The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1220193
The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, March 11, 2020 A-7 EAST GIBSON NEWS Submit school news: Email: egnews@ pressdispatch.net Deadline: Noon on Friday Tourism eyes I-69 race to develop By Janice Barniak Gibson County Visitors and Tour- ism director Eric Heidenreich made the tourism board aware that Gib- son County is looking, again, at coun- ty-wide zoning, a measure the board stood in favor of two years previously. "As for as my personal opinion, our position at the time was, we be- lieve the best chance for a new ho- tel in the future is on I-69, so know- ing that our revenue comes from ho- tel stays, we were in favor," he said. "We have the unique position of hav- ing three exits on I-69." He added, counties on I-69 are currently in a race to see who will get there first with, for example, a gas station on the relatively undevel- oped highway. "What we're hearing from Daviess and Pike is that they're preparing. Washington is preparing to do it, and it looks like it will be whoever gets there first," he said. Traffic along the road is expect- ed to pick up significantly once the bridge is finished in Henderson, he added. County looks to quilt trail By Janice Barniak Gibson County met and has ex- ceeded a five-year commitment to the barn quilt trail that began on the state's bicentennial in 2013. Howev- er, as another bus made the journey to see the quilts last week, County Tourism director Eric Heidenreich asked if the tourism bureau wanted to check in with board members to talk about doing an inventory and update on the attraction. Visitors and Tourism still receives applications to participate in the trail, so there may be new barns to add to the map, and also, the board probably wants to take the tour to be sure none of the attractions need re- painted or have moved. TOYOTA SPONSORS LOCAL ROBOTICS EDUCATION WITH $100K When The Jetsons premiered in 1962, they imagined a future with a flying car, an auto- matic vacuum, now called a Roomba, and a watch that could let you talk to anyone through face-to-face video, now a smart watch. "The future is now, that's happening," Le- ah Curry told the crowd during the announce- ment of a $100,000 grant to the First Robotics program, a competitive robotics program that six area high schools have teams in, and Toyo- ta has team members in, serving as mentors. She said, "Toyota's working on those fly- ing cars, as well as autonomous cars, and cars with enhanced safety systems, and these students will have opportunities to work in a world where those technologies are blos- soming." "You're in the middle of it. I'm a bit jealous," she said. "We foresee the future." She said applying theory to the real world robots teaches students much more in Sci- ence, Technology, Engineering and Math than they could learn doing the textbook work without the hands-on component. First Robotics leader Renee Becker-Blau spoke about the last five years as the organi- zation got off the ground locally, starting with only Jasper High School participating. Now there are six participating and four more teams gearing up to be able to compete. "I have to say, we wouldn't be here without significant champions from Toyota," she said, acknowledging the work of Chris Melvin on building a workforce development pipeline. "First Indiana Robotics believes our future is better together and that our youths are the key to that future." "The program provides mentorship, hands- on learning and intense competition, but the mentoring opportunities are unique," she said, as is a focus on gracious professional- ism and teamwork. "It isn't about the robot. This is essentially a robotics community that prepares students for life." Students prepare for a demo of their competitive First Indiana Tech robot. Commissioners resolve to protect 2nd Amendment By Janice Barniak Gibson County Commissioners, in their regular meeting on Tuesday, adopted a resolution to protect sec- ond amendment rights across the county. According to the resolution, Gib- son County will at no time adopt any rule or ordinance that would in- fringe on the right of citizens to bear arms, and will defend the right to bear arms within the limits of Indi- ana's codes. In a January commissioners' meeting, Ron Johnson, from Gib- son County United Sanctuary Move- ment, asked on behalf of his group that County Commissioners declare Gibson County a Sanctuary Coun- ty for the Second Amendment in re- sponse to Indiana's Senate Bill 203, proposed by Sen. Greg Taylor and Sen. Mark Stoops. The bill would prohibit the trade, sale or trans- fer of a regulated (AR) weapon to a person under 21. A dealer knowing- ly providing the weapon would face level 6 felony charges, among other stipulations. "We want to make sure the state knows this is our second amend- ment right. It doesn't allow for this gun, that gun. It's the right to keep and bear arms," said Johnson to the Star-Times after the January meet- ing. "My job is to make sure the com- missioners know the people of the county want this." Time running out to help rural areas get broadband By Janice Barniak Gibson County has applied for a grant to bring broadband to the rural areas of the county, but the application needs help in the form of letters from area citizens about how having the internet would help them. According to Economic Devel- opment director Paul Waters, the county has applied for 53 miles of fiberoptic cable to deliver high speed internet to rural under- served areas that do not have it now, at a cost of approximately $5.7 million. The letters need to talk about why residents need the internet, for example, during days when school has virtual days from home because of snow, and when farmers need to use the internet to make use of the most up-to- date planting technology. "This is a big deal," said Com- missioner Gerald Bledsoe, say- ing the money to hold up Gibson County's matching funds for the grant was taken out of EDIT, the fund that provides for, among oth- er things, road repair. The county needs letters this week. For more information, call Economic Development at 812- 386 -0002 or email info@gibson- countyedc.org. Road repair gearing up for spring By Janice Barniak The Gibson County Highway Dept. is eyeing road repair pro- jects for the spring. Contractors have completed updates on rural Johnson's Red Bridge and Wheeling Bridge, the county's two covered bridg- es, and the next bridge work will be on Bridge 4, located on CR 450 N., east of 650 E., north of Wheel- ing (not the bridge next to the historic Wheeling bridge). Utility relocation has begun at Bridge 4, and the estimate is that when actual repairs begin, they will take three months. The highway department will move to their summer schedule of doing four, 10 -hour days May 4 and will continue the schedule until May 10. During public comment, a cit- izen asked about whether there were any plans in the next few years to fix Francisco's CR 650 where Peabody Coal was mining north of Francisco. When the county released the bond Peabody put up for the road, the company had replaced the as- phalt road with gravel, seen by some as a downgrade. Accord- ing to Steve Bottoms, that was re- leased under a previous adminis- tration, and it would be cost pro- hibitive to put the road back to asphalt. "Farmers aren't going to be able to get up and down the road," said the citizen. Bottoms said he'd approached Peabody, but they're under no ob- ligation to fix it. "Somebody needs to be more forceful," said the concerned cit- izen. "I was quite forceful," Bot- toms said, adding he'd have to put every bit of paving money for the entire year into paving that road with asphalt, money that is supposed to be split between the five townships in his district. The citizen also asked if Ind. 64 could get more trash picked up, calling it slum-like, and saying it gives the county "a bad look," especially near Heights Chapel Road. He asked that the commission- ers put work release prisoners on the pick up. Bottoms said that they need volunteers for work re- lease from the prison population to be able to do it. "I'll hold the shot gun" volun- teered the citizen. Before Bottoms could answer, Attorney Jim McDonald cut in that such a plan would cause li- ability issues. Severe weather month encourages preparation By Janice Barniak Gibson County's Flood Plain Ad- ministrator Stephanie McKinney encouraged preparation during the Severe Weather Awareness Week, March 15 through March 23. She told commissioners that ar- ea homeowners can use the time to prepare for bad weather, and also to check into whether they're prepared for one of southern Indiana's most common disasters, flooding. Severe Weather Week is a good time to check your homeowner's in- surance policy to see what disasters are covered and what would happen in a flooding situation. Tourism board awarded for Best Advocacy Initiative During the recent Indiana Tourism Association's (ITA) annual conference in Elizabeth, Ind., the Gibson County Visitors and Tourism Bureau received the award for Best Advocacy In- itiative. The award was open to en- tries that had a goal of increas- ing awareness in their local com- munities. The GCV T Bureau's entry, the 2019 Lyles Station Farm to Table Dinner, compet- ed against entries from Elkhart County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Indiana Dunes Tourism and Visit South Bend Mishawa- ka. According to an Indiana Tour- ism Association spokesperson, the judges were truly impressed that such a beautiful event was able to bring exposure to a his- toric site in such a clever and strategic way, saying it was won- derful for a destination market- ing organization to create and save a product. One of the judges added "the only thing missing from the en- try was my invitation." Judges for the awards included Lute Harmon, Jr., president of Great Lakes Publishing; Scottie El- lis, journal editor with Simon and Schuster Publishing; and Chenelle McGee, marketing co- ordinator for Shelbyville Ken- tucky Tourism. ITA executive di- rector Carrie Lambert present- ed the Best Advocacy Initiative Award to GCV T staff members Eric Heidenreich, Paula French, Kelly Scott and Lyles Station His- toric School and Museum chair- man Stanley Madison. GCV T Bureau executive di- rector Eric Heidenreich said, "We are honored and excited to receive this award. I am so proud of our team and the dedi- cation they displayed in putting the Farm to Table event togeth- er. The event far exceeded our expectations for raising aware- ness for the Lyles Station Histor- ic School and Museum." Market- ing consultant Paula French add- ed, "The Lyles Station Farm to Table event was definitely a la- bor of love and we are looking forward to another great Farm to Table event this fall." North High School First Indiana Tech members gather around a robot that plays soccer—albeit very slowly.