The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1440549
B-2 Wednesday, Januar y 5, 2022 The Press-Dispatch We're not afraid to shed some light on the truth. 812-354-8500 SUBSCRIBE TODAY! Commissioner President Mark Flint said DNR had dumped rock at the Highway Dept. to be used as additional fill as it settled. Flint suggest- ed they get more fill out there. By mid-day, a highway crew was grading and working on the section of the road. Byrd told the commission- ers, "Would I have done it that way? Absolutely not, but work- ing with IPL, that is when they were able to get to it." He said the county would pave it as soon as they can. In other business, the com- missioners reorganized in their first meeting of 2022. Mark Flint was renamed pres- ident and Ryan Coleman was named vice-president. A public hearing on a $250,000 Office of Communi- ty and Rural A ffairs grant talk- ed about the grant's impact on Pike County. Jenny Matheis, of Indiana Region 15, said there were 42 businesses and 204 employees helped by the grant. The 42 businesses in 2021 received between $1,000 and $15,000, with $177,000 being distributed in the first round and another $ 66,000 in the second round. In two years, there were 54 business- es assisted locally. "These grants were very competitive," said Matheis. She said Indiana Region 15 had four entities apply for the grants, but Pike County was the only one to receive the grant. E911 Director Ryan Ben- ner told the commissioners he is looking at replacing their current CAD systems. "More than anything, the service isn't there for us. We don't get service updates or back." He added he has been no- tified their maintenance ser- vice contract is expected to double in costs. "And we still get almost zero service," said Benner. Benner said the new system will cost about $240,000. He said he would be working out the exact numbers and get- ting back to the commission- ers with it. "Is this already budgeted? " asked Flint. Benner said it wasn't, but he thought they had enough in E911 budget to pay for the initial down payment. The next commissioners' meeting is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, January 18. The commissioners normal- ly meet on the first and third Monday, but due to Martin Lu- ther King Day being January 17, the meeting is being moved to January 18. BLACKBURN Continued from page 1 on January 3, but that was the last day reported and typical- ly those increase as reports keep coming in for several days. Hospitalizations contin- ue to rise in Indiana. There were 3,061 people in Indiana hospitals with COVID on De- cember 29, that dropped to 3,039 on December 31, but then went up about 50 a day to a high of 3,207 on January 3. The most hospitalizations since COVID hit was record- ed on November 20, 2020, when 3,460 people were hos- pitalized. There are 25.4 percent of Indiana's ICU beds in use as of Tuesday, with 16.9 percent of the state's ICU beds avail- able. Only 9.6 percent of the state's ventilators are in use, with 72 percent of the venti- lators available. COVID Continued from page 1 907 E. MAIN ST. • PETERSBURG 812-354-2080 WE'RE OPEN Mon-Thurs 5am-10pm Friday 5am-10pm Saturday 6am-10pm Sunday 7am-10pm POWER MART PETERSBURG 2 Pc. 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Call ahead for regular style Corn Dog Veggie Pork Egg Roll Crispitos Tortillas PIZZA PUFFS Sausage • Pepperoni • Taco Livers or Gizzards Congratulations and Best Wishes at the State Fair! Proudly Sponsored By: e Pike County 4-H Council e Pike County Fair Pageant Committee 72nd Annual Miss Pike County Fair Queen LIBBY STONE IPL to host public virtual meetings AES Indiana, former- ly IPL, invites the public to take part in its integrat- ed resource planning pro- cess to help define the fu- ture of energy in Central In- diana. AES Indiana will host the first of five public meet- ings Monday, January 24 to share more about the devel- opment of its Integrated Re- source Plan (IRP) and solic- it feedback. The January meeting will be held virtually and will re- cap the 2019 IRP short-term action plan, introduce the IRP process, review the IRP load forecast and highlight key dates and topics for the 2022 IRP. Anyone wanting to attend the virtual meeting can RVSP at aesindiana.com/integrat- ed-resource-plan. The meet- ing is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Every three years, AES Indiana submits an IRP to the Indiana Utility Regula- tory Commission (IURC). The plan considers potential risks and key stakeholder in- put. By taking a 20 -year look at its resource portfolio, AES Indiana can account for all factors to determine reason- able least-cost options for en- ergy storage and generation. The IRP process is de- signed to consider various generation resource sce- narios that could be used to serve AES Indiana custom- ers. As part of the IRP pro- cess, AES Indiana is evaluat- ing all aspects of its energy storage and generation with key stakeholders. For more information about the 2022 IRP, vis- it aesindiana.com/integrat- ed-resource-plan. Parker arrested for OVWI, refusal A rural Petersburg man was arrested early New Year's Day after police saw him drive through the yard of the Deaconess Medical Clinic on Illinois St. Cain Parker, 27, was pre- liminarily charged with op- erating a vehicle while in- toxicated, refusal, leaving the scene of an accident and possession of marijuana. Pike County Deputy Sher- iff Bryce Manning said he was driving into Petersburg on Highway 61 when he saw a vehicle driving through the yard of the medical clinic and back onto Illinois St. at about 3:30 a.m. Manning followed the ve- hicle and saw it fail to signal its turn from Illinois St. on- to Highway 57 and pulled it over at the Jay C Foodstore parking lot. When talking with Park- er, Deputy Manning said he smelled the odor of alcohol. Parker failed field sobriety tests and tested 0.14 percent on a portable breath test. He originally agreed to a chem- ical test and was taken to Da- viess Community Hospital, but refused the blood test. He was transported back to the Pike County Jail. Deputy Manning said police also located a small amount of marijuana in the vehicle. By Andy Heuring The Petersburg City Coun- cil made several appointments during their first meeting of the year and discussed prob- lems with traffic on the High- way 61 Phase II detour. "It's a circus out there," said Petersburg Mayor R.C. Klipsch of the traffic on the new detour. The new Phase II detour for Highway 61 from the north is to use Harvest Lane to White River Ave. to Highway 61. A series of sharp turns on Harvest Lane in the Meadowbrook neighborhood is nearly impassable by semi- trucks. "The problem isn't the local traffic, it is the semi-trucks," said Mayor Klipsch. He said they have large signs up on both ends of the detour, as well as in Monroe City, warning trucks of the detour. "Their GPS is still telling them they can make it," said Klipsch. Klipsch also said Seventh St. is no longer a through street during the construc- tion. "You cannot make it to Highway 61 from Seventh St." Petersburg Police Chief Kyle Mills said they gave two citations on Tuesday to truck drivers. "We are trying to sit there as much as we can. They have already caused quite a bit of damage," said Mills. One hit and knocked down a stop sign at the intersection of Matil- da and Seventh Sts. He al- so reported a semi-truck got caught on a wire on Abigail St. and pulled the wire down. When the wire pulled loose from Tom Willis' Edward D. Jones building, it pulled sid- ing off his building. Mills said they also have tire tracks through yards where it appears trucks haven't been able to make the curves and stay on the road. "We haven't had one get stuck yet. . . We are afraid as wet as it has been, one will get hung up. It would just clog things up and no one will be able to get in or out of town from that direction," said Mills. Mayor Klipsch reappoint- ed everyone who currently serves. "It is all the same as it was last year," said Klipsch. Those appointments are: Fire Chief Ross Elmore; Po- lice Chief Kyle Mills; Water Board members Jon Welch and Jim Gaskins; Board of Works members John Mel- hiser and Scott Jenkins; ABC Board member Marge Leavitt; Solid Waste Advisory Board member Alan Tegmeyer; Wa- bash Valley Correction Board member Kyler Henry; Rede- velopment Commission mem- bers Mike Voyles, Sandy Tal- ley and Kyle Mills; and Fire Territory Board member Bill Traylor. Petersburg makes appointments during first 2022 meeting Family escapes injury in crash A family who crashed into a utility pole on Saturday escaped injury. Indiana State Trooper Ryan Anger- meier said a father was driving south on Highway 61 with his wife and child in the vehicle when they hydro- planed during the rain, went left of center and spun sideways before hitting a utility pole about a quarter of a mile north of CR 300 E. The name of the driver was unavailable at press time.