The Press-Dispatch

Front Wednesday, November 30, 2022 The Press-Dispatch A-2 (Lego & Electronic Train Layouts) LOCATION Pike Collision LLC 2134 E. Main Street Petersburg DATE AND TIME Saturday, December 10 Noon – 5 p.m. EST SALE HALLMARK Christmas Collectibles • Possible Dreams • Jim Shore • Willow Tree • Precious Moments 716 Main St. Petersburg • 812-354-9372 /margeshallmark HOLIDAY HOURS: Monday-Saturday 9-6 JIM SHORE & HALLMARK COLLECTIBLE Santas and Snowmen BUY ONE GET ONE 50% OFF BUY ONE GET ONE FREE Hallmark 3-Wick Candles Hallmark Seasonal Gi Wrap & Accessories Jack Skellington Nightmare Before Christmas Disney Bambi ornament On the Square in Jasper • 812.482.3200 Mon.-Fri. 10am-5:30pm, Sat. 10am-4pm Follow us on JUST Fine Clothing and Shoes Unique Home Decor • Accessories • Gifts *Some restrictions apply Free Poncho with $75.00 purchase or more. While supplies last. Everyday is special during O'Tannenbaum Week! Wednesday, Nov. 30: BOGO Tops Buy 1, get 1 of equal or lesser value FREE Thursday, Dec. 1: Winter with Whimsy Coats and Outerwear Specials Friday & Sat., Dec. 2 & 3: Winter with Whimsy plus 30% OFF ALL Hobo and Consuela bags Pike County resident catches prize winning fish By Sherri Sebella News Editor sherri@pressdispatch.net Pike County resident Cyn- di Wells has had a love for fish- ing that started when she was just a little girl. "I started fish- ing with my grandpa as a lit- tle girl," Wells said. "He loved going fishing. He only fished for food and didn't care how big it was." When Wells was older, she started fishing with her dad. "I still wasn't really in- to it because I never caught anything," Wells said. "It was when I got with my husband, Joey, that I gained a new hob- by. He has taught me every- thing I know about fishing and about hunting. Even af- ter 20 years I'm still learn- ing new things from him. That could just be because I'm his wife and don't lis- ten the first time he says it," Wells said with a laugh. The fish Wells caught that won her the prized title of "Fish of the Year," was one she caught the first week or so of June 2021. "Myself, Joey, and our friend Tony Williams went out in our kayaks," Wells said. "I was mostly fishing for bluegill that day but had caught a few small bass. I had just gotten a new Inline Spinner bait and was trying it out. I thought I had caught another bass with the way it felt reeling it in. I got it to the kayak and was a bit confused and excited. I yelled at my husband 'I think it's a bluegill. No, it's a redear. Wait, this is too big to be either one! What is this? " Wells' husband, Joey, con- firmed that it was indeed a redear sunfish. "I told him that we were most definitely getting that monster mount- ed," Wells said. "We took it to our taxi- dermist, Jeremy Payne, in Winslow. I made a comment about wanting to know how big the state record redear was. The record is more than three pounds. Mine was just over a pound. He told me I should enter it into the Fish of the Year contest. I had nev- er even heard of it. We took the required photos of the fish and I submitted my entry." Wells found out in late Jan- uary that she had actually tied with a man from Greene County but they both got the award for that particular spe- cies of sunfish. "I don't think that there is a big secret to catching big fish," Wells said. "You can have all the knowledge in the world on whatever type of game you're after and you can still walk away empty-handed most of the time. A lot of times it's just the luck of the draw. I've hunted and fished for more than 20 years and 2021 was my best for both." Wells gives a lot of credit to her husband for teaching her and getting her started. "If it's something to do with the out- doors, I'm there," Wells said. "I pretty well do all of it by my- self now. My hope is that more women get out and do some of these things. Go fishing. Go hunting. Go foraging. There is so much out there to learn and so many things we can do to re-educate ourselves about ways of the past." The fish Cyndi Wells caught that won her the prized title of "Fish of the Year," was one she caught the first week or so of June 2021 in Pike County. mas trees catching on fire. Most times it's not the whole house burning down, but it's almost always caused by overloading lights and decorations into one outlet. I've probably had three to four houses that were total losses over the years because of Christmas decorations." When it comes to indoor versus out- door decorations, the key is to pay at- tention. All decorations will be listed for either indoor or outdoor use. Using in- door rated decorations outside can cause a problem with shorting out, which cre- ates a fire hazard. There are plenty of options when shop- ping for outdoor, weatherproof exten- sion cords for safety purposes. Stemle was very clear when stating you should never use an indoor extension cord for outdoor purposes due to the cords short- ing out and catching fire. "There are ma- ny issues with extension cords," Stem- le said. "Never use indoor cords outside. Overloading extension cords is a com- mon problem with decorations. Always check your rating on the cord. It is best to use cords with circuit breakers to help prevent overloads." With colder weather fast approach- ing, Stemle also has some suggestions for winter safety that include always putting electric heaters on surge pro- tectors for safety purposes. If you have a chimney, the potential for a chimney fire is always there if you have a wood burning fireplace or wood burner. "You should clean the chimney flute every year," Stemle said. "You can buy chim- ney brushes, but it's best to have it done professionally every year." When asked what the most common cause of house fires is, Stemle was quick to say dryers. "Not cleaning out dry- er vents is the number one issue in our county," Stemle said. "Never use the dry- er when you are not home. Lint build up between the dryer and the wall, through- out the hose to outside, causes blockage. It restricts air flow and the lint is very flammable. Always check the vents and clear out any lint that may be inside to prevent fires." Most importantly, the Patoka Town- ship Fire and Rescue Team would like to wish the residents of Pike County a safe Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. otherwise have one. I invite anyone to come out and learn more about the Ki- wanis. We meet at noon on Wednesdays at the Village Inn Restaurant." Kiwanis is an organization of com- munity clubs where its members and partners are dedicated to improving the lives of children. Kiwanis Interna- tional empowers members to creatively pursue ways to serve the needs of chil- dren. Due to a decline in membership, in the past few years, it has made the or- ganization reach out for grants to help fund projects. Thankfully, the past few years, organizations like the Commu- nity Foundation and United Way have been able to help the Kiwanis so they can continue the Kids' Christmas. If you are interested in learning more about Kiwanis, how they bene- fit the community or how to become a member, they meet every Wednes- day at noon for lunch at the Village Inn Restaurant. Petersburg Kiwanis members Dustin Schnarr and Adam Scales at Shoe Carnival shopping for 70 pairs of shoes. 4-H Life Lessons 2023 Purdue Extension and In- diana 4-H will "Life Lessons" for 2023, open to all high schoolers (grades 9 -12) in Indiana. This virtual 8 -week series of lessons will focus on topics that will have positive effects on youth as they grow into adulthood. This workshop series is based on the mission of In- diana 4-H to provide real life educational opportunities that develop young people at a state-wide level. Topics will cover one-hour lessons on auto care, basics of budgeting, etiquette and peo- ple skills, food prep and safe- ty, home care, online and so- cial media safety, self-care and mental health, and cele- brating what we've learned. Youth will have follow-up activity after each lesson to reinforce learning, including one "virtual" component and one "off-screen" component. Guest speakers will join the lessons during various ses- sions to bring in expertise and provide youth the oppor- tunity to connect with profes- sionals. Registration can be com- pleted through v2.4HOnline. com. To register, create an ac- count or sign in. The registra- tion can be found under the Events tab. The $ 30 registration fee covers the cost of all provid- ed material, content and sup- plies that will be sent to regis- trants. Financial assistance is available. Contact bgoble5@ purdue.edu for details or vis- it https://bit.ly/23lifelessons. Lesson Schedule: • Lessons begin at 7 pm EST/6 pm CST • January 17: Online & So- cial Media Safety • January 24: Banking & Budgeting • January 31: Self Care • February 7: Food Prep & Safety • February 14: Home Care • February 21: Etiquette & People Skills • February 28: Auto Care • March 7: Celebration FIRE Continued from page 1 KIWANIS Continued from page 1

• Cover