The Indiana Department of Transportation will restrict Interstate 65 travel lanes between mile markers 31.5 and 43.5 next week as construction operations on the $54.7 million I-65 rehabilitation project between State Road 56 in Scott County and U.S. 50 in Jackson County nears its conclusion.
Single lane closures begin at 6 a.m.Tuesday (APRIL 7) and end at 1 p.m.Friday (APRIL 10).
I-65 northbound left lane between mile markers 31.5 and 34.5
I-65 northbound left lane between mile markers 38.5 and 43.5
I-65 southbound right lane between mile markers 38.5 and 43.5 MM—switching to the southbound left lane in late afternoon on Tuesday
John R. Jurgensen, the state’s contractor, has repaired and produced a function overlay (two lifts of asphalt pavement over existing roadbed) on 21 miles of I-65 between Seymour and Scottsburg. It has also refurbished 10 bridge sets (20 bridges) during two years of construction operations.
Together with a host of providers of autism services, programs, support and resources from across the Hoosier state, the Autism Society of Indiana (ASI) today announced plans for the 2015 Southern Indiana Autism Expo that is scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 11th from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the French Lick Springs Hotel – located at 8670 West State Road 56 in French Lick.
The event is free for all attendees and it is an excellent opportunity for people affected by autism and their families to receive helpful information, tools and other services and resources that are available throughout Southern Indiana and the surrounding areas.
For the latest information regarding the event, visit ASI’s website at: www.inautism.org or to register as an attendee, follow this link to: Attendee Registration.
“On behalf of the Autism Society of Indiana, we are pleased and excited to provide an opportunity for people living in Southern Indiana, who are on the autism spectrum and their families with an event – the sole purpose of which is to provide them with every available resource, as well as the services, tools and programs to help provide them with the highest level of support they need as part of their everyday lives,” said Dana Renay, chief executive ally, Autism Society of Indiana.
Renay said that exhibitors, interested in participating in the event, are welcome to visit ASI’s website – www.inautism.org – for more information about exhibit space. For profit and nonprofit organizations and companies are welcome and space can be reserved and paid for online. The deadline for reserving exhibit space is Friday, April 10th. Exhibitors interested in purchasing space can contact Kelli Higgins at (800) 609-8449, ext. 44.
Sections of Interstate 64 in Perry and Dubois County are being closed this morning due to flooding. Westbound traffic on I-64 is being diverted at the 79 mile marker north onto State Road 37.
Motorists are asked to proceed north on SR 37 until State Road 64, at which drivers can travel west to State Road 162. Travel south on SR 162 to I-64 at the 63 mile marker.
Flood water has risen over the westbound lanes between the 67 and 68 mile markers, making it impassable.
The Indiana State Police wants to remind all motorists to use extreme caution while traveling in flash flooded areas. Never drive into high water.
Instructions:
Interstate 64 westbound is CLOSED at the 79 mile marker. Detour at the 79 MM north onto State Road 37. Travel north on SR 37 to State Road 64. Proceed west to State Road 162 and south on SR 162 to reconnect with I-64 at the 63 MM.
A Lanesville mother was arrested Wednesday on multiple charges after a search uncovered methamphetamine and meth lab materials at her residence.
Amanda Berkley, 33, 7426 Main Street in Lanesville, was arrested on the following charges: Possession of Precursors with the intent to Manufacture – Level 6 Felony, Possession of Methamphetamine – Level 6 Felony, Maintaining a Common Nuisance – Level 6 Felony, Neglect of a Dependent – Level 6 Felony, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Class A Misdemeanor.
On April 1, 2015 troopers from the Indiana State Police Meth Suppression Section assisted officers from the Harrison County Probation Department while conducting a home visit at Berkley’s home in Lanesville.
During their investigation troopers obtained a search warrant for the residence and methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and precursors to manufacture methamphetamine were located.
Berkley’s minor children were removed from the residence in accordance with Indiana’s Drug Endangered Children Policy and were placed in the custody of a family member.
Living with a disability can be a real challenge, Kevin Burk said Thursday in a press conference announcing a new emergency form that could help save the lives of those disabled.
“It takes heart, takes spirit, a lot of courage…the most important thing it takes is the help of a good support team,” said Burk, who is the Washington County Coordinator for the Southern Indiana Center for Independent Living.
Washington County Emergency Management Director Desi Alexander, Police Chief Troy Merry and Fire Chief Tom Day will work with Kevin Burk, the Washington County Coordinator for SICIL develop a form that will provide additional information for disabled residents. The information will help emergency personnel be able to act quicker to save these residents in times of emergencies.
“We came up with this idea – the emergency ADA form…. that hopefully will help those with disabilities become more independent and get help in the need of an emergency,” said Burk.
He’s doing that by working to come up with an information database for those disabled residents in the community. The form is to assist Washington County Emergency Services in more effectively responding to an emergency situation that a disabled person may experience.
“All our lives we’ve been taught what to do In case of a fire,” Burk noted. “We’ve been taught there is a place you can meet outside. Those who are disabled can’t easily do that. What would that plan entail if you physically could not get out of the house in case of a fire? Or if you could not mentally process what was going on? This form will help get information to those who can help you.”
The purpose is to ensure that 911 dispatches and emergency response personnel are aware, in advance, of any information the public feels would be helpful.
Information includes the name, age and physical description of all those in the household as well as telephones numbers, emails, etc.
Burk said he contacted Salem Police Chief Troy Merry and Salem Fire Chief Tom Day after a city council meeting last year and quickly sold them on the idea.
“Kevin had a great idea when he came up with this,” said Day. “I don’t know why we didn’t think of this years ago, but sometimes it takes someone from a different outlook. It’s going to help the disabled community and I’m so happy that it’s information that’s going to help us. We only know what [information] we’re given through that radio.”
The four-page form is available at the Salem Police Department, City Hall, Salem Fire Department and the Washington County Detention Center. (A digital copy is also available at wslmradio.com – linked from this story)
Disabled residents in the community are asked to fill out the forms and return them to the Sheriff’s Department where the information will be made available to 911 dispatchers.
Another important feature of the form is letting 911 dispatchers know what room in the house a particular person likes to be in.
Day said he immediately saw a huge benefit. “When we’re on the way to an accident scene, this information is what we normally are trying to track down on the way,” he said during a meeting in City Hall on Thursday. “Everything like this helps us prepare for what we will find on the scene of a fire, accident or some other scene. “
Kevin said he had heard about it in a meeting and began thinking of his families own emergency plan.
“I’ve had this conversation with my wife. What would happen if our house caught fire? I was born with muscular dystrophy. My wife would have to make a decision to leave me and go save our kids. I would be waiting for the emergency personnel to come and save me,” said Burk. “Any information they had about where I was at in the house, would help them find me and get me out quicker.”
Day was quick to point out the form is not mandatory – “This is strictly voluntary,” he said. “And we’re not saying you’re going to get a better service if you fill this information out….but it will give us more information which can help us help you more.”
Merry added that any information is great information in the face of the unknown.
“The best time we have for information is on the way to a scene. This right here is going to fill us in on a lot of information,” said Merry. “When we get to the scene, there isn’t a lot of time to find out information. This is going to help us a lot.”
Merry said the Salem Police Department responds to a lot of calls where friends, relatives and neighbors request a safety check on residents.
“A neighbor hasn’t seen someone in a few days,” said Merry. “If this tells us what room someone is regularly found in, then it’s going to help us track them down. Or if we have someone who likes to wander off, then we’ll be able to know they might not be in a house during a fire and expand our search elsewhere. Dispatch is going to have a wealth of information now.”
Day said the database information will work well for the EMS, too.
“There is an increase in those who are obese and if the EMS has to deal with an obese person, sometimes they need to call the fire department for help. With this, they might be able to know what the situation is and call us out at the same time which is going to save time.”
When 911 was established in the early 90s in Washington County, officials collected information from residents about who was in their homes, what kind of hazardous chemicals or flammable materials might be at their homes, in garages or barns.
Desi Alexander, Washington County Emergency Management Director said in many cases this information is outdated. “People have moved and the information hasn’t been updated. We are working to update that information.”
The National Weather Service serving Louisville and Washington and Orange Counties will host a weather spotter class at the Washington County Sheriff’s Department on Thursday, April 9 at 6:30p.
It will take place in the Superior Court Room.
To register, please call 812.883.2834 or 812.883.49
An early morning traffic stop ended with a Louisville, KY man being jailed on drug and weapons charges.
Tyler A. Martin, 18, 1134 Lehigh Avenue, Louisville, KY , is in the Spencer County Jail on charges of Possession of Marijuana, Class A Misdemeanor and Possession of a Handgun without a Permit, Class A Misdemeanor.
At 12:31 this morning, Trooper Ross Johnson was patrolling Interstate 64 east of the Dale exit when he observed a red Dodge Charger traveling westbound at 88 mile per hour.
Trooper Johnson pulled over the vehicle and, while speaking Martin, Johnson smelled the odor of marijuana.
During a search of the vehicle, small amounts of marijuana were found on the front floor board. Additionally, a glass jar containing approximately 34 grams of marijuana and a loaded .22 caliber handgun were found in the trunk. Martin did not possess a permit for the weapon.
Martin was placed into custody without incident and was transported to the Spencer County Jail.
Under the Law, criminal charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Saving future nursing students nearly $5,000 is one benefit of the University of Louisville School of Nursing’s revamped RN-to-BSN online program. Some courses have been restructured and others, such as population health and nursing leadership and health policy, are new to the program and reflect the evolving nature of health care.
“In Kentucky, only 33 percent of the nursing workforce is baccalaureate-prepared. The Institute of Medicine has recommended that 80 percent of nurses receive a bachelor’s degree by the year 2020,” said Marcia J. Hern, Ed.D., CNS, RN, dean, UofL School of Nursing. “It is well documented that baccalaureate-prepared nurses have decreased patient deaths and better outcomes in caring for patients with complex diseases.”
The online RN-to-BSN program provides a flexible, cost-effective opportunity for nurses with an associate’s degree or a nursing diploma to earn a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing at their own pace. Students can finish the program in as few as 16 months, although they may take more time if needed.
Accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), the RN-to-BSN program requires 31 core credits plus 30 portfolio credits. The portfolio consists of a resume’, goal statement, professional development documentation, and other materials to support practice as a professional nurse. These 30 tuition-free credit hours count toward graduation requirements – a value of more than $14,000 in tuition costs.
“The affordability and convenience of the online education platform combined with the strong support of award-winning faculty and access to all university support services makes the online RN-to-BSN program ideal for nurses seeking a baccalaureate degree,” Hern said.
July 1 is the application deadline for classes beginning in Fall 2015.
The investigation into the March 12, 2015 charter bus crash on I-65 has concluded with investigators saying driver error was to blame for the crash which sent 20 passengers and the driver to local hospitals.
The charter bus was carrying 16 members of the Indiana Institute of Technology (Indiana Tech) men’s and women’s bowling team to Smyrna, Tennessee to compete in a United States Bowling Congress Sectional Competition when it overturned near Henryville, Indiana.
Most of the passengers were released from the hospital on the day of the crash; however, the driver and a few passengers remained hospitalized for several days before being released.
The investigation included interviewing bus passengers and witnesses but also included more in-depth procedures such as attempting to gain information from the Event Data Recorder (EDR), as well physical inspection of the bus by Commercial Motor Vehicle Enforcement officers, and computerized photographic reconstruction of the scene by crash reconstructionists. The investigation lasted approximately three weeks.
Investigators were hopeful that onboard recording equipment would also shed light on to the cause of the crash; however, the camera stopped recording approximately two miles before the scene of the crash.
The pre-crash recording did not reveal any unusual driving behavior but did confirm that the bus was travelling the posted 70 mph speed limit.
To date, attempts to gain information from the Event Data Recorder have also been unsuccessful. A physical inspection revealed no mechanical issues with the bus.
Taking all available data into account, investigators said the driver, Rex Altenburg, 76, Fort Wayne, Indiana, drove the bus off the left side of the roadway for an unknown reason.
No medical or physical conditions have been attributed to his actions.
Investigators said the driver then over-corrected, putting the bus into a lateral skid back across both southbound lanes of the interstate.
The charter bus rotated clockwise and was facing north before traveling off the east side of I-65. The bus overturned after striking a rocky ditch line approximately 36 feet off the east side of the roadway.
The State Road 56 highway closure will be relocated after Easter weekend to a section of east-west highway between Jim Day Road and the bypass. The closure allows Temple & Temple, prime contractor for the Indiana Department of Transportation’s $4,216,800 S.R. 56 project at Salem, to excavate at a box culvert installation site.
Motorists will continue to use the bypass to circumvent construction. The closure at Jim Day Road will be in place for up to four weeks.
Over the past several weeks, Temple & Temple has been relocating sewer and water lines between High and Anson Streets.
The scope of INDOT’s S.R. 56 project is from High Street to Heritage Chapel Road.
The state highway is being completely reconstructed through Salem—including placement of new sidewalks, curb ramps, retaining walls and storm sewers. In Washington County, S.R. 56 is being repaired and resurfaced. Shoulder widening, construction of passing blisters and replacement of drainage structures is part of that work.
