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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2014
188TH YEAR
L’burg lowers charitable donations
Forget the STAND WITH LAUREN ice, get ready for ISTEP! ■■Assoc. Principal: South Dearborn Middle School has other important dates coming up as well
By Erika Schmidt Russell Editor erussell@registerpublications.com
By Erika Schmidt Russell Editor erussell@registerpublications.com
“The snow and cold have been difficult for everyone -- two hour delays, several missed school days, and lots of bundling up,” said South Dearborn Middle School Associate Principal Andrea Marine. So, Marine wants to remind current and future students and parents about some imporant upcoming events in light of the recent snow days. SDMS students as well as students at all three of Dearborn County school corporations are slated to head to classes Monday, Feb. 17, using Presidents Day as a snow make up day. Central Elementary School Principal Andrea Speath told the school board Monday, Feb. 10, they hope using Presdients Day will help students prepare for ISTEP. South Dearborn, Lawrenceburg and Sunman-Dearborn schools also will use the first week of spring break for snow make up days which is Monday, March 17, through Friday, March 21. In a letter to parents South Dearborn Superintendent John Mehrle notes of the spring break make up days “all students, teachers, and staff members are expected to be in attendance. This was agreed upon when the calendar was adopted.” Sunman-Dearborn schools’ website also notes students will be in school on Good Friday, April 18, and any other snow days would be made up at the end of the year in late May and early June. Although the current “polar vortex” is cold, cold, cold, it hasn’t prevented the students of South Dearborn Middle School from becoming prepared for the upcoming ISTEP test. The ISTEP window will open on Monday, March 3, and will end on March 21. Students should get plenty of rest and eat a good breakfast each and every day, said Marine. Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz extended the ISTEP testing window last week because of statewide school closures and delays due to extremely bad winter weather. Marine also has some reminders about upcoming events involving SDMS: ■■Wednesday, Feb. 19, Current seventh graders; 5:30 pm. This evening is for parents and students and will revolve around the different scheduling options that will be available for the students’ eighth
See ISTEP, page 2
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ISSUE NO. 7 $1
PHOTOS BY REGGIE VAN CLEAVE/The Register
Above: Franklin County High School’s Lady Wildcats pay tribute to Lawrenceburg High School senior Lauren Hill. Hill, a four-year varisty basketball player, was diagnosed with a brain tumor last fall. The LHS and Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference sports community has rallied around the teen. Right: LHS Lady Tiger seniors Abbey Schmidt, left, and Lauren Hill, right, with their coach Zane White on senior night Saturday, Feb. 8, also the last regular season game. The Lady Tigers won Saturday night 62-27, and facing the Lady Wildcats in the first round of sectional play Tuesday, Feb. 11, 50-25. For more on the various girls’ sectional games see SPORTS, Page 12.
LHS seniors: graduation is on the field By Denise Freitag Burdette Assistant Editor newsroom@registerpublications.com
Survey says: Football field. The seniors have spoken. With the current Lawrenceburg High School gym scheduled to begin demolition in April, the traditional location for graduation will not be available this year. Lawrenceburg Community School Corporation Superintendent Karl Galey offered the Greendale Middle school gym as an alternative during the January school board meeting. But when seniors attending the meeting spoke out against the suggestion, it was decided to take a survey of the senior class. Not all the seniors participated, because they were fine with what the majority wanted, said LHS principal Bill Snyder, during the Monday, Feb. 10, school board meeting. Of the seniors who took the survey, 67 voted to hold graduation on the football field. Receiving less than five votes each were the casino, soccer field, bowling alley, GMS and East Central High School. A previous option under consider-
ation, the new convention center in Lawrenceburg, was out of the running because construction on the facility is behind schedule, said Galey. Demolition on the current gym will make way for a proposed new gym. The current facility has structural problems. If demolition begins this spring, construction is expected to take place during only one school year, said Galey at the January school board meeting. School board members passed a motion to hold graduation on the football field, as well as move graduation to 6 p.m. Friday, June 6. Moving the date allows two backup rain dates in the same weekend because many people have family coming to town for the event, said Galey. The back-up rain dates will be 2 p.m. Saturday, June 7, and 2 p.m. Sunday, June 8, he said. There was some discussion on possible problems the corporation could face holding the ceremony outside. Board member Patrick Myers pointed out there would be a construction site close to the field and that the LHS bathrooms would not
INSIDE TODAY CALENDAR.......... 7 B OBITUARIES........ 2 A SPORTS...... 1-3B, 8B © REGISTER PUBLICATIONS, 2014
be accessible through the current gym lobby. Galey said guests could still use LHS bathrooms, but acknowledged they would be more difficult to reach. Board president Greg McAdams said the City of Lawrenceburg has a trailer with nice restrooms the corporation could probably use, which would bring an option closer to the football field. Snyder mentioned other arrangements also could be made such as using the school Tiger buses to transport people to the restrooms. Board member Shirley Seitz asked if guests would sit on the bleachers or in chairs on the field. Galey said the bleachers hold 1,600 people. Additional bleachers also could be brought in. Graduates would be on the field along with the stage, he said. Board member Bryan Johnson pointed out there could be problems if the field is wet. Plywood or other arrangements may be needed for walking on the grass field. “We can sit here and think of 1,000 scenarios ... but we need to take it as it comes,” said McAdams.
WEATHERforecast Sun: High: 36 Low: 30
Today: High: 42 Low: 26
Mon: High: 49 Low: 36
Fri: High: 36 Low: 11
Tues: High: 48 Low: 31
Sat: High: 32 Low: 22
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The City of Lawrenceburg six weeks into 2014 has cut back on the amount of money it is donating to various charitable causes/ groups. That cut back is in direct proportion to estimates of much lower riverboat gambling-related revenue streams following the opening of a casino in Cincinnati last How much money year. In 2013 the City of Lawthe city re- renceburg will received about ceive as part of its $23.4 million lucrative developfrom 2012’s ment agreement d e v e l o p - with the casino is ment agree- up in the air. ment payment which is based on in2013 the casino’s overall profitability and in 2014 is called the “true-up.” Lawrenceburg Clerk-Treasurer Jackie Stutz said the 2013 “trueup” has been received, but the city and casino are in “legal discussions” about the amount. According to sources, in part there is debate over a $5 million abatement, which was supposed to end in 2013. The city budgets the various riverboat generated monies for everything from street improvements to charitable donations. City boards cancelled meetings twice in January due to bad weather, finally meeting in marathon sessions Monday, Jan. 27, at that meeting, as well as council’s meeting Monday, Feb. 3, requests were made by about six groups, several of them previous recipients of city money, but amounts donated were lower.
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January 27
Special Olympics Indiana – Ripley Ohio Dearborn Counties Delegation Coordinator Greg Townsend requested sponsorship of the group’s Polar Plunge fundraiser set for Saturday, Feb. 22, at Versailles State Park. Townsend introduced one of three ROD Special Olympians, Jacob Eldridge, who will be competing in the national games slated for New Jersey this June, and said two other ROD athletes, Becky Cashman and Christa Mullins, would also be competing. There are about 203 athletes from the three counties, and of those 50 percent are from Dearborn County, and 25 percent from Lawrenceburg, said Townsend. The money raised at Polar Plunge helps Special Olympics not only send the three local athletes to the national games, but helps the delegation with other activities on the local and state level, said Townsend. Stutz said Lawrenceburg has helped sponsor the fire truck pull, another Special Olympic fundraiser held in June, and has also helped sponsor the Winter Games at Perfect North Slopes. Councilwoman Jane Pope noted she was concerned about the city’s decline in revenues, and made a motion to donate $500. The motion passes unanimously. Lawrenceburg Eagles requested a donation to help with its 100th anniversary. The group gives scholarships as well as helping kids from Greendale Middle School with the cost of
See DONATION, Page 2
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