U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) today issued the following statement regarding his vote to oppose additional witnesses in the impeachment trial:

“It would establish a dangerous precedent if the Senate were to fix defective articles of impeachment. If the House felt that additional witnesses and evidence were necessary to prove their case, they should have pursued these legal disputes in the courts to protect the rights of the accused. This is exactly what our Founding Fathers’ carefully designed system of constitutional checks and balances calls for. In their rush to impeach this President, the House did not follow the appropriate process. It is for this reason, that I am duty bound to oppose the motion to call additional witnesses.”

Milestone Contractors will begin tree clearing operations along Carr Hill Road over I-65 in Bartholomew County next week.

The road will close beginning Monday, February 3, and reopen by Friday, February 7, weather permitting, once tree clearing work is complete.

Nighttime shoulder closures are also planned on I-65 near the bridge, located just south of Exit 68 (S.R. 46/Columbus).

Bridge work is expected to begin the following Monday (Feb. 10) and Carr Hill Road will close at that time through mid-July. Additional restrictions will take place on I-65 during bridge deck demolition and overhead work.

The official detour for the closure will follow Terrace Lake Road to Goeller Blvd. to S.R. 46.

The nearly-$5 million superstructure replacement project was awarded to Milestone in November and also includes C.R. 200 S. over I-65. The project completion date is November 30, 2020. Motorists should slow down and use extra caution when traveling in and near the work zone. 

Troopers arrested a Georgetown man early Tuesday on numerous felony charges after first observing a simple equipment violation.  

Trooper Zachary Lavey, and newly appointed Probationary Trooper Dakota Novak, were patrolling SR 135 in Harrison County around 2:30 Tuesday morning when the officers spotted a white Hyundai Sonata displaying green lights. Indiana law only allows for white or amber lights to be displayed to the front of a car. When the officers attempted to catch up with the Sonata, they realized the driver had greatly increased speed and was traveling approximately 100 mph as they continued south into Corydon. The driver, later identified as Damon Michael Arnold, 46, Georgetown, Indiana, eventually stopped in Corydon and pulled in to a local hotel parking lot.  

As Lavey and Novak continued the stop and investigation, they discovered over 24 grams of suspected methamphetamine as well as marijuana and drug-related paraphernalia. Officers also found Arnold was a Habitual Traffic Violator (HTV) with only an Indiana ID card. Damon Arnold was arrested and charged with the following: 

1. Dealing in Methamphetamine – Level 2 Felony
2. Possession of Methamphetamine – Level 4 Felony
3. Habitual Traffic Violator – Level 6 Felony 
4. Possession of Marijuana – Class B Misdemeanor
5. Possession of Paraphernalia – Class C Misdemeanor
6. Reckless Driving – Class C Misdemeanor

Arnold was also wanted on a Level 6 Felony warrant out of Floyd County for HTV. Officers transported Damon Arnold to the Harrison County Jail without further incident.   

Senate Bill 346, authored by State Sen. Erin Houchin (R-Salem) unanimously passed the Senate Committee on Education and Career Development today.

SB 346 would require the Indiana Department of Education (DOE) to provide accommodations to students with certain disabilities, to the extent allowed under federal law, on every section of statewide testing assessments – as part of the student’s individualized education program (IEP). This includes text-to-speech (TTS), screen reader, or human reader accommodations.

“Once a child with a learning or developmental disability begins school, federal law requires schools to provide them with a free and appropriate public education,” said Houchin. “This includes a comprehensive evaluation to determine the nature and extent of the services the child will need as well as a personalized, written document in the form of an IEP. Last year, Hoosier students took the ILEARN test for the first time, and only 10.7% of special-education students passed both math and English sections. This alarming statistic is partially due to the fact that all students with IEPs were denied access to text-to-speech technology for the reading comprehension section of the test.”

According to recent data, 6.7 million public-school children receive special education services, and up to 17% of children have dyslexia.

“For children with dyslexia, universally denying TTS only highlights their disability, rather than allowing them to show their true ability,” added Houchin. “A student might excel at reading comprehension, but without TTS, their inability to decode letters and words impedes their ability to comprehend. For blind children who cannot read Braille, TTS is the only way they can access the reading comprehension portion of the test. If a child’s IEP allows them to use certain accommodations in the classroom, those same accommodations should also be permitted during standardized tests. I am proud to see this legislation moving through the process, and I will continue advocating for students with disabilities.”

SB 346 will now head to the full Senate for consideration.