Indiana Department of Transportation contractor E&B Paving Inc. plans to close the S.R. 58 bridge over Bee Creek in Jackson County on or after Tuesday, June 1, for a deck overlay and rehab project.

The bridge is located 2.8 miles west of S.R. 135 and is scheduled to close for up to 60 days, through late July. The official detour will follow S.R. 135 and U.S. 50. 

Motorists are reminded to slow down, use extra caution, and drive distraction-free in and near all work zones. All work is weather-dependent and schedules are subject to change. The $250,000 contract was awarded in February.

Last night at approximately 7:43, Indiana State Police and Gibson County Sheriff’s Office responded to 108 S. Cross Street in Francisco after Joseph Davis, 48, allegedly pointed a firearm at his wife and threatened his two children.

Arrested and Charged:

• Joseph Davis, 48, Francisco, IN

1. Criminal Recklessness with a Deadly Weapon, Level 6 Felony
2. Communication-Intimidation, Level 5 Felony
3. Domestic Battery-Adult knowing Presence of Child less than 16 years old, Level 6 Felony
4. Residential Entry, Level 6 Felony
5. Resisting Law Enforcement, Level 6 Felony
6. Pointing a Firearm, Level 6 Felony
7. Battery, Class B Misdemeanor

Both children and his wife fled the residence and ran to a neighbor’s house to wait for the police.  

Moments later, Davis walked to the neighbor’s house and kicked in the front door, but his wife fled on foot and his two children were hiding. Davis fled the area in his Toyota pickup truck when he heard police sirens.

Approximately 15 minutes later, Princeton Police located Davis driving his Toyota pickup truck south on CR 850 East near CR 300 South. Princeton Police attempted to stop the vehicle, but Davis refused and continued driving south at approximately 10-15 mph.

Davis eventually turned west onto CR 450 South and continued to drive at a slow speed. Davis eventually stopped after seeing tire deflation devices being deployed by Indiana State Police at CR 750 South.

Davis was arrested without further incident. Troopers did locate a loaded .38 caliber revolver inside the pickup truck. Davis is currently being held on bond in the Gibson County Jail.

Arresting Officer: Trooper Braydon Angermeier, Indiana State Police

Assisting Officers: Trooper Tanner Hurley and Trooper Alex Vennekotter, Indiana State Police

Assisting Agencies: Gibson County Sheriff’s Office, Princeton Police and Oakland City Police

This afternoon at approximately 4:50, Master Trooper Brett Pool was patrolling US 50 near Mt. Zion Road when he drove up on a serious crash involving a farm tractor and a pickup truck.

Preliminary investigation revealed Phillip Murray, 36, of Washington, was driving a 2019 Ford F150 pickup truck eastbound in the driving lane on US 50 approximately 300 yards west of Mt. Zion Road when for unknown reasons collided into the rear of a farm tractor pulling a farm implement.

The farm tractor was traveling east on the shoulder and right lane at the time of the crash. Murray was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes but was later airlifted to Deaconess Midtown Hospital in Evansville where he is currently being treated for serious injuries.

The driver of the farm tractor, Jason Wichman, 46, of Washington, was transported to Daviess Community Hospital in Washington for non-life-threatening injuries.

The eastbound lanes of US 50 were closed for approximately three hours while troopers investigated the crash.

Investigating Officer: Master Trooper Brett Pool, Indiana State Police

Assisting Officers: Sergeant Kylen Compton, Sergeant Bill Gadberry, Master Trooper Randy Huddleston, Master Trooper Gary Goodman, Trooper Nick Hatfield, and Trooper Jonathan Lukeman

Assisting Agencies: Knox County Sheriff’s Office and Knox County EMS

On Tuesday, May 18th, the Indiana State Police Drug Enforcement Section and the ISP Bloomington District A.C.E.S. (Aggressive Criminal Enforcement Section) obtained information that Harold E. Leatherman, 35 years old of Mitchell, was involved in dealing methamphetamine. In addition, they had the belief that Leatherman was in possession of several grams of methamphetamine at that time.

At approximately 12:45 pm, Sgt. Greg Day met Leatherman driving a Mitsubishi Eclipse northbound on 3rd Street, near Warren Street, in Mitchell. Sgt. Day knew that Leatherman had a suspended driver’s license. 

As Sgt. Day began to turn around in an attempt to initiate a traffic stop, Leatherman accelerated and fled. Leatherman disregarded Sgt. Day’s emergency lights and siren, refusing to stop. Sgt. Day pursued Leatherman onto Meridian Street, then east on Mill Creek, eventually onto Pumphouse Road. 

Leatherman continued to refuse to stop, driving at high speeds on the rural county roads. There was no traffic in the area, but as speeds continued to get faster, Leatherman started driving off the roadway near Camp Rivervale. At that time, Sgt. Day terminated the pursuit to prevent it from escalating further into a dangerous situation for the public.

The Mitsubishi was later located abandoned in a cornfield on Rivervale Road. A canine track was unsuccessful. The ISP Aviation Section responded, but also could not locate Leatherman. However, inside the vehicle, troopers located marijuana and approximately 10 grams of methamphetamine.

ISP requested and obtained arrest warrants on Leatherman for the following charges,

• Dealing Methamphetamine (Level 3 Felony)
• Attempted Dealing Methamphetamine (Level 3 Felony)
• Possession of Methamphetamine (Level 5 Felony)
• Possession of Marijuana (Class B Misdemeanor)
• Resisting Law Enforcement in a Vehicle (Level 6 Felony)

On Monday, May 24th, ISP utilized a variety of investigative techniques and discovered that Leatherman was at the 6000 block of SR 60 West. DES Detectives, along with Sgt. Day and Troopers Chance Humphrey, Caleb Garvin, and Richard Klun went to the residence. Leatherman was found to be hiding in a nearby wood line, but as he attempted to jump up and run, troopers had him surrounded. Leatherman was taken into custody without further incident.

Troopers located a baggie of approximately 20 grams of marijuana and another baggie of approximately 1 gram of methamphetamine in the weeds where Leatherman had been hiding. 

Leatherman was arrested and incarcerated at the Lawrence County Jail on the warrant stemming from the May 18th incident, as well as additional new charges of,

• Possession of Methamphetamine (Level 6 Felony)
• Possession of Marijuana (Class B Misdemeanor)

ISP was assisted by both the Bedford Police Department and the Lawrence County Police Department during and after the vehicle pursuit.

Anyone with illegal drug activity information is requested to call the Indiana State Police 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.

All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Right-hander Homer Bailey, infielder Todd Frazier and catcher Tim Federowicz are listed on the United States’ preliminary roster for the upcoming WBSC Baseball Americas Qualifier tournament in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The round-robin tournament will be held from May 31 – June 5 at Clover Park with the first-place finisher securing a spot in the 2021 Olympics (Olympics are scheduled from July 23 – Aug. 8 in Tokyo).

The final roster will be announced Sunday, May 30.

RHP HOMER BAILEY
*With Louisville Bats: 2007-11, 2015-18
*MLB Career Highlights: 2x NL Player of the Week, 1,000+ innings, 1,000+ Ks, 2 no-hitters.

The 14-year MLB career veteran righty was selected seventh overall in the 2004 MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds and is one of only 36 pitchers in Major League history to throw more than one no-hitter in his career.

Bailey took the mound for the Bats for parts of nine different seasons, most notably winning eight of his 14 starts and earning International League Pitcher of the Week honors during the 2009 campaign. Overall, Bailey pitched 390.1 innings with 330 strikeouts during his Louisville tenure.

 INF TODD FRAZIER
*With Louisville Bats: 2009-12
*MLB Career Highlights: 2x All-Star, 2015 HR Derby Winner, 2012 NL Rookie of Month (Aug.).

After being drafted by the Reds out of Rutgers in 2007 (34^th overall pick), Frazier quickly gained fan popularity in Cincinnati as “The ToddFather” when he defeated Joc Pederson in an exciting final round of the 2015 Home Run Derby at his home field of Great American Ball Park.

Frazier spent parts of four seasons with Louisville and launched 15+ homers in back-to-back seasons in 2010 and 2011. The standout effort paced his promotion to the big leagues with the Reds during the 2011 campaign.

 C TIM FEDEROWICZ
*With Louisville Bats: 2018
*MLB Career Highlights: Played with Dodgers, Cubs, Giants, Astros, Rangers and Reds.

Federowicz was drafted out of the University of North Carolina in 2008 by the Boston Red Sox and has seen action at the Major League level in parts of eight seasons since 2011.

The backstop was assigned to the Bats late in the 2018 season and reached base safely in 19 of his 23 games with Louisville. Federowicz belted his lone homer with the Bats in dramatic fashion, forcing extra innings with a solo shot in the ninth at Charlotte on Aug. 18, 2018. 

Last night at approximately 7:30, Indiana State Police and Knox County Sheriff’s Office responded to a single-vehicle crash on SR 61west of Monroe City that critically injured a Vincennes woman.

Paula Kordes, 55, of Vincennes, has died from her injuries.

She was being treated at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital in Evansville after being critically injured during a single-vehicle crash in Knox County on Sunday night, May 23.

The Vanderburgh County Coroner’s Office is assisting.

Preliminary investigation revealed Kordes was driving a 1987 Oldsmobile westbound on SR 61 near Mt. Zion Road when for unknown reasons her vehicle left the roadway on the north side, struck the ditch, overturned, and came to a final rest on its top.

Kordes was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes but was later airlifted to Ascension St. Vincent Hospital in Evansville where she is currently in critical condition.

Investigating Officer: Trooper Dustin Stein, Indiana State Police

Assisting Officer: Sergeant Bill Gadberry, Indiana State Police

Assisting Agency: Knox County Sheriff’s Office

Last night at approximately 7:30p, Indiana State Police and Knox County Sheriff’s Office responded to a single-vehicle crash on SR 61 West of Monroe City that critically injured a Vincennes woman.

Preliminary investigation revealed Paula Kordes, 55, of Vincennes, was driving a 1987 Oldsmobile westbound on SR 61 near Mt. Zion Road when for unknown reasons her vehicle left the roadway on the north side, struck the ditch, overturned, and came to a final rest on its top.

Kordes was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes but was later airlifted to Ascension St. Vincent Hospital in Evansville where she is currently in critical condition.

Investigating Officer: Trooper Dustin Stein, Indiana State Police

Assisting Officer: Sergeant Bill Gadberry, Indiana State Police

Assisting Agency: Knox County Sheriff’s Office