The Press-Dispatch
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SEE YOUR FAVORITE CHARGER • INSIDE THIS EDITION Four sections 40 pages Nine inserts 75¢ Wednesday, November 21, 2012 Volume 144 Number 47 Phone (812) 354-8500 Petersburg, IN 47567-0068 (USPS 604-340) Commissioners look at many road closures material bids for 2013 and scheduled a hearing to consider vacating nu- merous roads as requested by Solar Sources during their Monday night meeting. Commissioners opened bids from Continued on page 2 Earthquake reported in Gibson County page had a few posts about the quake, but it was only felt by people in Gibson County or near Mt. Carm- el. People from Pike County posting on the site said they did not feel it. reported by the US Geological Ser- vice at 6:23 p.m. EST near Mt. Car- mel, Illinois. People in Princeton and the South Gibson area report feel- ing the earthquake. However, Pike County residents do not report feel- ing the quake. Pike County's central dispatch at the Sheriff's Department said they had not received any calls about the quake. The Press-Dispatch Facebook A 3.6 magnitude earthquake was By Andy Heuring the opening of Interstate 69 early Monday morning. To his left is U.S. Rep. Larry Bus- chon, R-Newburgh. The interstate was opened to traffi c late Monday afternoon. Andrea Preston photo. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, center, starts to cut the celebratory ribbon to signal County commissioners opened By Andy Heuring suppliers for pipe culverts, paving materials and rock. They received Meteor? Offi cials baffl ed by sonic boom loud boom at about 10:30 p.m Mon- day near Petersburg. What caused the boom hasn't been determined. Pike County Sheriff Jeremy Brit- Several people reported hearing a By Andy Heuring ton said the sheriff's department had received numerous reports of a large boom. "We had two deputies out Monday night and they heard it, but they haven't been able to fi nd what caused it. "We have not heard of, or found any explosions or fi res and we real- ly don't have anything to go on oth- er than people hearing a loud boom," said Britton. He said on Tuesday, news of the spokesman said there is a meteor shower under way now. He said it would not be unusual for a meteorite to cause a sonic boom, but couldn't fi nd any reports in their database. boom went on Facebook and people were posting it had been confi rmed by the National Oceanic and Atmo- spheric Administration. However, Sheriff Britton said he hasn't been notifi ed of anything. Also the Nation- al Weather Service offi ces in both Indianapolis and Paducah both said they had no reports of it. The Na- tional Weather Service is a branch of NOAA. A National Weather Service I-69 opens to the public Monday evening p.m. The Indiana Department of Transpor- tation removed the barriers from the inter- change at Highway 61, just south of Peters- burg. Within seconds, cars were pouring onto the new pavement. Some were driv- ing on it just to drive on it. "Biggest story is the reality, it is here. It By Andy Heuring and Andrea Preston I-69 became a reality on Monday at 5 is our new front door," said Petersburg May- or Jon Craig on Tuesday morning. "Our front offi ce staff in City Hall this morning was already commenting it seems like reduced vehicles on Highway 57," said Craig. "Yesterday was a big day for Pike coun- ty and surrounding counties. A lot of peo- Christmas parades at Winslow, Petersburg Christmas parades in Winslow and Pe- By Andy Heuring tersburg are set for Saturday, December 1. In Winslow, the parade will start at 10 a.m. with line-up beginning at 9 a.m. at the Winslow Fire Department. The parade will go out to Main St. and then north on Main to the Little League Park. There will also be a Mouse House at the Nazarene Church in Winslow. It is a place for children to shop with supervision for in- expensive gifts for their family members. In Petersburg, the parade is scheduled ple have worked hard in getting I-69 ac- complished with many people in the back- ground doing work that we may never know who they were. As I have said in the past, I- 69 will change the landscape of Pike Coun- ty, and it has," said Mark Flint, President of the Pike County Commissioners. Monday morning, outgoing Indiana Gov- ernor Mitch Daniels got to be the fi rst per- son to drive on it. Actually, he rode his Harley Davidson north from Highway 68, where the offi cial grand opening ceremo- ny took place, to Washington for another ceremony, and then to Crane. Indiana's top offi cials said the state's (of the idea) have always said jobs, hope and opportunity," Gov. Mitch Daniels told a crowd of more than 500 people celebrating the opening of the new Interstate 69 near the Indiana 68 junction in southern Gibson County on Monday morning. "Behind that, I would put safety. A lot of lives have been lost. A lot of heartache has been caused by people travelling between places in the ab- sence of this road." The new corridor covers a 67-mile "The purpose of this road . . . the fathers newest interstate corridor is as much about safety as it is about economic development. stretch that comprises what has been the longest contiguous new interstate construc- tion project in the United States. It connects Evansville to the U.S. 231 interchange near the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Crane (just north of Washington) in Da- viess County. The new interstate was opened to all traf- fi c on Monday evening. In Gibson County, the interstate can be accessed at Indiana 68, several miles east of Haubstadt; at Indiana 168, between Fort Branch and Mackey; and Indiana 64, be- tween Francisco and Oakland City. The new highway makes the trip to Evansville, Bloomington or even Prince- ton several minutes faster, but the governor said the added convenience was "well down on the list" of priorities for the new road. "If this were only about shortening the drive from Evansville to Indianapolis, it Continued on page 4 ness and Professionals Association said the BPA and Pike County Chamber of Com- merce are again giving prizes to the three fl oats and/or units in the parade that best exhibit the Christmas Spirit. She said fi rst prize is $100, second $50 and third $25. Christmas in the Park day following Thanksgiving. The lighted displays in Hornady Park will be illuminat- ed seven days a week. On Monday through Thursdays it will be from 6 to 9 p.m. and on weekends it will be from 6 to 10 p.m. Donations will be collected. Proceeds Christmas in the Park will begin on Fri- for 2 p.m. with a 1 p.m. line-up on Walnut St. Participants should line up on the south side of Highway 61 on Walnut St. The pa- rade will go north to Main St. and then south on Main St. to the German Ameri- can Bank. Marge Leavitt of the Petersburg Busi- fano Dalla Vecchia, Zach Riddle, Dameon Fulcher, and Jacob Lamberson. Their next round of academic action airs on television at 8 p.m., Sunday, November 25, on Local 7 WTVW. The plucky members of the Pike Central Academic Challenge Team are, from left to right: Jared Lamberson, Ste- Academic team shoots from hip, wins fi rst round PC team ousts Mater Dei in from the lights goes to fund the Sam Tay- lor Scholarship, which gives grants to col- lege-bound seniors attending Petersburg Ministerial Association member churches. Holly walk in Petersburg Dec. 8 On Saturday, December 8 the Petersburg Business and Professionals Association is sponsoring the Hollywalk. There will be numerous sales and promotions in town. They will have free carriage rides from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Santa will be at Marge's Hallmark to talk with children from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. WHAT'S INSIDE: PUBLISHING PIKE Local ........A1-12 Obituaries ......A3 Sports ........B1-4 about two weeks before it happened," said Jacob Lamberson. He and fi ve other like-minded Pike Central students came together in a pinch, had some good times, and knocked Evansville Mater Dei out of the Oakland City University Academic Challenge tournament in the fi rst round. "We knew we would be on the team OCU Academic Challenge By Alden Heuring his brother Jared Lamberson, Italian ex- change student Stefano Dalla Vecchia, Zach Riddle, and Dameon Fulcher. The boys are all musicians, and all are high school seniors, except Fulcher, who is a junior. They have participated in other academic teams in the past, but said the OCU Challenge was unbroken ground for them. "It turned out to be a general knowl- The whole team is: Jacob Lamberson, edge test," Riddle said. "Basically a com- bination of all the Jeopardy! categories you wouldn't want to pick." teams duel over the opportunity to an- swer questions by racing to hit a buzzer after each question is asked. The Chal- lenge is set up as a double-elimination tournament bracket, but the fi rst round is single elimination. In this critical fi rst round, newcomer Pike Central was pitted against veteran and steady contender Ma- ter Dei, with only two weeks to prepare. "One of our primary motivations was not just to win, but to not lose on TV," Jacob Lamberson said. In the OCU Academic Challenge, two Continued on page 2 Classifi eds ...B9-10 Church .......C1-8 Opinion ..........C2 History ...........C8 NEWS TIPS: Phone: ........................354-8500 Fax: ............................354-2014 E-Mail .editor@pressdispatch.net CONNECT WITH US: NETedition ... pressdispatch.net/edition Facebook .... facebook.com/pressdispatch E-Mail .......... news@pressdispatch.net