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Zombies Take Over THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2014
By Erika Schmidt Russell Editor
erussell@registerpublications.com
Craving human flesh and brains they roam the Community Center, and the walk itself startstreets. What is left of their mindless bodies only ing at 2 p.m. capable of moaning and groanBut wait, there’s more! A ing. “kid’s” movie, Paranorman, will Beware, the Zombie Apocabe shown at the Lawernceburg lypse is upon us, for one day “Well I guess it’s the Library at 10:30 a.m., and a teen only starting at 10 a.m. Satur- horror and the fact that movie, Warm Bodies, will be at day, Oct. 11, in downtown Lawpeople will be embracing 3 p.m. renceburg. Blacklist Board Shop will host John Johnson is the chairman the zombie makeup that a skate demo, and Lawrenceof the horde behind the Lawdowntown merchants I’ll be doing. Seeing burg’s renceburg Zombie Walk. This is will have trick or treating from not your typical Lawrenceburg people act differently 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., just prior to the event, although he is working “kids” Party in the Street. and get into character is bigQuite with Lawrenceburg Main Street a few folks are volunand other non-zombie affiliated just awesome.” teering their time and talent for groups. various tasks including as makeWith The Walking Dead a TV Shelly Abbott up artists, although tragically hit that came to living deadvolunteer makeup artist two, John and Jean Hubbard, life from the hit comic book sewere lost in the Greendale fire ries all the rage, it has spawned last week, said Johnzombie related events all over. son. So, Johnson thought why not H e will be Lawrenceburg. mentionAlso joining forces with the putrifying horde ing the couple several are Citizens Against Substance Abuse, the Law- times during the day’s renceburg Public Library, the Dearborn County activities, said Johnson. Other artists giving Historical Society. The day will feature movies, a Lego build, arts their time include Jenand crafts, and from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. a party in the nifer Wright and Shelly Abbott. street for the 21 and over set. Both are excited about There of course is a zombie walk, with the prewalk line up set for 1 p.m. at the Lawrenceburg the event.
See ZOMBIE, Page 5A
L’burg slashes $2M for county schools
2015 city budgets proposal has surplus, big cuts By Erika Schmidt Russell Editor erussell@registerpublications.com
What’s in and what’s out of Lawrenceburg’s 2015 budget? Stay tuned because it could change after Lawrenceburg City Council holds a work session on its 2015 budgets at 4:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20. As of Monday, Oct. 6, one item that is out is $2 million to the three Dearborn County School corporations. City councilman Aaron Cook pointed out that major budget cut at the opening of the budget hearing Monday evening. The book money is in the budget, said clerk-treasurer Jackie Stutz. That is the Lawrenceburg endowment money, said Cook, adding “there’s nothing in there for the three schools?” No. Mayor Dennis Carr said the city’s budgets have been cut overall by 50 percent, and the city has given the school a lot this year with a low interest loan for the new gym. The loan for the gym was for Lawrenceburg Community School Corporation to replace the 1964 high school gym that had structural problems. After a brief discussion of other budget changes for next year, Cook returned to the money for all three school corporations. “Maybe we can find some other places to cut. You can’t just go from $2 million to zero,” said Cook. Carr said the city has to have money to operate. There’s $10,000 for traveling expenses here, and another $15,000 seminars and conventions expense, said Cook. Pope turned back to another issue about moving an item out of the council line items. She also asked about includ-
ing the increased amount for the Lawrenceburg Conservancy District levee maintenance. Dan Hedden with Indianapolis-based accounting firm Umbaugh & Associates said a surplus budget had been created, with $1.3 million left. If the levee increase were added in, then the surplus would go down to about $200,000. Cook returned to the money for schools, noting he found about $47,000 in travel-related expenses “so far.” “Is anybody else in favor of adding the schools back in? Some of them are talking about shutting schools,” said Cook. The schools will “have to tighten their belts,” said Carr. “Give them time to adjust, then,” said Cook. Pope asked for a work session on the budget. Councilman Bill-Bill Bruner also mentioned the low-interest loan given to LHS. Cook noted there is still $3.5 million in the 10-County Regional Economic Development grant program. A motion to approve the budget failed. And Pope returned to the request for a work session. While doubt was expressed that council could figure out budget compromises, Hedden said he thought it was possible. He noted there were only about 20 percent of the budget items two of the council members, Pope and Mike Lawrence, questioned. Pope noted she voted against the two previous years’ budgets because they spent more money than was coming into the city. Those budgets, however, use the state formula and rules, which assume if the money is budgeted it is being spent. All of the money wasn’t actually being spent, however, and under the state rules only a reduction in appropriation would change that, noted Hedden. Bruner said the initial budget proposal last year, for 2014, had a 30 percent re-
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Money, money, money
The following are just three of the City of Lawrenceburg 2015 Budgets. The entire original DRAFT proposal with line items is at thedcregister.com. The “adopted” amount has not been officially adopted since the council is still discussing the budget. City council can reduce amounts from what is officially published but CANNOT increase amounts above the published budget amount. The Casino/Riverboat and the Municipal Development budgets are from revenue associated with casino gambling. The general fund budget revenue is from the city property tax levy.
Casino/Riverboat: ■Published ■ amount $27,058,382 ■Adopted ■ amount $22,058,382 Municipal Development: ■Published ■ amount $12,228,000 ■Adopted ■ amount $7,228,000 General Fund: ■Published ■ amount $7,451,079 ■Adopted ■ amount $7,451,079
duction in spending. “You did an awful lot of talking to add things,” about $15 million, he said, adding Pope and Lawrence voted against the 2014 budget. He voted for the budget even if he didn’t agree with all of the line item expenditures, said Bruner. A discussion of non-reverting funds by Hedden, after a question by Pope, focused on the old way of doing them vs. the new way. An ordinance requiring council approval of the NR fund expeditures passed earlier this year, he said. The motion for the Oct. 20 work session passed, and Cook suggested the budgets be placed on city council’s regular meeting agenda that night in case council needs more time to discuss the 2015 budgets. The budget must be approved and submitted to the State of Indiana by Nov. 1. Contact Register Publications News (812) 537-0063 Classified (812) 537-0063 Sports (812) 537-0063
188TH YEAR
Well, ‘water’ the problems in Aurora? By Chandra L. Mattingly Staff Reporter cmattingly@registerpublications.com
Aurora Utilities' well one has not yet tested clean, although tests are not showing E. coli, Aurora Utilities Superintendent Randy Turner told the utility board Monday, Oct. 6. The well is not back in use. “Well number one had a presence on all four samples despite the use of Pool Shock and chlorine bleach. … Even though it's showing bacteria, it's not showing E. coli,” said Turner. He had contacted a company to treat the well with a bigger dose of chlorine Tuesday, Oct. 7. Meanwhile, the city's other two wells continue testing fine, said Turner. The wells are located southeast of U.S. 50 just inside Lawrenceburg City limits. But American Electric Power wants to remove dirt from a cornfield AEP owns that lays between Aurora's wells and the CSX Railroad tracks, said Turner. The area is within the wellhead protection area, an area indicating the potential for a chance of contamination within a five-year period. The static level within Aurora's wells does not change to reflect the Ohio River level as it rises and falls, so Turner does not think river water infiltrates the wells, he said. Even during floods, as long as the wells are sealed off, there's no river water contamination. But if river water does seep toward the wells, contaminants probably would be filtered out as it goes through layers of sand and gravel. Turner said he asked the AEP representative, “Don't
'Big defugalty'
Turning to the sewer utility, Turner said a “big defugalty” (quandary or difficulty) occurred on Hueseman Road and at the pump station for the Aurora Casket Company. A check valve at the pump station failed, resulting in an air blockage on Hueseman Road which caused three grinder pumps there to fail, he said. “This was a very costly event,” he said, explaining utilities employees had to put in an emergency hook up, using a discharge hose to bypass the station while the check valves were fixed. The pump station has repeatedly had problems due to heavy usage and age, he said.
See WELL, Page 5A
the generous help of local dentists willing to work together to provide the kids needed services. But for this newsroom@registerpublications.com effort to continue in the fuEfforts are underway in ture, there needs to be a next the community to address generation of dentists willthe dental/oral health needs ing to step up and help. That is of uninsured something the and underEI-AHEC insured kids is hoping to in Dearborn help achieve County. with a partWhile the nership beUnited Way tween the Inof Greater diana UniverCincinnati sity School of Dearborn and Dentistry and Ohio Counties Lawrenceoffice focuses burg High on the delivSchool. ery of dental/ They just oral health might have care, the East their first fuIndiana Area ture recruit in Health EduLHS senior cation Center, B a t e s v i l l e , LHS student Paul Terle’s Paul Terle, has focused goal is to become a den- who plans on attending IU on education tist. He’s off to a good to pursue a and preven- start already. career in the tion. The delivery of care has dental field. been made possible with See AWARD, Page 5A By Denise Freitag Burdette Assistant Editor
WEATHERforecast
Today: High: 65 Low 50
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you think by decreasing that layer of clay, you're making our water more susceptible to river water?” The AEP rep replied the company's geologist doesn't think so. “If they did anything to contaminate the water they would be responsible to make the city whole. … This would put us under the influence of the surface water,” said Turner. So the utilities will hire geologist Jim Carr to evaluate the situation. In related matters, Turner said Wessler Engineers will look at how water from Aurora's wells are treated before distribution. An inspector from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management said the chlorine and fluoride treatments should be in two separate rooms, said Turner. Wessler also will review what would need to be done for Aurora Utilities to become the sole provider of water for Hogan Water.
LHS teen turned ‘toothfairy’ earns national award
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