The Press-Dispatch
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Something newsworthy? Let us know at 812-354-8500! A-8 Wednesday, November 17, 2021 The Press-Dispatch Solar Energy: A Brighter Future for Us All Privately funded solar projects create millions of tax dollars for our communities and for farmers. In some Indiana counties, solar projects help provide high-speed internet for the first time. Solar projects help: •Fund schools and libraries •Improve local roads •Support first responders and more www.HoosiersForRenewables.com/indiana Support Solar Kinley trapped in vehicle A rural Petersburg man was trapped in his vehicle Monday morning for about 15 minutes after he hit a utility pole. Emergency responders waited and kept him in the car until they could confirm the power line was dead. Tracy Kinley, 57, of 375 S. Glezen West St., Petersburg, was driving east on CR 200 N., near CR 200 W., when he ran off the left side of the road and crashed head-on into the utility pole. He complained of neck pain and was transported to the hospital. It happened at about 10:30 a.m. and Kinley's 1994 Buick Skylark was a total loss. Commissioners take care of year end business By Andy Heuring Pike County Commission- ers opened bids for materials for 2022 during their Monday morning meeting. The opened bids were from Cave Quarries and Rogers Group for 16 differ- ent categories of stone, as well as numerous diameters of culvert pipe, both met- al and poly, from Metal Cul- verts, Southern Indiana Sup- ply and Civil Con. Inc. They also opened bids for hot asphalt mix from Cave Quarries, J.H. Rudolph and E&B paving. All the bids were taken under advise- ment. In other year end activi- ties, they approved the con- tracts with landowners for the trash collection sites throughout the county. The Otwell site, owned by Marlin Gray, was approved for $400 rent. The Winslow site owned by J. Scott Nor- rick for $1,200 and the Lock- hart Township site owned by the Carlisle family for $500 were also approved. They also approved a con- tract with Purdue Universi- ty for the year 2022 to pro- vide: 4-H Youth Develop- ment, leadership, communi- ty development, agriculture and natural resources, and health and human sciences in exchange for $46,170. The contract is a three percent in- crease from last year's con- tract. The commissioners also accepted County Assessor Mike Goodpaster's recom- mendation to go with Reller Southern Indiana Apprais- al's bid to provide technical assistance. Goodpaster said the Tech- nical Advisor does the as- sessment on utilities, indus- trial and commercial proper- ties, as well as assist the local board or review that hears assessment challenges. It also works on the trending ratio. Goodpaster said this ratio factors in market val- ue changes in properties by neighborhood. The contract is for four years. " The bids are nearly iden- tical. The price was not, Rel- ler's was $112,000 cheaper than Tyler Tech. The points of difference were minor and the advantages all fell to Rel- ler. So my recommendation is to go with Reller," said Goodpaster. Their were two bidders: Tyler Technologies, of Mo- raine, Ohio, with a bid of $280,000 and Reller South- ern Indiana Appraisal LLC, of Huntingburg, with a bid of $167,900. The commissioners vot- ed 3-0 to accept the Reller Southern Indiana Appraisal. In other business, the commissioners approved a $28,000 project to replace part of the county's 911 sys- tem. Emergency Manage- ment Agency Director Ryan Benner said the system was seven years old and it is rec- ommended they be replaced every five years. He also said they have been without a maintenance contract for the last two years. The commissioners' meet- ings next year will continue to be at 8:30 a.m. on the first and third Mondays, with the exception of Monday holi- days. When a holiday falls on Monday, the meeting will be moved to 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. Also, there will only be one meeting in July, on the first Monday of the month. 21 new COVID cases in the last week By Andy Heuring A fter two days last week of no new COVID cases in Pike County, there were 17 new cases in a four-day period and 21 new cases in the last seven days. In the seven days prior to that, there were only nine new cases. According to the Pike Coun- ty Health Department on Mon- day, there were 20 active cases in Pike County, which is dou- ble the amount on the Monday prior, when there were only 10 active cases. Health Nurse Amy Gladish said last week, that number was the lowest it had been in month. Statewide, the number of new cases held fairly steady. It ranged between 2,808 and 2,980 from November 9 to Nov. 12. On Nov. 13, it fell to 1,898, and 1,368 on Nov. 14, but then on Nov. 15, it jumped to 2,830. Deaths statewide ran be- tween 12 and 23 during the first five days of last week, but then on the weekend, there were only eight and five. The numbers of deaths on the weekend typically are upgrad- ed later in the week. Hospitalizations also stayed steady until the end of the week. They ranged between 1,298 and 1,357 until they jumped to 1,468 on Nov. 15. The last death in Pike Coun- ty was recorded on October 24. The seven-day, all-test positivity rate for Pike Coun- ty is 5.5 percent. Statewide, the seven-day, all-test positiv- ity rate is 9.1 percent.