The Press-Dispatch
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Call:1-877-257-1084 or Locally Call: 1-812-354-2814 • Free pregnancy testing • Free counseling and info. on pregnancy options. • Confi dential counseling for women & men who are suff ering from post-abortion syndrome. • Residential Care • Health and assistance referrals. • Training and education. • Assistance in getting baby and maternity clothes washpcc@sbcglobal.net www.washingtonpregnancycenter.com 650 Division Rd., Jasper Mon., Tues., Thurs. 9-5:30 Wed. & Fri. 9-7; Sat. 9-3 482-2246 (Next to Jasper Engines & Transmissions) FURNITURE • FLOORCOVERING • HEATING/COOLING • APPLIANCES www.englertshomecomfortcenter.com Recliners starting at $ 299 JU S T F O R D A D Power Recliners Also Available "When you care enough to send the very best" Free giFt wrapping with purchase Marge's Shop 716 Main St. 354-9372 Petersburg Regular Hours: Monday – Saturday 9-5 New Arrivals •Willow Tree Collectibles •'Embellish your story' items •Greeting Cards by: Shoe Box • Hallmark Cards •John Deere Collectibles • Lib's Candy • Assorted Gifts • Grad Gifts and Cards • Gift Wrap and Accessories Bargain Table Save 50% to 75% Off Grad party ware and gift wrap Special Gifts for Special Dads Clean sweep german American Bank in Petersburg passed out checks to the organizations participating in the Clean Sweep event two weeks ago. The groups were paid $25 per bag of trash they picked up. Each of the 10 groups picked up 10 bags of trash. Those collecting their checks are front row: Mabel McCrary; second row: Fritz krahl, Jody McCrary and Joy wiscaver; third row: Brett warner, Jacob gidcumb, Dana wil- son, Leah Smith, Ron Sharp, Lori Thyen, Amy Barber, kathy Mathias, Erica Thomas, Tony Cochren, An- drea Sharp, Brent Beck and Julia Marron. Highway Superintendent said he didn't know why the accounts were set up the way they were. But he said there is a truck and tractor repair fund and an equip- ment repair fund. He was asked if they could transfer money out of the equipment repair fund to the truck and tractor repair fund. Ham said he didn't think they could do that. Council President Willis said he thought they could but it might cause that ac- count to run low by the end of the year. "It really doesn't matter, it is as broad as it is long," said Councilman Max Elliott. "At this point, the best thing to do would be to transfer it and keep him run- ning," said Councilman My- reon Krohn. Councilmen voted to re- ject the additional request and approve a transfer from equipment repair to truck and tractor repair. Councilmen said if the equipment repair fund got low, they could then do an additional appropriation. Prosecutor Darrin Mc- Donald told the council his office supply budget was running low already and he wanted to transfer mon- ey from his pre-trial diver- sion to help with those ex- penses rather than request- ing an additional appropria- tion. He said he wanted to move about $3,500. He was told it was fine to do that, but they couldn't act on it until the next meeting, because the transfers would have to be advertised. Councilmen approved transfers of $500 from of- ficial bonds and insur- ance, and equipment leas- es to printing and advertis- ing in the Park and Recre- ation Board budget so they can advertise for a new park manager. Bud Willis has told them he is going to resign, but will stay on until they can find someone new. President Willis said he talked with the Park and Recreation Board about the new person's salary. He said Willis was given a raise a couple of years ago because he was doing such a good job. However, at the time, Willis said the council made it clear if Willis retired, the increase rate would go back to the pre-raise amount. In other business, the Continued from page 1 Continued from page 1 their tracks for them," said McClellan. "This whole project is good, but it is scary," said Pike County Prosecutor Darrin McDonald. He said originally they wanted to do a test case to "look un- der the rock and see what is out there. It is creepy how easy it is to find these peo- ple," said McDonald. Originally he said they didn't want to draw people into this area. "But if they are going to be here, then let's go get them," said Mc- Donald. Now that they have made arrests, McDonald said they are hoping the message will get out that if you are talking to who you think is a kid in Pike County, you might want to think twice before trying to make contact there be- cause four people have al- ready been arrested. Brian J. Higgins, 45 of Shoals, Tory W. Beltz, 28, of Lawrenceville, Ill., Leanard Paul Carder, 51, of Marengo, and Steven P. Bauer, 28, of Cincinnati, were all arrested on charges of felony child so- licitation, which is a class C felony. A class C felony car- ries a penalty of two to eight years in prison. Higgins was arrested on April 23 in Petersburg. Ac- cording to a news release from the Pike County Pros- ecutor's Office, Higgins con- tacted a 14-year old decoy on a social media site in mid- April and engaged in sexual- ly explicit conversation over the course of several days before arranging to meet Sgt. McCLellan for sex. Ac- cording to police, he drove his semi-truck and parked it at McDonald's, and then walked to a remote location for the meeting. Instead, he was met by McClellan and other area police. At the time of his arrest, Higgins was on bond await- ing trial in Dubois County on charges of child moles- tation. On May 1, Bauer was ar- rested after he contacted a 14-year-old decoy on a so- cial media site in March and April, and had sexually ex- plicit conversations, which included asking the decoy to engage in sexual activi- ty, according to a news re- lease from the Pike County Prosecutor. That release al- so states Bauer then sent a video of himself committing a sex act to the decoy. The news release states Bauer made arrangements to meet the decoy in Peters- burg, but then did not show up. After he contacted a sec- ond early teen decoy, he was arrested by United States Marshals at his workplace in Kentucky. Carder, of Marengo, was arrested on May 2 in Peters- burg after police claim he traveled here to meet who he believed was a 14-year-old girl. According to charging documents, Carder made contact with the decoy on a social media site in late April and engaged in sexually ex- plicit conversations over several days. Eventually, he even sent the decoy pictures of his genitals and arranged to meet the decoy. When he was arrested, a records check found Card- er was a registered sex of- fender who was convicted of sodomy and sexual abuse in Kentucky in 1997. Beltz, of Lawrenceville, was arrested on May 17 by Petersburg and Pike Coun- ty police after he traveled to Petersburg to meet who he thought was a 14-year-old girl, according to charging information. A news release from the Pike County Prosecutor's of- fice states Beltz contacted a 14-year-old decoy on a social media site in mid-May and engaged in sexually explic- it conversations. It stated he also sent the decoy pictures of his genitals and arranged to meet the decoy on May 17. McDonald and McClel- lan had two warnings. One for parents: "We would like to remind parents to know who your children are talk- ing to online. We used mul- tiple social media sites and were contacted at some level on all of them. No particular site had more adults looking for children than another; all had some. Children should never talk to people online they do not know. Be careful what information you put on- line. Never put personal in- formation like address, birth date, school or afterschool activities online." The second warning was for predators: "Finally, for those per- sons willing to exploit chil- dren they meet online, be advised that the fourteen year-old kid who you are talking to may just be a po- lice officer who is going to take you to jail." H EMS building H Child solicitation council set their 2015 budget review meetings for immedi- ately following their August 12 meeting, and then the September 9 meeting. The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, June 11, 2014 A-5