The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1471357
The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, June 22, A-2 Wednesday, June 22, 2022 The Press-Dispatch Downed power lines started arcing, sending off intense fl ames, which in turn set the tree on top of them on fi re. Firemen had to wait for the electric company turn off the power to the lines before they could extinguish the fi re. Mississippi man arrested for no gun permit, marijuana possession By Sherri Sebella News Editor sherri@pressdispatch.net Pike County Sheriff's Of- fi ce Deputy Bryce Manning was running stationary radar on Interstate 69 near the 45.5 mile-marker when he noticed a black Honda Civic traveling at 92 mph north in the left lane, passing another vehicle at a high rate of speed. According to the probable cause affi davit, while Man- ning spoke with the driver, Juan Antonio Gonzalez-Tor- res, 22, from Mississippi, he smelled the odor of marijuana in the vehicle. When additional assis- tance arrived, Gonzalez- Torres was asked if there was anything illegal in the vehi- cle. Gonzalez-Torres was on the phone and said he didn't speak English very well. Po- lice told Gonzalez-Torres he was speaking English just fi ne earlier. Gonzalez-Torres said he had weed in the vehicle. When po- lice said they would search of the vehicle, Gonzalez-Torres said he had a gun inside the vehicle. A Glock 26 pistol with a ful- ly loaded magazine was locat- ed in the center console. Police also located a black bag in the front passenger seat that had a clear plastic baggie containing a green plant -like material inside, believed it to be marijuana. Gonzalez-Torres did not have a permit for the gun. He was arrested for Possession of Marijuana and Unlawful Pos- session of a Firearm. The former NAPA building, located at the corner of Walnut and 6th streets, was damaged by heavy wind in Fri- day's storm. A fi ve-year-old boy escaped injury when this tree fell on his house above his bedroom collasping the ceiling. Petersburg Police Chief said the boy was in the lower bunk and it protected him. The house is owned by Jordan and Stevie Overbey. Stevie said she and her son were home when the tree fell and her son was still in bed. "It shook the whole house… We were both hysterical," said Overbey after the tree fell. HEATING AND AIR 812-789-3065 tdavis@alltradeheatingandair.net or admin@alltradeheatingandair.net THE INDUSTRY LEADER IN CLEAN AIR, BUT DON'T JUST TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America recognizes CleanEffects® as asthma & allergy friendly® budget time. It was moved to decide if River Birch Farms, LLC. was in compliance with their Statement of Benefi ts and Real Estate Improvements. County auditor Gumbel said they made their deadline to fi le and they were in compli- ance. Council voted 7-0, fi nd- ing them in compliance with their statements. Council members voted 7-0 to adjust the salaries for judges and prosecutors in Pike County that will become effective July 1, 2022, with an applicable rate of 3.33 per- cent. Additional appropriations were approved 7-0 for the Highway Department due to overrunning costs on two bridge jobs and two unal- lowed claims for reimburse- ment. The Highway Depart- ment also requested $ 30,000 in additional appropriations to cover rising fuel costs for the department's equipment and vehicles, which was ap- proved 7-0. County commissioners re- quested an additional $5,000 due to increasing natural gas prices which required the in- crease in the courthouse gas budget. Pike County Sheriff Kent Johnson requested additional appropriations for updating the Sheriff's Department re- cord keeping systems to Cen- tral Square in the amount of $57,100. "The original quote was roughly $ 80,000 and we got it down to $57,100," John- son said. "The longer it goes unsigned, the further behind it is putting us." The request will cover the cost of pur- chasing new software. The Council agreed to additional appropriations out of the Gen- eral Fund. A transfer of $ 350 was re- quested from the Veteran's Offi ce to cover the cost of the NACVSO Benefi ts Course, which is needed for the VET Offi cer to become NACVSO accredited. Various transfers of funds were approved 7-0 for the Health Department, Audi- tor's Offi ce, E-911, and the Sheriff's Department by the council members. At the end of the meet- ing, council member Todd Meadors asked to speak re- garding his vote to purchase a new vehicle for the Pike County Coroner. Meadors said he voted in favor of a new vehicle, but had he known that a pick-up truck was the vehicle that was cho- sen, he would not have voted the same way. "I feel it was not the best decision, picking up a person's body and put- ting it in the back of a pick-up truck," Meadors said. "If one of my loved ones passed away, I will be con- tacting the funeral home, not having them ride in the back of a pick-up truck." Pike County Coroner Ray Brooks said the four-wheel drive pick-up truck was pur- chased due to others not be- ing able to get to the scene at times or get into places the pick-up truck could. "It has a shell," Brooks said. "Fam- ilies have not had a problem with it. (Using) a van…where someone has been dead for awhile, I don't feel comfort- able sharing that air space. There are a number of coro- ner offi ces that do use pick-up trucks." "I disagree that families do not mind," Meadors said. "The Sheriff's Department has four wheel drive vehi- cles for these issues and so do other departments. Had I known, I would have voted differently." The next Pike County Council meeting will be 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 12 at the Pike County Courthouse. The public is encouraged to attend these meetings. than three hours waiting on power crews to remove the lines from the road. There were numerous re- ports of power lines having trees or limbs on them and sparking or catching fi re. Most restaurants and busi- nesses in Petersburg were unable to be open until Friday afternoon because they were without power. Byrd said they called pretty much everyone in and worked until 7 or 8 p.m. Friday night working to get roads open in the county. "We had both excavators the Gradall and the loader running. Usually, we only have the Gradall and one excavator. We called in ev- eryone to try and get roads opened. We still have some places to pick up," said Byrd on Monday morning. COUNCIL Continued from page 1 STORM Continued from page 1