PRAY 4 PAYTON

PRAY 4 PAYTON.   Have you seen these words all over Newburgh?  It is written on the windshields of cars.  It’s spelled out with cups in the fence of Castle High School.  It’s all over Facebook and more.   If you don’t have a student at Castle, you may not know who Payton is.  Payton Kalb is going to be a Junior at Castle High School.  Two weeks ago she was driving to cheerleading practice at 6:15 a.m. and was struck by a semi truck on SR 66.  By the grace of God she survived the crash.  She was taken to St. Mary’s hospital, then immediately air lifted to Cincinnati Children's Hospital.  

Here is a quote from her mom detailing Payton’s injuries:

“So with a displaced fracture in her jaw, every ligament in her neck torn, 10 days post occipital spine surgery, no speaking voice due to damaged vocal cords (hopefully temporary), bruised lungs, multiple fractures in her pelvis and tail bone, a broken tibia, very limited movement on her left side, and many other bruises and cuts...She says "I'm really doing well". I saw that and just Praised The Lord!!!  “

I don’t personally know Payton or her family, Sean and Kristie Georges are her parents.  They are best friends with one of my friends, however.  I am following their story on caringbridge.org .  I do know that they would appreciate any and all prayers that could be lifted up their way for Payton.  

 If you would like to follow her progress, sign in to her CaringBridge site. It's paytonkalb.

Thanks!

Jodie

Flooding along the Ohio

Rain, Rain, Go Away, come again another day!  Here in southern Indiana, as in many places in the mid-west we have seen our fair share of rain during the month of April and already 5 inches have fallen the first 2 days of May.  I went to downtown to the Old Newburgh  Lock and Dam to see the swollen Ohio River and walk along it banks.  I was amazed at the amount of water there is.  I did not take my camera, but I had my cell phone.  So come along with me and see what I saw.....


The water is normally quite a distance from that park bench.

The banks of the river are washing away in chunks!

The amount of debris was amazing!

This is a view of the boat ramp.  Normally there is a driveway just before that leaning pine tree where you exit with your boat trailer.    To the right of that leaning pine tree is a huge parking lot and the ramp, now underwater.

To the right of the sign, between the chain area, is where you would have driven up a long winding steep hill to exit with your boat trailer.

The Old Lock and Dam building's basement is under water.

You can see right through the basement windows.

Flag in the park area.  Unfortunately the park is underwater.

The following photos and information is from the Evansville Courier and Press Newspaper

DENNY SIMMONS / Courier & Press
A sidewalk is buckled after nearly half of the hill at the Newburgh Old Lock and Dam Park — saturated from the rain — let loose and slid down the hill. Vectren workers were on hand on Tuesday to turn off the gas lines that ruptured during the landslide.

One of two houses atop the hill at Newburgh's Old Lock and Dam Park sits about 20 yards from where a huge section of dirt and grass slid about a foot downhill.

A part of the parking lot atop Newburgh's Old Lock and Dam Park collapsed — as nearly half of the park's hill did — and created a landslide Tuesday.

Randy A. VanWynsberghe photography
The flooded Ohio River is seen looking north toward Evansville's downtown on Tuesday afternoon

DENNY SIMMONS / Courier & Press
The confluence of the Wabash River, left, and the Ohio River, right, covers miles of farmland and is backing up water upriver from both watery thoroughfares.

DENNY SIMMONS / Courier & Press
Ellis Park Race track is surrounded by the muddy floodwaters of the Ohio River Thursday morning. The infield is also flooded with seepage from the river and U.S. 41 has been unaffected so far.