The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1357204
SPORTS B-1 SPORTS B-1 LADY CHARGERS NOW 1-1 Wins at Barr-Reeve, falls just short against Jasper Wednesday, March 31, 2021 PIKE PUBLISHING VOLUMe 151, nUMBer 13 NEWS TIPS Phone: ���������������������812-354-8500 Email ����� editor@pressdispatch�net INSIDE Local ����������������� A1-6 Sports �����������������B1-2 Obituaries ���������������B3 East Gibson������������B4 School ����������������� B5 Church �������������� C1-3 Classifieds ���������� C4-6 Home Life ������������D1-6 History �������������������D3 Opinion �������������D4-5 USPS 604-34012 $1.00 24 PaGes FOUr secTIOns Three InserTs PeTersBUrG, In 47567-0068 See NORMAL on page 4 See METH USE on page 2 See FESTIVAL on page 4 By Andy Heuring Opening Day for Major League Baseball's big boys is Thursday, April 1, but for kids in Pike County, that magical day will be Satur- day, April 24. Last year, COVID forced an ab- breviated season and reduced rosters. But this year looks to be much closer to normal. "We already have our teams picked and about 300 kids participating this year," said league president Tim Stafford. He said that number is actually more than in recent years, partly because Winslow is not having their summer leagues this year and many of the kids are going to play in the Petersburg Lit- tle League. Petersburg Little League is planning their traditional opening ceremonies starting with a 10 a.m. parade in Petersburg. It will line up on Walnut St. and proceed north on Highway 61 to Main St, and then south on Main St. to Fifth St, then turn south and march to the Little League ballparks. Once there, they will have the opening day ceremonies with activ- ities and a ceremonial first pitch. One of the victims of the COVID pandem- ic this year is the tradition of parade partici- pants throwing candy into the crowd as they parade down Main St. Petersburg City Councilmen wholehearted- ly supported having the parade but put the ki- bosh on throwing candy this year. Stafford said Petersburg has several teams scheduled for this season. There are four ag- es 3-4 coed teams, four 5 -6 coed teams, two girls' 7-8 teams, two 9 -10 girls' teams, one 11- 12 girls' teams and one 13-14 girls' teams; four 7-8 boys' teams, four 9 -10 boys' teams and one 11-12 boys' team. Stafford said Oakland City is chartered un- der Petersburg's charter. Stafford said the older age groups will be playing against several other communities' teams, including Oakland City, South Knox, Elberfeld and Barton Township. He said all the participants were given and signed a whole list of COVID rules. "They were a worst case scenario. The Health De- partment told me to get back with them right before the season starts, because this thing changes everyday." He said since they already have the worst- case scenario, he hopes it can only get better as the COVID numbers are trending lower. Little League parade, Opening Day are Saturday, April 24 By Andy Heuring Meth use in Pike County ap- pears to be on the rise. Police have made several recent ar- rests, including a man charged with dealing, after police found 100 grams and what appeared to be a ledger in his residence last Sunday. Pike County Prosecutor Dar- rin McDonald said the meth problem in the last few months seems to be as bad as he has seen in several years. "It just seems like we are getting more and more meth. I don't know if it is because it is cheaper than it was, or there is more access to it. But the drugs that are coming in are more prevalent," said Petersburg Police Chief Chuck Baumgart. This is despite local meth labs becoming a thing of the past, as getting ingredients became more and more diffi- cult. Chemical companies put a chemical in the anhydrous ammonia that contaminated batches of meth, and a state- wide log required anyone pur- chasing pseudoephedrine to sign the log. These and other actions made getting the two main ingredients much more difficult. "It appears a lot of our meth and drugs are coming from outside the state. We don't have as many labs as before," said Baumgart. "I believe it has to do with the cost of the making the meth. It is a cheaper price coming from Mexico." He said because of that, they are seeing much bigger quanti- ties of meth. A few years ago, it was con- sidered to be a "big bust" if they took down a lab that made 10 grams. ROBINSON CHARGED WITH FELONY An example of the bigger quantities occurred last Sun- day when Tim R. Robinson, 53, of 1072 W. CR 125 S., Pe- tersburg, was arrested on charges of dealing in metham- phetamine, at least 10 grams, a level 2 felony; possession of marijuana; possession of a sy- ringe; possession of parapher- nalia; and possession of a con- trolled substance after police conducted a search of his res- idence. Police confiscated 106 grams of meth. Petersburg Officer Scott Arnold and State Trooper Meth bust nets 106 grams as use increases in area By Andy Heuring There are four Easter Egg hunts planned for this Eas- ter weekend and another next weekend. APRIL 3 Winslow Church of the Nazarene, at 186 W. Wash- ington St., will have a com- munity hunt at 10 a.m. and a 9 a.m. breakfast prior to their 10 :30 a.m. Sunday morning service on April 4. Union Community Church, at 311 N. CR850 West, will have a drive-thru Easter Celebration at 2 p.m. EDT on Saturday, April 3. Their Sunday morning ser- vice is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday April 4. Cup Creek General Bap- tist Church, located on High- way 257, just north of High- way 64, is having an egg hunt at 1 p.m. for ages up to 12 years old, with four age categories. 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 un- der are welcome. APRIL 10 The Petersburg Moose's Women of the Moose will have a Peter Cotton Tail Trail drive-thru starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 10. It will last until they run out of candy. Egg hunts scheduled By Andy Heuring As a large portion of the local population has got- ten COVID or the vaccine, or both, life is starting to get back to normal. In Pike County, 4,114 people have had at least the first of two stages of the COVID vac- cine, while 2,888 have had both shots, and anoth- er 1,290 people have had COVID. People age 30 and up can get the vaccine and on Wednesday, Indiana Gover- nor Eric Holcomb is going to announce anyone over the age of 16 can get the vaccine. He has already an- nounced that on April 6, he is rescinding the mask man- date, but it will remain a rec- ommendation. Pike County has on- ly had three new cases of COVID reported in the last week, bringing their total to 1,290 cases. There was one new case on March 23 and two new cases reported on March 24, and none since then. The last COVID death in Pike County was on March Life starting to return to normal locally Buffalo Trace Festival cancelled By Andy Heuring The 2020 Buffalo Trace Festival was a vic- tim of COVID, but the 2021 Buffalo Trace Fes- tival is a victim of progress. Petersburg Mayor R.C. Klipsch said the fes- tival normally held in September has been can- celled, not due to COVID, but because of con- struction that will be going on in town. The Indiana Department of Transportation will soon begin a rebuild of Highway 61, from Main St. to Mona St. It is expected to keep that portion of the road closed from about May 1 to the middle of October. Consequently, the only way into Petersburg from the Vincennes side of town will be to use Seventh St. City Coun- cilmen are considering prohibiting parking on both sides of Seventh St., north of Main St., during that time to help with the traffic sit- uation. "The traffic situation with Highway 61 traf- fic being on Seventh St. and the only entrance being Seventh St. is going to be too much to close Main St. for the festival. It would just be too difficult on people," said Klipsch. Klipsch said they were trying to look at some alternate dates, but with all of it falling in the middle of the Highway 61 project, it just wouldn't work. "Our goal is to have these projects done by next fall so we can have the Buffalo Trace Fes- tival," said Klipsch. Between now and then, there will be a lot going on. "Starting very soon," said Klipsch, will be the Highway 61 project. "That is an INDOT project." INDOT is having a public hearing to explain the details of the project. The hearing is sched- uled to be from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 14 at Kiefer Hall of the Main St. Presby- terian Church. The first steps of that project are now under- Fun in the park Allie Sutt, 3, has fun in the park. Despite a broken arm, Sutt en- joyed sliding and play- ing in Hornady Park. She is supposed to get her cast off soon. She and her family were in the park Monday eve- ning. After warm days Monday and Tuesday, temperatures are pre- dicted to drop dramati- cally, with the highs be- ing 50, 43 and 50 re- spectively on Wednes- day, Thursday and Fri- day before reaching the 60s and 70s on the weekend. A subcontractor for the Indiana Department of Transportation has been removing trees along Highway 61 in Petersburg. They are the first steps of the project to reconstruct Highway 61, from Main St. north to Harvest Lane. It is going to be done in three phases over the next two years.