The Press-Dispatch
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Looking for a great place to eat? Check out our new restaurant guide: 75¢ Four sections 40 pages Six inserts PAGE A-12 Wednesday, April 17, 2013 Volume 145 Number 16 Phone (812) 354-8500 Petersburg, IN 47567-0068 (USPS 604-340) Stellar projects on display at Looking for a great place to eat? Check out our new restaurant guide! Monday meeting 75¢ By Andy Heuring Petersburg's Stellar Communities projects will be on displayFour sections meetduring a public ing next Monday night.40 pages The meeting begins at 6 p.m. and will Sixin Kiefer Hall at be inserts the Main St. Presbyterian Church. Each of the projects will have an artist's rendering and points of the project Wednesday, April 17, 2013 Volume 145 Number 16 Phone (812) 354-8500 Petersburg, IN 47567-0068 there will be engineers (USPS 604-340) explained. Also, available to explain the individual projects one on one. Petersburg Mayor Frank Coleman will start the meeting by talking about the Stellar Communities projects, explaining the individual projects and how they relate to each other. A survey of the projects will be handed out for people to rank the projects in priority. The Stellar Committee will have their Stellar banners for people to sign. "We want everyone to have the opportunity to sign the banners to show their support for the project," said Mayor Coleman. Petersburg's projects add up to about an Wednesday, April 10, 2013 Volume 145 Number 15 Phone (812) 354-8500 Petersburg, IN 47567-0068 million. This is the third (USPS 604-340) estimated $11.7 Jefferson Township firemen and EMTs work to free William Wilson, 55 of Tell City from his pickup truck on Tuesyear of Stellar Communities. The first two day morning. Wilson crashed into a ditch and overturned into Joe Dickson's front yard. He was taken by ambulance years two winning cities were given up to to Memorial Hospital, complaining of back pain. $20 million to complete their plans. Petersburg is one of six cities picked as finalists in the Stellar Communities program. This year the dollar amount has not been announced, but it is expected they will received between $10 and $12 million. "I think it is very important for the pubBy Andy Heuring and then transferred by air-ambulance to ing to Pike County Chief Deputy Sheriff lic to see what we are doing with the Stellar Community project. Some of the projects Doug Craig, 57, of 3636 E. 475 N., Peters-Continued on page 1 St. Mary's. Todd Meadors. A spokesman for St. Mary's on Tuesday burg, had to be extricated from his pickWilliams then went left of center, hit a have changed since we have new developup truck and was taken by LifeFlight to St. morning said Craig was in serious condi- ditch and overturned two times, coming to ment. Other projects have been added. It is Mary's Hospital in Evansville. tion. rest in Dickson's front yard at 6700 E. SR56. just important for people to give their opinTuesday morning crash The Dubois County Sheriff's DepartHe had to be extricated from the truck ions and priority and support," said Coleinjures Tell City man ment stated in a news release that Craig by rescue crews and was taken to Memori- man. He said people's attendance helps Pewas driving west on Highway 56 near IreA Tell City man was injured Tuesday al Hospital in Jasper, complaining of back tersburg show public involvement. "By attending they are helping us with land, when he drifted left of center and went morning on Highway 56 near Cato, when pain. off the road into a ditch. He continued trav- he ran off the road and crashed into Joe Williams' truck was a total loss in the our application." Petersburg's list of projects includes: eling south for about 300 feet before hitting Dickson's front yard. 9:52 a.m. accident. • A truck bypass that will connect HighA Petersburg man was seriously injured a large culvert. William C. Wilson, 55, of Tell City, was Dubois police said Craig had to be ex- driving a 2005 Chevrolet pickup west on Monday in a single vehicle accident at about way 56, west of Petersburg, near Hornady tricated from the vehicle. He was taken by Highway 56 when he ran off the right side of noon. It was one of several accidents in the Park, with Illinois St. and make other imContinued on page 2 ambulance to Memorial Hospital in Jasper the road and then over-corrected, accord- last week. PAGE A-12 Two injured in separate crashes Murder suspect captured Friday morning in Petersburg Commissioners, Solar to discuss plan for opening county roads By Andy Heuring Pike County Commissioners discussed bids for one-year reassessment updates from two firms and agreed to meet with Solar Sources to work out a deal on road usage during their Monday night meeting. They agreed to have Commissioner Jeff Nelson meet with Solar Sources to work out a "plan" for the future. The discussion arose when Solar Sources requested a two-year extension for 20.2 miles of roads closed through Solar's operations. It is an agreement Solar assumed from Indiana Land and Mineral. Commissioner President Brian Davis asked John Stachura, who represented Solar at the meeting, about the Beltline Road, which has a rail crossing that is gated. David Flint said he farmed land for Wyatt Rauch and they planned to use that route to access the ground. "I guess we will have to find another route," said Flint. He said the alternate route had a bridge with a weight limit too low to handle their machinery. "Originally the state said they would put money toward the bridge. So we are left re- lying on the beltline road," said Flint. Stachura said the state determined the cost was too high on the bridge and they had to obtain a certain permit, which they couldn't get. He said then they were unable to get a public rail crossing, so they came to him to get a private rail crossing. "Please, don't ever ask me to do that again," said Stachura about the process to get a private crossing. He said the agreement to get the private crossing with Rail of America required that it have locked gates on each side of the rail- road and they could only be opened during Solar's operating hours. He said the only permission for 1 Continued on page access at the gates has been for Verizon to build a new cell tower and for Gohmann to do some finish work. Commissioner Davis asked when some of the roads were going to be turned back to the county and reopened. "A long time. Without a crystal ball, about 20 to 25 years," said Stachura. He said the mining business was in a weak Continued on page 2 Winslow raises water rates and talks annexation Tax statements in the mail Field fire chars 700 acres Saturday By Andy Heuring A large field fire burned off brush and cattails from an area believed to cover about 700 acres, west of Coe, on Sunday. Spurgeon Fire Chief Don Pancake said they were notified of the fire at about 3 p.m., Sunday. He said it made a lot of smoke, but really just burned brush and cattails. "Mainly what burned was swamp area. . . It looked really bad. People could see it from a long way away," said Pancake. He was told people in Bloomington could see the smoke. There was so much smoke, central dispatch even received a call reporting the railroad tie plant in Muren was on fire. But Pancake said it was just smoke from the field fire. Pancake said the fire appeared to have started near the intersection of CR900S and Haul Road and stayed south of the Haul Road, which runs from near Coe to the New Lake near Oakland City. He said it burned up to the Norfolk Southern rail. "Norfolk had a train sitting on the siding and the fire burned up to it but stopped at the rock." He said they (Norfolk) didn't seem too worried. Pancake said mostly the fire departments just stayed back and tried to make sure it didn't burn into wooded areas or the spoil banks. He said there wasn't a lot they could do because most of the fire was in a swampy area and they couldn't get to it. "We just kept an eye on it and let it burn itself out," said Pancake. Columbia Township of Gibson County and Lockhart assisted, as well as the Indiana's Department of Natural Resources fire team. "The DNR fire team came down and hiked around the fire area to make sure it had all been extinguished." Pancake estimated the fire burned for about eight hours. "It probably was started by someone throwing out a cigarette butt, but we will probably never know what started it for sure." PIKE PUBLISHING Pike County property tax bills are in the Continued on page Query mail. Pike County Treasurer Marta 1 said the 2012 pay 2013 tax statements have been mailed for the spring installment due date of May 10, 2013. "If you did not receive your statement, please call the Treasurer's office at 3546363," said Query. Payments can be made by cash, check or money order in the office. Credit Cards are accepted online at pikecountytax.net. Office hours are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and they will be open Saturday, April 27 and May 4, from 8 am to noon and Friday, May 10 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Prom and Grand March Saturday PC robotics team excels Mentor Don Ferguson looks on as team members Colton Newton, Steven Lin, Demetre Young, Jared Lamberson, Austin Hanebutt and Joseph Hetman work to make repairs and final adjustments to their robot between its competitions. See related story and photos on page A-4. WHAT'S INSIDE: WHAT'S INSIDE: Local ........A1-12 Sports ........B1-4 Opinion..........C2 ........B1-3 ..........A1-8 Online special A3 Classifieds..B9-11 History ...........C6 ....B8-9 Obituaries ......A5 Church .......C1-6 School.......D1-14 Home ........D2-8 NEWS TIPS: NEWS TIPS: Phone:........................354-8500 Fax: ............................354-2014 E-Mail . editor@pressdispatch.net Pike Central High School's 2013 Prom and Grand March will be Saturday, April 20, and anyone wanting to view the Grand March must be in the PCHS gym before 6 p.m. Gymnasium doors will open for seating at 5 p.m. Promptly at 6 p.m. the doors will be locked and Grand March will begine. No one is allowed to interrupt grand march after this time. Spectators are asked to remain in their seats the entire time names are being announced out of respect for the students. Grand March lasts approximately 40 minutes. This year's theme is "Midnight Party". Due to the high volume of students that attend prom, they will be sent directly to the middle school gymnasium immediately upon completion of Grand March. Parents and spectators will not be able to see or photograph students after Grand Continued on page 2 CONNECT WITH US: CONNECT WITH US: NETedition ... pressdispatch.net/edition Facebook .... facebook.com/pressdispatch E-Mail .......... news@pressdispatch.net