The South Gibson Star-Times serves the towns of Haubstadt, Owensville and Fort Branch.
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1472960
NEWS TIPS Phone: ������������� 812-753-3553 Email ����editor@sgstartimes�com INSIDE Local �������������� A4 Sports ������������� A5 Home Life ����� A6-7 Church ��������A8-9 Opinion �������� A10 History �����������A11 Classifieds ������A12 Two Sections • One Insert Fort Branch, IN 47648-0070 (USPS #205-620) $1.00 12 PAGES TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2022 VOLUME 68, NUMBER 2 South Gibson SPORTS A5 LOCAL A4 Local food pantry, clothes closet reopens Babe Ruth league action Wednesday night LOVE THY NEIGHBOR SAFE! Fort Branch man charged with rape Police have issued an active warrant for Domenic Migliarese, 21, of Fort Branch, who is accused of felony rape, criminal confinement with bodily injur y, aggravated batter y with substantial risk of death and batter y resulting in bodily injur y July 7. Police responded July 1 to a person who told police she'd been sexually assaulted and beaten by a stranger she met on Face- book Messenger. According to the probable cause affidavit, the woman's eyes were nearly swollen shut with bruising. She alleged she'd met the person at his residence June 29, and he kept her through July 1. She described the residence as a sin- gle-wide tan trailer with blue trim. She said she'd been chained by the per- son in his Fort Branch residence and he hit her with his fist and an object. 3 board members, director resign from library By Janice Barniak SG Star-Times Editor editor@sgstartimes.com Three Owensville Carnegie Public Li- brar y board members have resigned, after a meeting July 7 in which the librar y board voted to accept a liability waiver instead of requiring those who use the Steelman Park librar y lawn to buy insurance. Mike Tremps, President; Daniel Parrish, Secretar y; and Cr ystal Smith, Treasurer re- signed. Tremps and Parrish both expressed in a previous meeting that if there was no in- surance they worried they would be open to personal lawsuits if someone hurt them- selves using the librar y lawn. Smith said that as a bonded person the bonding protects the board from her but doesn't protect her from a personal suit. Owensville raises police pay By Janice Barniak SG Star-Times Editor editor@sgstartimes.com Owensville Town Council approved a salar y amendment for the town marshal and depu- ty that will raise Owensville Marshal Rodger Leister's pay to $27.79 per hour and deputy marshal Jason Wright's pay to $25.63 per hour. They'll also begin receiving overtime pay at a time and a half wage. Previously Owensville officers received comp time instead of over- time, but with only two of them, it was increas- ingly difficult to take any comp time, because the other would have to cover. (Which would give the other comp time he would need to take, but couldn't without incurring comp time for the other officer.) Owensville officers work 10 hour shifts four days a week, often working those days in a row. Owensville officers have also asked to join the town's employee union to get the same benefits as other town employees, which the council approved, but were not sure how to immediately enact. They'll discuss it with the union representative. The council first brought up the increase in April, after the board attempted to hire a third officer and could not get people to inter view because, they were told, the wages were not competitive. The Town of Owensville had Marshal Rod- ger Leister making $47,000 per year and Offi- cer Jason Wright making $43,000. According to Councilman Dwayne Matsel in April, applicants told them the wage was not high enough for what they do, especially as the Indiana State Police were of fering new officers $47,000 the first year with a $5,000 sign on bonus, more than Leister was making after working for the town for 24 years. The council decided instead of another officer to raise the current officers' wages by roughly $10,000. The officers did not currently make over time. The officers had been working special events like the Watermelon Festival for free. Fair kicks off with pageant: Caleigh Cates wins Miss Gibson County By Janice Barniak SG Star-Times Editor editor@sgstartimes.com Purdue University sophomore Caleigh Cates, 19, daughter of Chris and Jaleigh Cates, won Miss Gibson County July 8 during the queen and sweetheart pageants at Princeton Community High School, kicking off festivities for the Gibson County Fair. The fair opened Sunday with poultr y and rabbit shows, the merchant area opening, wood car ving on the midway, forestr y informa- tion at a DNR exhibit, karaoke and the Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch opening the Lucas Oil Truck and Tractor pull. As for the queen and her court, Cates is a member of New Life Church of the Nazarene and a volunteer for Gibson County Youth The- atre. She graduated in the top ten of the class of 2021 with numerous awards and hopes to grad- uate from Purdue University with a degree in Retail Management with a concentration in fashion design. She credited theatre teacher and mentor Sta- cy Hurt with making the biggest impression on her life, Kylee Morgan won first runner up. The 17-year-old daughter of Gene and Kristi Mor- gan is a Wood Memorial High School senior this fall, as well as a member of the National Honor Society and student council. She's in cheerleading and volleyball. She won 'best of breed' with her rabbit in her last year of 4-H, and planned to attend the Uni- versity of Southern Indiana to study radiologic technology. Morgan said her biggest struggle in life was being diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of eight, and having spinal fusion surger y at age 14 in 2020. Because of COVID, she had to recover feel- ing shut out from the world, but credited her family with playing a large role in her recover y. Second runner-up and Miss Congeniality Alyssa Naas, 17, is the daughter of Lora and Stephen Naas. She enjoys lacrosse, FCCLA, and Art Club. The lifeguard and Little Titans Daycare worker hopes to work in Interior Design. If she could have one wish, it would be to get an unlimited gas card. Third runner-up, Kennedy Wilzbacher, is the 17-year-old daughter of Corey and Ramona Water rates float up 15 percent By Janice Barniak SG Star-Times Editor editor@sgstartimes.com Haubstadt Town Council passed a 15 percent water rate increase said to cost the average customer approximately $7 per month, and approved a sewer rate study in preparation for a sewer expansion. The rate increase was tabled last month after, during the public hearing, the board was told the increase would cost the town's biggest water user, Dewig Meats, an addi- tional approximately $4,000 per year as the town's largest water user. According to Water Super visor Br yon Will, they are the largest water user. Some might think that would be Blue Beacon, but Blue Beacon is the biggest sewer customer, not water customer. The Kiesels asked the board in June to reconsider the increase. The water rate increase is motivated by supplier Gibson Water raising their rates. In a May meeting, Haubstadt Town Coun- cil planned a water rate increase between 12.6 to 15 percent to account for raises by Gibson Water. Engineers recommended passing the increase at the 15 percent to cover a few system improvements that will be needed down the road, rather than delaying and possibly needing to raise those rates again. Herb specialist Nora Miller, 80, left, and her friend Nida McGar- reth come to see her blue ribbon winners on the plant table. Her herb pot has mint, cilantro, sage and others Sunday in the exhibits at the Toyota Events Center in Prince- ton at the Gibson County Fair. See RESIGN on page 2 See PAGEANT on page 7 See CHARGED on page 2 Former Gibson County Fair Queen Gracy Key crowns incoming queen Caleigh Cates Friday at Princeton Community High School.