The Press-Dispatch
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Local ........ A1-10 Sports .........B1-6 Classifi eds ....B8-9 Church ........C1-3 Home Life....C4-7 Obituaries....... C7 School.........C8-9 E. Gibson ..... C10 Opinion .. C12-14 WHAT'S INSIDE: CONNECT WITH US: NetEdition ...pressdispatch.net/edition Facebook.....facebook.com/pressdispatch E-Mail .........news@pressdispatch.net Phone:.................. 812-354-8500 Fax: ...................... 812-354-2014 E-Mail . editor@pressdispatch.net NEWS TIPS: PIKE PUBLISHING See MOTHER on page 2 Wednesday, December 12, 2018 Volume 148 Number 50 Phone (812) 354-8500 Petersburg, IN 47567-0068 (USPS 604-34012) $ 1 See CO. COUNCIL on page 9 Three sections 34 pages Eight inserts See WINSLOW on page 3 See EVENTS on page 2 Early deadlines for holiday editions The Press-Dispatch will have early deadlines for the Dec. 26 and Jan. 2 editions, due to the holidays. DEC. 26 EDITION The deadline for all advertising is 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 20. Line classifieds and news items are due by 10 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 21. Readers can expect to receive their papers in the mail on Mon- day. This edition will be available on newsstands and online by Satur- day evening. JAN. 2 EDITION The deadline for all advertising is 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 28. Line clas- sifieds and news items are due by 10 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 31. Readers can expect to receive their papers in the mail on Wednes- day. This edition will be available on newsstands and online by Mon- day evening. By Janice Barniak and Andy Heuring A Pike County mother of four children died from injuries in an early morning traf- fic accident near Oakland City on Wednes- day, December 5. Mary A. Russell, 29, of 3031 SR 61, Win- slow, died after being trapped in her car un- derwater. According to the Gibson County Sheriff's Department, Russell was driving west on Highway 64 in her 2009 Chrysler Sebring on Highway 64, when she attempt- ed to slow for traffic that was stopped for a previous accident. Deputy Bruce Vanoven said Russell appeared to have applied her brakes and lost control, spinning about 180 degrees before sliding across eastbound traffic and then off the roadway into a large ditch, overturning. Witnesses Destiny Scraper, of Oak- land City, and Kayla Houchin, of Hunting- burg, were in anoth- er slide-off in view of the accident, and told Deputy Vanoven they saw Russell attempt to slow down, lose control and spin be- fore the vehicle land- ed on its roof. Pike County native and now Oakland City resident Preston Lewis, his father and his girlfriend were driving around 5 a.m. on Ind. 64 on Dec. 5 to pick up his mother, Rachel, for his leuke- mia treatment and his mother's brain can- cer chemotherapy, when they saw an over- turned vehicle down a 10 - to 12-foot em- bankment in Oakland City. The freezing morning had closed schools and businesses, and slide-offs were com- mon—in fact, they were returning from girlfriend Lauren Melchior's small vehicle spin out on Lynch Road—but at this acci- dent, they could see a woman on the shoul- Mary A. Russell Mother of four dies in traffic accident By Andy Heuring Winslow Town Councilmen de- layed several actions until next year as they prepare to deal with having their general fund in the 2019 budget cut to $50,000 less than their 2018 budget. Terry Strobel and Dick Brews- ter both voted to table a 2019 sal- ary ordinance that would set sal- aries and policy for 2019. "We are setting up a situation where I don't know what to do," said Brewster. "We are $50,000 short on our general fund. I would like to table it and let our new board deal with it. Right now we are facing a $50,000 shortage from our 2018 budget. Until we are set on our budget for 2019, I'm not in favor of spending mon- ey I don't know if we are going to have," said Brewster. "Me and Greg had discussed this before he passed away," said councilman Terry Strobel. "We both agreed we were going to leave it up to the new board." Councilman Greg Simmons died last month. Councilman Strobel was not re-elected, which leaves Brewster as the only returning councilman on the three-mem- ber board. Debra Lamb and Josh Popp were elected and will take office in January. The Indiana Department of Local Government Finance sent Winslow their 1782 notice last month informing them their 2019 budget would have $50,000 less in it than the 2018 budget because of lack of revenue. It also affected the fire depart- ment's request to purchase two new sets of turnout gear. Winslow Fire Chief Jason Bottoms said his department had a little more than $4,000 left in their general fund. He requested they be able to pur- chase two sets of turnout gear for about $ 3,500. "I know you aren't going to like this. But until we get our budget in for 2019, there is money in there we may have to use," said Brew- ster. He explained because the fire department funds are in the gen- eral fund if needed, Winslow could transfer that money to a fund they need. Specifically, Brewster cited the police payroll. He said they still had to pay one more payroll before the end of the year. "I'm not opposed to doing this (purchasing turnout gear), if there is any mon- ey left," said Brewster. Fire Chief Jason Bottoms said some turnout gear dates back to the 1990s and early 2000s and re- placements are needed badly. "You realize if you cut our bud- Winslow council postpones budget decisions for new members Jeff. FD wants approval to build new firehouse Santa and or Mrs. Claus will be making several more appearances in Pike County over the next week. There is also a coat giveaway for adults taking place in Win- slow. These are just a few of the Christ- mas-related activities in the area. Below is a schedule of events. MRS. CLAUS AT BRENTON CABIN Mrs. Claus will be in the Peter Brenton Cabin in Hornady Park on Saturday and Sunday. She will be there from 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, December 15 and from 6 to 9 p.m. on Sunday, December 16. She will be reading 'Twas the Night Be- fore Christmas to children. CHRISTMAS IN THE PARK Christmas in the Park runs each night from 6 to 9 p.m. in Hornady Park. WINSLOW WINTER WONDERLAND Winter Wonderland in Winslow is a col- lection of Christmas displays set up in the former Dime Store on Main St., Winslow. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be there from 3 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, December 15. There will also be hot chocolate and cookies. READING WITH SANTA A Reading with Santa event is sched- uled for 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, December 15. Santa will be at the Peters- burg branch of the Pike County Library and will read some favorite Christmas books to families and children. There will also be snacks and crafts. SALVATION ARMY BELL RINGERS NEEDED Bell ringers are needed for Friday and Saturday, December 14 and 15. Pike Coun- ty bell ringing chairman Cal Biddle said ringers are needed at the Dollar General Store on both Friday and Saturday, except for 9 a.m. to noon Friday. At Petersburg Hardware, ringers are needed in the morning hours on both days. Holiday events continue through December By Andy Heuring County councilmen listened to three proposed building projects Tuesday dur- ing their last monthly meeting of 2018. The Pike County Library wants to spend more than $700,000 to expand the eight-year- old Petersburg branch, Jefferson-Marion Township Fire Department wants to build a new $ 800,000 fire department building and the Pike County 4-H Council wants to expand the 4-H Fairgrounds amphitheater. Councilmen also approved the Asses- sor's Office taking over the former EMA director's vehicle and approved the Health Department environmental health special- ist going to full-time. A resolution to approve the building of a new building to house the Jefferson-Mari- on Township Fire Department was tabled. "We need to get the ducks in a row," said Council president Greg Willis. Jefferson Fire Chief Chris Young said they have been working on this project for more than eight years. He said they have purchased the ground for the buildings. The cost of the building would be about $ 880,000. "As we have seen, our equipment size has grown and the size of the build- ing has not grown. We are busting out. No room to do maintenance inside. So mainte- nance has to be done outside. Not a big is- sue in summer, but in the winter, it causes issues," said Young. He said they would have to raise their tax levy in the budget year of 2020. Their cur- rent rate is five cents. Young compared that with Patoka Township, which has a rate of 25 cents and Petersburg/Washington with a rate of four cents. County Councilmen all praised the job the Jefferson-Marion Fire Department does and their management. Willis said he was not against the proj- ect but said they needed to look at using Just this one, Santa Two-year-old Korah Hill, decked out in a bow, makes an earnest plea to Santa (Mike Capehart) during the Otwell Breakfast with Santa event on Saturday morning. It was one of numerous events including the Petersburg Holly Walk on Saturday. See additional photos on page B-10. Trains and more trains Brent Barber and Blake Barber talk with the Pike Collision Train Show organizer, Don Richardson, about one of several train sets on display in the Gospel Center gym on Satur- day. It was one of several events that was part of the Petersburg Merchants Association Hol- ly Walk. See additional photos on page A-7.