Preparations being made to lay final surface pavement

Indiana Department of Transportation contractor Milestone Contractors, LP plans to implement additional traffic restrictions along the U.S. 50 in Seymour this week.

Cloverleaf Drive Closure
Starting Thursday morning, September 16, Cloverleaf Drive is scheduled to close at U.S. 50. The closure will allow for the removal of old pavement and the placement of new full-depth asphalt. Cloverleaf Drive is expected to reopen Saturday evening, weather permitting.

U.S. 50 Traffic Shift at U.S. 31
Also on Thursday, U.S. 50 traffic will be moved to the inside lanes just west of U.S. 31 as crews begin constructing a traffic island in the northwest corner of the intersection. This configuration is expected to remain in place for approximately two weeks.

U.S. 50 WB Box Culvert Installation
In addition, the second phase of box culvert installation is scheduled to take place this coming weekend (Sept. 17-19). U.S. 50 WB will again be reduced to one lane between Holiday Square Drive and Agrico Lane starting Friday morning. Two eastbound lanes will remain open, but will be shifted slightly to the south.

As in phase one, westbound lanes will merge to a single lane near Azul Tequila and also split so the left-turn lane can be utilized at Myers Lane. To turn left, drivers should use the left lane, and use the right lane to continue west on U.S. 50. Two thru lanes will become available near Wal-Mart (Agrico Lane).

Final Pavement Preparation
Over the next few weeks, Milestone will begin making preparations for final paving. Following pavement replacement between El Nopal and Agrico Lane, the surface will be paved and pavement markings will be placed throughout project limits. This work is scheduled to be completed under lane closures by the end of October.

Motorists are reminded to slow down, use extra caution and drive distraction-free through all work zones. All work is weather dependent and schedules are subject to change.

In October of 2020, Master Trooper Jarrod Lents initiated an investigation into allegations of improper sexual contact between an adult male and a female under the age of 14. 

During the nearly year-long investigation, probable cause was developed that Mauricio Bolanos, age 20 of Jasper, had sexual relations in early 2020 with a female under the age of 14.  Bolanos was over the age of 18 at the time of the interactions. 

On September 10^th, 2021, a warrant was issued from the Dubois Circuit Court, charging Mauricio Bolanos with:

• Child Molesting – level 3 felony
• Sexual Misconduct with a Minor- level 5 felony

On September 13^th, 2021, Troopers Lents and Villanueva located Bolanos at his residence in Jasper.  He was arrested without incident and transported to the Dubois County Jail.

Last night at approximately 8:24 p.m., Indiana State Police and Posey County Sheriff’s Office responded to a three-vehicle crash on SR 165 approximately ½ mile north of I-64. When officers arrived, they discovered two of the drivers involved were husband and wife and alcohol was a contributing factor.

Preliminary investigation by Indiana State Police revealed Donald Ricketts, 56, of Poseyville, was driving his 2019 Nissan Frontier north on SR 165 when he drove left of center and struck the driver’s side of a tractor-trailer that was traveling south on SR 165. 

After the collision occurred, which was a short distance from Ricketts’ residence, Ricketts allegedly contacted his wife to pick him up at the crash site.

Moments later, before police arrived, Cheral Ricketts, 55, was driving her 2014 Nissan south on SR 165 when she collided into her husband’s vehicle, which was still in the roadway from the previous crash. Both Ricketts’ vehicles were totaled.

When officers arrived on scene, Donald and Cheral Ricketts displayed signs of impairment and failed field sobriety tests.

Cheral Ricketts was taken to Deaconess Gibson Hospital by Indiana State Police where a preliminary test revealed she had a BAC of .22%. She was later taken to the Posey County Jail where she is currently being held on bond. 

Donald Ricketts was also taken to Deaconess Gibson Hospital where a preliminary test revealed he had a BAC of .28%.  He was admitted for a medical issue that is not life-threating.  The driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured.

This is an on-going investigation.

Investigating Officers: Sergeant Russ Werkmeister, Trooper Zack Fulton and Trooper Alex Vennekotter, Indiana State Police

Assisting Agency: Posey County Sheriff’s Office

Two free Covid-19 vaccine clinics are scheduled for September 17 and 21st in Salem.

This will be the FDA approved-Pfizer vaccine. 

The first will be at Friday Night on the Square from 6-9p. 

Insurance is not required but those attending are asked to bring your card. 

The other clinic will be on Tuesday, Sept. 21 from 10a to 3:30p at the St. Vincent hospital in their classroom inside the main entrance of the hospital. 

No appointment is necessary. 

Appointment for the second shot made at the time of Vaccination

In a letter to congressional leaders, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita warns that a reckless piece of legislation under consideration on Capitol Hill “would allow the United States Department of Justice to usurp the authority states rightly possess over their own elections, essentially federalizing the election system.”

Attorney General Rokita’s letter opposing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act — or H.R. 4 — is joined by 22 other attorneys general.

Already passed in the House, the legislation requires states to obtain “preclearance” from the federal government before enacting election reforms such as voter identification requirements and voter list maintenance laws.

“This legislation is a misguided, clumsy, and heavy-handed effort to circumvent Supreme Court decisions, state sovereignty, and the will of the people,” Attorney General Rokita writes in the letter.

The legislation essentially establishes the U.S. Department of Justice as a national election czar dictating to states exactly how they must administer their elections.

“States that create laws based on what works best for their jurisdiction to respond to a crisis of confidence in our elections systems,” Attorney General Todd Rokita writes, “will inevitably be targeted by the Department of Justice leading to more confusion, litigation, and concerns over the validity of elections going forward.”

The proposed legislation ignores states’ legitimate interest in preventing voter fraud, safeguarding the right to vote, and ensuring that every legal vote is counted without being diluted by illegal votes.

H.R. 4 letter 9.13.21