Evansville Courier and Press from Evansville, Indiana • 2

The Evansville Courier Tuesday June 16 1987 INDIANA EDITION 'A's-'' 'JL 13 I 1 Electric telephone rates will drop about 5 percent to cut rates to reflect the savings the companies wiU receive because of the tax reform bilL The biU wiU cut the tax rate for most utilities from its current 48 percent to 24 percent The commission however is allowing the rate cut to be implemented in three stages so utilities get caught in a cashflow crunch because of a sudden sharp drop in revenues The second and third phases will take effect Jan 1 1988 and July 1 1988 respectively and those rate reductions wUl be in addition to those which were submitted to the commission on Monday Ben officials estimated total rate reductions of 94595 million after aU three phases are in place For SIGEOO electric customers wiU save a total of 911-9 million and gas customers wiU pocket about 9898000 SIGECO spokeswoman Mary Beth Reese said a typical residential electric customer without electric heat wiU save 93-82 per month assuming 1000 kilowatt hours of electricity are used For those using 800 kilowatt hours the monthly reduction win be 91J1 By LARRY THOMAS Business writer said their initial rate cuts would take effect July 1 plan initially wiU save its 12 million customers more than IS million while SIC ECO said its 110500 electric customers wiU save about 978 million SIGECO's 88700 natural gas customers who wiU get a rate cut of about 12 percent wiU save about 9444000 The new rate schedules were filed in accordance with a June 1 PSC order which required the investor-owned utilities Electric rates and telephone rates will decrease about 8 percent in southwestern Indiana nest month as Indiana utilities begin sharing their savings with customers under the Tax Reform Act of 1988 In separate filings Monday with the state Public Service Commission Indiana Ben and Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Co Residential customers with electric heat win have bills reduced 9127 per month when 1000 kilowatt hours are consumed She said a typical residential gas customer using 28 mcf (thousand cubic feet) wiU save 98 cents per month VyJA Murder charge filed in killing outside tavern Support for P-47 work gotten off ground By BOB PROSKE Courier stall writer CANNELTON Ind A charge of murder has been filed against a Tell City man in the death of William James Landers 24 who was shot outside a Tell City tavern early June 2 Ron Sandage 24 has been charged with murder and his girlfriend Bonnie Sandage 29 has been Charged with aiding and abetting a murder according to PerryCounty Hay The two Prosecutor Norman Hay are not related he said Both are also charged with false reporting Hay said 1 The two are being held without bond in the Perry County JaiL a flatbed truck Whetsd and other supporters mmwd local residents and industry leaden would rally round the idea and support the project with donations and materials But after 42 yean in the drink the plane make for pretty pictures on television and in newspapers and therefore contributions have been few and far between have much faith in getting it fixed up at first he said once I got started it that bad It Just takes time You do it all in five minutes for dan The old aluminum skin of the plane must be peeled off and new skin riveted on piece by piece Boxes and boxes of old parts cover the floor of garage in northern Vanderburgh County looking a lot like the aftermath of a midair collision worry though: Whetsel knows where every piece goes He served as a flight line supervisor at the old Republic plant now the site of Whirlpool Corp for 2Vk years during World War IL wartime job was to make sure the planes were perfect before they were delivered to company test idiots or work on them until they were He worked there until Just after the war when the plant was shut down that was the end of it" he said But the P-47 and Whetsel were to meet again like old friends lost my wife a little while back and if it for this I know what I'd be he said A few local firms have stepped in to help The Garvin Industrial Park is donating space to store the fuselage and wings Tri-State Aero has agreed to refurbish a small part of the plane The University of Southern Indiana is planning to put some engineering students to work on the project But Whetsel a idiot himself said the project could use things like aluminum sheet strong hands and money By JAMES DERK Courier staff writer When Frank Whetsel first dreamed of restoring a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter plane for display at new airport he envisioned a groundswell of public support for the project Instead the retired heating and air-conditioning businessman works mostly alone in his cluttered workshop replacing corroded aluminum panels with new ones bought with his own money in it now for about 28 hundred bucks Whetsel said I mind that What I mind is I saw a newspaper article the other Lday that called this Well if ralhis Is Evansville's P-47 like some Whetsel 78 spends most of his days and some nights in his shop strewn with bite of aluminum steel and machine guns (The plane which was recovered last year after a 42-year bath in a Florida lake was carrying a full load of guns and ammunition when it went down Eight machine guns rusted beyood use lay on the work table waiting for restoration) look down the he tells a visitor a few seconds too late be sure if they're still loaded We're going to get someone from the National Guard to come over" Whetsel said he's not bitter about the lack of public support for the restoration project He said just determined to see it to the end After all he reasons the generations to follow should see firsthand Evansville's con-' tribution to the winning of World War IL Whetsel a former Republic Aviation supervisor was so determined to find a plane for Evansville that he flew to Yugoslavia a communist country to try to find one last year The trip paid for out of his own pocket successful But Whetsel pressed on After be and other supporters found a plane in Florida they took out a 945000 bank loan to buy it Once the plane arrived here on the back of Hay said the charges reflect a different story from what Ms Sandage initially told police Landers was the ex-husband of Bonnie Sandage and before the shooting the three argued for about an bour-and-a-half inside the Downtown Tavern in Tell City Hay said Landers was shot outside the bar After the shooting Hay said Bonnie Sandage claimed she did the shooting However her claim didn't correlate to a subsequent investigation and the false reporting charges were filed Hay said think Hay said of Ms story He said she was her boyfriend would be my think they (Ron and Bonnie Sandage) both had loaded weapons we don't think she Hay said jealousy probably had something to do with the argument starting inside the tavern Courier photo by Sonny I Frank Whetsel with original and restored P-47 stabilizers Trial will be moved gag order is rejected FREEDOM FESTIVAL By BOB PROSKE Courier staff writer Schedule of events or the greater Indianapolis area a change of venue is granted it (the protective order) is not nearly as Foncannon said But he said if a change of venue is not granted a protective order is imperative avoid further prejudicial recklessness and driving with a suspended license He was indicted for allegedly moving the body of Brent Brand 18 from a home on 15 Sinclair SL to a drainage ditch in Lawrence County DL on May 9 1986 Leyendecker and about a dozen others had attended a party on East Sinclair Street where Brand allegedly died 5 Mm 'fS'tfA iVvrta ii raft pySrtiLvij I y'i Monroe Lawrence Orange Jackson and Washington The trial county will be determined through a legal process called Foncannon will have three days in which to eliminate one of the counties Then McGaughey will have three days to eliminate a county then it will be turn until eventually one county wUl be left Theobald rejected request for a protective order though and told the attorneys to instead abide by state Supreme Court guidelines on what attorneys are allowed to say In hearing Foncannon said the publicity would make it for Leyendecker a Louisville Ky resident to obtain a fair trial in Knox County He suggested the trial be in Bloomington Jeffersonville-New Albany VINCENNES Ind Jim Leyen-decker will not be tried in Knox County but lawyers court employees and law officers still will be allowed to make public statements about his case That was the decision of Knox Superior Judge Edward Theobald Monday morning when he granted a motion for a change of venue but rejected a motion for a protective order often called a a pi vCuGsa Both motions were filed June 5 by Leyendecker1 lawyer Scott Foncaimon Both motions were opposed by Knox County Prosecutor Jerry McGaughey Leyendecker 30 was indicted by a Brand's death has remained a mystery A cause of death has never been determined and no other charges have been filed in Indiana Leyendecker is facing a charge in Illinop for moving a body and failure to notify the coroner of moving a body In court documents Foncannon wrote media accounts concerning this cause have contained an undue number of extra-judicial statements by prosecutors and others relating not only to the progress of the investigation but conclusions by said prosecutors and others calculated to prejudice the McGaughey took exception to that statement in his argument before Tbeod-bald prosecutor has never ever made any kind of statements in this case concerning the facts or the In granting a change of venue Monday morning Theobald gave Foncaimon and McGaughey a choice of the following counties in which to try Leyendecker Knox County grand Jury in February on onofj charges of obstruction of justice criminal Today Little Miss Freedom Festival Pageant 7 pm Washington Square Mall Thursday MEC Miss Freedom Festival Pageant 7 pm University Of Shanklin Theatre River City Classic Horse Show Vanderburgh County 4-H Center in Darmstadt 7 pm Friday Ray Charles in Concert 8 pm Vanderburgh Auditorium American Red Cross Donorfest 8 am to 7 pm American Red Cross office 11 Diamond Ave Evansville Bierstube Old Courthouse Lawn 8 pm to 2 am White River Park State Games city wide locations Racquetball Open Tournament Tri-State Racquet Qub all day Flags of the Worid 10 am te 9 pm Washington Square Mall Student Art Show 10 am to 9 pm Town Center North Saturday Formal opening of the Freedom Festival 9 am Civic Center steps Nabisco Parade 10 am downtown Civil War Encampment re-enactment 9 am to 1 1 pm University of Southern Indiana campus Swim Meet 1 pm YMCA Little Thunder RC Boat Regatta 9 am to 8 pm Moutoux Park American Red Cross Donorfest 8 am to 7 pm American Red Cross office 11E Diamond Ave Evansville Bierstube Old Courthouse Lawn 8 pm to 2 am White River Park State Games citywide locations Racquetball Open Tournament Tri-State Racquet Club all day Flags of the World 10 am to 9 pm Washington Square Mali Student Art Show 10 am to 9 pm Town Center North Sunday Civil War Encampment re-enactment 2 ja University of Southern Indiana campus Little 0 tffhunder RC Boat Regatta 9 am to 5 pm Moutoux White River Park State Games citywide locations Racquetball Open Tournament Tri-State Racquet Club all day Flags of the World 10 am to 9 pm Washington Square MalL Student Art Show 10 am to 9 pm Town Center North Lloyd Expressway workers discover human bones Highway area engineer Dale Lucas The graves were found about 200 yards east of Vann Avenue and 50 yards south of Division Street state Highway Department sub-district garage in Evansville said construction may stop on the expressway project today while highway officials investigate the site By MIKE BUCSKO Courier staff writer A human adult-size skull and the of what appears to be a skeleton were found in graves Monday by construction workers along the Lloyd Expressway The bones were found in graves located about 18 feet apart in what was proba- bly an old cemetery on the grounds of the Evansville State Hospital Vanderburgh County Chief Deputy Coroner Rick Woods The remains of 24 people buried in the cemetery were uncovered in October 1984 along the right of way of the expressway project State officials said at the time the state hospital buried more than 200 patients on its grounds between 1895 and 1926 Woods said he transferred the bones to the pathology lab at Deaconess Hospital after he was contacted about 7 JO pm Monday Geo Gossard superintendent of the Gossard said he notified the state Highway Vincennes District office about the discovery of the graves Monday night The site where the graves were discov- ered is about 200 yards from where a groundbreaking ceremony was scheduled The remains found Monday appeared to have been from bodies that were buried in blankets because there no evidence of metal or wood bom a casket Woods said There may be more than two more graves near the site according to information Gossard said he received from the 3-year Warrick school plan Governor heading to the Orient to pitch for Hoosier investments By BETSY STANTON Courier staff writer Lisa Bass a speech pathologist i Lynnville schools Chandler and By CHUCK CLARK Courier lodimipois bureeu South Korea and Taiwan be said are fertile grounds for industrial recruitment And he is hoping to encourage Hong Kong businesses to invest in Indiana as a safeguard for when the region reverts to the control cd Communist China at the end of the century biggest victory hi the battle for businesses from the Orient so far is the 9800 Subaru-Isuxu plant now under construction near Lafayette Ind at asked the board to your priorities in Diving meeting school personnel turned up the air conditioning in the board room which Ms Bass said was She asked what the board planned to do about reviewing energy costs Yankeetown Principal Guy Stephens said honor roll grades seemed to drop during the first and last grading periods of school when the weather was hot Td like to think the heat had something to do with it" he said got their bodies but their minds comments and made the motion not to approve the plan as presented Lowell Gentry asked that the emergency allocation fund remain at 910000 and Wil Beard made the motion to accept the plan with the changes The three-year (dan utilises the capital projects fund which was established by the 1987 Indiana Legislature to replace the cumula-' tive building fund in the school bud- get The fund requires that the Indiana State Tax Commissioners approve the plan before a tax levy and rate are set said Superintendent James Gland Beard said his motion mean he approve the axed projects later The new fund requires that projects be reviewed each year in a public hearing After hearing protesta from several school patrons Beard said he was still confident about his motion Meyer had no comment on the motion and said he wanted to consider the comments made by parents teachers and other school personneL Most patrons who reacted to the decision said air conditioning was a necessity for their schools BOONVILLE Ind The Warrick County School Board approved a three-year school projects plan Monday but voted againrt air conditioning and school additions included in the proposal The board also refused to ap-- prove an emergency allocation 'funded 10 percent of total expenses and allocations for 1988 and approved a fund of 210000 instead The modified plan cuts out proposed construction projects and air conditioning at Chandler Lynn-ville Newburgh and Yankeetown elementary schools and air conditioning at Elberfeld Elementary The board passed the changes by a vote of 8-2 with board prat-dent Mary Reeder and member Dorothy Kroeger opposed Member Jim Lincoln said he needed more information about the cost of air conditioning and if it would take money away from hiring new teachers He also questioned whether building new classrooms to handle more students would be canceled in the future by school redistricting Member Gary Meyer echoed areas we are visiting (except Japan) are places we previously been overly involved in in trying to encourage direct Orr said in an interview actively working in Japan but we see these other locations as having great potential for our Orr said he was considering an expansion of Indiana's permanent office in Tokyo which opened in October 1980 to include a full-time industrial recruiter in Taiwan and poesibly a part-time office in China going an the hot trail for industries that may be only opening the door to begin with considering an investment in this he said job is to fend off Illinois or Kentucky or someplace and make sure they consider Indiana more so-riously than the He said every state is going after Far East investment with a vengeance and Indiana must keep pace to draw those prospects to Hoosier soiL When Japan office opened it was the 12th state to have a presence In that country he said now there are at least 30 Body found INDIANAPOLIS For months Gov Robert IX Orr has been preaching that Indiana's economic health depends on being able to compete on a playing field as big as the globe This week the 69-yeamld governor takes to that field full force kicking off a 20-day mission" to the Orient On the trip Orr will visit Tokyo and Ota in Japan Seoul in South Korea Taipei in Taiwan and Hong Kong the British colony at the tip of rfiiif Orr leava the state today to travel to Portland Oregon personal busi-ness and will leave the country from Oregon and meet the rest of the Hoosier delegation in Japan on Saturday They will return July 9 Dollyne PettingiU Orr press secretary said officials have kept watch on the rioting in Seoul but are not overly concerned that the governor's minion could be hampered by the civil strife She said plan call for Orr to stay away from downtown where the outbreaks have occurred Shirley Atwood president of the Chandler Parents and Thackers said temperatures reached 100 in the gym where the students also ate lunch Students were tired and sick to their stomachs from the beat she said money are we talking about spending the taxpayers' or the she asked Newburgh Principal Rick Reed said be agreed with the need for air conditioning but was also concerned about an addition to his schooL The body of a Bicknell Indiana who drowned in the White River Sunday night was recovered at 2:05 am Monday morning John Summers 28 apparently was working with two friends on a boat dock in the west fork of the river when he fell in said Scott Wilson Knox County conservation officer Wilson said Summers resurfaced one time and called for help friends dived in to help him hut find him Wilson said.