The Indiana Department of Transportation announces a complete road closure for State Road 58 near Bedford for a culvert pipe replacement.

Beginning on or around Monday, April 4, INDOT maintenance crews will begin the process to extract and replace a culvert pipe across S.R. 58 between Vocational School Road and Rocky Creek West. This operation requires a full width pavement cut to excavate and replace the pipe. Workers will then fill the pavement cut with gravel, which will be allowed to compact under traffic conditions before repaving at a later date.

The project is expected to take about one day depending upon weather conditions. The road will close following the morning peak hours to accommodate school traffic. Local residents will have access up to the point of closure, but all through traffic should follow the official detour using S.R. 37, U.S. 50 and S.R. 446.

INDOT urges drivers to slow down and stay alert near crews

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

Master Trooper/Detective Scott Stewart with the Indiana State Police – Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force began an investigation in February 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.

Master Trooper Stewart requested a search warrant based on information gathered during his investigation. On Tuesday, members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force executed a search warrant at an Equestrian Drive address in Sellersburg.

As a result of the investigation and search, Jeremy Sceifers, 42, of Sellersburg, was arrested on two counts of Possession of Child Pornography.  Each charge is a Level 5 Felony. 

Jeremy Sceifers was transported and remanded into the custody of the Clark County Jail without incident. 

The primary election season is coming up in Indiana and Washington County Clerk Stephanie Rockey and her staff are hard at work with preparations. 

Now till April 21^st at midnight, the Washington County Clerk’s  office will receive a completed ABS by mail application.

You may request an application to vote by mail at Indianavoters.com or by calling the Salem office at 812-883-5748 x 1128.

Voter registration ends on Monday, April 4^th.

Rockey said voters can go to indianavoters.com, with a valid Indiana Driver’s License to register to vote.

Early voting begins Tuesday, April 5^{th and continues through May 3.}  

Election & Voter Services Office is located at 801 S. Jackson Street, Salem. 

Office hours: 8am-Noon and 1-4 Monday through Friday, Saturdays, April 23^rd and April 30^th 8am-3pm and May 2^nd– 8am till Noon. 

Tuesday, May 3^{rd is} Election Day! Polls will be open 6am to 6pm. 

Voting Locations are: 

SALEM I, II, III, & IV – SALEM ARMORY 1100 N SHELBY STREET, SALEM

WASHINGTON I, III, & IV -FAIRGROUNDS- 4-H BLDG. 118 N. FAIR STREET, SALEM

BROWN/VERNON – COMMUNITY BUILDING 125 S. SYCAMORE STREET, CAMPBELLSBURG

FRANKLIN – FRANKLIN TWP. FIREHOUSE 7047 E. SR 160, SALEM

GIBSON – GIBSON TWP. FIREHOUSE 571 N. STATE ROAD 39, LITTLE YORK

HOWARD – HOWARD TWP. FIREHOUSE 5279 S. BECKS MILL ROAD, SALEM

JACKSON – JACKSON TWP. FIREHOUSE 4330 E. MARTINSBURG FIRE ROAD, PEKIN

JEFFERSON/MONROE – MONROE TWP. FIREHOUSE 8382 N Lick Skillet Road, Vallonia, IN

MADISON – LIVONIA FIREHOUSE 383 E. MAIN STREET, CAMPBELLSBURG

PIERCE/POLK – PEKIN PARK COMMUNITY BLDG 340 S. PARK STREET, PEKIN

POSEY – FELLOWSHIP BAPTIST MISSION CTR. 9271 W. US HWY 150, HARDINSBURG

The Indiana DNR Division of Law Enforcement is looking for highly motivated, outdoor-centered individuals to fill Indiana Conservation Officer (ICO) positions across the state.

Anyone interested should first read “Become a Conservation Officer” at on.IN.gov/dnrlaw and complete the pre-screening test under the “Apply” link. Successful completion of the pre-screening test by midnight June 3 is required to receive an application for the hiring process.  

To be qualified to pass the pre-screening test, you must be a United States citizen and be 21 years old by Oct. 28. You also must be able to pass minimum Indiana Law Enforcement Academy physical fitness requirements as listed at  IN.gov/ilea/physical-fitness-standards.

Conservation officers comprise Indiana’s oldest state law enforcement agency. ICOs are fully recognized Indiana police officers who enforce and uphold all DNR rules and regulations as well as all other Indiana state laws. ICOs spend most of their time on the job enforcing fishing and hunting regulations, conducting marine boat patrol on Indiana’s waterways, and patrolling DNR properties to keep them safe and family friendly.

In addition to traditional law enforcement work, ICOs also engage in specialty areas, including scuba, K-9, search and rescue, swift water rescue, and many more.

Indiana Department of Transportation contractor Force Construction Company plans to close S.R. 39 over Cammie-Thomas Ditch on or after Monday, April 4, to complete a bridge deck overlay project in northern Washington County.

The bridge is located between S.R. 256 and Mt. Eden Rd., and is expected to remain closed for up to 75 days, through mid-June. Traffic should follow the official detour, which is S.R. 256 to I-65 to S.R. 56 at Scottsburg (Exit 29). 

Two additional S.R. 39 structures are also included on the $1.4 million rehabilitation contract:

• S.R. 39 bridge over Pond Creek, 3.89 miles south of S.R. 250 in Jackson County (superstructure replacement, approx. 90-day closure)
• S.R. 39 box culvert with bridge, 7.72 miles south of S.R. 250 in Jackson County (structure replacement, approx. 30-day closure)

Work will not begin in Jackson County until after the first bridge is complete. The contract was awarded in August 2021 with a completion date of October 31, 2022. INDOT reminds drivers to use extra caution, avoid distractions, and consider worker safety when traveling through active construction zones. All work is weather-dependent and schedules are subject to change.