The Press-Dispatch
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Local ����������A1-10 History ����������� A7 Sports ��������� B1-3 Opinion ������� B4-5 Classifieds ��� B6-8 Church �������� C1-3 Home Life ��� C4-5 School �������� C6-7 East Gibson ���� C8 Christmas ��������� D Lights & Love Feature ����������D16 WHAT'S INSIDE: Phone: ���������������������812-354-8500 Fax: ��������������������������812-354-2014 E-Mail ����editor@pressdispatch�net NEWS TIPS: PIKE PUBLISHING Wednesday, December 18, 2019 Volume 149 Number 51 Phone 812-354-8500 Petersburg, IN 47567-0068 (USPS 604-34012) $ 1 Four sections 42 pages Three inserts See WRIGHT on page 2 See CHOKING on page 2 See REVIEW on page 8 Early deadlines for New Year's edition The Press-Dispatch will have early deadlines for the Jan. 1 edition. The deadline for all ad- vertising, classifieds and news content is 10 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 30. Readers can expect to receive their papers in the mail on Tuesday, Dec. 31. SPECIAL SECTION INSIDE Letters to Santa! Bolin and Hickman families brighten the Christmas season with traditional display ■ D-16 The following is a review of the year's news highlights in the first four months of 2019 for Pike County. Highlights of 2019 will be divided into three sections to be pub- lished in this and the next two issues. JANUARY • Ashley Harris, 20, of Otwell, was able to get her pet cat and rabbit out of the back seat of her car after it burst into flames at Spuds in Ireland. According to Ireland Fire Chief Stan Seifert, Harris had filled her car with gas and gone inside the store. When she came out of the store, she noticed it looked like her windshield was smoked up, then she saw a bright orange flash. She was able to get in the back of her car and get her pets out. The car was destroyed. • Miss Pike County Emily Brasher com- peted in the Miss Indiana State Fair Queen pageant in Indianapolis. • An Evansville man and Washington man were arrested when a DEA officer and local police partnered in a drug sting. Jer- emy M. Petty, 39, of 419 Keck Ave. Evans- ville, and Michael Barnard, 39, of 9 NE Third St., Washington, were arrested on charges of dealing in meth, a level 2 felony, and possession of meth at least 10 grams, a level 4 felony. The arrests happened after a federal Drug Enforcement Agency offi- cer in Evansville alerted local police about the two after they were seen at Ellis Park in Henderson making what police believed to be a drug deal. •Jason McMickel, 41, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being convicted of selling meth to a confidential informant in the Petersburg Little League park at about midnight. • The Discover Downtown Petersburg organization requested donations to help purchase the Santa House they had rent- ed for Christmas 2018. Mayor R.C. Klipsch said within a few days they had reached their goal and were able to purchase the house. • Natalie Bohnert kicked off 2019 by set- ting a school record of 55.81 seconds in the 100 freestyle for Pike Central. It broke her old record of 56.64 seconds and was the third school record she set this season. • Austin Holder scored a team-high 22 points to lead Pike Central to a 60 -55 win over Wood Memorial. • Hailey Marchino scored 20 points to lead the Lady Chargers past Forest Park 56 -45. • Winslow Town Council swears in new- ly-elected council members Josh Popp and Debra Lamb. They, along with incumbent Dick Brewster, were elected in the at-large race for three positions on the board. Year in Review: First four months news in 2019 tBy Andy Heuring A rural Petersburg woman is alive today because a Petersburg Policeman just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Petersburg Police Cpl. Kyle Mills was sitting on King St., be- tween Fifth and Sixth Sts., which runs parallel to Illinois St., when Tammy Holman stopped next to his patrol car and got out holding her throat. Cpl. Mills was able to perform the Heimlich maneuver on Hol- man and free some food that was choking her. "He is my hero, he saved my life. I have no doubt I would have died. It was so lodged, I could not get it to come up or down," said Holman. Holman said she was out run- ning errands for her aunt, who was in the car with her at the time. "I was in a hurry, so I stopped at Huck's and got some boneless chicken wings, something I could eat while I was driving," said Hol- man. As she was driving south on Fifth St. from Main St., towards Illinois St., where her son lives, Holman was eating a piece of the chicken and she became choked. "I could talk just enough to say I'm choking," said Holman. She said she was only a couple of blocks from her son's house, so she kept driving, thinking if she could get there, she might be able to get help. As she got near Illinois St., she saw Cpl. Mills sitting there in his police car. "I said, 'You think he could help me? '" So she pulled up in front of Mills and got out of her car hold- ing her neck to indicate she was choking. "I just happened to be in the right place at the right time," said Cpl. Mills. "It was right be- fore lunch and I just happened to be sitting there," said Mills. He said he had been sitting on the one block street, parallel to Illinois St., running radar when Holman pulled up abruptly and Cpl. Mills saves local woman from choking By Andy Heuring The City of Petersburg is ad- vertising four paving projects that were included in their Crossroads Community grant application. If Petersburg receives the grant, the INDOT would provide 75 percent of the cost of paving these streets. The streets included in their ap- plication are: Spruce St., from Ninth St. to its end; Walnut St., from Ninth St. to 12th St.; Poplar St., from Fifth St. to Mulber- ry St.; and Fifth St., from Main St. to Illinois St. Additional city streets advertised for paving By Andy Heuring Former Petersburg Police Cpl. Scott Wright withdrew his not guilty plea and entered a guilty plea recently in Pike Cir- cuit Court. Wright had been charged with count I official misconduct, a level 6 felony, counts II and III theft, a level 6 felony, and count IV theft of less than $750, a class A misde- meanor. Wright admitted to the court he stole money from Petersburg's evidence cage on three separate incidents. The total amount was $ 9,436, which he paid back to the city. Wright resigned from the Petersburg Police Department in early April after Sgt. Scott McClellan was looking for money that should have been in the evidence cage and called Wright about it. Eventually, Wright admitted it and the paid back the money. "I did it. I'm ashamed. I can't say much more than that. I absolutely did do it. I'm just working through the process," said Wright when answering Special Judge Dean Sobecki's question about his plea. Wright's attorney Mark Foster said, "I see no advantage to proceed to trial." Judge Sobecki accepted Wright's request to plead guilty. Wright agreed to plea guilty, giving up his right to an appeal and a trial. A sentencing hearing was scheduled for 1 p.m. on Friday, January 17 in Pike Cir- cuit Court. A level 6 felony is the lowest level of felony Wright changes plea to guilty; awaits sentence hearing Coyotes are on the move and In- diana residents might see them more, but this should not be a cause for alarm. Coyotes are common every- where in the state, even in urban areas. Coyotes become more ac- tive during winter, and the bare vegetation this time of year in- creases the chance of catching a glimpse. Young coyotes leave their par- ents to find a new home, making them more likely to be seen dur- ing winter. And in January, coy- otes will be looking to breed, mak- ing them even more active. Seeing more coyotes does not mean they are increasing in number. Where people are, coyotes fol- low. Coyotes like to eat animals and plants that thrive around yards and homes, including rab- bits, mice, fruit and squirrels. They thrive around people be- cause of the abundant food that comes with human development. Coyotes are a common mem- ber of Indiana's urban wildlife community, as are raccoons, red foxes, and opossums. Coyotes are also an important member of In- diana's wildlife community, help- ing control rodent populations and cleaning up carrion. Coyotes typically weigh be- tween 20 -30 pounds and are sim- ilar in height to a German Shep- herd. Winter fur, which is thick- er, makes coyotes appear bigger than they actually are, potential- ly causing concern. To reduce the possibility of pets having a negative interaction with coyotes or any other wildlife, keep pets leashed, in a kennel with a se- cure top, or indoors. Problems between coyotes and people are uncommon. Follow these tips for making your prop- erty less attractive to coyotes: • Clean up fallen fruit from trees or gardens. • Keep garbage secure. • Make sure pet food and treats are not left outside. • If you see a coyote around your yard, take down birdfeeders; coy- otes could be attracted to the ro- dents eating the seeds. • Never intentionally feed a coy- ote, which could result in its los- ing its fear of people. Making a coyote feel unwel- come around people can help maintain its natural fear of hu- mans, but never corner or chase a coyote – you should always al- low it to have a clear escape path to get away from you. If you see a coyote and want it to go away, try to make it uncom- fortable: • Yell. • Wave your arms. • Spray it with a hose. • Throw tennis balls or small stones at it, but don't throw any- thing that could be food, like ap- ples. Carry something to make noise. Coyotes are now common sight, even in town A coyote on the run is a common sight in Pike County as well as Indiana in both rural and urban areas. Contributed photo Fifth graders bring holiday cheer Petersburg Elementary fifth graders bring holiday cheer to residents of Amber Manor with a collection of upbeat Christmas carols on Friday, Dec. 20. See additional photos on A-3