The Press-Dispatch
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The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, December 19, 2018 A-3 LOCAL Call: 812-354-8500 Email: news@pressdispatch.net or bring in a hard copy: 820 E. Poplar Street, Petersburg NEWS BRIEFS Blood Drive at Amber Manor Dec. 19 The American Red Cross has an urgent need for blood and platelet donors to give now to ensure blood is available for medical treatments and emer- gencies during the hol- iday season. They will be col- lecting blood at Am- ber Manor Care Cen- ter, 801 E. Illinois St. Petersburg on Dec. 19 from 2-6 p.m. PCHS choir spreading holiday cheer on Fox44 and CBS44 The Pike Central High School choir re- cently stopped by the 44News studio to re- cord several songs for the holiday show. They will be aired on CBS44, Sunday, Dec. 23, Mid- night-2 a.m., 5 -7 a.m. and Tuesday, Dec. 25, 5 - 7 a.m. They will also be aired on Fox44, Sunday, Dec. 23, 5 -6 a.m., first and second hour of the program only and Tues- day, Dec. 25, 5 -7 a.m. Upcoming event? We want to know! Do you have an up- coming event? Send it to news@pressdis- patch.net or call 812- 354-8500. READER GUIDE Subscriptions: Change of address: subscribers changing addresses will please give old address as well as new one along with phone number. We cannot guarantee prompt change unless this is done. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Press-Dispatch., P.O. Box 68, Petersburg, IN 47567- 0068 or e-mail to subscribe@ pressdispatch.net. Subscription rates: One year: $31 for Pike County and all 475/476 zip codes; $34 in the state of Indiana; $51 elsewhere in the USA. Paid in advance. Subscriptions taken after noon on Friday will not receive a paper until the second edition after their subscription date. About us: Andrew G. Heuring and John B. Heuring, Publishers Andrew G. Heuring, Editor John B. Heuring, Adv. Mgr. Eric Gogel, Production Mgr. Monica Sinclair, Office Mgr. Cindy Petty, Adv. Sales Pam Lemond, Adv. Sales Matt Haycraft, Adv. Designer • • • Published every Wednesday by the Pike County Publishing Co. Phone: 812-354-8500 820 E. Poplar St., P.O. Box 68, Petersburg, IN 47567-0068 • • • Entered in the Post Office in Petersburg, Indiana for transmission through the mails as Periodical Mail, postage paid at Petersburg, Indiana – published weekly. (USPS 205-620) Contact us: Phone: .......... 812-354-8500 Fax: ............... 812-354-2014 E-mail: Andy Heuring, Editor editor@pressdispatch.net Advertising ads@pressdispatch.net General News news@pressdispatch.net Sports sports@pressdispatch.net Subscription Services subscribe@pressdispatch. net CALENDAR Continued from page 1 Merry Christmas from Santa's Favorite Store Siebert's Where Helping You Dress Well Has Been A Specialty, Since 1922 Where Helping You Dress Well Has Been A Specialty, Since 1922 On e Square, Jasper 812-482-5514 siebertsclothing.com Monday, Tuesday, ursday, Friday 9am-5:30pm Wednesday 9am-8pm, Saturday 9am-3pm Red Wing and Timberland WORK SHOES Reg. From $129 $20 OFF Easy Care Cotton CASUAL SLACKS From Savane and Berle Sizes 30-50 • Reg $65-$89 $20 OFF ENTIRE STOCK SUITS AND SPORT COATS MOST MADE IN USA Reg from $240 SAVE UP TO $100 & MORE LARGE GROUP DRESS SHIRTS From Enro and Forsyth Reg. From $39 BUY 1 AT REG. PRICE, GET THE 2ND F • R • E • E! * *Equal or lesser value GROUP CASUAL AND DRESS SHOES J&M, Clarks, Bostonian and New Balance Reg. From $89 1/2 OFF er unforeseen reasons – during the 2018 -19 school year. "All certificated employees are compensated their contract- ed amount on e-Learning days," Blake wrote in a letter addressed to the school board dated Thurs- day, Dec. 6. "I am recommending that the board compensate non- certified employees on e-Learning days as well. If approved, there will be no loss of pay for any corporation employee during inclement weath- er or other emergency situations that may necessitate cancellation of a regular school day." On a motion by board member Ron Sharp, seconded by board member David Waltz, the school board approved Blake's recom - mendation by a 4-0 vote, with board president Chris Satterfield and board secretary Steve Potter also voting yes. (A fifth member of the school board, vice-president Chris McK- inney, was not present during the meeting.) The school board also approved the following donations and/or grants: • A $5,000 grant from Toyota to the Pike Central High School Ro- botics team. • Donations of $500 each by Kimball Electronics Group, Thom- as Hunt and Ripco LTD to the Pike Central Middle School Robotics Club. • A $1,500 grant from the Pike County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Community Foun- dation Alliance, Inc., to Pike Cen- tral Middle School to purchase Chromebooks for the classroom. • A $500 donation from the Main Street Presbyterian Church's Gray Music Fund to the Pike Central High School Swing Choir. • A $1,112.40 grant by the Pike County Community Foundation to the Pike Central High School mu- sic and choral departments from the Tiffani Fisher Thomforde Mu- sic Fund. • A $1,607 donation by the Pike County Community Foundation to the Pike Central High School music and choral departments from the Arlis Jack Hief and Martha Grego- ry Hief Music Fund. • A $1,506.20 donation from the Pike Central Cheerleading Booster Club to the High School JV/Varsity Cheerleaders. • A $486 donation by the Pike County Community Foundation to the Pike Central Swim Team Fund. • A donation of a new confer- ence table with bases and eight new chairs by National Office Furniture to Petersburg Elementary School. • Two donations totaling $5,000 by the David Detar Corn Trust to Winslow Elementary School to pur- chase Chromebooks for the class- room. • A $ 3,000 donation by the Da- vid Detar Corn Trust to Winslow Elementary School for 5th grade robotics. • A $2,000 donation by the Da- vid Detar Corn Trust to Winslow Elementary School for iPads and robots. • A $1,000 grant by the Pike County Community Foundation to Winslow Elementary School to provide a special speaker regard- ing the brain and how trauma af- fects children. • A $215 donation by Mason Heavy Diesel to Winslow Elementa- ry School to purchase bows, socks and shirts for the school's cheer- leaders. • A $2,500 donation from the Pike County Lunch Guard Program to the Pike County School Corpo- ration. In addition, the school board approved the following personnel matters: TERMINATIONS • Crystal Benefiel, as bus driver, effective Aug. 31. • Sheldon Pasquino, as custodi- an, effective Nov. 6. RESIGNATIONS • Rick Weisman, as Pike Central High School varsity softball head coach. In a letter addressed to Pike Cen- tral Athletic Director Dustin Pow- ell dated Nov. 12, Weisman wrote: "This was a hard decision as I re- ally enjoy coaching softball. I have retired and wish to be able to do more traveling, golfing, fishing, and attending grandkids' activi- ties. Thanks for the opportunity to coach these fine athletes. Pike Cen- tral has a strong softball program, and I wish them the best." • Josh Stieneker, as Pike Central Middle School 6th grade girls' bas- ketball coach, effective Dec. 7. • Ryne Biesterveld, as Pike Cen- tral High School varsity girls' track and field head coach, effective Dec. 11. In a letter dated Dec. 11, Bies- terveld – who is in his second year as assistant principal at Petersburg Elementary School – cited his re- sponsibilities and obligations as a school administrator as the reason for his resignation. "I thank the many students I have had the privilege to coach and men- tor over the past several years, and wish nothing but the best for all of them in the future," Biesterveld wrote. APPOINTMENTS • Travis Cochren as School Re- source Officer for the Pike Coun- ty School Corporation, effective Dec. 3. "He is currently attending the ba- sic school resource officer certifi- cation training this week," Blake told the school board. "The sala- ry scale for this position would be $21.48 an hour. The position's de- fined as eight hours per day for 240 days per year." "Initially, after he returns, he will be working out of the middle school office," Blake added. "We're hoping to get something worked out with the county after the first of the year, and Lawman will continue to work with us on the remaining buildings until we have any official hires." • Rachelle Smitson, as a teach- ing assistant at Petersburg Elemen- tary School. • Stephen Ffrench, as assistant band director at Pike Central High School. • Candace Wibbeler, as cheer- leader coach at Winslow Elemen- tary School. • Jennifer Smith, as boys' bas- ketball coach at Winslow Elemen- tary School. • Josh Fiscus and Jeff Taylor as girls' basketball coaches at Win- slow Elementary School. • Phyllis Whitehead, as a full- time bus driver for the remainder of the 2018 -19 school year, effec- tive Nov. 30. • Sarah Frasure, as a full-time bus driver for Route #34 for the re- mainder of the 2018 -19 school year. • Corey Roach, as boys' basket- ball volunteer coach at Petersburg Elementary School. • Jake Brown and Dennis Ken- dle, as volunteer assistant wres- tling coaches at Pike Central High School. • Joe Warner, as volunteer as- sistant 6th grade girls' basket- ball coach at Pike Central Middle School. • J.J. Howald, as 6th grade girls' basketball head coach at Pike Cen- tral Middle School. • Olivia Leighty, as 6th grade girls' basketball volunteer assis- tant/locker room monitor at Pike Central Middle School. • Danette Weisman, as girls' swimming and diving head coach at Pike Central Middle School. • Chris Kramer, as boys' track and field head coach at Pike Cen- tral High School. • Jarrod Gideon, as boys' golf head coach at Pike Central High School. • Brent Beck, as girls' tennis head coach at Pike Central High School. • Sandra Combs, as custodian at Pike Central High School, effective Dec. 10. Blake also presented the school board with a copy of the 1782 No- tice Notes Report from the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance outlining the school corpo- ration's approved budget for 2019. "Overall, in comparison with this year's budget to last year, we actually have a little bit of an in- crease," Blake said. "In our ap- propriations, we've been approved for 2019 $1,590,000 for Debt Ser- vice, we have $582,476 approved for School Pension Debt, we have $10,922,326 approved for Educa- tion, and we have $ 8,244,238 ap- proved for Operations." "From the request we sent in, it's actually a cut of $2.8 million to the Education Fund and just over $1 million for Operations," Blake add- ed. "I believe we ended up, I think it was roughly $2 million up from 2018 on the budget order." Before the meeting ended, Sat- terfield recognized the board's two out-going members – Sharp and Waltz. "Ron, thank you for your wisdom; you've enlightened us," Satterfield said. "Dave, thank you for your leadership you've given us over the years. It's been a pleasure working with both of you guys." "I just want to say I've been hon - ored to be able to serve the cor- poration over the past eight years and work with a fine group of board members," said Waltz, who was de- feated in his bid for a third four-year term by Forrest Manning in No- vember. "It's really more of a part- nership than anything, with the su- perintendent, with the board mem- bers and, really, the administrators and the teachers." Sharp, who chose not to seek a second four-year term and will be succeeded by Howard Knight, read a prepared statement: "As we finish our last Board meeting for the year and the last Board meeting for myself, I would like to thank everyone in this room, and I mean board, superintendent, administrators, nurses, teachers, office staff, bus drivers, cafeteria, maintenance and custodians, for the help in turning this corporation around and bringing it from a large deep red hole to operating in the black with a healthy future. It's nice to owe no money for loans and be able to stand on our own. It's been a long time. I am also very happy we were able to give much needed and certainly deserved pay raises. This was long overdue. I want to recog- nize Nathan Harker also, as he was a big part of this change his last two years on the board. He did a won- derful job and, as we all did, had to make some hard decisions to turn our corporation around and back on its feet." "I am also looking forward to see- ing the end results of our securi- ty and the staffing of our SROs we have ready to go in place in the very near future. I was hoping this would all be done before David and I left the board, but it is a big project to get in place." However, Sharp said that he re- gretted having voted in November 2016 for the school corporation to sever ties with German American Insurance and go with Old National Insurance Risk Partners as its bro- ker/agent. "I think we did (German Ameri- can Insurance manager) Tony Co- chran a disservice with not stick- ing with him and German Ameri- can Insurance, and the reason I say this is Tony watched our backs for a long time with the trust coverage we were in and his hard work and help getting us out of that with a great deal of savings was a plus," Sharp read. "He deserves better from us than he got. I never had a question during that time that was not answered the same day or at the very least the next day by Tony or one of his staff. Dana Wilson is very good at her job as it Brenda Meny." "As I look back over the differ- ence of coverage, I do not see that much difference in coverage and I would think having the insurance people that we have just down the street would have to be a plus. I know this next year brings a renew- al time for the schools' continued coverage, and I hope the new board gives Tony and German American Insurance the opportunity to serve our school corporation. He has cer- tainly earned it. As I look back now, the one big thing I see is German American is still here supporting our schools and sports programs, and all I have seen from Old Na- tional is they bought and closed two banks and left town, putting a lot of hometown people out of a job." "I have enjoyed working with all of you and I wish the new board members and the old timers the best in the days ahead and keep- ing our school on track for a bright future for our students. Pike Cen- tral is a school for us all to be proud of. Go Chargers!!!!!!!! "