The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1373596
SPORTS B-1 PIKE CENTRAL BASEBALL DEFEATS TROJANS IN LEAGUE STADIUM Wednesday, May 19, 2021 PIKE PUBLISHING VOLUMe 151, nUMBeR 20 NEWS TIPS Phone: ���������������������812-354-8500 Email ����� editor@pressdispatch�net INSIDE Local ����������������� A1-8 Obituaries ���������������A6 Sports �����������������B1-6 Church �������������� C1-3 School ����������������� C4 East Gibson������������ C5 Classifieds �����������C6-7 Legals ������������������C7-8 Home Life ������������D1-6 History �������������������D3 Opinion �������������D4-5 USPS 604-34012 $1.00 28 PaGes FOUR seCTIOns FOUR InseRTs PeTeRsBURG, In 47567-0068 By Andy Heuring Pike County Commissioners re- ceived an update from Capital Dy- namic/Tenaska on their Ratts 1 so- lar project that will put solar panels on up to 2,000 acres in Pike Coun- ty. They also voted to advertise for bids on their 2021-1 Communi- ty Crossroads paving projects that have been approved by the Indiana Department of Transportation for a grant of $276,000. Both actions took place during the Monday morning meeting. Jarrod Pitts, with Capital Dynam- ics, told the commissioners they plan to start construction on at least a 150 MW facility by October 2021. However, he said they anticipate they will expand their initial phase I project for 150 MW with another 50 MW project that would expand it to 200 megawatts and 2,000 acres. He said they hope to have all of their permits completed within a month and have their power pur- chase agreement with Indiana Mu- nicipal Power Agency completed and are finalizing an agreement for interconnection to the power grid. "We will have approval for that be- fore October of this year," said Pitts. He added, "We are anticipating another 50 MW for the project. The first phase is 150 MW. We are in ne- gotiations on that purchase agree- ment for the extra power. Our goal would be to integrate this in with the construction on the first phase so in some regards will feel like all one project." But he said there are still details to be worked out on the sec- ond phase. He also said the engineers are working on a "decommissioning plan" for the project. Pitts presented the commissioners with the names and information on three different engineering firms who have depart- ments that specialize in developing decommission plans for solar facili- ties. The three firms were Barr En- gineering Co., Stantec and West- wood. Pitts said all three firms are highly regarded. "We don't know anything about these firms. We can approve all three and then you can pick who you want," said Flint. The commissioners voted 3-0 to approve all three firms. Pitts said the actual construction of the project typically takes 12 to 16 months, but usually closer to 12 months. He said they anticipated having the project up and running by the end of 2022. The commissioners also voted to advertise for bids for the paving proj- Construction on new solar field to begin in October See SOLAR on page 2 See OBSERVANCES on page 2 See COUNCIL on page 2 Memorial Day observances County-wide Memorial Day ob- servances will be conducted by members of the Petersburg Veter- ans of Foreign Wars Post 3587 and the Winslow American Legion Post 115 on Memorial Day. Members of the Coleman-Stewart Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3587 will con- duct observances honoring veter- ans of all wars by visiting 13 cem- eteries and the Pike County Court- house on Memorial Day. The Winslow American Legion will visit 16 cemeteries, beginning at 7 a.m. with the Martin Cemetery. The Petersburg VFW begins with the Old Town Cemetery at 7:25 a.m. Honors rendered will consist of a de- votion, 21-gun salute and Taps. The 10 :45 a.m. Walnut Hills memorial program follows the first eight ob- servances performed by the Peters- burg VFW members. VFW Post Commander Chris Kinman asks that residents take a few minutes on the Memorial Day holiday to visit the grave of a veter- an, family or friend. "It is a way to show gratitude to the one who paid the ultimate price for our freedom." U.S. flags on poles should be flown at half mast in the morning on Memorial Day and then raised to the top of the pole at noon. Members of the Petersburg VFW Post 3587 cordially invite the public to attend the Memorial Day salute at any of the locations where observances are being conducted. Graveside flags are available at VFW Post 3587. Individuals and organizations can pick up flags for placement on veterans' graves at 1202 E. Main St., Petersburg. A cem- etery custodian can draw the prop- er number of flags for each use. If veterans are buried in a family or By Andy Heuring Traffic flow on 10th St. in Peters- burg was changed during Peters- burg City Council meeting. The council voted to put up a one-way sign where the south end of 10th St. connects with Highway 61. It is the first street on the right as motorists enter Petersburg from the south on Highway 61. Mayor Klipsch and Attorney Bry- an Mahoney both said the street isn't really a street. It appears it is a single lane driveway that over the years got paved and began being used as a street. Tenth St. runs through most of Petersburg, parallel to Highway 61. However, at Petersburg's south- ern boundary, it turns into one lane and makes a 90 degree turn back to Highway 61. The city council discussed last year how to deal with it, but took no action. Mayor Klipsch said he and Code Enforcement Officer Kyle Mills drove on it recently to see it first hand and while doing so met a car. "It just doesn't work," said Klipsch of the narrow road. Petersburg Police Chief Chuck Baumgart said there is no way to widen the road. It is a straight down drop. "There is no telling how much it would cost to do that," said Baumgart. Klipsch suggested they put a "Do Not Enter" sign at the Highway 61 end of the road. Councilman John Melhiser asked if the city even had control of the property if it wasn't a street and it wasn't an alley. Mahoney and Klipsch both tried to review city and county plats to see if they could tell. Both said it looked like the road was on the city limit boundary with the county. Mahoney suggested the city prob- ably controlled it. A fter looking at a bigger map, Mahoney said, "There is a space there and it definitely looks like it is an alley." Councilman Gary Leavitt sug- gested it was a driveway for the Kil- lion sisters, Eloise and Florence. He said when he first came to town, one of them was a precinct committee- man and probably got it paved. "Just put a sign up, be quiet and it will work," said Leavitt. Leavitt moved for them to put a Do Not Enter sign up. "We have wal- lowed this to death." His motion was approved by a 5 - 0 vote. WALNUT HILLS SEEKING VOLUNTEERS Klipsch said Walnut Hills Cem- etery is seeking volunteers to help collect donations for the cemetery during Memorial Day weekend. "It is their biggest collection day of the year," said Klipsch. He said anyone wanting to vol- unteer can contact City Hall at 812- 354-8511. South 10th Street traffic flow to become one-way Wamser escapes injury in crash Crystal Wamser, 17, of 9115 E. SR 56, Otwell, was driving east on Highway 356, just east of the I-69 bypass, when she said her car began to shake and she ran off the road, hitting a guard rail and spinning around. It happened at 7:12 a.m. Saturday. Wamser was uninjured, but her 2001 Kia Soul suffered an estimated $5,000 to $10,000 dam- age in the crash. Eight PES students competing in VEX Worlds Eight Petersburg Elementary School students will compete in the Live Remote VEX Robotics World Championships. Jackson Burkhart, Eli Keeker, Kade Benner, Joshua Smith, Llinkyn Knust, Loralei Hoskins, Channing Sorgius and Keira Blaize will be competing on the PES teams of Hog- warts Espresso, Watermelon Squad and Goat Brains either on Sunday or Monday, May 23 or 24. The contest is hoping to make it in to the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest live robot- ing competition. Team sponsors and coaches Terra Knust and Susannah Julian said it would be great to be part of a world record. This year, instead of competing in person at one site, they will be competing via a Zoom connec- tion. Knust said they are hoping to be on location at the Elmer Buchta Technology Center, but they don't know yet when they will compete. Above: Jackson Burkhart and Eli Keeker work on a robot after it broke down during a recent prac- tice.