Due to last Saturday’s rainout, the Orleans “Cruise, Blues and BBQ” car show has been moved to this coming Saturday, May 1.

The hours will remain the same, 2-6 p.m. on historic Congress Square in downtown Orleans.

Registration will take place from 1 to 2 p.m. and awards will be presented at 6 p.m.

“This will be the chamber’s first big event in the last 12 months,” said Robert F. Henderson, Chamber Executive Officer.   We are hoping everyone will come out and join us on the historic town square for this fun family event.

The vehicles that are named “best of” a certain category will be able to compete head-to-head against the winner of the same “best of” category named at the Fall Fun Fest car show in October.

All types of cars, trucks, bikes, and motorcycles are welcome to compete in the show.

There will be non-food and food vendors set up near the show. Also, SpeakEasy Pizza will be open. They will also have live music and the car show will be providing a DJ for entertainment during the show hours.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Orleans Chamber of Commerce and its promotion of business and general life in the Orleans community.

For more information on the show, contact organizer Mike Harkness at 812-653-1648 or the Orleans Chamber of Commerce at 812-865-9930.

A traffic stop on Monday afternoon netted $2 million in narcotics headed for the streets of Indianapolis.

Monday at approximately 1:30 p.m., an Indiana State Police Trooper stopped a Chrysler van on Interstate 70 near the fifty-nine-mile marker for unsafe lane movement. 

Arrested and Charges were: 

Driver of the vehicle, Ester Osegueda, 32, Porterville, California

• Dealing Narcotics, Level 2, Felony

Passenger of the vehicle, Adam Lopez, 27, Tulare, California

• Dealing Narcotics, Level 2 Felony 

During the conversation with the two occupants, the trooper observed criminal indicators and a subsequent investigation led to a search of the vehicle. 

During that search, the trooper discovered 134 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and 90 pounds of fentanyl concealed in the cargo area.

The drugs originated from Memphis, Tennessee, and were destined for Indianapolis, Indiana. 

The estimated value of the narcotics is two million dollars.

Both subjects were taken into custody and transported to the Hendricks County Jail where they are currently being detained.

Indiana Department of Transportation contractor Duncan Robertson Inc. plans to begin construction on or after Monday, May 3, at the S.R. 135 bridge over Bean Blossom Creek in Brown County.

The bridge is located just south of S.R. 45 and will be reduced to one 11-foot lane with temporary traffic signals as work progresses on a bridge deck overlay project. 

The signals are expected to remain in place through early August, weather permitting.

This project is part of a $1.2 million contract that includes a small structure replacement on S.R. 45, just west of S.R. 135, also in Brown County.

Work is expected to begin on the structure replacement this summer. 

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 Washington County Sheriff’s Department, in partnership with the City of Salem Police Department, will hold its annual Drive-Through Drug Drop on Saturday, May 1, between 9:00 a.m. and Noon.

Sheriff Brent Miller invites you to stop in and drop off any expired or unneeded prescription medications at the Washington County Justice Center.

“Families should be encouraged to bring their unused or expired medications to the drug drop.  It can be dangerous to leave medications in the home, particularly controlled substances, like opioids,” said  Miller. 

If you are unable to drop off your prescription medications during the May 1st event, there is a secure drug drop box available at the Sheriff’s Department. 

Due to COVID restrictions, the dropbox is currently only available from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday, for proper disposal. 

The City of Salem Police Department also has a dropbox in their office lobby available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

Since the drug drop program began in October of 2019, the Sheriff’s Department has collected more than 363.5 pounds of unused or expired medications. 

The program also serves as a reminder to the public to never flush medications and to properly dispose of them at these secure locations. 

All medications collected during the drop are immediately incinerated by Sheriff Brent Miller and Salem Police Chief Tim Miller.  

In addition to the collection of unused prescription medications, the Departments will also be sponsoring a food drive to support the local food bank. 

Donations of non-perishable and canned food items will be accepted during the drug drop event. 

For more information about either program, please contact the Washington County Sheriff’s Department at (812) 883-5999.   

“Thank you for not only helping to keep our community safe by properly disposing of unneeded or expired prescriptions but for also generously supporting our local food bank,” said Sheriff Miller.