The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1238334
Local ��������������������A1-12 History ����������������������A7 Sports ��������������������A8-9 Classifieds ���������� A10-11 Home Life ��������������B1-4 East Gibson ���������������B3 Obituaries �����������������B4 Church �������������������B5-7 Opinion ������������������B8-9 WHAT'S INSIDE: Phone: ���������������������812-354-8500 Fax: ��������������������������812-354-2014 E-Mail ����editor@pressdispatch�net NEWS TIPS: PIKE PUBLISHING Wednesday, April 22, 2020 Volume 150 Number 17 Phone 812-354-8500 Petersburg, IN 47567-0068 (USPS 604-34012) $ 1 Two sections 22 pages Three inserts See ELECTION on page 3 See SCHOOL on page 3 Death of a 24-year-old being investigated By Andy Heuring The death of a 24-year-old Petersburg man is being investigated. Andrew Dodd, of 311 N. 12th St., Peters- burg, was found dead in his residence by his mother at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Petersburg Police Cpl. Kyle Mills said there were no signs of trauma. He said Dodd worked at Farbest and he had con- tact with other people on Saturday. Mills said an autopsy and toxicology tests were being conducted. "That is why we are taking our time with this," said Mills of Dodd's age. He said it would be weeks before they have any of the test results completed. Petersburg woman faces murder charge in Gibson County A Petersburg woman facing a murder charge is scheduled to have a change of plea hearing at 9 a.m. Monday, May 11, in Gibson Superior Court. Ashley Robling, 30, of 200 W. Pike Ave., Apt. 207, Petersburg, was charged with murder on April 19, 2018, in Gibson Coun- ty. She is accused of killing Samuel Bethe at his residence in Buckskin at 8755 S. 850 E. Firemen, responding to a report of a fire at Bethe's trailer home, found Bethe's life- less body on March 16, 2018, according to a probable cause affidavit. According to the affidavit, female in- mates at the Gibson County Jail told police, in recorded interviews, that Robling said she and Robling's boyfriend, Jacob Wilson, had murdered Bethe execution style. The inmates said Robling told them Bethe was a bad guy and he had raped her. The inmates also said Robling had lived with Bethe at one point. According to the affidavit, Robling and Wilson were accused of stealing Bethe's truck and $ 35. It claims they then drove to Paducah, Ky., to a convenience store, where they ditched Bethe's truck and stole an SUV. Inmates said Robling told them she and Wilson were going to rob a local bank after stealing the truck. Police, in the affidavit, said video from the Paducah convenience store shows a woman get out of a pickup truck that drove onto the convenience store lot, and then get into an SUV and drive away. Gibson County Prosecutor Michael Co- chren said Gibson County has filed a life without parole murder charge against Ro- bling. He said Robling was on probation for a felony charge when the murder was com- mitted. Robling's change of plea hearing was scheduled for Monday, April 20 ; however, it was continued to May 11. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. June 18 in Gibson Superior Court. County-Wide Yard Sale postponed This year's County-Wide Spring Yard Sale, originally scheduled for May 9, has been postponed due to the Coronavirus lockdown. In previous years, the event was sched- uled for the Saturday before Mother's Day. Once the restrictions are removed, a new date will be set for the event. Watch The Press-Dispatch for further up- dates. See PAVING on page 2 Vectren work diverts traffic onto Goodlet Gas pipeline work has been ongoing for some time now and is concentrated this week on South Ninth street. Miller Pipe had the street blocked just north of Goodlet Street and south of Maple, diverting all SR 61 traffic east and west onto Goodlet to Maple and vice versa. James Capozella photo Commissioners announce road paving to begin Courthouse closure extended By Andy Heuring County Commissioners, during their Monday morning meeting, announced they will start paving roads next week. "I know the highway dept. is getting roads ready this week and we will start paving roads next week," said Commissioner Mark Flint. The paving this spring will be with funding from the Community Crossroads grant that pays 75 percent of the cost of paving. Two weeks ago, Pike County learned they will receive $782,303.77 in another Crossroads funding grant for paving in 2020. That work will be done in late summer or fall. The 2019 -2020 Crossroads grant amounted to $434,356.74. The Commissioners will be paving the following roads beginning next week: • CR 325 W., from CR 350 N. to where rock begins; • CR 500 W., from SR 56 to Bridge 24; • CR 150 W., from SR 57 to CR 200 N.; • CR 275 W., from CR 200 N. to CR 250 N.; • CR 950 E., from Bridge 161 to where rock begins; • CR 950 E., from Old State Road 64 to Bridge 161; • CR 50 S., from new paving to dead end; • CR 375 S., from Bridge 90 to CR 50 E.; • CR 150 E., from CR 550 S. to CR 475 S.; • CR 900 E., from SR 64 to SR 257; • CR 200 N., from Church St. to Bridge 172. By Andy Heuring Pike County School Board voted to base senior honors on seven semesters instead of eight and do away with letter grades for K-5 in the last grading period during the Tuesday night meeting. Pike School Superintendent Dr. Suzanne Blake told board members after reviewing the situation, it was her recommendation to give students in grades K-5 a grade of S for satisfactory, N for needs improvement and U for unsatisfactory instead of letter grades. Pike County schools, like much of the state, have been doing distance or eL - earning since Monday, March 16. Gov. Er- ic Holcomb weeks ago declared all schools closed except for distance and eLearning. Blake also recommended basing senior honors, such as Valedictorian and Saluta- torian, on seven semesters instead of the traditional eight semesters. The Indiana Dept. of Education recently announced seniors who had completed sev- en semesters in good standing and were en- rolled in the eighth semester would gradu- ate without passing the GQE. The school board voted 5 -0 to approve Blake's recommendation on both matters. ROACH RESIGNS EFFECTIVELY IMMEDIATELY Pike Central Project Lead the Way Bio- medical Sciences teacher Joshua Roach, who also served as the boys' junior varsi- ty basketball coach, co-ed cross-country Board sets grades, honor standards on seven semesters By Andy Heuring Voters in Pike County will be facing big changes including when, where and how people vote. The first is Election Day vot- ing will take place on June 2 instead of the traditional first Tuesday after the first Mon- day in May. If Election Day in-person voting takes place, it will be at one of three voting cen- ters. Instead of going to vote at a poll in the person's precinct, voters can now vote at any of the three voting centers. Those cen- ters right now are expected to be the Otwell Community Center, Gospel Center Church in Petersburg and the Winslow Community Center. "Providing the three locations will allow us to come into their buildings," said Pike County Clerk Lana Griffith. Because of COVID-19 fears, the election has been moved back to June 2. People who don't want to venture outside or to a poll- ing place and request an absentee ballot application by calling the Clerk's Office at 812-354-6025. "People should call now if they want to vote by mail," said Griffith. She said the deadline to return a mail ap- Primary voters can vote in any of three locations Self distancing at the shooting range Grant and Cheyenne Dougan of Princeton practice at the Sugar Ridge Fish and Wildlife shotgun range on Saturday morning. They said they were sighting in their guns to get ready for turkey season. The Dougans said at their place of work they have a pool for the first turkey taken.