Each year lives are lost in construction zone crashes nationwide.

Construction zone workers are struck by vehicles passing through the zones and vehicle occupants are killed most often in rear end collisions that occur when traffic begins to slow or stop.

This danger has become all too evident most recently in northwestern Indiana.

On July 31 and again on August 15 traffic was slowed or stopped in a construction zone or construction zone back up when, on both occasions, a semi crashed into the rear end of a passenger car pushing it into the rear of another semi and killing the occupants of the passenger car. In the August 15 crash, seven people died including four children seven years of age and younger. The primary cause of both tragic incidents-DRIVER INATTENTION.

While these most recent tragedies happened in northwestern Indiana, such crashes can happen anywhere. Drivers must follow the direction of construction zone signs to include speed limits and lane restrictions. But most of all, drivers must PAY ATTENTION!! Construction zone crashes can be reduced by following these tips:

1. PAY ATTENTION!! When you observe signs indicating a construction zone is ahead, prepare to reduce your speed to observe construction zone speed limits, make lane changes as directed by signage, and be alert for vehicles ahead of you slowing or stopping. Remember, back-ups can occur miles from the actual construction zone.

2. Make appropriate lane changes IMMEDIATELY upon seeing signs indicating a particular lane will be closed ahead. Although traffic will be moving slower, by observing this traffic control device immediately, bottle necks can be reduced or avoided thus reducing the likelihood of traffic coming to a complete stop.

3. As drivers enter a construction zone or construction zone back up, keep a significant distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead.

4. Watch traffic in your rearview mirror as it approaches from behind and be alert for possible escape routes ie, shoulder of the roadway, ditch, or median should vehicles approaching you from the rear appear as though the may not be slowing down or may not be able to stop before striking your vehicle in the rear end.

5. Be alert for workers in the construction zone and give them as much room as possible while traveling through the zone.

6. Avoid distracting behavior in construction zones. Stay off your cell phone, don’t look away at construction work, avoid eating or drinking while traveling through construction zones, and STAY ALERT!

As annoying and inconvenient as construction zones can be, our nation’s roadways need to be maintained to allow for safe travel and the movement of interstate commerce. By staying alert at all times, observing the signs and other traffic control devices, taking your time, and being tolerant of other motorists, construction zone crashes and the serious injuries and fatalities that often result can be greatly reduced.

Floyd County-The Indiana State Police Post at Sellersburg will conduct a
Driving Under the Influence Enforcement Check Point in Floyd County beginning
in the evening hours of August 28th, 2013 and ending in the early morning hours
of August 29th, 2013.

Motorists that are not impaired can expect only short delays of 2-3 minutes
while passing through the check point.

Kevin and Linda Baird, owners and operators of Cornucopia Farms near Little York, received one of 46 River Friendly Farmer awards at the Indiana State Fair yesterday.

The Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts handed out the 2013 River Friendly Farmer Awards at the Indiana State Fair Wednesday.

Since 2000, key conservation and agricultural organizations have sponsored the River Friendly Farmer Program. The statewide initiative recognizes farmers, who through good production management practices helps keep Indiana’s rivers, lakes and streams clean.

“This is always a rewarding day to thank these men and women for the job they are doing to protect our environment,” said Jeff Meinders, IASWCD president.

Forty-six Hoosier farmers won the award this year.

“ We’re honored to be a recipient of this award,” said Kevin Baird. “Conservation and stewardship of the land are very important to us because we want to leave it in better shape for those that follow behind us.”

The Bairds are pictured with Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann and Indiana Farm Bureau President Don Villwock.

Earlier this afternoon, while on regular patrol, troopers received
information that two wanted subjects were at the Casey’s Gas Mart on South U.S. #31 in Scottsburg.

When troopers arrived at the location they located Eric Sizemore, 30, from Scottsburg and Norman Adams Jr., 29, from Austin at thestore. Eric Sizemore had a warrant out of Clark County, IN for Possession of Stolen Property and Norman Adams Jr., had a warrant out of Scott County for Battery. They were both arrested and transported to the Scott County Jail.

At the jail, a syringe and suspected Methamphetamine were located on Eric
Sizemore. He was then additionally charged with Possession of a Syringe, D
Felony; Possession of Methamphetamine, D Felony; Maintaining a Common Nuisance, D Felony, and Trafficking with an Inmate, C Felony.

Shortly before midnight last night, a trooper from the Indiana
State Police Post at Sellersburg observed a female standing near the roadway at U.S. Highway #31 near Court Avenue in Jeffersonville. The female was holding a sign panhandling for money. As the trooper approached her he recognized her as a person he had advised earlier in the evening to move away from the road for safety concerns.

As the trooper began speaking with the female from his vehicle, she refused to identify herself. She then ran around to the driver’s side of the police car
and attempted to shut the trooper’s car door as he was exiting the car. As he
continued out of his car the female fled.

As the trooper got closer to her, she turned around and battered the trooper. The trooper took her into custody,identified her as Jennifer Renea Trew, 32, of Jeffersonville, and transported her to the Clark County Jail on charges of Battery and Resisting Law Enforcement, both Misdemeanors.

No one was injured during the incident.

Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating a fatal ATV accident that occurred outside of Salem Tuesday evening in the 5000 block of Old State Road 56 East.

A 911 was placed to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office reporting an unresponsive male near an overturned ATV.

Steven Raisor, 20, Salem, was pronounced dead at approximately 9:31 p.m. According to the preliminary investigation, Raisor was eastbound on a Honda ATV before he lost control and was thrown from the ATV, striking the roadway surface.

Washington County Coroner Rondale Brishaber will determine the official cause of death.

Assisting agencies were the Sheriff’s Department, Gibson Township Volunteer Fire Department and Washington County Ambulance Service.

Raisor was not wearing a helmet or any safety equipment at the time of the accident.

Indiana Conservation officers strongly encourage riders to always wear a helmet and necessary safety equipment when operating an ATV.

Stay tuned to WSLM for more on this and other stories.

An Indiana congressman is at the center of a conservative push to kill the federal health care law by cutting off funding.

Third District Republican Marlin Stutzman was the first House member to declare he‘ll vote against any budget or stopgap spending bill that includes funding for the health care law.

About 80 Republicans have signed on, including Sixth District Representative Luke Messer.  Other Republicans argue President Obama will veto any defunding attempt. They warn it‘s the G-O-P that will pay the political price if a budget stalemate forces a government shutdown.

Stutzman argues President Obama is the only one talking about a shutdown. He says it‘s a “false choice” to contend defunding would automatically torpedo budget talks.  Stutzman argues Obama‘s decision to delay implementation for businesses proves the law “isn‘t ready for prime time.”

Fifth District Republican Susan Brooks agrees the law is hamstringing the economy, but says the more effective way to stop the law is to strip it piece by piece, zeroing in on specific provisions like the I-R-S’s administration of the law’s financial penalties.

One of the suspects accused of setting an explosion at an Indianapolis home last year that killed two people may be ready to implicate her boyfriend. Monserrate Shirley has filed court documents to have a separate trial.

The filings suggest that she will tell a judge that her boyfriend Mark Leonard gave her no control over her life. Shirley, Leonard, and Leonard‘s brother Bob Jr. are charged with two counts of murder and over 50 counts of arson. Shirley‘s lawyer James Voyles filed a lengthy narrative to the court that stated Shirley was trapped in an emotionally abusive relationship.

The documents indicate Shirley was naive and controlled by Leonard. In other documents filed to the court, Voyles cited the criminal histories of Mark and Bob Leonard. Several witnesses claimed they were duped by Leonard in insurance scams. A court hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

When Gen Con opens tomorrow, (Thurs) visitors will have the chance to visit an alternate reality created by students at IUPUI, and win prizes at the same time.  The multi-player game “Return of Aetheria” was designed by students and an instructor with the Media Arts and Sciences Program at IU‘s School of Informatics and Computing. “Gen Con contacted us about a year ago and wanted us to become the flagship school of their educational initiaive,” said IUPUI‘s Matthew Powers, who lectures at the school and lead the development of the game.  “We have together several classes to have students design, create, program and finish a real-world game.”
“Return of Aetheria” will be a three-day interactive game, open to anyone attending, using video mapping and projectors to create a large crystalline display.  “Players pay $2, and they will help return magic – or Aetheria – to the real world.  The more they play, the more the crystals will crack and return magic to the real world,” said Powers, adding that players will be guided through the game via an app they can download.  Winners will split $4,000 in prizes, donated by sponsors recruited by the school.  Since Gen Con partnered with IUPUI last year, the Media Arts and Science program has added two classes, one on pre-production and another on the production of games.  Powers says “Aetheria”, in addition to being fun to play, will help students get a job in the industry.  “We need to blur the line, so that when students go out in the real world, they are prepared for the type of chaos and type of pressure that comes with making a game,” said Powers.  “In the industry, if you can make just one game, game makers will look at your portfolio.”
Powers plans to have students add on to the game each year, creating new versions for display at other conventions.

New research shows the number of motorcycle collision fatalities are up in Indiana.  The Indiana University survey shows motorcycle crash fatalities were up 28 percent in 2012.

Also, the number of motorcycles or mopeds involved in collisions was up 15.6 percent in 2012 over 2011. There were 158 alcohol impaired driving fatalities, up almost 13 percent from 2011 and 2,112 injuries in 2012.

Despite that, the survey says Indiana seatbelt usage is seven points higher than the national average at 93.6 percent.  Finally, the number of young drivers involved in collisions continued on a downward trend in 2012.

Young driver involvement dropped 5.6 percent in 2012.  The information was compiled by the IU Public Policy Institute‘s Center for Criminal Justice Research.