The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1402699
preview inside Fall '21 SPORTS Wednesday, august 18, 2021 PIKE PUBLISHING VOLuMe 151, nuMBeR 33 NEWS TIPS Phone: ���������������������812-354-8500 Email ����� editor@pressdispatch�net INSIDE Local ����������������� A1-8 School/E� Gibson ���A6 Obituaries ��������������� A7 Home Life ������������B1-8 Sports ���������������� B4-5 History �������������������B3 Opinion ������������� B6-7 Fall Sports ������ C1-D2 Church �������������� D3-5 Classifieds ���������� D6-7 Reunions ����������������D8 USPS 604-34012 $1.00 32 Pages FOuR seCtIOns FOuR InseRts PeteRsBuRg, In 47567-0068 By Andy Heuring An intoxicated driver ran a stop sign and caused a serious wreck on the south side of Petersburg at High- way 61 and Goodlet St. Friday after- noon. Michael C. Garber, 27, of 1645 E. CR 500 S., Winslow, drove from Goodlet St. east across Highway 61 in his 2017 Jeep and crashed into the front left quarter panel of China L. Durst, 27, of 109 E. North St., Peters- burg. She was driving a Ford Focus north on Highway 61. The impact of the crash forced Durst's vehicle to the right and she crashed into a bush and house owned by the Day Estelline Trust. Garber's Jeep then spun to the left and hit a large tree head-on. Garber and Durst were both in- jured. Durst complained of pain to her head and had small cuts. Garber had minor bleeding and injures to his knee and lower leg. Both were taken by ambulance to the hospital. Garber failed field sobriety tests and tested 0.146 percent for blood alcohol. Upon his release from the hospi- tal, he was transported to the Pike County jail on a charge of operating a vehticle while intoxicated, prior, a class D Felony. See COVID on page 2 See COUNCIL on page 2 Coming Sept. 4 Call 812-354-8500 to list your sale by Aug. 30 at 5 p.m. Yard Sale Pike County Fall 2021 Two injured in crash; one charged with OVWI See AMBULANCE on page 2 By Andy Heuring Pike County Commissioners ap- proved a list of businesses that will receive money from a Communi- ty Development Block Grant for COVID relief. County businesses will receive $10,000, $ 5,000, $ 3,000 or $1,000 from the grant. The coun- ty had applicants for $177,000 and still has another $ 66,000 to be dis- tributed. Administration of the grant costs $7,000. Commissioner presi- dent Mark Flint, who also serves as President of the Pike County Eco- nomic Development Corp., said the grants were based on: Number of employees/business size; gross re- ceipts for Jan. to May 2021; years or hours of operations; economic con- tribution to the county as a whole; and economic hardship resulting from the pandemic. The following businesses were approved for grants: Anthony's Pest Control; Bath Bombs Peters- burg; Big Dipper Ice Cream; Bloom- in' Circus; Caddy Shack; Claridge Auction Service; Cradle and Cray- ons Child Care and Preschool; Err- in Weisman, LLC; Fish Hut Pizza; Hayes Body Shop; Hetman Design, LLC; JA Primitives; K and J Insur- ance, LLC; Kuttin' Loose; Marge's Hallmark; MCF House Movers, LLC; Mi Patio Mexican Restau- rant; Mikels Graphics; Prides Creek Golf Course; Schell Auto and Tow- ing, LLC; Subway; Warner Real Es- tate; Wright's Village Inn. The commissioners voted 3-0 to approve the distribution. Flint said the board still has about $ 66,000 to distribute and Pike Coun- ty businesses can still apply. Call 812-380 -7070 for more information. The commissioners also voted to approve amendments to a road use agreement for Ratts 1 Solar LLC. The agreement is for portions of seven roads in the Dutchtown area. There are six sections of rock roads: CR 400 E., CR 435 E., CR 450 E., CR 500 E., CR 600 N. and CR 550 N. The paved roads in the area cov- ered by the agreement are CR 575 N. and CR 500 E. The agreement allows the compa- ny to haul heavy equipment on these portions of roads. It also spells out rules for open trenches, boring, overhead transmission line, trans- mission poles and installation of electric or communication lines. It calls for a video of the roads to be made prior to Ratts 1 Solar begin- ning use on the roads to verify the condition of the road. It also calls for reasonable repairs as needed to be made if it is determined the damage is from negligent or abusive use of the roads. Ratts 1 has to provide five days of advanced notice to the county to close a road. Item 8 in the agreement was com- mented on positively by both sides. It requires Ratts 1 to provide a copy of the road use agreement to all of its contractors and subcontractors. It sets a fine of $1,000 per offense if a contractor or subcontractor gets off the approved roads in the agree- ment. It also makes those liable for any damage caused by getting off the designated route. The agreement was approved by a 3-0 vote, in part with a bridge in- ventory, status and condition to be added at a later date. Businesses to divide $243,000 from COVID relief funds By Andy Heuring Tensions between the Living Faith Church International (LF- CI) and Charlie Hyatt over an alley seems to have settled down. Peters- burg Mayor R.C. Klipsch said the city was going to have the alley in dispute surveyed to find its location. He added the person who is going to do the survey is on vacation. So it will take longer than he hoped. Julia Marone, an assistant pas- tor with LFCI, said there had been some misunderstandings between the two parties, LFCI and adjacent property owner Charlie Hyatt. Hyatt has an alley that runs from a house he purchased on McCoy St., beside the LFCI. Hyatt had the alley rocked so renters at the house could use it as a driveway. He said other- wise the house residents would have to back out on Highway 61. LFCI was concerned about cars driving in the alley while they have kids out- doors on the lot where the alley runs between the church and their lot on the other side of the alley. "On our end, there have been some misunderstandings. We have come to understand each other's po- sitions better," said Julie Marone. Members of the church said they were glad to hear the city was going to survey the alley so they can find out where the property lines are lo- cated. City councilmen voted to approve the hiring of Paul Collier as a City Police Officer. Petersburg Police Chief Kyle Mills recommended hir- ing Collier. Mills said Collier had six years of experience with the Pike County's Sheriff's Department as a deputy. He also has 20 years ex- perience in the military, where he held the position of platoon sergeant when he left the military. Mills said Collier would start at the level of corporal. Klipsch said the city was look- ing at hiring a sixth officer. He said they have five officers and it stretch- es them really thin if any officer is off. "We started talking about this and planned to add a sixth officer just before Chief Chuck Baumgart resigned to take another position." They hired Zachary Loveless at that time. Loveless is a Petersburg na- tive. He graduated from Pike Cen- tral and got a degree in law enforce- ment from Vincennes University. He also worked about a year with the Pike County Central Dispatch be- fore being hired as an officer. Mayor Klipsch gave an update on several projects. He said the Street- scape project that will install new streetlights, sidewalks and curbs along Main St. is expected to go to bid this fall and start construction in the spring. He said Petersburg is now being advised to bid the second phase of City to have disputed alley surveyed, hires additional deputy By Andy Heuring The sentencing hearing for con- victed murderer Edward Fox is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Au- gust 31 in Pike Circuit Court. Fox was convicted last week in Pike Circuit Court of murdering his estranged wife, Sharon. They had been married 37 years. Her body was found at the bottom of a stair- case to the basement of their home on July 18, 2020. Fox, 65, faces a sentencing range of 45 to 65 years on the murder charge. Fox sentencing set for Aug. 31 By Andy Heuring COVID numbers are continuing to rise locally and statewide, and are having an effect on local schools and activities. There were 51 new cas- es of COVID reported in Pike Coun- ty over the last seven days. That is almost double the 26 new cases re- ported the previous week and dra- matically increased from the two new cases reported the last week of June. Pam Cosby, with the Pike Coun- ty Health Dept., said there are 42 active cases in Pike County as of Monday. Cosby told the county commis- sioners their testing for COVID had increased at the Pike County site, which is located on the parking lot of the Petersburg Moose. She said they had 60 new tests two weeks ago and 75 the last week. Several cases are starting to show up in Pike County Schools. Super- intendent Dr. Suzanne Blake said they had 33 students sent home with COVID-related issues on Monday and since school started last Wednesday, they have had 149 students out with COVID-related issues. She said that includes kids with COVID, kids with symptoms, those who were exposed to some- one, those waiting for test results and those in quarantine. She said their Average Daily At- tendance on the first day was 1,678, however that number often fluctu- ates in the first few weeks of the school year. Several sporting events, includ- ing Pike Central's football game Increasing COVID numbers affecting school, sports Pike County Deputy Sheriff Paul Collier assists with an accident at the intersection of Goodlet and Highway 61 in Petersburg. Petersburg Police Chief Kyle Mills said Michael Garber, 27, of Winslow, disregarded a stop sign, crossing Highway 61 eastbound on Goodlet and was hit by northbound Chi- na Durst, 27, of Petersburg, at about 2:40 p.m. Friday. Saying goodbyes Kelly Hook talks with her son, Connor, before leaving him in his kindergarten class at Winslow El- ementary School on the first day last Wednesday.