Bridge over Lost Fork Creek to reopen following replacement

Indiana Department of Transportation contractor Force Construction Company plans to reopen the S.R. 56 bridge over Lost Fork Creek as early as Monday, October 3, following a bridge replacement project that began in June in Jefferson County.

The bridge is located just over eight miles east of U.S. 421 near Brooksburg.

Once the bridge reopens, crews will close S.R. 56 just east of Spring Branch Road to complete a box culvert replacement project in Switzerland County. The road is expected to remain closed through late October. Traffic will be detoured along U.S. 421 and S.R. 129.

The $5.5 million rehabilitation contract also includes a superstructure replacement project on S.R. 156 at Log Lick Creek near Markland Dam. This project is currently scheduled to begin in late 2022 or early 2023 under phased construction with temporary traffic signals.

The contract was awarded to Force in February and has an overall completion date of October 30, 2023. INDOT reminds drivers to slow down, avoid distractions, and consider worker safety when traveling through active construction zones. All work is weather-dependent and schedules are subject to change.

On September 25, an emergency 911 call was put out about a woman shot on South County Road 310 West in Paoli.

The Paoli Police Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, and an Indiana State Police trooper responded.

When they arrived, they spoke with a male who identified himself as Tyler L. Cooper, 26, of Paoli.

Cooper told police he fired a high-powered rifle in his back yard and believed he may have shot his neighbor.

ISP detectives were contacted, and it was requested they take over the investigation.

During the investigation it was determined that enough probable cause existed for Detective Tyler Matthew and Trooper Tyler Line to arrest  Cooper for Criminal Recklessness with a firearm and Aggravated Battery. Mr. Cooper was transported to the Orange County Jail without incident.

The victim, Tammy Schneider of Paoli, was shot in the abdomen with a .300 Winchester Magnum round.

Schneider was transported to U of L Hospital in Louisville and is currently in stable condition.

Cooper was charged with Aggravated Battery, 35-42-1-1, level 3 felony, and Criminal Recklessness with a Firearm, 35-42-2-2(2)(A), level 5 felony

A Cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) led to the arrest of a Harrison County man for possession and dissemination of child pornography.   

Detectives with the Indiana State Police – Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force in Sellersburg began an investigation in April of 2022 after receiving a cyber tip report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The cyber tip report indicated that a specific account was possibly used to transmit child pornography images or video files.

Based on information gathered during the investigation, detectives requested a search warrant through the Harrison County Superior Court. As a result, on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force executed the search warrant at a North Road NW address in DePauw, Indiana.

As a result of the investigation and subsequent search, Investigators arrested Derik Tyler Lowhorn, 30, of DePauw, Indiana. 

Derik Lowhorn is charged with two counts of Possession and Dissemination of Child Pornography with a Child under 12 Years of Age.  Each charge is a Level 4 Felony.

Derik Lowhorn was transported to the Harrison County Jail without further incident. 

During the search, officers were assisted by the Palmyra Town Marshall. 

Indiana State Police detectives are investigating the death of Tim Gregory, 68, of Petersburg. 

On Tuesday, September 20, at approximately 3:45 p.m., Petersburg Police responded to his apartment at 611 Main Street to check on his welfare. When police arrived, they found Gregory dead inside his apartment.

An autopsy was performed earlier this afternoon and the Pike County Coroner ruled the manner of death as undetermined. This is an ongoing investigation.

Anyone with information concerning this investigation is encouraged to contact the Indiana State Police at 812-867-2079 or 1-800-852-3970. Anyone with information can remain anonymous.