T
P C N SINCE 1882 Successor to The Poseyville News & New Harmony Times POSEY COUNTY’S ONLY LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED NEWSPAPER
Volume 139 Edition 33
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
$1.00
Posey’s bridges in need of attention By Lois Mittino Gray The Posey County Commissioners met on Tuesday morning, August 6 at the Hovey House. Commission President Carl Schmitz introduced the new County Auditor Meagan Greenwell, serving at her first public meeting, since she started the position just the day before. Bob Bullard, Resident Engineer with CHA Consulting, Inc. of Evansville, presented a report on five county bridges. He was introduced by Posey County Highway Superintendent Steve Schenk, who explained that all county bridges are on a rotating schedule to be inspected every two years as required by law. Bullard said only five bridges are featured in this year’s re-
Little Crawford Renner, the soon-to-be one-year-old son of Alysia Renner and Godson of Posey County surveyor Adam Bigge, enjoys his first Saint Philip Social. Just a little over one year ago, the one pound and eight ounce infant was fighting for his life and after 99 days in NICU, he was able to come home. Photo by Dave Pearce
port, since three others are being repaired “proactively” by the county already. “All five are metal truss bridges. Four go over the Black River and the other spans over Big Creek. They are all degrading, being made of iron and rusting,” he said. Bridge Number 13, on Raben Road over Big Creek, is the one in the “worst shape”, according to Bullard. “It continues to degrade and it is so long that it would be an astronomical amount to replace this structure.” The bridge, which gets underwater often when floods occur, presently has a seven ton load limit, suitable for passenger vehicles, but not school busses.
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This vehicle, belonging to McCrite Milling of New Albany, Ind., overturned on the Stewartsville Road just north of Poseyville on Saturday morning. The driver escaped serious injuries. A Posey County Sheriff’s Deputy indicated the driver of the vehicle had run off the road and overcorrected, causing the turnover. Photo by Dave Pearce
Summer projects are nearly done at MSDMV By Lois Mittino Gray Bimonthly meetings of the Mount Vernon School Board have moved back to the library of the Mount Vernon Junior High School, after a summer hiatus. The meetings were moved to the high school while HVAC repairs were being done to the junior high in the interim. The August 5, meeting focused on personnel matters for the upcoming school year, reports on summer projects, routine business and a lengthy budget presentation led by Director of Business Loren Evans. School Superintendent Matt Thompson reported on summer project progress. “All are close to being finished. Those that are not as yet will have minimal impact on students. We still have some issues with temperature regulation of the new HVAC at the junior high. It has to do with how they balance the system. I expect things with that will be back to normal by mid-September,” he said. “Farmersville Elementary has some things that still need to be completed, but I walked around today and it looks good, and the staff are all back into their classrooms.” “The football field artificial Sprinturf is now installed. In fact, tonight is the open house and first practice on the field. David (Frye) assures me we will have the scoreboard ready before we play the first game,” Dr. Thompson continued. The ribbon cutting and dedication date for the field is set for half time of the first game against Heritage Hills on Friday, August 23. The Superintendent said they ran into a little snag with the budget during the process, but several donors stepped forward and helped pay anything else needed. He thanked Director Frye for his hard work on projects all summer. Personnel changes involved confirmation of employment and acceptance of resignations. Katie Bushard was hired as a sixth grade teacher at the junior high, replacing Michael Beam III whose resignation was accepted. Heather Cash, Lacey Rhea, and Charlene Wiethop were confirmed as teacher assistants in Special Education at the junior high. Rhea will also work at the high school. Charles Stuart Jr. will be a teacher assistant working the detention center at the junior high, replacing Sarah Henning, whose resignation was accepted. Kamie Richardson will be
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Celebrating the swearing in of the new Posey County Chief Deputy Prosecutor this week are Judge Craig Goedde, Prosecutor Thomas Clowers, Dr. Migual Lugo, Lynette Lugo, Javier Lugo, Sarah Woods, and Judge Travis Clowers. Photo by Theresa Bratcher
Lugo is Chief Posey deputy prosecutor Posey County Prosecutor Thomas Clowers has a new Chief Deputy. Javier Lugo, previously a deputy prosecutor with the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office since 2012, was recently named Posey County’s new Chief Deputy Prosecutor. “I’m thrilled for the opportunity to work with Javier,” Clowers stated. “He brings a new energy and enthusiasm to Posey County, as well as a wealth of knowledge and experience he obtained as a deputy prosecutor in Vanderburgh County. I have no doubt Javier will be an incredible asset to Posey County law enforcement.” Originally from Florida, Lugo attended University of Florida for his undergraduate studies. Lugo then obtained his Juris Doctor at University of Miami School of Law, where he met his wife, Sarah Woods, an Evansville native.
During his time in the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office, Lugo prosecuted a wide variety of criminal cases – including major felony victim crimes, cases involving child abuse and sexual abuse, major felony drug and gun offenses, property crimes, as well as crimes involving domestic violence. “I am honored and grateful for this opportunity to serve the people of Posey County,” said Lugo. “I very much look forward to getting to know and working alongside local law enforcement and members of the community. I am proud to represent victims and survivors of crimes as they seek justice under the law, and I will prosecute with aggressiveness and integrity in ensuring that Posey County remains a safe place to live and raise a family.” Judge Craig Goedde performed Lugo’s swearing-in ceremony on Friday, August 9 in the Posey Circuit Court.
Pulse on the community Watchdog of local government keeps officials on their toes
Paula Rudibaugh
(USPS 439-500)
By Lois Mittino Gray Mount Vernon resident Paula Rudibaugh watches how city and county agencies spend public monies. She wonders why more citizens don’t do so. Oftentimes, other than media representatives, she is the only person in the audience or one of just a handful in attendance at a public meeting. Rudibaugh attends at least nine public meetings a month. This includes two each of Mount Vernon School Board, Mount Vernon Board of Works, Mount Vernon Common Council, and the Posey County Commissioners. She attends the one monthly meeting of the Posey County Council, too. In addition, if there is an issue of interest, she will go to the Mount Vernon Parks and Recreation Board and Alexandrian Public Library Board meetings. At all times, the ‘community watchdog’ takes notes and listens to discussion, quietly asking questions of members afterwards, and making astute comments. “When I first started going to meetings, I
The Golden Years thought they would be packed with observers. No one seems to question money issues anymore. I want to see what goes on with tax money. Some of the amounts for projects are massive,” she noted. “Some things I know I can’t change, but I like to know what is happening.” Paula first started to go to meetings several years ago when she was involved in a tax referendum issue with the local school board. “My husband, Ken went with me at first to those meetings, but now he can’t sit on those chairs that long with his health problems. I appreciate my good friend, Nancy Sexton, who attends many meetings with me and takes notes. It’s nice to have a partner in crime.” Paula often attends these meetings after working a long day as a part-time medical records coder for Deaconess Hospital. A
graduate of Mount Vernon High School in 1962, she attended the University of Evansville School of Nursing and became a registered nurse in 1966. She started at Welborn Hospital and worked there “until its doors closed.” She moved on to St. Mary’s Hospital to complete her almost thirty year career in bedside nursing, management services, and coding. Afterwards, she was asked to do part-time outpatient coding for Deaconess Hospital and has been at it for eleven years. “I am considered supplemental staff, so I go in two days a week. I like to see people and it gets me out in public. I have to put on makeup and panty hose two days a week, that’s enough! I go in very early. I know how the stoplights are timed in Evansville and can make it in fast,” she said with a smile. Rudibaugh lives in Mount Vernon with Ken, her husband of thirty years. They have a ‘blended family’ of four children and nine
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