“Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain.”
(USPS 439-500)
Since 1882 ~ Successor to The Poseyville News and The New Harmony Times • New Harmony, IN Posey County’s locally-owned newspaper
Tuesday June 19, 2012
$1.00
Volume 132 Edition 25
Principal, hoops coach named at North Posey Kiwanis golf scheduled Poseyville Kiwanis will be holding it’s annual golf scramble on the last Saturday in July. If you would like to take part check out the web page or contact a member.
GOP caucus slated A Republican Caucus to fill general election ballot vacancies will be held on June 21st at 6:30 p.m. at the Robinson Conservation Club, 727 N. Stierley Road, near Wadesville.
Farmer’s market change Poseyville Farmers’ Market will change locations beginning June 16 to 35 S. Church St. The market will continue to be held on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. until October 27. Call 673-4018 for more information.
By Valerie Werkmeister North Posey School Board members voted to make a positive change toward their employees’ good health with their approval of a two-year agreement with TriState Community Clinic on June 11. The board heard many benefits of having a health clinic through a committee that was formed following a major increase in the school’s health insurance. North Posey School Supt. Todd Camp stated he believes that having a clinic would improve the attendance for the staff, as the amount of time required away from the classroom to see a doctor in Evansville would be reduced. He also hopes it will encourage employees to lead
a healthy lifestyle. They will need to locate a building off site that is easily accessible for all employees. Camp stated he hopes to have the clinic open three days per week by the end of this year. Employees who have the school insurance will be able to visit the clinic at no charge, as the MSD of North Posey will be footing the bill. Board members are working with clinic officials to determine the annual cost, whether a physician or nurse practitioner will staff the clinic and whether employees who do not take part in the school insurance will be required to pay a small co-pay. Another major announcement came as the board approved the
agreement to transfer the New Harmony school building to the Town of New Harmony. Superintendent Dr. Todd Camp’s contract was approved through the 2014-2015 school year, with an $1,800 stipend and a $1,000 increase bringing his current salary to $112,500. The purchase of two new John Deere Z950 mowers with a mulching deck and other apparatus was approved. A list of other equipment will be traded in making the ticket price for both mowers at $9,800. Sewer problems are plaguing South Terrace Elementary School. Camp requested permission to move forward with advertising for bids and then awarding the project
The City of Mount Vernon, is required to enforce the provisions of Indiana Code 36-9-23 concerning the collection of delinquent sewer fees and liens on real estate served by the City of Mt. Vernon Sewer Utility. An informational meeting will be held at the City Hall Annex, 520 Main Street, in Mount Vernon on Tuesday, June 19, 2012, at 4 p.m. Landlords and other interested parties are invited to attend this informational meeting at which the Sewer Dept. Supt, lien clerk and the city attorney will review this statutory procedure.
NH Golf Cart Parade
PC Fair Talent Show Posey County 4-H Fair youth talent contest will be July 11 at 7 p.m. at the community center. Junior Divison is ages 12 and under. Senior Divison is ages from 13- 21. There are 13 categories to choose from. For an entry form information contact Katie at 812-431-0329 or go to www.poseycountyfair.com Entry forms must be postmarked by July 6, 2012.
Poseyville Legion to meet Poseyville American Legion Post #278 will meet Thursday, June 21 at 7:30 p.m.
Server class slated A class for Server Training for the Indiana Alcohol Commission will be held at the Mt. Vernon Elks Lodge #277 at 131 E. 4th St. on Sunday, June 24 at 1:00 PM. Class is limited to 20 participants. Cost is $30. Please contact Connie Seifert at 812-985-0877 to sign up.
Demos golf outing held The Posey County Democrats held their annual Golf Scramble on June 9, 2012 at CountryMark Course beginning at 8 a.m. The winning team this year was comprised of Martin Redman, Greg Redman, Eric Morlock, and Thomas Clowers.
Solstice event set An observance of Summer Stolstice has been planned for Wednesday, June 20, from 8:30 until 9:30 p.m. commemorating Jane Blaffer Owen. The event will consiste of recitation of Universal Peace Prayers and a Labyrinth walk. Everyone is invited.
On Saturday morning (June 16) the Posey County Sheriff’s Department was called to investigate a vehicle crash just north of Mount Vernon on Tile Factory Road. Upon arrival deputies discovered a 2001 Pontiac, operated by Zachary T. Beamon (18) of rural New Harmony, had left the roadway and collided with a tree in the front yard of a residence along Tile Factory Road. The crash occurred just south of the Bellefontaine Road intersection. Emergency rescuers worked for nearly an hour freeing Beamon from the wreckage. Beamon was transported from the scene by medical helicopter for treatment of injuries sustained in the crash. Responding with the Sheriff’s Department were personnel from the Black Township Fire Department, Mount Vernon Fire Department, Posey County EMS, and the Mount Vernon Police Department.
Nepotism policy to begin, some ‘grandfathered’ By Valerie Werkmeister The Posey County Commissioners are mulling over new policy decisions in regards to their nepotism policy. County attorney, Trent Van Haaften, informed the commissioners about a new state nepotism law that goes into effect July 1. It mandates how counties deal with nepotism and states that individuals will not be able to hire a relative that will be in their direct line of supervision. Current employees are grandfathered into the law, and will not be affected. The law also outlines the procedure for contract considerations with relatives of the county commissioners and council who have an interest within that company. Prior to the contract’s acceptance, board members must sign a disclosure statement that has been presented and approved in a public meeting. Those disclosures must be certified and sent to the state. Van Haaften stated that the commissioners would also need to consider a policy regarding employees who have relatives that become elected officials. Under the new mandate, the employee would be allowed to remain, but the county does have the power to change this if they so choose. This type of policy is nothing new to the commissioners. They have had a policy in place and listed in the county employee handbook since 2005. The state will penalize any county that does not adopt the newly mandated law by not approving their budget. The commissioners agreed to review the suggested policy language presented by Van Haaften and adopt it at their next meeting on June 19. Emergency Management Agency Director, Larry Robb, explained that Posey County has received its certification that it is accredited by the National Weath-
er Service. This rates the county’s preparedness in regards to emergency situations. Robb stated that having programs in place such as the Code Red emergency alert system, having the dispatch center, presenting a storm spotter class and Robb’s attendance in public meetings helped meet the criteria. Posey County is one of 36 counties that has qualified. Commissioner president, Jim Alsop, read a report on the number of ambulance runs that were dispatched from specific sites. Alsop stated that from January 1 – June 5, there have been a total of 841 ambulance runs. There were 445 dispatched from Mt. Vernon; 146 from New Harmony; 106 from Poseyville and 144 from St. Philip. In other business: •the commissioners approved a grant submitted by EMA Director, Larry Robb, for $15,000. This reimburses the county for half of Robb’s annual salary. •The commissioners signed paperwork to move forward with a grant application for the WadesvilleCenter Township Fire Department expansion project. •Building Commissioner, Ed Battieger, gave an update on a nuisance complaint at Douglas Buttrum’s property at 9039 Highway 66. The property has been cleaned up since the last meeting. The commissioners gave their approval to half the property removed from their list. •Chuck Mobley’s animal control report include 47 complaints during the month of May, eight animals were picked up and no animals had to euthanized. •The highway department was given approval to seek bids to construct a salt building. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, June 19, at 9 a.m. in the Hovey House in Mount Vernon.
By Valerie Werkmeister If there’s one thing Jim Sheets is passionate about, it’s building a sense of community pride in Cynthiana. The town board member is steadfast in his mission to clean up the town and would like to see community members do their part as well. Sheets spoke during Cynthiana’s Town Board meeting last Tuesday about little things homeowners can do in taking pride by weed-eating to the curb or cleaning the curb and ensuring grass clippings aren’t left there. One townsperson asked if Cynthiana could plan a festival as other small neighboring communities do. Sheets responded that his first goal is to clean up the town so that people will want to visit. He also challenged those who have posted signs saying, “Impeach Sheets”, to come and speak to him directly rather than post things of this nature around town. Sheets also engaged in a somewhat heated discussion with Rick and Tara Davis who reside at 10759 Main Street. The Davis’ have recently acquired a horse and two ponies to aid in sensory therapy for their son who has cerebral palsy and is deaf. Sheets contends that the animals are not allowed to be within the town limits. However, Tara Davis argued that the horses are kept clean and the barn is not located within town limits. Both Sheets and Davis stated that they consulted Mindy Bourne of the Posey County Area Plan Commission. According to Davis, Bourne advised her that there is currently no county or city ordinance that states the animals are not allowed to reside on the property. Sheets worries that the animals will become a nuisance for the adjoining neighbors. Davis provided two letters from neighbors who advised that they did not object to the animals residing there. Sheets stated he would contact Bourne again to discuss the matter and determine the proper course of
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Ferguson hoping to make August 1 return By Steve Joos It’s been a long haul, but North Posey athletic director Virgil Ferguson is getting back to work. The longtime athletic director underwent a liver transplant on March 16 in Indianapolis and has been coming into the athletic department office in advance of the day when he’ll be released for work on Aug. 1. “I’m just in here catching up on some paperwork right now,” Ferguson said. “It’s been a long process, but sometimes it feels like a short process at the same time.” Ferguson’s troubles started over the last year when he started to
Virgil Ferguson
become ill and a blood test found him to have a bad liver. After that diagnosis, the liver started deteriorating, with a pattern of illness and recovery, with each illness worsening until he blacked out in January with high levels of ammonia in his blood stream. That landed Ferguson in the emergency room at Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, where he was placed in the intensive care unit, and then at the Indiana-Purdue Medical Center in Indianapolis, where he was stabilized and placed at the top of the list for a new liver. He received the new liver on March 16 and has been working on recov-
Inside this issue...
ThePCN
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Cynthiana residents, town board at odds over clean-up plan
Landlords take note
The Annual New Harmony July 4 Golf Cart Parade will Assemble at the Atheneum at 11 a.m. The parade will proceed through town to Maclure Park. There will be music, food, and fun begins at 11 a.m. in the park. If you can’t be there please recruit a friend to enter your cart. Organizeers are hoping every cart in town will be in the parade. There are prizes for the best decorated, but decorations are not required for the parade. The event is promoted by New Harmony Kiwanis and Historic New Harmony.
to the best candidate. The board felt it was necessary for Camp to move forward on this project rather than wait until July meeting. North Elementary has a new principal. The board approved Camp’s recommendation to hire Theresa Waugaman on a two-year contract. She will receive a salary of $72,000 the first year and it will increase to $74,500 the second year. Waugaman comes from an administrative position at Longfellow Elementary School in Gary, Ind. She has been working as a Title 1 facilitator, literacy coach and professional development coordinator
Retrospective ................. A4 Legals........................ A9 Classifieds ................ B10-11
ery since then, staying four days in intensive care, then another four days in the regular hospital. After the period in the regular hospital, Ferguson was given the option of leaving the hospital, but he was not allowed to return to this area since it would be rough on the new liver, so he spent the next eight weeks living in a two-room suite at the Candlewoods Hotel, where he lived with his sister, Pam Burtonshall. “The suite was $60 a night,” Ferguson said. “The bill was pretty high, but I’ve got good insurance
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Go to www.poseycountynews.com Community ........... A5 Social ...................... A6 Deaths ................A3-4 Sports ................... B1-8 School.................... A8 Bus/Ag.................... A9
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