T
P C N SINCE 1882 Successor to The Poseyville News & New Harmony Times POSEY COUNTY’S ONLY LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED NEWSPAPER
Tuesday, May 28, 2019
Volume 139 Edition 22 $1.00
Oeth selected to replace Clowers on MV School Board By Dave Pearce There’s an old sheriff in town. Members of the Mount Vernon School Board and the school system can lay claim to that following Monday evening’s school board meeting. Former Posey County Sheriff and a current security officer of the Posey County courts was sworn in as a member of the school board during the May 20, 2019 meeting. Oeth replaces Thomas Clowers, who was recently sworn in as Posey County’s new prosecutor. Oeth, a retired Indiana State Police officer, hopes to be able to add his experience in school security and detective work to help continue to improve the Mount Vernon School District. He joins Kathy Weinzapfel, Joe Rutledge, Mark Isaac, and Beth McFadin-Higgins on the board. The vote was unanimous. “I’m no stranger to the Mount Ver-
non School system,” Oeth said in a weekend interview. “My wife, Melody, was an employee of the corporation for many years. I am a product of the Mount Vernon School system and it prepared me very well for what I wanted to do. I was a member of the first school safety roundtable committee under MVHS Principal Don Goerlitz back in the late 80s or early 90s. And now, at a different time in life, I see schools even more importantly as I will have grandchildren attending the schools. We lived in a very different time back in the 1980s and I’m hoping that I can bring some positive things to the table in the areas of security and safety.” Oeth added that he has been n communication with school officials down through the years to make sure everyone was up to date on safety procedures and secrity issues.
Loren Evans, notary public and director of Business and Technology of the School Corporation, administered the Oath of Office. Several resignations and hires were confirmed at the meeting. The board confirmed the employment of: Elizabeth Campbell – sixth grade teacher, Sean Kennedy – social studies teacher at MVJHS, Anna Kuechenberg – English teacher at the high school, Abigail Randall – teacher, Vicki Rueger – Credit Recovery teacher, Courtney Seitz – Special Education teacher at West Elementary, Carlin Smock – social studies teacher at Mount Vernon Junior High, Roxanne Spence – IREAD-3 bus driver, and Jenny Weilbrenner – IREAD-3 teacher. The board also accepted the res-
Continued on Page A9
Oeth takes oath... Former Posey County Sheriff Greg Oeth is sworn in as the newest member of the Mount Vernon School board by Loren Evans at Monday’s meeting.
Fortune is new probation chief Special to the News The Posey Circuit and Superior Courts announce the appointment of Michelle Fortune as the new Chief Probation Officer. Fortune is a 1995 graduate of North Posey High School. She is also a 1999 graduate of the University of Southern Indiana with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a minor in Sociology. Michelle began her career as a Probation Officer in July, 1999. Since that time, she has served both the Circuit and Superior Courts. She is a member of Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana, American Probation and
Michelle Fortune
Parole Association, Posey County Drug Free Committee, Posey County Child Protection Team, and Posey County Critical Incident Response Team. She previously served on the Indiana Probation Advisory Board. Michelle is a founding member of the Posey County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #133 Auxiliary and has been President of that organization since its inception in 2011. She also serves as the Indiana State Fraternal Order of Police Auxiliary Southwest District Trustee. Michelle lives in Posey County with her husband, Jeremy, and two daughters, Emily and Reagan.
Midwest Fertilizer CEO to speak By Dave Pearce Many Posey County residents may hear answers to their questions regarding the proposed Midwest Fertilizer plant at an upcoming meeting. During the Tuesday morning meeting of the Posey County Commissioners, Michele Hudson, with the Southwest Indiana Economic Development Partnership, updated the Commissioners regarding several items with the Chamber and the Partnership. Hudson indicated that Les Wright, CEO/President of MidWest Fertilizer will be the featured speaker at the Posey County Economic Development Partnership’s an-
nual dinner on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019 at 5:30 p.m. at the New Harmony Conference Center. Hudson stated the Council Members and the Commissioners will give a State of The County address at the third quarter Chamber Luncheon to be held on Thursday, August 22 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Posey County 4-H Community Center/Fairgrounds. She went on to say that the Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana is thankful for the partnership with Posey County and gave an update on the
Continued on Page A9
MVPD contemplates new system By Dave Pearce A system that will help the Mount Vernon Police Department and the Posey County Sheriff’s Department communicate more effectively with each other is one step closer to reality. A detailed discussion of the Spillman System was discussed during Thursday evening’s meeting of the Mount Vernon City Council. The Common Council met immediately following the Water Utility Board in the Meeting Room at City Hall. Mount Vernon Police Chief Tony Alldredge indicated that he had given members of the Council more information, along with a quote from Spillman regarding the software needed by the city to tap into the resources available at the county level. Alldredge continued by stating that as of January 2021, the FBI will be requiring certain crime data to be reported to them, nationwide. The Spillman
system does this. It captures data from certain fields in the police report and send it to the FBI. In a conversation following the meeting, Posey County Sheriff Tom Latham indicated that he believes it would be a great idea and would help make communication between the two police agencies more efficient, effective, and complete. This system also backs up reports, which the department is doing now, but they are doing it on flash drives and then storing them off site. Spillman is a cloud-based system which would eliminate the need for flash drives. Alldredge stated the Posey County Sheriff’s Department uses this system and it is also installed on the dispatch server, with which the city
Continued on Page A9
The New Harmony American Legion Post No. 370 held Memorial Day services at several cemeteries on Monday. Here, Bob Haggard displays Old Glory at Maple Hill Cemetery. Photo by Dave Pearce
Sutton to retire June 28 By Pam RobinMount Vernon son and on EvansAfter 37 years ville’s west side. practicing famThe Henderily medicine in son native comMount Vernon, pleted pre-med Dr. William Sutstudies at the ton will spend his University of last day in the ofKentucky and fice June 28, 2019. medical school Deaconess Clinic at the University Express will reof Louisville, place Sutton’s with a family family practice in practice residenDr. William Sutton his Fourth Street cy at Deaconess. office building His initial plans starting July 2019. Sutton’s patients pointed him back across the river received a letter recently with the re- to his hometown. Then Dr. Gordon tirement news and a list of Deaconess Continued on Page A6 physicians accepting new patients in
Keeping the books Ron Bennett has a knack for keeping both the county and sports books The Golden Years
Ron Bennett
(USPS 439-500)
By Pam Robinson Mount Vernon octogenarian Ron Bennett holds the same passion for sports he’s carried his entire life. A graduate of the Mount Vernon High School Class of 1951, he considered it an honor to serve as the manager of the boys’ basketball team as a student. After graduation, in the 1958-59 season, he was asked to become scorekeeper for the boys’ basketball team. After 60 years, he continues this job although he now rides the bus with the boys to away games. Likewise, Ron speaks with pride about his lifetime membership in the M-Club for over 33 years now. He serves as Chairman for the M-Club’s Hall of Fame Selection Committee. In his prime, Ron gave back to his community as a baseball coach for Little League, Pony League, Advanced Little League, American Legion, and Mount Vernon Merchants Independent Team, an adult team. He and his wife, Pam (Willis), even coached Little League togeth-
er at one time. In addition, he coached the adult traveling basketball team, the Mount Vernon Indians. One of four children born to James M. and Sofhronia (Alley) Bennett, Ron impresses with his career pursuits as much as with his sports hobbies. Shortly after high school in 1953, he was taken away from his bookkeeping job at International Harvester to report to Uncle Sam in the Army. During his last week of basic training, the Armistice was called in Korea, so Ron shipped out to France. He served our country for two years. When he returned stateside, Ron found employment with Old National Bank in Evansville and later with J.R. Short Milling Company in Mount Vernon, where he met his wife, Pam. He worked there 19 years. His next employer, Transport Associates, booked containers of GE plastics for shipments overseas from Mount Vernon. Ron managed the shipments headed to Holland and Australia.
After his work with Transport Associates, Ron moved into public service. He had inherited respect for serving the people from his father. The elder Bennett served four terms as Mount Vernon Clerk-Treasurer before his election to a term as Mayor from 1948-1951. Ron started out as a clerk in the voter registration office for six months. At the same time, the Auditor resigned, and John Sherretz was appointed to complete the remaining one-and-a-half years in the Auditor’s term. Sherretz brought Ron in as Deputy Auditor, a position he continued to hold during Sherretz’s two full terms as elected Auditor. Sherretz retired then from the Auditor’s office, and Ron himself was elected Auditor for two terms. All told, Ron served in the Auditor’s office 17-and-a-half years before his own retirement. As a retiree, Ron enjoys life’s simple pleasures with his wife, Pam. The couple
Continued on Page A5