On February 17, 2020, at approximately 7:40 p.m., Trooper William Clark was patrolling in the area of Old US 41, near Alexander Street. 

Trooper Clark stopped a motorcycle for an expired license plate. 

The driver was stopped and criminal activity was detected and a search was conducted. 

Arrested and Charged was Jason A. Mize, 42, Carlisle, IN

• Dealing Methamphetamine, Felony 3
• Dealing a Schedule I, II or III Substance, Felony 6
• Possession of Methamphetamine, Felony 6 
• Possession of Hypodermic Syringe, Felony 6
• Maintaining a Common Nuisance, Felony 6 
• Dealing Marijuana, Class A Misdemeanor 
• Possession of Marijuana, Class B Misdemeanor 
• Possession of Paraphernalia, Class A Misdemeanor

During the search it was discovered that Mize had 60 grams of methamphetamine, six hypodermic syringes, seventeen grams of marijuana, digital scales and paraphernalia, in his possession. 

Mize was arrested and taken to the Sullivan County Jail where he is currently being held.  

All criminal defendants are presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Rolling slow-downs originally scheduled to begin tonight (Feb. 17) on I-65 south of Columbus (MM 64 to MM 68) in Bartholomew County have been postponed to tomorrow night (Feb. 18) due to weather. The slow-downs are necessary for overhead bridge demolition work at Carr Hill Road. 

Crews will now begin demolition over I-65 SB Tuesday night at 10 p.m. All southbound lanes will close for up to twenty minutes at a time while overhead work is in progress.

Traffic will then be released until normal traffic flow is reached.

Drivers will also be stopped at the exit ramp from S.R. 46 to I-65 SB in Columbus (Exit 68) during this time. Demolition work over I-65 SB is scheduled each night through Friday, Feb. 21.

Crews are expected to begin demolition over I-65 NB at 9 p.m. the following Monday (Feb. 24).

Rolling slow-downs will resume that evening and continue each night through Thursday, Feb. 27.

During all demolition activities, I-65 will be reduced to one lane in each direction. Both directions of I-65 will not close at the same time. Demolition and slow-downs will end by 6 a.m. each morning.

Motorists are encouraged to seek an alternate route to avoid delays or allow extra time when traveling through the area.

Drivers should slow down, use extra caution and drive distraction-free through all work zones. All work is weather dependent and schedules are subject to change.

Carr Hill Road will remain closed through mid-July as bridgework continues.

The detour route is Terrace Lake Road to Goeller Blvd. to S.R. 46. Crews will move to C.R. 200 S. following completion of Carr Hill Road. The contract completion date is November 30, 2020.

A call to 911 about a possible overdose in the Salem Walmart Parking lot resulted in the arrests of three Pekin residents on numerous drug charges. 

Arrested and charged were: 

Darik Voyles, 39, and Lisa M. Voyles, 39, Pekin:

1. Dealing in Methamphetamine – Level 3 Felony
2. Possession of Methamphetamine – Level 5 Felony 
3. Possession of Heroin – Level 6 Felony
4. Possession of a Syringe – Level 6 Felony
5. Possession of Paraphernalia – C Misdemeanor

Amanda Dickerson, 30, Pekin:

1. Possession of Methamphetamine – Level 6 Felony
2. Possession of a Syringe – Level 6 Felony 
3. Possession of Paraphernalia – C Misdemeanor

Around 3:45 on Saturday afternoon, Trooper Kyle Taylor, Washington County Deputy Nathan Maudlin, and Salem Police Officer Tyler Gregory responded to the report of a possible overdose in a vehicle in the Salem Walmart parking lot.

After identifying the vehicle’s three occupants, officers began an investigation, which eventually resulted in a search of the car.

The search uncovered over 10 grams of suspected methamphetamine, heroin, syringes, and paraphernalia.

As a result of the investigation and subsequent search, all three occupants were arrested on drug charges.  

All arrested were transported to the Washington County Jail without further incident.  

Last week, detectives from the Indiana State Police-Versailles Post arrested two officers with the Seymour Police Department on charges of official misconduct, ghost employment, and theft.

The investigation into the officers began in October 2019 when allegations of ghost employment were made against former Chief William “Bill” Abbott, and current Captain Carl Lamb. 

Detectives with the Indiana State Police-Versailles Post were requested to conduct the investigation.

During the four-month investigation, detectives determined that Abbott was employed by Schneck Medical Center to schedule off duty officers to provide security at the hospital. 

The investigation indicated that he allegedly performed his duties for Schneck Medical Center while he was also working in his official capacity with the Seymour Police Department.   

The investigation also determined that Lamb, while on duty as a member of the Seymour Police Department, allegedly worked outside employment for K4 Security out of Jeffersonville, Indiana. 

K4 Security had a contract to provide off duty police officers for work in the construction zone on I-65. 

Lamb coordinated and scheduled off duty Seymour Police Officers to work the security job while he was on duty with the Seymour Police Department. 

He was paid by K4 Security for those hours while also being paid by the Seymour Police Department. 

Lamb also was a part-owner and employee of BSafe Tactical, Seymour, Indiana.  BSafe provided training to area schools, churches, and businesses. 

The investigation determined that Lamb allegedly worked for BSafe Tactical and received payment while also on duty in his official capacity with the Seymour Police Department.

At the conclusion of the investigation, the case was turned over to a special prosecutor for review.  This resulted in felony charges of Official Misconduct, Ghost Employment, and Theft charges being filed on Abbott and Lamb.

Both were taken into custody without incident and incarcerated at the Jackson County Jail.

Both Abbott and Lamb have remained on administrative leave from the Seymour Police Department during the investigation.

No further information will be released about the investigation at this time.

The Indiana State Police Drug Enforcement Section, the ISP Bloomington District A.C.E.S. (Aggressive Criminal Enforcement Section), and the Mitchell Police Department concluded a lengthy investigation last week into a methamphetamine and heroin dealing operation in Mitchell. 

ISP had received information that Joshua P. Clevenger, 46, was allegedly dealing both methamphetamine and heroin in Lawrence County. The investigation led troopers to apply for and receive a search warrant for Clevenger’s residence in the 1000 block of Warren Street in Mitchell.

Upon execution of the search warrant, troopers located over 200 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 7 grams of heroin/fentanyl, a small amount of marijuana, digital scales, drug paraphernalia, and over $1,300.00 of US currency.

Joshua Clevenger was arrested for Dealing Methamphetamine (Level 2 Felony), Possession of Methamphetamine (Level 3 Felony), Dealing Heroin (Level 3 Felony), and Possession of Heroin (Level 5 Felony). 

He was incarcerated in the Lawrence County Jail.

Troopers assisting DES with the investigation and search warrant execution included Caleb Garvin, Richard Klun and K9 partner Loki, Matthew Hatchett and K9 partner Axe, and Sgt. Greg Day. Lawrence County Highway Interdiction Officer Shaun Cabral and K9 partner Jack also assisted with the search warrant.

Anyone with information regarding illegal drugs is encouraged to contact the Indiana State Police Bloomington Post at 812-332-4411. Your tip can remain confidential and could save a life.

Thursday, a teacher with Southwestern High School in Hanover, Indiana was arrested on charges of battery and neglect of a dependent following an investigation into an incident that occurred in December 2019.

The investigation by Indiana State Police Detective Joe Loyd began on December 17, 2019, when the Indiana State Police was notified of an incident that occurred between a teacher and student at Southwestern High School. 

The investigation determined that Catherine L. Davis, age 39, Madison, Indiana, who is a special needs teacher at the school, got in an altercation with a 14-year-old student on two separate occasions on December 16th. 

During the first incident, Davis head-butted the student during an altercation in the school cafeteria. 

In the second incident later in the day, Davis pulled the same student onto the floor of the cafeteria after the food was spilled.

After the incidents were reported to the school administrators, the Indiana State Police was contacted to begin an investigation. 

At the conclusion of the investigation, the case was submitted to the Jefferson County Prosecutor’s Office for review. 

As a result, a warrant was issued on Feb. 12 for Davis on two counts of battery and two counts of Neglect of a Dependent, all felonies.

Davis was arrested on Thursday without incident and transported to the Jefferson County Jail where she was incarcerated.

The Indiana State Police was assisted by the Indiana Child Advocacy Center in Madison, Indiana, Southwestern School Corporation, Indiana Department of Child Services, and the Jefferson County Prosecutor’s Office.

A Richmond man was killed Friday morning when the SUV he was driving drove left of center on SR 1 and hit a box truck head-on.  Pendleton Troopers and Wayne County Deputies were called to SR 1, just north of Delaware St. in Cambridge City, around 11 a.m. this morning for a report of a two-vehicle crash with serious injuries.

The preliminary investigation by Master Trooper Dan Jones indicates a 2019 Honda CRV, driven by Nathan Bennett, age 22 of Richmond, was southbound on SR 1 when for an unknown reason the vehicle drove left of center.  The CRV hit a northbound box truck, driven by Carl Sawicki, age 59 of Kitchener, Ontario, head-on, with the front driver’s side of the CRV impacting the driver’s side front of the truck.

The driver of the CRV, Nathan Bennett, was pronounced dead at the scene.  A passenger in the CRV, Rachel Morrell, age 32 of Milton, was taken by medical helicopter to a hospital in Indianapolis with unknown injuries. The driver of the truck, Carl Sawicki, was taken to Reid Health Hospital in Richmond with what was believed to be non-life threatening injuries.

The crash had SR 1 closed for more than two hours as Crash Reconstruction Investigators Master Trooper Michael Bradbury and Master Trooper Coley McCutcheon assisted Jones with the crash investigation. Jones was also assisted at the scene by the Cambridge City Police Department, Centerville Police Department, Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, and the Cambridge City Fire Department.

Friday at approximately 3:00 pm, the Indiana State Police responded to a two-vehicle crash on US 50 at Deer Creek Road (County Road 75 East) in Jennings County that sent a North Vernon, Indiana woman to an Indianapolis hospital with serious injuries.

The initial investigation by Trooper David Owsley, Indiana State Police-Versailles, indicated that a silver 2013 Ford passenger vehicle being driven by Samantha Suthard, age 20, North Vernon, Indiana was traveling northbound on Deer Creek Road at US 50.  Suthard pulled onto US 50 into the path of a westbound Freightliner pulling a box trailer, being driven by Enel Brutus, age 42, Jacksonville, Florida.

The front of Suthard’s vehicle collided with the passenger side of Brutus’ vehicle.  Suthard’s vehicle came to stop in the middle of the intersection.  Brutus’ vehicle continued westbound before leaving the south side of the road and coming to rest. 

Suthard was airlifted to St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana for treatment of serious injuries.  Suthard’s injuries are not believed to be life threatening.  Brutus was transported to St. Vincent-Jennings Hospital in North Vernon, Indiana for treatment of minor injuries.

The investigation is ongoing at this time.  Alcohol and drugs are not suspected to be factors.

Normal traffic flow on US 50 was affected for nearly three hours due to crash investigation and cleanup.

Trp. Owsley was assisted by additional troopers from the Indiana State Police-Versailles Post, Jennings County Sheriff’s Office, North Vernon Police Department, North Vernon Fire Department, Stat Flight, 31 Wrecker Service, and Clark’s Wrecker Service.