August 8, 2014 - The Posey County News

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KECK GONNERMAN PHOTOS INSIDE...

Since 1882 ~ Successor to The Poseyville News and The New Harmony Times • New Harmony, IN

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Tuesday, August 5, 2014

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Volume 134 Edition 31

Challenge issued in candidacy for Posey Assessor By Dave Pearce Interpretation of a relatively new qualification requirement to run for the office of Posey County Assessor will be required before a Posey County woman’s name can appear on a November General Election Ballot. The Posey County Election Board, consisting of Republican Posey County Clerk Betty Postaltheweight, Democratic representative Ron Bennett, and Republican David Whitten, will be left to make the decision. Posey County Democratic Chairman Ed Adams has indicated that interpretation of ‘certified’ could determine whether former Assessor office employee Sherry Lueder will be on the Posey County ballot in November.

Lueder had been chosen by the Democratic Party to run for the office now held by Nancy Hoehn. No Democratic candidate had filed to run for the office in the Primary election so a caucus was held and Lueder was appointed to fill the vacancy. But in a move on July 18, Posey County Republican Party Chairman Greg Newman filed a ‘Candidate Filing Challenge’ with the Posey County Election Board claiming that at the time of her filing, Lueder was not sufficiently qualified to hold the office of Assessor because of lack of certification as a level three assessor-appraiser. In his challenge, Newman’s attachment simply stated, ‘Pursuant to Indiana Doce-Section 3-8-1-

23(c) a candidate for the office of County Assessor who runs in an election after January 1, 2012, must have attained the certification of a level three assessor-appraiser under IC 6-1.1-35.5. I request that Ms. Lueder provide her certification as a level three assessor-appraiser in order to validate he candidate filing for the office of Posey County Assessor.’ But Adams contends that Lueder had finished the requirements for level three prior to filing for candidacy. Adams says the discrepancy comes simply because Lueder simply had not received ‘a piece of paper’ prior to filing for candidacy. “The DLGF has sent down an email that basically says she was ‘certified’ on May 2,” Adams con-

tends. “The certificate was not issued until July 21. Those are facts and I am not disputing that. Where the conflict comes is the law says she must have attained level three certification prior to filing. By her being certified on May 2, that’s when she attained her certification. Just because she didn’t get a certificate until after the fact, nowhere in the language does it say that she needed a paper certificate.” Adams said it is now in the hands of the local election board. He indicated that he has been in contact with the state election board and they have indicated it is up to the local election board to make the call. “If they decide not to allow her to be on the ballot, the only alterna-

tive we have is to take it to the Circuit Court,” Adams said. “We are prepared to do that. I don’t like to go there and I don’t think we need to go there but if that’s the course Mr. Whitten chooses to go, that’s where we will go.” But Republican County Chairman Greg Newman indicates that things are not nearly as cut and dry as Adams claims. “It is my understanding that in order to be a candidate for assessor, they must have their level three certification either on or before the date they file papers for election,” Newman indicated. “The question came up in an election board meeting as they were looking at who

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Posey man dies in Sunday morning wreck Special to the News side. The Posey County Sheriff’s Upon arrival deputies found Department is investigating a sin- a tan 2000 Chevrolet Silverado gle vehicle crash that claimed the truck, which had left the roadlife of the driver. way and was at rest On Sunday mornin the ditch with the ing, at approximotor still running. mately 4:01 a.m., The preliminary Posey County Sherscene investigaiff’s Deputies and tion indicates that emergency personthe driver was atnel were dispatched tempting to drive to Maier Road the vehicle out of between Spencer the ditch. At some Ditch Road and point the driver’s Slim Pond Road. A head protruded passerby notified through the opened David A Crawford the Posey County driver’s door win911 Dispatch Center that a pick- dow, and struck a tree at the edge up truck had been discovered in a of the ditch. ditch with a male individual who Posey County EMS paramedics was unresponsive on the driver’s and fire department medics were

unsuccessful in their resuscitation efforts. Posey County Coroner Jay Price pronounced the driver dead at the scene. The driver of the vehicle was identified as 33-year-old David A. Crawford of rural Mount Vernon. The coroner’s office has ordered a post-mortem examination, which was performed at the Vanderburgh County Morgue facility, in Evansville, on Monday, August 4, 2014. Official results were not available at press time. The Posey County Sheriff’s Department was assisted in this investigation by members of the Black Township Fire Department, Point Township Fire Department, Posey County EMS, and Posey County Coroner’s Office. The investigation is continuing.

Geology exhibit grand opening set By Lois Mittino Gray Dr. Bill Elliott and Aaron Feldhaus have had rocks in their head all summer and people will be able to enjoy the results of it on August 7. The dynamic duo has been working hard for weeks redoing the rock and minerals and geology of New Harmony exhibit at the Working Men’s Institute. The finished display will be unveiled at 7 p.m. Thursday at the historic library, as well as the newly redone meeting room and newly dedicated red oak tree. The public is invited to attend the Bicentennial celebration event. Dr. Elliott, Chairman of the Geology and Physics Departments at the University of Southern Indiana, began thinking about the project when local resident Tom Straw put a bug in his ear about the possibility of doing the WMI refurbishing. From there, Elliott spoke with Historic New Harmony Director Connie Weinzapfel about using some additional artifacts and specimens from the Keppler House in the display. This approval gave him the impetus needed to submit a proposal for grant money from Historic New Harmony that was approved. Elliott also received the Darryl Bingham Award

from Historic Southern Indiana and those funds were added to the budget. Planning began in January with WMI Director Ryan Rokicki and Historic New Harmony Community Engagement Manager Catherine Cotrupi in full support. Actual work started about the middle of June with Aaron on board as a working intern to assist Dr. Elliott with the projects. The two of them sorted geologic specimens and catalogued them into a

database, collected historic maps and documents, deconstructed old exhibits and built platforms for the seven cabinets making up the display. They wrote text to be printed for each display background. The three largest display cases will tell the story of New Harmony’s famed geologists. The first will feature the work of William Maclure, the ‘Father of American

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Intern Aaron Feldhaus and Dr. Bill Elliott (right) hold the fluorite specimens that are their favorites in the display they will unveil on Thursday August 7 at 7 p.m., at the Working Men’s Institute.

Briefly

Wonderful Wabash Canoe Event to be held August 23 The Posey County Soil and Water Conservation District in conjunction with the Wabash River Heritage Corridor Commission and Harmonie State Park are hosting the Wonderful Wabash Canoe Event. The trip will start at Harmonie State Park at the Wabash River Access and end at Dogtown Ferry Boat Ramp. Canoes, paddles and life vests are available for rent or you can bring your own equipment. This 10 and one-half mile trip will conclude with a celebration lunch. Participants will also receive a t-shirt. There is no age restriction, but children should be able to swim and sit for four to five hours. The trip is Saturday, August 23, 2014. Check in will start at 7:30 a.m. and launch time is 8 a.m. The trip will take four to five hours depending on water levels and experience. Registration fee is $10. Equipment rental fee is $25/canoe. Call Carrie Parmenter at the Posey County SWCD at (812) 838-4191 ext. 3 or at carrie. parmenter@in.nacdnet.net to register or if you have questions. Space is limited so registrations are required. Mount Vernon - Black Township Parks and Recreation announce Riverbend Park events The Mount Vernon-Black Township Parks and Recreation Department would like to announce that it has two Riverbend Park After Dark events this weekend. On Friday, August 8 we will be hosting another live music night. The community is invited to come out and take a stroll around the park, enjoy some laid back music, and visit the concession stand, which will be run by the Mount Vernon Key Club. Activities start around 6 p.m. Saturday, August 9 is a make up for the movie that was rained out July 26. We will be showing the silent film compilation Days of Thrills and Laughter featuring Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, and Harry Houdini. Concession will be handled by Scout Troop 397 and will start around 7 p.m. Movie begins at dark.

Retrospective ...... A 4 Legals ............... B 4 - 6 Classifieds ........ B 7 - 8 Community ......... A 5

Deaths .............. ...A3 Church ................ A 7 Social .................. A 5 School ................. A 6

Brenda Drone enjoys the time she spends working in her small yard about as much as the time she spends enjoying the fruits of her labor. Photo by Dave Pearce

Drone is living proof home is where you are

By Dave Pearce at the place, she really thought she There have been a lot of things needed another bedroom. But once said about ‘home’ over the years. she considered the practicality of Some of the more common things the small home for just herself and you hear about home are ‘a man’s her dog, and its proximity to New home is his castle,’ ‘home is what Harmonie Healthcare, she decided you make it,’ and ‘Home is where she could make it work. the heart is.’ “After I moved in, some of my But another common saying that friends came around and said, ‘If can translate into the meaning of I could get rid of my big house, I home is simply this, ‘it’s not the would do the same thing you are size of the dog in the fight but rath- doing,’” she said. er the size of the fight in the dog.’ Drone’s mother passed away For Brenda four years ago Drone of The secret of happiness, you and she has conNew Har- see, is not found in seeking tinued to make mony, all the improvements above could more, but in developing the around the little capacity to enjoy less. prove to be home. One of true. the first things -Socrates Several she did was years ago, after moving to Indiana paint it yellow. Few people in New from Arkansas, Drone moved into a Harmony are unaware of the neat 650-square-foot facility that ranked little yellow house on Third Street. somewhere between a portable ofOnce she was able to buy the fice building and a small garage. home, improvements began to And, according to Drone, it had just come faster, but still only as she about the same amount of insula- could afford them and pay for them. tion as either of those. “I planted a few rose bushes and So on a limited budget, she be- things like that before I bought it. I gan to improve the things that did have always done this in any place not cost an incredible amount, even I have lived,” she explained. “The though she was only renting the funny part of this is that people Third Street property at the time. have given me so many of the flowAfter making improvements as a ers. And, the guy down the street renter for two years, three years ago had the trailer down the street. His she was able to find a way to buy mom lived there and had every the small place she calls home. kind of flower you could imagine. “I saw the ‘For Sale’ sign be- I stopped one day and asked him if cause we I was living in Wadesville I could have the bricks that he was and the people we were renting the going to throw away and he told me duplex from lost their property,” that anything I wanted, I could just Drone explained. “I was looking up come and get.” here because I had had to bring my So she has taken advantage of mother up here to the nursing home. the bricks and the flowers and her So I called (real estate agent) Rick neighbor across the street gives her Mileham and he said he would get mulch when he has extra. She also ahold of Larry (Horton, the home- has a carport now. owner), and let him know I didn’t “My friend down the street really want to buy a place at that owned it when she lived sometime but that I would be interested where down around Mount Vernon in renting.” Continued on Page A8 Drone said when she first looked

Sports ...................B 3 Bus/Ag ................ A 6 Opinion ............... A 2 TV Guide........ A9-10


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