South Gibson Star-Times

NEWS TIPS Phone: ������������� 812-753-3553 Email ����editor@sgstartimes�com INSIDE Local ����������A1-10 Obituaries ������ A2 Arrests ������������ A6 School ����������A8-9 Sports ���������� B1-5 Church ��������A8-9 Opinion ���������� B8 History ������������ B9 Legals �������������� B9 Classifieds ����� B10 Two Sections • No Inserts Fort Branch, IN 47648-0070 (USPS #205-620) $1.00  20 PAGES   TuESDay, OcTObEr 18, 2022  VOLUME 68, NUMBER 16 South Gibson SPORTS B1 LOCAL A4 TITAN BOYS ADVANCE TO SEMI-STATE EARLY VOTING BEGINS Beard has experience, background Longtime Councilman and Democrat Dan Beard said he has the experience and background dealing with budgets to help run the fiscal affairs of the county on the County Council. Beard, whose father was Patoka Township Assessor in Princeton, said he learned the ropes of budgeting as head of the parks department, then on the Patoka Township Board. "It was budgets and appropriations, and a learning curve on how they're submitted and approved," he said. Then he worked as Patoka Township Assessor which he said was invaluable in Whitehead offers fresh perspective, service Political newcomer Hannah Whitehead, born and raised Princeton, will be on the ballot for Republicans this fall, hoping to fill a seat on the Gibson County Council. Whitehead has worn many hats over the years — she and her husband ran a local tattoo busi- ness for seven years, and during that busi- ness venture, they never borrowed money or took out a loan, they built the business without debt. "Just one of the really positive things about running a business is we already know everybody. I have a good grasp of what my community is." County Council Dist. 2 seat sees 2 contenders By Janice Barniak Star-Times Editor editor@sgstartimes.com In this week's Coffee with the Candidates, we meet incumbent councilman Dan Beard and political newcomer Hannah Whitehead, both on the ballot for Gibson County Council District 2. The County Council is the fiscal arm of the county. According to the Dept. of Local Government Finance, the county council has "ulti- mate decision-making power regarding fiscal affairs," from approving budgets to estab- lishing salaries, to fixing tax rates and establishing levies. To vote, check your regis- tration status online at Indi- anaVoters.com or by visiting your local county election administrator's office. Early voting began on Oct. 12 and is open until Nov. 4, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday Oct. 29 and Nov. 5, and then finally from 8 a.m. to noon Nov. 7, as well as at your local poll- ing locations on Election Day Nov. 8. All registered Indiana voters are eligible to vote early in-person. Beard Whitehead Man charged with criminal confinement Bereket Cox, 22, of Owens- ville, was charged with crim- inal confinement while armed with a deadly weapon and pointing a firearm at another person after Gibson County Sheriff's Officers responded to a request for an officer regarding threats and harass- ment. According to the proba- ble cause affidavit, Stephanie Burdine had been talking to Cox for roughly two months before she went to visit him at his residence. Cox allegedly threatened to kill himself and attempted to take Burdine's handgun Oct. 12. The following day, Oct. 13, Burdine was returning to her residence when Cox pulled into her driveway, according to police. Cox exited the vehicle, told Burdine he had a gun, and told her to get in the passen- ger seat. When she refused, he allegedly put the gun to her head and told her again. Once she was in the vehi- cle, according to the affida- vit, Cox drove them to a loca- tion by woods and railroad tracks and allegedly told her she could run but bullets were faster and no one would be looking for her. Burdine was told to turn her Fort Branch painter sells out in first international solo show By Janice Barniak Star-Times Editor editor@sgstartimes.com Artist Drew Cooper, a Fort Branch native and Gibson Southern graduate, had his first solo international show "Wild Noise" at Maddox Gallery last week in London and the collection of 29 still life and sculpture works sold out the first night. "I couldn't be happier than for my first show to be sold out opening night," he said. "My journey has brought me here." He said that now collectors all over the world have his art and he's really inten- tional about his work radiating positive energy. "You see a lot of plant life and flowers. I want to create something positive that collectors live with on their wall. So when these collectors are living with these canvases they're waking up and feeling this energy and they're leaving for work and coming from that," he said. "Wild Noise" is a collection of work Cooper said is based around a hi-fi stereo theme — specifically the 1956 -style stereo his grandparents had when he was growing up and would walk to their home and listen with them. "That was such a good memory, it stuck with me," he said. "Everything that I'm painting is a personal feeling." While no stereo is exactly that model, Haubstadt whistleblower thanked in letter to president By Janice Barniak Star-Times Editor editor@sgstartimes.com Rick Ward of Haubstadt is, in some ways, vindicated this week as the United States Office of Special Counsel released a five-page report to The President of the United States substantiating five of Ward's eight allegations of critical safety viola- tions he found at Army Joint Muni- tions Command at Crane Army Ammunition Activity while he was the Safety and Occupational Health Manager. Ward had worked for the Navy since 2004 when he accepted a lateral transfer in October 2019 to work at the Army base. From the first day, he said he saw safety violations he believed were serious. He said retired 2700 -pound battleship rounds from the 1940s are improperly stored, and that, if the situation is not remedied, those rounds could explode, leveling their storage building and killing the dozen people who work there. "We're still demilitarizing W W2 stockpiles," he said. "They're absolutely not right. I think they are literally going to kill people." He reported his concerns to Scott Haraburta, Director of Activity, which ended in his being taken off building inspections, Ward said, but they didn't address his concerns. He emailed the next higher author- ity, Army Colonel Steven Dondero, who gave him no response, and, according to Ward, wouldn't meet with him in person to discuss the issues. Next he tried Norman Thomas, Civilian Executive Assistant, who he said is considered the number one civilian for the Army. He tried contacting him in emails and in person. "He didn't want to hear it. He didn't care," said Ward. Ward says he took his concerns to the explosive safety officer Rodney Hedrick and his assistant Bran- don Blann, and then Tony Courson, the Naval support Crane activity See WARD on page 2 See WHITEHEAD on page 4 See BEARD on page 4 See COX on page 3 'WILD' SUCCESS See PAINTER on page 3 Gibson Southern alumn Drew Cooper poses at his first solo internation- al show in Maddox Gallery in London. Walk to School Day Haubstadt Community School participated in Walk to School Day, with most students and many teachers walking from the Haubstadt Old Gym to the school Wednes- day, escorted by police and fire department members who cleared the route for safety. Students backpacks were driven to the school ahead of the group. The annual event featured a small burst of rain that quickly passed before students set out.

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