Indiana State Police are investigating the death of a 13-week-old Mt. Vernon baby. 

Thursday afternoon, September 10, at approximately 12:03, Posey County 911 Dispatch received a call from a Mt. Vernon mother regarding her13-week-old baby boy that was not breathing.

The mother performed C.P.R. until Posey County EMS arrived and continued life-saving measures.

The child was rushed to Deaconess Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

An autopsy was conducted this evening at the Vanderburgh County Morgue, but the manner and cause of death are still pending. Foul play is not suspected.

Additional information will be released as it becomes available.

Investigating Officer: Detective Wes Kuykendall, Indiana State Police

Assisting Officer: Sergeant Mark Green, Indiana State Police Crime Scene Technician

Assisting Agency: Vanderburgh County Coroner’s Office and Mt. Vernon Police Department

Early Wednesday, Lauryn Connelly, 19, of Evansville, was arrested after allegedly fleeing from a trooper on August 25.

She was arrested and charged for: 

1. Resisting Law Enforcement, Level 6 Felony
2. Warrant out of Henderson, KY

She is currently being held in the Vanderburgh County Jail without bond.

On Tuesday, August 25, Trooper Ross Rafferty was patrolling in the area of Kentucky Avenue and Washington Avenue when he observed the driver of a white 2007 Chevrolet Aveo traveling south on Kentucky Avenue at a high rate of speed.

The vehicle was clocked by radar at 50 mph in a 30 mph zone. Trooper Rafferty activated his emergency lights and attempted to stop the vehicle when the driver turned east onto Riverside Drive.

The driver failed to stop and continued east until the female driver reached stopped traffic near US 41. Trooper Rafferty pulled alongside the vehicle and ordered the female driver to pull over.

The driver pulled forward a short distance and turned south onto Gilbert and stopped. As soon as Trooper Rafferty exited his patrol car the female driver accelerated and continued south on Gilbert, east on Sweetser, north on Kentucky, and west on Riverside Drive.

The driver disregarded all stop signs and the traffic light at Kentucky and Riverside Drive. Due to traffic conditions, the pursuit was terminated.

Trooper Rafferty continued his investigation and was able to identify the female driver as Lauryn Connelly, 19, of Evansville. She had an active felony warrant out of Henderson, KY for a methamphetamine charge. The Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office reviewed Rafferty’s investigation and issued a warrant for her arrest.

Arresting Officer: Trooper Ross Rafferty, Indiana State Police

Assisting Agency: Evansville Police

The Indiana Department of Transportation will host open interviews for over 100 winter seasonal positions on Tuesday, September 15, and Thursday, October 15, at eleven locations around the state. Hiring events will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (local time).

In southeastern Indiana, hiring events will take place at the Bloomington Sub District (2965 N. Prow Rd., Bloomington, IN) and Falls City Sub District (5701 U.S. 31, Clarksville, IN).

Winter seasonal positions run from November through March at a starting pay of $16 per hour. INDOT offers $250 sign-on and $500 retention bonuses for eligible candidates. Candidates should have a valid driver’s license and a commercial driver’s license (CDL). A high school diploma or GED is preferred, but not required.  

Visit INDOTjobs.com to learn more and register. Registration is not required to attend the event, but INDOT recruiters will contact pre-registered participants directly with additional instructions and details prior to the event. Please email careers@indot.in.gov with questions.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, face masks are required and social distancing will be observed at all INDOT hiring events. 

A Campbellsburg woman was arrested Monday on theft charges.

Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department deputies arrested 39-year-old Jackie Tussey, of Campbellsburg, on a warrant on a charge of theft.

According to a probable cause affidavit on August 10th at 11:49 a.m. Bedford Police officers were called to Walmart after a report of a female in the store allegedly stealing items.

When officers arrived they spoke with the store’s loss prevention officer who reported she saw a female later identified as Jackie Tussey fail to pay for numerous items including two large totes in her cart with items inside.

The employee witnessed Tussey put several apparel items from the men’s, women’s, children’s, and infants.

She also selected diapers, sippy cups, nipples for baby bottles, and children’s toys. She selected a DVD from electronics, blankets, towels, school supplies, and the two storage totes.

After loading all the items strategically into the totes, hiding the majority of the items in the bottom tote, and some additional items were hidden by a tote lid in the top tote, she made her way to the self-checkout registers

The loss prevention employee said Tussey paid for $79.45 in items that had been placed on top of the totes but did not pay for the totes or the items hidden inside.

Tussey was stopped by an employee at the store exit and asked to see her receipt and noticed many of the items in her cart were not on the receipt.

The employee then escorted Tussey to the customer service area and contacted the Bedford Police Department.

The store filed a no-trespass order and Tussey was escorted from the store with only the items she purchased.

Video and photos were taken and the information was sent to the Lawrence County Prosecutor’s Office and a warrant was issued for Tussey’s arrest.

Indiana’s Congressional Delegation today announced that Indiana will receive a total of $27.5 million in Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for highway improvement projects.

In Hancock County, a $22.5 million BUILD Grant is being awarded to widen Interstate 70 from two to three lanes in each direction, replace failing pavement along approximately five miles of westbound lanes, and rehabilitate deficient pavement along another approximately five miles of eastbound and westbound lanes within an approximate ten-mile stretch of I-70. Additionally, the eastbound lane drop and westbound lane at Mt. Comfort Road will be reconfigured.

In Avon, a $5 million BUILD Grant is being awarded to improve approximately 1.2 miles of US 36/Rockville Road, adding an additional travel lane in each direction, replacing the two-way left turning-lane with a raised/curbed median, implementing access control to reduce multiple conflicts, installing infrastructure to accommodate non-motorized travel, and modernizing existing signalized intersections.

In May, Indiana’s entire Congressional delegation sent a letter to DOT Secretary Elaine Chao supporting the Indiana Department of Transportation’s applications for these projects. 

“Indiana is known as the Crossroads of America with nearly 12,000 miles of highways and more than 4,000 miles of rail lines within our borders. Recently, Indiana has taken responsible actions to ensure that its state-level infrastructure program serves the needs of Hoosiers and all Americans who traverse the state each day. In 2017, our state implemented a long-term transportation plan that fully funded maintenance and construction on existing highways for at least the next 20 years, provided funding certainty for transformative projects like the extension of Interstate 69 from Indianapolis to Evansville, and provided significant increases in funding to local governments for city, town and county road projects. Federal funding through these BUILD grants will ensure that these critical corridors are able to continue facilitating national commerce,” they wrote.

Salem Mayor Justin Green is encouraging everyone to celebrate  National Read a Book Day through the month of September. 

“This is a day set aside to encourage everyone to take the time to enjoy a good book,” said Green. “As Mayor of Salem, I hope all those in our community will take advantage of the benefits reading books has to offer.”

Mayor Green will be a guest on WSLM’s Coffee Club on Friday, Sept. 18, and read from one of his favorite stories. 

Countless studies have highlighted the benefits of reading, which include improving vocabulary and writing skills, increasing memory, developing analytical thinking, helping with focus and
concentration, and preventing cognitive decline. 

Such benefits are especially important for children, according to Green. 

For kids, reading sparks imagination, builds word recognition, enhances reasoning skills, challenges young minds, and provides cultural and historical knowledge.

“Reading can also help children focus, which we all know is a critical skill this day and age,” he said. “A book is a great alternative to screens and electronic devices.”

National Book Day is a great opportunity to read with children. 

Research has shown that reading and sharing stories with children have a positive impact on their health and development. 

It is also an opportunity to spend time together.  You can start a
new bedtime routine of reading a chapter each night to your children. 

Here are some tips for how to get started:

• Make a routine.  
• Read a chapter each night before bed.
• Let your child help. 
• Encourage your child to help you sound out words or describe the pictures they see in the book.
• Talk about the story together. What did your child think of the story you just read? Did they like the characters or pictures? Why?
• Mix in educational books with fun reads. 
• Mix reading time up with your child by choosing books that are both fun and educational.

I-65 NB patching will now begin Friday, Sept. 11

Indiana Department of Transportation contractor Rieth-Riley Construction will now begin asphalt patching on I-65 on or after Friday, Sept. 11, weather permitting. Patching was originally scheduled to begin last month but was canceled due to weather.

The contract covers both directions of I-65 between S.R. 252 at Edinburgh (Exit 80) and a mile south of S.R. 44 at Franklin (Exit 90).

Work is planned over six weekends, with around-the-clock, single-lane closures starting as early as 8 p.m. each Friday through 6 a.m. each Monday. 

This Friday night, crews plan to begin patching near S.R. 252 and move north on I-65 toward Franklin. This will continue for the first three weekends. Crews will move to southbound I-65 in early October.

Motorists are reminded to slow down, use extra caution and drive distraction-free through all work zones. “Back of queue” trucks equipped with flashing lights and additional signage will be used on the contract to alert drivers of slowed and/or stopped traffic ahead. All work is weather dependent.