BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (Aug. 25) – Indiana State Excise Police officers arrested 93 people on 129 charges in Bloomington this weekend.

Excise officers arrested 56 people for underage possession or consumption of alcohol, 20 of whom were also charged with possession of false ID’s. Several of those were also cited for making a false statement of age to a licensed establishment. Four minors were also arrested for being in a tavern or liquor store.

Seventeen adults were arrested for furnishing or providing alcohol to a minor. Other people were arrested for cited on 32 additional charges, including driving while suspended and various other traffic offenses.

A 19-year-old man from Highland, Ind., was taken to IU Health Bloomington Hospital by excise officers after he tested .257% BAC. He was later taken to the Monroe County Jail on preliminary charges of illegal consumption and public intoxication.

The State Excise Police encourages you to call 911 if someone appears to be in need of medical attention, even if you’re not sure how serious the condition is. After calling 911, always stay with the person needing help. You may be able to provide valuable information and assist authorities. Indiana’s Lifeline Law provides immunity for certain alcohol-related offenses for someone who calls for medical assistance for someone else, and then remains at the scene and cooperates with authorities. The priority is to get medical care to those in need of it, regardless of the circumstances.

As the enforcement division of the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission, the primary mission of the Indiana State Excise Police is to promote public safety by enforcing Indiana’s Alcoholic Beverage Code. While excise officers have the authority to enforce any state law, they focus primarily on alcohol, tobacco and related laws.

All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

MUNCIE, Ind. (Aug. 25) – Indiana State Excise Police officers arrested 18 people on 20 charges in Muncie this weekend.

On Friday, excise officers arrested 10 people for illegal possession or consumption of alcohol. One adult was also charged with furnishing alcohol to a minor.

On Saturday, officers arrested seven people for illegal possession of alcohol and one for possession of marijuana.

They also arrested Oliver J. Forrow, 19, of Muncie, for disorderly conduct. Earlier Saturday evening, officers cited Forrow for illegal possession of alcohol and told him to go home. A short time later, he was found standing in the middle of Linden Street screaming obscenities. He was given a verbal warning for disorderly conduct and told again to go home. About 10 minutes later, he was observed attempting to instigate a fight with a group of males at their residence. He was then taken to Delaware County Jail on a preliminary charge of disorderly conduct.

The State Excise Police encourages you to call 911 if someone appears to be in need of medical attention, even if you’re not sure how serious the condition is. After calling 911, always stay with the person needing help. You may be able to provide valuable information and assist authorities. Indiana’s Lifeline Law provides immunity for certain alcohol-related offenses for someone who calls for medical assistance for someone else, and then remains at the scene and cooperates with authorities. The priority is to get medical care to those in need of it, regardless of the circumstances.

As the enforcement division of the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission, the primary mission of the Indiana State Excise Police is to promote public safety by enforcing Indiana’s Alcoholic Beverage Code. While excise officers have the authority to enforce any state law, they focus primarily on alcohol, tobacco and related laws.

All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (Aug. 25) – Indiana State Excise Police officers arrested 254 people on 305 charges at Scheid Diesel Extravaganza in Terre Haute this weekend.

Excise officers arrested 105 people for underage possession or consumption of alcohol, including 21 juveniles less than 18 years of age. Five of them were also charged with false informing and one with being in a liquor store.

Twelve adults were arrested for furnishing or providing alcohol to a minor. Three people were arrested for operating while intoxicated. Five people were also arrested on drug charges.

Several people were arrested for criminal recklessness after they were observed power braking in large crowds of people in store parking lots along U.S. 41. In each case, the trucks swayed in the rear while holding occupants in the truck beds, in addition to there being numerous pedestrians immediately next to the trucks. One of them was also charged with operating while intoxicated.

Other people were arrested or cited on 162 additional charges, including excessive exhaust or smoke, open container violation, seat belt violation and various other traffic offenses.

Twelve juveniles were cited for possession of tobacco.

Party Cask Beverage Center, 910 S. Third Street, was cited for sale of alcohol to a minor and allowing a minor to loiter after officers observed an underage male walking out of the store with a case of beer. The ID he used at the store had another person’s photograph on it and a height of 5’6”, when he was actually 6’1”.

“The goal of the state excise police is to ensure the safety of the patrons of this event and others around the state,” said Superintendent Matt Strittmatter after working with excise officers on Friday and Saturday. “In order to achieve that goal, we must continue our efforts to make certain that alcohol is consumed responsibly and lawfully.”

As the enforcement division of the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission, the primary mission of the Indiana State Excise Police is to promote public safety by enforcing Indiana’s Alcoholic Beverage Code. While excise officers have the authority to enforce any state law, they focus primarily on alcohol, tobacco and related laws.

All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

A Salem man was charged this afternoon in the stabbing death that took place in Northeastern Washington County last night.

Chief Deputy Roger Newlon reports this afternoon that David L. Hook, 45, Salem, has been charged with murder.

Hook was also charged with being an habitual offender in connection with the death of Joey Verble, 46, Sellersburg.

Verble was found last night after police responded to a call around 10:30 p.m. Aug. 22. and found the victim dead on the ground near Mt. Eden Road and State Road 39, not far from Scott County.

According to Newlon, Verble had been struck multiple times in the head with a claw hammer and stabbed multiple times in the neck and chest resulting in his death. Police also located David Hook, 45, Salem and arrested him a short time later.

Newlon stated that Hook’s initial hearing will be Monday, August 26 at 10:30a in the Washington County Circuit Court.

Police are still investigating this crime.

Stay tuned to WSLM RADIO for more on this and other stories from around the area.

A Salem man was charged this afternoon in the stabbing death that took place in Northeastern Washington County last night.

Chief Deputy Roger Newlon reports this afternoon that David L. Hook, 45, Salem, has been charged with murder.

Hook was also charged with being an habitual offender in connection with the death of Joey Verble, 46, Sellersburg.

Verble was found last night after police responded to a call around 10:30 p.m. Aug. 22. and found the victim dead on the ground near Mt. Eden Road and State Road 39, not far from Scott County.

According to Newlon, Verble had been struck multiple times in the head with a claw hammer and stabbed multiple times in the neck and chest resulting in his death. Police also located David Hook, 45, Salem and arrested him a short time later.

Newlon stated that Hook’s initial hearing will be Monday, August 26 at 10:30a in the Washington County Circuit Court.

Police are still investigating this crime.

Stay tuned to WSLM RADIO for more on this and other stories from around the area.

— with Maggie Wenning.

Indianapolis police say it could be another week before the results of their investigation into the deadly church bus crash last month are released. Investigators are working to complete their investigation into the crash that killed three people and injured over 30 more.

Investigators hope to release both the Indiana State Crash and North American Standard Inspection Reports sometime next week.

Indiana State Police wrapped up their investigation on Monday and turned over their results to IMPD.  Once the investigation is complete, Adams says the results will be given to the Marion County Prosecutor‘s Office who will determine if any charges will be filed.

The final report on the crash could take up to six months.  Chad Phelps, his pregnant wife Courtney and Tonya Weindorf were killed when their bus overturned on Keystone Avenue as it was exiting I-465.  The driver of the bus, 68-year-old Dennis Maurer claimed the brakes failed.

Indiana‘s high schoolers do better than the rest of the nation, but most students taking the ACT are not ready for college classes according to the company that makes the test.

The testing company says 31-percent of high school students who take the ACT are not prepared to take college-level courses in at least one of the four subjects covered by the ACT – math, reading and writing, science and social studies.

The company determines this through a formula that pegs college readiness to a certain ACT score for each subject.  “We figure out for each of the subject levels what the score is that corresponds with a 75-percent chance or better of getting a C or a 50-percent chance or better of getting a B in that college course,” said Steve Kappler, assistant vice president for college and career readiness at ACT.

Fewer than one-third of students nationwide, at least those who took the ACT, are ready for all of their college courses according to the report.  “You‘re looking at 26-percent who have a good opportunity to succeed in those four subject levels,” said Kappler.  Indiana students performed better than the national average, but Kappler says that could have been caused by a smaller percentage of students taking the exam – 38-percent of Indiana high school graduates took the ACT last school year, compared to 54-percent nationally.

“With a smaller testing population, you tend to see better students, those who are definitely college material in this cohort,” said Kappler.  Overall ACT scores have dropped since 2009, but Kappler says that could be due to more students taking the test, including many who have no intention of attending college.

In individual subject scores, more students showed college readiness in reading than any other subject, while fewer than half of students were college ready in science, math and social studies.  “I think that‘s one of the reasons you see STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) initiatives across the country, including Indiana,” said Kappler, pointing out that science was the weakest subject for ACT takers – only 36 percent met the college benchmark.

The ACT report also found a gap between the courses students want to study in college and where jobs are easiest to find after college.   For example, the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics says 17-percent of job openings in 2020 will be in education fields, but only six-percent of students who took the ACT last school year said they were interested in an education job. Kappler says ACT is firmly behind the Common Core education standards, and says strong standards starting as early as third grade are one of the keys to ensuring that more students are ready for college.

Common Core has generated some opposition in Indiana and other states, mostly from conservatives who fear that state education standards would be dictated from Washington.  The full implementation of Common Core is on hold in Indiana while the Department of Education studies it and how it would affect the state‘s standards for schools.

A coalition of businesses and gay-marriage supporters has kicked off a promised push to block a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

The amendment is set for a required second vote in the House and Senate next year to send it to voters for a final decision in November. 56 current House members and 38 senators voted for the ban when it passed for the first time in 2011.

But leaders of the newly-formed Freedom Indiana say they‘re hoping to stop the amendment in the legislature, before it ever reaches a referendum.

Campaign manager Megan Robertson, a former strategist and spokeswoman for Republican officeholders, says she‘s talked to several legislators who are rethinking their support of the amendment. Robertson notes state law already prohibits same-sex marriage, and says conservatives should oppose cluttering up the constitution with language she says is both unnecessary and hurtful.

And she says polls over the last year show public opinion turning against a marriage ban. Freedom Indiana has financial muscle in the form of Lilly and Cummins, both of whom have publicly opposed the amendment for year. Lilly‘s Rob Smith says the new umbrella organization allows opponents to coordinate strategy.

Indiana‘s wineries want the ability to sell their product in restaurants and stores in their neighborhood.  They are likely to run into opposition from liquor wholesalers who often control the types of beverages you can buy.

A legislative summer study committee heard testimony from winery owners on a bill that passed the House this year, but stalled in the Senate before being assigned to the study committee.

It would allow wineries to avoid going through the wholesale and distributor networks and sell a small amount of their products themselves, something that was outlawed in 2006.

“There would be gallon distribution limits, and it would allow wineries to self-distribute to, say a restaurant or a local store in their own communities,” said Dr. Larry Pampel, president of the Indiana Winery and Vineyard Association.   Prior to 2006, wineries could not only distribute their wines themselves, they could ship them anywhere in the country.

The Legislature put a stop to that, ostensibly to make it more difficult for underage drinkers to buy alcohol.  Pampel points out that no one wants to sell to anyone under 21, and says this bill would not allow wineries to ship.

Distributors and wholesalers often won‘t purchase wine from small, in-state wineries for re-sale at grocery and convenience stores.  They claim they can‘t make any money off them because local wineries don‘t make enough wine.

Other states allow self-distribution from in-state wineries, but in Indiana, they are likely to run into the argument that is also made by liquor store owners fighting the sale of cold beer in grocery and convenience stores – the supposed increased likelihood that those under 21 will be able to buy booze.