The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/825219
A-2 Front Wednesday, May 17, 2017 The Press-Dispatch ACADEMY Continued from page 1 Saturday, May 27 Casey's at 4th and Main St. in Petersburg 8am-1pm To support Pike County Special Olympics. $ 5 per car CALL 812-789-6869 For more information or to donate, WA L K E R MOTORS "The Best Deals on Wheels!" IT'S A LOT OF BARGAINS! Crew Cab, 4x4, V-6 Engine, Power Windows, Locks, Cruise and Tilt, SR5 Package, Very Poplular Truck! Full Power, Moonroof, Chrome Wheels, Great Gas Mileage, Burgandy Exterior. Regular Cab, Power Windows, Power Locks, Tilt, Sporty Graphics, Hard To Find Truck! All Wheel Drive, Full Power, Memory, Keyless Entry, Chrome Wheels, Silver Metallic with Black Leather Seats. Moonroof, Full Power, Alloy Wheels, Leather Interior, 3.4 L 4 Cyl. For Great Gas Mileage. Beautiful Black Metallic! Low Mileage, Moonroof, Alloy Wheels, Spoiler, Fog Lamps, 12 Speaker Sound System and More! Beautiful Black Metallic. 48 Volt Electric System, Lights, Turn Signals, Horn, Chrome Spoke Wheels, Good Rubber, Custom Paint, Sharp and Fun! CALL FOR DETAILS! Full Cab and Blade For Work, Only 90 Hours, Clean Inside and Out, Great For All Seasons! CALL FOR DETAILS! Extended Cab, Good Miles, Excellent Tires and Wheels, 4.3 L. V-6 Engine, Ready To Go For Fun or Work $12,900 $7,995 $6,995 $11,900 $7,995 $9,995 $8,995 2008 Saturn Vue XE 2010 Ford Fusion Sport EZ-Go Golf Cart 2001 Chevy Silverado Z-71 2010 Ford Edge Limited 2012 Kubota Side-by-Side 2006 Chevy Silverado W/T 2005 Toyota Tacoma 2007 Chevy Equinox LT Walker Motors Price Walker Motors Price Walker Motors Price Walker Motors Price Walker Motors Price Walker Motors Price Walker Motors Price HOURS: Monday-Friday 9am-6pm • Saturday 9am-3pm 1801 E. Main Street Petersburg • 812-354-2688 Locally Owned and Operated By Andy Heuring A fter 43 years as the Clay Township Trustee, Jim King is calling it quits. He fell while fishing in April and broke his back. "My wife Inez's health is bad. She couldn't do the books any- more. So we just decided it was time to give it up," said King of being trustee. He started in 1976. "That was long enough." "I always liked to help people. I always got along with everyone and helped to get some people back on their feet," said King. He explained the trustee is "the overseer of the poor. People get in bad circum- stances. They get their wa- ter or electricity shut off and we can help them get back on their feet." King said over the years a lot more paperwork and regulations have been add- ed to the trustee's job. He said a lot of it now has to be done on a computer and he and Inez are not "computer people." King said the thing he has missed the most this spring while dealing with his back injury is not being able to smell his lilac bush and not being able to fish. "When I would mow, every time I would go by the lilac bush, I would stop and pull over a limb to smell it. It is only in bloom a week or so," said King. Republican County Chair- man Mark Flint said they have a few weeks to appoint a replacement by either com- missioner appointment or a caucus of precinct commit- teemen. "We have someone in mind and we will have someone in place by the next 30 days," said Flint. King resigns as Clay Township Trustee after 43 years' service fact adopted unanimously by the school board. In addition, the findings- of-fact stated that Fears fal- sified attendance records for 15 students – by alleged- ly changing them from "ab- sent" to "present" to make the school's attendance rate appear better – and that he released and publicized iRead 3 test results for stu- dents "knowing that said re- sults were still under embar- go at the time of the release." "Such conduct exhibits a lack of trustworthiness that is inappropriate for a Princi- pal and Teacher in the Pike County School Corporation and constitutes other good and just cause," the find- ings-of-fact stated. In October 2013, Fears filed a wrongful termina- tion lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Evansville, accus- ing the Pike County School Corporation of breach of contract and employment discrimination. In July 2014, U.S. District Judge Richard Young summarily dismissed the lawsuit after concluding that Fears' firing was "law- ful, fair, and supported by substantial evidence." Houtsch said after Mon- day night's meeting that rep- resentatives of the Friends of Otwell Elementary's Board of Directors had ini- tiated contact with Fears – who has resided in Lynnville for approximately 30 years – to gauge his interest in the position. "We approached him, but it didn't take much effort on our part," Houtsch said. "He's an Otwell boy, too, just like myself, and he wants to see a school in this com- munity. As far as I'm con- cerned, he has the same vi- sion and feelings or whatev- er you want to call it that I do or that the board does about having a school here. We want to make sure we do whatever we can to get a school here, and he's right on board with that." Fears said that while he has worked part-time as a driving instructor and has officiated more than 100 basketball games each year over the last four years, he was a little reluctant to end his retirement. "The last four years, I've gotten into a routine," Fears said. "Not only do I do those things part-time, I do a lot of hunting and a lot of outside work at home, and I've en- joyed it. My goal was always to retire while I was healthy enough, because the things I like to do are physical." "When they approached me, I was flattered, because it's going to be a big under- taking," Fears added. "I told them I was very appreciative of them thinking of me, but I'd have to think about it, be- cause I know what it's going to do – it's going to interrupt that routine." Fears said that he made the decision to accept the position after discussing it with his wife, who is also re- tired after serving as a busi- ness teacher at Pike Central High School for 38 years. "I told her, I want Otwell to have a school," Fears said. "I told her, you know, the com- munity, there's good people there, the board appeared to me to be very good people, and I said, 'I don't know that I'm any better than anyone else. I'd like to help them.'" "So, after a couple of days, I decided I was going to jump in and help," Fears said. "To be turned down by Ball State and then to continue to per- severe and get another col- lege to sponsor them just shows that they really want a school. It would have been really easy for them to quit along the line, I'm sure. But they've not done that. And if I can help them with the part that I know – the actu- al school-running business – I'm going to do it." Fears, however, empha- sized that he was only tak- ing the position on a "short- term" basis. "That's not because I don't think it will be a good job," Fears said. "I'll be 63 next month, and I've enjoyed retirement. But, yeah, it's short-term. A fter the year, we'll see." Fears noted that a lot of work needed to be done in order for Otwell Miller Acad- emy – which has received conditional approval as a charter school from Grace College – to be open in time for the 2017-18 school year. "I think that we have to get our enrollment nailed down, because enrollment always comes before staff- ing," Fears said. "That drives your staffing." In addition, Fears said, the construction of a school building was a priority. "We'll try our best," Fears said. "All you can do is try your best. That building so much depends on factors out of your control, like weath- er. But if we see the build- ing isn't going to be ready on time, I think you start look- ing at alternatives immedi- ately, to get the school go- ing somewhere. It's not un- common for schools to de- lay school a week or two if a building isn't finished." "It'll be a lot of trial and error the first year, but if I didn't think it could be done, I wouldn't be here," Fears added. "I'm one that I'm driven. I always have been. When I do something, I see it through, and I want it to be successful. So I think the school has a good chance to be a very good school down the road. We had a great school here before. It's a shame it had to go. But I think this school can be just as good, given time." Houtsch also announced during Monday night's meeting that Heather Mc- Candless – who had been in- troduced last month as the incoming director for the Lil HOOsiers Preschool/Day- care – had decided to stay at St. Bernard Preschool and Daycare in Rockport, where she has served as di- rector and lead teacher for the past two years. "They offered her more money, so she stayed where she was at," Houtsch said. The Friends of Otwell Ele- mentary's next public meet- ing is scheduled for Monday, June 19, at 7 p.m., at the Ot- well Community Center. By Andy Heuring As the school year in Pike County winds down, here are some important dates for proud parents of students at all grade levels. This is a list of dates and times for the year-end awards programs at each school. Pike Central High School graduation will be at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 26. Winslow Elementary School will have their grad- uation at 6 p.m. on Monday, May 22. Petersburg Elementary School will have their grad- uation at 6:30 p.m. on Tues- day, May 23. Pike Central Middle School will have their rec- ognition programs begin- ning at 10 a.m. for the sixth grade, about 10 :50 a.m. for the seventh grade and 1:30 p.m. for eight grade on Thursday, May 24. Also, the Senior Awards Day at Pike Central will be at 9 a.m. Wednesday, May 24. School recognition program dates JAM Club fun Kaylan Warner and Owen Longest compete in a tic tac toe relay race game during the Jesus and Me Club carnival for Petersburg Elementary School students last Thursday. The carnival at the Free Meth- odist Church was a year-end celebration.See additional photos on page A-6. it takes 3 minutes to subscribe to Call 812-354-8500