Last night at approximately 8:53, Trooper Hurley stopped the driver of a 2002 Buick LeSabre for driving left of center on SR 64 near SR 57.

Arrested and Charged was Megan Skidmore, 33, Princeton, IN

1. Operating a Vehicle while Intoxicated with Passengers less than 18 years of age, Level 6 Felony
2. Open Alcohol Container Violation
3. Driving Left of Center

Skidmore’s nine-year-old daughter and three-year-old son were also in the vehicle.

While talking to the driver, Trooper Hurley detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage and observed two empty alcohol containers in the driver’s door. Skidmore displayed signs of impairment and failed field sobriety tests.

Further investigation revealed Skidmore had a blood alcohol content of .22%.

She was arrested and taken to the Gibson County Jail where she is currently being held on bond. Her two children were released to a family member.

Arresting Officer: Trooper Tanner Hurley, Indiana State Police

Assisting Officer: Trooper Douglas Roberts, Indiana State Police

Assisting Agency: Indiana Conservation Officers

Salem’s Walmart recently donated $2500 Walmart for the purchase of trauma kits and the Washington County Sheriff’s Department contributed the same amount. 

The trauma kits provide critical life-saving medical components for self-aid or to assist other officers and victims in the event of severe hemorrhage and/or penetrating trauma. 

Items in the kit are packaged in a compact tactical individual first aid kit pouch and include nitrile gloves, a combat application tourniquet, rapid hemostatic gauze, an emergency trauma dressing, hyfin compact vent chest seals, nasopharyngeal airway, a hypothermia blanket, and EMT shears. 

“These compact trauma kits really can be life-saving.  They will help support officer safety and allow for a quicker triage response in the field for the public,” said Miller.  

In addition, training in how to use the items included in the kits was provided to our officers by the Southeast Indiana Regional SWAT Team.  

“I am pleased we were able to not only get these kits in the hands of our officers, but we also have received training on how to use them in the field.  I want to thank Walmart for their contribution and the Southeast Indiana Regional SWAT team for our training,” said Sheriff Brent Miller.

Indiana Department of Transportation contractor Surface Preparation Technologies Inc. plans to start work on or after Monday, May 17, to install rumble strips along a section of S.R. 750 in Jennings County. 

Corrugations will be placed and sealed on the first day of work, followed by a five-day cure period for the sealant. Crews are scheduled to return to the area on or after Monday, May 24, to apply center pavement markings, weather permitting. Traffic will be restricted by daytime lane closures with flagging between S.R. 3 and Buckeye Street while work is in progress. 

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.

Indiana Department of Transportation contractor Temple and Temple Excavating and Paving Inc. plans to close S.R. 335 on or after Monday, May 17, to complete a series of small structure replacement projects in Floyd and Washington Counties. The road will close separately at three locations north of U.S. 150.

The first structure is located 1.27 miles north of U.S. 150 over an unnamed tributary to Richard Creek in Floyd County. State Road 335 will close for up to 15 days at the structure. An official detour will be posted and access to residences in the area will be maintained.

Additional structure locations include:

• S.R. 335, 5.66 miles north of U.S. 150 in Washington County (20-day closure)
• S.R. 335, 0.26 miles north of U.S. 150 in Floyd County (10-day closure)

The $556,000 contract was awarded in January and is expected to be complete by early August. Motorists are reminded to slow down, use extra caution, and drive distraction-free in and near work zones. All work is weather-dependent and schedules are subject to change.

A lengthy investigation by the Indiana State Police Drug Enforcement Section and the ISP Bloomington District A.C.E.S. (Aggressive Criminal Enforcement Section) into heroin dealing concluded with the arrest of a Louisville man.

ISP had obtained information that Tyler A. Cross, 29 years old of Louisville, KY, was allegedly dealing heroin in and around Lawrence County.

On Tuesday afternoon troopers learned that Cross was going to be delivering a large quantity of heroin to Bedford.

Trooper Chance Humphrey located Cross operating a vehicle near the Holiday Inn along SR 37 in Bedford. Trp. Humphrey, along with Bedford Police Officers Clint Swanson and Faheem Bade, conducted a traffic stop on Cross.

During the traffic stop, Officer Bade deployed his canine, ZaZu, who gave a positive alert to the presence of controlled substances in Cross’s vehicle.

As officers were conducting a search of the vehicle, Trp. Humphrey observed Cross attempt to swallow a plastic baggie that contained a powder-like substance. Officers were able to retrieve the baggie from Cross’s mouth and discovered it contained approximately 17 grams of suspected heroin.

Cross was transported to IU Health Bedford due to the fact the baggie of heroin had been broken and it was feared that Cross had ingested some of the suspected drugs. After Cross was medically cleared at the hospital, he was arrested and incarcerated at the Lawrence County Jail on the following charges:

• Dealing in a Narcotic Drug (Level 2 Felony)
• Possession of a Narcotic Drug (Level 4 Felony)
• Obstruction of Justice (Level 6 Felony)

Sgt. Greg Day of the ISP Bloomington District A.C.E.S. commended the outstanding teamwork, cooperation between agencies, and the thorough investigation that led to this arrest. “We all know that heroin is extremely dangerous, as it is responsible for way too many overdoses and deaths of our friends and family members in this community. Thanks to the efforts by law enforcement, a large amount of poison that Mr. Cross was attempting to deal in our county will not find its way into the hands of those suffering from drug addiction.”

Anyone with information of illegal drug activity is requested and encouraged 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.

Two people from New Albany and Jeffersonville were arrested on numerous charges Wednesday morning after the driver lead officers from two states and multiple counties on a high-speed pursuit.  

Charged and booked into the Harrison County Jail were:

Nelson Jacob Emory, 25, New Albany 

1. Possession of Handgun with obliterated serial number – Level 5 Felony 
2. Possession of handgun by Felon – Level 5 Felony 
3. Theft (Motor Vehicle) -Level 6 Felony 
4. Resisting Law Enforcement with a Vehicle – Level 6 Felony 
5. Possession of Methamphetamine – Level 6 Felony 
6. Reckless Driving – C Misdemeanor

Emory was also wanted on several warrants out of Floyd County, Indiana.  

Kaelin Marie Brian, 25, Jeffersonville 

1.  Possession of marijuana – B Misdemeanor

Around 3 am Wednesday, Louisville Metro Police advised they were in pursuit of a blue 2019 GMC Sierra, reported as stolen.

The vehicle was believed to be occupied by two people and was westbound on I-64 approaching the state line. Kentucky authorities terminated the pursuit as the GMC crossed into Indiana.  

The Sierra was equipped with the On-Star security system, and both Kentucky and Indiana Authorities were in contact with On-Star during the pursuit. Attempts by On-Star to remotely disable the car had been unsuccessful.   

After the car crossed into Indiana, Trooper Clay Boley observed the vehicle speeding westbound near the 105 mile-marker in Harrison County and attempted to make a traffic stop.

The driver did not stop, and the pursuit continued on I-64 through Harrison and Crawford Counties with speeds over 100 mph.

The pursuit continued westbound and entered Perry County, where attempts by Perry County deputies to use tire-deflation devices were unsuccessful.    

After entering Spencer County, the driver turned south on to US231 and continued southbound, again avoiding tire-deflation devices set up by Spencer County authorities. As the Sierra approached SR70 near Chrisney, Indiana, On-Star was able to shut down the vehicle remotely, and the driver drove into the median.  

The driver, identified as Nelson Jacob Emery, 25, of New Albany, Indiana, was taken into custody without further incident. The passenger, Kaelin Maire Brian, 25, of Jeffersonville, Indiana, was also taken into custody.  

Trooper Boley located a revolver with the serial number removed and a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol during a search of the vehicle. A

pproximately five grams of methamphetamine and one gram of marijuana were also found.  

Trooper Boley was assisted by units from the Perry County Sheriff’s Department, the Spencer County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Police – Evansville, and Troopers Peyton and Mitchem from Indiana State Police – Sellersburg.  

Indiana Department of Transportation contractor Sunesis Construction plans to reopen the S.R. 62 bridge over Caesar Creek in Ripley County Friday afternoon (May 14) following a deck overlay project. 

The same afternoon, crews plan to close S.R. 62 at a box culvert located west of Friendship between Cave Hill Road and Olean Road, approximately four miles east of S.R. 129. The road is scheduled to remain closed for around four weeks while the structure is replaced. The official detour will follow S.R. 129 to U.S. 421 to U.S. 50, back to S.R. 62.

The $550,000 contract was awarded in December 2020 and has a final completion date of August 31, 2021. All work is weather-dependent and schedules are subject to change.

State Road 62 is scheduled to be open for both the Friendship Flea Market and NMLRA National Championship Shoots in June and September.