The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1467433
WINSLOW Continued from page 1 READER GUIDE Subscriptions: Change of address: subscribers changing addresses will please give old address as well as new one along with phone number. We cannot guarantee prompt change unless this is done. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Press-Dispatch., P.O. Box 68, Petersburg, IN 47567-0068 or e-mail to subscribe@ pressdispatch.net. Subscription rates: One year: $37 for Pike County and all 475/476 zip codes; $41 in the state of Indiana; $58 elsewhere in the USA. Paid in advance. Subscriptions taken after noon on Friday will not receive a paper until the second edition after their subscription date. About us: Andy Heuring and John B. Heuring, Publishers Andy Heuring, Editor John B. Heuring, Adv. Mgr. Sherri Sebella, Reporter Eric Gogel, Production Mgr. Cindy Petty, Adv. Sales Pam Lemond, Adv. Sales Brakston Farrar, Designer • • • Published every Wednesday by the Pike County Publishing Co. Phone: 812-354-8500 820 E. Poplar St., P.O. Box 68, Petersburg, IN 47567-0068 • • • Entered in the Post Office in Petersburg, Indiana for transmission through the mails as Periodical Mail, postage paid at Petersburg, Indiana – published weekly. (USPS 205-620) Contact us: Phone: ....................................................................... 812-354-8500 Fax: ........................................................................... 812-354-2014 Andy Heuring, Editor editor@pressdispatch.net Advertising ads@pressdispatch.net General News news@pressdispatch.net Circulation subscribe@pressdispatch.net Jared Furman Paid for by candidate Thank you friends, family and voters for the support during my campaign. Thank You! Thank You! SPURGEON High School Alumni Association meeting Spurgeon High School Alumni Association is proud to announce that we are meeting on Saturday, May 28 at 5 p.m. CDT / 6 p.m. EDT at St. Matthew's Old German Church Fellowship Hall. e meal will be catered. We will need a head count by Saturday, May 21. Please call Naomi "June" Hadlock at 812-664-9077. We will be electing new officers. Please come out and help us celebrate. All Spurgeon High School graduates, family and friends are welcome. REWARD OFFERED FOR LOST DOG Family pet lost. Last seen behind Walnut Hills Cemetery in Petersburg. Female with lots of hair. Black body with brown face and legs. She is microchipped. Call 812-354-6302 Call 812-354-6302 PCMS students participate in Federal Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest Congratulations to these Pike County Middle School students on their success of competing in the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest. Josiah Ross was the first place winner of the 7th-9th grade category; and Justus Edrington and Karley Gideon both received honorable mention. The contest requires participants to cre- ate original artwork, of 9"x12" size, of a north American waterfowl. Thank you to art teacher Jeremy Ross, for inspiring such creativity. filling in for Mike McGre- gor, is a full-time employee of Winslow. "He told me that he is full- time as of May 1," Nelson said. I went to patrol the other day and he was out already. He does not report to me regard- ing hours, so I have no idea what is going on." Lamb said he is supposed to be a part-time employee, not working more than 20 hours per week, and she questioned who authorized Harrington to work extra hours. None of the other town council members had an answer. Corbin Dixon, Clerk Trea- surer for Winslow, said he has not issued Harrington any pay for full-time hours. Dix- on also addressed the council members and said he feels the Winslow Town Marshall is un- derpaid. A discussion regard- ing Nelson's pay was tabled. The issue of Deputy Mar- shall Harrington owning a K-9 dog was brought up and town council member Donna Fiscus moved to pay an extra $2.50 per hour because of the K-9 dog. "When we took James (Har- rington) on, it was to fill in," Lamb said. "We can't afford to pay for a drug dog. The coun- ty has a drug dog and just be- cause James has one, it's like a freebie. The budget can't han- dle that." Fiscus asked Dixon if the town could afford to pay the $2.50 extra for the K-9 and Dixon said, "yes". Fiscus again moved to pay the extra $2.50, and Dick Brewster sec- onded the motion. Lamb vot- ed no. Many throughout the crowd shouted at council members and were outraged that they would pay $2.50 an hour extra for the K-9, but would not give Nelson a raise. Several resi- dents shouted out what a risk and liability the K-9 would be. Nelson's increased insur- ance premiums were also brought up and Dixon said Nelson's premium has in- creased nine percent. Coun- cil members discussed what a fair amount would be to pay Nelson to help with the premi- ums, and Lamb moved to ta- ble the decision while Dixon worked up some numbers for the council members to see. Brewster and Fiscus agreed to table the discussion. "I don't want to set up the next town council members for some- thing that they cannot sus- tain," Lamb said. "Why hire another cop? " Winslow resident Karen Mar- shall said. "Just pay Steve. We already have a county drug dog." Winslow resident Barry Parker asked council mem- bers what the procedure was for the new officer to be clock- ing hours. "He is supposed to work one day a week," Lamb said. "He is making his own hours. Who is authorizing him working? " Brewster said the Deputy Marshall is set for 20 hours per week and it is supposed to be between the Deputy Mar- shall and Town Marshall when he works. Resident Kavin Gayhart provided written documen- tation to the council that the Deputy Marshall is supposed to report to Central Dispatch. "There are two different docu- ments that say he is supposed to work within city limits, un- less called by Dispatch," Gay- hart said. "He pulled over an Emer- gency Medical Services (EMS) responder who had his blue lights flashing and was traveling to respond to an incident in Campbelltown. He is doing what he wants and has no set schedule. How did he feel he can work whenever he wants? " Lamb continued to ask Brewster and Fiscus. Gayhart then asked the council where the paperwork for the K-9 dog is and if they had seen it. Fis- cus responded that she did not know. Brewster respond- ed that he did not see the pa- perwork, but he was certain the dog is a trained K-9 dog. Brewster called to have an Executive Meeting on Thurs- day, May 12 to discuss the sit- uation with the Winslow po- lice situation. The issue of the Communi- ty Crossing Grant money was brought up by Winslow resi- dent Barry Parker, who con- tacted Indiana State Senator Mark Messmer regarding Winslow receiving such a low amount of grant money. "I called Mark Messmer's office," Parker said. "They told me there was a Power- point to explain the process. They said there were sever- al errors in the paper work that Corbin (Dixon) submit- ted and that he waited until the last minute to file the pa- perwork, so he did not have enough time to fix the errors. He had a month to submit the application and he filed it on January 28." Dixon said there were mi- nor errors so that is why the application was thrown out. "I completed one last year with no mistakes and we got the full amount, which was over $100,000," Dixon said. "This year there was an interactive map and I went a couple feet into someone's yard on the map so they kicked it out." "I started earlier, but didn't submit it until the last day. I thought everything was ironed out, but it wasn't. We are going to get it next time," Lamb said. Parker said Winslow could also get mon- ey for sidewalks, like Peters- burg did. Lamb then confronted Brewster and Fiscus con- cerning the Open Door Pol- icy in which officials cannot meet to discuss and make de- cisions regarding town busi- ness, unless conducted in a public meeting. "I spoke to the both of you at the last meeting and said that if you are meeting in private and making decisions, it has to stop," Lamb said. "People are coming to me, telling me that the two of you are meeting and making deci- sions privately in Town Hall. I was told you met Tuesday through Friday at Town Hall and that by Tuesday, you had removed Torres Baham out of his office at Town Hall. You purchased Internet ser- vice for $ 80 a month, which was never discussed in a pub- lic meeting, and you changed the locks, which was also nev- er discussed." Dixon told Lamb that she was informed of the change of locks, but Lamb denied ever being told. "Steve Nel- son and Torres Baham told me that someone had gone through their office and I made the decision to get cyl- inders changed," Dixon said. "The Internet has always been on, until recently." Brewster was furious and said if anyone was accusing him of violating the Open Door Policy, they better be ready to prove it. "Have you ever come to me and asked me about this? " Brewster said to Lamb. "I took you and your son-in-law to the office and showed you files and ex- plained things, and I did the same thing with Dee (Fiscus). I'd be willing to help the next council members too. There was never a vote taken to move Torres to Town Hall (origi- nally). When he said some- one had rummaged through his office, I moved him to the garage." Baham, who was visibly up- set, said to Brewster, "I have two witnesses that heard you say I was being evicted be- cause of Indiana State Codes (IC)." "Josh (Popp) didn't feel it was necessary to spend an extra $ 80 a month on Internet so that is why I was moved to Town Hall. My desk was ran- sacked and my file cabinets were open. I had drug screens in there." Brewster denied ev- er saying Baham was removed because of IC codes and asked the witnesses if they heard him say that, to which they replied, "Yes." "It should have been dis- cussed in a public meeting," Lamb said. "Decisions are be- ing made outside of meetings. We are here for these people. This is why we do this, for them." Brewster said, "I'm not go- ing to stop socializing because I am a town council member." Brewster abruptly called for a motion to adjourn the meet- ing, and Fiscus seconded. "I guess the meeting is over," Lamb said. The next Winslow Town Council meeting will be Mon- day, May 23, at 6 p.m. in the Winslow Community Center. The public is encouraged to attend. The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, May 11, 2022 A-3 LOCAL Call: 812-354-8500 Email: news@pressdispatch.net or bring in a hard copy: 820 E. Poplar Street, Petersburg NEWS BRIEFS Blue Jean Center to host Sunday dinner May 15 The Blue Jeans Community Center in Monroe City will host a Sunday dinner, May 15, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The menu will include: Ham, baked spaghetti, sweet po- tatoes, lima beans, broccoli salad, pickled beets, bread, dessert and drink. Dine in or carry-outs available. All proceeds benefit the center. Time to register for Birthday Club If you haven't submitted your birthday within the last six months, please register again at www.pressdispatch.net/ birthday. Entrants have a chance a six-month subscription to paper.