The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/131836
PikeCentral 2013 Stellar Focus Vision Driven class of Petersburg, Indiana Section e Section D Four sections 56 pages Seven inserts 75¢ Wednesday, May 22, 2013 Volume 145 Number 21 Phone (812) 354-8500 Petersburg, IN 47567-0068 (USPS 604-340) Hannah Crow Senior Address Desiree Gerrard Valedictorian Rebecca Lee Valedictorian Kari Lemond Valedictorian Kenna Longabaugh Valedictorian Jeff Estey Salutatorian Pike Central to graduate 135 on Friday evening By Mike Johansen The Class of 2013 will leave Pike Central High School Friday night with lots of fanfare and their diplomas, with graduation ceremonies this coming Friday Night in the Pike Central High School Gymnasium. There will be about 135 students who will receive diplomas and six Pike Central seniors will be the featured speakers Friday and address those attending the PCHS graduation ceremonies that begin at 7:30 p.m. in the gym. The student speakers include Senior Speakers Hannah Crow, se- nior speech; Valedictorians Kari Lemond, Rebecca Lee, Desiree Gerrard and Kenna Longabaugh and Salutatorian Jeffrey Estey. Today the seniors are at Holiday World. Senior Awards Day starts at 9 a.m., Thursday, in the PCHS Gym and is open to the public. They expect more than $1 million in scholarships to be awarded to the seniors again this year. The Senior Class Dinner will be at 2:30 p.m., Thursday, at IPL. Senior Class sponsors Roger Stuckey and Vance Hays have helped organize the week's activities and graduation. Graduation night begins at 7 p.m., with an optional Baccalaureate Service in the high school auditorium just for the seniors. Pike Central High School Principal Winter Fiscus will preside at her first graduation ceremony as Principal of Pike Central High School. The faculty, staff and administration will lead off the Processional with "Pomp and Circumstance" being played by the Pike Central High School Band, under the direction of Johnathan Miller. The 135 seniors will follow and be seated in the seats of honor in the center of the gym. National Honor Society members will wear white stoles, and the top 10 percent for grade point averages will wear gold honor cards. PCHS Principal Winter Fiscus will give the welcome and the band will play the National Anthem. Mrs. Fiscus will lead the Pledge of Allegiance. The Student Government President will give the invocation. The Pike Central Swing Choir, under the direction of Vance Hays, will then sing their Continued on page 2 EMS given 30 days to vacate Arthur fire station Fire dept. fears EMS presence violates grantAndy Heuring stipulations By Pike County Commissioners were told Monday night the county Emergency Medical Service has been given a 30-day notice to end their lease with Patoka Township. An ambulance and crew have been stationed at the Patoka Township Fire Department's fire station near Arthur for several months. The arrangement had reduced emergency response times for the ambulance service in the southern part of the county. Late last fall, the EMS moved its ambulance crews out of the EMS Building in Campbelltown, near the County Highway Garage, after mold was found in the building. In recent months, an ambulance has been stationed in Petersburg at the Pike County Jail, and another in Arthur. EMS Director Chris Young told the commissioners during their 30-minute meeting he had received a 30-day notice from the Patoka Township Fire District they were ending the lease. "There was some wording in a grant they received that could cause them some problems," said Young. Commissioner Jeff Nelson expounded on that, saying Patoka Township Fire District received a grant to build their new fire station. They had to meet certain income requirements. Because the ambulance serves the whole county instead of just Patoka Township, an income survey would have to be taken throughout the county. He said Indiana Region 15, which helped Patoka with the grant, told him the county would not qualify. Nelson said Patoka Fire District is concerned their grant funding could be in jeopardy by allowing the ambulance to be housed there. Commissioner President Brian Davis said, "I guess we will have to move them to the jail." In April, the county commissioners and county council had a joint meeting to hear a feasibility study on the EMS Building. They were given cost estimates on three options: Option 1: • Renovate existing 2,736 sq. ft. to include mechanical and electric upgrades, general finishes; minimal structural improvements; mold remediation; reattach downspouts; minimal handicap accessible upgrades; minor building envelope improvements; address wall panel/roof panel fasteners. • No addition • No additional site acquisition Hard construction cost estimate $190,000 to $220,000, construction contingency $10,000 and soft costs $50,000 for a total of $250,000 to $280,000. Option 2: • New 2,800 sq. ft. building to replace existing facility with existing similar size. • Pre-engineered metal building • No site acquisition or building demolition • Average site construction costs • Required utilities on site • No environmental issues Hard construction cost estimate $320,000 to $370,000 plus contingency of $15,000 and soft costs of $85,000 for total of $420,000 to $470,000. Option 3: • New 4,000 sq. ft. building with additional space to meet current and future program needs. • Pre-engineered metal building structure • No site acquisition • Average site construction costs • Required utilities on site • No environmental issues Continued on page 2 Petersburg firemen Johnny Voyles and Rich Coan worked Saturday night spraying down Main St. sidewalks after crews had worked Saturday morning to sweep the walks and wash windows. The work was being done to prepare for the Stellar Communities selection committee visit on Wednesday. Petersburg is a finalist for several million dollars to fund a list of projects from the Stellar Communities program. Stellar Committee to visit Wednesday By Andy Heuring Petersburg will make its last sales pitch Wednesday morning when the Stellar Communities Selection Committee visits. Mayor Frank Coleman said despite the obvious pressure on the final presentation, he is ready. "I have done community-wide crusades. This is kind of like that. You are nervous to begin with, and then once you get going, you are okay." The 16-member committee will first hear a presentation at Kiefer Hall at the Main St. Presbyterian Church. It will outline the various projects included in Petersburg's Stellar application. They will then take a drive-around tour of the town and visit various project sites. Then, they will be taken to Pike Central High School, where Project Lead the Way students will talk to the selection committee about their projects and the Stellar Technology Center. This group of PLTW students has made presentations to President Obama, Governor Mitch Daniels, and Lt. Governors Becky Skillman and Sue Ellspermann. "We consider them our youngest Stellar Team members," said Coleman. Following the presentation at Pike Central, they will return to Kiefer Hall for a final question-and-answer session. This year, Petersburg is the last visit the selection committee will make. Last year, Petersburg was the first visit. The Stellar Communities committee is expected to announce the two winners for 2013 in mid-June. TIF district established to enhance economic development By Andy Heuring The Pike County Redevelopment Commission established a Tax Incremental Finance District Monday night. The district establishes boundaries of an area surrounding the I-69 interchange with Highway 61, just south of Petersburg. Following about an hour of discussion, the Redevelopment Commission voted 5-0 to approve a Redevelopment Commission Resolution. About an hour later, the Pike County Commissioners then confirmed the resolution with a 2-0 vote, with Brian Davis abstaining. Lisa Lee, of Ice Miller, and Gary Malone, of Humbaugh and Associates, attended the hearing to explain TIF districts. Lee said once the district was established, an assessed value baseline would be set at what the assessed value was on a set day in March. Then for the next 25 PIKE PUBLISHING years, the assessed value will be reset on that date each year. The TIF is in essence a new taxing unit that will apply the county general tax rate to the amount of assessment increase each year in that district. The amount of improvements, such as new businesses and other non-residential improvements, would be "captured" by the TIF district. However, the baseline assessment would stay the same and all the other taxing units would receive property taxes for that base rate. The revenue generated by the TIF district then can be invested into the area to make improvements on the infrastructure to encourage development. Gary Malone said it doesn't really matter how good the location is for a property, such as surrounding an interstate exchange, if there is no water or sewer available, the property is probably not going to WHAT'S INSIDE: Local ..........A1-8 Classifieds B10-11 History ...........C6 Obituaries ......A3 Church .......C1-5 Graduation D1-12 Sports ........B1-5 Opinion..........C2 Stellar .......E1-16 be developed. "A TIF is really a tool we use to help with development and cost of making that growth occur. If that is the case (growth occurs), then we are not taking way any tax assessment, because if it weren't for the improvements, there wouldn't be any development. He said existing taxing units wouldn't lose any revenue. "Over time you will likely attract some development." Lee explained there are two types of development. Real property or real estate and personal property. She said the TIF district doesn't affect the personal property. Often industry has the majority of their assessment as personal property. So the existing taxing units would reap that benefit, unless the TIF district took further steps to be able to capture personal property assessment. NEWS TIPS: Phone:........................354-8500 Fax: ............................354-2014 E-Mail . editor@pressdispatch.net "If you don't do that, then the taxpayers in the area would receive that personal property," said Lee. Property tax bills are figured on a simple formula of a set tax levy or the total amount of dollars that can be raised. Property has an assessed value. The higher the assessed value, the lower the tax rate is to generate the set amount. In Indiana, the amount of property tax dollars generated can only increase a certain percentage. So taxes are figured on the beginning algebraic formula of A x B = C, with C being the total amount of dollars that can be raised, and A being the Assessed Value the state figures for B, which is the set tax rate. So the higher the assessed value is for a township, the lower the tax rate is or vice versa. County Council President Greg Willis Continued on page 2 CONNECT WITH US: NETedition ... pressdispatch.net/edition Facebook .... facebook.com/pressdispatch E-Mail .......... news@pressdispatch.net