The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/238379
Three sections 30 pages Two inserts 75¢ Wednesday, January 8, 2014 Volume 146 Number 2 Phone (812) 354-8500 Petersburg, IN 47567-0068 (USPS 604-340) 2014 election filing officially begins today A rescue boat from the Daviess County Sheriff's Department and DNR Conservation Officers pull Gregory Pearce, 46, from the White River on Thursday afternoon near Highway 61 bridge. Pearce fell in when the boat he and two other hunters were in capsized about 30 minutes earlier. Duck hunter pulled from frigid White River Friday accident is third rescue from floods in three weeks By Andy Heuring Area rescue crews pulled a duck hunter from the White River last Friday after he had floated downstream about a mile while clinging to the boat and a bag of decoys. A frigid Greg Pearce, 46, of Whittier, N.C., was pulled from the White River just a few feet upstream of the Highway 61 bridge. It was nearly 30 minutes after he and his two hunting partners, Mike Brown, 60, of Washington and Donnie Wise, 31, of Mooresville, N.C., all went into the cold waters at about 1 p.m. The Pike County Central Dispatch received the call about boaters being capsized in the White River. Brown and Wise grabbed ahold of their decoy bags and used them to stay afloat. Pearce grabbed onto the overturned boat and a decoy bag. The Department of Natural Resources said Brown was operating the boat when the bow dipped abruptly while the boat was under power, which caused it to take on water rapidly. Brown said he and Wise grabbed the decoy bags and swam toward the Pike County river bank. He said they had life jackets in the boat, but weren't wearing them. Brown said they were in the area of Hoosier Energy's Ratt's Station. "The current was pulling us down river, but we just kept kicking and flailing until we got over to the bank," said Brown. He said they were able to climb and crawl up the river bank to a fence. Once there, they yelled until power plant people came over and helped them get into the warm. "We were lucky to make it," said Brown. Pearce stayed with the capsized boat. He and the boat floated in fast moving current to the center of the river and headed downstream. The Daviess County water rescue team, located at their jail in Washington, heard the call and quickly sprang into action. Pike County Chief Deputy Kent Johnson and Petersburg Sgt. Chad McClellan had reports of Pearce floating downstream of the power plant. Johnson said they tried to get to the river bank on the Pike County side, but because of mud, ice and back waters they were unable to get to the river bank. "I'm not sure if we had gotten to the bank if we could have reached him," said Johnson. Pearce was floating in the center of the Whiter River channel. The Daviess County water rescue team were able to access the river at a launch ramp next to the Highway 61 bridge on the Knox County side. In less than five minutes of arriving, they were able to reach Pearce and pull him into the boat. He was treated for hypothermia. On Saturday, Brown said Pearce, who is his nephew, was driving back to North Carolina. It was the third week in a row rescue crews have rescued people in Pike County from flood waters. On December 29, a Pike County native, Adam McGill, was rescued from the White River after the pickup truck he was drivContinued on page 2 By Andy Heuring The 2014 election officially begins today. It is the first day candidates may file at the Clerk's Office declaring themselves a candidate. They will have until noon, Friday, February 7, to file. The following offices locally are up for election: Auditor, Recorder, Sheriff, Assessor, Prosecutor, Commissioner District 2 and all four County Council districts, as well as the township advisory boards, township trustees and delegates to state convention for both parties. All four of the county council district seats will be running in new districts with new constituents. This year, 15 of Pike County's 18 precincts will be in a new county council district. Below are the new council districts: • District 1: Clay, Logan, Madison, Washington 2, and Petersburg 1, 2 and 4. • District 2: Washington 3, Petersburg 3 and Jefferson 2. • District 3: Winslow, and Patoka 1 and 2. •District 4: Jefferson 2, Marion, Monroe and Lockhart. Tuesday evening, five-term incumbent county councilman Myreon Krohn, who holds the District 4 seat, said he hasn't made his mind up yet if he will seek a sixth term. "I haven't told anyone I wouldn't and I haven't told anyone I would. I haven't even talked with my wife about it yet," said Krohn. "I guess I'm going to have to make my mind up pretty soon." Voters dealing with the new county council districts locally will also be dealing with relatively new State Representative districts. They were drastically changed two years ago. Pike County previously was represented by District 63 and 64. But two years ago, District 75, held by Ron Bacon, inherited nine of Pike County's 18 precincts. District 75 now has the precincts of Washington 2, Patoka 1 and 2, Winslow, Lockhart, Marion and Monroe. District 63 has Jefferson 1 and 2, all four Petersburg precincts, plus Washington 1 and 3. District 64 has Clay, Logan and Madison. These races will be just as confusing by who isn't running for their old seats as much as by the new districts. Last year, long-term State Senator Lindel Hume announced he was retiring from the Senate. District 63 State Representative Mark Messmer has announced he is seeking the District 48 Senate seat being left vacant by Hume. The other three state races will be Secretary of State, State Auditor and State TreaContinued on page 2 Morton homicide trial awaits judge appointment By Andy Heuring A special judge is expected to be appointed "imminently" in the Chris Morton murder case. Morton was arrested on charges of murder and domestic violence in the presence of a minor. Morton, 32, is accused of killing his estranged girlfriend during an argument late Tuesday, October 29. During his arraignment, Tom Dysert was appointed to represent Morton. Pike Circuit Court Judge Jeff Biesterveld, during that hearing, recused himself from the case, because during the time he was Prosecutor he prosecuted Morton in unrelated cases. Pike County Prosecutor Darrin McDonald said, "We believe we have the judge selected, but the paper work has not been completed." McDonald said the judge should be finalized in the next few days. "I expect we will have a late summer trial date," said McDonald. However, until a judge is appointed, a trial date can't be set. In other court related matters, the trial of Ashley Feltner has been rescheduled due to the weather. It has been set for February 19 and 20. Feltner is accused of neglect of a dependent and battery. Everett ready to pursue his dream at retirement from IPL By Andy Heuring Monday afternoon, Dave Everett and his wife Michele sit in their living room. Outside it is four below zero, and a fierce wind howls—fierce enough for the National Weather Service to issue a wind advisory. Inside, Dave and Michele alternate between watching the first Professional Golf Association's tournament of the year being played in Maui, Hawaii on their large-screen television and looking out their living room window through the woods at snowcovered trees and a frozen Lake Minnis. As he watches the pros play in Hawaii, Everett thinks of his own dream and counts the days. "Fifty-two days left," he said. That's the number of days he has left working as an Outage Manager at IPL. Everett, an Indianapolis native PIKE PUBLISHING who started working for IPL in January 1978, has worked there for 35 years. Less than a year out of high school, his dream then was to become a professional golfer. "I hit golf balls everyday for two years. I got my handicap down to two." Everett explained that was the handicap required to enter "Q School" or Qualifying School, which was a several-weeks-long qualifying process that involved playing tournaments against the best players in the world to get one of 15 "cards." A "card" is a PGA Tour Card, which is required to play on the Professional Golf Association. It's what Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson have and what lesser known golfers, like Stuart Appleby and Woody Austin, scramble to keep. "When I was in my early 20s, I thought I was good enough to Continued on back page WHAT'S INSIDE: Local ........A1-10 Classifieds B10-11 History ...........C7 Obituaries ......A3 Church .......C1-8 Sports ........B1-7 Opinion..........C2 Brandi Strange, 30, and David Davis, 54, of Oakland City were injured when their vehicles collided Thursday morning near Alford on Highway 356. Winter storm blasts area By Andy Heuring The winter of 2013-14 is shaping up to be one for the record books, rivaling 1977-78. Extreme cold made life miserable for everyone, but penguins. And it could have been much worse if the cold had arrived hours earlier when 1.5 inches of rain was falling, we could have had more than a foot snow to go with minus 5 and nearly 40 mph winds. The storm closed schools on Monday, Tuesday and again on Wednesday. It even closed the courthouse on Monday as a travel advisory for the whole county was issued, which is expected to remain in place through Wednesday afternoon. The county commissioners meeting set for Monday morning was rescheduled NEWS TIPS: Phone:.................812-354-8500 Fax: .....................812-354-2014 E-Mail . editor@pressdispatch.net to 8:30 a.m. Friday and Petersburg's City Council meeting was cancelled until the second meeting of the month, which will be on Tuesday, January 21 instead of Monday, because of Martin Luther King Day. Pike School Superintendent Suzanne Blake said she received good news about Monday and Tuesday's missed days. She said the Department of Education in Indiana has indicated they will issue waivers on those days, which means schools won't have to make them up. Pike Central is out of snow days after missing several from the 13 inch snow the first weekend of December, as well as last Thursday due to electrical problems and ice. "The roads still aren't in good shape. It just isn't feasible with the temperatures," said Blake. "If local officials are saying it isn't safe. I can't put the school buses out on them," said Blake. She said she is hoping a waiver will be issued for tomorrow as well. If not, she said they will be looking at "some options" available to them other than adding make-up days to the calendar. Temperatures on Monday were some of the coldest of the new century. In Pike County, the temperature stayed below zero all day and much of the day was at minus 4. Tuesday was considerably warmer, but still cold. Tuesday afternoon the temperature had risen only to the mid-teens. The good news is temperatures Continued on page 2 CONNECT WITH US: NETedition ... pressdispatch.net/edition Facebook .... facebook.com/pressdispatch E-Mail .......... news@pressdispatch.net