FREE But donations Martin County accepted. Click above WEDNESDAy, “Celebrating the rich history of Martin County and the may 20, 2015 people who make it great.” JOYearU 6, Issue 20• MaRrtin County, InNdiana • Fifteen paages L www. martincountyjournal.com • [email protected] • Cell: 812-259-4309 • Fax: 888-380-2761 • PO Box 148 Loogootee IN 47553 Loogootee to graduate 83 Friday night Loogootee High School will hold their A slide presentation will be next on the graduation ceremony on Friday, May 22, at agenda followed by “Battle Hymn of the Re - 7 p.m. in Jack Butcher Arena. The evening public” by the LHS Band. The presentation will begin with the processional by the LHS of diplomas will then be done by Loogootee Band and opening by Hayden Bell, Student Superintendent Joan Keller and High School Council representative. Principal Chip Mehaffey. The high school chorus will then sing the Mr. Mehaffey will then give his remarks National Anthem followed by “MLK” and and present the class of 2015. Closing will “Man in the Mirror”. be done by Hayden Bell with recessional by Bell will then introduce the class speakers the LHS Band. who will talk about words that spell out The LHS Class of 2015’s motto is the “VALUE”. Speeches will be given by Class quote “Sometimes you will never know the Salutatorian and Class Vice President value of a moment until it becomes a mem - Waylee Wagoner, who will talk about “Voy - ory,” by Dr. Seuss. The class flower is the age”; Class Treasurer Hayden Bell, who will Casablanca Lily. talk about “Adversity”; Class President Shoals High School will hold their com - Gabriel Nolley, who will talk about “Life”; mencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 30 Class Valedictorian Conner Bailey, who will at 4 p.m. talk about “Until”; and Class Secretary Allie The following are the biographies of the CONNER BAILEy WAyLEE WAGONER Walker, who will talk about “Endeavor”. (See ‘GRADUATE’ continued on page 2) LHS Class Valedictorian LHS Class Salutatorian County council votes down wheel tax By COURTNEy HUGHETT tion Highway User Tax) was created in 1980 and motorcycles. The excise surtax can be Martin County Journal Publisher to provide counties with a way to raise two to 10 percent of the excise tax or a flat money for their highway departments. The amount of $7.50 to $25 per vehicle. The fee The Martin County Council held a special money collected through LOHUT can only can vary depending on each classification, if meeting Monday night, May 18 to discuss be used for county roads and streets. LOHUT the council so chooses. the wheel tax. All three commissioners are in is actually two different taxes. The first is the The second tax is the county wheel tax. It favor of implementing a wheel tax but the county motor vehicle excise surtax which ap - is actually a vehicle tax because taxpayers county council must decide to pass it. Several plies to cars, trucks under 11,000 pounds, (See ‘WHEEL TAX’ continued on page 2) county residents were present to speak either for or against the tax. Schools School Board loses athletic Pat Conner, Indiana LTAP (Local Techni - cal Assistance Program), provided the coun - director, many other staff members cil with information on the wheel tax. The Shoals School Board met Thursday, -Resignation of Greg Hampton from the Indiana LTAP provides technical assistance May 14. All board members were present. position of custodian. The board also gave and training to the highway, road, and street The board approved the following person - permission for the superintendent to post the departments of all 92 counties. Thier purpose nel actions: open position. Board Member Mary Lou Ceremonies to be held to is to provide the necessary information to -An amendment to the teaching contract of Billings stated publicly that Mr. Hampton recognize Memorial Day help local government offices find the latest was an excellent custodial employee and will Terra Boyd for the 2014-15 school year. Miss Memorial Day 2015-This Holiday is not tools to analyze their highway and road prob - Boyd was hired at the bachelor’s degree start - be greatly missed. about honoring all veterans, it is about hon - lems. ing salary when she should have been hired -Kyla Tichenor as Title I Teaching Assistant oring those who gave their lives in combat. Conner explained that LOHUT (Local Op - at the master’s degree starting salary. for the remainder of the 2014-15 school year. Veterans are those that came home, but in -A medical leave request from Amy Memorial 5K raised $31,000 last Saturday Qualkenbush through the end of the 2014-15 doing so still have a responsibility to con - school year. tinue to serve this country, and a responsi - -Danny Roush and Billy Dean Baker to do bility to assure those that did not return to summer mowing. Roush explained a total of their homes and loved ones are never forgot - 28 working hours per week is allowed for ten. What will you do to thank all the hun - mowing. Mr. Roush and Mr. Baker have dreds of thousands men and women who agreed to work together and split the hours. have given their lives so that we can have a The board discussed summer cleaning and national holiday, and a day off work with how many people are needed to work on the pay? Memorial Day, or Decoration Day as summer cleaning crew this summer. Teresa it was originally called, has been celebrated Heckard spoke to the board about the need to every year since 1868. Will you simply dis - thoroughly clean the high school consumer regard the reason this day of honor was es - sciences room during the summer when tablished, and forget the sacrifices so many school is not in session. Following discussion suffered to create, build, and make this by the board, Mrs. Roush recommended the country the great democracy that it is today? board approve the following people to work Or will you be part of the minority that still on the 2015 summer cleaning crew. Each po - take the time to acknowledge in their own sition is considered temporary and will con - way relatives and friends who paid for this -Photo provided sist of 28 working hours or less per week. The democracy with their lives? Shown above are some of the family members of Carter Kerns that attended the regular summer cleaning crew approved in - If residents of Martin County check their Legacy 5K this past Saturday. In the front row, from left to right, are Ed Kerns, clude Larry Jones, Teresa Albright, Tracy genealogy, many would be surprised to dis - Carter’s dad; Alyssa Kerns, Carter’s mom; Clayton Smith, Carter’s cousin from Ohio; Jones, Miranda Albright, Julie Royston, John cover they had relatives in some, and maybe Camden Vogel, Carter’s cousin from New Jersey; Kim Smith, Carter’s aunt from Ohio; Hopkins, Anita Letterman, and Dottie Hop - several, armed conflicts. Nearly every ceme - Jeff Smith, Carter’s uncle from Ohio; and Elliott Smith, Carter’s cousin from Ohio. kins. Substitutes approved were Ann Stewart, tery in the county has a least one Civil War In the back row, from left to right, are Sharon Kerns, Carter’s paternal grandmother; Becky Pendley, Jamie Hayes, Niki Land, and Veteran, several World War I men killed in Nancy Halliburton, Carter’s maternal great-aunt from Michigan; Kris Vogel, Carter’s Miranda Beaver. action, many WWII men killed in action, aunt from New Jersey; Beth Koop, Carter’s cousin from Michigan; Marilyn Koop, The board approved the following coach - and soldiers from Viet Nam and Iraq that Carter’s maternal grandmother from Ohio; and Tom Koop, Carter’s maternal grand - ing recommendations: were KIA s. These military men, and their father from Ohio. See additional photo and more information on page two. (See ‘SHOALS’ continued on page 2) (See ‘CEREMONIES’ on page 2) page 2 Martin County Journal Wednesday, May 20, 2015 WHEEL TAX (Continued from page one) Collins said council members Barb pay based on a vehicle and not the amount McFeaters and Buck Stiles along with Loo - of wheels/tires on the vehicle. Included in gootee Mayor Noel Harty were the only this tax are buses, recreational vehicles, semi elected officials that attended the cracker bar - tractors, tractors, trailers, and trucks - any - rel session at the fairgrounds when the state thing other than a car, truck, or motorcycle representatives were present. She said that all that is plated counts. the council members should have been there The county wheel tax rate can be between to speak up on behalf of Martin County. $5 and $40 per vehicle. The vehicles cate - “Shame on you, you should have been gories can each have a different rate depend - there,” she said noting that saying this would ing on what the county council decides. It not make her very popular. can also be based on weight. The county After more discussion from the audience, wheel tax does not include vehicles owned Council Member Buck Stiles made a motion by the state such as INDOT snow plow to change the surcharge for motorcycles to trucks; political subdivisions such as police $10 and the maximum amount allowed on all vehicles, any vehicle subject to the annual other vehicles. excise surtax, and buses owned by religious Pat Conner told Stiles that Indiana code -Photo provided or non-profit youth organizations. does not change until after July 1 so the rate This past weekend was the Carter’s Legacy 5K, in honor of Carter Kerns who LOHUT fees are paid at the time of vehicle has to be the same for all vehicles.