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Tuesday, April 21, 2015
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Volume 135 Edition 16
NP teachers earn development time, longer school day By Valerie Werkmeister North Posey students will have to get up earlier starting next school year. During their monthly meeting, the school board approved adding five minutes to the school day in order to allow the addition of seven, two-hour early dismissal days to the calendar. North Posey schools have been deemed as high performing schools, and as such the Indiana Department of Education is allowing the teachers to have professional development time built into the school day. Superintendent Dr. Todd Camp explained a survey was conducted among teachers regarding the professional development days. Several other changes were also made to
the calendar that had been previously approved by the board. The first day of school will begin one day earlier, on August 11, and teacher orientation day will be on August 10. The last day of school was moved from May 23, to May 20. Graduation will no longer be held on May 27. Instead, it will be on the last day of school. The board agreed to add May 23, as the tenth snow day to the calendar. They also added provisions to utilize virtual learning days throughout the school year for snow make-up days. By now, everyone is aware that three virtual learning days will be used to make up three additional snow days taken this school
year. Information has been e-mailed and sent home to parents. Dr. Angie Wannemuehler informed school board members the survey given to parents and teachers to help the district determine the best way to make up those days overwhelmingly showed support for the virtual learning option. She stated 90 teachers responded to the survey with 72 percent indicating they favored the virtual learning option. A total of 750 parents responded with 40 percent also in favor of this option. The make-up days chosen for the virtual learning option are April 25, May 9 and May 16. Teachers will send home lessons with students on the Monday prior to the Satur-
day virtual learning day. Students will be allowed to ask teachers questions about the work throughout the week as well as during the hours each teacher has chosen to be available for the virtual learning day. Student attendance will be taken once the homework is turned in. If work is not turned in, the student will be considered absent. The work will include both digital and paper and pencil work. The corporation will open its computer labs for those who need internet access in order to complete the work. However, transportation and meals will not be provided. Parents or guardians will also be
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Posey man charged in Thompson takes plein air ‘home’ mower injuries to wife Special to the News grass. Posey County Sheriff’s Deputies Witnesses informed deputies that were sent to a rural Mount Vernon the two were outside when a verbal residence on Benthall Road Sat- dispute occurred. The woman was urday afternoon at opening the door of approximately 2:10 a vehicle, when the p.m., on a report that man operating the a man had struck his riding lawnmower wife with a riding allegedly charged lawnmower. her, causing her to be When deputies arpinned between the rived, they found a vehicle and the front woman identified as of the mower. It was the wife of Greg Mifurther alleged that chael on the ground the mower remained in the driveway of at full throttle as it the residence. The continued to push Greg Michael woman had visible against the woman injuries to her legs. The man was while she was trapped against the observed on a ‘tractor style’ riding Continued on Page A11 lawnmower immersed in mowing
Mount Vernon man is charged in stabbing Special to the News investigation revealed John ReynIndiana State Police arrested a olds, 34, and Shawn Jackson, age 28-year-old Mount Vernon man unknown at this time, both from this afternoon after an investigation Mount Vernon, were fighting in the revealed he allegedly parking lot at Hucks. stabbed another male Jackson’s brother, during an altercation Joshua Jackson, 28, at Huck’s on Fourth of Mount Vernon, Street in Mount Verapproached Reynnon. olds and allegedly At approximatestabbed him in the ly noon Saturday, leg with a knife. Mount Vernon City Reynolds was takPolice responded to en to Deaconess HosHuck’s on Fourth pital in Evansville Street after receivwhere he was treated ing a 911 call that and later released. Joshua Jackson a person had been Shawn Jackson was stabbed. The police department re- taken to St. Mary’s Hospital for quested the Indiana State Police inContinued on Page A11 vestigate the incident. Preliminary
By Lois Mittino Gray Wendie Thompson knows all about plein air painting and enjoys doing her art outdoors in all types of weather. She has even painted ‘al fresco’ when it was 15 degrees below zero at Mineral Point in her native state of Wisconsin. “There were about 30 of us out there at the paint out that bitter cold day. You learn to dress for it. I look like a bag lady when I paint in the cold wearing my old down hooded coat splashed with paint. I wear warm boots, use many footwarmers, and stocks of handwarmers,” she said with a smile. “You learn to take breaks and sit in the car to warm up.” This past week’s 17th Annual First Brush of Spring in New Harmony was Wendie’ s eleventh time to attend the plein air event. She ties in painting with Wendie Thompson studies the flowering crabapple trees a visit with her mother-in-law, local resshe is painting by the Roofless Church. Her painting was purident Millie Thompson, to help her with some spring cleaning household chores. chased at the Saturday morning art sale. Photo by Zach Straw Asshipun, a “bitty town halfway between Madison Wendie’ s positive experiences at the New Harmony plein air paint outs inspired her to re- and Milwaukee.” Artists are allowed to enter one painting in the turn home in 2009 and found the Wisconsin Plein Air Painters Association. The organization has a website New Harmony competition and this year Wendie enand sponsors outdoor events. Wendie attends about tered an oil of the doll shop window on Main Street. twenty of these competitions a year to paint offerings It features a doll in a chair surrounded by teddy bears for the shop she owns called the Pink Llama in CeContinued on Page A11 darsburg, Wisconsin to sell her work. She resides in
North Posey school changes OK’d By Valerie Werkmeister The MSD of North Posey School Board approved the final contract with Performance Services to complete a number of projects at both the junior high and high school this summer. Performances Services is the entity that will handle the design-build contract at a cost of $1.8 million. The board chose to use the design-build approach in order to minimize costs and risks. A final contract has not yet been approved for work on both South Terrace and North Elementary Schools. A special public meeting has been set for Thursday, May 7, at 5:30 p.m. to discuss those projects. Perhaps the biggest renovation scheduled to take place this summer will be the complete renovation of the shared media center. School libraries must evolve to include more than just books and research. They must be equipped to
handle 21st century technology needs. As such, two new rooms will be added to handle small groups that need to work on projects or research. The rooms will be equipped with flat screen monitors. The computer lab will be enlarged and a door will be added to separate it from the media center. A new projector will be added in the computer lab as well as the table seating area of the media center. Another new addition that many students may grow fond of is a portable device charging station that will be located in the seating area. Additional wireless access coverage will also be enabled. The media specialist and the resource officer will each receive new office space and a dedicated room for addi-
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Loan to keep PCSWDC running By Valerie Werkmeister Posey County’s Solid Waste District (SWD) is having trouble making ends meet. During last week’s county council meeting, they asked for and were granted a $75,000 loan that will help carry them through the year. Prior to the April 14, council meeting, the Posey
County Commissioners met at 8 a.m. in a special meeting to discuss why the entity is experiencing a cash flow problem. Solid Waste District Executive Director Patricia
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GE/Sabic Retirees’ luncheon to be held May 12 The General Electric/Sabic Retirees’ luncheon will be held May 12 at the Red Wagon Restaurant in Poseyville, Indiana at 11:30 a.m. Reservations should be made by May 8 by calling one of the following committee members: Charles Huck, 812-682-4219; Charles Crabtree, 812-437-1353; Sharon Matthews, 812-682-4603; Wanda Cummings, 812-985-3478; or Rose Benton, 812-550-3280. Looking forward to seeing you there.
Cynthiana alumni hold 101st annual meeting The Cynthiana Alumni Association invites members, guests and 2015 Graduates to the 101st Annual Meeting at the Cynthiana Community Center on Saturday, May 2, 2015. A ‘meet and greet social’ time will begin at 11 a.m. Lunch will be catered by Carriage Inn at noon. Cost per person for the meal is $10 and the annual dues are $5. Those who attended and/ or graduated from Cynthiana High School are invited to come and help celebrate 101 years. Send reservations and payment by April 18, 2015 to Greta Mounts, PO Box 100, Cynthiana, IN 47612. For further information call Greta at 812-845-2874 (home) or 812-455-8977 (cell). A message may be left on either phone.
Posey property tax deadline is May 11 2015 Property Tax Bills were mailed on April 1, 2015. The Spring Property Tax deadline is Monday, May 11, 2015. You can pay your property taxes at any Old National Banking center in Posey or Vanderburgh County from the time you receive your tax bills until May 11, 2015. Please remember to bring your tax payment coupon with you. You may also pay your property taxes in person at the County Treasurer’s office, by mail at Posey County Treasurer, 126 East Third Street, Room 211, Mount Vernon, IN 47620, or online at www.poseycountytax.com
NP Class of 1975 plans reunion
Cory Word and Tarah Brown were crowned king and queen of Mount Vernon High School’s 2015 prom on Saturday evening. Photo by Zach Straw
Retrospective........A4 Legals ............... B 5 - 8 Classifieds ...... B9-10 Community...........A5
Bryce Martin and Brooke Bender were crowned king and queen of North Posey High School’s 2015 prom on Saturday evening. Photo by Dave Pearce
Deaths .................... A3 Church...................A6 Social .....................A5 School ....................A7
The North Posey High School Class of 1975 will host their 40-year reunion Sat., June 6, 2015 at the Silver Bell Restaurant, 4424 St. Wendel Road, Wadesville, Ind. 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. Need help finding these classmates: James Durbin, David Matthew, Randy Hobart, Ronnie Hoehn, Jon Matt Osmon, Tim Riddell, Terry Strader, Cheryl (Cox) Long, Jim Fisher, Mike Long, Randy Williams, Kenny Barton, David Russell, Phillip Graul, Patty (Skelton) Tolliver, Jill Wiggins, Shona (Taylor) Flick, and Carla Duvall.
Sports ............... B 1 - 4 Bus/Ag ...................A8 Opinion ................A9 TV Guide...... A11-12