SINCE 1882 Successor to The Poseyville News & New Harmony Times POSEY COUNTY’S ONLY LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED NEWSPAPER
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Volume 136 Edition 39
Fiber-optic comes to E-911 here By Valerie Werkmeiser The Posey County Dispatch Center will soon have its own fiber-optic dedicated internet line courtesy of WOW Internet company. Dispatch has struggled with consistent internet service after midnight for quite some time. WOW usually runs maintenance in the after-midnight hours and this causes an interruption in service. E-911 Director Sabrina Harmes has asked the county commissioners in the past to pay for the dedicated line. Now, WOW has agreed to foot the bill for the service to be installed since they have not been able to come up with an alternative solution to provide consistent internet service without interruptions. A WOW representative spoke to the commissioners during their meeting last Tuesday. He stated the company will absorb the $9,400 cost in exchange for the county to agree to enter a 36-month contract. To sweeten the deal even more, there will be a $30 per month decrease in the cost for this service. Commissioner Jim Alsop made a motion to approve
the contract subject to county attorney Jacob Weis’ and IT consulants, AOS’, approval. Commissioners Jerry Walden and Carl Schmitz agreed. Dirt work will soon begin on the jail project. The commissioners agreed to separate the cost of the work out from the rest of the construction bid as requested by Garmong, the project coordinator. The $250,000 cost will not cause an increase to the entire construction bid that was previously approved by the commissioner. A representative from CHA addressed the commissioners regarding the 50/50 Crossings Grant from the Indiana Department of Transportation the county received in July. Bridge No. 95 over McAdoo Creek on Springfield Road will soon be replaced with these grant funds. The proposal from CHA includes design fees for new approaches in both directions, all permit work associated with the project and utility coordination. The ditch near the bridge is considered to be part of
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Mount Vernon High School seniors Adam Duckworth and Taylor Brooks were crowned football homecoming king and queen during festivities Friday night at the game. Photo by Garry Beeson
Proposed plant brings questions
Rick and Norma Pharr of Poseyville and their ‘Greased’ food truck happily fed attendees of the inaugural Grow Mount Vernon market. Grow Mount Vernon was well attended on Thursday afternoon at Mount Vernon’s Riverbend Park. The stand moved to Poseyville’s Autumnfest for the weekend. Photo by Zach Straw
By Pam Robinson On Tuesday, New Harmony Town President Alvin Blaylock fielded numerous questions about Hoehn Plastics’ proposal to lease its warehouse on the east side of New Harmony. As Lois Gray with the Posey County News reported last month, Hoehn has proposed a ten-year lease of its warehouse, situated on townowned land, once the Old Fairgrounds. Townspeople left with few answers about the leasing company, Trivalence. Blaylock reported negotiations are still underway to move the plastics extrusion company into town. About a half dozen residents had prepared questions regarding health, safety, environmental and financial concerns. Attorney Nathan Maudlin wanted to know, for example, if chemicals were released into the air during production. New Harmony business woman, Docey Lewis, asked along the same lines if water would be used in production and if it might get into the town water supply. In addition, residents asked about the likelihood of noise pollution and harsh odors coming from the plant. Speaking for all involved in the negotiations, Blay-
lock assured his audience no chemicals are released into the air at the plant. Likewise, he stated although water is used in production, it is recycled over and over again on the plant site. As far as noise pollution and harsh odors, he explained decibels cannot exceed the legal limit, and only a minute amount of fumes will escape the plant. He said the EPA would monitor emissions at the plant. Financial rewards top the list of reasons among town officials for bringing the plastics extrusion plant to New Harmony. Trivalence wants to bring up to 59 new jobs. Blaylock says the job growth may entice people to move to New Harmony and to open their pocketbooks at New Harmony shops and businesses. Moreover, the plastics plant would produce revenue for the Town of New Harmony with its rental of land at the Old Fairgrounds. Some town residents seem to believe, however, drawbacks may outweigh rewards. One resident emphasized, for instance, the need for jobs to pay employ-
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MSDMV final student count up By Lois Mittino Gray Members of the Mount Vernon School Board had fun learning how to play Minecraft on their computer devices at the September 19 board meeting. Freshman students Dylan Clark, Nathan Tanner, and eighth grader Haley Davis gave a presentation to the board about their trip on June 25-28 to give a presentation at the ISTE Conference in Colorado. All three students said it was a real confidence boost to speak before a large crowd and “basically teach teachers how to play a game we use in class.” Teacher Julie Kissinger said the Minecraft presentation was so popular that “we sold out 40 seats right away at a cost of $40-$50 to attend our workshop. We were asked to add another one and both were well attended.” The students received a check for their participation and those funds will be deposited in their after school Minecraft Club account to purchase new materials. The students raised half the money for the trip by putting on a school dance and selling concessions and candygrams on Valentine’s Day. The rest was donated by
sponsors such as Valero, Infinity Molding, and United Bank. “It was a meeting of international educators and technology use. People were amazed by our use of technology in the curriculum for a small town,” Kissinger said. The students loved going to the Exhibition Hall to see the latest technology and “cool 3-D printers.” School Superintendent Tom Kopatich announced the good news that the official ADM enrollment count on September 15 was 2,070 for the district. Last fall’s number was 2,056 and it was predicted that this year may get as low as 2,036. “This increase was a welcome surprise. It is a great sign for our school corporation as we are getting transfers in from outside the district.” In other board action: • authorized publication of the notice of a hearing for lease financing for the guaranteed energy savings projects. Representatives from Performance Services 2015 Miss Autumnfest Mia Schmitt stands with the newly crowned of Indianapolis reviewed the project. Energy Engineer 2016 Miss Autumnfest Johnna Mitchell at Poseyville’s Autumnfest PagRich Warner showed a slideshow of things that needed eant held Friday evening. For more photos on this event see Page A2. Continued on Page A14 Photo by Theresa Bratcher
Briefly Ground-breaking scheduled for PC Jail The Posey County Jail Expansion Ground-breaking ceremony will be held September 30, 2016, 1 p.m. at 1201 O’Donnell Road, Mount Vernon. St. Paul’s celebrates 200 years St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Poseyville, Indiana cordially invites the public to its 200 year anniversary on Sunday, October 16, 2016 at 2 p.m. St. Paul’s church is located at 46 South Cale Street in Poseyville, Indiana. Their facebook page is located at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Poseyville, Indiana. Friends of the Working Men’s Institute to host Chili Cook-Off The Friends of the Working Men’s Institute will hold their Annual Chili Cook-Off on Saturday, October 15 on the lawn of the Working Men’s Institute. The Cook-Off will be start at 11:30 a.m. and will go to 2:30 p.m., when the winner will be announced. Come and cast your vote for the best chili. Tasting tickets are just 50¢ each, plus hot dogs and cookies will also be available to purchase. If you or your organization would like to be part of the Cook-Off, there is still time to register. You can pick up a registration form at the Working Men’s Institute. Stewartsville UMC Chowder set for October 1 Stewartsville United Methodist Church will be holding its annual chowder Saturday, October 1. For carry-out get your name on the list by noon that day, chowder will be available for pick-up around 4 p.m. Dine in the basement where chowder, hot dogs, hamburgers, pie, cake, and drinks will be served beginning at 4 p.m. Whole pies and cakes will also be available. Mark your calendar and make plans to get some of the best chowder in Posey County. October 22 set for Honor Flight, Stories Needed The autumn 2016 Honor Flight to Washington DC will be October 22, 2016, with area veterans and their guardians spending an incredible day seeing the various memorials and being honored. If you know of a Posey County veteran going on this flight, please contact Cathy Powers to have a pre-flight interview. This also applies to former residents of Posey County who might be living elsewhere. 812-963-3890.
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(USPS SPS 4 439-500) 3 9 5 00
Harvest weekend craft fair Saturday By Lois Mittino Gray Want to know how to tell a venomous copperhead This Saturday Harmonie State Park will offer a full snake from its more common lookalike, the northern day of family fun starting with a walk/run down by the Banded Water Snake? You look them in the eyeball. Wabash River, crafts and food booth vendors, snake Copperheads have an elliptical catlike pupil, while and mushroom displays, a petting zoo, firetruck rides the water snake has a round black pupil. Park visitors and inflatables, and ending with a free evening con- will be able to do this little test and look the venomcert in the campground. ous animal in the eye The annual park Harsafely as a copperhead vest Weekend and Craft is one of ten snakes in Fair is loaded chock cages on display from full of activities for all the nature center at ages to enjoy in the O’Bannon State Park. warm autumn sunshine. A naturalist will be Held every year since on duty to let visitors 2007, the event is slathold the other snakes ed for October 1 in the if desired. In addition, swimming pool parking Wesselman Park Nalot. On that day, entry ture Center in Evansadmission to the park is ville will be bringing lowered to three dollars an Eastern Box Turtle, per vehicle. a tarantula and other “We have a wide arfascinating insects to ray of craft vendors meet. Farm animals Becky’s famous homemade jams and jellies will re- will be represented signed up this year and lots of good things to turn again this year on Saturday to the state park’s an- with a petting zoo. eat,” said Janet Werry, nual craft fair. Photo submitted Other educational Fair Coordinator and Park Office Manager. Vendors, displays include pioneer rope making and candle many from Illinois, will be selling garden glass ob- making, the traditional art of fishnet making, and potjects, wooden and glass flowers, American Girl doll tery. Local mushroom man David Hazlett with Moclothes, carved wood birds and animals, primitive relDawg will have a booth set up to teach about local handmade benches and signs, crocheted items, and mushroom identification. He plans to lead two hikes Becky’s famous homemade jellies. A variety of food that day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. booths are set to please the palate and a large kettle of Interested persons need to register for the hikes at his beans will bubble atop an open fire and served with Continued on Page A14 fresh cornbread.