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THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014
188TH YEAR
ISSUE NO. 3 $1
Local water safe, doesn’t come from river By Erika Schmidt Russell Editor erussell@registerpublications.com
The chemicals flowing down the Ohio River from a spill in West Virginia last week will have no affect on the water supplies in Aurora, Greendale and Lawrenceburg. “I was actually surprised at how many people have called and asked about it,” said Randy Turner, Aurora Utilities Superintendent, by phone Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 14. Aurora’s water comes from well Dearborn County’s water fields behind the comes from wells, not the former Frisch’s on Ohio River say local utility U.S. 50, as does superintendents. water for the Lawrenceburg-Manchester-Sparta Conservancy District, said Turner. “Our wells are very deep, and if water were just pouring in from the river, we’d see more evidence of infiiltration from floods,” said Turner, adding chemicals the city is required to test for also would show up in the river water but they don’t in the well water. “We’re considered a true groundwater source, it’s why Seagram’s came here in the early 1930s,” said Turner. Greendale City Manager and Utility Superintendent Steve Lampert echoed Turner’s remarks. “Those wells are 80-90 feet down, and there’s no way what’s going down the river is going to get into the wells.” In Greendale’s case the wells are about a mile away from the Ohio River. While Greendale Utilities has received calls, Valley Rural Utilities, which serves Hidden Valley Lake residents with water purchased from Green-
FILE PHOTO
Students oppose graduation move By Denise Freitag Burdette Assistant Editor newsroom@registerpublications.com
As plans move forward to replace the structurally failing Lawrenceburg High School gym, an alternate location will likely be needed for the June graduation ceremony. During the Monday night, Jan. 13, Lawrenceburg school board meeting, corporation superintendent Karl Galey offered the Greendale Middle School gym as a possible solution. Work on the new LHS gym is expected to begin in April, he said. But several students attending the meeting for a class assignment expressed their objections during the public comment portion of the meeting. LHS senior Sean Lucier said he opposes moving the graduation ceremony out of the LHS gym. He asked why the gym construction could not wait two more months. “I have always seen myself graduating in the gym,” said Lucier. The students pointed put graduating in the current LHS is sentimental for many students and parents. They also objected to the GMS gym because of
the decrease in seating. They worried family members would be left without a ticket to watch the graduation. Lucier also expressed concerns about the safety of students who walk the hallway next to the gym and where gym classes would meet. Galey said the number one priority is student safety. The lockers in the freshman hallway next to the gym will be moved. No one will be able to use that hallway, he said. There also have been discussions about where the gym classes and sports teams will meet, he said. Due to the demolition and construction timeline, work needs to begin in April so students will be displaced for only one school year, said Galey. Earlier in the meeting, Galey said the GMS gym would hold about 800 people, in addition to the seniors. The current gym space holds about 2,300. Televising the graduation ceremonies in other areas of GMS or the corporation campus also was discussed. The LHS auditorium was considered, but the corporation was told by fire department members that the stage could not hold all of the senior class
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seated, said Galey. The football field is a possibility, but would depend on the weather. He also looked into using the convention center under construction in downtown Lawrenceburg, but the corporation would have to pay a discounted rate of $4,000 to hold the space. He thought that was too much for the corporation to spend, he said. The total capacity of the convention center would be 1,600, he said. “I’m not trying to be insensitive to the senior class. ... I want you to know this has not been an easy decision for the school corporation to make,” said Galey. “You all bring up great points.” said school board member Kelly Mollaun. School board president Greg McAdams also thanked the students for speaking up. Everyone will try to work together to see what can be accomplished, he said. LHS principal Bill Snyder said he would work with students to conduct a survey to receive additional feedback. Nonvoting student school board member senior Jesse Hennies said he agreed with his classmates. He also likes the idea of a survey.
See WATER, Page 5A
Plea deal for Lopez brothers in Acapulco tax case
WEATHERforecast
Today: High: 35 Low: 24
Sun: High: 36 Low: 33
Fri: High: 32 Low: 25
Mon: High: 35 Low: 32
Sat: High: 33 Low: 26
Tues: High: 33 Low: 26
Staff Report Former Acapulco restaurant owners Benito and Adolfo Lopez have entered plea agreements in the tax related case that began in late September 2012 with a raid on five restaurants in Southeastern Indiana, including Aurora, Lawrenceburg and Rising Sun. Benito Lopez, 50, Batesville, had charges reduced to a class A misdemeanor of perjury. In the deal, Dearborn-Ohio County Prosecutor Aaron Negangard recommended a suspended 364-day sentence, with Benito Lopez serving probation. Cash and vehicles seized from Benito Lopez total about $274,527. Benito Lopez also is not a United States citizen, and this could affect his immigration status, noted Negangard. Meanwhile, Adolfo Lopez, 44, Greendale, took an agreement for three class C felonies, forgery, theft and money laundering; and two D felonies including corrupt business influence and perjury. The maximum possible sentence for Adolfo Lopez on all charges would be 11 years, with seven suspended. He would get credit for time served, and the sentence would probably be for home incarceration, as recommended by Negangard in the agreement. Adolfo Lopez, a U.S. citizen, was in the Dearborn County Law Enforcement Center, Lawrenceburg, from the day he was arrested, Monday, Sept. 24, 2012 until Tuesday, April 16, 2013. His bond was initially set at $3 million in October 2012, and was lowered following an appellate court ruling in April 2013 noting it was “excessive.” Dearborn-Ohio Circuit Court Judge James D. Humphrey ordered a pre-sentencing investigation for both men, and set the sentencing for Tuesday, Feb. 25. The agreement requires Adolfo Lopez to pay the State of Indiana restitution of $305,660 in sales tax, with an initial payment of $61,607 and monthly payments of $3,169. Negangard also stated cash and vehicles seized from Adolfo Lopez are the result of “criminal activity,” and total $3,157,000. The prosecutor’s office has filed a civil suit to
See PLEA, Page 5A
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Was the Lawrenceburg High School Class of 2013 the last to graduate from the current gym?