The Press-Dispatch

spring preview spring preview Special section inside! Wednesday, March 24, 2021 PIKE PUBLISHING VOLUMe 151, nUMBer 12 NEWS TIPS Phone: ���������������������812-354-8500 Email ����� editor@pressdispatch�net INSIDE Local ����������������� A1-8 Obituaries ���������������A6 School ����������������� A7 Sports �����������������B1-2 History �������������������B3 Opinion �������������B4-5 Church ��������������B6-8 Home Life ������������C1-8 East Gibson������������ C3 Classifieds �����������C4-7 Sports Preview ����������D USPS 604-34012 $1.00 32 PaGes FOUr secTIOns Three InserTs PeTersBUrG, In 47567-0068 By Andy Heuring The Winslow Town Council discussed sev- eral ordinances aimed at stemming com- plaints they are getting from residents. During Monday night's meeting, they looked at noise and burning ordinances along with radar speed limit signs. "Our noise ordinance is very vague," said council member Debra Lamb. She said after reviewing Winslow's current noise ordinance, she thinks they need to update or write a new one. "I know I have been getting quite a few com- plaints and I'm sure everyone on the council has as well. "There is a vehicle with a cut-off muffler driving around," said council president Josh Popp. They said Winslow's current ordinance was last updated in 1995 and lists prohibited ac- tions. Popp said the cut-off muffler clause in the ordinance was established in 1924. The penalty for the violation is listed as $5 and another $5 to cover the attorney fees. "You can't make the phone call for that. . . We need to take that up a notch or two." Popp suggested as part of the ordinance, they set quiet hours and include decibel lev- els for a violation. Lamb said there are numerous cell phone apps available that measure sound levels, which police could use to enforce the noise ordinances. Councilman Dick Brewster said there was a motorcycle that comes through Winslow on Highway 61 after midnight and it has a radio playing at a loud level. Popp asked if they needed to establish qui- et hours. He said if they just put a sound level, it might cause problems for legitimate activi- ties. "If I really didn't like my neighbor and he was banging a hammer, it might be over the Winslow discusses ordinances to address complaints by residents Pike 4-H Fair to celebrate 100 years By Andy Heuring The 100th Pike County 4-H Fair is on for this July. A fter being cancelled last year due to COVID-19, the Pike County Fair is on the calendar for July 24 to July 31, with plans of being historic and worthy of a 100th anniver- sary celebration. "It will be very similar to what we have had in the past," said Kara Willis, president of the Pike County Fair Board. "We are going to have plans and contingency plans," said Wil- lis of a lesson learned in 2020. The nightly lineup of traditional events will be very similar. The first event of the fair will be on Satur- day, July 24, with the Miss Pike County pag- eant. Then the fair will kick off for real on Sun- day night, with a parade down Main St., Pe- tersburg, and out to the fairgrounds in Hor- nady Park, followed by opening ceremonies in the amphitheater. Monday and Tuesday will have the animal shows and judging of various projects. They are still planning Family Night for Wednesday that may include a concert. Thursday will include a rodeo. Judy Gum- bel said every survey and comment they have had wants a rodeo. Friday night will be a demolition derby, and Saturday afternoon and evening will be su- percross racing. "We can tell you we have rides secured for the last three days," said Gumbel. The rides will be free and run on Thurs- day, Friday and Saturday nights. Willis said they are being sponsored by AES and Farm Bureau. Willis said the above events are firm. But they still have some planning to do on other events and all of it is dependent on Pike Coun- ty and Indiana's COVID numbers continuing to move in the right direction. "The most difficult part is going with the COVID flow. As of right now, it could change at any time," said Gumbel. Participation by everyone who has ever been involved with the fair is being planned. See 4-H FAIR on page 2 See ORDINANCES on page 2 See COVID on page 3 By Andy Heuring While many of the traditional Easter Egg hunts in Pike County have been cancelled this year due to COVID, there are still a few on in several communities. SATURDAY, APRIL 3 Winslow Church of the Nazarene, at 186 W. Washington St., is having a community hunt at 10 a.m. They will also have a 9 a.m. breakfast pri- or to their 10 :30 a.m. Sunday morn- ing service. Union Community Church, at 311 N. CR 850 West, will have a drive-th- ru Easter Celebration at 2 p.m. EDT on Saturday, April 3. Their Sunday morning service is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday April 4. Crossroads Baptist Church in Oakland City, at 2789 S. SR 57, will have their Annual Easter Egg hunt at 2 p.m. EDT. Ages 14 and under are welcome. SATURDAY, APRIL 10 The Petersburg Moose's Women of the Moose will have a Peter Cot- ton Tail Trail drive-thru starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 10. It will last until they run out of candy. A few egg hunts scheduled Merkle and child escape fire Josh Merkle and his young child were able to get out of their house early Saturday morning with- out injury, after they noticed smoke. Lockhart Township Fire Chief Larry Riesenbeck said the fire was in the attic, between the interi- or ceiling and the roof of the trailer. He described the residence as a double-wide trailer with a roof built over them. "That made it hard to get to the fire," said Riesenback. The fire was called in after it was noticed by Merkle at about 2:30 a.m. Riesenbeck said Patoka Township arrived at the fire first and knocked it down quickly, limiting most of the fire damage to the attic. "It seemed to start around the pipe from the woodburner, where it went through the roof." The residence, located at 8005 E. Old Sr. 64, Stendal, is owned by Keith Weitkamp. Spurgeon, Lockhart and Patoka Township fire departments helped in extinguishing the fire. Old Iron Bridge being assembled Crews worked last week with lifts to get the side structures of the Old Iron Bridge lined up. Once they had them lined up, they welded the large floor I-beams in place. They are expected to bring in a crane and set the bridge in place on the new abut- ments over Prides Creek at the intersection of Highway 57 and Pike Ave. The historic significant Iron Bridge will be a foot traffic only bridge. It will replace the Charger Bridge, which had been closed for years and recently removed. COVID numbers improving, age 40+ eligible for vaccine By Andy Heuring Pike County's COVID numbers continue to get better as the age to be eligible for a vaccine dropped to 40 years old on Monday. Only one new case of COVID was reported in the last week in Pike County. It was reported on March 20. It was the first case since two cases were reported on March 11. Pike County's total number of COVID cases is 1,287 as of Tuesday. The last COVID death reported in Pike County was on March 10, pri- or to that, the previous deaths were February 14 and January 14. Pike County's seven-day positivi- ty rate for all persons is 1.1 percent. At the same time, the number of those being vaccinated continues to climb. As of noon Tuesday, accord- ing to the Indiana Dept. of Health, there had been 3,887 people get the first dose of a vaccine and 2,544 get their second dose. This does not in- clude the number of people, about 100, who were vaccinated on Tues- day. Statewide, the numbers are simi- lar, although a few counties are see- ing some slight increases or staying the same. Gibson and Spencer are nearby counties that have increased to the 1.5 level of yellow after hav- ing been down to a yellow 1 earlier. Indiana had 698 new cases report- ed on March 22. It is only slightly down from February 22, when there were 709 new cases reported, but dramatically lower than on January 22 when 3,127 new cases were re-

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