INSIDE TODAY: FARMERS FAIR ROYALTY CANDIDATES
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Thursday, September 25, 2014
Issue No. 39
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Paul Banta served country, county and Aberdeen Pate Remembered as a Christian man Tim Hillman Recorder-News Editor risingsun@registerpublications.com
Ohio County lost a very community minded person on Thursday, Sept. 18 as 74-year-old Paul Banta passed away. He was a former county commissioner and served on numerous boards including 22 years as chairman of the Aberdeen Pate Water Company and many years on the Ohio County Fair Board (see much more on page 4). He and his wife Elizabeth hosted an annual Hog Roast
Paul Banta accepts thank you for his service to his country during annual the Veterans Day program at Rising Sun High School last November.
which they had on Saturday, as Paul would have wanted. He served in the Seabees as part of the Navy’s construction battalion, mainly in the south pacific. One man at visitation on Monday said he was there to pay his respects. “I didn’t know him long but met him at a prayer meeting,” the man said. “He was a Christian man.” He is survived by his wife: Elizabeth; one daughter: Becky and one son along with grandchildren: Mackenzie Anne Summers, Logan Paul Summers, Spencer Charles Summers, Kayla Nare and her husband: Kevin and Josh Taylor; his adoring great-grandchildren: Bella Nare and Liam Nare; brother:
Kenton “K.C.” Banta and his wife: Barbara of Moorefield, Ind.; his loving sister: Padgett Taylor of Madison, Ind., and his several nieces and nephews. Funeral services were conducted Tuesday, Sept. 23, at
the Aberdeen United Methodist Church. Full military rites were conducted by the Honor Guard of the Rising Sun American Legion Post #59 at the Rising Sun New Cemetery.
Paul Banta, second from left, of the Ohio County Soil and Water Conservation District; shown are Norman Cutter, Banta, Gordan Ramsey, Grover Sefton and Charlie Rohlfing.
Wind direction could be crucial in chlorine leak BY CHANDRA L. MATTINGLY Staff Reporter
Ohio County's emergency response to a simulated chlorine spill Sunday, Sept. 21, went well, said members of the Ohio County Local Emergency Response Committee. The LEPC, which scheduled the drill, is responsible only for hazardous chemical spills within the county, not any other kind of emergencies. In addition to having drills, it can provide training to prepare for hazardous chemical events. Sunday afternoon, Rising Sun's firefighters, emergency medical technicians and police responded to the simulation. With emergency management and the county dispatchers involved, along with LEPC members, about 30 people were involved. The training exercise involved a simulated leak at Rising Sun Water Utility's chlorine treatment building with one “victim,” outside the building. Smoke bombs were used to indicate in which direction
chlorine gas would flow in a real leak. With wind blowing toward the Ohio River, dispatch was directed by firefighters to simulate a call to authorities in Kentucky. In a real spill, Cincinnati Haz Mat would have been called. The county contracts with that company to provide hazardous materials clean-up in such an emergency. The company's response time is about an hour and a half to Rising Sun, said LEPC member Tom Work. Meanwhile, Rising Sun Fire Department would spray water on any leaking chlorine gas, “basically, just babysit” the situation, he said. Ohio County personnel are not trained in hazardous material cleanup and removal. Ohio County Emergency Management Director Tom Baxter said responders should isolate the scene, account for victims, and deny entry to non-emergency personnel at every hazardous materials incident. “It's so we don't have other victims who wander in,” he said. Had the wind been blowing the opposite direction in a real incident, far more residents would be
potential victims, said Baxter. But the county's reverse phone notification system, Rapid Notify, could be used in such a situation to warn residents to close up their homes and stay indoors. “Our resources are limited,” with only one fire department, one life squad, one dispatch center, one city police department and one county police department, said Baxter. Emergency responders must consider how to block off the streets and keep people away from a spill in a real event, he said. Perhaps life squad members could be dispatched to check the neighborhood if not needed to treat victims. Or, if more “boots on the ground” were needed, Aurora and state police could be dispatched, he said. During this simulation, the fire department had asked for Aurora and East Enterprise fire departments to be put on standby. EMS Director Glen Potts suggested plotting “preplanned coordinates” for what areas should be addressed and how under what wind conditions should a
chlorine leak occur. The county has only two locations where chlorine is used and kept, the city's water treatment location and Aberdeen Pate's location on Indiana 56 near Thuermer's Hollow, said LEPC member Ron Richard. The only other hazardous chemical known to be in the county is anhydrous ammonia, used as fertilizer by farmers. Overall, the simulation “went really well,” said Rising Sun firefighter Andrew Riddell approaches the Richard. source of a simulated chlorine leak at the water treatment Reporter Chandra L. Mat- facility on Poplar Street Sunday, Sept. 21. A smoke bomb tingly serves as the media indicates wind direction. Had a real chlorine leak ocrepresentative on the Ohio curred, Riddell would have been wearing breathing gear for protection. County LEPC.
CHANDRA L. MATTINGLY/RECORDER/NEWS
From left, Rising Sun Firefighter Dave Kruse discusses a hazardous chlorine spill exercise with LEPC members Tom Work, Ron Richard and Tom Baxter, emergency management director.
SALUTE TO THE UNKNOWN
SUBMITTED PHOTOS
Above left: Veterans Bush White and Bill Rowling place a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlrington National Cemetery, while Ron Harrell and Tom Hughes salute the Tomb Saturday, Sept. 20. Above right: White, Rowling, Harrell and Hughes follow one of the honor guard to the Tomb. Rowling and Hughes will be honored with Purple Heart plaques at Lawrenceburg Fall Fest at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26. Rowling was a prisoner of war in World War 11 after his B-17 was shot down; White went ashore at Normandy on D-Day and also is a purple heart recipient. Hughes received a Silver Star for his service at Guadalcanal as well as a Bronze Star, and he received a Purple Heart from wounds sustained on Iwo Jima. Harrell is a Vietnam veteran.
Fun for kids at the 2014 Navy Bean Fall Festival The Navy Bean Fall Festival will be held in downtown Rising Sun and the beautiful Riverfront Park, Friday, Oct. 10, 5 to 10 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 11, Noon to 10 p.m. The City of Rising Sun is currently celebrating its Bicentennial. In celebration of the Bicentennial the Navy Bean Fall Festival will incorporate more rides this year for the kids and kids at heart.
Murray Bros. Shows will once again provide the festival rides and will bring a Ferris wheel and a Carousel along with a variety of age appropriate rides. The Ferris wheel riders will see a view of the Ohio River as they travel to the top of the Ferris wheel. Wrist bands will be sold for $13 (good for Friday night) and $16 (good for all day Saturday) for unlimited rides. In-
dividual tickets are $1.25 with rides taking 3 or 4 tickets. This year’s KidZone, located in the Main Street Pavilion, will consist of free magic shows, free face painting and free balloon art by Daniel Lusk Entertainment on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. Silly Safaris will hold two free animal shows on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. A meet and greet session with the
animals will follow each show. Joy Unspeakable (mime) and Barney Fife (impersonator Rick Roberts) will be wandering through the Festival Midway. Don’t forget to bring the kids to Main and Walnut Streets for the Bicentennial Parade beginning at 10:30 p.m. Saturday morning.
See FUN Page 8
WEATHER TODAY HIGH ......80 Friday HIGH ......81 Saturday HIGH ......83 Sunday: HIGH ......82 Monday HIGH ......81
INSIDE today
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