T
P C N SINCE 1882 Successor to The Poseyville News & New Harmony Times POSEY COUNTY’S ONLY LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED NEWSPAPER
Volume 140 Edition 10
Tuesday, March 10, 2020
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Future of Fragrant Farms dream to be decided Thursday By Lois Mittino Gray One man’s retirement dream hangs on a decision of the Area Plan Commission to allow a special use permit and some neighbors in New Harmony are asking questions about his plans for the small business. They will all be given an opportunity to be heard at an Board of Zoning Appeals public hearing on Thursday, March 12 at the Hovey House, 330 Walnut Street, in Mount Vernon at 5 p.m. Those who cannot attend at that time may call or email the APC office. Thomas Guggenheim, an ISA Certified Arborist, proposes to put in a retail greenhouse on five acres of land he will lease in a southeast section of the former Fragrant Farms vineyard. The applicant requests a special use permit in the Agricultural Zoning District (A) for use Unit 15: Other Trades and Services, Sections 153.032 and Section 153.160 (B) in the zoning ordinance that
includes unincorporated Posey County. The property, owned by Erik Owen Arneberg, is not within town limits and is on county land. In the permit application, Guggenheim states the greenhouse structure will be approximately 10 to 12 feet in height and will cover a 200 foot by 200 foot area. It will be constructed of posts with cross beams to support a shade cloth that will protect the growing trees from excessive sun and water loss. Tree seedlings will be grown to two to seven feet in height, in one to five gallon containers. Once built, the greenhouse will house up to 20,000 containers, containing about 120 species of trees. “They will most all be native species. If they are non-natives, they will not be invasive species,” he assured. Assuming the permit is issued, he plans to build the greenhouse by the end of March and plant the containers in April.
Trees will be for sale between the end of October through the end of March, with the trees requiring maintenance in the intervening summer months. Tom thinks traffic to the area will be light, with the estimated number of drive-up customers in that five month period at around 500. He said that would average out to 3.5 customers per day. Twelve letters advertising the public hearing were sent out to adjoining property owners. The traffic issue has neighbors living on Locust and Wood Streets especially concerned. The egress to the site is at the corner of Wood and Locust Streets, where an unpaved lane leads to the business site. Wood Street, turning off of Main Street, is one lane and very narrow. “Tom stopped by the house about two days before we re-
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Two major coaching positions open at MV By Lois Mittino Gray Vacant coach and principal positions for the upcoming school year were a main topic of discussion at the March 2, Mount Vernon School Board meeting. At the meeting, the board accepted the resignation of Cory Brunson, head high school football coach, effective immediately. He also resigned his many roles as assistant athletic director, a teacher, PE/Health department chair, and strength coach, effective at the end of the school year. Coach Brunson, will be joining the staff of Reitz Memorial High School next year. “We are sad to see Coach Brunson go as he did an excellent job for us these past three years. We have multiple very-qualified candidates for his position and we are looking for the right fit. We want to move quickly on hiring someone, but not so much so that we get it wrong. We have no end date in sight, but we would like to get someone by the end of the year. We are in a good place to be,” School Superintendent Matt Thompson commented. Thompson was asked if both Brunson’s vacated teaching and coaching position would be filled by the same person, or if two people might be necessary. He replied that, “hopefully, we’ll get someone for both positions, as PE teaching and coaching often go together. We’ll just have to wait and see.” Doug Blair, head coach for high
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North Posey High School’s presentation of ‘Momma Mia’ was a huge hit with the crowd on Friday evening. Laughter and applause were abundant during the production where the cast and crew were on point. Pictured left to right are: Caitlin Williams, Ethan Wilson, Alex Garcia, John McDowell, Lincoln Schenk, Simon Folz, Tad Jones, and Rhett Orpurt. Photo by Theresa Bratcher
Wadesville man gets 25 years for assault On the morning of Friday, March 6, Ryan Hartwell, of Wadesville, appeared in the Posey Circuit Court and was sentenced by Judge Craig Goedde to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty but mentally ill to Rape, a Level 1 felony. As part of his guilty plea, Hartwell admitted that he raped a woman in November of 2018. Hartwell, age 21, also admitted that he used a knife to batter and confine the same woman as part of the sexual assault. Shortly after the assault and in the early morning hours of November 13, 2018, Hartwell drove to the Oakland City Police Department and in-
formed law enforcement of the crimes he had just committed. Hartwell informed officers that he had left the victim in her home in Poseyville, tied up and bleeding from a stab wound. Indiana State Police Detective Kuykendall took lead in the investigation. While speaking with Det. Kuykendall, Hartwell confessed to physically and sexually assaulting the victim. “What this victim en-
Ryan Hartwell
dured is horrifying,” stated Posey County Prosecutor Thomas Clowers. “Her courage and strength throughout this process allowed my office to ensure that Mr. Hartwell was held accountable for the heinous acts he committed.” Clowers further commented, “I’m grateful for the quick response of all the law enforce-
ment agencies who immediately assisted with this investigation – Posey County Sheriff’s Office, Gibson County Sheriff’s Office, Oakland City Police Department, and the Indiana State Police. ISP and Detective Wes Kuykendall followed up and were instrumental in collecting and gathering evidence once Mr. Hartwell was arrested. Every agency and law enforcement officer involved worked together to ensure that justice would be found for the survivor and her family.” Hartwell will be transported to the Indiana Department of Correction where he will serve his sentence.
MV City Council takes no action on turbines By Lois Mittino Gray Members of the Mount Vernon Common Council were faced with two possible decisions at its February 27, meeting to put an end to the ongoing debate about what to do with the Solar and Wind Zoning Ordinance
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Amendment presented to them by Area Plan Commission last year. The council voted to reject the ordinance at its January 2, meeting and send it back to the APC. City Attorney Beth McFadin Higgins told the board the APC met and has disapproved the initial rejection by the city council. The city now has a 45 day window to confirm their action, which started last Wednesday. She explained the council members have two options before them. One is to vote again to reject the amended ordinance and all would be over and done and it would not bounce back
to them. The ordinance would continue in all areas that passed it in the county, but not apply to the city of Mount Vernon. The second possibility would be to take no action and do nothing and let the Poseyville/ Cynthiana version of the ordinance automatically go into effect after the 45 day period, with the possibility of amending it at a future date to address school setback distances and other objections they had. Mayor Bill Curtis noted that either way they decide, the ordinance would still apply to the rest of the county. Higgins agreed that any ac-
tion taken tonight will not affect the other county entities in any way. Councilwoman Dana Baldwin asked for clarification on what would happen if they reject it again. Higgins replied they can do so and that would be the end of it. She explained that if someone would apply to put a wind turbine in the city, it would have to fit into the current ordinance, which has no specific wind power regulations. Councilman David Dodd stated he feels it would be in the city’s best interest to accept the APC ordinance
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Harvestime celebrates 40th Anniversary Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest By Pam Robinson Do you not say, ‘Four months more, then comes the harvest? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting.—John 4:35 Jesus’ words in John 4:35 point to Harvestime, intersection of Roosevelt and Main, in Mount Vernon. On Sunday, March 1, Pastor Mark Tabor and the congregation rejoiced about bringing in the sheaves for 40 years. Celebration filled the sanctuary. Mount Vernon native, The Rev. Paul Strong, a senior pastor in Houston, delivered the sermon in his home church. As Pastor Mark states, Strong is just one of many Harvestime members led into ministry. “We’ve always desired to see our church raise up people to ministry. The Lord has helped us. For instance, Paul Strong that was here is a young man we raised up, and he’s now pastoring a larger church than ours, a great church, in Houston, Texas,” Pastor Mark says. “We have missionaries, pastors’ wives and spouses, worship pastors, senior pastors—many people who have come up out of our church through our children’s ministry, our youth ministry, and our adult ministry, and have answered the call of God.” Harvestime’s history illustrates its growth
(USPS 439-500)
over the years. On Sunday, March 2, 1980, Harvestime held its first service under the leadership of Posey County native Rev. Bruce Burklow and his wife, Kathy. Five families, totaling about 25 people, had spoken with their pastors in Evansville to receive a blessing for their new interdenominational church. Their prayers were answered with donated hymn books, offering plates, Communion trays, and chairs from the Evansville churches. They first rented a store front in the alley between Second and Third streets at Main. Over the course of two years, they moved four times to keep up with an ever-growing congregation until they settled in the building now home to Mid-America Plastics. In early 1982, in the same building, Pastor Mark Tabor and his wife, Tonya, moved from their home church, Calvary Temple in Evansville, to join Harvestime as youth pastors. By September 1982, Harvestime moved into the main building at its permanent residence, north of town on the edge of the Lawrence subdivision. “A lot happened in two and a half years,” Pastor Mark recalls. “It was an incredible journey.” Shortly after settling in at its permanent facil-
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Harvestime Pastor Mark Tabor and his wife, Tonya, help celebrate the 40th anniversary of the church. Photo by Brandon Cole