On February 19^th, 2020, detectives from the Indiana State Police Fort Wayne Post arrested a man and woman in connection with a fraudulent home repair scam that had been taking place in the Bluffton (Wells County) area.

Arrested were 

Austin R. Boswell, 24, Hanceville, Alabama

Charged:        Ct. 1- Home Improvement Fraud, Level 6 Felony

                      Ct. 2- Theft, Level 6 Felony

Candace Lane Prairie, 29, Peru, Indiana

Charged:         Ct. 1- Home Improvement Fraud, Level 6 Felony

                       Ct. 2- Theft, Level 6 Felony

Both taken into custody and booked into the Wells County Jail last Wednesday evening, charged with felony offenses related to the alleged home improvement scam.

The investigation began when a concerned family member of the victim contacted the Bluffton Police Department after discovering large sums of money transfers out of the victim’s bank account.

The investigation found that from January 8^th through February 20^th the suspects purported to have done work on the victim’s foundation, driveway, roof, and lighting rods that were attached to the house.

The suspects also expanded their scheme by utilizing perpetrators other than just contractors, who presented themselves as State agents and inspectors.

Documents were presented to the victim falsely claiming back taxes were due on his property and then attempted to collect payment for the alleged back taxes.

Although these two alleged suspects were identified, taken into custody, and charged during this investigation, it is believed that there were several other accomplices involved in the fraudulent activities and a strong possibility that other homeowners in the region may have been victimized under similar circumstances.

If you think that you may have been the victim of a recent home repair fraud in or around the Wells County area, or if you as a caregiver or family member of a person that may have been victimized, you are urged to contact detectives at the Indiana State Police Fort Wayne Post at (260)432-8661.

Your information may prove valuable in preventing others from falling prey to these types of scam artists.

A Salem man who stabbed his mother this weekend appeared at his initial hearing this afternoon in front of Circuit Court Judge Larry Medlock and entered a plea of not guilty.

Medlock will appoint a defense attorney at the county’s expense and set the pre-trial conference for March 19 and a tentative date for a jury trial on July 7. 

Humphrey was arrested and jailed on Saturday for stabbing his mother, Jennifer Humphrey, with a knife. 

He tested positive for having cannabinoids (which are found in the cannabis plant) in his system and had a blood alcohol content of .274, almost 3.5 times Indiana’s legal BAC limit of 0.08 percent. 

Deputy Paul Ginkins was called to the Humphrey home at approximately 5:26p after a 911 call came in from Mark Humphrey stating that his wife had been stabbed in the neck by her son. 

Ginkins said Mark Humphrey advised to enter through the back door, which led Ginkins into the kitchen. 

There he found Jennifer lying on her back on the floor between the kitchen and living room. Ginkins said he observed Jordan Humphrey lying next to her with his arms around her. 

Ginkins said Mark Humphrey was straddling Jordan and leaning over trying to apply pressure to the knife wound on the left side of her neck. 

Ginkins informed Mark to continue applying pressure while he advised Jordan to stand up while he was cuffed and sat in a nearby chair. 

Washington County EMS arrived along with Indiana Conservation Officer Neal Brewington, who stayed with Jordan while Ginkins took photographs of the scene and secured the knife, which was located about six feet from Jennifer Humphrey’s feet.

Jennifer Humphrey was stabilized and transported to Baptist Floyd hospital. 

Deputy Ginkins transported Jordan to St. Vincent hospital. Ginkins writes in his report that Jordan repeatedly said, “I just wanted to help her” and that he wanted to help her before she was judged. 

Ginkins said Jordan looked at him and said, “You will be judged and I will be there.”

Humphrey was treated for a small laceration to his left forearm. 

Ginkins said he photographed Jordan and his clothes and upon leaving him in Brewington’s supervision, left to drive to Baptist Floyd to check on Jennifer Humphrey. 

Ginkins said that Brewington reported Jordan asking if his mother was OK and called himself a “piece of shit” and that he “deserved to be locked up.”

Chief Deputy Brad Shepherd transported Jordan to the Washington County Detention Center where he was jailed. 

Ginkins said he arrived at Baptist Floyd before 8p and photographed Jennifer’s wounds and interviewed both her and Mark. 

Jennifer said she and Jordan were sitting in the living room talking about his drinking. 

Jennifer told Officer Ginkins that she told her son that he needed to cut down on his drinking. 

It was at this time she noticed something in Jordan’s back pocked and asked what he had and he displayed a type of switchblade knife, there the knife comes out of the handle. 

She asked him to put it in the gun safe with other weapons and he refused. 

Ginkins said they argued more about alcohol and Jordan sat in the floor next to his mother and told her how glad he was she was his mother. 

He then got up and went to the kitchen. Jennifer told Ginkins the next thing she knew, Jordan had grabbed her around the neck and stabbed her in the neck. 

She said he was holding her down and she couldn’t get up.

After falling to the floor, Jennifer told Ginkins she was able to get the knife away from Jordan and throw it into the living room. 

Mark had been outside but came in through the basement and then upstairs and was able to get Joran off of her, Jennifer told police. 

Mark told police he came upstairs and saw Jordan laying next to Jennifer, crying and saying he was sorry and kissing her head. 

During his interview with the police, Jordan asked to first speak to an attorney. 

It is not known if he had done so before his arraignment this afternoon. 

Jennifer Humphrey was transferred to the University of Louisville Trauma Center to check for possible nerve damage.

Two Pekin men were involved in an altercation on Saturday morning, resulting in one being stabbed.

On Saturday, February 22, 2020, at approximately 11:23 am, Washington County Deputies were dispatched to East Karnes Court in Pekin, Indiana in reference to a battery complaint between two male subjects.

There were no arrests at this time and one male refused to give a statement to the police. 

Deputies arrived at East Karnes Court and were met by Jacob Crady, age 38 of Pekin, Indiana.

Crady advised the deputies that he had been involved in an altercation with another male subject earlier, who lives in a separate apartment complex on East Karnes Court.

Crady said the other male subject, who he identified as “Dustin” aggressively advanced on Crady with a hammer and Crady stabbed “Dustin” with a pocket knife, in self defense.

Crady further advised the deputies that “Dustin” got into “Dustin’s” vehicle and left the scene.

The Louisville Bats today announced that Louisville Slugger Field has been named a recipient of the Pioneer Athletics’ 2019 Fields of Excellence® award. The Bats are one of just three teams in all Minor League Baseball to win this award for the 2019 season.

The Fields of Excellence award honors outstanding efforts in field maintenance for an athletic organization each year. Of all the applicants for the 2019 calendar year, just 87 fields in the U.S. were selected as winners of this year’s award.

Louisville Slugger Field is also the lone field in the International League to be selected as a 2019 Fields of Excellence award winner. The only other two facilities in the minors to win this award were the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes in the Pacific Coast League and Single-A Great Lakes Loons in the Midwest League.

In addition, Bats grounds crew member Tod Shafer was named to Pioneer Athletics’ inaugural class of “Pioneers in the Field.” Shafer has worked as a member of the Bats’ grounds crew since 2013 and will be showcased by Pioneer Athletics for furthering the industry of sports turf maintenance.

Today’s announcement marks the second award of the offseason for the Bats’ home facility, as Louisville Slugger Field was also named the Sports Turf Managers Association’s (STMA) Fields Of the Year on Nov. 19. As part of this recognition, Louisville Slugger Field will be featured in a 2020 issue of SportsTurf Magazine. Click here for the full release regarding the STMA award.

Louisville Slugger Field is currently maintained by Director of Field Operations Aaron Fink, Field Operations Manager Keith Fandel and a team of game-day staff, including Shafer.

Indiana State Troopers from the Bloomington District were recently given information of alleged drug dealing that was occurring in Jackson County. Troopers Cody Brown, Cory Knight, and Benjamin Smith along with Mitchell Police Officer Shaun Cabral arrived at a residence on Oesting Street in Seymour early yesterday morning and spoke to the homeowners.

Officers were invited into the home where they spoke to Bryce Lee Alexander Riley, 19 of Seymour. Three individually packaged bags containing a white crystal substance, a digital scale along with a large amount of US currency were all revealed to the officers within the vicinity of Riley’s living quarters.

Other items of evidence were discovered as well.  

Riley was cooperative throughout the investigation. He was transported to the Jackson County Jail where he was lodged on the following charges;

• Dealing Methamphetamine (Level 5 Felony)
• Possession of Methamphetamine (Level 6 Felony)
• Possession of Paraphernalia (Class C Misdemeanor)

A 29-year-old Salem man is in jail after stabbing his mother during a domestic disturbance incident on Saturday.

Jordan L. Humphrey, 29, was identified as the suspect and arrested on the following charges:

• Attempted Murder – Level 1 Felony
• Aggravated Battery – Level 3 Felony
• Battery With A Deadly Weapon – Level 5 Felony
• Criminal Recklessness With A Deadly Weapon – Level 6 Felony

On Saturday, February 22, 2020, at approximately 5:26 pm, the Washington County Sheriff’s Department received a 911 telephone call from 4027 E. State Road 160.

A male caller advised the dispatch center that his wife had been stabbed by their son.

Officers arrived at the address and inside the residence they observed Jennifer Humphrey, 59, lying on the floor with what appeared to be a stab wound to the neck.

The Salem Lady Lions outplayed Mid-Southern Conference foil Brownstown on Saturday at the Jeffersonville Class 3A Semi-State Finals and beat the Lady Braves, 57-42. 

The Lions claimed their first-ever Semi-State Title and advance to play in their first-ever 3A State Title game this Saturday at 6p in Banker’s Life Fieldhouse. 

The Lions will play the Northwood Panthers, who defeated Benton Central in the other Semi-State game, 36-22.

Benton Central was the team that defeated the Lady Lions in last year’s Semi-State contest at Jasper. 

Tickets to this Saturday’s games are $15.00 per session (two games).  All-day tickets for all four games are $30 and may be ordered online here.

Reserved single session tickets may be purchased at the participating schools the week of the state finals.

Any remaining tickets will be available on game day at the ticket office at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Bankers Life Fieldhouse will open its gates to fans beginning one hour prior to the start of each session – 9:30 am ET and again at 5 pm ET. The venue will be cleared between the Class 2A and 3A games.

Session I 

Class A State Championship
10:30 am ET | Loogootee (26-2) vs. Pioneer (25-2) 

Class 2A State Championship
To follow at approx. 12:45 pm ET | Linton-Stockton (24-5) vs. Frankton (21-7)

Session II

Class 3A State Championship
6 pm ET | Salem (25-3) vs. NorthWood (27-3) 

Class 4A State Championship
To follow at approx. 8:15 pm ET | Lawrence North (25-4) vs. Northwestern (29-0)

Listen to the Lady Lions Class 3A Semi-State Title Game against the Brownstown Lady Braves on WSLM 97.9 FM and WSLM 1220 AM and here online. 

The game tips off at 1p. WSLM will begin its pre-game show approx. 12:30p with Matt Abbott and Richie Collins. 

Also watch the LIVE VIDEO STREAM at https://www.facebook.com/wslmradio

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