INDOT is embarking on the next phase of the U.S. 31 project in Hamilton County (Westfield) this weekend.

Spokesman Will Wingfield says it involves the 146th to 156th street portion of the $58 million project.

On Saturday (September 14th), crews will begin shifting traffic in both directions so that they share newly built southbound lanes while they create new northbound lanes and ramps.

The ramps will connect 31 with 146th street, Greyhound Pass and 151st street.  On Tuesday, crews will shift northbound traffic as they modify traffic control devices and address other issues.

Wingfield says the project will run through Fall.

Less than 48 hours after her eight month old toddler was laid to rest on Wednesday, Casey Crain, 23, of Salem has now been arrested and charged in the infant’s death.

A detective from the Indiana State Police Post at Sellersburg arrested Crain, after Judge Larry Medlock issued a warrant based on charges of Neglect of a Dependent, an A Felony.

She was taken into custody at noon today (Friday) from her home at 602 ½ Ridgeview Drive in Salem and incarcerated at the Washington County Detention Center in Salem.

Earlier this week on Monday, September 9th, detectives from the Indiana State Police and Salem City Police Officers arrested Jamie Lykins, 24, from 602 ½ Ridgeview Drive in Salem.

Lykins had been the live-in boyfriend of Crane and was charged in the beating of Leelan and charged with two Class A Felonies – Battery Resulting in Death and Neglect of a Minor.

Crain was not originally charged in the death of her son, but has been implicated partly due to the facts in the case that some time passed (approximately 45 minutes) while her boyfriend was in the bedroom allegedly abusing the toddler.

To counteract the statements made in the affidavit as well as extreme criticism on social media sites like Facebook, Crane appeared on WLKY 32 saying that she had in fact checked on Leelan several times during that 45 minute period.

“I went in there so so many times to check on him and every time I went in there, [Jamie]was just holding him and rocking him like he normally would. Every time I was around him, he was nice and sweet and caring towards him,” Crain told WLKY. “But obviously I was wrong.”

“Arrests and charges were strategically made,” said Washington County Prosecutor Dustin Houchin. “They are all calculated to ensure justice.”

The investigation is continuing with the help of the ISP and Salem Police Department.

According to the probable cause affidavit, Casey was interviewed over the weekend and told police Lykins, put the toddler, Leelan, down for a nap about 5 p.m. Saturday.

Crain advised that as soon as Lykins went into the bedroom, he turned a country music radio station on to a high volume.

Crain advised she heard Leelan crying continuously for approximately 45 minutes, followed by silence.

According to the affidavit, Crain told police she then assumed Leelan was asleep.

Crain advised later that she went in to check on Leelan and discovered that he was severely bruised, not breathing properly and was semiconscious.

Friends who were coming over to the house to go fishing with the couple, Lexi Livingston and Gregory Lee, saw the condition of the toddler and encouraged them to get Leelan to the hospital.

Livingston told police Lykins didn’t want to do that because he was afraid the police and child services would be called.

State Police also spoke to Dawn Walker, who was going to be babysitting Leelan that night. Walker told police that when she entered the home, Lykins looked at her and said, “We have a problem. I beat the fuck out of baby LeeLee.”

He was arrested Monday after detectives from the Indiana State Police Post at Sellersburg were able to gather enough evidence from interviews, Indiana State Police Crime Scene Investigators and the autopsy completed on Leelan Crain, which indicated he had various areas of bruising on his body. The cause of death was ruled to be a result of blunt force trauma to the head.

Lykins was arrested without incident at a convenience store on State Road #56 in Salem Monday afternoon and incarcerated in the Washington County Detention Center in Salem.

He was charged with Neglect of a Dependent, an A Felony and Battery Causing Death, also an A Felony.

Livingston and Lee transported Crain, Lykins and Leelan to St. Vincent Hospital Saturday evening, where medical staff alerted the Salem Police Department regarding the toddler’s condition.

According to hospital personnel, the injuries were not consistent with the story that the toddler had fallen off of the bed and were consistent with physical abuse.

Once at the hospital in Salem, Leelan was transported to the Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville, KY by air ambulance. He was pronounced dead at approximately 1:41am, September 8th.

An autopsy was performed Sunday morning, September 8th, on Leelan Crain at the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office in Louisville, KY. The autopsy preliminarily determined the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head. The official and final determination of the cause of death to Leelan Crain will not be made until the autopsy results are complete which typically takes up to six weeks. This investigation is continuing.

Officials with Delaware County’s Animal Care say it was a typical pet hoarding situation.

16 cats and five dogs were found from the home of Amy McCreery.

Animal Control officers say the floors in the home were covered with fecal matter and the walls were soaked with urine.  Many of the dogs were found outside in the extreme heat with no food, water or shelter.

To make matters worse, McCreery‘s 12-year-old was living in the same filthy conditions.  The Indiana Department of Child Services removed the young girl from the home.

A cemetery in Montgomery County holds the remains of soldiers dating back to the Revolutionary War.

However,  some community members say the small cemetery is not maintained and is overgrown with weeds that cover its proud history. 11-year-old Trevor McKinney says “that‘s not ok.”

McKinney volunteered to cut the grass, but the local trustee‘s office told him no, citing liability issues.

Mary Ellen Collom with the Union Township Trustee‘s Office reviewed the neglect and said she saw more than just a broken contract.

She has spent the last 15 years working to restore the cemetery, locating the graves and polishing the headstones.

Collom says she plans to talk with the trustee and hopefully the cemetery will get cleaned up.

Eli Lilly and Company has filed a 500-million dollar international lawsuit against the Canadian government.

Lilly says Canada unfairly shortened the life of patents for its best-selling drugs.  The case was filed Thursday under the rules of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Lilly says Canadian courts unfairly threw out the patents when challenged by the generic drug manufacturers.

The legal fight will move to the next stage after the two sides failed to settle their differences during a 90-day consultation process which ends Friday.

Senate Democrats will call for universal preschool in next year‘s legislative session.

House Republicans led a push for preschool funding in this year‘s session, but the new state budget includes less than a third of what the G-O-P initially proposed.

Senate Minority Leader Tim Lanane (D-Anderson) wants to go beyond both those plans and offer preschool statewide, through local school districts. He says studies show students who attend preschool not only do better in the early grades, but graduate at higher rates and land higher-paying jobs.

Democrats aren‘t proposing a way to pay for the program yet. Lanane says since legislators won‘t write a new budget till 2015, the goal is to lay the groundwork in next year‘s session by debating the issue, in hopes of marshaling support for it in the new budget.

Senate Education Chairman Dennis Kruse (KROOZ) (R-Auburn) says he‘s looking forward to seeing the impact of the current budget‘s investment in preschool.

The budget calls on the state to track the performance of students who receive the new grants. In a statement, Kruse says preschool is an “ongoing conversation” and says he welcomes Lanane‘s input.

IU Health has announced they‘re cutting 800 jobs system-wide.

IU Methodist and University Hospital President Jim Terwilliger says the cuts will affect “every level of our organization.” Riley Hospital for Children President and CEO Dr. Jeff Sperring says the cuts are being made due to fewer people seeking medical care and less government funding.

Terwilliger says the Affordable Health Care Act did play a role in the decision. Terwilliger says the organization knew a year ago that they would need to cut $1 billion in costs in the next five years, and he says the job cuts are part of that cost-cutting effort. Dr. Sperring says they don‘t expect the cuts to affect the care available to patients. The affected employees will be notified on October 1st and their last day will be in early December.

IU Health is offering early retirement for those eligible, but those employees have only until September 22nd to make that decision. However, those employees will be able to withdraw that decision until January.

Employees at IU Methodist, IU University, Riley Hospital for Children, IU Health North, IU Saxony, IU Tipton, and IU Ball Memorial Hospital.

Indiana‘s senior U-S Senator says the Affordable Care Act — also referred to as “Obamacare” — needs to be delayed and replaced with what he called a “workable” plan.

Senator Dan Coats asked his colleagues, Republican and Democrat, to support his bill to postpone all mandates of the A-C-A until January 2015.

He made the comments on the Senate floor this morning (Thurs) Coats said there‘ve already been thousands of waivers put in place ahead of the healthcare reform law‘s taking effect.  He also said that President Obama already determined that he will delay the employer mandate.

Coats says he currently has more than 30 Senators‘ support for his measure.  A companion bill authored by Indiana GOP Congressman Todd Young already passed the House with what Coats said was bipartisan support.

The Colts had Monday off and Tuesday off as well coming off a 21-17 win on Sunday against the Raiders.

Colts head coach Chuck Pagano met with the media on Monday and said the team is getting ready for the Dolphins game on Sunday.

Pagano said Tight End Dwayne Allen will be in for treatment on his hip on Tuesday and should be back at practice on Wednesday after an MRI on his hip came back negative.

Also, linebacker Pat Angerer is still being tested and going through NFL’s protocol policy on concussions, no time table has been set on his return.

The Colts will play the Miami Dolphins in week 2 of the NFL season, that comes up Sunday from Lucas Oil Stadium.

Listen to the game on WSLM RADIO 97.9 FM beginning with the pre-game.

Come out and enjoy an Afternoon of Indiana Fiddle Tunes On Saturday, October 5th, from 1:30 to 3:30 pm, at the Salem-Washington Township Public Library.

This program is free and open to the public, and offers a wonderful chance to listen to the tunes and stories of Southern Indiana’s rich fiddling tradition from musicians with deep roots in Southern Indiana’s old-time music community.

Sponsored by Indiana University’s Traditional Arts Indiana and funded through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, the concert will feature the talents of area musicians Paul Goodpasture and Larry Hopkins.

Paul Goodpasture is a longtime bluegrass fiddler from the region. In addition to being a popular player, he’s also written many tunes and songs that are played throughout Southern Indiana in jam sessions and performances.

Larry Hopkins has been a driving force for fiddling in the Washington County area, supporting community music jams. He began playing the fiddle at the encouragement of his uncle, and later took up building instruments to become a master fiddle and mandolin maker.

Through songs, tunes, and the life histories of these two players, learn how this music was passed down, how it bridges genres and generations, and how it remains a vibrant part of community life today.

For more information, please contact the Salem-Washington Township Public Library at (812) 883-5600, or find them online at http://www.salemlib.lib.in.us.