Governor Mike Pence today joined state and local leaders to open I-69 Section 4 in Greene and Monroe counties. Following today’s ceremony, Governor Pence led a caravan to open the new 27 miles between U.S. 231 near Naval Support Activity Crane and State Road 37 south of Bloomington.

“Hoosiers know that roads mean jobs, and this new interstate section is a key component to the economic vitality and development of southwest Indiana,” said Governor Pence. “Finishing what we’ve started with I-69 will connect an entire region of our state with improved access to jobs, education and healthcare.”

Purdue University researchers tracked State Road 45 travel times within the past month and predict that the new I-69 section opening today will save commuters, on average, 18 minutes of travel-time. Purdue performed a similar study before the first I-69 sections opened in 2012 and estimated a 38-minute travel-time savings between Evansville and Crane.

“Projects like I-69 illustrate the Indiana Department of Transportation’s strong commitment to modernizing Indiana’s transportation infrastructure,” Indiana Department of Transportation Commissioner Brandye Hendrickson said. “The more than $1 billion invested in Indiana’s roads over the last two years combined with Governor Pence’s 21st Century Crossroads plan have Indiana positioned to remain the Crossroads of America for generations.”

The new I-69 section has three new exits at State Road 45, State Road 445 and State Road 37. Teardrop-shaped roundabouts are used to control State Road 445 traffic at the I-69 Exit 104 ramps near the Greene-Monroe county line.

“The new I-69 will easily connect the third largest naval installation in the world’s national experts with DoD, industrial and academic leaders to develop advanced war-fighting technology,” said Capt. JT Elder, commanding officer for the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division.

“Our infrastructure is one of the many reasons Indiana is recognized as a great place to do business,” said Becky Skillman, former Lieutenant Governor and president and CEO of Radius Indiana. “This new-terrain interstate with sections wide open for development will be a game changer for many communities.”

“Interstate 69 construction continues to progress north at a steady clip,” said Kevin Brinegar, chair of the Hoosier Voices for I-69 Board of Directors. “Today’s opening of I-69 Section 4 is the first, important link in establishing a direct, four-lane that connects Evansville and Indianapolis with the global economy.”

Although Section 4 is now open to traffic, I-69 construction continues. Inspections and punch-list items will require occasional lane closures into 2016 between Crane and Bloomington. Traffic should expect delays at traffic shifts and lane closures as State Road 37 is upgraded to I-69 from Bloomington to Martinsville.

For more about the I-69 extension in southwest Indiana, visit www.i69indyevn.org, and a video to assist in navigating the new roundabout interchange can be found here: https://youtu.be/x70zD6ntRuU

Aerial footage of the new I-69 section, including 360-degree views of exits and major bridges can be found athttps://youtu.be/41Pqh2DHsK4.

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Evansville Police were called to 410 N Barker at 1:00 this afternoon on a complaint of a person with a gun. A postal worker called 911 when 59 year old MARK ALAN SMITH confronted him when he delivered mail to Smith’s home.
The postal worker told officers he had just delivered Smith’s mail when Smith came out and began yelling at him about breaking into his garage. Smith was armed with a .22 rifle and was pointing it at him.
Smith called 911 during the encounter and told a dispatcher that the mailman was breaking into his garage, but police did not find any evidence of a break in. Smith also told the dispatcher that he was armed and was holding the mailman at gunpoint.
Officers determined the mailman was simply delivering the mail when Smith confronted him. The rifle was seized and Smith was arrested for Intimidation with a Weapon.

 

PROFILE OF EVANSVILLE BUSINESSMAN DENNIS GATES

Successful Evansville business man, Dennis Gates, says the idea for the creation of the Jack Henry Gates Memorial Community Laundromat, “ must have been a God thing.” He tells us that he was simply doing what he frequently does as a contractor and real estate developer, driving around looking for available property with potential when he spied the small building on Columbia Street, just west of Governor Street.

After looking at the property and realizing it had been used as a laundromat, he made an offer on it. After the offer was accepted, Dennis decided that the laundromat was too small to make a profit. That is when the door opened to idea of making it a non-profit to benefit the less fortunate of the city came to him. He ran the idea past his wife, Shelley, she at first thought he was out of his mind. When she saw that he was serious about giving back to the community that had been so kind to them, Mrs. Gates was immediately “on board”the idea. Her husband credits her support with making fulfillment of his idea happen. It took about a year to do the repairs to the building and machines, and meet the requirements of the City to open. He said he had to provide more paved parking than was available, so he had to buy and raze the house next door and then pave the vacant lot. Overall, though, Mr. Gates tells us that he felt the City was very cooperative in getting the facility open in November of this year.

The impact of the new non-profit laundromat has already been felt in the community. The first plan was for churches and community organizations to distribute tokens for use at the laundromat, but it soon became obvious that people were coming directly to the laundromat, so now tokens are available on site, too. The tokens are given in packages of five and ten, and only one token is needed per load of laundry. Dennis stops by for a short time a couple of times a day, and he told us that it is not unusual for men to come in and strip down to a pair of basketball shorts before washing. He also told us of a couple who showed up before opening one morning with several shopping carts of clothes. He said the woman told him how glad she is to have clean clothes now, because she feels so much better about herself when she does.

The name of the Jack Henry Gates Memorial Community Laundromat came about when Dennis discussed the idea of honoring his late father with his brother and mother. They settled on the name together and take great pleasure in remembering him in this way.

Dennis tells us that the family moved to Evansville from St. Louis when he was in third grade. The family settled in a house on Adams Ave. and he attended Stanley Hall and Bosse. His father was proprietor of American Pallet, and his mother also worked in the business. At age 21, in 1977, Dennis began his construction business. Over the years, he has also established a plumbing business and ACE roofing. His wife, Shelley, has been a nurse practitioner for 17 years. There are three Gates’ sons, ages
30, 19, and 9. The eldest son has recently left the military and is settling with his family in the Washington, DC area, where he will be working in a military related job. The 19 year old is a student at UK, with future plans to become an attorney. The youngest is a fourth-grader who aspires to play for the Cardinals.

FOOTNOTE:  The of “Profile Of Successful Evansville Business” people is going to be a weekly series by the City County Observer so we can introduce you to people you should know.

Governor Mike Pence will join state and local leaders to cut the ribbon for I-69 Section 4 in Greene and Monroe counties. Following the ceremony, Governor Pence will lead a caravan of vehicles to open the new 27-mile stretch between U.S. 231 near Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division and State Road 37 south of Bloomington. Details below.

Wednesday, December 9: 

11:30 a.m. EST – Governor Pence to cut the ribbon for I-69 Section 4 in Greene and Monroe counties

*Media are welcome to attend.

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