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“Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain.” Since S ince 1882 1882 ~ Successor Successor tto oT The he P Poseyville oseyville N News ews a and nd T The he New Har Harmony Times • New Harmony, IN Posey County’s locally-owned newspaper
Tuesday Feb February bruary 22, 2011
(USPS SP PS 4 439-500) 39-5 500) Volume Volum me 130 0 Edition 8
Posey man faces charges in infant son’s death
Alex Lear is taken back to the Posey County Jail from the Posey County Courthouse. Photo by Dave Pearce, Courtesy of Fox 7 ABC News By Dave Pearce Valentine’s Day will never be the same for multiple members of the Posey County community. A four-month-old boy is dead and his biological father, Alex Lear, is in the Posey County Jail charged with murder and neglect of a Dependent Causing Death. 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 Valley Apartments on the north side of the town. Beloat said the Posey County EMS and the Mount Vernon Fire De-
partment 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.” The child has been identified as Bryson James Clardy. Reliable sources have indicated that Lear had been babysitting for his child and another three-year-old child of the woman on the date of the death. The other child had left the residence at some prior time that day. Lear is also reportedly the father of another small child who lives in Posey County. Beloat continued that local officials had been working with the office of the Warrick County Coroner Eddie Goff. An autopsy was conducted at around 11 a.m. on Wednesday and it was determined that the cause of death was, in fact, a homicide. According to the probable cause affidavit, Bryson had a fractured upper arm, brain swelling and multiple other bruises. Goff said that on the evening of Feb. 14, 2011, his office was advised of the death of a
The somber faces of Posey County Coroner Jay Price, Warrick County Coroner Jay Price, Mount Vernon Police Chief Grant Beloat, and Deputy Warrick County Coroner Don Harris tell part of the story as they face the media regarding the murder of a Mount Vernon infant this week. Photo by Pam Robinson. four-month-old child at Deaconess Gateway a.m. on Wednesday and it was determined Hospital in Warrick County. that the child died of blunt force trauma. “Upon investigation, my deputies found “Trauma was found in multiple areas of that there was significant cause to perform an the body of the child,” Goff said. “Anytime autopsy on this individual,” Goff said. Continued on Page A6 Goff said the autopsy was performed at 11
Health Fair here New Harmony Town Board President David Campbell has announced that students from the University of Southern Indiana will conduct a senior citizen health and wellness fair on Friday, Feb. 25, 2011, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. The event will be held at the Ribeyre Gymnasium and a complimentary light lunch will be served. Free screenings will be done in the areas of cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, BMI, and vision. Four electronic blood pressure machines will be given away. The event is sponsored by the USI College of Nursing and Health Professions and the New Harmony Town Council.
‘Meet Candidates’ slated The Posey County Democratic Women’s Club will sponsor Meet Your Candidates at Democrat Headquarters on February 24 at 7 p.m. Everyone is invited to attend and meet local Democrat candidates.
Orientation night set Orientation for students who will be entering seventh grade in the 2011-2012 school year will be held on Tuesday, March 15 at 6 p.m. at North Posey Junior High. Current sixth-grade students at North Elementary and South Terrace will receive their orientation packets prior to this evening. St. Wendel students should contact the school about prognosis testing and enrollment prior to orientation. Students should bring their seventh-grade orientation packet, along with the completed information forms, to orientation on March 15, 2011. Please call the school office at 673-6617 if you have any questions.
Winter gala set The Mount Vernon High School Winter Gala Formal Dance is to be held Saturday February 26, 2011, at the Posey County Fairgrounds Community Building from 7 until 11 p.m. This year’s theme is “A Red Carpet Affair,” with new DJ services and a light show. R&W Photography will be offering photo packages for $15/$20, payable that evening with a portion of proceeds to benefit MVMW. Tickets are $13 for a single and $22 per couple.
Yoga classes set New Harmony resident Molly Felder is now offering yoga classes at the Barn Abbey in New Harmony. Advanced yoga classes meet Mondays and Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. Beginners meet Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. Cost is $6 per class, with participants providing their own mats. To join or for more information, contact Molly Felder at 682-3015
A 74-year-old Wadesville woman, Norma Bonnell, was killed in this Friday morning accident on the Keck Bypass just east of Mount Vernon. Photo by Dave Pearce
Wadesville woman killed in Keck Bypass accident By Dave Pearce In a week filled with tragedy in Posey County, a Wadesville woman was killed in a head on crash on the William Keck Bypass northeast of Mount Vernon. The accident occurred around 8 a.m. According to Posey County Sheriff Greg Oeth, a grain truck
being driven by 48-year-old Alan Rubenacker of Dahlgran, Ill., was west-bound on the bypass when a Chrysler minivan crossed the center line into the path of the grain truck. The east-bound van was being driven by 74-year-old Norma Bonnell of Wadesville. According to the sheriff, Bonnell’s van crossed the center line
and into the path of an empty Freightliner grain truck. According to Posey County Coroner Jay Price, Bonnell was pronounced dead at the scene. Rubenacker was not injured. Routine drug and alcohol tests revealed that neither drugs nor alcohol were involved. Extrication equipment was used for more than half an hour.
New Posey Prosecutor Clowers faces ‘baptism by fire’ By Pam Robinson New Posey County Prosecutor Travis Clowers is becoming all too familiar with the spotlight. Within his first six weeks on the job, Clowers is faced with handling a murder trial at the same time he is waging war on drugs, namely meth, in Posey County. Before news of the murder broke, Clowers talked last Wednesday about working with Posey County judges and city and county law enforcement in tackling the meth problem. Already, he credits the team effort with a conviction in his first meth trial on Friday, Feb. 11. “I’m proud the transition has been smooth,” he says. “I’m proud of our staff. I’m honored to be working with the type of judges and police we have. But we are not satisfied. We’re working to make everything better and to address the problems we’re facing.” Clowers is especially pleased with local law enforcement. “We have a narcotics unit made up of an investigator from the prosecutor’s office, a city police officer, and a sheriff’s deputy. They’re an excellent team,” he says. “We have a plan to be more proactive. The investigations they are conducting, we can’t talk about; however, I think we’ll see great results from them.” In fact, Clowers singles out law enforcement for his highest praise.
Travis Clowers, who took the office of Posey County Prosecutor in early January, faces the media following the initial court appearance of Alex Lear this week. Photo by Dave Pearce “The city police officers and the sheriff’s hope the public knows what good officers we office—I’m just so impressed by the level of ex- have in this county.” pertise that the detectives have. I’m impressed One more ingredient is needed, however, to by the work ethic of the officers we have in this battle the war on meth—community involvecounty,” he comments. “They do a great job. I
Inside this issue...
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Through traffic on the bypass was closed for over two hours as representatives from the Posey County Sheriff’s Department, the Indiana State Police, the Black Township and Mount Vernon police departments responded to the accident scene. Members of the Posey County EMS were also called immediately to the scene.
Retrospective ................. A4 Legals .......................... B6-7 Classifieds ................. B9-10
Continued on Page A7
Go to www.poseycountynews.com Community ........... A5 Social ...................... A6 Deaths ................... A3 Sports ................... B1-6 School .................. A8 Business/Ag ........... A9
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