson 812838-3639. PC Health Department to hold immunization clinics The Posey County Health Department will hold immunization clinics at the Coliseum, Room 20, in Mount Vernon, Ind., from 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. on the following days: Thursday, February 11, 2016 and Thursday, February 25, 2016. Appointments are not needed for these clinics. For questions, contact the Health Department at 812-838-1328. MSDMV sets Kindergarten Registration for February 10 On Wednesday, February 10, 2016, the Metropolitan School District of Mount Vernon will be conducting Kindergarten Registration. Full-day Kindergarten is offered in all three elementary schools. (If school is canceled or delayed on February 10, the make-up date is February 17.) Children whose fifth birth date occurs on or before August 1 may enroll in Kindergarten. You will need your child’s birth certificate and a current copy of his/her immunization history to complete enrollment information. To register, please go to your child’s elementary school on February 10, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Each elementary principal will be available from 9-10 a.m. on February 10 to answer questions and give a short tour of the building. If you have any questions, please call your child’s school. Farmersville Elementary School 812-838-6593; Marrs Elementary School; 812-985-2082; West Elementary School 812-833-2072. Kiwanis Spaghetti Supper scheduled for February 2 The annual Kiwanis All-You-Can-Eat Spaghetti Supper will be held February 2, 2016 from 5 - 7 p.m. at the Catholic Community Center in New Harmony. Adults $10; children up to 12 years $5; under six eat free. The menu will consist of Spaghetti, garlic bread, salad, ice cream and drinks. Tickets available at the door.
Bus/Ag .................A11 Classifieds ...... B9-10 Community...........A4 Church...................A7
Contact info, meeting days, times are set
Thompson stated he is looking into purchasing a new ambulance while waiting on the remount of another. He stated he has approximately $170,000 in the fund for these purchases. He explained a remounted ambulance that has a 2015 chassis but an older box costs approximately $80,000 while a new one is in the $140,000 range. He is currently weighing all the options for the best benefit to the county. Sheriff Greg Oeth and commis-
By Theresa Bratcher The Posey County News intends to make available every meeting time and contact numbers for those who have been elected to serve the citizens of Posey County. The following is a list which has been compiled to provide that information. Posey County Commissioners meet on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 9 a.m. in the Hovey House in Mount Vernon. Carl Schmitz serves as the president and can be reached at 812-781-2316. Jerry Walden is the vice president. He can be reached at 812-8380403. Commissioner Jim Alsop can be reached at 812-682-3546. Posey County Council - meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 9 a.m. in the Hovey House. Bob Gentil serves as the council president and may be reached at 812-673-4665. Tom Schneider, vice president can be reached at 812838-4756. Council members include: Dave Pearce 812-459-4206; Martin Redman 812-682-4213; Ralph Weinzapfel 812-985-2073; Don Mattingly 812-319-5552 and Stefani Miller 812-985-3239. Mount Vernon Common Council - held their first meeting on January 7 and will meet every other Thursday (except for the months there are five Thursdays, in that event, they will only have two meet-
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The Posey County Health Department introduces new employees Cheryl Reich, left, (registrar) and Martye Fitts, R.N. (Public Health Nurse). In addition to administering immunizations, the department is offering new tests for lead poisoning and sexually transmitted diseases. Stop by the department Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon or 1 to 4 p.m. Photo by Zach Straw
New ambulance in future? By Valerie Werkmeister Posey County’s ambulance billing service continues to prove its worth. Emergency Medical Services Director Chuck Thompson provided 2015 billing collection totals to the Posey County Commissioners during their meeting last Tuesday, January 19. A total of $854,868 was collected for ambulance service. In addition, $97,000 was received for Medicare reimbursements for the year 2013. The billing services was paid $58,805.
Deaths .................... A3 Legals ...............B6, 9 Opinion ................A13 Retrospective........A5
School ....................A8 Social .....................A6 Sports .. .........B1, 3-5 TV Guide...........B7-8