Prevention Insights at the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington will be offering free, virtual training sessions on mental health first aid.

These training sessions were made possible by a three-year grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. They are open to anyone in the IU or Monroe County community over the age of 18 to become trained to recognize the signs of a struggling friend, family member, or colleague.

Mental Health Awareness Training project director Heather Dolne works for the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington’s Prevention Insights, an organization that was established to assist with drug use prevention but has since added mental health training to its many services.

Prevention Insights will be offering the training on March 24, April 22, and May 14. The virtual training sessions run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with breaks in between. The live sessions include interaction and discussion.

Dolne said participants will learn signs and symptoms of mental health disorders, how to reduce the stigma, the impact of trauma and addiction, how to support a person with a mental health disorder and connect them to care, and more.

Sign up by clicking here. 

Every year the National Weather Service in Indianapolis hosts free storm spotter classes open to the public. This year all classes will be held virtually.

Those interested can register here – https://www.weather.gov/ind/spotter

The National Weather Service relies on reports from the public.

Whether it’s strong winds that lead to damage, heavy rainfall causing flooding, hail size reports, different types of severe weather clouds, and even tornadoes.

The public can download the mPING app on Android and IOS devices and report weather conditions from their area. These observations are useful to the NWS.

These classes prepare the public to report all types of weather while doing it safely.

And the best part is, the training can be done from the comfort of home for free.

The National Weather Service in Indianapolis will host six online classes on these dates and times. 

• March 8th at 6:30 p.m. EST 
• March 10th at 4 p.m. EST 
• March 13th at 10 a.m. EST 
• March 22nd at 6:30 p.m. EDT 
• March 24th at 2 p.m. EDT

The Louisville office of the National Weather Service has an online module the public can complete at https://www.weather.gov/lmk/spottertraining

Indiana Department of Transportation maintenance crews plan to close S.R. 11 north of Dudleytown, between S.R. 250 and C.R. 50 S., on Wednesday, March 10, for a culvert replacement project.

The closure is expected to last one day, from approximately 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting.

Motorists should utilize an alternate route during this time as the road will be closed to all traffic.

Work will be rescheduled if needed due to inclement weather.

Indiana Department of Transportation maintenance crews plan to close a section of S.R. 250, just east of S.R. 39 on Tuesday, March 9, for a culvert replacement project.

The closure is expected to last one day, from approximately 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting.

Motorists should utilize an alternate route during this time as the road will be closed to all traffic.

Work will be rescheduled if needed due to inclement weather.

An early morning crash on I-65 in Scott County left a 25-year-old Illinois man dead when he was struck after exiting his car. 

Stefan Porch, 26, of Matteson, Illinois, was pronounced dead at the scene after being struck by a northbound semi-truck. 

Around 2:50 Monday morning, 911 calls reported a semi-truck had struck a person in the roadway on I-65 northbound near the 33 mile-marker, just south of the Austin, Indiana exit.

Austin Indiana Police and Indiana State Troopers were the first to arrive on-scene.

When officers arrived, they found Porch and then requested an Indiana State Police crash reconstruction team to assist in the investigation.  

After the preliminary investigation, investigators believe Stefan Porch was northbound in a silver 2020 Kia Forte with five passengers on board.

The Kia then collided with a second vehicle, possibly the rear of a northbound tractor-trailer or box truck.

At this time, it appears the second vehicle did not stop and continued from the scene.

The Forte came to a stop in the roadway, and Stefan Porch exited the car.

As Stefan Porch left the vehicle, he stepped into the path of a northbound semi-truck.

The driver of the semi was unable to avoid striking Porch. 

The semi was driven by Barbaro Trizan Cuellar, of Louisville, Kentucky, who was uninjured in the crash. 

All passengers in the car were taken by ambulance to Scott Memorial hospital for any possible injuries from the initial crash. No significant injuries were reported.  

The driver of the semi was not injured.  

This crash is still under investigation. Anyone with information regarding the second vehicle is asked to contact the Indiana State Police Sellersburg Post.  

The family of the deceased has been notified.  

Indiana State Police Troopers were assisted by the Austin Police Department, The Scott County Sheriff’s Department, The Scottsburg Fire Department, and the Austin Fire Department.  

People all around the world are affected by scams every single day.

This program will cover some common types of scams, provide you with proactive steps you can take to protect yourself and your information, and show you where you can go to report scams or
frauds that have taken place.

Join them for this free, educational program presented by Sonya Mitchell, Purdue University Health and Human Sciences Extension Educator in Washington County.

This program is being offered on March 18 at 11:30 am via zoom. Registration is required and can be completed at http://bit.ly/StayingScamSafe.

If the public needs further assistance or would like
more information, contact Sonya Mitchell at (812)883-4601 or via email at shmitche@purdue.edu.

Do you have type 2 diabetes? Would you like to learn more about your disease and how to live well while reducing your health risks? If so, Purdue Extension has a great program for you!

The Purdue Extension – Washington County office will be offering a virtual Dining with Diabetes program beginning April 6 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm via Zoom. 

Dining with Diabetes is a series of five sessions, which includes a three-month reunion session.

The Dining with Diabetes program is open to those with diabetes, their family members, and caretakers. The series of five sessions is $10 per household if registered before March 19, and $15 per household if registered after March 19.

Registrations need to be submitted by March 30. Pre-registration and payment are required. Participants are encouraged to attend all class sessions.

Diabetes is a very serious and costly disease. However, research has shown that those who learn to manage their blood glucose (sugar) levels by eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly, can lower their risks of complications and help to lead a healthier and more productive life.

Dining with Diabetes is offered statewide and is sponsored by Purdue Extension.

Meeting dates and topics covered are as follows:

• April 6: What is diabetes? /Snacks & appetizers 
• April 13: Carbs & sweeteners /Desserts
• April 20: Fats & sodium /Main dishes  
• April 27: Putting it all together! /Side dishes
• July 27: Three Month Follow-Up Session

For registration or more information contact Sonya Mitchell, Health and Human Sciences Extension Educator, Purdue Extension – Washington County by email at shmitche@purdue.edu, by phone (812)883-4601 or register in person at the
Washington County Extension Office.

Governor Eric J. Holcomb is directing flags in Washington County to be flown at half-staff on Sunday, March 7, in honor First Lieutenant Scot Wayne Ames Jr.

Flags should be flown at half-staff from sunrise until sunset Sunday, March 7.

Gov. Holcomb also asks businesses and residents in Washington County to lower their flags to half-staff in memory of First Lieutenant Ames Jr.

Ames Jr., 24, of Pekin, died Friday, February 19, 2021 as part of the 50th Flying Training Squadron in Columbus, MS.

He was one of two pilots who lost their lives when their T-38C Talon crashed during a training mission to Tallahassee, FL.

He was born in Honolulu, HI on April 8, 1996 at Tripler Medical Center, and he grew up in Pekin.

He attended Eastern High School, graduating in 2014. While in high school, he excelled at football and baseball. He also graduated with academic and technical honors.

Additionally, he attended Prosser Vocational School for aviation where he received his private pilot’s license in 2014.

Then, he attended Indiana State University (2014 to 2018) where he was a leader for the ROTC program as the 218th Cadet Wing Commander and a Cadet Training Assistant (CTA) during the summer before his senior year.

He s survived by his wife Audra Dial Ames of West Point, MS; his mother Ginger Bailey Ames and father Scot Wayne Ames Sr. of Pekin; his sister Courtni (Zach) LaDuke, nieces Felicity and Gwen, and nephew Evan of Borden; his grandmother Lyla Dianne McLean of New Albany; his grandfather George W. Bailey Jr. of Madison; his grandparents Gerald and Patricia Ames of Henryville, IN; and his great-grandparents Doris and Emmett Wycoff of Otisco.

Funeral arrangements will be conducted at 2 p.m., Sunday, March 7 at Eastern High School with burial to follow at New Chapel Cemetery 6762 S. Bloomington Trail Road in Underwood. 

Military Honors and the Military Fly Over will be conducted in collaboration with the Columbus Air Force Base Honor Guard and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Honor Guard.

Visitation will be after Noon on Sunday at Eastern High School Gymnasium.  

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Fallen Wings Foundation, Lt Scot Wayne Ames Jr Memorial at www.fallenwingsfoundation.org/merch/lt-scot-ames-jr-memorial or c/o Adams Family Funeral Home & Crematory, 209 S. Ferguson St., Henryville, IN 47126.

Early this morning a Louisville man was arrested on drug charges after a traffic stop.

James Thomas Leffler, 33, of Louisville was arrested and incarcerated at the Harrison County Jail.

Leffler is charged with: 

1. Possession of a Firearm – Serious Violent Felon – Level 4 Felony
2. Possession of a Handgun without a License – A Misdemeanor
3. Possession of Marijuana – B Misdemeanor

Trooper Boley was assisted by Trooper Dakota Novak and officers from the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department and Corydon Police Department.  

At approximately 3:45 Thursday morning, Trooper Clay Boley stopped a vehicle for speeding and failing to signal a lane change in Corydon, Indiana.

Trooper Boley identified the driver as Leffler and observed criminal indicators in the car.

Trooper Boley requested assistance from Harrison County Deputy Daniel Evans and his K9 “Flynn,” which alerted to possible drugs in the vehicle.  

Trooper Boley searched the car and located eight firearms of various types and lengths in the trunk, along with $28,000 in US Currency.

Approximately three grams of marijuana was also discovered. A check of James Leffler’s criminal record revealed he was a serious violent felon through Kentucky.