“Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain.”
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Since 1882 ~ Successor to The Poseyville News and The New Harmony Times • New Harmony, IN Posey County’s locally-owned newspaper
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Volume 133 Edition 11
Posey Treasurer Harp steps down to avoid controversy By Dave Pearce Two days after a member of the Posey County Commissioners asked that recently-elected Posey County Treasurer Chris Harp vacate the office, Harp handed in her resignation on Wednesday. At last Monday’s meeting of the Posey County Commissioners, Commissioner Jim Alsop asked Harp to step down after she had not been bonded for the full $300,000 required by law for the office. During the meeting, Commission President Carl Schmitz indicated that Harp was bonded for $100,000. However, she had been unable to find an insurance company willing to bond her for the higher amount. No reason was given as to why Harp was
unable to be bonded for the higher amount. According to Indiana Code 5-4-1-9 – Time Limitation for bond, failure to comply; An officer required to give an official bond shall give the bond before the commencement of his term of office. If the officer fails to give the bond before that time, the officer may not take office. Schmitz contended that there is a provision in the state treasurer’s association that allows counties to approve the lesser bonding amount, if that’s all the treasurer can secure. But Harp, according to information provided by Posey County Republican Chairman Greg Newman, said she did not want this issue to be any further distraction for her family or the
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office or for the county. “I think that people in both parties who know Chris know her to be a very good person who has done many things to better her community by volunteering and in her activities as Posey County Treasurer,” Newman said. “The Republican Party is extremely proud of what she has been able to accomplish.” Once the treasurer is sworn in and seated in office, there is little recourse for the commissioners. Posey County Attorney Bill Bender explained that a lawsuit would have to have been brought against Harp before the commissioners could have removed her, should they have so desired. The Republican Party will hold a caucus on March 18 to name her successor.
Drug arrest made near Stewartsville By Dave Pearce For the second time in less than a month, an active meth lab has been uncovered in northern Posey County and the alleged operator taken to jail. According to information provided by Posey County Sheriff Greg Oeth, the Posey County Sheriff’s Department concluded an undercover investigation with an early morning raid on a home located at 10250 Barrett Switch Road. On Friday, March 8, Detective Jeremy Fortune of the Posey County Sheriff’s Department’s Narcotic’s Unit executed a search warrant based on information developed from the investigation, which had begun from community tips and leads. The home is located just west of Stewartsville off of Overton Road (CR 1000 N). Oeth said that at approximately 6 a.m., members of the Indiana
State Police ERT unit entered the home under the authority of the warrant. Once inside they encountered David B. Cartwright. It was learned through the investigation that Cartwright was maintaining a methamphetamine manufacturing operation in the home. Cartwright was also known for making statements and threats, by naming individual police officers
he was going to shoot if they tried to arrest him. “We have had the residence under surveillance for a while because of some of the comments that had been made,” Oeth said. “But once we were able to exeFire broke out at around 4 a.m. on Friday morning at the Clay Hill cute the warrant, everything went Jersey Farm at 10350 Baseline Road near Saint Wendel. The blaze just the way it is supposed to go. destroyed a barn full of hay but only one animal is believed to have We found a meth lab.” perished. Photos by Dave Pearce Once Cartwright was in custody and the residence secured, officers began searching for items described in the warrant. Precursors used to manufacture methamphetamine were located in various locations throughout the home. A reaction vessel containing anhydrous ammonia, lithium metal, pseudoephedrine, and solvents was found on a bathroom floor along with a bottle emitting hydrochloride gas which was sitting at the top of a stairway.
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Kevin Sergesketter is Kiwanis Award winner By Dave Pearce Members of the Poseyville Kiwanis Club, their family members, and the family of Kevin Sergesketter gathered on Wednesday evening at the Red Wagon in Poseyville to watch as Sergesketter was honored as the Poseyville Kiwanis Community Service Award Winner for 2013. Sergesketter is the former principal at North Posey Junior High School and was honored primarily because of his service to the Boy Scout organization. Sergesketter’s love for Scouting began as a youth in the 1950s and 1960s. He participated in Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and the Exploring programs. Sergesketter’s highest rank as a scout ascended to Being honored as the annual Kiwanis Community Service Award winner is Kevin Sergesketter. The a Star Scout, two ranks shy of the group met on Wednesday evening at the Red Wagon to honor Segesketter. Pictured with him are Kiwanis Eagle Rank. Club President Warren Korff, Kimberly Danks, Sergesketter, Marty Fisher, Kathy Sergesketter, and In the mid 1970s, Sergesket- Kaylor Danks. Photo by Dave Pearce ter was reintroduced to Scouting when his son Chad joined a Cub Scout Pack. In 1976, he became the Cubmaster for Pack 490 and held that position for two years. In 1978, he transferred to be the Scoutmaster of Troop 490, and that year he took six boys to summer camp for the first time. He built the troop from six to 35 members, and by the late 1980s they had nearly 70 Scouts actively participating in Troop activities. In the early 1990s, Sergesketter stepped back from his leadership role in Scouts, but he remained active in the program. He returned to lead his grandson through the Cub Scout program, and established Troop 393 with Saint Wendel Catholic Church and the Knights of Saint John in 2002, where he served as Scoutmaster for 10 years. Sergesketter took Woodbadge, an adult leadership training, in Mount Vernon High School’s 2013 production of ‘The Wedding Singer’ finished with a bang. 1980, and worked on staff for Photo by Zach Straw. See more photos of this event on our Facebook business page.
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ThePCN
Inside this issue... Retrospective ................... A4 Community ........... A5 Social ...................... A6 Legals...............................B4-5 Deaths ................ A3 Sports .................. B1-4 Classifieds ..................... B8-9 Church .................. A7 Bus/Ag .................. A9
MVYB raff e tickets available
Every child who plays MVYB will be out trying to sell raffle tickets to help pay for uniforms, equipment and other things needed to play baseball. Please help them and us out by purchasing one or more of these tickets. Each ticket costs $5 with a chance to win $500. Tickets are available from players or any MVYB board member. .
RGRG collects cans for a cause The Ribeyre Gym Restoration Group is collecting aluminum cans to support their renovation projects. Cans may be dropped off in the trailer, which is parked on the West side of the old fire station on Tavern Street. Your support is appreciated.
Viking Boosters honors athletes
The North Posey High School Viking Booster Club will host a winter sports banquet to honor athletes for the various winter sports. The banquet will be held Tuesday, March 12, 2013. The meal will begin at 6 p.m. in the high school cafeteria. Following the meal, everyone will meet in the auditorium for the presentation of All Conference Medals and Academic All Conference Certificates. At the conclusion of these presentations, the teams and coaches and anyone wishing to attend a particular sport’s individual and team award presentations will dismiss to individual rooms. If there are questions, call Virgil Ferguson, Athletic Director, at 812-673-6605.
New Red Lantern Gallery opens On Thursday March 14,The Red Wagon Restaurant, located at 6950 Frontage Road in Poseyville, will be hosting the “Spring Show” for the Red Lantern Gallery located in the banquet room of the restaurant. The reception is from 6 until 7:30 p.m. A $5 cover fee will be collected at the door, while there is no charge for children and students.
Go to www.poseycountynews.com
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