The South Gibson Star-Times serves the towns of Haubstadt, Owensville and Fort Branch.
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1464271
A-2 Front Tuesday, April 12, 2022 South Gibson Star-Times Something Newsworthy? Email editor@sgstartimes.com DENIAL Continued from page 1 POLITICAL Fundraiser SAT., APRIL 23 • 4 TO 7 P.M. AT FORT BRANCH VFW BILL TULEY FOR COMMISSIONER Paid for by candidate MEET THE CANDIDATE! Ham & Potato Salad I am a lifelong Gibson County resident. While attending Indiana University, I met and married my lovely wife, Rena. We have been married for 40 years and raised three sons: Jacob, Robert and Michael. All of our sons and their families are Gibson County residents. Rena and I enjoy being with our grandchildren, camping, scuba diving, bee keeping and walking the trails around our home. EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS ★ Bachelor's Degree from IU Kelly School of Business. ★ Owned and operated a successful construction business for 17 years. ★ Chemistry Teacher for 28 years. BOB BOB SCHLETER SCHLETER County Council, District 3 County Council, District 3 Elect Paid for by Bob Schleter for County Council District 3 1. Keep Gibson County ZONE FREE! 2. Consistent personal property tax abatement policies 3. Fair wages for all first responders and county employees I ask for I ask for your vote your vote on May 3 on May 3 105 N. McCreary, Fort Branch Hop To It! CAFÉ & BAKERY Call 812-615-5130 Basket Stuffers Chocolate Bunny Pops Handmade Candy and More Easter Baskets Fr. Bernie Etienne on leave The Catholic Diocese of Evansville received an alle- gation of sexual misconduct against Father Bernie Eti- enne, a priest of the diocese, which is alleged to have oc- curred more than 20 years ago, according to a press re- lease from the diocese. Civil authorities and the Diocesan Review Board have been notified. Etienne strongly denies the claim and, as with all accused, he is accorded the presump- tion of innocence during the investigation of this allega- tion. In accord with Church norms, the United States Con- ference of Catholic Bishops' Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, and in accord with diocesan policies, Etienne is on admin- istrative leave and is not able to perform public ministry while the investigation pro- ceeds. Father Alex Zenthoefer has been appointed temporary ad- ministrator of Holy Rosary Parish. Etienne has served in the following parishes: St. Joseph, Jasper; St. Joseph, Princeton; Blessed Sacrament, Oakland City; Holy Rosary, Evansville; and Nativity, Evansville. He al- so served as diocesan chap- lain for Southwestern Indiana Teens Encounter Christ, dioc- esan director of vocations, di- ocesan vicar general and dioc- esan administrator. If you are a victim of sex- ual misconduct by a person ministering on behalf of the Church, or if you know of any- one who has been a victim of such misconduct, please con- tact civil authorities and the Diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator at 812-490 -9565 or toll-free at 866 -200 -3004, according to the release. Commissioners plan American Recovery Fund meeting By Janice Barniak SG Star-Times Editor editor@sgstartimes.com Commissioners will meet at 4:30 p.m. April 27 at Gib- son County's North Annex to consider how to use more than $ 6 million in American Recovery Funds coming into Gibson County. The county hosted three public hearings, and grant coordinator Debbie Bennett Stearsman divided the proj- ects into county, competitive and private projects. "You can see from the three totals it's way more than the county currently has," Stearsman said. The county heard more than $20 million in requests for the $ 6 million; a core committee will meet to review projects and whether they qualify for fund- ing. She presented commis- sioners with a first draft of the form they'll require those seeking funds to fill out. The form will work on a scoring matrix to rank projects for funding. "Time is ticking," she said. All requests will still have to go through county com- missioners and the county council for the funding ap- proval. Commissioners forward redevelopment $3M in road improvements By Janice Barniak SG Star-Times Editor editor@sgstartimes.com Commissioners approved sending a $ 3 million request to improve a series of roads feeding into Toyota to the county's redevelopment board to see if it could be approved for TIF funding during their July project considerations. The roads include 3.5 miles of CR 600S, 3.5 miles of CR 175, .5 mile of CR 100 E, .75 mile of CR 550S, and 5.5 miles of CR 350E. Commissioner Mary Key added CR 425S from CR 100E to CR 175 to the project, say- ing it is basically non-exis- tent due to hauling dirt to the landfill. The county has add- ed dirt to the landfill as part of the project to get the landfill cleaned up to the point it won't be the subject of expensive en- vironmental monitoring. All roads have issues in that area, they said, but having County Engineer Matt Hold- en design the project could bring the price down. There has been talk of re- paving Tulip Tree — that has been estimated at a cost of $12 million. Commissioners decided to wait on that. "The county can't afford a $20 million road project. That would take every bit of road money we had for years," Key said. "Toyota ought to pay for part of it," said an audience member. "That is what TIF money is used for," said Key, adding Toyota pays in the TIF taxes. Owensville Town Council plans $10k raise for police By Janice Barniak SG Star-Times Editor editor@sgstartimes.com Owensville Police Dept. members may get a signif- icant raise this year, after town council members say the department's wages are not competitive to the area. According to town council members in a meeting April 5, the council originally con- sidered adding a third offi- cer to relieve the busy two of- ficers, Marshal Rodger Leis- ter and Officer Jason Wright, but due to the starting wage, of the two applicants who ap- plied, only one interviewed, and they have not hired. Currently, Leister makes $47,000 a year and Wright $43,000. According to Councilman Dwayne Matsel, the council advertised for two months, and people who were told the wage called it too low for what they do, especially as the In- diana State Police are offer- ing new officers $47,000 the first year with a $5,000 sign- on bonus, more than Leister is making after working for the town for 24 years. "We need to do it," said Councilman Clyde Scott. "They put their lives on the line." The town also plans to put the police package in line with what their town's union employees make, and put the two officers on a ro- tating schedule with the op- portunity for overtime, some- thing they currently do not re- ceive because they're offered comp time. Due to the nature of the job, however, they sel- dom have the opportunity to take it, and end up working special events like the Water- melon Festival for free. "I feel that, when the time comes when they retire, we won't be competitive hiring future officers to take their place," said Matsel. The council is considering a raise in the neighborhood of $10,000 per officer, put- ting the longtime marshal at $57,000 and Wright, who has served since 1999 when he was a reserve, at $53,000. "We plan to do that in the next meeting if there are no meaningful objections," said Matsel. commissioners, told com- missioners he recommend- ed a motion to deny because the company is not propos- ing or considering changing their plans. "You do not have to do that. It's entirely up to you," Calderon said. "If they're not willing to change anything, then I'm not willing to change my an- swer," said Commissioner Kenneth Montgomery. He and Commissioner Warren Fleetwood asked the development to consid- er a more common sewage system than proposed, road improvements, and flooding plans. Robert "Bob" Embree By Janice Barniak SG Star-Times Editor editor@sgstartimes.com Retired firefighter Robert "Bob" Embree, 84, of Princeton, was bur- ied with military services and a procession from the Colvin Funer- al Home to the burial at Columbia White Church Cemetery Sat- urday. Embree died April 5 at home. Princeton Fire Chief Nick Medler said he hired on about the time of Em- bree's retire- ment party, but Embree remained in the station's family. He said Embree remained a big part of this community. "We're one big family, so Bob fre- quented the fire station even after he retired to share stories and hang out with the guys in the crew," said Medler. Embree was born July 26, 1937 in Princeton to Harry Rob and Bernice (Hurst) Embree. He served in the Army National Guard from 1961 to 1968. He had worked at Whirlpool and as a paint- er before working for the Princeton Fire Department for 40 years. He served as the Fire Chief for 22 years before retiring in 2006. He was Chief during the construction of the new Fire Station and, along with the rest of the firefighters, worked in design- ing the plan for the building. He was a member of Firefighters Union Local 1634 and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Club of Princ- eton. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and gardening. Former chief Tim Speedy remem- bered Embree growing up because Embree worked with Speedy's fa- ther, and he remembered even at 8 -years-old, Embree's constant pres- ence at the fire station. Bob was like a father figure to Speedy. "He was full of stories every day. Even after he retired he still came to the fire station. He called. Bob liked his computer, and Bob had trouble with his computer so he thought I could help him with it, fixing email or Facebook," Speedy said. "He was good for the town...He told me early in his career, 'you're young, and on the fire department. You want things to change quickly and follow the latest technology.'" Early in his career they were at a fire on the northeast end of town. He didn't think it was going the way it should, and he told some people about it, so the chief sent him walk- ing back to the fire station. He said 'Once you walk a few blocks in fire boots, you're not near as mad as you were.' Things like that, I'm not go- ing to forget." Embree made a hobby of research- ing historic fires from the town's his- tory at the library. "We lost a lot of history," Speedy said. Embree is survived by his daugh- ters, Diane M. Walter (Mark), Ann Smith (Dickie), Amy Fieldbinder (Neil) and Carol Embree; grandchil- dren, Brittney Wetekamp (Nathan), Christinia Franklin (Quincy), Na- than Embree, Bobby Embree and Katie Sue Embree; great-grandchil- dren Quintin, Zoie, Jamari and Kh- ili Franklin and Luna Embree; and brothers-in-law, Joseph Cochran and Ronald Schettler. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife Mary Jane (Cochran) Embree; daughter, Debra Sue Las- ley; sons, Mark Allen, Stephen Wayne and Matthew Allen Embree; and sister, Sandra Sue Schettler. Princeton celebrates life of former fire chief From left, Princeton's Firefighter Andy Memmer, Firefighter Randy Anthis, Firefighter Eric Walker, Chief Nick Medler, Retired Cap- tain Tim Speedy, Captain Melvin Tapley, Lieutenant Justin Hyneman, Captain Kent Winkler, Firefighter Beth Hale and Lieutenant Matt Deputy remembered Bob Embree by putting the American flag over Princeton's downtown Main Street in honor of his processional to White Church Cemetery, Saturday morning.