The Daily Journal from Franklin, Indiana • Page 1

Johnson county's top ten stories for 7 970 1. First Lady Pal Nixon visits Greenwood (November) I. Drug arrests plagued county (October-November) 3. Three masked bandits robbed the Nineveh branch of the Franklin Bank and Trust company (December) 4. Johnson county donations poured in for heart patient Steven Fleener (November-December) i 5.

A decennial census put Johnson county's population at more than 60,000 (July) 6. State police raided "The Tree House," arresting teen-agers (April); 7. Republicans again swept Johnson county's top offices in the elections (November). 8. New emergency ambulance service plan put Into effect (October) 9.

The "Hatchet' man repeatedly eluded authorities after cutting telephone cables and wires (July-August) 10. Governor Whltcomb honored the Franklin College bowl team (December). First Lady's visit county's top news story The First Lady's visit in Greenwood, drug arrests in signed autographs, and greeted several hundred people at the shopping center, while under heavy security guard. In second place in The Daily Journal top news stories poll was the alarming increase in drug arrests which made the headlines repeatedly during October and November. The drug arrests included five high school students from two high schools.

Thirteen persons were arrested in an eight-. week period. Two of the youths served jail sentences for several days before Christmas after appearing in Juvenile court for possessing marijuana. For the 17-year-olds it was their first criminal offense. i Three masked bandits robbed the Nineveh branch of the Franklin Bank and Trust Company on Dec.

18, 1970, and the event was voted the third best news story of the year in Johnson county. Four suspects are currently awaiting court trials in connection with the holdup. In the daring daylight robbery armed bandits forced employes, the bank manager, and two customers to lie on the floor at gunpoint. Donations poured in from all parts of Johnson county to (Continued on back page, col. 4) volving high school and college students in the and the daring Nineveh branch bank robbery were the top news stories of 1970 in Johnson county according to a poll of the staff of The Daily Journal.

Mrs. Richard Nixon visited the Greenwood Center on October 28, a week before Election Day; her visit was rated the top news story of the year. "Pat" came to Indiana and Johnson county in support of the election of Republican U.S. Senatorial candidate Richard L. Roudebush.

While in the county the President's wife shook hands, Yin 10 Vol. 8, No. 137 Franklin Greenwood, Indiana, Thursday, December 31. 1970 Expl osiom rips mine i lec men aeaa wing By HERBERT L. SPARROW HYDEN, Ky.

(UPI) An explosion ripped through two shafts of a soft coal mine Wednesday. I II IJ IIU1ILIIII.II IIIIIUIIIII.I.III I I lllll.l III l.lll III imn iiiiimh.thiiiupi.i i I ir; iM.W. mnmi-minr-i itm.i in. in. killing 38 trapped men and spewing a pillar of coal dust "like a tornado" high above a bleak Appalachian investigation would begin at 10 ajn.

Saturday at the mine site. He said teams of investigators would enter the shafts in an attempt to determine what caused the explosion. One miner, who stood just outside the mine opening as the explosion hit' described it: "A bale of smoke and soot as big to the opposite face of the hollow, leafless trees with dust and mine debris. Nunn arrived early Wednesday evening and visited in a makeshift morgue in an elementary school with the families of the first three victims whose bodies were recovered. The governor gave a mountainside.

Grieving relatives gathered at Appalachian community in the heart of the southeastern Kentucky coal fields. James Westfield, assistant director of the U.S. Bureau of Mines, said a joint state-federal as a mine hole roared out the mine like a tornado." of report on the disaster to President Nixon from a road- the mouth of the mine shafts as soot-covered workers labored through -the night recovering bodies from the second worst mining disaster in Kentucky history. He said the huge cloud blew side telephone booth. "Oh, Lord, be with my boy! Oh, Lord, be with my boy!" the mother of one of the trapped miners wailed, over and over.

(Daily Journal photo) One man, working Just inside Tournament champions New Whiteland plans increased sewer rates the mine mouth, survived, H.T. Collins, who was only a few feet from the opening, fled when he heard the Franklin College basketball coach Thompson ahd his Grizzly cagers are shown immediately after winning the championship of the Millikin University Holiday tournament Wednesday in Decatur. Illinois. The Grizzlies defeated host Millikin Tuesday by a 101-87 count, and then ripped up the Ripon Redmen in the championship game on Wednesday by a 103-92 score. Details and more photos on page 12 of today's Journal.

Officials said if he had been any deeper in the shaft he would have died. By STEVE WILSON Sewer rates could increase by as much as 64.4 per cent in New Whiteland next year as the town begins construction on a giant sewage plant expansion State mining officials, who rushed to this Appalachian Social Security cost climbs hamlet of 400 persons in project, mandated by the Indiana State Stream Pollution Control Board. southeastern Kentucky, said the victims died instantly. They speculated a faulty dynamite mendations made by the town's The proposed increase, needed to pay off an estimated $350,000 ut withholding to decline utilities auditor for financing the charge or an electrical failure triggered the blast. expansion project.

To start delivery of your Daily Journal, or if your Daily Journal is not delivered by 6:00 p.m. each day TELEPHONE FRANKLIN 736-7101 GREENWOOD 535-7541 EDINBURG 526-5859 Between 6:00 and 6:30 p.m. Gov. Louie B. Nunn flew here bond issue for financing the project, could raise the town's present sewer rates from $5.25 to The auditor, William and several Improvements to allow sizeable future expansion of the town.

The rate increase to pay for the project would probably take effect next spring after final plans are approved and before actual construction begins. (Continued on back page, col. 5) Another bank to be built New Whiteland may have their Crawford, a certified public to organize recovery of the bodies. $8.65 per month. accountant in Greenwood, said In his report that the $8.65 rate is i I i Town officials released the By 9:45 ajn.

today mine proposed rate hike Wednesday night at a town board meeting based on a $350,000 bond issue at an assumed interest rate of six rescue crews brought all 38 bodies to the surface from the Finley Coal Co. mine near this where they revealed recom per cent. Town officials pointed out the rate is also based on New Regardless of what Congress does with pending Social Security legislation, payroll deductions for Social Security arid Medicare will rise automatically Jan. 1 from 4.8 to 5.2 per cent on both employes and employers. This increase is provided under existing law.

Those paying the maximum payroll tax $7,800 a year or more will pay an additional $31.20 a year in Social Security taxes because of this 0.4 rise in the tax rate. Their employers (Continued on back page, col. 8) WASHINGTON (UPI) -On New Year's Day, the government begins a financial juggling act with the American worker's paycheck. Social Security taxes will increase, but income tax withholding rates decrease. The "point is roughly $150 a week $7,800 a year.

Generally, if you make more than that, more money will disappear weekly from your paycheck than for the same salary last year. If you make less, your take home pay will increase. Whiteland's present number of housing units and could be decreased as the town continues to grow. It was also brought out at the meeting that any slcnif icant future erowlh must be own bank by the fall of 1971, it was learned Wednesday. Officials with the Edinburg halted in the town until the project is at least under State Bank in Johnson county The town's present sewage announced Wednesday afternoon they have applied to the State Department of Financial Institutions and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation facilities, constructed in 1955-56, No one ta I kin' have been blamed by the Stream Weather: Pollution Control Board for tor permission to establtsn a branch bank in the town of New polluting Grassy Fork Creek in Johnson county.

Last October, the board issued a pollution Whiteland. on appointments The bank, to be called The New Whiteland Bank, would be located at the corner of Tracy and Warwick Roads, just west of abatement order against the town and ordered the town to take necessary precautions to halt pollution of the nearby stream. Tracy Plaza shopping center. With appointments to various city and county boards, commissions and offices, scheduled to be made Jan. 1, the county commissioners and the mayors of Franklin and Greenwood were Hearing before the State Later, the board set a Dec.

31 Department of Financial In deadline for submission of final plans on the project and ordered mum today on who will be selected to serve in the various the town to begin construction no later than June 1, 1971 and completion of the project no later capacities of local government next year. than June 1, 1972. names of the appointments to be made tomorrow. He indicated that in at least one position to be filled by the commissioners, the county board at that time had not yet reached a definite decision on who will fill the post. While there are several positions to be filled by the commissioners, most are expected to be simple reappointments.

However, former Johnson County Building Commissioner, Ray Hendricks, now a member of the County Council, resigned his office last fall and. as of todaythe commissioners have not named his replacement. Outgoing Republican Sheriff Arthur D. Worrick has been Although the appointments to Mostly cloudy and cool with snow likely and snow accumulating nearly one inch today. Clearing and colder tonight Mostly, sunny and warmer Friday.

Easterly winds 8 to 18 m.p.h. today becoming north to northeast tonight Highs today 30 to 35. Lows tonight 23 to 28. Highs Friday 38 to 43. Precipitation probabilities: 60 per cent today, 20 tonight and 10 Friday.

Outlook: Cloudy Saturday with a chance of rain late in the day, continuing early Sunday, changing to snow late Sunday and diminishing to flurries and turning colder Monday. Lows in the0s Saturday morning, in the 30s Sunday morning and in the upper 20s Monday morning. Highs will be in the 40s to around 50 Saturday and Sunday and in the upper 30s to around 40 Monday. It was learned today, however, county offices will be made that due to delays in the compilation of final plans the town i yv Is -1 "i Friday morning by the Johnson County Board of Commissioners, there was no preview released today as to who will fill those has requested a 60-day extension on the Dec. 31 deadline, but hopes to submit the plans sometime next month.

stitutions is set for Jan. 22 and officials at the Edinburg bank are openly optimistic about the outcome of the hearing. Subsequent to approval from the state, a hearing will be held before FDIC representatives, probably in February. Ronald Seals, a 32-year-old president of The Edinburg State Bank, said Wednesday that if the application Is approved by state and federal authorities, conr struction will probably begin in April or May with completion due in the early fall of 1971. According to Seals, his bank is the first ever to.

apply for a banking facility in the town of New Whiteland. He said bank officials have been working on the project since last August and the bank's board offices. In Greenwood and Franklin, James D. Acher, attorney for the appointments will not be made until Jan. 4 or later.

the town board, said Thursday that the delay in submission of final plans should not have any Norman McMillin, a member of the county commissioners, mentioned as a possible candidate for the job, but when when questioned by The Journal Thursday morning said he was hesitant about releasing the of directors approved the trans Insfte Today: 1 action in September. Ap plication before the two boards effect on the construction deadlines. The overall project, estimated to cost between $350,000 and $400,000, includes doubling the size of the town's present plant Find auto stripped, burned Greenwood city police found a 1966 Pontiac Tempest reported by Gordon N. Gant, 17, New Whiteland, stripped and burned after the car was stolen from the Greenwood Center parking lot at 9:05 Wednesday. I was made this month.

Seals said the bank will be contacted at his office today, Worrick told a reporter he would have to wait until Friday to find out if the sheriff would get the building commissioner's post. Eugene. Barger, another member of the county commissioners, said today there was little doubt as to who would receive the county office appointments, but the commissioners felt the announcements should be withheld until after the appointments are actually made. Maurice McCarty, chairman of the commissioners, was not (Continued on back page, col. 2) located in One of the fastest growing areas in the state and the town is definitely in need of Chronology world news, page 1 1 county news, page 9 and, 10, picture features, 8.

Ollie the Aussie will go to Sunday school, page 2. Sluggish economy affects farm market, page 3.. Franklin College wins holiday crown at Decatur, page 1 2. They had spectators too their own banking facility. He said the bank is planning a facility that can be expanded to There was a hockey game played at a pond at El Dorad 'Country Club Wednesday as county students celebrated their Christmas holid Vacation.

Dan Ochse, center, played the game a while and then took these two lasses on a skating tour of the ice. At the left is Diane Sheek and on the right' Oebby Ochse. (Continued on back page, col. 3).