Jasper Officials Make Trip To The "Bluegrass" To Witness Harvest Of Miscanthus Grass
Mick Birge, News Director
A group from Jasper including many city officials made a field trip, literally to Franklin, Kentucky yesterday.
They were there to see first-hand a fully matured miscanthus grass field and to see the crop being harvested.
Jasper officials went to learn even more about the proposed fuel to be used in the re-firing of the now-idled Jasper power plant. Among those in the Jasper group was city utilities services board chairman Wayne Schuetter.
Or replace coal... the city's new lease with Twisted Oak Corporation allows the Atlanta-based company to convert the now-coal fired Jasper power plant into a renewable energy resource facility to generate electricity.
Mendel Biotechnology out of California is the company that is developing and producing the miscanthus seeds used to plant the test plot in Franklin, Kentucky. The same seeds are now planted in test plots in Oaktown in Knox County, Indiana and one near Duff in Dubois County.
Dr. Jaime Yanes is a research station manager for Mendel. He says there are actually nearly 50 different miscanthus trial plots across the US.
He says their research shows that miscanthus grass is not an invasive plant as some local concerned citizens have claimed. But, he also says it still too soon to tell if that's the case.
Yanes and other Mendel representatives say they expect miscanthus seed production to be at full mass production by the year 2018.
Twisted Oak Corporation CEO Jay Catasein was also in Franklin yesterday.
He says the future of the Jasper power plant as a biomass facility will be as a renewable like wind and solar power but more reliable because it can operate at anytime... not just when the wind is blowing or the sun is shining.
Catsein says the Jasper plant will use 25% Miscanthus to power its electricity production. The rest will come from natural gas.
Catesein says it will take 700 to 900 tons of miscanthus grass every day to operate the facility.
Other city officials who attended the field day included Jasper mayor Terry Seitz, city utility services general manager Bud Hausperger and city councilmen Earl Schmitt and Kevin Manley. Power plant supervisor Windell Toby was also on the trip.
WBDC and our television partner WJTS-TV 18 was also in Franklin, Kentucky yesterday with the Jasper group. We'll have a full report on the "field" trip tonight on 18 News at 7 o’clock and again at 9:30 on WJTS-TV 18 in Jasper.
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Healthy Dubois County Group Files Notice Of Appeal
Mick Birge, News Director
The local group that has led the opposition to the city of Jasper's lease of its power plant to Twisted Oak Corporation has filed a Notice of Appeal with the Indiana Court of appeals.
Back on January 3rd, a Perry County judge ruled that the city of Jasper did not violate Indiana's open door meetings law in its lease negotiations with Twisted Oak.
That was the basis of a lawsuit filed by the local citizens group Healthy Dubois County, Inc. which also filed the notice of appeal.
Group leader Norma Kreilein maintains that process used throughout the lease negotiation process was not proper or legal.
Kreilein says her group has retained an appeals lawyer from northern Indiana. She says he will make the final decision of whether or not a formal appeal will be filed.
Jasper officials including now-retired mayor Bill Schmitt signed the lease just before New Year's Day.
The lease is expected to bring the city approximately two-million dollars in revenue each year over the course of the 20 year lease.
Kreilein and Healthy Dubois County, Inc say the health concerns the power plant would impose on local and area residents is not worth the revenue the lease will generate.
The Jasper City Council unanimously voted in favor of the lease last August.
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Kimball Announces Dividend
Mick Birge, News Director
Jasper-based Kimball International has declared a quarterly divident of five center per share of Class B Common Stock and 4.5 cents per share on Class A Common Stock payable April 13, 2012, to Share Owners of record on March 23, 2012. Kimball's board of directors made that announcement yesterday.
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Birdseye Man Arrested After Traffic Stop On Drug Charges
Mick Birge, News Director
The Dubois County Sheriff's office has a Birdseye man in custody. They say 45-year old Lanny Jenkins was arrested early last night. Deputies stopped Jenkins' pickup for a traffic violation along U. S. 231 just south of Country Club Drive in Jasper. During the traffic stop, deputies say they found a several items in the truck that are used in the manufacturing of methamphetamine as well as meth and marijuana. Deputies also say they found an item in Jenkins' truck that was reported stolen earlier from Holiday Foods in Jasper.
Jenkins faces several felony charges of Dealing meth, possession of meth, possession of precursors, maintaining a common nuisance and possession of marijuana. The most serious of the charges is the dealing meth charge. That's a Class B felony in Indiana. If found guilty, Jenkins could get up to six years in prison.
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Dubois Crossroads Accident Claims Life Of Martin County Woman
Mick Birge, News Director
A Valentine's morning traffic accident has claimed the life of a Martin County woman.
The Dubois County Sheriff's department says 71-year old Cozeta Tredway of Shoals died from the injuries she suffered in the two-vehicle accident that happened in the morning hours of February 14th at the Dubois Crossroads, which is Indiana Highway 56 and state road 545. Tredway was lifeflighted to St. Mary's Medical Center in Evansville where she died Sunday.
Four other people in the two cars involved in the accident were treated for their injuries suffered in the accident and later released that day from Jasper's Memorial Hospital.
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Warm Temperatures Expected To Continue Into March
Mick Birge, News Director
Winter 2012 so far has been the warmest in nearly a decade here in Southern Indiana and it's expected to stay this way into the final month of the season.
Temperatures statewide have averaged over 5 and a half degrees warmer than usual. Here in southern Indiana temperatures are averaging 4 to 5 degrees above the norm from December through February. This according to the National Weather Service in Louisville.
Needless to say lower than normal snowfall has coincided with the unusually warm temps. So far we've only seen about 3 inches of snow in Southern Indiana where we average 15 to 19 inches an entire winter season.
John Denman is with the National Weather Service out of Louisville. He says the main culprit for the current pattern is the jet stream staying to the north.
Denman says the current pattern will continue the next 30 days or more as the remainder of February and March look to continue to be warmer and even wetter than usual.
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Memorials
Mick Birge, News Director
22-year old Jacob Schwinghammer of St. Henry passed away Monday.
He is survived by his parents, David and Sue Schwinghammer of St. Henry. His grandparents, Butch and Betty Schwinghammer and Floyd and Dodie Schwinghammer, all of St. Henry also survive.
Funeral services for Jacob Schwinghammer will be held at 2 o’clock Thursday afternoon at St. Henry Catholic Church with burial in the church cemetery. There will be no visitation.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers, expression of sympathy be made to Forest Park Bowling, the local American Red Cross, Shared Abundance or to a favorite charity.