Successor to The Poseyville News & New Harmony Times
LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1882
“OUR LIBERTIES WE PRIZE, AND OUR RIGHTS WE WILL MAINTAIN.”
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Posey County’s ONLY Locally Owned Newspaper.
$1.00
(USPS S4 439-500) 39 500)) Volume 136 Edition 8
Health forces MV’s Tucker to resign By Lois Mittino Gray Mount Vernon Mayor John Tucker announced his resignation due to health reasons at the end of the Mount Vernon Common Council meeting on February 18. Tucker will continue as mayor through the end of the month. “Problems with my health are wearing me down and I need to go in for procedures in March,” he explained. “I was honored to serve as Mayor and enjoyed it very much.” Mayor ProTem Bill Curtis will assume the office on March 1 and serve until a new mayor is elected at a Democratic Caucus. Curtis told his longtime friend
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John Tucker stands at one of his most successful ventures as Mount Vernon Mayor, River Bend Park. Photo by Zach Straw
Beloat retires as MV Police Chief By Lois Mittino Gray Mount Vernon Police Chief Grant Beloat read his letter of retirement aloud to the stunned members of the Mount Vernon Board of Public Works at its February 18 meeting. “After twenty five years and six months on the force, it is with mixed emotions that I am retiring to become the Executive Director of the Posey County United Way. It has been both an honor and a privilege to serve the citizens of Mount Vernon and to serve with my fellow Seniors Morgan Alvey and Ross Bender were crowned North officers. I look forward to doing Posey Homecoming King and Queen during Friday night’s game. some new things now.” Photo courtesy of Straub Photography Chief Beloat’s last day on the
job will be March 11. After that date, he will use up acquired off time until it expires on April 27, making his official retirement date April 28, 2016. Mayor John Tucker spoke for all when he thanked the longtime officer for his hard work and years of service starting as a patrol officer, then detective, and ending with police chief. “It has been a pleasure working with you,” he voiced. Other board members expressed congratulations and goodbyes. Beloat will fill the position with United Way vacated by Elizabeth Baier’s retirement in March. “You’ll still see me around a lot,”
Wilsons are 2016 Kiwanis award winners By Dave Pearce Jim and Faye Wilson were chosen to be the recipients of the Poseyville Kiwanian’s Community Service Award winners for 2016. The pair was honored on Wednesday evening at the regular meeting of the Poseyville Kiwanis Club at the Poseyville Community Center. Kiwanis Club members and members of the Wilson family were on hand as president Warren Korff talked about the Wilson’s community involvement over the years. “There are many types of leaders, autocrat, bureaucratic, and charismatic. But to be a true leader, one must exemplify hard work and dedication and most of all…empathy,” Korff said, further qualifying the Wilsons for the annual award. “This type of leadership is called servant leadership. There is simply no one that exemplifies these values more than Jim and Faye Wilson.” Tears of pride but embarrassment of the limelight they were not ready to receive showed just how humble the couple is. Their heads almost shook in unison as Korff read off the many things the Wilsons have helped accomplish. “Without ever expecting anything in return, these two have helped literally thousands in our community,” Korff said. “From their active involvement with their church, starting up the Wadesville Christian
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Briefly PC Historical society commemorates Black History Month The Posey County Historical Society will meet on Saturday, February 27 at 10 a.m. at the Elks Home in Mount Vernon. The program will commemorate Black History Month. All members and friends are invited to come. South Terrace, North Elementary set Preschool, Kindergarten Registration South Terrace School in Wadesville and North Elementary School in Poseyville will have Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten registration for 2016-2017 beginning March 14 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. Information and enrollment forms may be picked up starting March 1 at the schools. Children that will be three or four years of age by August 1, 2016 are eligible. Parents of incoming Kindergarten students will soon receive information on the upcoming Kindergarten ‘Round-ups.’ If you have not turned in your student’s name to the school, please call to be put on the mailing list. Please call the schools for information. North Elementary 812-874-2710 and South Terrace 812-985-3180.
Jim and Faye Wilson are surrounded by members of their family just after receiving the Poseyville Kiwanis Club’s Annual Community Service Award on Wednesday night at the Poseyville Community Center. Pictured left to right are Steven Stump, Matthew Stump, Nicholas Stump, Jim Wilson, Faye Wilson, Lauren Stump, Alexandra Stump, and Erin Stump. Photo by Dave Pearce
he said. Before leaving, Beloat requested permission to purchase two 2016 Dodge Chargers from Expressway Dodge for $22,377 each. The purchase was readily approved as it was a routine matter since the money is already budgeted for the
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Beloat is new chief of Posey UW John Raisor, President of the United Way of Posey County, announced that a new Executive Director has been hired for the United Way of Posey County. The new Executive Director will be Grant Beloat, inGrant Beloat, start- coming United Way ing March of Posey County Executive Director. 1, 2016. Beloat was born December 19, 1968 in Evansville, Ind., and was raised in Mount Vernon, Ind. He attended Hedges Elementary and Mount Vernon Junior and Senior High Schools and then went on to attend Vincennes University where he received two Associate Degrees, one
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Posey County courts survive busy week
Kendra Tooley
Brian Paris
Robert Skelton
By Dave Pearce It has been a very busy week for employees of the Posey County Prosecutor’s office as well as the Posey County Courts as several cases met at varying degrees of completion this week. On Wednesday, Posey County Deputy Prosecutor Jonathan Parkhurst
was in court regarding the case of Brian Paris. Brian is the older of two brothers who was facing charges after allegedly stabbing their father multiple times on his Poseyville property. Paris faced charges stemming from an altercation where his father was stabbed in September. According to court documents, Tyson Paris and his brother Brian Paris had both been drinking at the time of the argument. “This was a quite serious case,” Parkhurst explained. “He and his younger brother were drunk and armed themselves with a knife and went back to their father’s house and attacked him. He ultimately stabbed his father multiple times. The father fully cooperated with the prosecution and wanted both sons to be punished. The father (victim) felt like that was a fair resolution and punishment. The younger brother pled guilty to conspiracy to commit battery with a deadly weapon and he is serving two years in prison. He pled guilty to a Level 5 felony and he will be required to do 75 percent of his sentence in prison before being released
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Dollar General ‘gives back’ to MVJHS By Lois Mittino Gray The entire student body of Mount Vernon Junior High School assembled in the gym Friday afternoon for what was hinted to be a ‘big surprise’ from Dollar General Stores corporate offices. A huge roar of excitement arose from the crowd when two gift boxes were opened and a check for $25,000 was pulled out of each one to make a whopping $50,000 donation to the school’s literacy and technology program. Since it was such a well-orchestrated secret, everyone from the administration and staff down to the kids were stunned to hear the large amount announced.
Bus/Ag .................A11 Classifieds .... B13-14 Community...........A4 Church...................A7
Dollar General Regional Director Don Tuttle started the presentation off by saying he supervises 150 stores in the Western Kentucky and Evansville area. “How many do you think are in the entire United States?” he asked. The correct answer is 12,000 stores in 43 states. “Who shouted out 12,000?” asked Corporate Representative Cindy Pryor, who works out of the DG headquarters in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. When a hand shot up, she gave the winner a brand new copy of ‘Harry Potter
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Deaths .................... A3 Legals .... .........B9-12 Opinion ................A13 Retrospective........A5
English teacher Julie Kissinger holds up one of the two $25,000 checks presented to the Mount Vernon Junior High School during the Dollar General ‘big surprise’ on Friday afternoon. Photo by Zach Straw
School ..................A10 Social .....................A6 Sports .. .........B1, 3-4 TV Guide...........B7-8