The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1466134
NEWS TIPS Phone: ���������������������812-354-8500 Email ����� editor@pressdispatch�net INSIDE Local ����������������� A1-8 Obituaries ��������������� A7 Sports �����������������B1-4 East Gibson������������B5 Home Life ������������C1-8 Homecoming ������� C3 School �������������������� C4 History ������������������� C5 Opinion ������������� C6-7 Classifieds �����������D1-2 Church �������������� D3-5 USPS 604-34012 $1.00 28 PAGES Four SECTIoNS Two INSErTS PETErSBurG, IN 47567-0068 INCREASE BEAT the New Subscription Rates Start May 1, 2022 SEE DETAILS ON B-4 SORGIUS PITCHES NO-HITTER A STEP BACK IN TIME SPORTS B1 LOCAL A3 wEdNESdAy, APrIl 27, 2022 PIKE PUBLISHING VoluME 152, NuMBEr 17 Petersburg Little League Opening Day Little leaguers walk down Fifth St. enroute to the American Legion Park with their buckets of candy to throw. When they arrived they had opening ceremonies and started the 2022 season. Primary voters have until Tuesday to cast their ballots By Andy Heuring The primary election in Indiana and Pike County is set for Tuesday. There are several races on the tick- et for Pike County in both parties. As of Tuesday afternoon there had been 205 people vote early in Pike County. County Clerk Lana Griffth said that included in-office voting and voting at the mobile sites in Spur- geon, Union and Winslow. Locally, the two races in Pike County are on the Republican tick- et for county council district races. One is County Council District One where incumbent Republican Randy Harris is being challenged by Jared L. Furman. The other race is for County Council District Three which pits Republican incumbent Max Elliott against Jim Johns. On the Democrat ballot there is a three-way race to be the US Con- gressional 8th District nominee. The candidates are Adnan H. Dha- hir, Ray McCormick and Peter F. H. Priest II. They are vying to be come the opponent of Republican Larry Bucshon. Registered Pike County voters may vote from now until Election Day in the Clerk's office on the sec- ond floor of the courthouse between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. through Friday. On Saturday the mobile voting site will be in Winslow at the Communi- ty Center from 8 a.m. to noon and then from 8 a.m. to noon on Monday. The vote centers will be open on Election Day from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Election Day they will be locat- ed at the Winslow Community Cen- ter, Otwell Community and the Pe- tersburg Community Church for- merly known as Gospel Center on Illinois St. See PROFILES on page 2 See EMERGENCY on page 2 See WINSLOW on page 2 By Andy Heuring The family of Owen Delmar Garretson, who was killed on Wednesday, June 16, 2021, when he was hit by a vehicle on CR575 N near his house, put up five crosses to honor him. His daughters, Donna Miller, Jean Ann Gar- retson and Ruthie Barrett as well as his niece, Sandra Tichenor, put up the five crosses to me- morialize their father. Jean Ann said people had been ask- ing why five crosses. She explained her father can't speak for himself, but they can speak for him. She added, "Five are not a whisper, they are a shout." The daughters said they chose that location because it was on a hill and their grandmother, Pearl Garretson's favorite song was The Old Rugged Cross. "As children we sang that song to her," said Jean Ann. "This isn't about me, this is about Dad. Since he isn't able to ask for justice, we are speaking out for him." "Dad was health conscious and he stayed fit. He wasn't ready to die. He was still enjoying life. I understand people will look at his age, 92, and think, that it is okay, but possibility he could have continued living and enjoying more years. That was taken away from him," said Garretson. "It is devastating whatever age you are. It isn't fair to not have any answers. We want answers and closure. I can't believe someone can live with their conscience," said Tichenor. Garretson's death has been under investi- gation since last June. Pike County Prosecu- tor Darin McDonald said his office filed for a "geofence" warrant that shows all the cell- phones and devices that were in an area be- tween a certain timeframe. He said that area spanned about a 50 -yard section of CR575N where Garretson's body was found. Google provided information that showed there were 17 bubbles in that area during the selected timeframe. McDonald said they are trying to get Google to identify specific phones and to clarify some inconsistencies. He State Police Det. Toni Walden has spoken at length to Google and they agreed to assist, but "they have gone silent," said McDonald. Anyone with any information about the in- cident is asked to call authorities. Owen Delmar Garretson's daughters Donna Miller, Jean Ann Garretson, Ruthie Barrett and niece Sandra Tichenor stand behind a five-cross monument they assembled for their father, who was hit by a hit-and-run driver in June of 2021. Garretson siblings erect memorial to honor father Declaration of Emergency declared with Petersburg water situation By Sherri Sebella With water main breaks happen- ing almost daily, Petersburg Mayor R.C. Klipsch sought out the fastest way to get the work done to fix the problem as soon as possible, avoid- ing some typical red tape for such projects, by invoking a Declaration of Emergency for Petersburg. According to Indiana Code 26 -1- 1-12-9, The board, upon a declara- tion of emergency, may contract for a public work project without adver- tising for bids, if bids or quotes are invited from at least two (2) persons known to deal in the public work re- quired to be done. The minutes of the board must show the declara- tion of emergency and the names of the persons invited to bid or pro- vide quotes. On Thursday, April 21, the Pe- tersburg City Council and the Pe- tersburg Water Board met with city attorney Brian Mahoney to discuss the course of action the city can take to address the water main breaks that are happening on a regular ba- sis throughout Petersburg. "This is an emergency," Klipsch said. "We are here today to agree to a Declaration of Emergency to make this process happen as soon as possible. The quickest way to ad- dress the problem is a state stat- ute that allows us to move quick- er. This is the first step we need to take." Klipsch said there have been 10 water breaks in the same area of Highway 57 by the water tower. Bob Burke, who has been working tirelessly on the water main breaks, brought pieces of pipe that broke throughout the city to explain what is happening to the town council. "The pipe is rotting and crum- bling into pieces," Burke said. "Elec- trolysis in the ground is attacking certain areas. It's hard to under- stand why. These pipes were outdat- ed 20 years ago. We're lucky it last- ed this long. For some reason we are getting some surging. When pres- sure builds, it pops right there. We took a tower out of service and the common denominator is that there is no shock absorber up there. We installed two today (Thursday), and R.C. is going tomorrow to Indianap- olis to get three more hydrant relief valves. Cement line pipes are always clean. We need to use PVC or ce- ment. Back then, they didn't know, so they used cast iron piping and that is what is crumbling. In some areas, it's in perfect shape, and in others, it is crumbling." Klipsch told council members they do not understand the exact problem as to why there have been so many recurrent breaks in the past month, but that they need to begin the process of replacing the line to the water tower that is more than 60 years old, and by the Dec- laration of Emergency, they can make the process happen quicker. "The sooner we replace it, hopefully that will help," Klipsch said. Those working on fixing all of the recent water main breaks have worked tirelessly according to Klipsch. "The guys got a call at 11 p.m. last night and finished at 4:30 a.m.," Klipsch said. "They can't keep working like this. We don't know what it is going to cost. We don't know what it's going to take to fix, or how long, but we are work- Deadline approaching for graduation profiles The deadline to submit profiles for this year's Press-Dispatch Class of 2022 salute is Friday, May 13 at 5 p.m. Students can access the Google Form from the link sent to their school email account, or by going to https://bit. ly/3OF8Z7t. Students need to log in to their school Google account to access the form. Currently, approximately half the class members have completed their forms. The following students have NOT com- Winslow disappointed with Community Crossing Grant By Sherri Sebella The Winslow Town Council decided in their Monday meeting to turn down the Community Crossing Grant they were awarded for $17,898.75 and wait until Fall to apply again, in hopes of a bigger amount. "This was very disappointing," Debbie Lamb, Winslow Town Council President said. "They didn't give us enough money to even do one road. We don't know why they gave us such a small amount. There was no reason given. Last year we got everything that we asked for. We requested $104,170 this year and got $17,898.75 this time." "We have two options. We can have a paving company come down and do one road, or we turn down the grant money and try again in round two in the Fall and, hopefully, receive a larger grant amount." "All of the streets that need repair cost more than that, even with our matching funds. They didn't even give us enough to do one road." Donna Fiscus moved to turn down this round of grant money and Lamb second- ed the motion, to apply again in the Fall in a 3-0 unanimous vote. The board also voted 3-0 to accept the Indiana Housing and Community Devel- opment Authority (IHCDA) Low-Income Housing Water Assistance Program that would help low-income families with a one- time benefit. The program is completely funded by IHCDA and no funds would be paid by the town The council simply had to sign doc- uments accepting the program to be used. A new water operator for Winslow, Ter- ry Woolsey, requested payment of $1,000 per month after the town offered him $700.