The Press-Dispatch
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Local ...........A1-6 History ........... A5 Sports .........B1-8 Classifi eds . B9-13 Church ........C1-3 Home Life....C4-6 Obituaries....... C7 Opinion .......C8-9 School.... C10-11 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 DELIVERY on page 2 Wednesday, January 23, 2019 Volume 149 Number 4 Phone (812) 354-8500 Petersburg, IN 47567-0068 (USPS 604-34012) $ 1 Four sections 36 pages Five inserts Hunter, Brown injured in head-on crash Two people were injured Saturday afternoon when the cars they were driving crashed head- on near Velpen. Pike County Deputy Sheriff Michael Willis said Ty Cassitty, 20, of 2620 Cato-Winslow Road, Winslow, was driving south on CR 900 E., near CR 300 S., when he collided with Johnny Mack Brown, 58, of 8996 E. Brown Rd., Velpen. Deputy Willis said Brown told him Cassit- ty crossed into the northbound lane and they hit head-on. Deputy Willis said the impact took place on the northbound side of the road. Deputy Willis said Cassitty was taken by ambulance to Memorial Hospital in Jasper with a broken leg and multiple contusions. Brown later went to the hospital complaining of back pain. By Andy Heuring The Washington police department is conducting a "death investigation" after a Pike County native died in a Louisville hos- pital on January 14. Bambi Sue Cannon, 30, of Washington, grew up in Pike County and attended Pike Central. She was the mother of three chil- dren. (See obituary on page C-7). Washington police at this time are not re- leasing any information other than to say they are doing a death investigation. Death of former Pike Co. woman investigated By Andy Heuring An Evansville man convicted of dealing methamphetamine in Pike County was sentenced to 24 years in prison on Wednesday. David Wayne Lawson was found guilty of dealing metham- phetamine, a Level 4 felony, and maintaining a common nuisance (controlled substance), a Level 6 felony, on December 4 in Pike Cir- cuit Court. Lawson was convicted of driv- ing Jennifer Kostas, of Shoals, to deal meth. He and Kostas were ar- rested after police made a traffic stop on him at about 1:30 a.m. in the morning. A search led to find- ing meth and meth smoking de- vices in their possession. Pike Cir- cuit Court Judge Jeff Biesterveld, in his sentencing order, stated Lawson had an "extensive histo- ry of criminal or delinquent be- havior." Lawson has 19 prior mis- demeanor convictions and 11 fel- ony convictions, including three child molesting convictions. The sentencing order states: "Prior lenient treatment has been unsuccessful." Judge Biesterveld also found Lawson posed a risk to the com- munity and that a "reduced sen- tence or suspension of sentence would depreciate the seriousness of the offense." The court found that Lawson pleading guilty to the habitu- al offender sentencing enhance- ment saved the court time and resources. However, Judge Bies- terveld wrote "The aggravating factors in this case substantially outweigh the mitigating factors and that Lawson was a high risk to re-offend." Lawson was then sentenced to 12 years on the Level 4 felony, with zero years suspended. Another 12 years was added on for the habitu- al offender enhancement. He was also sentenced to 2.5 years on a maintaining a common nuisance-controlled substance charge, which is a Level 6 felony. Judge Biesterveld ruled the two 12-year sentences would run con- secutively, which means one sen- tence would not start until the oth- er had been completed. The 2.5 year sentence is to be concurrent with the first 12-year sentence, which means Lawson will receive credit for the time served on both sentences at the same time. Lawson was given credit for 85 days of good time served on the charges prior to the trial. The court appointed attorney Steve Ripstra to represent Law- son in filing an appeal to his con- viction. Lawson sentenced to 24 years for dealing methamphetamine Wind and snow combined for blinding conditions Saturday eve- ning. Here, the snow conceals a treeline forty feet away. First heavy snow of season snarls activities for days By Andy Heuring A strong, fast-moving storm blitzed Pike County and southern Indiana on Saturday evening, leaving as much as seven inches of snow. Pike, Gibson, Daviess and Knox counties seem to have caught the brunt of the snow as other counties only got about three to four inches. The storm apparently caught motorists by surprise as Pike Coun- ty's 911 central dispatch had seven report- ed slide-offs in the first hour of the snow. It started at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday and quickly accumulated to more than an inch on the roads in the first 15 minutes. The slide-offs didn't slow down much. There were 13 reported by 10 p.m., when they finally let up, but they continued on Sunday. A total of 21 slide-offs were report- ed between 5:30 p.m. Saturday and 9 p.m. Sunday. Dave Jenkins, of Double J Towing in Pe- tersburg, said he worked all weekend. "I think I towed 15 vehicles over the week- end." He said it was constant from about 5:30 p.m. Saturday until after 10 p.m., then it picked up again early Sunday morning. "Most of them were just slide-offs. I was able to simply pull them out of the ditch and get them on their way," said Jenkins. How- ever, he said one person escaped injury on I-69, but totaled their vehicle when they hit a bridge abutment. Jenkins said he had to tow one vehicle to Jasper. "It was a nightmare driving in the snow. You couldn't see anything," said Jenkins. He said on his way back from Jasper, he had to stop in Otwell and pull someone out of the ditch. Area road crews were out all weekend. Pike County Highway Superintendent Roger Ham said they had three road grad- ers and all five of their snow plows out all night Saturday, all day Sunday and all day Monday. On Tuesday, he said crews were cleaning up the slick spots and spreading sand on them. "It would really help if the sun would come out today," said Ham on Tuesday. He estimated the snow at seven inches and said it was pretty even throughout the county. Winslow Street Supervisor Dave Gay- hart said they plowed all night Saturday, and through the day on Sunday, getting the streets open. Along with seven inches of snow, the storm had strong winds and was followed by the coldest temperatures of this winter season. It hit single digits on Sunday and Monday mornings. Heavy rains preceded the snow. They ranged from two inches in the southern half of the county to three inches in the northern half of the county. The rain com- bined with the snow is causing both the Pa- toka and White Rivers to flood. The White River on Tuesday was at 17.7 feet at Petersburg, which is 1.7 feet above the 16 -foot flood stage level. It went above flood stage on January 20 and is expected to crest on Sunday, January 27 at 19.8 feet. However, more rain and snow are project- ed for this weekend and could affect those predictions. EMTs deliver Middleton child in ambulance By Andy Heuring A Petersburg family had an emergency delivery of their third child in the back of an ambulance on Friday, but everything turned out okay. The mother is home and the child is doing well but still in the hos- pital. Ashley Middleton, who lives near Prides Creek, was expecting her third child last week. But the baby girl came quicker than expected. Middleton said her first two chil- dren were C-section deliveries. She said from the time she had her first contraction until the baby was born was less than three hours. Her husband, Mike, was at work. She called him and he said he would start home right away. But she told him to just meet her at the hospital instead. Middleton said her sister, Amanda Arnold, By Andy Heuring Former Assessor and Recorder Jody Hoover has added her name to the list of those filing for Petersburg City Council. Hoover filed for the at-large seat, which is now held by Fran Lewis. Lewis, who has served six terms on the Petersburg City Council, announced last week she would not seek re-election. Hoover is the only non-incumbent to file so far. The incumbents to file to date are May- or R.C. Klipsch, District 4 Councilman Bri- an Van Meter and Clerk-Treasurer Tammy Selby. District 1 Councilman Gary Leavitt and District 2 Councilman John Melhiser have not filed yet, but both said they plan to file. The deadline to file is noon Friday, Feb- ruary 8 in the County Clerk's Office on the second floor of the courthouse. Hoover adds name to list of city candidates Baby born in driveway of parents' home Cold fun Adalyn Aldridge and Paisley Willis close their eyes and hang on as they zoom down a hill at Hornady Park in Peters- burg, Monday morning. The girls were part of a group of about 20 people who braved the single-digit temperatures to have fun in the nearly seven inches of snow dropped on the area over the weekend. See additional photos on page A-6. PIKE COUNTY Planter Planter 72ND ANNUAL MEETING EDITION January 29 • Section D