Duke Energy has increased its winter assistance funding for qualifying Indiana customers who may struggle to pay their winter energy bills.

The company is contributing $650,000 for low-income customer energy assistance through its Helping Hand program this year. In addition, Duke Energy Indiana customers and employees have contributed more than $96,000 through November, and more is expected in December, raising this year’s total energy assistance to approximately $750,000. A portion of the company’s funding is the result of an agreement with the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor.

“We know the winter months can be a hardship for some, and each year our shareholders and customers contribute to help families and individuals who may be struggling to pay their winter energy bills,” said Duke Energy Indiana President Stan Pinegar. “This year, to reach more customers in need, we are increasing our shareholder contribution by $150,000. Last year, we were able to help more than 3,700 Hoosiers who needed assistance in paying their electricity bills.”

Duke Energy works with the Indiana Community Action Association and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority’s Energy Assistance Program, which determines eligibility and distributes the company’s assistance funds.

“Our clients are most vulnerable during the winter, and no one should be left in the cold,” said Elaine Zeider, manager of Family Services for the Area Five Agency on Aging and Community Services. “For years we’ve used Duke Energy’s Helping Hand funds to keep Hoosiers warm and relieve some of the stress of winter bills.”

For more information on the Helping Hand program, including eligibility for funds, participating agencies and how to make a donation, visit duke-energy.com/community/customer-assistance-programs/helping-hand.

Winter Energy Saving Tips

Reduce your thermostat to the lowest comfortable setting when home, and bump the thermostat down a degree or two when leaving home.

One of the easiest things customers can do to support heating efficiency is to change air filters regularly. A dirty air filter makes a heating system work harder, which

uses more energy.

Leave drapes or blinds open during sunny winter days to allow the sun’s rays to warm the house, but close them at night to help insulate your home.

For more information on how to cut costs and stay warm this winter, visit duke-energy.com/home/savings/winter-heating-energy-savings. Duke Energy also offers energy efficiency products, services and information to help customers save energy and money. For more information, visit duke-energy.com

On 11/25/2019, Madison Correctional Facility (MCU) Office of Investigations and Intelligence conducted an investigation into contraband being left at an offender work site. The contraband was intended to be brought back into the correctional facility by offenders at the worksite.

The investigation determined that Destiny Boyd of Indianapolis and Quanii Williams of Indianapolis worked together in an attempt to traffick the contraband back into the facility via worksite offenders.

A warrant was issued and both parties were arrested on 1 count of Trafficking with an inmate outside a facility, Class A Misdemeanors on 11/25/2019.

All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Friday at approximately 7:50 a.m. the Benton County Dispatch was notified of a structure fire at 103 North Polk Street in Fowler. IN.  As firefighters were putting out the fire, a body was discovered inside the residence. 

First responders were called up to administer lifesaving first aid to the male subject but were unsuccessful.   

The Fowler Police Department was originally called to the scene to investigate.  They requested the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office and assistance from the Indiana State Police out of the Lafayette Post for Crime Scene Investigators and Detectives to assist in the investigation.

Fowler Police Department has requested the Indiana State Police be the lead in the investigation.  This is an ongoing investigation and no further information will be released at this time. 

Assisting agencies were Fowler Police Department, Benton County Sheriff’s Department, Fowler Center Township Fire Department, Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office, Benton County EMS, and the Benton County Coroner’s Office.

Police arrested 36 adults and 1 juvenile, with over 115 criminal charges being filed on Friday in a drug sweep of Jefferson County. 

On Wednesday, December 4^th, 2019, The Indiana State Police Versailles Post All Crimes Policing (ACP) Team in conjunction with the Ohio Valley Crime Suppression Task Force (OVCSTF) and the Indiana State Police Drug Enforcement Section conducted a drug arrest warrant round up in Jefferson County, Indiana. The OVCSTF consists of officers from the Indiana State Police-Versailles Post, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office,

Hanover Police Department, Switzerland County Sheriff’s Office, and the Jefferson County Prosecutor’s Office.  Over the past year, the ACP Team and OVCSTF have been actively investigating drug complaints in Jefferson County, Indiana. 

These investigations were presented to the Jefferson County Prosecutor on December 3^rd, 2019, resulting in numerous arrest warrants being issued in relation to these cases.  The warrants were issued out of both the Jefferson Superior and Circuit courts.

On December 4^th, 2019, officers from the ISP ACP Team and the OVCSTF began serving the warrants and continued to locate wanted individuals into the next day. 

While serving the warrants, officers discovered new evidence of drug activity occurring at multiple locations where the warrants were served.  Based on this newly discovered drug activity, multiple individuals were arrested that were not part of the original round up and over 60 new criminal charges were filed, most of which were drug offenses. 

Out of the warrants issued, officers were able to located 20 of the wanted individuals. 

The following individuals were arrested in the round up:

BENJAMIN LINVILLE, Madison, Indiana

Warrant:                  Maintaining a common nuisance, level 6 felony

New Charges:         Maintaining a common nuisance, Level 6 felony

                                Possession of methamphetamine, Level 6 felony

                                Possession of paraphernalia, Class B misdemeanor

DEANNA COX, Madison, Indiana

Warrant:                   Possession of a syringe, level 6 felony

                                Maintaining a common nuisance, level 6 felony

                                Possession of paraphernalia, class C misdemeanor

New Charges:         Maintaining a common nuisance, Level 6 felony

                                Possession of marijuana, class B misdemeanor

MELLISSA TERRY, Madison, Indiana

Warrant:                   Dealing in methamphetamine, level 5 felony

                                Possession of methamphetamine, level 6 felony

                                Maintaining a common nuisance, level 6 felony

                                Possession of a legend drug, level 6 felony

                                Possession of marijuana, class B misdemeanor

                                Possession of paraphernalia, class C misdemeanor

New Charges:         Maintaining a common, Level 6 felony

                                Possess. Methamphetamine, Level 6 felony

                                Possess. Paraphernalia, class B misdemeanor

MICHAEL LAMB, Madison, Indiana

Warrant:                  Possession of a syringe, level 6 felony

                                Maintaining a common nuisance, level 6 felony

                                Possession of paraphernalia, class C misdemeanor

New Charges:         Maintaining a common nuisance, level 6 felony

                                Possession of paraphernalia, class B misdemeanor

TRAVIS HAGGARD, Madison, Indiana

New Charges:         Possession of methamphetamine, level 6 felony

                                Possession of para, class B misdemeanor

SUSAN BLAIR, Madison, Indiana

New Charges:    Maintaining a common nuisance, level 6 felony

CLINTON LINVILLE, Madison, Indiana

New Charges:         Possession of methamphetamine, level 6 felony

                                Maintaining a common nuisance, level 6 felony

STEVEN WITHROW, Madison, Indiana

New Charges:         Visiting a common nuisance class B misdemeanor

                                Possession of marijuana, class B misdemeanor

JOSHUA R. TORRANCE, Madison, Indiana

Warrant                   Maintaining a common nuisance, level 6 felony

                                Operating a vehicle while suspended, class A misdemeanor

New Charges:         Possession of a syringe, level 6 felony,

                                Visiting a common nuisance, class B misdemeanor

                                Possession of marijuana, class C misdemeanor

                                Contributing to the delinquency of a minor, level 6 felony

DAHLILA JESTER, Madison, Indiana

New Charges:         Possession of Methamphetamine, level 6 felony

                                Possession of paraphernalia, class C misdemeanor

                                Visiting a common nuisance, class B misdemeanor

                                Contributing to the delinquency of a minor, level 6 felony

SHAQUEL LUSHAY, Madison, Indiana

New Charges:         Possession of Methamphetamine, level 6 felony

                                Maintaining a common nuisance, level 6 felony

                                Possession of a syringe, level 6 felony

                                Contributing to the delinquency of a minor, level 6 felony

ANDREW BOSHEARS, Madison, Indiana

New Charges:    Possession of methamphetamine, Level 6 felony,

                           Visiting a common nuisance, class B misdemeanor

                          Contributing to the delinquency of a minor, level 6 felony

COREY LANE, Madison, Indiana

New Charges:         False Informing, class A misdemeanor

                                Visiting a common nuisance, class B misdemeanor

                                Contributing to the delinquency of a minor, level 6 felony

JUVENILE FEMALE, Madison, Indiana

New Charges:         Possession of methamphetamine, level 6 felony

                                Visiting a common nuisance, class B misdemeanor

ANNE STIDHAM, Madison, Indiana

Warrant:                  Possession of a syringe, level 6 felony

                                Possession of paraphernalia, class C misdemeanor

New Charges:         Possession of a syringe, level 6 felony

JASON COOK, Madison, Indiana

Warrant:                  Possession of methamphetamine, level 6 felony

New Charges:         Possession of a syringe, level 6 felony

                                Possession of methamphetamine, level 6 felony

                                Possession of paraphernalia, class C misdemeanor

ASHLEY PRUITT, Madison, Indiana

Warrant:                  Possession of methamphetamine, level 6 felony

                                Maintaining a common nuisance, level 6 felony

                                Possession of paraphernalia, class C misdemeanor

New Charges:         Maintaining a common nuisance, level 6 felony

                                Possession of methamphetamine, level 6 felony

                                Possession of a legend drug, level 6 felony

                                Possession of a controlled substance, class A misdemeanor

REBECCA LAUGHERY, Madison, Indiana

New Charges:         Visiting a common nuisance, Class B misdemeanor

                                Possession of methamphetamine, level 6 felony

RICKY ERWIN, Madison, Indiana

New Charges:         Visiting a common nuisance, Class B misdemeanor

                                Possession of methamphetamine, level 6 felony

CHARLES HAMMON, Madison, Indiana

New Charges:         Visiting a common nuisance, Class B misdemeanor

                                Possession of methamphetamine, level 6 felony

ZACHARIAH ERWIN, Madison, Indiana

New Charges:         Visiting a common nuisance, Class B misdemeanor

                                Possession of methamphetamine, level 6 felony

JUSTIN SMALLWOOD, Madison, Indiana

New Charges:         Visiting a common nuisance, Class B misdemeanor

                                Possession of methamphetamine, level 6 felony

JOSHUA LAKE, Madison, Indiana

Warrant:                   Possession of a syringe, level 6 felony

                                Maintaining a common nuisance, level 6 felony

BEEBE BROOKS, Madison, Indiana

Warrant:                 Possession of paraphernalia, class C misdemeanor

LOGAN DEATON, Hanover, Indiana

Warrant:               Dealing Marijuana, level 6 felony

New Charges:       Possession of marijuana, class A misdemeanor

JOANN BROOKS, Madison, Indiana

Warrant:                  Possession of methamphetamine, level 6 felony

                                Maintaining a common nuisance, level 6 felony

New Charges:         Maintaining a common nuisance, level 6 felony

MICHAEL MALONE, Madison, Indiana

New Charges:         Possession of methamphetamine, level 6 felony

                                Possession of paraphernalia, class C misdemeanor

                                Visiting a common nuisance, Class B misdemeanor

DARION PATCH, Madison, Indiana

New Charges:         Visiting a common nuisance, Class B misdemeanor

                                Possession of a controlled substance, Class A misdemeanor

MORGAN ROWLISON, Madison, Indiana

Warrant:                   Dealing methamphetamine, level 3 felony

                                Possession of methamphetamine, level 5 felony

TONI ROWLETT, Madison, Indiana

Warrant:                  Maintaining a common nuisance, level 6 felony

                                Possession of paraphernalia, class c misdemeanor

New Charges:         Possession of methamphetamine, level 6 felony

                                Maintaining a common nuisance, level 6 felony

                                Possession of a controlled substance, Class A misdemeanor

                                Possession of marijuana, Class C misdemeanor

                                Possession of paraphernalia, Class A misdemeanor

SARA ESTELL, Madison, Indiana

New Charges:         Battery with a deadly weapon, level 6 felony     

                                Possession of marijuana, Class C misdemeanor

DONALD LAMB, Madison, Indiana:

Warrant:                  Visiting a common nuisance, class B misdemeanor

JASON SCROGGINS, Madison, Indiana

Warrant:                  Possession of methamphetamine, level 6 felony

                                Possession of a legend drug, level 6 felony

                                Possession of a syringe, level 6 felony

ROCHELLE SINGLETON, Madison, Indiana

Warrant:                  Possession of methamphetamine, level 6 felony

                                Possession of marijuana, class B misdemeanor

                                Possession of paraphernalia, class C misdemeanor

ELIZABETH HAMM, Madison, Indiana

Warrant:                   Possession of methamphetamine, level 6 felony

                                Possession of a syringe, level 6 felony

                                Maintaining a common nuisance, level 6 felony

                                Possession of paraphernalia, Class C misdemeanor

JAMES COOMER, Madison, Indiana

Warrant:                   Possession of methamphetamine, level 6 felony

                                Maintaining a common nuisance, level 6 felony

                                Possession of a syringe, level 6 felony

                                Possession of paraphernalia, class C misdemeanor

CHARLES HOLLINS, Madison, Indiana

Warrant:                  Dealing in methamphetamine, level 5 felony

                                Possession of methamphetamine, level 6 felony

                                Possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, level 4 felony

                                Maintaining a common nuisance, level 6 felony

                                Possession of paraphernalia, class C misdemeanor

The Indiana State Police-Versailles ACP Team will continue to proactively pursue those engaging in the distribution and use of controlled substances.  The Indiana State Police encourages citizens to report any information regarding such activities.  Citizens can report information to the Indiana State Police Versailles Post at 812-689-5000 or the Ohio Valley Crime Suppression Task Force at 833-493-TIPS(8477).  Callers may remain anonymous.