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SINCE 1882 Successor to The Poseyville News & New Harmony Times
T
P C N Tuesday, August 3, 2021
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Volume 141 Edition 31
Engineering study will take place before solar decision By Trisha L. Lopez Opponents of the Posey Solar Project united behind a common theme at Thursday’s special Area Plan Commission meeting at the community center at the Posey County Fairgrounds: wait. In two-minute intervals, one after another, Posey County residents fighting for and against the 2,400 to 2,900 acre, 300 megawatt commercial solar installation urged members to take their time when considering the application submitted for the proposed development, one of 35 announced pending renewable energy projects around the state. “I just urge you not to move too quickly,” Robert Chastain implored appointed commission members Andy Hoehn, Mark Seib, Randy Owens, Mike Baehl, Kevin Brown, Randy Thornburg, Keith Spurgeon, Hans Schmitz and David Pearce. “Wait. Study this thing carefully.” Kendra Bisesi said the decision before the members was too important to proceed without further information. “I am asking you to take your time. There is no way (you are ready)...that binder is huge. I have tried (to go through it). I don’t have a day job and I have tried to go through that thing and it is time consuming,” she said of the application, submitted to the APC office in early July. “There’s a lot of missing pieces. I’m begging you, for myself, my children and my grandchildren. I want Posey County to be my home, my children’s home, my
grandchildren. Take your time on this, please” Attorney Michael Schopmeyer said opponents have been continually “shut out from information” about the CenterPoint Energy requested, $264 million answer to the looming 2023 closure of the coal fired portion of the AB Brown Power Plant. “This needs to be stopped for the time being. You need to get an engineering firm,” said Schopmeyer, whose firm represents opponents that have filed a lawsuit against the Area Plan Commission and Posey County Commissioners claiming, among other concerns, a failure of county officials to provide key project information when requested. “We’re nowhere near where you should vote on this tonight. It ought to be stayed for another day.” After three and a half hours of official and public testimony, APC members agreed. Members unanimously voted to delay taking a vote on the preliminary land use application submitted by project developer Tenaska. Citing a desire to hire a local engineer to further investigate the project’s impact, the members elected to revisit the issue at their August 13 meeting to set a date for a continuation of Thursday’s hearing. County residents addressed commission members about a variety of concerns ranging from potential flooding in the Marrs Township
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New Harmony resident Virginia Alsop smiles among her beautiful flowers on Sunday afternoon following her recent hospital stay. Photo by Dave Pearce
North Posey Principal Strieter resigns, will begin new job By Lois Mittino Gray Dr. Scott Strieter, long-time Principal at North Posey High School, turned in his surprise resignation this week from the administrative position. He said he spent his last day on the job, Friday, July 30, “communicating with my guidance counselors, teachers and other staff going over details before I leave.” However, he’ll wait until the weekend to clean out his desk and the office. “After all, I’ve been using it for fifteen years; I have a lot of stuff to go through.” Strieter began his new job right away by Monday morning saying, “I’m going to jump right into it.” He
will be an Account Manager/Salesman with the Josten’s Company, a business specializing in class rings and graduation items for students. “I will work with Sakel Campus Services Division of Josten’s selling class rings to sophomores and hopefully, championship rings for winning team members. I also will sell graduation materials, such as caps, gowns and announcements.” Strieter said his sales territory will include Posey, Warrick, Vanderburgh, and Gibson Counties in Indiana and Davies and Henderson Counties in Kentucky. He feels it is an advantage for him that he knows so many principals in the area from
Scott Strieter
his past experience working with most of them. “I just need to get to know the Kentucky principals I will contact,” he speculated. “This will be all new for me. I have been in education my entire life. I’ve only known being a teacher, a coach, and a principal. I was thirty years old when I came to North Posey, now I’m almost fifty and trying something different,” he observed. “I think it will be a good opportunity for me.” The former Principal plans to remain in his present home with his wife, Shannon. They are the parents of Savannah, age 19 and Shelby, age 16.
“I came to North Posey in August, 2003 to be the Assistant High School Principal from Evansville’s North High School. I taught World History there for five years and coached football and basketball. I was promoted in Fall, 2006 to the Principal position and have been at the high school since,” he said. He has been employed with the school district for a total of 18 years. Strieter has an extensive background in Education, including a Principal and a Superintendent License. He received his BS degree from the University of Evansville in
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MV River Days set for Sept. 10, 11 By Lois Mittino Gray River Days Festival Chairman Kay Kilgore attended the July 29, Mount Vernon Board of Works meeting to request street closures and update the board on activities planned for this year. The event will be held on two days, Friday and Saturday, September 10 and 11. “There will be fewer vendors this year in order to space things out a little more, and I have asked them to be out by 10 a.m. on Sunday morning. The fireworks will be on Friday night and the parade will be on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m.,” she explained. There will be a 9/11 memorial ceremony after the parade, followed by the festival’s closing ceremony. A new event this year is a half pot drawing, held in conjunction with the American Legion. Kilgore said there will still be a color run on Saturday morning, food trucks and vendors, and Keck Gonnerman tractors set up around the old Yaggis area. She asked to use the city lot once again at Second and Main for tractor, truck and car displays on Friday and Saturday. Board Member Andy Hoehn, acting as Mayor Pro Tem in the absence of Mayor Bill Curtis stated, “Overall this event is a major, major plus for the city, as well as the county. I am so glad we are getting back into it. It is such a good thing for Mount Vernon, and I would like to see the city help with this event as much as possible. We get a lot of kudos for having it, but we need to do more,” he reflected.
Hoehn added that he would like to thank Street Commissioner Max Dieterle and Utilities Superintendent Chuck Gray for their help with it. Kilgore added she appreciates their help as well as the police for security and the fire department. Hoehn moved all requested street closures be approved for the event, and that all details get worked out with Dieterle to get the barricades up properly. The motion carried unanimously. Street closures begin as early as Wednesday, September 8 at 4 p.m. with both alley entrances/exits on Main Street between Second and Water Street. Throughout the weekend, a block downtown around Water Street, Mulberry, College and Second will be closed off and up Main Street to Third and Fourth. These road closings will cover River Days, Tractor Show, Color Run Registration/Start and the Parade area. Extra barricades at Dr. Appel’s parking lot will be needed on Saturday at 8 a.m. for the Pet Parade. The roads will be entirely reopened by Sunday afternoon, after clean-up is complete. In other reports: • Under New Business, a discussion ensued on developing the comprehensive city plan. Hoehn said they are starting on ideas to revise the plan and asked if Curtis would like to speak on that while attending the meeting on Zoom. Curtis estimates the going price on updating/revising
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Karen Lutgring smiles as she applies paint to the fence outside her Mount Vernon home on Sunday afternoon. Photo by Dave Pearce
MSDMV students receive initial mask reprieve, could change By Lois Mitino-Gray Looking forward to the first day of school on August 10, members of the Mount Vernon School Board discussed updated COVID protocols for reopening, new hires and resignations, and heard a report on ILEARN/ ISTEP scores for 2021, as compared to State of Indiana scores. Welcome news for teachers, support staff, cus-
(USPS 439-500)
todians, and bus drivers is that they were approved to get a one-time stipend, up to $1,500, from ESSERII grant funds for extra work completed due to the COVID pandemic. School Superintendent Matt Thompson presented a letter to the county school districts, dated July 13, from Dr. Kyle Rapp, MD Posey County Health Officer. “After meeting with administrators from both districts on July 12, the Posey County Health Department is recommending
students attend in person classes with no requirement for masks in the classroom at this time. The Department feels that with the current number of positive COVID cases in the county, the school’s ability to isolate and contact trace, making masks optional is the best option for the optimal learning experience,” the letter reads. County schools will still be required to do contact tracing in the school for positive cases and exposed students will need to quarantine for
10 days, unless vaccinated. Due to Federal mandate, all students riding busses will still be required to wear masks until that change at the federal level. The requirement on masks in the classroom could change if the viral situation worsens. “If the decision is made to make masks mandatory for school attendance, the plan will be for everyone to be required to wear a mask regardless of their vaccination status. We feel that it is unreason-
able to expect the schools to police who has and has not had the vaccine,” Rapp’s letter concluded. The public is invited to comment on the COVID policy by contacting the administrative offices. Dr. Beth Johns, Curriculum and Testing Director, presented a score comparison on Mount Vernon versus the State of Indiana scores on this year’s ILEARN/ISTEP tests. The
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