South Gibson Star-Times

NEWS TIPS Phone: ������������� 812-753-3553 Email ����editor@sgstartimes�com INSIDE Local ����������A1-10 Obituaries ������ A5 Arrests ������������ A4 Opinion ���������� A7 Sports ���������� B1-3 School ����������B3-5 Church ��������B6-7 History ����������� B9` Legals �������������� B8 Classifieds ������� B8 Two Sections • No Inserts Fort Branch 47648-0070 (USPS #205-620) $1.00  16 PAGES   TuESDay, OcTObEr 25, 2022  VOLUME 68, NUMBER 17 South Gibson SPORTS B1 CHURCH B6 TITANS OUTRUN VINCENNES Reflections from the Page A farewell column from long-time columnist Cleoramae G. Stunkel Gibson County begins jail construction By Janice Barniak SG Star Times Editor editor@sgstartimes.com While Gibson County is building a new jail to satisfy an ACLU lawsuit, county officials high- lighted all the ways the jail will be better for the county beyond correcting the overcrowding a groundbreaking on Oct. 21 at the site of the expansion in Princeton. County Councilman Jeremy Overton called the design sensible and affordable, and a design that will fit the needs of the county. Sheriff Tim Bottoms talked about all the ways the county's corrections have grown over the years, even as the jail, built in 1988, stayed the same. From eight deputies in 1988, to 19 today, from increases in office and jail staff, to an abundance of files the office is required to keep for up to 75 years — he said the current jail has 120 beds, the new jail will have 208. The new jail should stop the overcrowding, allowing inmates to be classi- fied by type. It features more isolation cells, a new control center, a new dispatch and more admin- istration space. From a purely practical standpoint it will be easier to find replacement parts because some parts from 1988 aren't made anymore. Commissioner Warren Fleetwood also compared past and present, going back to the first jail in 1813 on the courthouse lawn. That jail YMCA to open by 2024 By Janice Barniak SG Star Times Editor editor@sgstartimes.com Princeton Mayor Greg Wright choked up when explaining why he believed the Toyota YMCA, which will go into the former elementary school on Water Street, will benefit local youth. "The YMCA will offer a third place for some youth we have who do not have that third place to go. They go to school, they go home, and sometimes home is not —" He stopped. "Home is not — " He couldn't finish the sentence, but the audience applauded the sentiment. Officials from around the region touted the potential of the $21 million YMCA, $5 million of which came through regional economic development money, another $1 million of which was provided by Toyota, and much of the remaining through the county's redevelopment funds and community part- ners. It will include places to walk and swim in the winter and programs for all walks of life, including the senior population, Wright said. The 56,000 -square-foot facility will be located at 215 West Water St., revitaliz- ing the former Lowell South property, and is expected to be open to the public in the summer of 2024. Equipped with a gymnasium, a compe- tition pool, a teaching kitchen for nutrition education, a STEM lab, youth recreation areas, and more, the Toyota Indiana YMCA will provide access to all through finan- cial, physical and cultural accessibility. Governor Eric Holcomb joined local officials and regional leaders at both the YMCA groundbreaking and the groundbreaking on The District, a $21 million new apartment complex geared toward housing the area's skilled workforce. "Transformation is upon us. You can see it, you can feel it, you can already smell the chlorine...from a dream to a blueprint," said Gov. Holcomb. "It is a great day for Princ- eton and the greater Evans- ville Region as we cele- brate two important proj- ects that will foster a grow- ing, vibrant community and increase the region's ability to retain, attract and support top talent." Toyota YMCA board member and local attorney Jim McDonald called the proj- ect a highlight of his career, describing its movement from an idea 13 years ago, to a feasibility study to discus- sions with North Gibson School Corp., to gathering 'Sidewalk to nowhere' denied By Janice Barniak Star-Times Editor editor@sgstartimes.com Locust Street resident Mark Fehrenbacher asked Fort Branch Town Council if he could install a sidewalk onto his property, but the council said the sidewalk— which would only be at Fehren- bacher's mid-block property, cannot be built because it would end at grass, with no way to make it ADA compliant. All building and improvement projects on town easements must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, which would include curbs that ramp down to allow wheelchairs. "You typically don't see side- walks to nowhere. Either way, at the end of the sidewalk, they cannot get off the sidewalk in a wheelchair," said Town Board Member Scotty DeLong. In fact, Fehrenbacher has another sidewalk he built three years ago that is not compliant either — he came to the council before building the sidewalk to specifically address the require- ment of the new recently-adopted town building standards, which require six feet of easement. He said a six-foot easement would put his sidewalk in the middle of his yard. See YMCA on page 3 See JAIL on page 2 See SIDEWALK on page 2 Science Sensation returns In the front row, South Gibson stu- dents Isaac Marvel, Levi Luttrell, Piper Higdon, and Isabel- la Duff listen to a pre- sentation by a Prince- ton veterinarian about common health issues in animals at Science Sensation, a program for seventh-graders at the Gibson County Fairgrounds Oct. 18. The program resumed post-COVID this year with the Purdue Ex- tension Office resum- ing after a hiatus. Right: Students draw paths for robots Oct. 18 at the Purdue Extension Office's Sci- ence Sensation, a pro- gram for seventh grad- ers to get hands-on ex- periences in science, technology, engineer- ing and math at the Gibson County Fair- grounds. County Sheriff's Office employees including jail personnel and dispatchers were among county officials turning some of the first dirt on the project Oct. 21. The new YMCA will feature a pool, exercise class- es, a teaching kitchen, a walking area and more.

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