The Clark County Sheriff’s Office would like the members in their community, especially those who live in or around New Washington area to know that two persons of interest are both back in custody.
    At the time of this release, burglary/theft suspect Adrian May is currently being held in the Clark County Jail. May was picked up on August 8 by Sheriff’s deputies without incident. May was re-arrested on an outstanding warrant for Violating Conditions of Bond, and is currently being held without bond.
    The second person of interest is Justin K. Simpson. As earlier reported Simpson was released on a low bond after an original charge of Attempted Murder was dropped by the court. However, since then the original charge of Attempted Murder has been re-filed along with other charges Simpson was facing. Currently Simpson is being held at the Jefferson County Jail in Madison on an outstanding warrant from that jurisdiction. A hold has been placed on Simpson and it is anticipated that Simpson will be back in custody of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, and incarcerated in the Clark County Jail later. Simpson will be eligible for bond , however this time it will be significantly higher at $75,000.00 cash only. All charges that were originally filed in Clark County Sheriff’s Office will be the charges Simpson will once again face.

 

    The River Ridge Development Authority has received ownership of another 577 acres of real estate at the former Army ammunition plant in Clark County. Assistant Secretary of the Army, Joseph Whitaker, signed the deeds in Washington on August 4. The Authority will pay the Army $1,167 per acre for a total of $673,359. The additional deed brings the total acreage owned by the Authority to 2,925. The purchase land is centrally located in the southern end of the property and is identified as Parcels G-1 and G-2 on the map.
    The Authority expects an additional 132 acres tract to be transferred from the Army later in 2006. The Authority leases another 2.979 acres from the Army. The remaining leased and will be eventually sold to River Ridge after the Army completes additional environmental clean-up work over the next decade.
    Payments are deferred for 10 years without interest or until the property is resold. The resale price to businesses and developers wanting to locate to River Ridge will be based on an independent professional appraisal. The Authority will need to make significant infrastructure improvements to the newly acquired land to make it suitable for business development. Obtaining title to the real estate is very important to the River Ridge Development Authority. Most of its prospects are seeking to purchase rather than lease the land. Ownership allows the Authority to offer the property for sale to prospective businesses and developers.
    Since obtaining title to its initial land in April 2005, the Authority has sold 68 acres to Capstone Realty and 12 acres to Robert E. Libs. Capstone is currently developing over one million square feet of industrial type building space. IDX is the first Capstone tenant and the company will occupy 320,000 square feet of the space. Robert E. Libs is developing two speculative industrial buildings. One will be 100,000 square feet in size and the other will be 20,000 square feet expandable to 50,000 square feet.
    There are 42 existing tenants at River Ridge that lease some of the former Army buildings. The tenants employ around 820 workers on the property and collectively pay around $1,800,00 per year in rent. The rent received form tenants is invested back into the property. Otherwise, it is owed to the Army.
    The River Ridge Development Authority is a public development agency responsible for acquiring the old ammunition plant from the Army, getting the property into a usable condition, and reselling it for private sector development as a modern business park. The Authority Board of Directors is appointed by the City of Jeffersonville, City of Charlestown, Town of Utica, Clark County Commissioners, and the Indiana Port Commission.
    For more information contact Marc Elliott, Executive Director, River Ridge Development Authority at 812-285-8979, extension 100.

    The first Falls canoe adventure in 2006 will be Saturday, August 26.
   Canoe Hike in the unique Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area. The group canoes in calm waters where no large boats are allowed, then hike around on fossil beds that are not usually accessible by foot. With the canoes, they cover a lot of territory in a short amount of time, and often get a close up look at shore birds and wading birds, such as the Great Blue Heron.
   Meet at the Interpretive Center at 9 a.m. and caravan to the river together or meet at the boat ramp on Harrison Avenue at 9:30 a.m. They plan to return around noon.
   It is a good idea to call on Friday (812-280-9970) to make sure the river level is safe for boating. Bring your own canoe and PFD (life jacket), water to drink and sun protection.
   If you don’t have a boat of your own, you can rent a canoe or kayak through Canoe Kentucky. Call 888-CANOEKY to make your reservation.
   The Natural Wildlife Conservation Area covers 1,404 acres and the group visits about a quarter of it. Usually there are a dozen canoes, most with one person, some with two or three. Ages range from kids to grandparents (anyone under 16 must be accompanied by an adult). They put in at the George Rogers Clark Home Site by 9:30 a.m. and spend about three hours exploring. Those in front are the ones to get a close up look at Great Blue Herons, Turkey Vultures and Double Crested Cormorants, if they are quiet! A naturalist relates stories about the natural and cultural history of the area to those who are interested. Occasionally they pull up to a rock formation and explore on foot, discovering fossils that are seldom seen by visitors.
   The motive for offering these "Hikes" is to introduce canoers to a safe and interesting place to go right in the middle of Greater Louisville. Most people would never think of canoeing on the Ohio River because the barge traffic makes it so dangerous. The Conservation Area is a part of the river that is only open to small boats, is quite safe and has lots to see, including unusual rock formations, three islands, a dike over 100 years old, and a great variety of birds and plants.
   2006 Canoe Hike schedule is: August 26, September 9 and October 7.