The Press-Dispatch
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Local ����������� A1-8 O'Tannenbaum A6 Sports ��������B1-10 Shopping ���� B4-5 History ����������� B6 Classifieds ��� B7-8 Opinion ������B9-10 Church �������� C1-3 Home Life ��� C4-6 Obituaries ������� C7 East Gibson � C8-9 School ����������C10 WHAT'S INSIDE: Phone: ���������������������812-354-8500 Fax: ��������������������������812-354-2014 E-Mail ����editor@pressdispatch�net NEWS TIPS: PIKE PUBLISHING Wednesday, December 4, 2019 Volume 149 Number 49 Phone 812-354-8500 Petersburg, IN 47567-0068 (USPS 604-34012) $ 1 Three sections 28 pages Three inserts See VOTERS on page 2 See COUNCIL on page 2 See EVENTS on page 2 Water line troubles cause boil order William Rainey digs a small trench to help carry water away from the hole they dug to work on a water line break Sunday morning. The 12-inch water main line sprung a leak Sunday morning. Repairs caused a boil order to be put in place. The leak was noticed at about 8 a.m. and they had it fixed by about 3:30 p.m. City Services Manager Ross Elmore said bolts on a clamp connecting a "tapping T" on the line had rusted and broke. Elmore said the clamp was still in good shape, but the bolts had failed. They think it had been there since the line was installed. Elmore said the earliest time possible the boil order could be lifted was Wednesday morn- ing. He said they had to send two water samples to the state 24 hours apart and have two in a row test clean. The water line problem drained both water towers and caused low water pressure or no wa- ter for Petersburg, Pike-Gibson water and Otwell water customers. Petersburg Mayor R.C. Klipsch said a 12-inch line loses a lot of water quickly. Cause of fire remains undetermined By Andy Heuring A Petersburg man died of burns he suffered Friday evening at his home, despite efforts by two boys to extinguish the flames. Charles Norrick, 69, of 404 E. Cherry St., Petersburg, died Mon- day of burns suffered on Friday night. Norrick's family said he suf- fered third degree burns over about 60 percent of his body. Fri- day evening, at about 7:30 p.m., central dispatch got a report of a man who had caught fire. Petersburg Police Sgt. Chad McClellan said two boys, ages 12 and 14, were walking home after going to Casey's to get soft drinks. He said the boys heard someone yelling for help. They ran around a house and saw Norrick on fire and on the ground. "They ran over to him and were quick enough think- ing to put him out and call 911," said McClellan. The boys poured their fountain drinks on him to put out the flames. Emergency personnel attempt- ed to use an air ambulance, but both the air ambulance servic- es were grounded due to weath- er. Norrick was taken to Memori- al Hospital in Jasper. He was then transferred to Louisville, where he died early Monday morning. "I really don't know what hap- pened," said McClellan. He ex- plained Norrick was in the am- bulance when he arrived and Mc- Clellan was not able to interview him. Sgt. McClellan said Norrick's wife was home, but she was asleep and didn't know anything had hap- pened until she was awakened by the sirens. McClellan said he and firemen at the scene searched the area to see if they could find anything that would have started the fire, but weren't able to locate any- thing. "We didn't find anything else burned to figure out the source." Norrick dies from burns suffered on Friday See live reindeer Sunday in Petersburg By Andy Heuring If you can't get in the Christmas spirit this weekend in Pike Coun- ty you might want to make sure you aren't turning Grinch green. Both the Winslow and Peters- burg Christmas parades, Break- fast with Santa in Petersburg and Otwell, and a host of other activi- ties are set for Saturday. WINSLOW The Christmas parade is set for 10 a.m., with line-up beginning at 9 a.m. It starts at the Winslow Fire Department and proceeds to Main St., then goes north to the Winslow Little League park. Winter Wonderland, sponsored by the Winslow Lions Club, is set up in a Christmas scene at the for- mer Winslow Town Hall is runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, December 7; 9 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, December 14 and 1 to 3 Coat Wrap The Second Annual Coat Wrap is scheduled for Saturday, Decem- ber 7 in Winslow. Last year, they put out 85 winter coats of all siz- es and types on light poles and traffic signs in Winslow. Anyone in need of a coat was able to look over the coats and take one. Debra Lamb said anyone want- ing to donate a coat can do so by dropping them off at The Corner Book Shoppe, located Lafayette and Main sts., across the street from the Post Office. Lamb said the organizer wishes to stay anonymous, but the Book Shoppe will get the coats to the organizer. Mouse House The Mouse House, sponsored by the Winslow Beautification Committee, will be at the Naza- rene Church Fellowship Hall from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, De- cember 7. The Mouse House has items priced from $1 to $10 for kids to purchase inexpensive gifts for friends and family. PETERSBURG The parade starts at 4 p.m. on Saturday, December 7 in Peters- burg, but there will be several oth- er events starting at 11 a.m. Ac- tivities will be centered on Eighth St., next the courthouse, which will be closed to vehicle traffic. It will include vendors selling hot chocolate, soup and kettle corn. Santa will be in the Santa house from 1 to 4 p.m. Following the parade, there will be a Christ- Parades and more take place Saturday Petersburg Police Chief doused Petersburg Police Chief Chuck Baumgart is doused with water by Anita Poselwait, Lisa Jo- chum, Marci St. John and Mary Crume as part of the Petersburg Circle K's March of Dimes fundraiser. One of the contests was for people to donate to March of Dimes in the name of the Petersburg Police Department or the Sheriff's Department. It ran for four weeks. The Sher- iff's Department won and so Chief Baumgart was doused with water last week. They also did other events, such as an employee Halloween costume contest. In all, they raised $2,195.95 for March of Dimes. By Andy Heuring Petersburg dealt with a water break, sewer issues and started the process of taking over the opera- tions of Walnut Hills Cemetery dur- ing their Monday night meeting. City Services Manager Ross Elmore said it will probably be Wednesday morning at the earliest before they can take off the boil or- der. A 12-inch water main broke on Sunday morning, draining the wa- ter towers, and causing Petersburg, Otwell and Pike-Gibson water cus- tomers to lose pressure until about 4 p.m. when the leak was fixed. "With a 12-inch line, you lose a lot of water quickly," said Mayor Klipsch. Elmore explained the bolts on a clamp failed, causing the leak. He said the clamp was still in good shape except for the bolts. They re- placed the clamp, and had it up and going by about 3:30 p.m. "It was about three hours faster than I predicted," said Councilman Gary Leavitt. Mayor Klipsch asked Elmore if they had a replacement clamp for the one installed. "We will have soon. I ordered one bright and early this morning," said Elmore. In similar matters, Klipsch said he was writing a letter to the Jay C Foodstore warning them of a bill they would be receiving from the City of Petersburg. He said it relat- ed to grease problems in the sewer line at the Jay C Foodstore. Employ- ees worked as many as 16 hours on a recent weekend to get a large grease back up that went from the store all the way to their lift station on Illi- nois St. Mayor Klipsch said Petersburg has an ordinance that requires food Water, sewer, cemetery issues dominate Petersburg council New vote centers could save county thousands By Andy Heuring Pike County Commissioners heard complaints about oil trucks using a recently paved road and vote centers replacing the pre- cinct by precint polling places during their Monday morning meeting. Mike Luff said CountryMark Oil tanker trucks have been us- ing a stretch of Division Road, be- tween County Roads 500 W. and 700 W. It was paved this summer. "I live on that road . . Coun- tryMark keeps running tankers up and down that road. They de- stroyed the last road," said Luff. He said he has called Coun- tryMark and they told him they asked their drivers to stop using Division. Assistant Highway Superinten- dent Josh Byrd said they had talk- ed to Luff. "Only thing we can do is put up no truck signs there," said Byrd. Commissioner President Mark Flint asked if there were any other large trucks using the road. Luff said Pike-Gibson Water Corp. had some large trucks in the area when they are doing construction in the area. "They unloaded some pretty big equipment. It didn't tear up the road, but it put some digs in it," said Luff. County Attorney Val Fleig said once the county's Frost Ordi- nance, which places a 10 -ton load limit on roads from January 1 to March 31, is in effect, it would prevent the trucks from using the road. He also said if there were an al- ternate route for the trucks to use, the county could put a weight lim- it on the road. "If they tear up the road, then they are liable for it," said Fleig. Flint suggested they send CountryMark a letter informing them the county was going to es- tablish a weight limit on the road. Luff suggested the drivers are using the newly-paved road in- stead of rock road alternatives because they have to clean their trucks up each day if they are muddy. He said using the paved road keeps their trucks from get- ting muddy. County clerk Lana Griffith pre- sented the commissioners a cost estimate for the 2020 election in Pike County and told them she hopes they will have vote centers in place for the 2020 election. Elections have always been con- ducted in precinct-by-precinct polling places. Each precinct has its own list of registered votes and each voter has to sign in and vote at that precinct. When they do, their name is checked off the list. Those lists are cross referenced to the number of ballots cast in each precinct. Griffith said new technolo- gy has electronic voter lists that are hooked together and will al- low voters from any precinct to vote at any voting location. She Commissioners hear report of heavy trucks on newly-paved road