The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/628785
A-2 Front Wednesday, Januar y 20, 2016 The Press-Dispatch COUNCIL Continued from page 1 ELECTION Continued from page 1 CRASH Continued from page 1 Is it TIME for your next eye exam? 8–7 . Mon. 8–noon . Tues. 10–7 . Wed. 8–5 . Thur. 8–5 . Fri. Now Locally Owned and Operated Dr. Clint Shoultz 715 S. 9th Street, Petersburg (812) 354-9400 HOURS: Mon-Thurs: 10am-8pm, Fri: 10am-7pm Saturday: 10am-2pm ( 812 ) 354-1303 604 East Illinois St., Petersburg (near the Little League Park) the Fitness Center NEW TREADMILLS COMING SOON STEPPER SIGN-UPS BEGIN Jan. 25 WEIGH-IN February 4, 5 & 6 4 people per team BIGGEST LOSER CONTEST CALL US FOR DETAILS NEW ous council meetings. I have been away from that for a couple of years and I real- ly missed it. I think this is a way to get involved again with things," said Meadors. "I think it is important to be knowledgeable about what you are voting on. If you are voting on something for the County Highway De- partment, it is hard to make a vote if you don't know what they are talking about." He said his years of experience in the sheriff's department working with various offic- es and departments has giv- en him a good base of knowl- edge about the county. Incumbent Republican Commissioners Jeff Nelson in District 1 and Ryan Cole- man in District 3 have both filed to run again. Deputy Clerk Ashley Gideon, a Democrat, has filed for the open seat of Clerk. Current Clerk Carol Austin said she is retiring and won't seek re-election. Incumbent Republican Treasurer Marta Query is seeking re-election, as is Re- publican incumbent Survey- or Rick Williams. Other positions on the Pike County ballot are Re- publican precinct commit- teemen, as well as both Democrat and Republican State Convention Delegates. The Republican Pre- cinct Committeemen can- didates so far are: Cliff Vin- son (Clay), Jeff Nelson ( Jef- ferson 1), Jenny Byrd ( Jef- ferson 2), Ruth E. Carlisle (Lockhart), Jesse L. Nix- on (Patoka 1), Kurt Vaughn (Petersburg 1), Richard "Rick Ross (Petersburg 2), Gary Evans (Petersburg 3), Edwin Joe Boyd ( Wash- ington 1) and Mike Horrall ( Washington 3). The Democrat State Con- vention delegates so far are Anisia Burkhart and Chris Burkhart. Teresa Goodpaster is the lone Republican delegate to file. The first day to file for of- fice was Wednesday, Janu- ary 6. The deadline to file is noon on Friday, February 5 in the clerk's office. Deputy Clerk Ashley Gideon said noon today is the deadline for 2015 candi- dates to file their campaign finance reports. 1999 Mercury Cougar, driv- en by Robert Heuby, 48, of Vincennes, was following Ziliak and struck her car, as did a fourth vehicle, a 2007 Hyundai Accent, driven by Carl Adams, 68. Adams' wife Cheryl was a passen- ger. Heuby was treated and released from Gibson Gen- eral. The Adamses were tak- en to Good Samaritan Hos- pital in Vincennes complain- ing of pain and bruising. See obituary for Straw on page A-5. open cab and smaller size, it is easier to communicate with workers working in the area of excavator. "If we have the money to do it, I would say get it. It sure beats a pick and shov- el," said Councilman Bertis Jenkins. "This will be replacing the pick and shovel," said Klispch. "It looks like it will save hours on the backhoe and that is always a big expense on us," said Councilman Fran Lewis. Klipsch and Davis sug- gested splitting the cost be- tween the water department and the waste water depart- ment. Davis said he was going to try to find a trailer, for less than $2500, to tow it to sites. He suggested purchas- ing the trailer with the street department funds. The mini-excavator pur- chase was approved by a 4-0 vote. Councilman John Melhiser did not attend the meeting. Petersburg Police Chuck Baumgart said he was start- ing to have some problems with the Dodge SUV he us- es as his police vehicle. "We had hoped this vehi- cle would last one more year, but it doesn't appear it is go- ing to," said Klipsch. Baumgart presented bids from three different area Ford dealers on a 2016 Po- lice Intercept Utility. It is based off the Ford Explor- er model. Baumgart said it comes with the emergen- cy lights installed, and pre- wired and ready for radios and other police equipment. It also features ballistic pan- els in the side, rated to stop most bullets. The three bids were $ 31,485 from Ruxer at Jas- per, $ 30,790 from Town and Country at Evansville and $ 30,718 from Bill Dobson of Washington. Baumgart said the total cost would be $ 33,623 with all of the lights installed. Mayor Klipsch said Clerk- Treasurer Tammy Sleby was out of town at a clerk-treasur- er's meeting in Indianapolis. He said she had figures on some funds the city was sup- posed to receive that could assist with the purchase of this vehicle. The rest of the amount would be taken from Economic Development In- come Tax funds the city re- ceives. Councilmen decided to approve the purchase of the vehicle so they could get it ordered. Baumgart said it would take four to five weeks to get the vehicle. Council- men said they would ap- propriate the money at the next meeting when they had the totals they needed from each account. In other business, the council discussed hand- icapped parking. Mayor Klipsch talked with busi- nesses along Main St. He said he expected them to express concern about los- ing parking spaces along Main St., but instead said they were worried about safety. He said nearly all of the merchants wanted more handicap parking, but wor- ried about a spot on Main St. and people unloading in- to the traffic. He suggested they look at the first parking space next to Main St. on the side streets. Klipsch said he and Davis would be looking at those spaces to see if they slope and if they were suit- able for handicapped spaces. Mayor Klipsch made sev- eral appointments. They included: Fran Lewis and John Melhiser to the Board of Public Works and Safe- ty, Bertis Jenkins and John Welch to the Water Board; Marge Leavitt to the Alco- holic Beverage Commis- sion; Fran Lewis to Region 15; Alan Tegmeyer to the Solid Waste Board; Kyler Henry to Wabash Valley Re- gional Community Correc- tions Board; Unsafe Build- ing Hearing Officer David Henson. Other appointments by the mayor were Wendell Wil- son to the Board of Zoning Appeals and to the Peters- burg Plan Commission, both 4-year terms. He appoint- ed Silas Ashley, Tom Fish- er, Jerry Sullivan and Don- nie Richardson to the Parks Board; Cindy Gaskins, Mike Voyles and Jon Craig to the Redevelopment Commission and Jim Gaskins to the Fire Territory Board. Klipsch said the TIF zone is starting to bring in reve- nue and the Redevelopment Board should have some money to starting reinvest- ing in the area. He also said there will be a public hearing at 4:15 p.m. on Thursday, February 11 on the new zoning map. He said they hope to have the zoning plan approved at the Mon- day, February 15 meeting. • Councilmen voted to approve a new salary ordi- nance for Bob Burke. May- or Klipsch explained he now has a water operator's license. Burke is the Assis- tant Treatment Plant Oper- ator. His new licensing will allow him to be the Water Distribution Operator as well, duties that were done by Gary McCandless, who retired. The new salary or- dinance will increase his pay from $18.24 an hour to $20.20 per hour. The next meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, February 1. Signs warning people to stay off their property and away from their turkey barns are on display at this turkey farm in Marion Township. An outbreak of avian flu in Dubois County has area farmers on edge. By Andy Heuring As inspectors draw a bigger perimeter in Dubi- os County around a turkey farm found to be infected with avian flu, Pike County poultry farmers are not be- ing affected yet. "It hasn't affected me any, yet," said Keith Jenkins, Jr. He owns and operates tur- key farms in Campbelltown and Coe. "They have us watching our biosecurity, but that isn't a big deal, because I would never let you in my turkey barns anyway," said Jenkins. On January 16, the In- diana State Board of Ani- mal Health announced they found nine more commer- cial turkey farms in Dubois County had tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza. Those found were after the original find on Fri- day, January 15. On Tuesday evening, the BOAH said they had in- spected 114 commercial farms in and around the original finds and all had tested negative for avian flu. They stated birds had been euthanized on seven of the 10 properties found to be in- fected and euthanizing was taking place at the other three operations. State and federal teams have visited 1,248 residents in a 10 -kilometer radius con- trol zone around the original find. They were searching for small, backyard flocks of birds for precautionary mon- itoring and testing. They lo- cated 46 "backyard flocks" and are in the process of testing them. The BOAH draws a 10 ki- lometer circle around the in- fected site and inspects all the operations within the circle. Ten kilometer is 6.2 miles. They found the next nine areas of infection dur- ing those inspections. The BOAH drew new 10 km circles around the oth- er infections. Dubois Coun- ty Extension Agent Ken Eck said it was creeping in the di- rection of Pike County, but so far was still a couple of miles from the Pike-Dubois county line. Jenkins said one of the precautions being taken is his company flock inspector is not coming around during this. "He normally comes by and checks on them, but that would just increase the risk of spreading something," said Jenkins. He also stat- ed that one of the things that is helping Pike County is the farms are not as con- centrated as they are in Du- bois County. "We are just watching things a little closer than normal. You can't just stop doing what you are doing," said Jenkins. In the farms where the dis- ease has been found, all the birds are being destroyed. They are not removed from the barns, but the barns are closed off and the birds are allowed to decompose be- fore they are removed. It can be several months before an affected farm can get back into operation. Area turkey farmers being extra-cautious A Winslow woman es- caped injury when her vehi- cle was struck as she tried to turn into her driveway on Highway 56 on Wednesday, Jan. 13. Yvonne D. East, 73, of 5779 East SR 56, Winslow, was traveling east on High- way 56 in a 2008 Nissan Versa at approximately 3:29 p.m. when she attempted to turn left into the driveway of her residence, according to a report filed by Deputy P. Collier of the Pike County Sheriff's Department. However, East reported- ly did not see a westbound 2009 Ford Focus being op- erated by Sydney E. Wilhite, 25, of 613 South CR 125 W., Petersburg, which struck East's vehicle in the rear passenger side and "caused the passenger side rear tire to deflate." Wilhite's vehicle, accord- ing to Collier's report, sus- tained damage to the front bumper and the passenger side headlight. Neither driver was treated for any injuries, and no cita- tions were issued. East uninjured in single vehicle crash ing to get started fundrais- ing soon. He will only be allowed to take 35 pounds of supplies for the two weeks. Some of his preparations include get- ting a long list of shots. He knows it is going to be extremely hot. So, he is try- ing to get in shape. "Most- ly just trying to be healthy." Some of the challenges he will face is the water. "You have to wash your face with special water." He said he was also told you can't walk through standing water or you will get parasites. He said South Sudan isn't considered a third- world country, instead it is a fourth-world country. While he doesn't know what the distinguishing difference is between those two catego- ries, he's pretty sure condi- tions will be fairly rugged. "I'm going to go over there and do the one thing I know will do some good, teach them scripture. I will just let the scriptures speak for themselves." SUDAN Continued from page 1 Puzzled about what to read? ..and you will have your solution. subscribe to 812-354-8500