The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1465137
The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, April 20, 2022 C-5 EAST GIBSON Submit East Gibson news items: Call: 812-354-8500 Email: egnews@pressdispatch.net or bring in a hard copy: 820 E. Poplar Street, Petersburg Wood Memorial bests Union Dugger 11-3 Contributed Wood Memorial baseball beat host Union Dugger 11-3, Friday, April 15. Senior Owen Day pitched all 7 innings, striking out 16, with no walks, giving up 3 runs on 5 hits. Chris Doerner went 3-4 with 1 run and 3 RBIs. Carter Miller went 2-3 with 1 double, 2 runs, and 4 RBIs. Kaden Sterczer went 2-3 with 1 run, and 1 RBI. The Trojans are coached by Steve Kilian. Health inspector plans retirement By Janice Barniak Gibson County Council ap- proved a health department request to train a new gen- eral sanitarian to take over when current inspector Ben Dye retires from the post. According to Health Dept. Director Diane Horn- by, the person replacing Dye has been working under a COVID grant on immuniza- tions, but would like to tran- sition to the full time job in- specting food and septic sit- uations. Dye has not set a day for when he's leaving, but the department's COVID grant continues through June 30, so the employee can stay in that classification until it ends, then train for the in- spection job. Hornby said she plans to continue to pay the person the $15 per hour she's cur- rently making during the training period. "There's a lot to learn. A lot of legalities," said Hornby. As COVID winds down, there is money to pay the em- ployee from the department's unused part-time budget. "The more training the better, so they're ready to go," said County Council- man Derek McGraw. EMS Director: First responders await contract changes to sign By Janice Barniak According to Gibson Coun- ty EMS Director David Pond, local ambulance service per- sonnel do not plan to sign a contract that does not in- clude being paid for 24 hours of every 24-hour shift, as op- posed to the 16 they are cur- rently paid, with eight hours considered sleeping time. Contract negotiations for 2022 have continued throughout the year, as the Gibson County Council looks for ways to come up with what would amount to a sig- nificant increase in pay for the first responders. Councilman Jeremy Over- ton asked the committee dis- tributing American Rescue Funds to consider extra pay for first responders, and the council has discussed passing a public safety tax, though, even if it's passed by October, the county cannot start collecting on such a tax until Jan. 1. Overton also visited War- rick County, where a public safety tax was passed. "They were incredi- bly helpful in walking me through," he said. Before the change in pay structure, Warrick had paid $5 per hour on their sleep time, and when they went to paying full wages for all 24 hours, he said their council made an hourly wage adjust- ment, so while the employ- ees did get a wage increase, their hourly pay was some- what less. "It didn't just undo it and take them back to where they were," said Overton. "I'm get- ting closer to having an un- derstanding of what the dif- ference of cost will be." Pond discouraged paying any less in wages, saying the employees who average $16 - 17 an hour can go anywhere and make more. "They're not going to stay here if they can go anywhere else and make at least that amount," Pond said. "Don't go back. If you go back we might as well put a nail in our coffin." He said two employees left at the beginning of the year, and he's replaced one para- medic with an EMT, a posi- tion of lower training. "Other places are pay- ing more. Keep the benefits where they are, pay every hour. If you start taking ben- efits away we're not going to be competitive," said Pond. "I'm not saying take ben- efits away," said Overton. "Compare apples to apples... That's my answer. I'm work- ing on it." One EMS employee said they had hoped to vote on the contract after Tuesday's council meeting, thinking they'd have an answer. Pond said five employees are ready to leave. "I make $13.90 an hour as full-time EMT. I can go to AMR and make $27 an hour, and get paid for every hour I work. If you take ben- efits out, I would make $20 an hour...It's still a huge dif- ference," said Robert Barter. He said making around $ 30,000 a year puts him at poverty level. "I can go to Aldi's stock- ing store shelves for $15 an hour," he said. "We've been putting this off month after month." Overton said legal counsel has not yet looked over the county's employee contract. "It's amazing to me that we just had two contracts re- newed without legal review. I'm not sure we want to do that again," Overton said. "They're not going to sign if it's not hour-for-hour pay," said Pond. Owen Day pitched all 7 innings, striking out 16 bat- ters on April 15. Carter Miller stands ready for the pitch, during the Union Dugger game on April 15. Experience migratory birds at Cane Ridge on April 28 The Patoka River Nation- al Wildlife Refuge and the Friends of Patoka River NWR, Inc., would like to announce a special event at the Cane Ridge Wildlife Management Area to celebrate migratory birds on April 28. At the event, visitors will be guided to selected ar- eas of Cane Ridge that are nor- mally closed to the public to view the birds using the man- aged wetlands. Experienced birdwatchers and Refuge staff will be located at these areas to assist with bird iden- tification and discuss bird mi- gration, habitat management and Refuge regulations. No formal programs or presenta- tions will be made, just a ca- sual opportunity to view birds and visit with Refuge staff, vol- unteers and other birding en- thusiasts. Refuge staff and vol- unteers will be on site from 9 a.m. to 1p .m. Central Time, and participants may come by anytime during that time win- dow, starting at the observa- tion deck parking lot. Cane Ridge has been des- ignated by the National Audu- bon Society as an Important Bird Area, because of the di- versity of habitat found there and its importance to migra- tory birds. Event participants should expect to see a variety of species of waterfowl, shore- birds, and wading birds. Cane Ridge is located in Gibson County just south of Gibson Lake on County Road 1075W. From State HW Y 64 heading west from Princeton Indiana, turn south onto State HW Y 65, travel 1.3 miles and turn west on CR 125 S. Drive 2.25 miles on CR 125 S to CR 850W, turn left on CR 850W, then turn right on CR 150S and follow to the Observation Deck at Cane Ridge. There is limited parking at the Obser- vation Deck area. Contact the Patoka Riv- er National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters at 812-749 -3199 for more information. Beadles charged with OVWI after cyclist death Bradley Beadles was arrest- ed on charges of felony oper- ating while intoxicated result- ing in death and possession of marijuana after the death of cyclist Thomas Robb, who po- lice say Beadles hit while un- der the influence April 6. According to the probable cause affidavit, Princeton Po- lice responded to the accident at South Main Street and Wa- ter Street, where Thomas Robb lay unconscious and bleeding from a head injury. While officers interviewed driver Bradley Beadles, they noticed a smell of burnt mari- juana in the vehicle, according to the probable cause. While Beadles said he did not smoke marijuana, a pat down located a green leafy substance that field tested positive for marijuana. At Deaconess Gibson, Bea- dles tested positive for tet- rahydrocannabinol and hy- drocodone, according to the probable cause. On April 7, Robb died of his injuries. Shuman named new Gibson County 4-H youth educator By Janice Barniak Jacob Shuman, Purdue Ex- tension's new 4-H Youth Ed- ucator, told commissioners last week he's an Ohio State University grad in agricul- ture, with a minor in etymol- ogy. Shuman began at the post in January, has family in northwest Indiana, and has been working on quality as- surance training to address animals at the 4-H this year. Shuman is the second re- cent new face; Maegan Hol- lis, who introduced Shuman, is a recent hire as county ex- tension director. Hollis is from Kentucky, got her bach- elor's and master's degrees at the University of Kentucky, and a PhD at the Universi- ty of Illinios. Her husband is from Gibson County, and they've bought a home in Fort Branch. Locals can reach Hollis at mwhollis@purdue.edu, and 812-385 -3491. Shuman is available at jashuman@pur- due.edu and 812-385 -3491. Wood Memorial's Reese Morton lines up a put on the sixth green, at Cambridge last week. Morton shot a 48. Wood Memorial had a 203 in their match with Gibson Southern, which shot a 166. Trojan Lucas Gress hits a shot out of the bunker. He shot a 44 to lead the way for Wood Memorial, which had a team 203. Gibson Southern's Peyton Blackard was medalist with a 37. TROJANS COMPETE AT CAMBRIDGE The Press-Dispatch 812-354-8500 | www.pressdispatch.net *By enrolling in the Birthday Club, you agree to have your name, town and birth- day, or the person's name and town and birthday of whom you are enrolling, printed in e Press-Dispatch on the week in which the birthday occurs. Joining is easy! 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