The Indiana StatePolice is hosting a hiring seminar Saturday, February 12th, at the Graceland Baptist Church on Kamer-Miller Road in New Albany. The seminar will run from 9am until Noon and will include a practice session of the physical assessment test. Attendees are encouraged to wear workout gear to the session.
The seminar is geared toward helping those with the interest of joining the Indiana StatePolice. This is a no-cost seminar designed to offer valuable insights on how to be successful in the selection process, answer questions and work out with Troopers. Attendees will have an opportunity to meet with members of the Human Resources Division and additional Indiana StatePolice staff to better understand the hiring process and how to best prepare for each phase of the selection process.
Spots for this seminar will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. Further instructions will be emailed. Email ISPRecruiting@isp.in.gov to reserve your spot.
The Indiana StatePolice Bloomington District A.C.E.S. (Aggressive Criminal Enforcement Section) concluded a lengthy investigation with the arrest of Jason A. Thompson, 45 years old of Bedford, for dealing methamphetamine.
ISP had received information that Thompson was dealing large amounts of methamphetamine in Lawrence County. A variety of investigative techniques were utilized to verify this information.
On Wednesday, February 9th, Sgt. Greg Day obtained information that Thompson was traveling to Louisville, Kentucky to purchase a large amount of methamphetamine in order to sell it upon his return to Bedford.
Sgt. Day, along with ACES members Troopers Chance Humphrey, Caleb Garvin, and Ian Portteus attempted to locate Thompson.
A little after 7:00 pm, Trp. Humphrey observed Thompson driving eastbound on US 50, near Limestone Run Road, in his GMC van. Thompson was exceeding the posted speed limit and a traffic stop was initiated.
During the stop, Trp. Portteus deployed his canine, Czar, who gave a positive alert to controlled substances in the van.
A search of the vehicle revealed that Thompson was in possession of approximately 530 grams of methamphetamine, which is almost 1 ¼ pounds. In addition, Thompson possessed a loaded 9mm handgun along with approximately 20 grams of marijuana, THC wax, schedule 2 controlled substance pills, drug paraphernalia, several unused small plastic baggies, two sets of digital scales, and other evidence of dealing methamphetamine.
Upon completion of the traffic stop and investigation, Jason Thompson was arrested and incarcerated at the Lawrence County Jail on the following offenses,
Dealing Methamphetamine Over 10 Grams, Level 2 Felony
Possession of Methamphetamine Over 28 Grams, Level 3 Felony
Possession of Schedule II Controlled Substance, Class A Misdemeanor
Possession of Marijuana, Class B Misdemeanor
Possession of Paraphernalia, Class C Misdemeanor
Sgt. Day praised the work of his team members. He said, “I am extremely proud of the work the ACES troopers do on a daily basis, and especially on this investigation. I don’t think it can be overstated how taking more than a pound of methamphetamine off the streets benefits our community. We hope all those struggling with addiction seek the help they need, but we will always hold those dealing large amounts of illegal drugs accountable for the devastation they create amongst our friends, families, and loved ones.”
Anyone with illegal drug activity information is requested to call the Indiana StatePolice Bloomington Post at 812-332-4411, the Lawrence County Prosecutor’s Office tip line at 812-545-4700, or send an email to drugactivity@lawrencecounty.in.gov. All calls are confidential.
Wednesday afternoon a 69-year-old Salem man was flown to a Louisville hospital after receiving burns over much of his body after trying to start a brush fire.
At 4:33p Wednesday, Feb. 9, the Washington County Sheriff’s Department, Washington County EMS and Salem Fire Department, were dispatched to 5438 West State Road 56 where a man was reportedly on fire.
According to Reserve Deputy Aaron Dennis and Deputy Tory Hildreth, Phillip Lofton, 59, Salem, was on his property attempting to burn a brush pile.
Police said Lofton threw old gasoline onto the brush fire, which blew up on his face, chest and abdomen.
Lofton was transported by Air Methods Kentucky 7 to the University of Louisville Hospital for possible life-threatening injuries.
The sheriff’s department did not provide an update on Lofton’s condition.
The Indiana StatePolice is accepting applications for the District Equipment Mechanic position at the Sellersburg Post located at 8014 CR 311 in Sellersburg, Indiana. The Sellersburg Post provides coverage to the five-county area of Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Scott, and Washington Counties.
JOB DESCRIPTION:
To serve as a civilian employee of the Indiana StatePolice whose primary responsibility is to keep all state-owned vehicles in the best mechanical operating condition by performing preventative maintenance and assigned repairs.
JOB DUTIES:
Work is normally performed in a garage environment. Routinely requires standing on cement floor for extended periods, working in close confined areas, with exposure to hazardous materials and potentially dangerous equipment.
JOB QUALIFICATIONS:
Must be a high school graduate or possess equivalent GED. Must possess a valid driver’s license and be able to operate a motor vehicle. Must be a graduate of an automotive trade school or have at least two (2) years professional experience in automotive maintenance and repair. Must have the ability to distinguish and determine colors and sounds. Must have the ability to lift and move heavy objects.
Pay starts at $35,126 annually. Starting salary may be adjusted for education, experience, and training.
Benefits include medical, dental, vision, life insurance, retirement plans and accrued time off.
Next, select the specific job vacancy title (blue font).
Next, view the job vacancy announcement and select the “APPLY” button on the top right side of the screen.
Candidates will be directed to create a user profile before applying for any job. Once a profile is created, you may apply for future positions using the same profile.
Interested applicants may also contact First Sergeant Manville Nagle at the Sellersburg Post for assistance at (812) 248-4374, option 5.
A Marysville, Indiana man was arrested early Wednesday morning after fleeing from police and leading them on a high-speed pursuit.
Around 4:30 Wednesday morning, Trooper Steven Peyton observed a silver Mitsubishi Eclipse traveling at a high rate of speed on SR62 near Bull Creek Road, a few miles east of Charlestown.
Trooper Peyton obtained a speed of 75 miles-per-hour in and 55 mile-per-hour zone and attempted to stop the car. The driver then turned onto Vesta road and fled from Trooper Peyton, at times, traveling in excess of 100 miles per hour and running stop signs.
The driver eventually circled back on county roads towards SR 62 and Bull Creek Road where Trooper Rob Caudill deployed “Stop Stick’s” and successfully deflated all four tires on the Eclipse.
The car then continued east SR62, turning onto Oscar Long Road, where the driver lost control and slid off the roadway and into a ditch.
The driver, later identified as Bobby Dale Shepard Jr., 32, of Marysville, Indiana, exited the vehicle and ran northbound on Oscar Long road before eventually voluntarily surrendering to Trooper Peyton without further incident.
Shepard was uninjured in the incident and was transported to the Clark County Jail. Bobby Shepard is charged with Resisting Law Enforcement with a Vehicle – Level 6 Felony, Resisting Law Enforcement – A Misdemeanor, and Reckless Driving – C Misdemeanor.
Due to the Washington County Commissioner’s closing of government offices today (Friday), the deadline to file for a local office to run for election in the May Primary has been delayed until Monday, Feb. 7 at noon.
Washington County Clerk Stephanie Rockey said Indiana Code 4-1-2-2 allows for the filing deadline to be changed.
“If when the office is not open to conduct public business or on a day observed as a holiday under IC 1-1-9, the legal action may be performed:
(1) on the next day that the office is open for public business; or
(2) through noon of the next day that the office is open for public business if the action to be performed is the receipt of a filing.”
The election will still take place on Tuesday, May 3, with polls open from 6a to 6p.
Rocky also said on WSLM’s Coffee Club in January that the county would be returning to all paper ballots.
There is now a three-way race for Washington County Sheriff after former Salem Police Officer Roy Overshiner filed this week to seek the Republican Party nomination along with incumbent Brent Miller and Deputy Wayne Blevins.
John Jeffries filed to seek the office as a Democratic challenger, so no matter who gets the Republican nod for Sheriff on May 3, they will still face off against Jeffries in the fall.
There will be a race for Recorder with incumbent Greg Ball filing to run again. He will face Sherry Wingler for the Republican nomination.
In the County Council races, Ryan Watson filed to run for Council District 1 and Gerald Fleming Sr. also filed to seek the Republican nomination.
There will be a three-way race for Council District 2 in the spring with Tonya Marshall, Joe Walker and Charles McKillip vying for the Republican nomination for the position.
In state and national government, District 9 Congressman Trey Hollingsworth announced he would not run again for the seat, which left the door open for State Senator Erin Houchin to announce she was going to seek that seat.
Her last day as District 47 Indiana Senator is Feb. 4 and she will leave before the session ends to run her campaign for congress as well as her communication business, Contend Communications, which aids local officials with press releases.
Keeley Stingle, current Washington County Council member at large, has announced she will seek election in the Republican caucus for Houchin’s former spot.
Jay Davisson, son of the late District 69 State Representative Steve Davisson, was caucused in last year to fill his father’s term.
Davisson has filed to run for the seat on a permanent basis.
Following is a list of positions that have been filed for so far.
A comprehensive list will be provided next week.
WASHINGTON COUNTY SHERIFF
John P. (Jack) Jeffries- Washington County Sheriff – Democrat
Brent Miller- Washington County Sheriff- Republican
Wayne Blevins- Washington County Sheriff – Republican
Roy A. Overshiner – Washington County Sheriff – Republican
WASHINGTON COUNTY AUDITOR
Kyra Stephenson- Washington County Auditor – Republican
WASHINGTON COUNTY ASSESSOR
Sherry L. Wingler- Washington County Assessor – Republican
Gregory L. Ball – Washington County Assessor- Republican
WASHINGTON COUNTY RECORDER
Terri L. Graves, Washington County Recorder – Republican
WASHINGTON COUNTY JUDICIAL
Larry W. Medlock- Washington County Circuit Court Judge- Republican
Dustin Houchin – Washington County Superior Court Judge – Republican
WASHINGTON COUNTY COMMISSIONER
Todd Ewen- Washington County Commissioner, Dist. 2- Republican
WASHINGTON COUNTY COUNCIL
Ryan G. Watson- Washington County Council – District 1- Republican
Gerald Fleming, Sr.- County Council, District 1- Republican
Tonya Marshall- Washington County Council – District 2 – Republican
Forrest (Joe) Walker, Jr.- County Council, District 2- Republican
Charles A. (Chuck) McKillip II- County Council, District 2 – Republican
Preston L. Shell, County Council – District 3 – Republican
Karen Wischmeier- County Council, District 4 – Republican
STATE DELEGATES
Randall Bills, Convention Delegate – Republican
Tara Coats Hunt- State Delegate, At-Large – Republican
Dustin Houchin- State Delegate – Republican
Erin Houchin- State Delegate – Republican
Claire Houchin- State Delegate – Republican
Stephanie K. Rockey- State Delegate – Republican
Keeley R. Stingel- State Convention Delegate- Republican
Nathan Bills- State Delegate – Republican
John W. Mead- State Delegate- Republican
Michael Davisson- State Delegate- Republican
STATE AND NATIONAL POSITIONS
J. Michael Davisson, State Representative, District 69 – Republican
Erin Houchin – US Congress, 9th District – Republican
Keeley Stingle, Indiana Senate, District 47 – Republican
Salem Mayor Justin Green met with local media today at City Hall to make sure the residents using the city water knew that the boil water advisory had been lifted and he was working to correct the problems.
In fact, he and the Board of Works are so serious and regretful of the issues of late, they met this morning and voted to formulate a refund to the water bills of local residents and businesses as well as to put a 90-day stay on the water rate increase that was to have went into affect in February.
Salem Mayor Justin Green addresses a question about the city’s water issues.
“This is not business as usual,” he said. “I want to offer some sincere apologies. We’ve had some hurdles and hiccups. The City of Salem, this crew, my crew in the field…this is not what we expect.”
Green, along with three employees of the Wessler Engineering company that is helping to operate the treatment plant, answered questioned and offered hope at correcting the issues.
“There has been some intermittent issues that we are going to bring up today. Some are tied together. Some are not,” said Green.
The new plant which came on-line last summer has had some growing pains, said Green. “I don’t stand for it. The Board of Works don’t stand for it. The City Council doesn’t stand for it. Your low pressure and outage is a serious issue to me. We have addressed it as quickly as we can.”
The boil water advisory was issued on Saturday, January 29 although some low-pressure issues were identified earlier in the week.
East Washington Rural Water Corporation and the Town of New Pekin, which both buy water from Salem, issued their own advisories on Saturday.
Dylan Lambermont of Wessler said there were several issues that dominoes together to create the issues that happened over the weekend, that resulted in a boil water advisory being issued on Saturday morning.
At least two main breaks happened on January 21 which helped drain about 4 million gallons of clean water being held in the city’s five water tower tanks.
“The breaks that haven’t been repaired are making the situation more difficult to rectify,” he said.
The additional main breaks and leaks causes low pressure issues as well as the need for those tanks to be replenished.
Volume was turned up at the plant, drawing more water from Lake John Hay, which recently had the water level increased.
“The process began last Friday. They tried to push more water to the system. That’s what they tried to do. Another thing happened that prevented that, then another thing happened that made them have to slow down the extra water they were putting in the system. We didn’t have the storage there to rely on to get the plant back in shape.
Lamberton said the sludge was not settling like it should.
“It took several days to figure out that the water quality appeared to have changed. The chemicals that were being dosed weren’t being dosed at the correct level,” he said.
Those issues were identified on Thursday or Friday of last week.
“By that time, things happened very quickly. We had to reset and clean the filters out and put out good quality water,” said Lamberton.
“We are going to go back to make sure the mayor understands – from an operational standpoint – that procedures in place to react to these things better,” he said.
Lamberton said they were focused on filling the tanks, putting out good water, and being prepared for cold weather.
Since there is an Ice Storm and impending winter storm hitting the area over the next 48 hours, filling the tanks will be important but could be limited.
Green asked residents to be careful with their usage.
“As the system does go back – if you can – certainly we would like some restrictive use,” he said. “Not asking people to stop using water. If you can conserve, it would help us – in the next few hours. If that’s allowable, please do your best on that.”
“With the boil water advisory lifted, people will want to use their water. Also, during cold weather, some people let their faucets drip overnight to keep their pipes from freezing. All that takes water from the system and limits the ability to fill the tanks,” said Lamberton.
Marty Wessler, CEO of the company, said he estimated the plant can treat 3 million gallons per day and the roughly 20,000 customers use about 1-2 millions gallons of water per day, which includes customers in Salem, Pekin and the East Washington Rural Water Corporation.
He said it could take six to eight days to fill all the reserve tanks, but would depend on the usage.
Even with the tanks full and the treatment plant in proper operation, the other variable is the aging water line system of the city.
Green said there were several miles of water line in a loop around the city.
“Updating the system is an ongoing challenge,” he said. “We have stages that have been upgraded. We’ve identified areas that need attention. We have been diligent to replace areas when there are grants available. We have been fortunate to receive Community Crossing grants on numerous occasions, which allows us that access. We have improved several sections of pipe. We’re not done.”
Lambert said although the two mains that broke on January 21 have been repaired, there are others out there that have not been repaired.
“It’s an aging system and we see this all over Indiana,” he noted.
Green said the Board of Works has been discussing additional needs and upgrades of the system.
“Those updates cost money,” said Green. “We are all cognizant of the cost of raw materials, building supplies and the increased demand for those materials. It costs money to make these things happen.”
Green said the rate increase that was to have went into affect in February for the contruction costs of the John Hay Treatment plant have been delayed.
“The board voted to suspend that rate increase for 90 days and then be revisited,” he said.
“Also, the board decided with the Clerk-Treasurer and Utility Office will formulate a credit back to your bill,” said Green. “That is forthcoming. We see the need for that. We appreciate your patience and apologize for the interruption for your daily lives.”
Green said that credit would apply to residents and businesses alike.
Tyler Graves of Wessler said Green had been a hands-on Mayor during this last week.
“We’ve all been here round the clock trying to figure this out,” said Graves. “I know he’s been there overnight right along with everyone else.”
Due to an issue with the City of Salem’s new water system, a boil water advisory has been issued that might last through the middle of the week, forcing changes to local schools.
As a result in the drop in water pressure and the boil water advisory issued by the City of Salem and the Town of New Pekin, East Washington Schools will be closed on Monday (January 31).
Although it will be an E-Learning day for students, the school will be working to secure enough bottled water so the school can open on Tuesday and have enough clean water for students and kitchen staff.
According to the school, the Town of New Pekin said the boil water advisory could be lifted as soon as Wednesday.
Salem Community Schools will be in session tomorrow, but due to the boil water advisory school officials are asking parents, if possible, to send 1-2 bottles of water with each student.
The school will be purchasing water to have on hand for those who cannot.
West Washington Schools were not affected by the water issues.
Residents are asked to boil all water that is used in cooking or drinking at least 5 minutes until further notice.
According to press releases sent to local media on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, the issues began on Saturday, although alerts from the city’s phone, text and email service, began sending messages earlier in the week about low pressure to the North of Salem.
Sunday’s release noted that “pump limitation[s] and malfunction[s], [led to] water levels in storage [becoming] short. With crews of engineers working non-stop since the issue was first discovered [on Saturday], a resolution has been found. As water consumption is occurring, storage and pressure are improving. The very cold temperatures have made quick progress more difficult.”
A ground-breaking was held in June 2019 on the replacement of the John Hay Treatment Plant and work was due to be done by Spring 2021. The original facility was built in 1968 to increase Salem’s water supply.
According to the City of Salem’s website, the new facility is rated at 3 million gallons per day.
This plant is rated as a 210-Acre supply lake facility and typically pumps 2 to 2.4 million gallons per day.
Also, work was underway to raise the level of nearby Lake John Hay to increase the amount of surface water that could be used.
The City worked with the USDA Rural Development and refinanced $1.9 million and received a two percent 40-year-loan from the USDA to pay for the $15.2 million plant.
“Our long-term financial investment in the plant means safe and clean water will continue to be delivered to a total of 17,202 water customers. The effectiveness and efficiency of the water plant will not only enhance our residents’ quality of life, but also will serve as a critically important piece of our quality of place infrastructure,” said Salem Mayor Justin Green.
Last July another issue occurred in which Green explained, “Our water plant had an adverse issue.. that was fixed by the crew and engineers on-site. This was an internal issue with a chlorine bleach pump feed and was discovered and addressed…”
Green said then that the plant did not lose disinfection and only suffered from low volume, but resulted in boil water advisories to Salem, East Washington Rural Water Corporation and the Town of New Pekin.
In a press release issued Sunday afternoon, Salem’s Boil Water Advisory is continuing, with some explanation of why it was issued.
“As a result of pump limitation and malfunction, water levels in storage became short,” noted the release. “With crews of engineers working non-stop since the issue was first discovered, a resolution has been found.”
Mayor Justin Green said the “issue” was first discovered on Saturday, January 29.
The City’s alert system had been sending out messages throughout the week about low water pressure to the North of Salem and residents were reporting low to no pressure.
“As water consumption is occurring, storage and pressure are improving. The very cold temperatures have made quick progress more difficult. The boil water advisory remains in effect and will be updated once all areas improve. Water quality is testing good, but some areas may show discoloration,” the statement reads.
In a release issued from the City of Salem on Saturday morning, the release stated that the boil water advisory was not mandatory.
WSLM learned from East Washington Rural Water Corporation Superintendent Nathan Risen that parts of the Pekin area are also under a boil water advisory.
Risen said customers with account #’s beginning with 131, 132, 133, 135, 136, 137 were part of the advisory and should bring to a boil any water they cook with or drink as a precaution due to a water outage.
Risen said Sunday morning that the boil water advisory could last until at least Tuesday, Feb. 1.
“Since restoring and throughout last night and today we are seeing continuous improvement,” noted Houchin’s release. “Water pressure to storage is being maximized now. We will update the boil water advisory when it is cleared.”
“We appreciate your patience and again thank our crews who have been working continuously to restore service,” said the release.
As a reminder, City of Salem residents can sign up for telephone alerts by contacting the City of Salem Water Department.
Those texts, emails, and phone alerts are abbreviated versions of the above information.
Mayor Green first announced the alert system after another incident with the water system in July 2021. Around October 1, 2021, Green told the public how to sign up for the service.
Green encouraged every household to sign up to receive these important alerts.
“You may sign up to receive these alerts from the City of Salem in any of the following manners: text message, voice call, and or email. Each household can register up to 4 phone numbers and 4 email addresses. All you need to do is:
Follow the prompts and enter your preferred contact information.
Select Resident or Business”
He said if residents opt to receive text alerts, Reach Alert will send a text message to their cell phone immediately upon completion of their registration.
Green instructed to enter the 4-digit number on the registration screen and then click the word VALIDATE.
“If you do not receive this message, please call Reach Alert,” he said.
If you do not have access to a computer or if you experience any difficulty registering, please contact REACH Alert at (877) 307-9313 or call the water utility office at (812) 883-3937.
Green said the city had some customers’ information already, but some files need updated phone numbers. Please let our office know of any changes.
Mayor Green said he hoped every resident would take advantage of the Reach Alert System to help keep families safe and to continue to make Salem a great place to live.
The City of Salem has issued a Boil Water Advisory Saturday morning after some pressure issues with the city’s system over the past few days.
This will remain in affect until the city notified the public it is no longer necessary.
There was no indication of how many customers this affected or it was for only certain customers.
Mayor Justin Green said the advisory is not mandatory but also asked residents to conserve water.
”We are also asking that you conserve water and only use what is necessary for household and personal needs,” said the Mayor.
“The precautionary measure is recommended because we are experiencing a drinking water problem within the service area,” according to a statement released just before 11a.
Messages from the city have been received by customers most of last week about low water pressure north of Salem.
A message on Friday afternoon said issues were repaired followed a few hours later by another message about continued problems.
”After reviewing today’s water pressure, the City of Salem Utilities has decided with an abundance of caution that we should issue a boil water advisory for your drinking water,” the statement noted.
The city recommends that all cooking and drinking water be brought to a complete boil for five minutes before using.
”Please continue to boil all cooking and drinking water until we notify you that it is no longer necessary,” the statement reads.
“We appreciate your cooperation during this time and will update you as necessary until the drinking water problem has been solved”, the statement added.
If you have any questions concerning the drinking water problem, please contact the water department at 812-883-3937.
