Floating restaurant could go under by Joe Awad

DeaRboRn county RegisteR

THE THEDCREGISTER.COM

THURSDAY, AUG. 9, 2018

Floating restaurant could go under By Joe Awad Managing Editor jawad@registerpublications.com

The River Watch tiki barge in Lawrenceburg that sunk in April must be raised off the river bottom by Friday, Sept. 14, or the city will lose its permit to host a restaurant off the dock, but the problem is the restaurant owner does not have the cash to do the job. Mike Rauen told city council Monday, Aug. 6, he could not make the deadline and does not have the minimum $90,000 to float the boat despite a directive from the Army Corps of Engineers that it must be out of the water by mid-September.

Despite conjecture the barge floated away it remains at the bottom of the Ohio River not far from where it sunk, said Rauen, who explained the Lawrenceburg Fire Department located it with sonar. The Corps allowed River Watch to temporarily anchor the barge to the river bottom. “I hired a marine surveyor, an investigator, because I believe this just didn’t sink on its own, so I had to have the investigation launched,” said Rauen. Certified divers then anchored the barge to pylons, and a report was turned over to the Corps, he said. In June, the city issued Rauen a default notice. He then sent city councilmen a packet

that included copies of the default notice and a letter responding to city attorney Del Weldon. “At that time, the Corps gave us a removal date of Sept. 14 to have that out of the water. So where I’m at at this time is I have RFPs going out to five or six marine salvage companies. … This barge has to come up. It cannot remain there. It is not good for us, it is not good for me, then I would lose my business totally,” said Rauen. Lawrenceburg Mayor Kelly Mollaun said the barge must be raised ASAP, and emphasized a Corps official told him it must be out of the river by the deadline or the city loses the permit.

Rauen came to council looking for financial assistance, and vowed to repay the money within five years, but Mollaun and Weldon stressed they are more concerned about meeting the Corp’s deadline to preserve the permit. Weldon asked Rauen and his attorney, Matthew Montgomery, several times if Rauen would commit to have the barge out by Sept. 1. If not, the city would take over because it must be out as ordered, and a minimum of eight days is needed to accomplish the difficult task, which requires expertise. Still, Weldon said the city needs about two weeks

See FLOATING, Page 7

Contiguous cities Moores Hill set to celebrate 200 years study electricity companies merger By Chandra L. Mattingly Staff Reporter

cmattingly@registerpublications.com

Greendale workers would receive the same benefits and retirement package as Lawjawad@registerpublications.com renceburg electrical utility Lawrenceburg Mayor employees, he said. Kelly Mollaun revealed Mon“Sometimes we need to day, Aug. 6, that a feasibility state those things that directly study has been launched to because the rumor mill can combine Lawrenceburg’s and take it and kind of turn it Greendale’s electricity comaround,” said Clawpanies. son. The idea is being The study is being pursued to lower done at the request of operating costs for the mayors to deterboth cities, and does mine if both cities can not include sewer or save money by mergwater services. ing, he said. Mollaun told Mollaun added that council and the Weiss was announcpublic that he and ing the information Greendale Mayor Alan Weiss Monday night to apAlan Weiss have propriate Greendale signed a preliminary officials. agreement, and read Lawrenceburg and the memorandum Greendale are memverbatim: bers of the Indiana “Lawrenceburg Municipal Power Utilities and GreenAgency, which brodale Utilities are in kers electricity costs agreement to invesfor its members. tigate the feasibility IMPA was creatof combining their Kelly Mollaun ed by municipally electric utilities into owned electric utilia common entity. After the details are flushed out, the re- ties to share power resources, sults will be shared with each and provide electricity more municipality’s utility board economically to its customers. It is a non-profit organizafor discussion and vetting.” tion, owned and governed by If the results do not favor its members. IMPA focuses both cities, then “it is off the on providing 61 communities table,” added Mollaun. Utility Director Olin Claw- with wholesale power at low son said the “merge or to cost. A source close to the study, assume” the Greendale Utiliwho requested anonymity, ty” will not result in a single layoff of Greendale’s existing said Greendale’s electricity rates to consumers are likely electrical utility employees. If the merger works out, to increase without the merge. By Joe Awad Managing Editor

Later this year, Moores Hill will celebrate its 200th birthday – marking the year the town was “pioneered,” however, not the year it was platted. The dozen-plus volunteers coordinating the celebration Saturday, Sept. 22, aren’t the first to credit the 1818 date as the town’s birth. A couple of months ago, Tammy Wismann, her husband Dave Wismann and her cousin Lynn Allen were at Moores Hill’s Carnegie Hall during one of the Sunday tours there when Dave Wismann noticed a plate from the town’s sesquicentennial. “He said, ‘Oh! This year is Moores Hill’s 200th anniversary!’” because the plate was dated 1958, recalled Tammy Wismann. Founder Adam Moore came to the area and got the town going in 1818, although the town wasn’t platted until 1939, the date on its entrance sign. So Allen, the Wismanns and Moores Hill Town Board member Dee Russell initiated the idea, then were joined by over a dozen others. “We’ve really been trying to throw things together quickly,” said Tammy Wismann. The result will be the Moores Hill Bicentennial Celebration, featuring entertainment, games and demonstrations, and, of course, a parade, which will begin at 11 a.m. There also will be bicentennial t-shirts for sale, and a quilt raffle. “I tried to get the local churches involved,” said

SUBMITTED PHOTO

JoAnne Miller made this quilt to raffle for the Moores Hill Bicentennial Celebration Saturday, Sept. 22. Wismann. As a result, the First Baptist Church of Moores Hill will offer root bear floats in bicentennial mugs, for a small fee to cover the cost of the mugs, and the Moores Hill Church of Christ will have funnel cakes for freewill donations. The Moores Hill Volunteer Fire Department will pro-

vide food, also for freewill donations. Entertainment will include My Brothers Keeper, the Teachers Ensemble from the University of Evansville, Rob Bruns and Friends, and Abby Love, with Todd Russell as emcee. There will be a scavenger hunt with prizes of tops

and other vintage games awarded each participant, and all the names entered into a drawing for a bigger prize, said Wismann. Participants will have to go to the different booths to answer questions on educational/fun cards, she said. The Southeastern Indi-

See 200, Page 7

Benefit planned for critically injured man By Sydney Murray Staff Reporter

smurray@registerpublications.com

On July 16, 31-year-old Gordon McIntosh, West Harrison, lost control of his vehicle on North Dearborn Road, was ejected from his truck through the driver’s side window, and went over the guardrail. He was flown to University of Cincinnati Medical Center with life-threatening injuries, including a traumatic brain injury. McIntosh has made strides in his recovery in the past few

weeks, but the family is still in need of help. McIntosh was self-employed and won’t be able to work any time soon. So, family and friends have organized a benefit and ride for Sunday, Aug. 19, at Borderline Bar and Grill in West Harrison. McIntosh is a father to three, including Cadence, Colton, and his youngest child, Myla, who is only 2 years old. Myla’s mother, Rachel Hundley, said she and Gordon have been together for more than four years, and they originally met at Borderline.

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“He’s a hard worker, he has a big heart, he is a good dad,” Hundley said. She said he’s a “manly man” who loves motorcycles, fishing, and hunting. McIntosh’s cousin, Samantha Cox, said he has a great personality and always leaves an event with new friends. “He’s vivacious, he’s fun-loving, he lights up a room. … He is just, like, so full of life and he has the drive for experiences,” Cox said. “Materialistic things don’t reSUBMITTED PHOTO ally matter.” On July 16, 31-year-old Gordon McIntosh, back with beard, lost control of his vehicle on North Dearborn Road. He was ejected from his truck through the driver’s side winSee BENEFIT, Page 7 dow, and went over the guardrail.

WEATHERforecast

Today: High: 87 Low: 68 Friday: High: 86 Low: 68 Saturday: High: 84 Low: 65 Sunday: High: 83 Low: 65