The Press-Dispatch

NEWS BRIEF Lunch with Santa Petersburg Delts' Lunch with Santa will be Saturday, Dec. 3 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Sts. Peter and Paul Community Hall, 207 S. 7th Street, Petersburg. A hot dog lunch for anyone will be available, and a visit with Santa. 650 W Division Road, Jasper (Corner of 231 & Division) 812-482-2246 HOME COMFORT CENTER Open: Mon., Tues., Thurs. 9-5:30; Wed. & Fri. 9-7; Sat. 9-3; Sunday closed www.englertshomecomfortcenter.com Ashley Bolanburg Dining Room Table with 4 chars and bench Liberty Haampton 5 piece table set "Come Dine with Us! Come Dine with Us!" If you're not comfortable saying this, maybe it's time for a NEW dinette set in your home $ 1269 1269 99 99 $ 619 619 99 99 Financing available for qualified customers. See store for details. Monday 8-7 • Tuesday 8-noon • Wednesday 10-7 • Thursday & Friday 8-5 eye exams • dry eye solutions prescription lenses • eye disease treatment Call to book your appointment today for safe in-offi ce treatment. Don't Neglect Your Eye Health. We're Open to See You Now! Dr. Clint Shoultz 715 S. 9th St., Petersburg 812-354-9400 Locally Owned and Operated READER GUIDE Subscriptions: Change of address: subscribers changing addresses will please give old address as well as new one along with phone number. We cannot guarantee prompt change unless this is done. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Heartland Media Group, LLC, P.O. Box 275, Fowler, 47944-0275 or email hmgcirculation@ gmail.com or call 765-884-1902. Subscription rates as of Nov. 1, 2022: One year: $37 for Pike County; $42 elsewhere in Indiana; out-of-state: $57. Paid in ad- vance. Subscriptions taken after noon on Friday will not receive a paper until the second edition after their subscription date. About us: Don Hurd, Publisher Sherri Sebella, Editor Andy Heuring, Sports/News John B. Heuring, Adv. Mgr. Pam Lemond, Adv. Sales Cindy Petty, Adv. Sales • • • Published every Wednesday by Heartland Media Group, LLC. Phone: 812-354-8500 820 E. Poplar St., P.O. Box 68, Petersburg, IN 47567-0068 • • • Entered in the Post Office in Petersburg, Indiana for transmission through the mails as Periodical Mail, postage paid at Petersburg, Indiana – published weekly. (USPS 205-620) Contact us: Main Phone: .............................................................. 812-354-8500 Circulation: ............................................................... 765-884-1902 Fax: ........................................................................... 812-354-2014 Editor editor@pressdispatch.net Advertising ads@pressdispatch.net General News news@pressdispatch.net Circulation subscribe@pressdispatch.net *APR= Annual percentage rate. Rate shown includes discounts for risk based and relationship pricing. Must qualify under EPCU lending standards. EPCU is an equal opportunity lender. See CU for details. Energizing Your Financial Future 812-354-1134 317-261-8521 6925 IN-57, Petersburg | energypluscu.org Take advantage of our HOLIDAY LOAN Borrow $2,500 as low as 8.0% APR * Whooooo CAN JOIN? If you live or work in Pike or Daviess County, you are eligible to join Energy Plus! Backpack Buddies for students By Mendy Ross Correspondent news@pressdispatch.net If a student is hungry, it's hard to con- centrate on learning. This idea was one of the main drives on creating the Back- pack Buddy program. Elaine Barrett, di- rector of Backpack Buddies, began orga- nizing plans for the Backpack Buddies program in 2013 with the prompting of a benefactor who wanted to help students. During that first year, in 2014, Winslow Elementary became the pilot for the pro- gram. Barrett, her husband, grandchil- dren, Pam Thomas, cafeteria staff, Linda Corn-Miller and Edna Gatwood helped pack the backpacks for the students that had signed up for the Backpack Buddies program. In the beginning they tried us- ing actual backpacks, washing each one and rotating them each week, however, they found that using grocery sacks were much easier for everyone involved. Once the program began to grow, more volun- teers helped sort and pack the sacks. A fter that first year, Petersburg Ele- mentary was asked to join the program for the 2014-15 school year. More vol- unteers came together to keep the pro- gram going. PCMS and Otwell Elemen- tary have been a part of the program for several years. The program now has 518 students within the four schools. Barrett said the school's cafeteria staff has been a tremendous help with the pro- gram. They arrive before six in the morn- ing when it is time to receive the supplies for the backpacks from the vendors. The cafeteria ladies in charge, Stac- ey Whitehead at Petersburg Elementa- ry, Paula Lamey at Winslow Elementa- ry, Jean Marcum at Otwell Elementary, and their staff, as well as Pike Central Middle School Principal Mindy Keeker and Life Skill teachers Kim Nalley and Mandy Brown, school secretaries and "so many volunteers," said Barrett. "I thank each and every one of them." They have helped this program succeed. There has been such an overwhelming positive success in the program for stu- dents and adults. At PES, Liz Jansen had helped coordinate for several years, Sa- brina Mason is now the coordinator there and has Peer Mediator students help take the sacks to the different classrooms to distribute the food to the students on Fri- days or the day before a break. The Life Skills class members who help sort and pack the food are excited to be able to help and be a part of this pro- gram. Pike Central Middle School Life Skill class helps put the backpacks to- gether during their math class on Thurs- days and Fridays. "My kids love to fill the bags," said Kim Nalley, Life Skills teacher at PCMS. "The kids count out the bags and fill them on Thursday." Nalley's Life Skill students create an assembly line, filling the bags and tying them. Then on Friday "they load the bags onto carts and place them in the recipients' lockers," Nalley said. "It's a win-win situation. My kids learn some necessary life skills, and the stu- dents who returned permission slips ben- efit from the program." Some of the items that might be includ- ed in the backpacks are non-perishable foods like cereal, fruit cups, juice, mac- n-cheese, jerky, pudding, raisins, chips, Nutra-Grain bars and Cheez-It crackers. Because these are non-perishable foods, they can be ordered for the month, sorted and packed for the students who will receive them week to week. The readied sacks are placed on two large rolling shelves to store until needed. This program has brought the school's central office, administration, staff, stu- dents, churches and other volunteers to- gether to help make this program work so well. One example of this was during the summer when 75 volunteers came out to help fill sacks and pass them out to children ages two through 18. Any elementary or middle school stu- dent can take part in this program. The student wanting to participate in the Backpack Buddies can have their guard- ian can sign a permission form at any time during the school year. If someone wants to donate, they can contact Pike Central's central office. Activities galore at the at Pike County Library By Rhea Turner Correspondent news@pressdispatch.net The story of Christmas at the Pike County Public Li- brary (PCPL) - Petersburg lo- cation, starts on December 1, at 4 p.m. when you can come enjoy a Christmas Train ride to the North Pole via The Po- lar Express movie. Fresh popped popcorn will be available and you can even wear your best Christmas jam- mies, or bring a snuggly blan- ket. Bring the whole family or grab a friend and come start your December off with a hol- iday classic movie. On Wednesday , December 7, at 10 a.m. you have to ask yourself, do I feel lucky? If so, or even if you just enjoy a good game, come try your hand at bingo. You never know, it could be your lucky day. Have you been good this year? Have you been pick- ing up your toys, being nice to your little sister or brother, and eating your vegetables? If so, then good. If you're not sure and you would like to check with the big guy him- self, come to the library on Thursday, December 8, at 5 p.m., to see Santa and Mrs. Claus. They will read Christ- mas stories and you can have your picture taken with them. You may even have a chance to explain if you find yourself on the naughty list. On Saturday, December 10, at 10 a.m., Animal Tales returns. This time the crit- ters won't be of the creepy va- riety. They will be more of a cute and furry, or at least cu- riously interesting kind. On the same day, Tin- ley Miller will be available to meet. Tinley is represent- ing Indiana in the 2023 Little Miss United States Agricul- ture Scholarship Pageant Pro- gram. Tinley is also a young author, who has written a book about Christmas shopping on Main Street in Huntingburg. On Monday, December 12, at 5 p.m. there will be a murder mystery to solve. It's called A Very Merry Christmas Murder, and the library needs your help, so sign up and find out what part you'll play in this very Festive Whodunit? Calling all Home School Moms, on December 15 at 1 p.m., bring your young adult and teen children to meet Young Adult Author, Jill Chap- man, from Princeton. Chap- man has written several books for teens and young adults on journaling and even a book on Homeschooling Do's and Don'ts for Parents. Chapman will have journal- ing kits and teach all the best ways to start and keep a jour- nal. Do you have a love-hate re- lationship with wrapping your gifts? Never enough room, al- ways afraid someone will walk in and ruin the surprise, try- ing to cut paper on your bed and cut your bedspread too? Pike Central Middle School staff and students, left to right: Mrs. Holly Jines, Landan McDowell, Ms. Kim Runion and Johnny Faith help distribute the sacks of food for the Backpack Buddy program. Kim Nalley photo. Pike Central Middle School Life Skill students and assistants of Mrs. Kim Nalley, left to right, Kal-El Wright, assistant Tanner Richardson I, Danny Brew- ster and assistant Theresa Long help distribute the sacks of food for the Backpack Buddy program. Kim Nalley photo. MARRIAGE LICENSES Vincent Albert Shoobridge, 70, of 8152 S. SR61, Oak- land City son of Fred V. Shoobridge, Jr., and Dorothy J. Shoobrige to Cheryl Lynn Craig, 67, of 4063 N. Bradfield Dr., Petersburg, daughter of Bennie G. West and Carmen J. Wuchner. The Press-Dispatch A-3 Wednesday, November 30, 2022 LOCAL Call: 812-354-8500 Email: news@pressdispatch.net or bring in a hard copy: 820 E. Poplar Street, Petersburg See EVENTS on page 4

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