Washington County Detective Todd Combs received this afternoon one of six US Attorneys Awards presented to local law enforcement agencies.

Combs received the award for his work with the Washington County Drug Taskforce.

Joseph H. Hogsett, the US Attorney in our district, was in Salem today at the Washington County Detention Center.

Detective Combs was recognized for his role in the investigation and prosecution of the Hermion Torres and Freddie Joe Taylor drug and gun trafficking organizations, which were responsible for the distribution of large quantities of marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamine throughout southern Indiana and Kentucky.

The investigation ultimately revealed a network of gun straw purchasers who obtained firearms for Torres in Indiana, which were later traded to the Mexico-based Gulf Cartel, an international criminal organization.

Hogsett said that Detective Combs, along with a number of other federal and state law enforcement partners, used a variety of investigative techniques to bring those behind the criminal organization to justice.

As a result of these prosecutions, the flow of drugs and gungs into Indiana was halted.

“The work of Detective Combs on this case is an example of law enforcement at its best,” said Hogsett. “This was a complicated case with many moving parts , but the selfless dedication and tireless work of our partners here in Washington County helped ensure that these criminals won’t terrorize this area ever again.”

The US Attorney Award was established in 2003 to recognize outstanding law enforcement work in Hoosier communities as part of federal investigations and prosecutions.

Only 20 total awards were given in 2013, with Combs’ award being one of only six agencies to receive the award locally.

When IU Football scores in excess of 50 points and garners 8 or more defensive stops (Tap Outs), every Hoosier fan in attendance at the game wins!

That’s right, Fred Glass and IU Athletics rewards great performance on the field by offering free concessions to fans with the Hoosier Football Double Win!

If you attended the IU Football game against Indiana State on August 29, and witnessed the Hoosier offense score 73 points against the Sycamores (50+ Points), and watched the defense stop ISU 14 different times (8+ tap outs), then you have a chance to redeem a special Four Dollar Concessions Voucher at the next game (Sept. 7, IU vs. Navy). 

Bring your Indiana State game ticket stub to the Sept. 7 game against Navy and exchange it for a special voucher at the Hoosier Football DOUBLE WIN tables (East and West side concourses).

The tables will be open 90 minutes prior to kickoff and stay open through the first quarter.

The voucher allows you to receive up to a $4 credit on concession purchases at any of the Memorial Stadium concession stands throughout the game.  The voucher can be used to purchase single items such as hot dogs, popcorn, beverages, or toward the purchase of your favorite game-day concessions.  The voucher is valid for the Navy game only and can be redeemed once.  The voucher should be presented to the concessions staff at the point of sale.

The 2013 IU Football season is off to a fast start which means free food for loyal IU fans!

The visiting Oakland Raiders have returned nearly 400 tickets for this Sunday’s game vs. the Indianapolis Colts.

Kickoff is at 1 p.m. The radio broadcast will be through WSLM 97.9 FM.  The game may also be heard on the rest of the Vectren Radio Network.  Other than the late visiting team returned tickets, the game has been SOLD OUT and will be televised on CBS, locally WISH-TV Channel 8.  Visiting team returns do not apply when lifting the TV blackout.
The visiting team returns and a limited number of tickets for some other home games are available at the Lucas Oil Stadium Ticket Office, Ticketmaster Ticket Centers, charge-by-phone at (800) 745-3000 or at www.ticketmaster.com while they last.

• Let everyone know to BE CLEAR ON GAME DAY SAFETY visit: www.nfl.com/allclear

• To see game day TRAFFIC      REROUTES per IMPD through October visit: www.colts.com/traffic

• The Colts are also      accepting deposits for those wishing to become 2014 Season Ticket Holders      by joining our Season Ticket Wait List  at www.colts.com or by calling (317)      299-4WIN.

You may have enjoyed the cooler part of summer as opposed to the very hot last weeks of August.

But experts at Purdue say both were good for the state‘s wine grapes.   Bruce Bordelon, a professor at Purdue and a viticulture expert with the school‘s Wine Grape Team, says cooler temperatures in July and early August were good for grapes because it helps add sugar content while maintaining the acidity needed for proper wine flavor. August was drier than normal, and last couple weeks were very hot across much of Indiana.

Bordelon says that type of weather near the end of wine grape season also helps, saying too much rain causes the grapes to split while still on the vine.  That, he says, makes them more vulnerable to bugs and other pests.   Wine grape growers in the southern part of the state gained the most from the cool summer.

Bordelon says that‘s because they have completed their harvest of early- and mid-ripening varieties of grapes.  But he also says growers in north-central Indiana should have a good crop of mid-ripening grapes.

Bordelon‘s only concern is that there will not be enough remaining warm weeks for some grapes to fully ripen, especially late-ripening varieties grown in the northern part of the state.

Now that school has started, some doctors hope that parents will keep an eye on how much their kids are lugging around.

Some children are have to carry several books all day, not to mention musical instruments or other gear that can weigh them down.  Rachel Tudor, an occupational therapist with Riley Hospital For Children at IU Health, says most kids don‘t carry their backpack correctly either.

Tudor says a backpack should not be heavier than 10-percent of your child‘s body weight.  She also suggests making sure a backpack has two straps, well padded, and that your child is using both straps.

If your child needs to carry more books than can safely fit in a backpack, Tudor suggests getting them another bag that rolls they can pull along. You can also see if your school provides extra copies of books that kids can keep at home.

Indiana‘s 6th District Congressman may be the only member of Indiana‘s Republican Congressional delegation supporting a military strike on Syria.

Luke Messer serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Messer says after reviewing several confidential documents on the situation, he thinks a military strike is warranted. Messer says for him, it is a matter of conscience and and he cannot in good conscience sit back and allow what happened in Syria to go by without action.

Messer is critical of President Obama and says the president needs to do more to convince the general public and  members of Congress that a military strike is the right action to take.

Messer thinks the president should make an evening statement from the oval office explaining why the U.S. needs to take action.

A Fishers mother accused of running off with her 8-year-old daughter in a custody battle was arrested Wednesday evening in Louisville, police said, and the girl was found unharmed.

Jennifer Ansari, 37, was found at a home in the Kentucky city’s south end at 5:45 p.m., Louisville Metro Police spokesman Dwight Mitchell said.

She faces a felony charge of interference with custody.

Daughter Sophia Snow “is fine and unharmed” Mitchell said. He said Ansari surrendered and was “very cooperative.”

An Amber Alert had been issued Tuesday night by the Indiana State Police, four days after the girl went missing.

Investigators believed a woman from Fishers took her eight-year-old daughter to Kentucky after a judge took custody of the girl away from her.

An Amber Alert was issued last night for Sophia Snow after Jennifer Ansari refused to give the girl up.  Sophia is the daughter of Ansari and Aaron Snow, who were never married but split up before Sophia‘s first birthday.

Aaron Snow‘s attorney, Rodney Sarcovics, says a judge in Hamilton County gave custody of the girl to Snow about a month ago, and says Ansari was supposed to turn her over yesterday.

Sarcovics says there were circumstances last week which caused some emergency motions to be filed with the court to accelerate the custody exchange date. Specifically, Sarcovics says Snow spoke on the phone with Ansari from Snow‘s current home in Florida last Thursday and immediately booked a flight to Indianapolis because of concerns from that conversation.

The judge agreed to speed up the transfer of the girl, and Ansari left town, prompting an Amber Alert to be issued Tuesday night by Indiana State Police.

Ansari‘s parents live in Louisville, Kentucky, and while they haven‘t seen her or her daughter, her father told Louisville TV station WDRB that Ansari didn‘t think Snow was fit to have custody. Snow‘s attorney says there were hours of testimony taken by the Hamilton County judge that persuaded him otherwise.

The Hamilton County Prosecutor‘s office has issued an arrest warrant for Ansari, charging her with interference with custody.

Hoosiers now have access to nonstop air service to San Francisco.

United Air Lines will soon begin offering the flight. Governor Mike Pence says he had  heard from many business owners telling him how important the flight would be to Indiana.

Pence says Secretary of Commerce Victor Smith led a collaborative effort to pursue the nonstop route. Mayor Greg Ballard this flight has been a long time coming.

Exact Target CEO Scott Dorsey says the flight is a “gamechanger” for Indiana‘s tech sector. Dorsey says the flight will lead to more venture investment, board seats, mentorships and strategic partnerships.

The flight will leave Indy at 8am, and arrive in San Francisco at 10am. The return flight will depart San Francisco at 1:35pm, and arrive in Indy at 8:51pm. The new service will begin on January 7th.

Former Indiana Senator and Senate Foreign Relations Committee head Richard Lugar is weighing in on whether the U.S. should take military action against Syria.

This follows what Secretary of State John Kerry calls strong evidence that dictator Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons on his own people.  Lugar says Syria‘s use of chemical weapons not only crossed President Obama‘s “red line,” but also violated international law.

Meantime, former Indiana Congressman Lee Hamilton agrees.

Hamilton says the U.S. must send a clear message to Assad and adds that a limited strike is the best of all options.  Hamilton cautions that Syria is worse than both Afghanistan and Iraq.  He says the U.S. needs to make sure that Assad doesn‘t have the ability to use chemical weapons again.

New Albany-Late yesterday evening, a trooper from the Indiana State Post at
Sellersburg made a traffic stop on a black Jeep on Interstate 265 East at the
3.8 Mile Marker in Floyd County.

The traffic stop was for a false and fictitious license plate. The driver stopped the Jeep and immediately fled on foot into a wooded area along Interstate 265.

As the trooper approached the vehicle, a female, identified as Laura R. Faulkenburg, 26, from New Albany, IN, was lying in the front passenger seat.
During a search of the Jeep Methamphetamine was located.

The passenger, Laura Faulkenburg was arrested for Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of a
Schedule II Controlled Substance and Trafficking with an Inmate. The driver of the vehicle could not be located but positive identification of the driver was made and a warrant will be sought for his arrest.