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E, “OUR LIBERTIES WE PRIZ L MAINTAIN.” AND OUR RIGHTS WE WIL Posey County’s ONLY Locally Owned Newspaper.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
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Volume 135 Edition 12
Midwest excited about Posey County possibilities By Lois Mittino Gray Posey County residents have many questions concerning the status and timeline on the new $2.4 billion state-of-the-art fertilizer production plant coming to Mount Vernon. Residents are curious about the products it will make, and the effects it may have on the local community, especially foul odors and traffic ills. Michael Chorlton, President and Chief Executive Officer of Midwest Fertilizer Company LLC, recently sat with me to answer many of these persistent questions. “Over the last 25 years, many fertilizer production plants closed due to the high price of natural gas, the main ingredient used in production. America had to import over 50 percent of the fertilizer used in this country from Trinidad, Eastern Europe (Ukraine, Russia), and the
Middle East (Quatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan). Seeing that the price of natural gas is now falling because of shale gas, the Fatima Group of Lahore, Pakistan sought a US location near an agriculture center to make fertilizer on site to do away with import costs,” Chorlton said. He estimates that 99 percent of the products made at the plant will be used locally, with perhaps the remaining one percent possibly going to Canada. The plant will make and sell three different products. One is fertilizer in small solid three mm granules, the other is DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) for use in diesel trucks and urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) in solution for spraying. The process to make fertilizer starts with mixing natural gas (CH4) with water (steam) and nitrogen from the air to produce
ammonia (NH3) and the byproduct carbon dioxide (CO2). Urea (a nitrogen compound made naturally in the human body from the metabolism of proteins) is then produced synthetically and mixed with potash (potassium) and phosphate to make the three mm fertilizer granules. The farmer may put them directly on the ground or have the dealer mix them in solution when purchasing it. The second product DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) is a growing market due to EPA exhaust regulations. All new diesel engines will have to use the product to reduce NOX emissions in the system. It will be a popular sale item at truck stops. The third product UAN (Urea Ammonium Nitrate) is made in solution to spray on crops. It is made when ammonia is oxidized, and more ammonia is then added
with urea to make the solution. “It is very popular here, easy to handle and safe to put in an irrigation spray,” Chorlton noted. When told of citizen concerns
about bad smells emanating from the plant, Chorlton was quick to point out that if there is a smell,
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Chorlton at homeman in behind newtheposition By Lois Mittino Gray $2.4 billion fertilMichael Chorlton knows a lot izer plant coming to Posey County about fertilizer and when he talks, this fall. Mike, a native of Ottawa, he can spread it on attended McGill Unithick. His many years versity in Montreal, in the ‘nutrient enrichQuebec and earned a ment’ business makes degree in Mechanical him a natural to fill his Engineering. In 1975, present position as the he was employed by President and Chief Imperial Oil in the Executive Officer of fertilizer company asMidwest Fertilizer sociated with Exxon LLC. Canada. After work“Call me Mike,” the ing at the job, he reaffable, friendly exalized he enjoyed the ecutive said as we sat Michael Chorlton Continued on Page A3 down to talk about the
Poseyville farm land fetches record $16,200/acre
Andrew Wilson, under the watchful eye of his father, William Wilson, starts the bidding on the 69 acrea of prime farmn land at the Poseyville Town limits. Photo by Dave Pearce By Dave Pearce Sixty-nine acres of prime farmland went up for auction at the edge of Poseyville on Wednesday and when the bidding was over, the land brought a record $16,200 per acre. Perhaps the most unique part of this sale was
the fact that 20 acres of the land is located within the Town of Poseyville, Inc. According to William Wilson, of William Wilson Action of New Harmony, the record price for this area for farmland prior to Wednesday was set last year on prime land
located near Fort Branch. Ironically, Wilson is a friend of the family who sold the farm and knows the history of the land since 1941. Wilson said he believes the land was bought for $200 an acre that year. “I watch this area pretty close and I do a lot of appraisals,” Wilson said. “The $15,000 up in Fort Branch was the record high last summer. For basic farmland, this is a hellacious price.” Most area farmers were in attendance along with area bank executives at the Red Wagon in Poseyville. A buffet was set up to help accommodate the crowd that was on hand. Wilson admitted that many farmers were probably on hand more than anything just to see how high the price would go. They were not disappointed. Carol Collins, representing First Bank of Poseyville, indicated that the land could bring as much as $17,000 per acre prior to the bidding.
“I would say it will probably bring somewhere between $14,000 and $17,000 per care,” Collins predicted. With prime farm land in this area generally bringing somewhere between $8,000 and $10,000 an acre, no one was surprised when the opening bid came in at $8,000 per acre. Despite the auction being conducted in the northern front dining room of the popular Poseyville restaurant, the room just to its west was filled with potential bidders, as well. But when all was said and done, the bidding came down to between Frank Bender and Bill Bender, both residents of Posey County. “It was a fantastic location with outstanding soil types,” Wilson said of the land’s outstanding value. “It is very productive and just the fact that 20 acres of it being within the town incorporated.” Poseyville attorney William Bender wound
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Mutual aid agreement could help Poseyville, Wadesville By Valerie Werkmeister During the March 11, Poseyville Town Council meeting, Poseyville Fire Department Chief Sam Martin informed council members of his intentions to form a mutual aide agreement with Wadesville Fire Department. Martin stated due to low volunteer manpower availability
during the daytime hours, the two departments would like Posey County Dispatch to do what’s known as a ‘dual dispatch’ for all fire calls. Martin reasoned that emergency fire calls take more manpower than either department is able to sometimes provide on a sole basis. “Every department in Posey County struggles during the
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Development begins already in MV
NP Class of 1975 plans 40-year reunion The North Posey High School Class of 1975 will host their 40-year reunion Saturday, June 6, 2015 at the Silver Bell Restaurant, 4424 St. Wendel Road, Wadesville, IN 47638. Social hour begins at 5:30 p.m. with dinner at 6:30 p.m. Food and drink available. Please RSVP by May 23, 2015. For more info visit Cindy Kemmerling’s Facebook page. CERT Team holds organizational meeting The Community Emergency Response Team will hold an organizational meeting at the Posey County Hovey House on March 28, 2015 at 10 a.m. At this meeting we will set times and dates for our next CERT Training class. Class open to all age 14 and up. For information or questions contact: Larry Robb, Posey County EMA 812-838-1333 PC Pound Puppies Spring Craft and Gift Show scheduled The 2015 PC Pound Puppies Spring Craft and Gift Show will be held April 11, 2015 at the Posey County Fairgrounds from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., admission is free. Featuring a large variety of vendor items, there will also be a dance revue, a classic car cruise-in, and delicious food items. Several dozen raffle baskets will be given away. Vendor space is still available. For more information, call Cathy Powers 812-963-3890 or 812-499-6413. This is an important fund-raiser to benefit Posey County dogs in need of veterinary care and to find a new forever home. In the past ten years, hundreds of dogs have been saved due to the efforts of this non-profit organization. Please come and support this worthy cause. BMV announces Good Friday holiday hours Kent Abernathy, Commissioner of the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), announced today that all BMV license branches will be closed Friday, April 3 in observance of the Good Friday holiday. All branches resume their regularly scheduled business hours on Saturday, April 4. Chamber to host annual Report to PC Business Community The Southwest Indiana Chamber will host the annual Report to the Posey County Business Community on Tuesday, April 7, 2015 at the New Harmony Inn and Conference Center, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Join us for a highlight of recent business impacts made in the Posey County community and for a celebration of 2015 Posey County award recipients. Keynote speaker for this year’s event is Jonathan Weinzapfel, Chancellor, Ivy Tech Community College. Register online at www.swinchamber.com or by calling 812-838-3639. No MV Primary to be held There will be no Mount Vernon Municipal Primary Election, May 5, 2015. The Posey County Election Board passed a unanimous bipartisan resolution at their February 17, 2015 meeting to not hold a Municipal Election in Mount Vernon on Tuesday, May 5, 2015, due to the lack of challenged races among candidates. If there is a slate of opposing candidates for the fall, there will be a General Election on November 3, 2015. MV Relay for Life hitting streets The Relay for Life of Mount Vernon will be hitting the streets and collecting donations at the intersection of Fourth and Main Streets on Saturday, March 28, 2105 from 9 a.m.-noon. They appreciate your support in the fight against cancer.
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day for help. It’s difficult because guys can’t leave work during the day to respond to calls,” Martin said. He explained he would like dispatch to call both departments out at the same time and each would stand-by at their
By Lois Mittino Gray Less than a week after seed and straw has been put down on the leveled site of the five demolished buildings in the second block of Mount Vernon’s Main Street, there are already investors interested in putting a $6 million development there. This positive news, announced by City Attorney Beth McFadin Higgins, was the highlight of the Mount Vernon Board of Public Works meeting of March 19. She explained that Boxer Girl LLC, owned by Jan Hendrikson of Zionsville, approached city officials after hearing about the property opportunity from Bill Stinson, a Mount Vernon supporter. The firm plans to partner with CRIPE Engineering, a large company that is known statewide, to do the work. Higgins said, “It will be a significant housing development with studio apartments and one and two bedroom models. A committee will be formed to see
what the community wants to bring in here and its features.” The board voted to authorize Mayor John Tucker to sign a six month planning option agreement with Boxer Girl LLC. In that time, there will be community meetings and public hearings to see what is wanted by the citizenry. Boxer Girl LLC has put up $25,000 earnest money to keep the property off the market and to use for seed money. Higgins said the project has a proposed ribbon cutting set for the fall of 2016. “It’s an aggressive timetable. This all means more water and sewers, more people to protect, more money for the school and land back on the tax rolls.” In other action, the board: • approved a request from Police Chief Grant Be-
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Steeple subject of lively discussion By Lois Mittino Gray The liveliest discussion at the March 19 meeting of the Mount Vernon Common Council rocked around the clock atop Saint Mathew’s Catholic Church steeple. Councilman Andy Hoehn began the discussion when he mentioned that, according to historians, the clock was owned by the city originally for everyone in town. He asked if the council would like to kick in financial support for the clock repair. The Verdin Company of Cincinnati, specializing in clock and bell repairs, has given the Church an estimate of $20,328 to repair the community clock. Councilman Bill Curtis, a member of the parish, said he will donate to the project personally, but wondered if it crossed the lines between church and state. There was conAmanda Evans enjoyed the Al- cern about establishing precedent exandrian Public Library’s Egg when other churches have needs. Hunt on Friday. Photo by Michelle Councilwoman Becky Higgins said, “I hear things from residents Gibson
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like fix potholes and streets, not church clocks, with tax money.” The council did not act on it, but agreed to hear more about the project after Hoehn gets the history and financial figures from Project Chairman Andy Wininger. The following paragraph is the basis for what Hoehn originally referred to in the meeting. According to A History of Posey County by John Leffel (1913) he writes, “About twenty years ago (1893), there was a general desire of the citizens of Mount Vernon to have a town clock that could be heard all over the city, and besides its practical use, would be like music and poetry to the people. It was a luxury few cities the size of Mount Vernon could dream of and the city was in no position to get one. The only way to secure it, therefore, was popular subscription. Frederick P. Leonard headed the
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