The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/906097
C-6 Wednesday, November 22, 2017 The Press-Dispatch EAST GIBSON NEWS Submit school news: Email: egnews@ pressdispatch.net Deadline: Noon on Friday 2018 GRADUATION During the past four weeks I have been meeting with senior students and/or parents in order to conduct a survey around finalizing a date for the 2018 gradua- tion. Individuals were asked to select from conducting a Friday evening, or Saturday morning commencement ceremony. The results of the survey overwhelmingly in- dicated a preference to hold next spring's graduation program on Friday, May 25, 2018. The results of the vot- ing were: • Those who preferred a Friday graduation date .. 37 • Those who preferred a Saturday graduation date 4 • Those with no prefer- ence .................................... 3 • Those who did not re- spond to the survey .......... 4 Based on the feedback provided by those individ- uals representing the 2018 senior class, a recommenda- tion will be made to the East Gibson School Board to ap- prove the spring graduation date as Friday, May 25, 2018, at 7 p.m. I appreciate the in- put of all participating. GEOGRAPHY BEE FINALISTS The ten finalists for the 2017 – 18 Geography Bee have been identified. Wood Memorial Junior High School students qualifying for the final round are: Jon Walker, Faith Smithhart, Ev- erett Attaway, Karis Black- lock, Andrew Alvey, Simon Elmore, Alton Falls, Kylee Maikranz, Carter Miller and Austin McElhiney. The Ge- ography Bee finals will be held on Friday, December 1, 2017, at 1 p.m. STUDENT FOUR- YEAR PLANNING Ms. Hill is currently be- ginning the annual student four – year planning reviews with members of the sopho- more class. Parents interest- ed in taking part in the re- views may schedule a meet- ing with Ms. Hill by contact- ing the high school office. The planning reviews are an integral part around en- suring your child's academ- ic program is in alignment for college and career read- iness. OPEN OFFICE SESSIONS Once again this year, I will be utilizing a collabo- rative opportunity for all members – students, staff, parents, guardians, and community members – of the Wood Memorial School Community. With this said, I believe to be most effec- tive with the development and growth of our students it is imperative that every stakeholder of Wood Me- morial have an opportuni- ty to collaborate and pro- vide input in any area/as- pect of interest involving our school(s) they may have. Thus, I will conduct monthly "Open Office" ses- sions, focused on providing time for such collaboration to occur. I encourage you to come meet anytime to review items of interest you may have. You may schedule a meeting by calling 812-749 - 4757 and requesting a time. In keeping with the theme of collaboration and com- munication, I want to invite Wood Memorial stakehold- ers to follow the happenings at the junior high and high school by joining us on twit- ter at WMTrojans1. IMPORTANT SCHOOL INFORMATION • There will be a ca- reer and technical educa- tion open house on Tues- day, November 28, 2017. The event will be from 6 – 8 p.m. (EST), at Pike Cen- tral High School. • A reminder, as outlined in the East Gibson School Corporation Policies and Procedures, the Wood Me- morial High School and Wood Memorial Junior High School adhere to the Closed Campus philosophy identified in the above ref- erenced policies and pro- cedures. Upon arrival to school, a student may not leave without approval of the building principal and being signed out by the re- spective parent. • The Elks National Hoop Shoot is just around the corner, with Wood Me- morial Junior High School once again taking part. The event, for students ages 8 – 13, will be a part of the JHS physical education classes in the near future. More to come from coach Messmer. • Information on how to join your respective class Remind and Schoology ac- counts has been posted to the Wood Memorial High School website. The ac- counts have been estab- lished as a communication and collaboration tool by the student services orga- nization. By joining you will be able to receive pertinent information such as schol- arship opportunities, col- lege admission dates, and much, much more. Please contact Ms. Hill or Ms. Carl- ton for assistance. CALENDAR Wednesday, Nov. 15 Wednesday, Nov. 22 No School – Thanksgiving Holiday Thursday, Nov. 23 No School – Thanksgiving Holiday Friday, Nov. 24 No School – Thanksgiving Holiday Saturday, Nov. 25 Wrestling team at Evansville Central, TBD Monday, Nov. 27 JHS Boys Basketball at Princeton, 5:30 p.m. JHS Girls Basketball vs. Princeton, 5:30 p.m. Boys C Basketball at Heritage Hills, 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28 Boys C Basketball vs. Tecumseh, 5:30 p.m. JHS Girls Basketball vs. Fort Branch, 5:30 p.m. Girls Basketball at North Posey, 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 29 HS Student Council Meeting, Noon Wrestling at Mt. Carmel, 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 30 Prom Committee Meeting, 7:30 a.m. SAC Meeting, 11:31am Bass Fishing Team Meeting, 3:30 p.m. JHS Boys Basketball vs. Haubstadt, 5:30 p.m. Girls Basketball at Washington Cath- olic, varsity only, 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1 Staff PLC Session, 8 a.m. Geography Bee Finals, 1 p.m. Boys Basketball at Loogootee, 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2 Wrestling at North Knox, 7:30 a.m. JHS Boys Basketball at South Knox, 10 a.m. JHS Girls Basketball vs. South Knox 10 a.m. Boys Basketball vs. Tecumseh, 5:30 p.m. ADDITIONAL DATES OF NOTE Thanksgiving Break, Nov. 22, 23, 24 ISTEP Retest, Dec. 4 – Dec. 15 Jostens – Freshman Class Rings/Se- nior Graduation Items, Dec. 7 RY Graduation, Dec. 11 Winter Music Concert, Dec. 14 ISTAR, Grades 3 – 8, 10, EL A/Math/ Science/Social Studies, Jan. 15 – Feb. 16 National Assessment of Education- al Progress, Grades 4 and 8, Digital Based, Math, Reading, Writing, US His- tory, Civics and Geography, Jan. 29 – Mar. 9 Accuplacer – Part 2, Feb. 12 – Mar. 30 Red Cross Blood Drive, Feb. 23 ISTEP Part 1, Feb. 26 – Mar. 9 Wood Memorial Gibson County Council split on jail overcrowding issue By Janice Barniak Gibson County Council was split this week on what consti- tutes enough officers to man the over-crowded local jail, even as the County Commissioners ex- plore the cost to expand or build new facilities. Board member Bill McConnell knew how he would vote when it came to manpower, he said. "I'm not going to vote for any- thing that would require us to hire 3, 4, 5 more people. We're talking well over $400,000...It's too much an imposition on our county," he said. (His cost estimate is not just pay, but also includes the health insurance and pension available to corrections officers.) McConnell is in favor of legis- lation at a higher level amending the problem, which was created when Level 6 prisoners were no longer housed by the state Dept. of Corrections, who instead began paying the county $ 35 per day to house those prisoners, even when jails were already full. McConnell would like the state to take back those prisoners and to amend bail practices so that people who cannot afford to bail out wouldn't be in jail, but would instead be required to, for exam- ple, check in daily. He said hiring jailers in the 1990s didn't work out well for the county (McConnell is one of the longest serving councilmen), and the county was stuck with the peo- ple they hired past when it met their needs to have so many. "I'm going to be really contrary about this," McConnell said, add- ing he doesn't support the idea of a study either. The council didn't so much dis- agree with McConnell as feel the jail problem couldn't be ignored from their end. Derek McGraw, president of the County Council, said neither the bail legislation nor the choice of whether to continue to house Lev- el 6 prisoners was in their hands. "Nobody in this room can make that decision," he said. Local council representative Jer- emy Overton had a concern, ask- ing whether hiring five people would resolve the issue overall, or if there would still be concerns at the state level as far as meeting guidelines for prisoner housing. County Commissioner Stephen Bottoms discussed the hiring pos- sibility, saying even five jailers wouldn't be compliant as much as being a good faith effort. Bottoms added that he had called Indiana legislators and been told the bail initiative prob- ably wouldn't be brought up for a vote this year, and that thoughts on which prisoners to house were swinging the other way. Instead of taking back Level 6 prisoners, they're talking about also sending Level 5. "Surely we can stop the Level 5s politically, though. We can say, 'You've hurt us enough,'" he said. The council voted to move $ 9,200 to the Gibson County Sheriff's Office overtime fund to get the department through No- vember—being short staffed has lead to working overtime shifts, plus with a trial coming up and the holiday, they would need the ad- ditional to cover. There will prob- ably also be additional overtime needed in December, Bottoms added. Local county officials come out in support of zoning By Janice Barniak Local officials have come out in support of zoning as an advisory planning committee forms to address land use issues in the county. The issue first came up in Tues- day's county council meeting, where the board appointed Mike Stilwell to the advisory committee. "Experts say this is the most im- portant thing we can do (for eco- nomic development,)" County Commissioner Stephen Bottoms told the council. Council member Jeremy Over- ton said it was important to do so that Gibson County doesn't lose potential employers. "I'm glad you're moving for- ward. We've had it 10 years (Over- ton is from Haubstadt) and I hav- en't heard of anyone's rights being violated," he said. Later last week, on Thurs- day, Gibson County Visitors and Tourism made support of zoning on the I-69 corridor one of their four initiatives moving forward in their long range plan, with a mo- tion to support the initiative that passed unanimously with the ex- ception of Alan Douglas, who ab- stained due to the conflict of inter- est of being on the board of Gib- son County Commissioners, who were first tasked with exploring zoning. Protesters against zoning meas- ures have attended commission- ers' meetings and held meetings of their own in an attempt to stop zon- ing. Recently, a special land use ad- visory committee was formed to take on the subject. Above: Wood Memorial's Kylie Hicks goes in for a lay-up during the Trojan's 34-28 loss to Pike Central on Friday. Hicks had two points. Left: Wood Memorial's Lexi Lashbrook tips away a shot by Pike Central's Brook Nalley during their game Friday night. Lashbrook was the Trojans' leading scorer with 12 points. See story on page B-1.