The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/867518
A-2 Front Wednesday, August 30, 2017 The Press-Dispatch Your pain is real, and so is help. If you are having thoughts of suicide, please know that help is just a phone call away. Suicide Prevention Coalition National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: (800) 273-TALK Local Mental Health Helpline: (812) 827-6222 ACADEMY Continued from page 1 e public is cordially invited to the official ribbon cutting, dedication ceremony, and community open house for the new Petersburg Fire Station. Fire Station Dedication & Community Open House Sunday, Sept. 3 1–3:30 PM Petersburg Fire Station: 624 E. Illinois Street, Petersburg Refreshments Served After e Ceremony Station Tours roughout the Day RSVP Not Required - Families Welcome • 1 PM - Doors Open • 2 PM - Dedication Ceremony and Ribbon Cutting GRAND OPENING 216 E. Main St., WaShington, in FORMERLY KNICKERS AND PETTICOATS BRING THE KIDS BY SATURDAY AND PAINT A ROCK TO HIDE AROUND TOWN! Trendy Tree Top LLC FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 10AM-9PM SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 10AM-3PM Refreshments & Giveaways! CAPTURE Continued from page 1 other officers Albrecht was probably heading toward his mother's house on 10th St. The officers went to his mother Debbie Tharp's res- idence. Sgt. Killian and Deputy Mike Willis arrived at 707 S. 10th St., and she greeted them and held the door open for them. She al- so told him Aron was inside. Sgt. Killian said they saw Albrecht wearing orange jail pants and no shirt, and at- tempting to light a cigarette. In the probable cause affi- davit, Sgt. Killian said they ordered Albrecht to the ground and he did not com- ply. So officers took him to the floor and placed him in handcuffs, then returned him to the jail. Police then interviewed Terry Tharp, Debbie's hus- band. He said Debbie had left the residence and he was in the shower when he heard a commotion. He came out of the bathroom to see what was happening. He said Al- brecht told him, "They are after me. They are going to have to kill me, I am not go- ing back." He also asked for vehicle keys. A short time later, Debbie arrived home and told po- lice Albrecht ran into their home and asked her to "hide me." She also told police he said, "I am going to make them kill me. I am not go- ing back." She also said he asked for car keys. Sheriff Britton said po- lice arrived at the residence just moments after Albrecht ran into his mother's house. "Once we saw what direc- tion he was going, we knew where he was headed," said Britton. Britton said according to the surveillance tapes, it was about six minutes from the time Albrecht ran under the door until he was captured. Albrecht was in the Pike County Jail on charges of attempted residential entry, a level 6 felony, and crimi- nal mischief, a class B mis- demeanor, stemming from an incident on Saturday, Au- gust 12, when he fled a resi- dence on a riding lawnmow- er after a woman heard a window breaking at the back of her house. Pike County Deputy Pros- ecutor Tom Dysert said that level 6 felony carried a max- imum sentence of 2.5 years. However, with the new charges, Albrecht is now facing a level 5 felony of es- cape, which carries up to a six year sentence. Albrecht also has a previ- ous conviction for child mo- lesting. Sheriff Britton said the garage doors should have been secured. Trustees had been out there cleaning. "It wasn't secured before they (Albrecht and other inmate) came in (to the sally port)." "There are some proce- dural violations that need to be addressed," said Britton of the doors being open. Taylor suffers minor injuries A Winslow woman suffered minor injuries Wednesday at about 7:20 p.m. when she pulled onto High- way 61 in Campbelltown from a driveway turning left to go south. Paula Taylor, of 301 S. Green St., Pe- tersburg, was hit in the driver's side back door by Paul McConnell, Jr., of 1177 S. CR 325 W., Petersburg, who was driving a 2007 Dodge Dakota, according to Indiana State Trooper C. J. Boeckman. He said Taylor suffered minor injuries. No citations were issued. By Andy Heuring In the category of 'be careful what you ask for,' an Otwell woman was arrest- ed on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated (refusal) and possession of meth after she drove to the Pike County Jail/Sheriff's Department and asked for a "safe place to stay." Tabitha Dawn Ochs, 42, of 4708 N. CR 750 E., Otwell, was arrested after she en- tered the lobby of the Pike County Jail and asked to speak with someone at 9:13 p.m. Sunday. Deputy Paul Collier said he noticed Ochs seemed "agitated, paranoid and had slurred speech." He said she said she told him she was "looking for a safe place to stay." Deputy Collier, in his re- port, said he asked Ochs if she had taken her diabetes medicine that day and she had. During questioning, she said she had driven to the jail. She failed field sobriety tests. Deputy Collier said when he told her he would trans- port her to a hospital for a blood and urine test, she said "meth" would probably show up because she had taken it the night before. Collier's report stated, when he asked her if there was anything illegal in her car, she said "oh, here" and reached into her bra and handed him a small blue rubber bag containing a white powdery substance that field tested positive for meth. She refused a blood test and was arrested on prelim- inary charges of possession of meth, a level 6 felony, and operating a vehicle while in- toxicated. Request for 'safe place to stay' lands Otwell woman in jail of the building and if the A/ C would be functioning on Monday," Luff stated in an e- mail addressed to The Press- Dispatch on Tuesday, Aug. 29. "There were concerns that it would be too hot and dust(y) without the cooling and filtration of the A/C." State law requires that notices of public meetings be given at least 48 hours – excluding Saturdays, Sun- days and holidays – before the meeting. However, public agencies are permitted to hold emer- gency meetings "if a meet- ing is called to deal with an emergency involving actual or threatened injury to per- son or property, or actual or threatened disruption of the governmental activity under the jurisdiction of the public agency by any event." Emergency meetings are not subject to the time re- quirements of notice, but news media which have re- quested notice of meetings must be given the same no- tice as is given to members of the governing body and the public must be notified by posting a copy of the no- tice "at the principal office of the public agency holding the meeting or, if no such of- fice exists, at the building where the meeting is to be held." The Press-Dispatch was given notice of the emergen- cy meeting via text message from Luff sent on Saturday, Aug. 26, at 11:04 a.m., less than six hours before the emergency meeting's sched- uled time of 5 p.m. According to the text message, the purpose of the emergency meeting was "to evaluate moving in- to the new building or stay- ing in the churches for an- other week." "The Board wishes to evaluate the building ... for air quality and safety," the text message stated. According to Luff, al- though the building had been inspected and ap- proved by the building in- spector and fire marshal, board members and school director Rick Fears, "want to see for themselves." Luff also stated that a no- tice of the emergency meet- ing would be posted on Face- book "shortly." During the emergen- cy meeting, Fears request- ed a delay to give teachers time to make the transition. A motion to approve Fears' request, according to Luff, was approved by a 4-3 vote. Otwell Miller Academy has been holding classes at the Otwell First United Methodist Church and the Otwell Wesleyan Church since the start of the school year on Monday, Aug. 14. Lil HOOsiers Preschool, however, will continue to be housed at the Otwell First United Methodist Church's parsonage. By Andy Heuring September 15 and 16 will be a big weekend for area residents as Winslow, Pe- tersburg and Monroe City will all have festivals. Win- slow is having their annual Fall Festival, while Peters- burg is celebrating their 200th year as a city and Monroe City is having their annual Blue Jeans Festival all weekend. BUFFALO TRACE FESTIVAL IS SEPT. 15-16 Petersburg's Buffalo Trace Festival will celebrate Petersburg's 200th year as a city. It will feature free carni- val rides, musical entertain- ment, bed races, a parade and fireworks all on Main St., Petersburg. Activities will start at 5 p.m. and feature bicenten- nial re-enactments on the courthouse lawn, and food and vendor booths will open at 5 p.m. as well. A parade is set for 6 p.m., with opening ceremonies set to follow at 6:30 p.m. The line-up of musical performances for Friday night will include: Kyilindi Pipes and Drums Band, Pike Central Jazz Band and Co- chren and Company. Saturday activities will start with the Farmers Mar- ket opening at 9 a.m. More re-enactments will begin at 9 a.m., as will the FFA Ped- al Tractor pull. Tony Rothrock, Jerry Wil- lis and Albert Swain will per- form on the bicentennial stage beginning at 10 a.m. Little Miss Petersburg, Junior Miss Petersburg and Miss Petersburg pageants will begin at 11 a.m. Stacy's Studio of Dance will perform at 1:30 p.m. The free carnival rides will open at 1 p.m. and run through 10 :30 p.m. Tony Rothrock will return to the stage at 2 p.m., this time with Shelby Lynn, Hen- ry Norton and Albert Swain. The Main Street Bed Rac- es will fire up at 3 p.m. Brick Briscoe will per- form at 4:30 p.m., followed by the Pike Central Swing Choir and Rodney Watts Concert from 6 to 8 p.m. Pike County native Jason Sturgeon will perform from 8:30 to 10 p.m. They will wrap things up with a fireworks show at 10 p.m. WINSLOW COMMUNITY FESTIVAL SET FOR SEPT. 16 The 12th Annual Winslow Community Festival is set for Saturday, September 16. It will feature their light- up parade on Saturday night and a long list of activities. They include a flea market, kayak run, inflatables, ka- raoke, balloon artists, paint ball, dunking booths, fam- ily games, musical enter- tainment, a puppet show and tractor show. Details on the schedule are still being worked out. BLUE JEAN FESTIVAL IN MONROE CITY IS SEPT. 15-17 Once more, Monroe City is planning its annual Fall Festival at the Blue Jeans Community Center on Main Street. On Friday, September 15, from 5 -7 p.m., a spa- ghetti dinner will be served by MCHS Alumni. Food booths will be open on the front lawn. Rides and inflat- ables will also be available. At 6:30pm, there will be a concert by Mariah Creek in the gym. On Saturday, September 16, The Cow Muck Cookers will be serving barbecue from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. At 10 :30 a.m., a pet parade will take place on the front lawn. Reg- istration is not necessary. The queen contest will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. At 7 p.m., the Knox County's Got Talent show will begin. Fireworks will follow the tal- ent show. On Sunday, September 17, there will be a community church service at 10 a.m. in the gym. The Jeff Black Fish Fry will be available from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. At 2 p.m., the parade will start, with Dr. Tom and Teri Thomp- son as grand marshals. The South Knox High School Band will perform at 3 p.m. on the front lawn. Walnut Grove's home- made ice cream, sandwich- es, Reed Family funnel cakes, coneys and drinks will be available all week- end, as well as rides, music, inflatables, a country store, a dunking booth, vendors and more. All clothing in the thrift stores will be on sale all weekend for 25 cents per item. To be in the Sunday pa- rade, call Donetta Cardinal at 812-890 -9681. To be a vendor, call Marlis Day at 812-890 -1736. To participate in the queen contest, call Jenn Candler at 812-677-1217. To participate in the talent show, call Amanda Weber at 812-881-8700 or Marlis Day. For more information, call the center at 812-743-2393 or Jerry Coonrod at 812-887- 4182. Three festivals in area on Sept. 15 weekend