Dearborn County Register
thedcregister.com
155TH YEAR ISSUE NO. 33 $1
TUESDAY, AUG. 18, 2015
SUBMITTED PHOTOS
The Western Minerals building on the former Schenley property now is on the ground. All the debris is expected to be cleared away by October.
One building down, another set for remodel Vote three to one to make former food mart new Greendale city hall By Chris McHenry Contributor Despite opposition from Greendale Vice Mayor Al Abdon, a contract will be let in the near future for remodeling the former Greendale Food Mart to serve as the city’s new city hall. Following the Tuesday, Aug. 11, bid opening Abdon made a surprise announcement he was opposed to approving a bid because “there is a cheaper and better option: another building.” Later in the meeting, he identified
the structure as the Dearborn Savings Bank, 141 Ridge Ave. Abdon conducted the Aug. 11 city council meeting after mayor Doug Hedrick was called away by a family crisis. Council members Bob Bischoff and Bill Lansing were absent. That resulted in a three-to-one vote to move ahead with granting the contract for the food mart building, with council member Ty Bowell voting against it and urging the situation be taken under advisement for a month. Abdon then declared the motion had failed
because it required four votes or a majority of council to pass, and the three votes cast in favor of proceeding were not enough. He has since determined he was mistaken, and announced the vote to move ahead with the project in the former food mart will stand. Abdon told council the Greendale Redevelopment Commission, of which he is executive director, had been considering an alternative site for the past two years as part of the Heritage Village component to the Greendale Master Plan. Council members Vince Karsteter, Walt
Experts brainstorm to replace AEP jobs Part 1 of 2
Part 2 will appear in the Thursday, Aug. 20, Dearborn County Register. By Joe Awad Managing Editor
jawad@registerpublications.com
A super panel of job experts, including the department of commerce senior advisor to the president, exchanged ideas Friday, Aug. 14, in Lawrenceburg, as the initial step in re-employing at least 60 skilled workers who remain without jobs since the AEP electricity generating plant went dark in June. Hastily, but efficiently, arranged by UWUA Local 418, Lawrenceburg city administration, WorkOne and others, the two-hour session at Ivy Tech covered several topics from funding to marketing job skills. President Barack Obama’s Senior Advisor Jason Walsh was dispatched from the White House only 48 hours before the sessions, arriving about a half hour late be-
See BUILDING Page 10
$11.2M OK’d for courthouse annex building Funding source remains unknown “Let’s be reasonable about looking for a solution, not just critical. ... We have newsroom@registerpublications.com a courthouse right now that is not in compliance with the Dearborn County coun- law,” said Negangard, addcil members voted 4 to 2 ing the current courthouse Wednesday night Aug. 12, does not meet fire codes or to approve $11.2 million for comply with ADA requirea county courthouse annex ments. option recommended by “The reality is this has to county commissioners. be done.” No decision was made, The current courthouse however, on how it would also is not functional or safe be funded. At previous for county workers, he said. meetings, council members The proposed annex have mentioned wanting to would be built between the pay cash for courthouse and the project, administrawhich would “If this does pass, tion building likely wipe out in downtown the $9 million taxes will go up. Lawrenceburg. in the county’s We all know that. C o u n riverboat cacil members sino revenue If not next year Ryan Brandt, savings acMorris, then in the next Liz count. Bill Ullrich Several citi- couple years.” and Charlie zens expressed -Dan Lansing Keyes voted concerns infor approving cluding the Dearborn County Council the $11.2 milcost amid delion. Council clining riverboat revenue members Dennis Kraus Sr. funds; the need for so much and Dan Lansing voted no. storage space in a digital Council president only votes age; if the money would be to break a tie on the sevenbetter spent on a drug rehab member fiscal board. facility that would help Lawrenceburg Township lower crime rates and if the resident Christine Mueller current all-glass front facade also asked several question, was the best aesthetic or cost including if separate line effective option regarding items could be created for maintenance and upkeep. funding the annex project Talk about the need for to keep better track of the this annex due to space and funds. County auditor Gayle safety reasons started in Pennington said that was a 2002. It went from a $44 possibility if approved by million solution to $11.2 council members. At the million. The propose annex end of the meeting, county cannot be any smaller and administrator Terri Randall meet the minimum expand- asked for that decision to ing needs of the courts and be tabled until the county’s prosecutor’s office, said budget hearings in a couple Dearborn/Ohio County weeks. Prosecutor Aaron NeganSee ANNEX Page 10 gard. By Denise Freitag Burdette Assistant Editor
JOE AWAD/The Journal-Press
President Barack Obama’s Senior Advisor for the Department of Commerce Jason Walsh, sitting, confirms a point with Sherman Johnson, executive director of Ivy Tech’s Corporate College, who stressed many displaced AEP/Tanners Creek Plant workers have the skills and qualifications to consider jobs in the growing industrial maintenance field. cause of flight delays. A box state Small Business Admin- have the skills and qualificalunch and 1 1/2 hours later, istration, Indiana Manufac- tions to consider jobs in the he was on his way back to turing Extension Partnership, growing industrial mainteWashington, D.C. and several other work agen- nance field. The extraordinary round- cies. “They keep the machines, table gathering also includAmong the most impor- the systems in a plant operated representatives from the tant messages came from ing,” he said. “Every system Labor Institute of Training; Sherman Johnson, executive in that plant needs someone deputy assistant secretary of director of Ivy Tech’s Cor- to maintain it, trouble-shoot the nation’s economic devel- porate College, who stressed it, and repair it if it goes opment program; national/ many displaced AEP workers See JOBS Page 10
Three county farms receive Hoosier Homestead honor
During the celebration of the Year of the Farmer at the Indiana State Fair, Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann and Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Ted McKinney presented 67 families with a Hoosier Homestead Award in recognition of their commitment to Indiana agriculture. Three Dearborn County farms receive the award. Zinser Farms, established in 1846, and Vernon E. and Betty Jo Huber, farm established 1864, both received the sesquicentennial award for 150 years of ownership. Andwan-Hountz, established 1915, received the centennialm award for 100 years of ownership. To be named a Hoosier Homestead, farms must be owned by the same family for at least 100 consecutive years and consist of more than 20 acres or produce more than $1,000 of agricultural products per year. The award distinctions recognized are Centennial, Sesquicentennial, and Bicentennial. The ceremony this year had three
© REGISTER PUBLICATIONS, 2015
Wilson and Eddie Edwards insisted they had never been informed of the other possibility. Abdon added another use for the food mart building already is in negotiations but did not elaborate for what. Greendale paid $130,000 for the food mart building last fall at a Sheriff’s Sale. Both of the remodeling bids received were below the original engineer’s estimate of $449,000, with Maxwell Construction, Greendale, bidding $425,900 and the Poole Group, Dillsboro, bidding $441,100.
families receiving the Bicentennial Award. “For nearly 40 years, the Hoosier Homestead program has provided a wonderful opportunity for our state to recognize the rich heritage of farming in Indiana and how Hoosier family farms have been passed down from generation to generation,” noted Ell-
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spermann. “It is even more fitting that we are celebrating the Year of the Farmer at the Indiana State Fair as a way to honor and thank Hoosier farmers for being an integral part of our state’s legacy and future.” The 67 families honored this year join more than 5,000 Hoosier Homestead farms. Administered by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, semiannual recognition ceremonies are held in March during National Agriculture Month at the Indiana Statehouse and in August at the Indiana State Fair. The program, instituted in 1976, recognizes the contributions these family farms have made to the economic, cultural and social advancements of Indiana. There are two Hoosier Homestead ceremonies each year. One is at the State House in March and the other is during the State Fair in August. The deadline for the March ceremony is Dec. 1, and the deadline for the August ceremony is May 1.
WEATHERforecast
Today: High: 83 Low 70 Wed: High: 83 Low: 63
INSIDE TODAY
OBITUARIES...................2
SPORTS.....................8-9