Governor Eric J. Holcomb today announced that Indiana farmers are eligible for assistance under a secretarial natural disaster designation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

This was in response to a letter Gov. Holcomb sent to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue in July, requesting assistance due to the excessive rain and flooding farmers experienced during planting season.

“I am grateful that Secretary Perdue and his team recognized the hardships Hoosier farmers experienced this planting season,” Gov. Holcomb said. “As a result of this designation, farmers in all 92 counties are now eligible for assistance, and I encourage those impacted to work with their local Farm Service Agency office.”

Seventy-four counties were designated as primary natural disaster areas. USDA deferred its decision on the remaining 18 counties. However, since they border one or more of the primary disaster areas, they are considered contiguous disaster counties – allowing farm operators in those areas to be eligible for the same assistance.

Under a secretarial natural disaster designation, farm operators in primary and contiguous counties are eligible for assistance from the Farm Service Agency, provided certain requirements are met. This includes access to low-interest FSA emergency loans, which may be used to: restore or replace essential property, pay all or part of production costs associated with the disaster year, pay essential family living expenses, reorganize the farming operation, and refinance certain debts.

In order to qualify, farm operators must show at least a 30 percent loss in crop production or a physical loss to livestock, livestock products, real estate or chattel property.

Farmers can borrow up to 100 percent of actual production or physical losses to a maximum amount of $500,000, according to USDA.

“This has been an unprecedented year for Indiana farmers,” said Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “I applaud Governor Holcomb, the Indiana Farm Service Agency and our state department of agriculture for making this assistance available.”

In addition to emergency loans, farmers with existing FSA loans, who are unable to make their payments, may be eligible to have certain payments deferred. Farmers are encouraged to work with their local FSA office for assistance regarding payment forbearance or emergency disaster loans.

“Farmers, who have been doing this their entire lives, acknowledge this has been one of the toughest seasons on record, and we’re not in the clear yet,” said Bruce Kettler, Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director. “While we know this isn’t a cure-all solution, this assistance is welcome news and will help those severely impacted.”

For a list of Farm Service Agency offices in Indiana, click here or visit www.fsa.usda.gov, or click herefor more information about FSA’s Emergency Farm Loans. Deadline to apply for emergency loans is April 29, 2020.

Click here to read the letter from the USDA, which includes the list of counties.

Patoka Lake’s youth dove hunt drawing at the former R.A. Walton Farm in Crawford County scheduled for Sept. 1 has been canceled, but the area will be open for non-draw hunting during legal hunting hours that day.

The dove hunt drawing at Jackson State Recreation Area (SRA) in Orange County in the Wildcat Cove Hunter Check Station #17 parking area will be held as scheduled. Around 15 to 20 groups are expected to be drawn.

The drawing at Jackson SRA will be at 6 a.m. and have hunting hours of 6:30 a.m. to noon.

The hunt at Jackson SRA will have a maximum of two hunters per stake. All fields surrounding the controlled sunflower fields will have the same hours.

There will be no “stand-by” or refilling of shooting stations if there are early departures. All fields will be considered open hunting starting Sept. 2. Shooting hours will be a half hour before sunrise until sunset.

Hunters need to purchase the proper licenses and stamps and have their Federal Harvest Information Program (HIP) number. Hunters will be limited to 50 shells. Hunters must utilize size 6 or smaller non-toxic shot and are required to have their firearm plugged so it can only contain three shells at a time.

Tillery Hill State Recreational Area will also host a non-draw hunt opportunity on Sept. 1. There will also be a three-acre field at Hunter Check Station #6, and a two-acre field near Osborne Boat Ramp on W. Newton Stewart Road.

Hunters are strongly encouraged to wear blaze orange clothing for safety as other users may be in the fields and area.

Patoka Lake (on.IN.gov/patokalake) is at 3084 N. Dillard Road, Birdseye, IN 47513.

To view all DNR news releases, please see dnr.IN.gov.

A 36-year-old PTO secretary was arrested for making unauthorized purchased from the school PTO account.

Arrested and Charged was Stephanie Rhoton, 36, Oakland City, IN

1. Fraud on a Financial Institution, Class 5 Felony
2. Fraud, Class 6 Felony

State Police Detective Tobias Odom initiated a criminal investigation on August 13^th after receiving information that unauthorized purchases were recently discovered on the Wood Memorial PTO bank account.

During the investigation, Detective Odom revealed the PTO secretary, Rhoton, 36, made several unauthorized purchases between July 8 and July 24 totaling over $4,180.

One unauthorized purchase was for parasailing while recently vacationing in Daytona Beach, FL.

After reviewing the criminal investigation, the Gibson County Prosecutor’s Office issued a warrant for Rhoton’s arrest.

She was arrested this afternoon after turning herself in at Oakland City Police Department.

Rhoton was taken to the Gibson County Jail where she is currently being held on bond.

Investigating Officer: Detective Tobias Odom, Indiana State Police

On Tuesday, August 27, 2019, Troopers from the Sellersburg All Crimes Policing (ACP) squad arrested a Charlestown couple for growing and dealing psilocybin (psychedelic mushrooms) and possession of marijuana.

Psilocybin is a Schedule I drug, according to Indiana State Police Sgt. Carey Huls. 

Schedule I drugs are defined as drugs having no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. 

Acting on a tip, Trooper Brett Walters and Sergeant Katrina Smith of the Sellersburg ACP squad arrived at 274 Woodridge Drive in Charlestown to investigate possible drug activity.  

Information gathered and observed while at the property prompted officers to seek a search warrant, which was granted by a Clark County judge and immediately served. 

As a result of the investigation, Troopers arrested Jedidiah Lee Adams, 29, and Bailey Michelle Rutkowski, 31, both of 274 Woodridge Drive for the following:

• Manufacturing and Dealing in a Schedule I Drug – Level 5 Felony
• Neglect of a Dependent – Level 4 Felony
• Possession of Marijuana – B Misdemeanor
• Possession of Paraphernalia – C Misdemeanor

Both subjects were transported and incarcerated at the Clark County Jail. 

Monday night, Indiana State Police along with the Salem Police Department and Washington County Sheriff’s Department arrested five people – including a homeless female – on Salem’s northeast side with drug-related charges, including three individuals charged with possession of meth. 

Arrested and charged were:

Devin Lee Coomer, 26, 1204 Cherokee Drive, Salem

• Failure to Appear on Felony Charge
• Possession of Meth
• Possession of a Syringe
• Maintaining a Common Nuisance
• Possession of Paraphernalia

Seth Andrew Boling, 18, 1610 Old State Road 60 West, Salem

• Possession of Meth
• Possession of a Syringe
• Possession of Paraphernalia
• Visiting a Common Nuisance
• Disorderly Conduct

Taylor James Odon, 19, 4817 Rowney Street, Indianapolis, IN

• Visiting a Common Nuisance

Christopher Dean Harden, 44, 3 Banklick Street, Florence, Kentucky

• Possession of Marijuana, Hash Oil, Hashish or Salvia

Brandy Wayne Melvin, 39, Homeless, Salem

• Possession of Meth
• Possession of a Syringe
• Visiting a Common Nuisance
• Possession of a Narcotic Drug

ISP Trooper Taylor along with Salem Police Department Lt. Russell Wilcoxson and Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy Tory Hildreth arrived at 1204 Cherokee Drive to locate Devin Coomer who had an active arrest warrent from Scott County. 

Taylor said in a probable cause affidavit filed with the Washington County Prosecutor’s office that he knew Coomer had been staying in an outbuilding on the property. 

Taylor said the officers could hear talking coming from inside the building and he knocked on the door. 

“I kept knocking…. and ultimately Coomer opened the door,” noted Taylor. “I detained Coomer at this time, while detaining Coomer I observed a handgun sitting on the counter.

Taylor said he cleared the building for the safety of the officers. 

Taylor noted he identified three occupants of the building including Seth Boling, Taylor Odom and Brandy Wayne Melvin. 

He said he observed a “cut straw” on the table and based on his training, Taylor said it was common for people to cut straws to snort illegal controlled substances. 

As officers were standing around the building to keep it secured, a fifth person approached. 

Christopher Harden realized there were police around the building and threw his hands in the air and stated, “I have weed,” according to the affidavit. 

Harden was detained and police located plant-like material which they believed was marijuana.

Taylor said he then petitioned the court for a search warrant on the outbuilding. 

At approximately 11:39p, Superior Court Judge Frank Newkirk reviewed and signed the warrant, which was executed at 11:41p. 

During the course of the search, officers found the cut straw, a black cap with a substance that field-tested positive for meth as well as a trash bag, a corner baggie with a crystal substance that was consistent with meth. 

Taylor said officers also found a syringe on top of a cabinet, four cell phones and in a bag claimed by Melvin, a bag with a brown substance that was consistent with heroin. 

All evidence was photographed and seized. 

All five were arrested and transported to the Washington County Sheriff’s Department and evidence was stored with the State Police. 

Louisville Zoo Keeper Alexis Williamson has been awarded the Lutz Ruhe Professional of the Year Award by the American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK). 

Williamson, who works in Gorilla Forest, was honored at the association’s national conference on Tuesday, Aug. 20 in Indianapolis.

The Lutz Ruhe Professional of the Year award recognizes outstanding commitment to professionalism.

Williamson’s conservation efforts were specifically noted which include contributions to Plinko for a Porpoise and the Zoo’s flagship Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center as well as generational record contributions for the gorillas housed at the Louisville Zoo.

In addition, she has been a vital part of the formation of the Animal Enrichment Tree Program at the Zoo while serving on the enrichment committee. Williamson has been president of the AAZK chapter at the Zoo for 14 years.

The Louisville Zoo, a non-profit organization and state zoo of Kentucky, is dedicated to bettering the bond between people and our planet by providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for visitors, and leadership in scientific research and conservation education. The Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

A Cincinnati Ohio man was arrested earlier this week when it was discovered he was driving impaired after “huffing paint”.

On Monday, August 26^th, 2019, at approximately 5:15 p.m., First Sergeant Terrance Weems was eastbound on I-80/94 in the left-center lane (four lanes of traffic) west of Burr Street when he saw a red car overtaking him quickly. 

Traffic was heavy and moving slow.  The red car, later identified as a 2012 Hyundai, overtook and passed Weems unmarked police car and began to follow another vehicle less than a car length. 

The Hyundai eventually moved to the left lane and began passing traffic on the left shoulder, cutting off another vehicle, and changing lanes without utilizing a turn signal. 

Weems was able to stop the Hyundai at the 6.9-mile marker (approximately a mile east of Burr Street).  Upon approaching the Hyundai, Weems was hit with a strong odor of spray paint coming from inside the car. 

The driver, later identified as Alec E. Sadauskas, 21 of Cincinnati, Ohio, had red spray paint on his face, hands, neck, shirt and a blue jean jacket. 

Sadauskas’ speech was slurred and he appeared confused while Weems talked with him.  When questioned about the paint he began to get angry and said the paint can “exploded” in his face.  The paint can, however, was intact and not damaged.

Further investigation revealed that Sadauskas was under the influence, with the spray paint being used as an intoxicant. 

Sadauskas was taken and incarcerated at the Lake County Jail in Crown Point and charged with;

• Operating While Intoxicated
• Operating While Intoxicated Endangerment
• Speeding
• Improper Passing on the Left
• Following too Closely
• Unsafe Lane Movement