T
P C N SINCE 1882 Successor to The Poseyville News & New Harmony Times POSEY COUNTY’S ONLY LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED NEWSPAPER
Volume 138 Edition 21
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
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PCRTL looking to install Safe Haven Baby Box
There’s a whole lot of baseball games played in the evenings in Poseyville. That means the lights on the three fields must remain on until the games are over. The town plans funds for parks in an annual budget. But according to information cited at the Poseyville Town Board meeting, last season, the town allotted $2,377 in the entire parks budget. That means upkeep and lighting should amount to no more than allotted. When the baseball seasons
By Pam Robinson Mount Vernon Fire Chief Wes Dixon presented a report to the Mount Vernon City Council Thursday evening, May 10, about the Posey County Right to Life, or PCRTL, approaching him to install a Safe Haven Baby Box at the fire station. Earlier the same afternoon, Dixon had requested approval to proceed with the $10,000 project, to be funded by the PCRTL, to the Mount Vernon Board of Public Works and Safety. The board approved the request pending legal review, including insurance. After the meeting, in separate interviews, Dixon and Janice Martin, President of PCRTL, discussed the Safe Haven Law in Indiana and its recent expansion and the benefits of the Safe Haven Baby Box. Dixon said all 50 states have a Safe Haven Law of some sort, but Indiana adopted theirs in the year 2000. It allows the anonymous surrender of a healthy baby up to 30-daysold, as stated on the Indiana Department of Child Services website, “without fear of arrest or prosecution.” The child must be taken, for example, to a hospital or fire station, Dixon added. “The child cannot show signs of any abuse or neglect,” Dixon stated. “That brings a whole other facet into it if a child looks like it’s been abused. Then you have to ask questions, get the authorities involved.” Otherwise, the law states, Dixon added, those surrendering the child don’t have to give their names or say anything about themselves. “It doesn’t have to be the parent or specific guardian. It can be another person. But there has to be that face-toface interaction,” Dixon said. “Basically, we just take the baby no questions asked. We would immediately call the Department
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Mount Vernon senior girls smile for a photo at honors night held at the high school, Monday, May 14. Mount Vernon and North Posey graduation ceremonies both take place Friday evening. See more honors photos on Page A12 and our annual Graduation Section in today’s paper. Pictured, l to r: Paige Weintraut, Alison Simpson, Jenna Kingery, Emily Duckworth, Grace Biggerstaff and Sarah Kelley. Photo by Andrea Biggerstaff
Baseball costs cause for concern By Dave Pearce Just because you’re down to your last strike, you’re not out yet. You can always do more. You’ll always have more at-bats to take. That’s true in baseball, in rescuing animals, and in life, generally. Although this is a quote from long-time St. Louis Cardinal Manager Tony La Russa, those in attendance at Wednesday afternoon’s Poseyville Town Board meeting might get the feeling that the town’s evening baseball could be nearing its last strike.
MV man arrested following shooting Special to the News Sometime after 9 a.m. on Sunday morning, Indiana State Police Detectives arrested Rodney Givens, 48, of Mount Vernon, after he allegedly shot his wife during an argument at their Mount Vernon residence. Police responded to a call at the Givens home at 827 Walnut Street. According to Indiana State Police Detectives, Rodney and Crystal Givens were involved in an argument at approximately 9 a.m. Givens allegedly grabbed a handgun and shot his wife one time. Crystal Givens is still being treated for a non-life threatening gunshot wound at Deaconess Hospital in EvansRodney Givens ville. Rodney Givens was arrested without incident and taken to the Posey County Jail where he is currently being held without bond. Initial charges are Criminal Recklessness with a Deadly Weapon and Aggravated Battery. The investigation is continuing. Investigating Detectives are Detective Alan Sherretz and Detective Wes Kuykendall of the Indiana State Police Department.
Briefly Robb Township Alumni: Saturday, June 9, 2018 5 p.m. Red Wagon Restaraunt Poseyville, Ind. Nix Companies Luncheon: Wednesday, June 6, 2018 11:45 a.m - 1 p.m. Red Wagon Restaraunt Poseyville, Ind. Liberty Cemetery Memorial Day Observance: Monday, May 28, 2018 10:30 a.m. Liberty Cemetery Cynthiana, Ind. Memorial Day Service: NH Legion Color Guard Monday, May 28, 2018 Maple Hill Cemetery, 9 a.m. Griffin Cemetery, 9:45 a.m. Bethsaida Cemetery, 10:15 a.m. Stewartsville Cemetery, 10:15 a.m. Wadesville Cemetery 10:45 a.m. New Harmony Town Hall, Memorial at 12 noon. More information on these and other events inside today’s Posey County News
(USPS 439-500)
Graceful and gracious Local senior credits her joy-filled life to many blessings By Pam Robinson Longtime Mount Vernon resident June (Collins) Dunning describes her life at 87-years-old as “ordinary.” She smiles and adds, “I like it that way.” She understands the value of the ordinary, routine, steady journey for bringing extraordinary rewards such as joy, peace, patience. June Dunning was the baby among the children of Wick and Annie Collins, who found love again after being widowed. When June was born on September 19, 1930, she joined five half brothers and sisters. Her oldest brother was 17-years-old, and the youngest, 9-years-old. June remembers fondly the warm attention she received from her siblings as she grew up in rural Webster County, Ky. Her father, Wick Collins, was considered, at the time, one of the big farmers, owning about 350 acres. June recalls at certain times of the year, her father would hire a young man as seasonal help. The laborer would work beside her father, live in the family’s spare room, and enjoy meals June’s mother prepared with garden vegetables and meats and poultry raised on the farm. June’s family managed without electricity until after World War II, around 1945. “They had put up poles for the electric line, but when the war started, wire had to be used for the war,” she explains. Instead of pulling frozen foods out of their own freezer, June recalls, the family, like many other families, rented a freezer in
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The Golden Years
June (Collins) Dunning’s life hasn’t been without it’s hardships, but overwhelming blessings and good health leave this 87-year-old grateful. Photo by Pam Robinson
Blood, sweat, tears Mount Vernon home has truly been a labor of love By Pam Robinson Mark and Zeidy Nelson arrived at their Mount Vernon home, 310 E. Third Street, on July 4, 1994. “The fireworks were going off,” Mark recalls. The celebration seems to have been the highlight of the evening. “The house was on the market for two years. Nobody would dare to take it because there was so much work to do. It was in very bad shape,” Zeidy recalls. “Mark was the visionary. When I came, I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’ His brother helped us to move, and he said, ‘Mark, you are nuts.’” Yet, Mark did prove a visionary with a method to his “madness.” The mostly restored Queen Anne Victorian home deserves a fireworks celebration all its own. One’s admiration for the house is boundless upon learning Mark and Zeidy completed the restoration on their own although they received help, at times, from Mark’s brother and dad and lately from their neighbor, Robert Crumbacher. The house has been a
true labor of love, with an emphasis on labor. It has demanded countless hours of work to bring it back to life. Zeidy and Mark explain the bulk of the restoration occurred within the first five years after their purchase, but it continues today. After their purchase, the DIY didn’t stop at “Honey, let’s paint the pink bathroom white and lay black and white tile.” Tasks like painting and flooring are child’s play for the Nelsons.
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Mark and Zeidy Nelson’s home at 310 E. Third Street is one of four homes to be featured on the 2018 Vintage Home and Garden Tour, Saturday, June 2. Photo by Dave Pearce