The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/941742
Local ........ A1-10 Opinion .......A8-9 Sports .........B1-6 Classifi eds .... B7-9 Church ........C1-3 Home Life........C4-8 Obituaries........... C8 School......C10-11 History ......... C12 WHAT'S INSIDE: CONNECT WITH US: NetEdition ...pressdispatch.net/edition Facebook.....facebook.com/pressdispatch E-Mail .........news@pressdispatch.net Phone:.................. 812-354-8500 Fax: ...................... 812-354-2014 E-Mail . editor@pressdispatch.net NEWS TIPS: PIKE PUBLISHING See ELECTION on page 2 $ 1 Three sections Four inserts 32 pages Wednesday, February 14, 2018 Volume 148 Number 7 Phone (812) 354-8500 Petersburg, IN 47567-0068 (USPS 604-34012) Indianapolis Power & Light announced about 12 jobs at its Petersburg plant will be eliminated. The terminations are a part of a larger move that is eliminating 160 posi- tions at IPL and Dayton Power & Light in Ohio, both of which are subsidiaries of The AES Corporation. AES announced the terminations last week in a news release stating, "Today we announced organizational and structural changes which will position both compa- nies to operate more efficiently and con- tinue to provide safe, reliable and afford- able energy solutions for their customers." These changes will occur as part of the reorganization announced earlier on Feb- ruary 5 by AES as the next step of its ongo- ing strategy to "simplify its portfolio, opti- mize its cost structure, and reduce its car- bon intensity." AES will align their structure and re- shape the workforce, resulting in the reduc- tion of about 100 jobs in Indiana and 60 jobs in Ohio by the second quarter of this year. The news release continued, "As part of the new structure, Craig Jackson will as- sume the role of President and Chief Ex- ecutive Officer for both IPL and DP&L on March 31. Jackson has served as CFO for IPL and DP&L for the past five years. In his new role, he will build on our longstanding record of service, including more than $2 billion in investments IPL and DPL have made in the region over the past five years." "Ken Zagzebski will assume the role of Executive Chairman of the Board of IPL and its holding company, IPALCO, as well as for DP&L and its holding company DPL, Inc. He will also serve as the General Man- ager for the Southland construction project in California. Zagzebski joined AES in 2007 and his previous leadership of AES' United States businesses, including as U.S. Strate- gic Business Unit President and President of IPL, will help strengthen and enhance continuity across both utilities." "While these changes are difficult, they will allow us to improve efficiency and con- tinue modernizing our infrastructure while maintaining affordable electricity for our customers," said Zagzebski. "This trans- formation will enhance our performance, and support investments in new energy so- lutions that will make a positive economic contribution to both Indianapolis and Day- ton." Claire Dalton, spokesman for IPL, said none of the 12 affected positions in Peters- burg were union positions IPL announces 12 local job terminations By Andy Heuring There was a flurry of filings Friday just before the noon deadline in Indiana. Two commissioner candidates, one county council candidate, a former FBI agent Sher- iff candidate and a Recorder's office candi- date all filed during the last week. Heath James Scraper and Steven R. Vian both filed for the Democrat nomination for District 2 Commissioner. The winner will face Republican Mark Flint as all three try to be the replacement for Brian Davis, who is not seeking re-election. Jim Johns added his name to the District 3 County Council race. He will challenge incumbent Max Elliott for the Republican nomination. No Democrat candidate filed. Angie Davis, who is a deputy in the As- sessor's office filed for Recorder, but with- drew that filing on Monday, saying "the tim- ing just wasn't right." Former FBI agent and Pike County na- tive John Bellamy filed for Sheriff on the Democrat ticket. He is the third Democrat candidate and joins current Chief Depu- ty Sheriff Kent Johnson and Deputy Sher- iff Brad Jenkins in the primary. The win- ner of that race will face Republican candi- date Frank Coleman, who is a former State Trooper and former Petersburg Mayor. County Prosecutor Darrin McDonald al- so filed to seek re-election on the Republi- can ticket. Four years ago, he ran as an in- dependent. The filings set up four local races in the primary. Those are for Democrat and Re- publican nominations for Sheriff, Republi- can nomination for County Council District 3 and Democrat nomination for District 2 County Commissioner. On the state and federal level, there will be contested races in the primary for District 64 State Repre- sentative between Matt Hostettler, son of former Eighth District Congressman John Hostettler, Princeton dentist Ken Becker- man and Vanderburgh County Commis- sioner Bruce W. Ungethiem. Several candidates file by Friday deadline Homecoming queen and princess Pike Central High School senior Brook Nalley (left) was crowned as the Win- ter Homecoming Queen and sophomore Shelby Vaughn (right) was crowned as the Winter Homecoming Princess prior to the varsity boys' basketball game against Heritage Hills on Saturday, Feb. 10. Nalley is the 17-year-old daughter of Dave and Kim Nalley, of Oakland City. Vaughn is the 16-year-old daughter of Matt and Kim Vaughn, of Stendal. Ed Cahill photo By Andy Heuring A retired Pike County EMT was serious- ly injured in a crash, during which she was thrown from her SUV after it sideswiped a bulldozer being hauled by a semi-truck. Janet M. Gray, 72, of 2370 N. Sprint St., Otwell, suffered multiple leg fractures, bro- ken ribs, a collapsed lung and a head injury in the crash. She was taken by Stat Flight to an Evansville Hospital. Knox Co. Sheriff's Capt. Charles Helder- man investigated the accident and said at 12:50 p.m. when he arrived, he found Gray lying in the middle of Highway 61, about four miles north of the Pike-Knox County line, and her SUV was about 600 feet away in a field. He said he talked to Joseph H. Loudermilk, 40, of Vincennes, who was driving the semi-truck hauling a bulldozer on a trailer. Helderman's report states Lou- dermilk told him he noticed Gray's SUV wasn't slowing down, so he got over as far as he could, but the SUV hit the blade of the dozer, causing the whole driver's side of the vehicle to be ripped open. Capt. Helderman said the driver's door came open and Gray fell out onto the road- way and the SUV kept going. Gray was found 108 feet from the point of impact. Her SUV continued to travel another 243 feet before hitting a utility pole guy wire and then traveled another 361 feet before coming to rest in a field. Pike County Chief Deputy Kent John- son, who, along with Petersburg Police Cpl. Scott Wright, was assisting at the scene, said the front wheels of Gray's vehi- cle were still spinning when they arrived at the scene. They also said Gray was run over by her own vehicle after she was ejected. Gray seriously injured in Monday crash By Ed Cahill Make-up dates have been tentatively scheduled for the two days the Pike Coun- ty School Corporation missed due to in- clement weather last week. According to PCSC Superintendent Su- zanne Blake, the missed school days – Wednesday, Feb. 7, and Thursday, Feb. 8 – are scheduled to be made up on Thursday, May 31, and Friday, June 1, respectively. "Several things are still unknown at this time," Blake said. "We can apply for a waiv- er from the state for missed school days, but past experience indicates that we will have to attend until June 1." Blake noted that several school dis- tricts in Indiana are using eLearning op- tions when schools are closed due to a bad weather event or an emergency situation. "On an eLearning day, students stay at home, but access assignments from their teacher through the Internet," Blake ex- plained. "The assignments are a continua- tion of the previous day's instruction. One of the difficulties of using eLearning, how- ever, is that many of our students cannot access the Internet from home." Blake added that the extension of the school year would not affect graduation ceremonies at Pike Central High School, which are still set for Friday, May 25. Students to make up missed days week after Memorial Day The Lenten Prayer Breakfasts for 2018 begin this Saturday for both men and wom- en. The men's breakfasts will begin at 8 a.m., while the women's will begin at 9 a.m. They are sponsored by the Petersburg Ministerial Fellowship. Proceeds from the breakfasts go to the Sam Taylor Schol- arship Fund, which gives grants to high school seniors who plan on attending col- lege. The breakfast schedule is: Men's Feb. 17 at Otwell United Methodist; Feb. 24 at Free Methodist Petersburg; March 3 at Main St. Presbyterian; March 10 at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic; March 17 at First Baptist Petersburg; March 24 River of Life Fellowship. Women's Feb. 17 at Main St. Presbyterian; Feb. 24 at Petersburg First United Meth- odist; March 3 at First Baptist Petersburg; March 10 Free Methodist Petersburg; March 17 at Otwell United Methodist; March 24 at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic. Lenten Prayer Breakfasts begin Saturday, Feb. 17 Area firemen and First Responders look over Janet Gray's Ford Edge following a wreck Monday afternoon. Gray side- swiped the blade of a bulldozer on a low boy trailer in a turn on Highway 61 about four miles north of the Pike-Knox County line. Gray was ejected from her vehicle and found laying in the middle of Highway 61 with head, leg and rib injuries. She was taken by Stat Flight to an Evansville hospital.