The Press-Dispatch

August 5, 2020

The Press-Dispatch

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By Hans Schmitz Purdue Extension Educator hschmitz@purdue.edu People in Indiana have been reporting the receipt of packages containing un- identified plant seeds. These seeds seem to be coming from a Chinese source, accord- ing to the ship- ping labels, and the occurrence is not restrict- ed to Indiana. Although those received last week were likely a sin- gle occurrence, the man- ner in which they appeared is common enough to post a reminder about receiving any biological material in the mail. Anytime a package from an unknown source is re- ceived, always be suspi- cious and open carefully. Retain the original pack- aging. If the item received is an unknown substance, packaging information should contain at least a source address which can be investigated for further information. In the case of seeds, the Indiana State Seed Commissioner regu- lates interstate trafficking of seed material. For oth- er plant material, the Di- vision of Entomology and Plant Pathology (DEPP) at the Indiana Department of Natural Resources takes notice. The Indiana Board of Animal Health regulates movement of animal mate- rial. However, the interna- tional nature of this partic- ular source, and the multi- state destinations of the seed, turns the issue into a federal matter. The Animal and Plant Health Inspec- tion Service takes prece- dent with mystery seeds from China. Those who received the seed last week were even- tually instructed to put the seeds and packaging in a plastic bag and send to Nick Johnson at APHIS, 3059 N Morton St., Franklin, IN 46131. Knowing the cost and time involved with such an endeavor, the Division of Entomology and Plant Pa- thology can also be contact- ed for seed pick-up at 866 - 663-9684. Angela Rust out of the Tell City office is the inspector in this area that will work with recipients for pick up. If seed is received, one should never plant it. Additionally, one should not throw the seed away. If neither of the above transfer options seem feasible, con- tact the Posey County Purdue Extension Of- fice. We can ar- range for alter- nate, even anon- ymous, pick-up. The likelihood of seed viability and germination in a land- fill is not zero. Throwing seed away is not an option. If seed were already plant- ed, one should still call the DEPP. Ms. Rust will come take plants and the appro- priate amount of soil to pre- vent any potential root ma- terial from remaining. Multiple sources have conjectured that this seed might be part of a brush- ing scheme. In brushing, a hacker gains access to an online buyer's profile and places an order for one of their own products, seed in this case. The price of the product can be made $ 0 to avoid appearing on credit card statements. The seed is then sent to the recipient, with the hacker watching the progress from the sto- len online profile. Once the product arrives, the hack- er leaves a glowing review of the product. These pos- itive reviews then coerce others into willingly paying for the product. To be safe, anyone receiving unknown seed should check any on- line marketplaces to ensure their data is secure. Even if no breach is found, a pass- word change would be rec- ommended. Although this mailing is seemingly innocuous, the potential for the seeds to be of invasive or poisonous nature exists. At the very most malicious, the post 9/11 world focused ma- ny resources for a time on agroterrorism. The intro- duction of foreign species to ultimately harm agricul- tural production cannot be completely overlooked. For more information on seed issues, contact Hans at hschmitz@purdue.edu or 812-838 -1331. Time is a weird concept. Somehow my children have catapulted into the future and I have been sucked back in time. We're two weeks into our cross-country RV adventure, and my children are making Marty McFly (second movie) envious with all of their futur- istic play. Teachers are zapped into our home on wheels. On- line school comes equipped with virtual reality learn- ing, with cartoon characters shaped like numbers zooming toward their heads as fast as you can count to infinity. They stare, open-mouthed, at the other kids in the RV parks, who are zipping around on motor- ized bicycles that would look highway-ready if they didn't come in neon green. Golf carts on hydraulics bounce up and down to the beat of the music blasting, matched by the lights emanating from under the car- riage. And we once thought the DeLorean was cool. I bet those golf carts could hit 80 mph more quickly. While my kids are dabbling in the science of tomorrow, I'm living out my own movie expe- rience, but it's less "Back to the Future" and more "Far and Away." Life is nonstop cleaning with a broom and a mop be- cause a vacuum overwhelms the system and shuts off the power. Clothes are washed dai- ly with a washboard because there is no room for a wash- er and dryer. And all food is cooked on an open fire or in our small kitchen. My most fre- quently used modern technolo- gy has been the smoke alarm, which goes off, loudly, alerting the entire RV park to my cooking in- eptitude every sin- gle time I use the stove — often mul- tiple times before I'm done making dinner. So it looks as if more meals will be cooked over the flame. If the wash- board laundry came with Ni- cole Kidman's amazing hair, a young and hunky Tom Cruise as a love interest, and a plot of land with rolling hills and a stream in Oklahoma Territory, then I could embrace the dai- ly suds. Actually, scratch the Tom Cruise love interest part. We know how this turns out, and couches are already fall- ing apart. I also don't recall whether I've showered since this trip started. How often did folks shower during Industrial Rev- olution, USA? Am I still in the right movie? Or do I need to move over to "Planet of the Apes"? Of course, all of this just takes a little getting used to, and every great adventure comes with its blisters and scrapes and learning curve. And perhaps the hardest and most necessary lesson that we are all learning is how to slow down. Though noth- ing much has happened since COVID-19 took over, the patience and pace slowing is just beginning. We are on the Upper Pen- insula of Michigan right now, which may be one of the most beautiful and perfect places I've ever been. (No one break my heart and tell me it's not like this year-round.) My kids are giving up their dreams of hoverboards and souped-up golf carts to walk miles each day for ice cream and cool their blisters in the frigid waters of Lake Huron. We have two ig- nored hammocks at home, rotting and growing holes, but the children and I swing in the hammock we set up at each campground nonstop. Perhaps part of slowing the pace and growing patience is letting go of the concept of time. My children have been going to bed when the sun sets, which, here in the U.P., means close to 10 o'clock. Gig- gles are heard for an hour af- terward from the bunk bed, and we fight the urge to tell them to go to sleep. Perhaps it is letting go in general. In the past two weeks, we have consumed more taffy, fudge, chocolate and ice cream than we do in a decade's worth of Halloweens. When my son couldn't decide which ice cream flavor he wanted, I let him get two cones! Then I let my daughter do the same just to be fair. Hmm, come to think of it, this may be related to the sleeping issue. Time is a weird concept. There has to be a reason so many romanticize the olden times despite their flaws and inequities. The hoverboards (which we were supposed to have by now!) are cool and ex- citing but never romanticized. Perhaps it's because we know that the pace of the future nev- er goes under 80 mph where- as living far and away comes with a leisurely stroll and two ice cream cones. The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, August 5, 2020 B-9 OBITUARIES Down on the Farm Mailed mystery seeds area this De- bikes. some of was several babies in graz- Mom eat en- fam- the watch help love had to when George battery, problem. she work would Jacari she that and week Tues- drove to find san- store shoes medi- cor- shoes week or to go sandals, when for have I al- Hospital vet- go. we instead the countryside enjoy- scen- Norm way circle, where and back animals, house cats cats Mid- people up George don't will lie JACKIE L. DEEN Jackie L. "Jack" Deen, 85, of Winslow, entered rest on Sunday, July 26, 2020, at Dea- coness Midtown Hospital in Evansville. He was born on August 22, 1934, in Petersburg, to Osgul and Cleofis (Miley) Deen. He was member of Winslow Church of the Nazarene, the U.M.W.A. and was retired coal miner from Old Ben Coal II. He was an ice cream enthusi- ast, a lover of coffee and do- nuts for breakfast, and west- ern movie aficionado. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and great-grand- father. He is survived by his wife, Virginia A. (Masters) Deen; his children, Julie Hedrick, of Evansville, Michael Deen, of Princeton, and Robin (Keith) McQueen, of Vista, Calif.; brothers, Thomas Deen and John Deen, of Winslow; sev- en grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Vel- asta Morris, Pansy Richard- son, Sue Vinyard and Janet Bullock; and brothers, For- rest Deen, Carl Deen and Jim Deen. Funeral services were at noon CDT on Saturday August 1, 2020, at Lamb-Basham Me- morial Chapel, with his broth- er, Thomas Deen, officiating. Burial followed in Pleasant Ridge Cemetery. Visitation was from 11 a.m. CDT until service time on Sat- urday at the chapel. Family and friends may send messages of comfort to www.lambbasham.com. JAMES W. PIRKLE James W. Pirkle, 85, passed away at 8:14 p.m. on Wednes- day, July 29, 2020, at the Vil- lages at Oak Ridge. He was born on May 23, 1935, in Pike County, the son of Leonard and Anna Pirkle. He married Margaret Spray on January 24, 1958, and she preceded him in death on Au- gust 19, 2019, after 60 years of marriage. He was a graduate of Winslow High School and the Indiana College of Mortuary Science. In 1957, he joined the Gill Brothers as a funer- al director/mortician, and up- on their retirement in 1974, he assumed ownership of the firm. He owned and operated Gill Funeral Home, along with his wife, Margaret, for many years, and was very proud of the fact that he served fami- lies of Daviess County as a li- censed funeral director for over 50 years. He was also involved in many local civic organizations, including Ki- wanis, Jesters, Hadi Shrine, Masonic Lodge #30 and the Daviess County Historical So- ciety. He also served as dea- con for many years at First Christian Church and was an avid antique car enthusiast. Survivors include his daughter, Michelle (Bill) Brown, of Washington; son, James Pirkle, of Washing- ton; and his grandchildren, Connor and Olivia Brown, of Washington. He was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters; one brother; and his wife, Mar- garet. Funeral services were at DEROY TR AYLER Deroy Trayler, 64, of Pe- tersburg, passed away July 19, 2020, at his residence. He was born May 17, 1956, in Washington, to Kenneth and Edith (Hedrick) Trayler. He graduated from Wash- ington High School in 1974. He had worked at Columbus Container. He loved to collect Hot Wheel Cars and M&M memorabilia. He is survived by two broth- ers, Mike Trayler and Brent Trayler, both of Washington; three sisters, Cathy Bezy, of Otwell, Judy Wolven, of Wash- ington, and Denise (Pat) Strange, of Loogootee; and several nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Dar- rell Hedrick and Dale Trayler; and sister, Georgia Catt. There will be no services at this time. Condolences can be sent to the family online at www.edleemortuary.com. All arrangements were entrusted to Ed Lee Mortuary. DONALD E. WHITEHEAD Donald E. Whitehead, 86, of Oakland City, entered rest on Friday, July 31, 2020, at Dea- coness Gateway Hospital in Newburgh. He was born on August 25, 1933, in Buckskin, to Ottis and Harriett (Laffoon) Whitehead. He married his first wife, Ju- dith A. Whitehead, on July 23, 1956, and she preceded him on July 17, 2000. He married his second wife, Mattie Jean Hill Wallace Whitehead, in Sept. 2002 and she preceded him on June 5, 2015. He graduated from Mackey High School in 1950, served 2 1/2 years in the Army in Ko- rea, and graduated from Oak- land City College in 1956. He received his master's degree from Indiana State and taught high school business and driv- er's education for 35 years. He was a member of Trinity Unit- ed Methodist Church, Eastern Star and Oakland City Ameri- can Legion Post #256. He is survived by his daugh- ters, Dayna Stein (Fred) Alli- son, of Coatesville, and Don- na (Clem) Lady, of Fillmore; sons, Eric Whitehead, of Oak- land City, and David White- head, of Maryland; five grand- children; seven great-grand- children; his first cousin; sev- eral nieces and nephews; and several brothers and sisters- in-law. PEACE of MIND Let our 130 years of experience aid you in your selection of a meaningful memorial. SCHUM MONUMENTS, INC. Dale, Indiana www.SchumMonuments.com 812-937-4921 Local Representative RONALD WOODS 812-789-2009 Designers: Angie Carter, Jane Reed, Sandy Tichenor Mon. - Fri. 9:30am-5:30pm • Sat 9:30am-3pm 812-789-3046 816 E. Main St., Petersburg Fresh Floral Arrangements • Bereavement Gis • Casket Sprays • Beautiful Arrangements and Wreaths • Fall Candles WE DELIVER to all area funeral homes. Free to Harris. down beside you and wait un- til you get up. He also loves to be petted and will sit on the chair above your head. Now Swirl will climb up in George's chair and will not move when George sits down. Sugar has had three legs since he was a young age and get around like he has four legs. While there, Deby made some meals that I will try out here for a quick and easy rec- ipe. Mom and I tried a differ- ent carton of ice cream that had root beer and raspberry in with vanilla ice cream. It was real tasty. A fter the doctor, we all left Wednesday to bring me home and when we got on I-64, the rain began on and off for several miles. We would look north and it was clear, but when we looked south, we could see the haz- iness of rain near the tree line across the fields. What caught my eye was when a semi truck passed in the oth- er lanes of opposing traffic, the rain from the roadway would hang in the air, then fall back down onto the road. It was something that I had never seen just that way and I had to show Mom. Yes, the little and odd things make me happy. Mom saw a turtle's head and feet in the clouds. When we were in front of all the rain, it was sunshine all the way to the Hwy 41 truck stop in Indi- ana, where Norm met us. I said my goodbyes, and gave kisses and hugs until Mom comes to Winslow sometime in August for a few weeks. As we all went on our way home in different directions, we were all hungry and they found an Arby's, but we found a Sonic. Norm is hap- py to have me home again. I had seen in the paper where the Open Fun Horse Show was a hit and the first event had 54 entries. The Winslow Lions had a great time also serving food for the hungry, but I was also told it was a hot and humid day on July 25. Norm talked to me almost every day and we got the brake lines fixed on the Ava- lanche. They needed chang- ing, now no worries. Time to get the spark plugs changed and soon, all will be fine to take a longer trip somewhere sometime. If you are traveling through Francisco, you can see the beautiful sunflowers in the front yard of a home on Hwy 64. The Formosa trees are everywhere, across from Mom, along I-64 in Illinois, and in several yards. I just love the colors and how they grow. The 27-foot Oscar Mayer Weinermobile is in the Tri- State, and Ron Rhoads, of Channel 7 weather, got to go inside. He was wearing the Oscar Mayer hot dog uni- form. Did you know that in- side, on the floor, is a path of mustard, and another feature is the sun roof, where the sky is always blue everyday. Another fun thing I saw on Friday is at the hummingbird feeders, there are two hum- mingbirds instead of one. I'm hoping to see more through this summer. My highest count a few years back was five. Winslow finally got some needed rain all day Thurs- day and into Friday early morning, nearly two inches, and hopefully more over the weekend. This also means the grass will grow more each day, but you got the good with the bad every so often. Tired of hearing about my week of travels? Well, the lights are about to dim for this week. Keep an eye on family and friends. Slow down and enjoy the beauty in your area. As always, smile, wave and say "hi" to every- one you see this week. SWEETS Continued from page 5 10 :30 a.m. on Tuesday, Au- gust 4, 2020, at First Christian Church, 117 NE 3rd St., Wash- ington, with Byron Holtsclaw and Richard Smith officiating. He will be entombed next to his wife, Margaret, at Sugar- land Memory Gardens. Visitation was from 4-8 p.m. on Monday at the church. Online memories may be shared at www.goodwin- sieversfh.com. Memorial contributions may be made to First Christian Church, 117 NE 3rd Street, Washington, IN 47501 or Helping Hearts Hospice, 1314 E. Walnut St., Washington, IN 47501. Good- win-Sievers Funeral Home, Washington is honored to as- sist the Pirkle family with ar- rangements. Besides his first and sec- ond wife, he was preceded in death by his parents; a broth- er, Irvin Dee Whitehead; sis- ters, Joyce Gilmour and Mary Elizabeth Stradtner; and son- in-law, Thomas Stein. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Au- gust 5, 2020, at Montgomery Cemetery. Due to COVID-19 mandates, social distancing is observed, with limitation on number of people in at- tendance. Face masks are re- quired at the cemetery. Memorial contributions may be sent to Honor Flight of Southern Indiana, P.O. Box 8234, Evansville, IN 47715 or Cascade High School, 6565 S. Co. Rd. 200 W., Clayton, IN 46118. Family and friends may send messages of com- fort to www.lambbasham. com. Lamb-Basham Memori- al Chapel is honored to be of assistance for Don's family. Katiedid Versus Far away future Obituary deadline Every Monday at 5 p.m.

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