Since 1882 ~ Successor to The Poseyville News and The New Harmony Times • New Harmony, IN
“Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain.” Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Posey County’s only locally-owned newspaper
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Volume 134 Edition 14
‘Operation Steel Door’ nets six arrests, one meth lab
Mattingly
Moore
By Dave Pearce In the early morning hours of Friday, April 4, 2014, members of the Posey County Drug Task Force, the Posey County Sheriff’s Department, the FBI, and the Indiana State Police knocked on five doors and made six drug-related arrests in southern Posey County. A member
Givens of Child Protective Services was on hand in the event care was needed for children who might be found in the homes. Taken into custody were Krystal Bulla, Robert Eugene McCarty, David K. Moore, Darrell W. Mattingly, Dorian Lamar Givens, and Chelsea R. Reiter. This was a result of five
Bulla
McCarty
arrest warrants and three search warrants when the morning began. Posey County Prosecutor Travis Clowers, Posey County Sheriff Greg Oeth, and Posey County Drug Task Force Supervisor Kenneth Rose concurred that while the number arrested during this, the third of three drug sweeps in the past
two years, was not as substantial in number, it was just as substantial in helping to get methamphetamine off the streets of Posey County. A raid was conducted simultaneously in Vanderburgh County where one of the subjects was believed to have been either making the drug or buying it and bringing it into Posey County for sale. According to information provided by Rose, covert operation ‘Steel Door’ was initiated in February of 2013 when undercover officers began buys of methamphetamine. This operation was a follow-up of three previous undercover operations conducted in Posey County. Those were ‘Operation Heat Wave,’ ‘Operation Fair Warning,’ Operation ‘Strike Three,’ and now Opera-
tion ‘Steel Door.’ “Today’s operation is yet another example of the continuing efforts being made through the federal, state, and local agencies to combat the methamphetamine problem in Posey County,” Rose said in a prepared statement. “Starting in 2011, those agencies along with the office of the Posey County Prosecutor have been able to make a major impact on the illegal drug trafficking of methamphetamine.” Rose continued by stating that as a result of the operations, there has been a sharp decline in the number of clandestine methamphetamine labs in the county. “Those investigators have also
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Preservation of wooden railroad bridge discussed By Lois Mittino Gray Members of the Mount Vernon Common Council looked to the past and to the future at their meeting on April 3. Councilman Bill Curtis told the council that he has been in communication with Robby Buchanan of the Evansville Western Railroad concerning the preservation of the Wabash River Railroad Trestle across from Mount Vernon in Maunie, Ill. The bridge is an old wooden structure built in the early 1900s and it may cost as much as 20 million to restore it. Buchanan asked the mayor’s office and common council to help by writing a letter of support for a TIGER Grant (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Redevelopment) to aid in saving the bridge. The company is small and it is critical to try to get the large sum
Briefly
Bicentennial Committee to meet April 9 The 2016 Bicentennial Committee will be holding its next meeting April 9 at 5:30 p.m. at the Mount Vernon Elk’s Lodge, 131 E Fourth Street, Mount Vernon, Indiana. Topics for discussion will include: Fundraising letters and Riverday’s goals. We invite the community to participate in all planning and implementation of activtivies for the 2016 celebration.
Poseyville Town Wide Yard Sale date set Poseyville Town-wide Yard Sale - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. It’s time again for the annual Poseyville Town-wide Yard Sale sponsored by the St. Francis Relay for Life team and friends. This year’s sale will be Saturday, May 10. Most sales will run from 7 a.m. - 1 p.m., but each sale will set their own hours. Get your name on the map for only $4. Payment must be made in advance by Monday, May 5. Call 449-7445 or 457-0469 to get your address on the list. Maps will be available at local businesses.
Keck Gonnerman to hold special meeting April 17 On Thursday April 17 at 7 p.m. in the old dining hall at the Posey County fairgrounds there will be a meeting of the KeckGonnerman group to discuss the possibility of having a multipurpose building constructed at the fairgrounds to the west of the current sawmill building. The proposed building would be an asset to the community and not just for our club. All members are encouraged to attend. Also, don’t forget about our spring tractor drive on Sat., April 26 with a rain date scheduled for May 3. We will meet in Harmonie State Park at the parking lot next to the swimming pool. Driver’s meeting at 9 a.m.. Lunch will be fried chicken with sides. Cost will be $5 and please bring a dessert.
of money this funding cycle. The application is due April 29 and Buchanan asked for letters by April 15. INDOT supports the grant, too. Discussion ensued and council members reminisced about playing on the bridge as children. Councilman Steve Fuelling remembered walking across it and Councilman Andy Hoehn recalled jumping aside off the track onto a little platform when the trains came by. Curtis said the rail line using the bridge directly feeds into the Southwind Port and carries loads of coal and grain and repair will benefit the city and both states. City attorney Beth McFadin Higgins was asked to Members of the Posey County Community Foundation Board of Directors surprised North Posey draft a letter of support for all five senior Olivia Goebel this week when they presented her with a Lilly Scholarship. The scholarship will council members and the mayor’s pay for all four years of study. Pictured are members of the Goebel family, Zach, mother Elaine, Olivia, Bernie, and sister Emma. In back are Andy Rudolph, Tony Noelle, Paul Seibert, and Andrew WilContinued on Page A12 father son. Olivia has obviously chosen Purdue University. Photo by Dave Pearce
Record rainfall tests city’s utilities, budget By Lois Mittino Gray Amid loud thunder and bright lightning, members of the Mount Vernon Board of Public Works discussed the record-breaking rainfall and its effect on the city at its April 3 meeting. It was noted that the rain garden at West Elementary School was filling up and with a few more inches, it could flood the road. “I may have something different to report by tonight at this rate,” Board Member Bill Curtis quipped. Sewer Department Superintendent Rodney Givens said that the intense rain was the first since the sewers were relined in the ‘Birdland’ subdivision by Layne Inliners. There was an overflow reported on Lark Lane, near its intersection with Cardinal Drive. Givens does not think it is a sewer problem resulting from the relining, but a smoke test will be done first to verify if it is. Engineer David Campbell thinks that overflows and flooding are the result of clogged gutters and sump pump malfunctions at the sites. Back yards will flood from that, but sewers would cause overflow into the basement. “No problems showed up on the video. We’ll be finished and out of here soon. There are some spots to fix, but things are going well,” he summed up. In other board action: • Mayor John Tucker was given permission to use the city credit card
to go to Indianapolis for a mandatory meeting for the STELLAR grant on Friday, April 11. He and City Attorney Beth McFadin Higgins and a representative from Bernard Lochmueller Engineering and the Economic Development Commission will attend to represent Mount Vernon. It is one of six cities that is a finalist for the grant. • Street Commissioner Max Dieterle reported that the recently purchased patcher machine is working fine and in much use. It was agreed that it was a good investment that will pay for itself. • Givens requested permission for three employees to attend a training on use of the Vac-Con sewage pumping truck at Best Equipment in Indianapolis. They would attend and bring up the old Vac-Con truck for repair. Permission to attend the training was denied as the employees have used this truck for over a decade and it was thought that training would not benefit them much. The employees were given permission to bring the truck up for repair and to get training on use of the pull behind unit recently purchased for the department. They would then bring that unit home and should do it all in one day. • A discussion on the salary ordinance and what defines a utility worker category ensued after Givens told them about his clerk-secretary and her extra duties. It will be considered all at the same time with others,. • The meeting on Thursday April 17 has been cancelled due to holiday concerns with pay vouchers.
M-Club Hall of Fame inducts five, two teams By Dave Pearce Members of the Mount Vernon M-Club, guests, and family and friends of the honorees gathered at Mount Vernon High School cafeteria on Saturday evening to induct five individuals and two teams into the Mount Vernon High School athletic Hall of Fame. Included in the 30th class of inductees were individuals, Jessica Fox, Chelsea Sanders, Errin Mort, Tina Reineke, and Melannie Gillenwater. Teams inducted were the 2003 Mount Verrnon High School boys’ cross country team and coach Don Sellers, and the 2002 Mount Vernon High School baseball team. Members of the cross country team were Matt Kissel, Taylor Sellers, Caleb Higginbottom, Brian Kay, Elijah Sanders, Seth Hillenbrand, and Brent Renshaw. Members of the honored baseball team were Dennis Boyer, Jesse Carroll, Earl hart, Matt Huff, Matt Johnson, Allen Middleton, Seth Rainey, Jace Redman, Josh Redman, Aaron Renschler, Tyler Riordan, Dee Royer, Robert Seifert, Stephen Smith, Ryan Spilman, Ryan Stemple, Brian Smiley, and Mike Sutton. Paul Quinzer was the
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Individuals inducted into the Mount Vernon High School M-Club Athletic Hall of Fame in ceremonies on Saturday evening at the Mount Vernon High School cafeteria are, left to right. Melannie Gillenwater, Tina Reineke, Jessica Fox, Errin Mort, and Chelsea Sanders. Teams inducted were the 2002 baseball team and the 2003 cross country team. Photo by Dave Pearce team’s head coach and he was as- Service Award. Former honorees ry Rutledge, Tim Hulsey, and Mike Ron Bennett, Paul Mitchell, Roger Wilson all were on hand for this sisted by Kevin Krizan. Long-time Mount Vernon teach- Yaggi, Glenn Jacobs, Scott Mitch- year’s induction ceremonies. er and coach Mike Wheaton was ell, Wilma Jacobs, Mike Johnson, Continued on Page A12 honored with the Darwin Rueger Tim Hulsey, Geralyn Redman, Jer-
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Sports ............. B1-16 Bus/Ag ................ A 9 Opinion ..............A 1 1 www.poseycountynews.com