SINCE 1882 Successor to The Poseyville News & New Harmony Times POSEY COUNTY’S ONLY LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED NEWSPAPER
SPECIAL 4H FAIR RESULTS SECTIONS INSIDE! Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Volume 136 Edition 29
More projects get OK at NP By Valerie Werkmeister The MSD of North Posey School Board gave its nod of approval for an additional $63,700 in summer projects within the high school and North Elementary School (NES) during their monthly meeting last Monday, July 11. Board members Geoff Gentil, Gregg Schmitt and Vince Oakley approved Superintendent Dr. Todd Camp’s request to add the projects known as alternate bids three and four. Members Amy Will and Brett Stock did not attend the meeting. Alternate three involves adding drywall and a drop-down ceiling to the cafeteria renovation in NES. Alternate four will provide glass to the new high school art rooms creating a store-front type appearance. LED lighting is also being added to the art room project. Camp explained there is money available within the budget to pay for both projects. He said the projects were initially put on the back burner to ensure that the main projects were able to be completed at the budgeted cost and to allow for any necessary change orders. Camp also briefly discussed plans on the horizon for the high school weight and wrestling rooms. During next summer, a new weight room will be constructed to allow strength and conditioning classes for all high school athletics and physical education classes.
The current wrestling and weight room would be renovated into a much larger wrestling room that will double its size and allow for two full wrestling mats. Camp stated he will seek the boards’ approval to proceed with the projects and seek bids this Fall to ensure the benefit of competitive contractor pricing. Indiana State Police Sergeant Russ Werkmeister presented information to the board in regards to providing the district with active shooter training. He stated that from 2000-2013, 25 percent of active shooter incidents have occurred in educational settings. The impact on this country has been huge and it is the goal of the State Police Superintendent Carter to provide the necessary training to educate the public on how to respond during these incidents. Sgt. Werkmeister stated the last school fire was in 1957 and feels the routine practice of school fire drills has helped students, teachers and staff be prepared on what to do in that scenario. He added he would like to provide training that will make people feel just as comfortable during an active shooter situation as they are in a fire drill. He requested permission to provide a presentation to teachers and staff and will later provide a mock It’s easy to see why this group with the name of ‘Cuddly Ducks’ training incident that will involve students. The training will be provided free of charge to the district. was a hit at the Talent Show on Thursday evening at the 4-H Fairgrounds. Pictured are left to right Ellie Wilson, Olivia Wilson and Continued on Page A9 Klaire Markwell. Photo by Michelle Gibson
Building Corp formed for more expensive Posey Jail By Valerie Werkmeister Thanks to an increase in steel prices, the cost of the Posey County jail project has significantly increased. The Posey County Commissioners and Council members heard information on the jail project during a joint meeting last Tuesday, July 12. A $600,000 increase due to steel prices isn’t the only
factor raising the final cost. Poor soil structure on the site will require a larger foundation and the county’s decision to increase the Sally Port area has raised the final estimated cost to almost $15 million. Two million dollars has been set aside in the rainy day fund for the project and the Jail Building Corporation will issue a bond in the amount of $12.9 million to cover the costs.
Bids are anticipated to be advertised within the next few weeks and they are set to be received on August 25. The establishment of the non-profit building corporation will actually issue the debt and lease the jail to the county. The county will pay the lease with the provision for an early
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Cynthiana OKs body cam use By Valerie Werkmeister Cynthiana Town Marshal Andy Porath will soon wear a body camera. He requested permission to purchase and use a ‘body cam,’ as it’s more commonly known, during last Tuesday’s Cynthiana Town Council meeting. Porath stated he felt it would be a good idea to use one and had no problems wearing a camera. He said it would protect him as well as the interests of the town. Attorney Jacob Weis stated prior to use, certain policies would need to be in place in regards to the retention time on the recordings, who the recordings could be release to or who may request to view the recordings. Porath also suggested the standard operations and procedures could be adapted from other area departments who currently utilize the devices. Board members Carolyn Price, Gary
Smith and Todd Kennedy approved the purchase at no more than $300. Recent severe storms have exposed storm water pipe on Walnut Street necessitating immediate repairs. Town maintenance employee, Ken Gorbett, stated new pipe will cost a minimum of $2,500. The board approved the expenditure. The sale of the former police car was unsuccessful and clerk-treasurer Greta Mounts stated no other offers have been received. The sale has been advertised twice. Board members opted to try to sell the car for approximately $1,500 or best offer on Craigslist.com. Price announced the board has decided to explore other grant funding options for the wastewater improvement project. They had
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Briefly MVCC holds ‘Water Park’ Vacation Bible School Water Park Vacation Bible School will be hosted by Mount Vernon Community Church and First United Methodist Church on July 25-27 from 5:30-8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday and from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The location is at First United Methodist Wesley Hall and will offer Bible lessons, food, games, science experiments, crafts, songs, and fun. Ages from pre-k through fifth are invited and parents can register at www.blackschapelmv.org. We hope to see you there and remember to bring a towel. Harmony Chapel Church of Nazarene sets free yard sale The Harmony Chapel Church of the Nazarene will hold a free yard sale, focusing on childrens clothes and shoes for the upcoming school year, in their fellowship hall on July 23, 2016 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. St. Philip Church schedules annual Summer Social The St. Philip Church Summer Social will be Sat., Aug. 13 and Sun., August 14, 2016. The Social beings Saturday with a Pork Chop Dinner from 5 - 7:30 p.m. (Mass on Saturday will be at 4:30 p.m. instead of 5:30.) On Sunday Mass will be at 9:30 a.m. A chicken dinner with all the trimmings will be served from 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Dine in or Drive Thru Carry-Out will be available both days. Bulk barbecue will be available for sale both days. The Social will feature Food, Quilts, Games, Theme Baskets and Air-Conditioned Bingo. A Cash Prize Drawing for four - $1,000 will be at 8 p.m. Sunday. St. Philip is located seven miles west of Evansville on St. Philip Road. New Harmonie Healthcare to host ‘Back to School Bash’ New Harmonie Healthcare will be holding their annual ‘Back to School Bash’ on July 29, 2016 from 1 - 3 p.m. The event will include a limited amount of free school supplies, door prizes, hair cuts, face painting, snacks and more. Join them for some fun to help kick off the new school year. Historical Society to meet Saturday morning The Posey County Historical Society will meet on Saturday, July 23 at 10 a.m. at the Police and Fire Station in Mount Vernon. Doug McFadden will present the program which will deal with the first gubernatorial race between Thomas Posey and Jonathan Jennings, as well as the sharing his recollections of his time as a page in the Capitol in Washington D.C. All members and friends are urged to attend.
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Emily and Jonathan Schmitt prepare their Grand Champion jersey dairy heifer ‘Fawn’ for the night during this week’s Posey County Fair. The Cattle Show was on Wednesday night. Photo by Dave Pearce
Voegel retires after nearly 45 years By Lois Mittino Gray When Sharon Voegel walked out the door of Fifth Third Bank on July 1 after her retirement party, she was having a bittersweet moment. She knew she would miss all the people she met in her 44-and-a-half years of employment at the Poseyville branch, but she looked forward to being “able to do what I want, when I want to do it.” “I was always told that when it was time to retire, I would know it. I started thinking about it around Christmas time and then everything worked out to leave in mid-summer. I knew I could walk out that door and do it, although it was hard,” the new retiree admitted. A 1970 graduate of North Posey High School, Voegel started with the bank after attending Lockyear Business College for fifteen months. At that time, it was called Farmer’s Bank. In her many years there, the bank went from Farmer’s to Citizens Bank of Posey County, then Citizens Bank of Evansville, then to Civitas, and finally to the current Fifth Third moniker. She worked different jobs while there from bookkeeper, head bookkeeper, secretary to the manager and customer service representative (CSR), a modern title for bank teller. Voegel reflected on how much banking has changed since those first days without computers and automation. “Banking is easier now. We had to file checks one at a time. We had to run everything through this monster-sized proof machine and make sure everything all balanced,” she observed. I asked her if, in all those years, she had ever been robbed or accidentally locked in the safe. She said no with a smile, but did once catch a counterfeit hundred dollar bill in the night drop. “It just felt different,” the pro explained. Voegel has made some plans for whiling away her retirement time. “First, I want to clean my house really good,” she announced. She lives in the same house on Fletchall Street in Poseyville that her family moved into the day she was born. She resided there all these years taking care of her mother until her passing last July.
Sharon Voegel smiles as she begins her retirement journey after nearly 45 years at Fifth Third Bank in Poseyville. Photo by Lois Mittino Gray Voegel will continue the family tradition of hosting her entire large family at the house on Christmas. She has one sister and six brothers who still live in the local area. Together there are nineteen nieces and nephews, plus four more greats in the next generation. Their generous aunt makes sure that every one of them gets a gift at her Christmas celebration. “I love their company,” she said. Besides house care and party planning, Voegel likes to read romance novels, eat out with friends, watch television shows like NCIS, and take day travel trips. She is a member of St. Francis Catholic Church in Poseyville and is active in its Ladies Club. She is a familiar face at Autumnfest doing the club’s Chinese Auction. Will she spend time learning the latest technology and playing Pokemon Go, I asked teasingly. “Heavens no, I still use a flip phone!” she laughed. We wish her well in her retirement.