Attorney General Curtis Hill is warning Hoosiers to beware of a specific home-repair scam reported to his office following recent severe weather across the state.

Callers have reported that certain home-improvement contractors have visited storm-damaged homes and offered to waive insurance deductibles for consumers who contract with them to make repairs. This practice is illegal under Indiana law.

Specifically, Indiana Code section 24-5-11-10.5 prohibits a home-improvement contractor from advertising, offering or promising to pay (or rebate) any part of an insurance deductible to induce a person to enter into a home improvement contract or otherwise purchase goods or services from the contractor.

The Attorney General can take enforcement action against contractors violating this and other consumer protection laws.

Consumers who have received these offers from contractors are asked to report them to the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division by calling 1-800-382-5516 or going online at www.in.gov/attorneygeneral and clicking the “File a Complaint” box at the bottom of the page.

A Springville woman was seriously injured in an Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) accident in Martin County.

Tyler George, 22, of Springville, was operating a 2013 Polaris Ranger in a private field near Bear Hill Road in Shoals on July 6 at approximately 11 p.m. when the vehicle rolled over and ejected Kaitlyn Pund 21, also of Springville.

Pund sustained serious injuries and was flown by Air Evac to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville.

Pund was not wearing a seat belt when the incident occurred. The other two occupants were wearing seat belts.

Indiana Conservation Officers recommend always using safety equipment when operating or riding an ORV.  

Responding units include the Martin County Sheriff’s Dept., Shoals Fire Dept., Air Evac, and Martin County Ambulance. 

Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating a boating incident involving an injury that occurred in Monticello on Lake Freeman this morning. Just after 11:30 a.m. first responders were dispatched to Lake Freeman regarding a juvenile who had been injured while wakeboarding.

Witnesses on the boat stated the 5-year-old was wakeboarding when the front of the board became submerged under water. The board then flipped up out of the water, striking the child in the face. The child sustained a severe laceration to the face. Monticello Fire Medic 8 transported the child to White County IU Arnett Hospital and was then flown via Lutheran Helicopter to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis for further medical treatment.

Neither alcohol consumption or other violations are believed to be contributing factors in the incident.

Assisting agencies to include Monticello Fire Medic 8, White County 911 dispatch and Lutheran Helicopter. 

S.R. 56 will close near Lamb in Switzerland County for approximately 30 days beginning on or after Monday, July 22, weather permitting. The road will be closed 6.5 miles west of S.R. 129 for a $1.4 million bridge replacement project over Green Valley Creek.

The closure was originally scheduled to begin June 10, but has been delayed due to weather.

Milestone Contractors was awarded the project in March 2018. 

The official state detour for the closure is S.R. 129 and U.S. 421.

On July 3, 2019, Deputy Skylar Thompson responded to a call in reference to a battery.

Upon arrival, individuals stated Michelle Allison, age 29, Sellersburg, was involved in the incident.

Deputy Thompson made contact with Allison.

She provided an incorrect date of birth and social security number.

Further investigation showed that Allison had two (2) active warrants out of Clark County.

Allison was charged with IC 35-44.1-2-3(D)MB ~ FALSE INFORMING and IC 35-45-2-5(A) ~ INTERFERENCE WITH REPORTING A CRIME.

On July 5, 2019, Deputy Joe Baker received information on Angela Pratt, age 40, Austin, who had an active warrant for her arrest and was seen at a residence in Austin, Indiana.

Deputy Baker arrested Pratt without incident. Pratt’s warrant was for IC 35-44.1-3-4(C)FL6 ~ ESCAPE; FAILURE TO RETURN TO LAWFUL DETENTION.

All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a Court of Law.

Today, Lt. Governor Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs awarded five communities a grant to help celebrate Downtown Development Week.  

“Having our communities take the celebrations to the Next Level through these grants really enables them to come up with creative, unique ways to showcase their downtowns,” Crouch said. “I look forward to visiting these towns in October.”

Downtown Development Week, taking place Oct. 7 – 12, 2019, will honor Indiana’s cities and towns’ commitment to preserve and invest in their downtown. Communities across the state will host various events and activities to showcase the uniqueness of their downtowns and city centers.

“Last year’s inaugural Downtown Development Week was warmly welcomed with more than 30 communities across the state hosting events,” said Jodi Golden, Executive Director of OCRA. “We are excited that these five awarded communities are working to make their downtowns a major stimulator for economic growth and talent retention.”

Five projects were selected from 16 submitted applications and will receive a grant to help fund the activities listed. For more information, visit www.in.gov/ocra/2896.htm

City of Bedford, $1,000 
Bedford Revitalization, Inc. has planned a week-long celebration on the Downtown Square to celebrate the heart of Bedford and highlight the completion of the Stellar Communities projects which began in 2014. The events feature city and county government, local merchants and the County Museum that will bring the entire community together.

Town of Edinburgh, $1,000
The Town of Edinburgh will celebrate the week with six days of specials and events that provide a positive impact to the downtown business district, celebrate the local harvest season and bring families together downtown for fun activities unique to Edinburgh.

City of Jeffersonville, $1,000
The Great Downtown Jeffersonville Scavenger Hunt Adventure is a one-day event during Downtown Development Week that Jeffersonville Main Street is organizing to celebrate the ongoing downtown revitalization. During the event, visitors will explore downtown Jeffersonville and learn about the businesses, history and sense of place found in the heart of downtown.

Town of Knightstown $1,000
Knightstown Main Street will hold an all-day event to celebrate the new businesses on the town square. The event will include a children pumpkin carving contest and a local favorite rock band, Dr. Rock and the Rollers, will entertain attendees.

City of Monticello, $550
The Streets of Monticello Association will celebrate the “We Love Our Downtown” event on October 8, 2019 to recognize and celebrate downtown businesses and gathering spaces. The community will enjoy food, fun, and fellowship while supporting the beautiful downtown Monticello

Early this morning emergency crews were dispatched to I-65 northbound near the 82-mile marker in Shelby County for reports of a single vehicle crash.

Around 2:45 a.m. 911 calls began coming in about a vehicle off the roadway and both occupants were severely injured.

Shelby County Sheriff Deputies along with medics were first on the scene, they immediately summoned a medical helicopter.

Despite life-saving efforts, 41-year-old Kenneth Cubbage Jr. of Freetown Indiana was pronounced deceased at the scene.

His mother, 62-year-old Connie Cubbage was a passenger in the vehicle, she was transported to Methodist Hospital by ambulance in stable condition. 

The investigating officer, Trooper Aaron Smith, is still unsure why the vehicle left the roadway, but evidence at the scene indicates the vehicle hit a tree and rolled several times.

The driver, Mr. Cubbage Jr. was wearing a seat belt, however, the passenger was unrestrained.

The Shelby County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene and recovered the remains of the deceased.

Both directions of I-65 were closed for a brief time, the northbound lanes were affected for approximately two hours while the crash was investigated and the wreckage was removed.