For safety reasons, a section of popular Canyon Road at Clifty Falls State Park will convert to one-way traffic only starting Feb. 8.

The section of Canyon Road that will change runs from the T intersection of Tunnel Falls to the T intersection at the park’s nature center.

With the change, only southbound traffic will be allowed on that stretch.

The rest of Canyon Road will continue to be two-way. 

The scenic road attracts large numbers of hikers, joggers, road walkers, and bike riders. 

More than half of the park’s trailheads are on Canyon Road, and the parking lots by those trailheads fill up every weekend, complicating staff efforts when they need to make rescues and recoveries from some of park’s rugged trails.

“By making this section one-way, we can add a pedestrian/bike lane to that stretch,” said property manager Brad Walker.

“Although the change will take some getting used to for driving, it will be an overall improvement of our guests’ experience and make the park a safer place.”

On January 29, 2021, The Scott County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office and the Seymour Police Department, served a search warrant at 3705 Lovers Lane, Scottsburg, (rural Scott County). 

The search warrant was the result of ongoing drug investigations by the Sheriff’s Office.  As a result of the search warrant, three arrests were made. 

Mason Steinkamp, 57, from the above-listed address, was arrested on an outstanding arrest warrant for four counts of Dealing in Methamphetamine At Least One Gram but Less Than Five Grams.

He received additional charges of Dealing in Methamphetamine At Least 10 Grams, Maintaining a Common Nuisance, Unlawful Possession of a Syringe, Possession of Marijuana, and Possession of Paraphernalia. 

Natasha Prosser, 34, of Austin was arrested for Maintaining a Common Nuisance. 

Jordyn Combest, 20, of Madison, IN, was arrested for Unlawful Possession of a Syringe, Maintaining a Common Nuisance, and Possession of Paraphernalia. 

During the service of the search warrant over 55 grams of Methamphetamine was located along with several types of legend drugs, (pills). 

Over $400.00 in U.S. currency was also seized. 

During an additional search warrant that occurred this past Wednesday evening, the Scott County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Scottsburg Police Department. 

In that search warrant Leroy Whitaker, 54, of Scottsburg was arrested for an outstanding warrant, (Scott County Sheriff’s Office investigation), for Dealing in Methamphetamine at Least One Gram but Less than Five Grams. 

Sheriff Goodin continued to praise the hard work of the deputies and commented, “At this time, you would think drug dealers would know they cannot deal drugs in Scott County and get away with it.

Those who choose this type of lifestyle will surely end up in the same fate as the folks we arrested today”.

Sheriff Goodin also praised the public for all the tips the Sheriff’s Office receives.  

On January 28 at 6:40 AM, Spencer County Dispatch received a 911 call from a resident in the 4100 block of North Walnut Street in Richland City.

The caller reported a vehicle driving through yards and hitting a residence.

A second 911 call reported the male driving the vehicle forcibly broke into a residence.

It was also relayed to 911 the homeowner had multiple firearms in the residence.

Spencer County Deputies and Indiana State Police were dispatched to the scene.

Spencer County Deputy, Ryan Parsley, arrived a short time later and saw the male subject actively breaking a window out of the residence with a shotgun.

Deputy Parsley was able to contact the male suspect and had him put the weapon down.

Once the male was outside, he was taken into custody.

Detectives with the Indiana State Police, Jasper, was asked to conduct the investigation.

The male was identified as Terry Waters (52) of Richland City, IN. 

Waters is being held in the Spencer County Jail and preliminarily charged with:

• Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon: Level 4 Felony
• Criminal Recklessness with a Firearm: Level 5 Felony
• Residential Entry: Level 5 Felony
• Possession of Methamphetamine: Level 6 Felony
• Criminal Trespass: Level 6 Felony
• Intimidation: Class A Misdemeanor
• Pointing a Firearm: Class A Misdemeanor
• Criminal Mischief: Class A Misdemeanor
• Criminal Recklessness with a Vehicle: Class B Misdemeanor

All suspects are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. 

Measure Would Strengthen Controls of Dangerous Chemical Abortion Drugs

U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today reintroduced their Support and Value Expectant (SAVE) Moms and Babies Act to strengthen federal controls over the regulation and distribution of chemical abortion drugs. Senator Young was a co-sponsor of this legislation in the last Congress.

The SAVE Moms and Babies Act would prevent labeling changes for already-approved abortion drugs; prevent providers from dispensing these drugs remotely, by mail, or via telemedicine; and prevent the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from approving new chemical abortion drugs.

“Chemical abortions pose the highest risk of complications for mothers, but efforts are underway to try and relax their regulation,” said Senator Young. “In order to protect women from dangerous complications, I am reintroducing the SAVE Moms and Babies Act to strengthen the oversight of these drugs, prevent providers from dispensing them remotely, and stop the approval of new chemical abortion drugs.”

“The dangers inherent with chemical abortion drugs are increasingly well known. Our bill would work to stop efforts to lessen their regulation and broaden their distribution to expectant mothers who are often not informed of the dangers of these sometimes lethal drugs,” said Senator Hyde-Smith. “We must do more to protect women from dangers of mail-order or do-it-yourself chemical abortion drugs. I am pleased to renew this important effort with Congressman Latta and others supporters.”

The legislation would prohibit the removal of the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) currently applied to these drugs due to known or potential serious risks associated with the medication, including incomplete abortions, infections, severe bleeding, and death. Lifting REMS warnings to make chemical abortion available by prescription would effectively override most state pro-life protections like parental involvement, waiting periods, and informed consent.

A summary of the SAVE Moms and Babies Act is available here.

Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb signed a new Executive Order on Thursday, that allows events and gatherings to be held at venues based on percentages of their overall capacity.

Previously, Gov. Holcomb’s order limited gatherings and events to a certain number of attendees based on each county’s current color on the state health department’s COVID-19 County Metrics Map, with 25 individuals allowed to gather in Red Zone counties and 50 in Orange counties.

After most of Indiana was in the Red for the past couple of weeks, the rate of Covid-19 spread has slowed and now most of the state is in the Orange, with a few counties in Yellow. 

The new Executive Order signed Thursday allows for the following amount of individuals to gather at events:

• Red Counties: 25% of a facility’s capacity
• Orange Counties: 25% of a facility’s capacity
• Yellow Counties: 50% of a facility’s capacity
• Blue Counties: 100% of a facility’s capacity

The order says that for the above conditions to be permitted, the host of the gathering or event must submit a plan to their local health department, which addresses multiple factors like venue capacity.

That plan must also outline what steps will be taken to mitigate the spread of the virus during the event, and the host must enforce those steps.

While Indiana’s COVID-19 County Metrics Map is showing steady progress with most counties scored as Orange and some as Yellow on Wednesday’s latest update, most local counties are still under the Red Zone advisory level.

That’s because a county must meet the metrics/score of a less-restrictive category for two consecutive weeks before being allowed to move to that category.

Should COVID-19 conditions continue to improve, many local counties could be under the Orange advisory level as of Wednesday, Feb. 3, with the state health department’s next update to its County Metrics Map.

The Executive Order signed Thursday by Holcomb will go into effect on Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, at 12:01 a.m., and continue through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 28

Here is a link to read the entire executive order – https://www.in.gov/gov/governor-holcomb/newsroom/executive-orders/

Two from Lawrence County and one from Daviess County were arrested Thursday on drug-related charges after a US Marshall Service search for a missing juvenile from Indianapolis led police to a home in Oolitic.

At the conclusion of the investigation, Indiana State Police made the following arrests:

Dakota Stinson (26 years old of Mitchell, IN)

• Possession of Methamphetamine Over 5 Grams, Level 5 Felony
• Maintaining a Common Nuisance, Level 6 Felony
• Possession of Paraphernalia with a Prior Conviction, Class A Misdemeanor

Skyler Shoemaker (26 years old of Bedford, IN)

• Possession of Methamphetamine Over 5 Grams, Level 5 Felony
• Possession of Paraphernalia, Class C Misdemeanor

Tory Thompson (19 years old of Washington, IN)

• Possession of Methamphetamine Over 5 Grams, Level 5 Felony
• Possession of Paraphernalia, Class C Misdemeanor

Indiana State Police Sergeant Greg Day and Trooper Robert Whyte were assisting the U.S. Marshals Service which led officers to the 800 block of Smith Avenue in Oolitic.

While there, officers observed items of drug paraphernalia and suspected methamphetamine inside of a detached garage in plain view.

Three adult males, who were in the garage, were detained.

Sgt. Day applied for a search warrant and the Honorable Judge Robert Cline of Superior Court 2 signed the warrant. 

Officers executed the search warrant and recovered approximately 8 grams of methamphetamine, numerous methamphetamine smoking devices, digital scales, and other drug-related items.

All three were incarcerated at the Lawrence County Jail.  The original missing juvenile was not located at the residence.  ISP was assisted by Oolitic Town Marshal Jon Jeffries and Lawrence County Sheriff Department Officers Andrew Phillips, Lonnie Johnson, and Robin Compton.

Anyone with illegal drug information is encouraged to contact the Indiana State Police Bloomington Post at 812-332-4411.

Nightly lane closures originally scheduled to begin Monday, Feb. 1, on I-65 NB and SB in Bartholomew County have been canceled.

Once rescheduled, closures will be in place for two-to-three nights from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. at Denois Creek, Opossum Creek and the Deaver Rd. overpass, located south of Columbus.

The lane closures will protect crews placing temporary barrier wall in the median and outside shoulders prior to bridge work as part of the added travel lanes project between Walesboro and Columbus.

Additional lane closures and restrictions will begin as early as mid-March as construction gets underway on the $65 million contracts that includes the addition of a third travel lane on I-65 between S.R. 58 and S.R. 46, bridge widening and rehabilitation, structure replacement, and resurfacing between the Driftwood River Bridge and U.S. 31 at Taylorsville.

Motorists are reminded to slow down, use extra caution, and drive distraction-free through all work zones.