August 28, 2012 - The Posey County News

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“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 August 28, 2012

$1.00

Volume 132 Edition 35

Timothy Lear faces 60 years in son’s murder River Days Parade to honor This year, the Mount Vernon River Days committee wants to honor all Posey County teachers. If students want to honor a specific teacher in the parade, or a classroom or the entire school wants to be in the parade, they are welcome.

Relay mums available Relay for Life teams from St. Francis and St. Paul’s are selling locally-grown 9 inch mums for $8 each, to benefit Relay for Life. They are taking orders now through September 1 with delivery on September 8. Like us on Facebook and check it color information.

NP Class 1967 Reunion North Posey Class of 1967 will hold their 45th class reunion on Saturday, September 15, 2012, at the Silver Bell in St. Wendel beginning at 6 p.m. If you are a member of the class and have not received you invitation or have questions feel free to call Maddy Overton 812-499-4124 or Irma Donner at 812-457-5390.

By Dave Pearce Timothy Alexander Lear was sentenced in Posey Superior Court on Friday to 60 years for the Valentine’s Day murder of his 4-monthold son. “The judge looked at his criminal history…his background, the nature of the offense and the youth of the victim” Posey County Prosecutor Travis Clowers said of the sentence. “And the grandmother (Sandy Thompson) of the victim read a letter to the court during the sentencing hearing.” It took a jury only about an hour in July to find Timothy Alexander “Alex” Lear, 25, guilty of murdering his 4-month-old son, Bryson James Clardy, in February of 2011. Lear was also found guilty of the charge of neglect of a dependent

resulting in death and battery on a child resulting in death, both Class A felonies. With good time credit, Lear could conceivably be released in half that time but Clowers said good time credit is not automatic. “He is eligible for good time credit but good time is figured by the Indiana Department of Corrections so to say he will receive good time credit isn’t a certainty. He may get it and he may not,” Clowers concluded. According to testimony at the trial, 13 separate injuries were documented on the infant, including brain damage and bruises that medical experts had testified were from somebody holding and squeezing the baby tightly, as well as a bruise on his forehead, a fist-sized bruise

Boy Scouts Sponsor run Boy Scout Troop 387 will host a 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, September 29 during Autumnfest in Poseyville. We hope to make this an annual event. A Facebook event has been created under: Boy Scout Troop 387-5K Run.

Food Pantry booth set After 38 years on the job, North Posey custodian Judy Christmas packs these bags for the last time. Photo by Dave Pearce

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Lily Pad meeting set The newly formed Lily Pad Cancer Support Group will hold its first meeting Monday, September 17, starting at 6 p.m. and ending promptly at 8 p.m. Mount Vernon General Baptist Church, 1717 N. Main Street, has agreed to host the group monthly every third Monday. For more info, call Connie Pearce at 459-4812 or Chris Hoehn at 682-3905.

St. Francis celebrates

Demo Women to meet All are invited to the Posey County Democratic Women’s Club annual picnic which will be held at the Mount Vernon Conservation Club on Sunday, September 9, 2012, beginning at 4:30 p.m. Fried chicken, rolls, soft drinks, and table service will be provided. Everyone is asked to bring a side dish or dessert. All are invited to attend and meet local Democratic candidates.

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By Pam Robinson This past Sunday, long-time Griffin resident Judy (Sharp) Christmas celebrated her retirement after 38 years in the Metropolitan School District of North Posey. Everyone knows, however, the party isn’t really over. The 1967 North Posey graduate punched the time clock for the last time as a full-time custodian at the junior high on Monday, August 13, and on Thursday, August 16, she marched back there as a classroom sub. Actually, Christmas has taught as a substitute teacher almost as long as she has served as second shift custodian—for the past 12 years of her 15-year custodial career. She has thought nothing of working from dawn to dark, 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., just so she could continue to interact with the kids she loves. Last year alone, she subbed 70 out of 180 school days. Before she signed on as custodian, Christmas ran a school bus for 23 years—the last three of those

Kunstfest dinner

St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Poseyville is hosting their 125th anniversary celebration on Sunday, September 16. The church welcomes the entire community to share in their joyous occasion. Following a 10:30 a.m. mass, a pork chop dinner will be served at noon. Hot dogs will be available to children and everyone will enjoy ice cream for dessert. Old fashioned games will be played from 12:30 p.m. 3 p.m.and a wiffleball game will begin at 3 p.m.

Valley Apartments on the north side of the town. Beloat said the Posey County EMS and the Mount Vernon Fire Department also responded to the call. “The call was in response to the call that a four-month-old child who was not breathing and was unresponsive,” Beloat said. “The child received medical attention and was transported to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville at approximately 8:03 p.m. The child received medical attention at that facility and was then transferred to Deaconess Gateway Hospital in Warrick County where at approximately 11:45, the child was pronounced dead.” Lear had been babysitting for his

No more (Judy) Christmas at NPJHS

The Kunstfest Pork Chop Dinner will be held at the Holy Angel’s air-conditioned Catholic Community Center on Sept. 15 from 3:30 - 6 p.m. Adults $10 and children $6. Featuring Dewig’s 7/8” chops.

The Mount Vernon Food Pantry will have a booth at River Days. There will have games for the kiddos (with prizes!), and some great baskets for raffling as well. The group will accept all monetary and food donations while there also. If you are interested in helping by volunteering at the booth with pantry volunteers, that opportunity will be available. The group will need plenty of help.

on the stomach and a spiral fracture of the arm, consistent with arm twisting. A jury of seven women and five men served in the trial where jury selection began on Monday of this week in Posey Circuit Court. “The maximum sentence that Lear could have received for this offense was 65 years and he received 60 years,” Clowers said. “Nothing is going to bring Bryson back but it is very comforting to know that a very dangerous person is not going to be in our community for a very long time.” According to Mount Vernon Police Chief Grant Beloat, on the evening of Feb. 14, 2011, at approximately 7:20 p.m., the Mount Vernon Police Department responded to Apt. No. 53 at Green

Standing behind Margaret Vogel, wife of the late Dr. Gordon Vogel, are (L to R) Mr. Kiyoshi Sawamura of Tokyo and three of Mrs. Vogel’s children--Stanley, Gordon, and Ann. In one of several visits between the families, Sawamura came to Mount Vernon last week to attend the 50th reunion of the Class of 1962, with whom both he and Stanley Vogel graduated. Now 69 years old, Sawamura, a retired international businessman, was honored at the reunion as the first foreign exchange student who ever attended MVHS. Photo by Pam Robinson

Posey Council looks for ways to stop paying rent for NH ambulance By Valerie Werkmeister Members of the Posey County Council wonder if they may be able to stop paying rent for its ambulances to be housed within the New Harmony Fire Department. The topic is not something new that the council has debated. When the issue of adding a fourth ambulance to assist coverage throughout the entire county came up, the communities of Poseyville and Marrs Township agreed to waive ambulance housing rental fees. The situation differs in New Harmony since both the council and Posey County Commissioners signed approval for a grant to help fund the construction of a new fire department in New Harmony. Council president Bob Gentil advised that the grant was signed in 2010. The grant was funded based on the fact that the council pays a monthly rental fee of $360 to the department. In order for New Harmony to stay within compliance of their grant funding requirements, the monthly payments must continue. Councilman Tom Schneider questioned whether there was a review or evaluation time for the grant in which the council might be able to withdraw their agreement to pay the monthly rental fees. Attorney Beth McFadin-Higgins stated the date has already passed to do something for the upcoming year, however they may be able to begin the process for the following year. Higgins will do some research to determine what course of action the council should take. The council then approved the Emergency Medical Services’ request for an additional appropriations of $2,880 to pay six months’ worth of rent to New Harmony. The Emergency Management Agency’s (EMA) request for an additional appropriation line be added to their budget to purchase office furniture sparked a bit of a debate among council members. The EMA was not requesting additional funds,

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MSD Mount Vernon chooses insurance provider By Pam Robinson At its Monday, August 20, meeting, the Mount Vernon School Board approved insurance carriers for personnel as recommended by the District Insurance Committee. Their vote encompassed health, dental, Life and accidental death and dismemberment, or AD & D, and long-term disability, or LTD, insurance coverage. Anthem was selected to finish the three-year contract with Welborn Health Plans since Welborn is exiting the insurance market. The contract runs from October 1 this year through September 30, 2013 and allows employees to choose from a $500 deductible PPO plan, a $1,500 deductible PPO plan, and a

$3,000 deductible High Deductible Health Plan, or HDHP, with Health Savings Account, or HAS—with this last option available beginning January 1, 2013. Employees will no longer have access to a $100 deductible plan. Employee premiums for Anthem insurance were outlined by Loren Evans, Director of Business and Technology. His chart revealed the rate increase or decrease in transitioning from Anthem to Welborn: The board’s voted renewed the contract with HRI Dental, beginning October 1 this year and running through September 30, 2014. The continued coverage comes with a 2 percent rate increase with no change in benefit.

Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD & D) insurance will be supplied by Guardian on a 3-year contract from October 1 this year through September 30, 2015. Their premiums allow a 21 percent rate decrease. Likewise, Guardian will provide long-term disability (LTD) insurance, also on a 3-year contract from October 1 this year through September 30, 2015. This premium allows for a 17 percent rate decrease. The administration hopes to bring a recommendation to the next meeting on vision insurance. Once again, Guardian seems to offer the best value, but the insurance committee wants to ensure an adequate level of coverage.

Retrospective ................. A4 Legals........................... B8-11 Classifieds .................. B12-14

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Go to www.poseycountynews.com

Inside this issue...

ThePCN

In other business: •The board confirmed the employment of the following personnel: Laura Boarman, high school cafeteria; Maryanne Clowers, speech pathologist (90 percent) at Farmersville and the junior high; Heather Creek as special education teacher assistant at the high school; Kristina Griffin, remediation teacher assistant (32 percent) at West; Shelley Paris, computer lab teacher assistant at the junior high; Mary Paul, remediation teacher assistant for remediation (68 percent) and for after school program (32 percent); Melanie Potts, remediation teacher assistant at West; Lori Red-

Community ........... A5 Social ...................... A6 Deaths.................... A3 Sports ................... B2-7 General ................ A8 Bus/Ag.............. A9

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