The Press-Dispatch
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Local �����A1-10 Obituaries ��C7 Sports �����B1-6 Classifieds ��B7-8 Church ����C1-3 Home Life C4-6 School ����C8-9 Gibson C10-13 History �����C14 WHAT'S INSIDE: CONNECT WITH US: NetEdition ��� pressdispatch�net/edition Facebook ���� facebook�com/pressdispatch E-Mail ��������� news@pressdispatch�net Phone: �������812-354-8500 Fax: ������������812-354-2014 E-Mail � editor@pressdispatch�net NEWS TIPS: PIKE PUBLISHING Wednesday, September 18, 2019 Volume 149 Number 39 Phone 812-354-8500 Petersburg, IN 47567-0068 (USPS 604-34012) $ 1 Three sections 32 pages Four inserts See FESTIVALS on page 2 See PETERSBURG on page 2 By Andy Heuring Friday night is the kickoff for both the Winslow and Monroe City Fall Festivals. Winslow's annual Fall Festival is set for Friday and Saturday, September 20 -21. It will kick off with a beauty pageant at 6 p.m. on Friday at the corner of Center and Main sts. Registration for the flea market starts at 4 p.m. on the parking lot beside Center and Main Sts. The flea market will run all day on Saturday. In Riverside Park, Saturday's events start with a breakfast by the Winslow Lions Club at 8 a.m. The kayak rides and flea market also open at 8 a.m. The kayak float down the Patoka River will have about 20 boats available and will run from the "Old Depot Bridge" on CR 350 E. about two miles downstream to River- side Park. Chris Clement and Nicole Evans will be working the float. A van will shuttle peo- ple from the park up to the put-in point. It is $1 per person, with a maximum of $5 for a family. Lunch by the Lions Club will be served at 11 a.m. Lowell Thomas will provide musical en- tertainment beginning at 11 a.m. as well. The Lions Club Citizen of the Year Award will be announced at noon. At the same time, there will be a frozen T-shirt contest at Main and Center sts. Gary and the Outlaws will perform in Riv- erside Park beginning at 1 p.m. The Main and Center sts. stage will also have musical entertainment. The Light-up Winslow Parade is set to begin at 9 p.m., with line-up beginning at 8 p.m. It will start at the Fire Department and go north on Main St. to the Little League park. Also, there will be inflatables and games for children throughout the day. MONROE CITY FALL FEST SEPT. 20-22 The Monroe City Fall Festival is set for Friday through Sunday, September 20 -22 and is based at the Blue Jeans Communi- ty Center. Friday night, they will have a spaghet- ti dinner from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., with food booths, vendors and inflatables. A dodge- ball tournament for all ages begins at 6 p.m. By Andy Heuring The following is proof we live in a small world. A South Dakota woman is now try- ing to connect to a family with Petersburg roots. She recently contacted The Press-Dis- patch about a baby book she found some 20 years ago. Terra Knipp writes: I live in Surrey, N.D. Twenty-years ago, I was in St. Josephs, Mich., at an antique store. In the back of the store, under a mound of dust, I found a baby book. My two-year-old son had just died and I couldn't leave the book behind. It belonged to someone. Years have gone by and I was cleaning out my son's things and came across this book that was with my son's. I would like to find the family this belongs to. Here is the information I have for the book: The baby's name is John Wilber Fore- man. He was born in Petersburg, Ind., on September 14, 1912. His parents were J.W. and Drew Seller Foreman. His doctor was T.R. Rice, his minister was Dr. John Pouch- er. Below is a photo of the book and a little photo that was inside. Someone loved this little boy and I would love to make sure this gets back into his family's hands. If anyone knows the Foreman family or their whereabouts, contact Andy Heuring at 812-354-8500. See photos on page A-6. Small world: South Dakota woman finds baby book from Petersburg family Area festivals begin Friday in Winslow, Monroe City Render faces two felonies; in court Wednesday By Janice Barniak A Pike County teacher accused of two fel- onies—domestic battery in the presence of a child and strangulation—appeared in court last Wednesday and was appointed an attorney. Christopher Render, a business teach- er at Pike Central High School, is accused of the level six felonies following a Sept. 1 altercation with his wife, Krystal Render, who told police her husband threatened her cat before strangling her in front of her chil- dren, according to the probable cause affi- davit filed by Sgt. Bruce Vanoven. The night before, she said she'd turned down an opportuni- ty to attend what the probable cause affi- davit called a "swing- ers party" and when at the laundromat, she received two text messages from her husband. The first, sent at Sept. 1 at 6 p.m., was a message that po- lice say read, "Since you (expletive delet- ed) me out of the party, I am taking the cat and dropping it off in the middle of no- where," with a photo of the cat. The second message was, police say, "(Expletive deleted) with me again." According to the wife, she went home to look for the cat, resulting in a confrontation in the living and kitchen area, where two ju- venile children were on the couch. The af- fidavit then describes Render pulling the hair tie from his wife's hair before covering her nose and mouth with a hand and apply- ing pressure to the throat, an act the affi- davit said the children told police they saw. The wife told police she could not breathe, and hit her husband, causing the damage to the right side of his face. According to Vanoven's account, the po- lice photographed redness on the wife's arms and neck, as well as pictures of the side of the husband's face. The affidavit puts the husband's height at 6 feet and weight at 250, and the wife's height at 5'3 and weight at 150. Render did not give a statement to police at the scene, according to the affidavit, and requested an attorney. In court Wednesday, he was appointed an attorney, after he told Judge Robert Krieg he'd attempted to hire one, but could not afford one. During the attempt to determine wheth- er Render was indigent, Render told the judge he was on paid administrative leave from Pike Central, and said his job would Christopher Render By Andy Heuring Petersburg City Council voted to approve their 2019 budget ordinance and Mayor R.C. Klipsch told them it looks good for their wastewater plant grant application during their Monday night meeting. The proposed budget for 2020 totals $1.406 million, with an adopted tax levy of $ 977,416. The lines of the budget consist of: $25,000 Casino/Riverboat $733,963 General Fund $ 9,000 Police Pension $ 85,000 Local Road and St. $234,121 Motor Vehicle Highway $ 84,237 Park $27,000 Cum. Capital Development $79,250 Special Fire Protection Territo- ry General $113,500 Special Fire Protection Equip- ment Replace Total $1,406,071 The ordinance was approved by a 5 -0 vote. It will be submitted to the Indiana De- partment of Local Government and Finance for their review and approval. Mayor Klipsch said he met with CP Southern Dist. Director Craig McGowan at USDA Rural Development and learned Petersburg's grant application for a new wastewater plant is moving forward and looks promising. Klipsch said it is await- ing final approval and they should be no- tified about it before the end of the month. "I hope to be able to tell you at the next meeting. It is one of the biggest grants ev- er written," said Klipsch. "It should take care of this little commu- nity for 75 years," said Klipsch. Petersburg is also in the process of build- ing a new water treatment plant. Klipsch said he thought the project, which is be- ing financed through a low interest loan, should be ready to bid in January. He said he expects it to be under construction in the Summer or Fall of 2020 and in opera- tion in 2021. The council also voted 5 -0 to approve Petersburg council approves budget; wastewater grant looks promising See RENDER on page 2 Car crashes into Casey's front door Pike County Deputy Sheriff Brad Jenkins looks over the front door of Casey's Tuesday afternoon. Jeanetta Blaize's foot slipped off the brake onto the gas pedal, causing her Buick to lunge forward over the sidewalk and hit the front door. It broke the glass out of the door, according to Petersburg Police Chief Chuck Baumgart. Pump testing for fire trucks Patoka Township Squad 5 fire truck participates in an annual pump test to see that its pump is working properly. Fire departments from Pike County were at Prides Creek on Monday and Tuesday being tested by the state.