The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1464422
Wednesday, april 13, 2022 PIKE PUBLISHING VOlUMe 152, nUMBer 15 NEWS TIPS Phone: ���������������������812-354-8500 Email ����� editor@pressdispatch�net INSIDE Local ����������������� A1-8 Obituaries ��������������� A7 Sports �����������������B1-5 East Gibson������������B5 School ���������������� B6-7 Home Life ������������C1-8 Classifieds �����������C5-7 Opinion ������������� C3-4 Church �������������� D1-3 History �������������������D4 Planter ���������������� D5-8 USPS 604-34012 $1.00 32 paGes FOUr seCTiOns One inserT peTersBUrG, in 47567-0068 INCREASE BEAT the New Subscription Rates Start May 1, 2022 SEE DETAILS ON C-4 Lady Chargers beat Boonville on home turf SPORTS B1 SPECIAL SECTON D5 Pike County Soil and Water Conservation District Newsletter Planter Planter Why a Watershed Management Plan? Why a Watershed Management Plan? See COUNCIL on page 2 See CARPENTER on page 2 See WINSLOW on page 2 Donna Fiscus replaces Popp as Winslow council member Donna Fiscus Winslow council Vice President By Sherri Sebella In another loud, chaotic meeting, the Winslow Town Council did their best to stay on task and focus on business at hand, while residents of Winslow shouted over each other and spoke out throughout the meeting. A time was given for "Request to speak," and the shouting and arguing amongst res- idents began. Jeff Powers, who had recently started a church in Winslow, asked the group, "What do you want for Winslow? Do you want new businesses to come to town? Do you want to see Winslow prosper and grow? My concern is that if we're always just going to be com- plaining, it will never get better. We have to be united in what we want. I just want this town to succeed." Several attendees shouted that no business- es will come to Winslow and that no one has the money needed to fix up the buildings and draw business into Winslow. Multiple residents complained about the potholes and conditions of roads throughout Winslow during the session. Residents also complained of people on all terrain vehicles racing up and down their streets all hours of the day and night. Multiple residents said Winslow does not prosper because they get no help or support from the county, and went so far as to ask if the Town Council could be abolished and let the Pike County Council handle business for Winslow, to which both Lamb and Brewster quickly responded that is not how things work. "This is not an easy job," Lamb said. "We have tried and tried and tried, and have fig- ured out that we have to do this on our own without help from the Pike County Coun- cil. The Winslow Town Council's first job is Winslow." "We can only afford one round of getting streets fixed a year. We have to have match- ing funds and we do not. We don't have mon- ey to pave because we don't have the hot mix and money to pay a contractor to fix all the roads. As soon as weather permits, we will start patching the pot holes with the patch- ing machine we bought." "Union Street is off the table for paving. It would cost $200,000 to pave. But it will be patched." Multiple residents said if the council mem- bers lived on Union Street, they would under- stand the concerns. Lamb also said she is in the process of devel- oping a golf cart and four wheeler ordinance. "Once the ordinance is in place, the law can be enforced with penalties, fines, and restric- tions. In the meantime, if you see something call 911." Winslow Public Works Superintendent Tor- rez Baham said, "If your kid is being disobedi- ent, running up and down the streets on four wheelers; punish your kid. Call Pike County Sheriff's Department if you see something il- legal going on." "As far as Union Street goes, before we even got the patching machine, I've dumped rock and rock and more rock. It doesn't work. If the bank account doesn't cover the 15 percent that grants request, we can only do so much. We're doing as much as we can. We don't have the funds. I can't do as much as Petersburg. Every piece of machinery I have, I have had to make work with the things we have. The Grainery has helped try to fix Union. I have seen (them) go up there and fix holes." A fter the Request to Speak, Donna Fiscus was appointed to fill the council seat recently vacated by Joshua Popp. She was sworn in, and Brewster moved to elect her as Vice President. Lamb and Brewster agreed and the motion was approved. In other business, Lamb requested that an ordinance amending Section 18.10.200 (Dis- charge of Water and Wastes) in Order to Re- duce the Amount of Inflow into Our Sanitary Sewer System, be approved after the reading. Lamb went through and explained the ordi- nance to and Brewster said IDEM (Indiana Department of Environmental Management) mandates that Winslow fix the inflow and in- filtration problems. The ordinance was approved unanimously. Easter egg fun Jerrick Pancake is excited as he drops a couple of eggs into a bucket his moth- er holds for him during the Petersburg Moose Easter egg hunt in Hornady Park on Saturday. Mobile voting available beginning Monday By Andy Heuring The early voting mobile sites will be in area commu- nities over the next two weeks as early voting begins in Pike County for the May 3 primary election. Voters from any precinct in Pike County can vote at any of the mobile or Election Day sites. They no longer have to vote at the precinct in which they live. On Tuesday, April 19 from 4 to 8 p.m. the mobile site will be at the Union community building located at 3082 N. CR850W, Hazleton. On Saturday, April 23 from 8 a.m. to noon the mo- bile site will be in Winslow at the Community Center, 301 E. Porter St. On Tuesday, April 26 it will be in Stendal at the Lock- hart Community Center, 10581 S. Church St., from 3 to 8 p.m. On Friday, April 30 the mobile center will again be in Winslow from 8 a.m. to noon at the Community Center. On Election Day the three voting centers will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. They will be located at the Winslow Community Center; Petersburg Community Church on Illinois St. (formerly known as Gospel Center) and at the Otwell Community Center, 2301 N. Spring St. People also may vote in the Clerk's Office on the sec- ond floor of the courthouse any weekday in April from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. except April 15, which is Good Friday. The Clerk's office will also be open on Saturday, April 23 and 30 from 8 a.m. to noon and Monday, May 2 from 8 a.m. to noon for early voting. Those wanting to vote by mail may call the Clerk's office at 812-354-6025 to request an absentee ballot ap- plication. The application will be mailed to the person to fill out and return. Then a ballot will be mailed to an applicant. Clerk Lana Griffith said the application has to be received by the Clerk's office by April 21. County council discusses solar farm tax abatement By Sherri Sebella During the Tuesday Pike County Council meeting, a public hearing was held with regard to the application for determi- nation of economic revitalization area and declaratory (pre- liminary) resolution and proposed adoption of the confirma- tory final resolution for the project Crosstrack Solar Energy. This project impacts mainly Jefferson Township, with por- tions of Marion and Patoka Townships also included. A brief presentation was given by Hannah Pawelczyk of Invenergy and Kyle Resetarits of Dentons Bingham Greenebaum LLP. According to Pawelczyk, the estimated capital investment is more than $110 million with the majority of the investment being placed in Jefferson Township. Council president Jon Craig stated that a vote would be taken at the next council meeting on May 10. Pawelczyk said this project would supply enough power for 2700 homes and that they only expect to use 800 -900 acres in the fenced-in area and put prairie grasses around the project. The Declaratory Resolution was discussed, which pertains to any type of incentive that can or will be offered for the Eco- nomic Revitalization Area. Also discussed was the proposed tax abatement for a five- year period for the solar farm project. A request is being made for a personal property sliding scale abatement (the project is considered 95 percent personal property) and a statement of benefits was also presented. Pawelczyk stated that this is a significant investment in Pike County and approximately 130 construction jobs will be created, and two full-time jobs, once the farm is built. Resetarits then requested the council to confirm and even- tually approve a tax break, saying 95 percent of its investment would be considered personal property. Resetarits said they have negotiated an economic development agreement and there is a promise by the company to not depreciate it's per- Carpenter sentenced 20 years for attempted murder of Otwell man By Sherri Sebella Lloyd Carpenter learned his fate on Thursday for the at- tempted murder of Chad Norris of Otwell, last year. Carpenter was charged on October 11, 2021 with attempted murder and aggravated battery, used when the assault poses a substantial risk of death. According to the probable cause affidavit, Chad's brother, Cory Norris, heard a knock on the door at 8 or 9 a.m. and when he opened the door, he saw Emily Shelton, who he knew, ac- companied by someone he did not know (Carpenter). They asked if Chad was home and Cory showed them where Chad's bedroom was located, but didn't follow them. Shortly after, Cory heard commotion that sounded like a fight and when he went to see what was happening, Shelton and the Carpenter were coming out of the bedroom and Car- penter had a large "Rambo type" knife. He took a swipe at Co- ry as he ran by, cutting Cory's finger. When Cory reached Chad's bedroom, he found Chad seri- ously injured and rushed him to the hospital. Chad suffered a six-inch deep wound to the liver. Carpenter entered a plea agreement with all charges dropped with except attempted murder, a level 1 felony. While waiting for the judge, Carpenter said, "I got straight 20, no probation, nothing." "What's that? 16 years I gotta go away. No use in trying to fight it. My girl got 15. I got straight 20, no modification, noth- ing. Everyone looks at us as the bad guy, just because I had a knife and used it. Look at the size of those guys." "I lost my kids, my house, everything. He was sending pe- dophile videos. That's why I went over there." "My daughter uses my phone. I went over there to tell him to chill. I didn't want to use a knife. I was just trying to get them off of me. They're big boys. Look at the size of them, compared to me. I did what I had to." "I've only been out of prison three years and I was doing good, too. I'll probably go back to Wabash. That's what my