Successor to The Poseyville News & New Harmony Times
LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1882
E, “OUR LIBERTIES WE PRIZ L MAINTAIN.” AND OUR RIGHTS WE WIL Posey County’s ONLY Locally Owned Newspaper.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
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Volume 135 Edition 13
Some county bridges face more frequent inspections By Valerie Werkmeister Posey County Commissioners listened to concerns by Larry Kirby, a resident on Blair Lane, during their meeting last Tuesday. Kirby questioned why the Posey County Highway Department stopped short of his property when spreading gravel on his road. He stated the road is muddy and difficult to navigate. Highway superintendent Steve Schenk stated the road is not recognized by the state as a county road. The county does not receive funds to maintain the road. Kirby countered and showed the commissioners maps which designate the road as being
within the county. Jake Weis, attorney for the commissioners, agreed to research the issue and write a recommendation for the commissioners. The matter was taken under advisement until Weis has reviewed the information. Schenk provided recommendations on various bids to award for chip and seal and asphalt. The bids were opened during the March 3, meeting. Schenk reviewed the bids and requested approval for the following: J H Rudolph and Co., Inc for their low bid on chip and seal and hot mix for asphalt; E & B Paving will serve a back-up supplier for asphalt hot mix; all bids from E & B Paving,
Messler Construction, J H Rudolph and Co., Inc, and David Enterprises, Inc. for cold patch and hot mix due to their proximity to various job locations. The commissioners approved Schenk’s recommendations. The commissioners also approved an agreement with CHA Consulting for bridge studies as mandated by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT). Schenk explained INDOT is now requiring 13 bridges within the county to be inspected on an annual basis instead of every two years as in the past. Commissioners approved a request to rezone properties owned by Deig Properties,
LLC from agricultural to business zoning. Mindy Bourne, Director of the Plan Commission explained the properties are located near Weinzapfel’s Tavern on Weinzapfel and St. Phillips Road and are grandfathered in under previous zoning requirements. However, no improvements can be made to the five property tracts unless the zoning is brought into compliance. Bourne stated the plan commission approved the request at their last meeting and no remonstrators were present. The Community Corrections program
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Snow days will be made up few minutes at a time By Lois Mittino Gray The ‘hot news’ on how to handle some cold days came through from the State Department of Education just two hours before the planned March 16 meeting of the Mount Vernon School Board. School Superintendent Tom Kopatich excitedly announced that the state granted permission to extend instructional minutes per day in order to make up three missed snow days. School was cancelled seven days in all, but four makeup days were built into the school schedule already. March 4, 5, and 6 still need to be made up by adding thirty extra minutes to the school day. This will consist of ten min-
utes earlier in the morning, ten after school and an extra ten minutes throughout the school day. Kopatich explained the math like this. “At 30 minutes a day, we make up one hour every two days. Therefore, one six hour school day is made up in twelve days. We need to make up three days total in 36 days. We only have 40 days left in the school year, so we have to start right after we get back from Spring Break on Monday, March 30.” This puts the last day of the school year on Graduation Day, Friday, May 22 as originally scheduled. This way no students will have to come back to class af-
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Twenty-year-old Mitchell Kuhn of Poseyville is surrounded by medical personnel after his Mitsubishi slammed into a tree just off Water Tank road east of Poseyville on Wednesday morning. Kuhn was taken by LifeFlight to an Evansville hospital where he is faces a long road back to health. Photo by Dave Pearce
Mount Vernon Police diffuse situation, make arrest Special to the News On March 25, 2015, at approximately 8:34 p.m., Mount Vernon Police responded to a domestic disturbance at 616 West Eighth Street, in Mount Vernon. Cristobal Martinez and Crystal Wooley were located in a bedroom at the residence. The residence belongs to Jesse Martinez (Cristobal Martinez’s brother) and his 15-year-old daughter. The juvenile daughter is disabled and in a wheel chair. Jesse wanted Cristobal and Crystal to leave the residence due to their arguing and fighting.
While the officers were standing by 15-year-old was caught between the ofwaiting for them to get ficers and Cristobal. She was their belongings and leave, unable to get out of the way Cristobal pulled a 9mm Hidue to being in the wheel Point handgun and held it chair. to Wooley’s head. Both ofJesse Martinez ended up beficers drew their weapons ing able to get the gun out of and ordered Cristobal to his brother’s hand which alput the gun down. He relowed officers to move-in and fused to put the gun down handcuff Cristobal. The handand pointed the handgun gun was loaded with a round at both officers during the in the chamber and the safety brief stand-off that ensued. was off. During this time the Cristobal Martinez was arCristobal Martinez
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Joshua Hammond-Kelly joins MVGB
MVCC/Black’s Chapel to present drama On Maundy Thursday, April 2, 2015 at 7 p.m., Mount Vernon Community Church/Black’s Chapel UMC will present the Last Supper Drama. Twelve men from the church portray each of the disciples in this drama based on Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting. This will be the church’s twelfth year to present the program, which had previously been presented by Bethel UCC in Evansville for 50 years. Maundy Thursday is the traditional night of Jesus’ Last Supper before His crucifixion on Good Friday. Communion will be served following the drama. The church is located at 1800 West Fourth Street, Mount Vernon, IN. Everyone is welcome to attend. 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. 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.
Retrospective........A4 Legals..............B3-4, 7 Classifieds...........B7-8 Community...........A5
rested and lodged in the Posey County Jail on the following charges: One (1)count of Criminal Confinement,a Level Three felony; One (1) count of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon, a Level Four felony; One (1) count of Criminal Recklessness with a Firearm, a Level Six felony; One (1) count of Resisting Law Enforcement, a Level Six felony; and Three (3) counts of Pointing a Firearm, a Level Six felony. The Mount Vernon Police Department was assisted in the investigation by the Posey County Sheriff’s Department.
New pastor’s ‘motivation for everything is the Gospel’ By Pam Robinson telling me is real, then this is the most important thing “The Gospel radically changed my life, and the in the world. If it’s real, it’s worth my life. If it’s real, opportunity to share that [Gospel] with other people this is my life. . . .If this is real, then it’s not just for is what motivates me,” states Joshua Hammond – here. If this is real, then people need to hear this—at Kelley, the new Minister of Missions and Students least have an opportunity to hear it—and make a deciat Mount Vernon General Baptist Church. Like his sion for themselves.’” Biblical namesake, the youthful Pastor Joshua (comEvery summer afterward until he started college, he fortable called by his first name) backs up his talk served at Camp Reveal. “When I heard there were so with radical action. many people who He considers the had never heard the Gospel “the most Gospel, my heart important message was broken. So I anyone can know.” would say God realThe Gospel mesly drew my heart to sage reached the him,” Joshua comEvansville native ments about his dewhen he was 13 sire to evangelize, years old and atwhether at home or tended Evansville abroad. Rescue Mission’s Upon graduating Camp Reveal one from North High summer. There School in spring he met authentic 1997, Joshua spent Christians—imperover a decade in fect, yet forgiven— international missincere in their besions work. He lief in Jesus Christ started with his adas God’s Son and mission to Oakland Pictured are Joshua Hammond-Kelley with his wife, Patricia, City University, or Savior of the world. Soon, Joshua be- and their four children--baby Joelle (under one) and big sister Je- OCU, to pursue his lieved the Gospel rusha (two) and their brothers, Judah (three) with big brother degree in religious and rejoiced in his Jacob (five) standing in front. Joshua Hammond-Kelley is happy studies in fall 1997. relationship with to be at Mount Vernon General Baptist Church as the Minister of His university years Jesus Christ rather Missions and Students. Photo submitted. offered him the opthan in his roaming on the inner-city streets. portunity to work in four international mission fields. “I didn’t just hear about God. I saw people, though He traveled to South Korea first with a Korean minimperfect, they had a relationship with God, and it ister in 1998 and visited with several Korean pastors made a difference in their lives. They would give up there. In 1999, he went alone to India and opened a their vacations to spend time with kids who, statisti- new office for Habitat for Humanity in Puno, India, in cally, were going to end up in jail or strung out on addition to service work in local churches—particudrugs or dead,” Joshua says. larly, work to serve the poor. “They shared the Gospel, something I’d never reAn internship in Sasebo, Japan, allowed Joshua to ally heard before. It radically changed my life. I said, Continued on Page A3 ‘If this is real, if what I’m reading and what they’re
Deaths .................... A3 Church...................A6 Social .....................A5 School ....................A7
Sports.................B1-2 Bus/Ag ...................A7 Opinion ..................A8 TV Guide........ B9-10