With a wave of water accidents around Indiana, the Department of Natural Resources wants to pass along safety information to keep the rest of the summer safe.

Regardless of why you are around bodies of water, you should always recognize the danger water poses, even to strong swimmers or experienced boaters.

If you are going to be recreating around the water, please remember these basic safety tips:

— Always wear your lifejacket
— Always tell someone where you are going and when you will return
— Go with a buddy
— Never venture around flooded or fast-moving waterways
— Avoid alcohol

In addition to basic water safety, Indiana Conservation Officers are also stressing the importance of boating safety and are reminding boaters to know the rules of the water.

Reducing the boat’s speed in unfamiliar areas and being aware of unusual water conditions respective to the size and type of boat are among the important environmental considerations. Regardless of boat type, an initial assessment of the water levels and current speed are essential prior to begin your voyage.

Designating a sober boat operator should always be a priority. Alcohol causes impaired balance, blurred vision, poor coordination, impaired judgment, and slower reaction time. These impairments can be magnified by wave action, sun exposure, and wind. It is illegal to operate a motorboat or personal watercraft in Indiana while intoxicated due to alcohol or drugs. Indiana law defines intoxication as having a blood alcohol level of 0.08% or greater.

Another priority is lifejackets. Lifejackets should be the United States Coast Guard approved, be in good working condition, and size appropriate. New lifejackets are designed to be lighter, less obtrusive, and more comfortable. Inflatable lifejackets allow mobility and flexibility for activities like boating, fishing, or paddling, and are much cooler in warmer weather.

“A person is never too old to wear a lifejacket,” said Lt. Kenton Turner, Indiana’s Boating Law Administrator. “The majority of Indiana drownings on public waterways involve adults.”

To learn more about boating education and safety, see: dnr.IN.gov/lawenfor/8678.htm

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has been made aware of a shipment of boxwood plants at Home Depot stores that contain the boxwood blight fungus. They have originated from a nursery named Cottage Gardens in Ohio.

Boxwood blight (Calonectria pseudonaviculata) is a fungal disease that infests members of the popular Buxaceae family, and is often transported through the nursery trade.

Hosts include Buxus (boxwood), Pachysandra (Japanese spurge) and Sarcococca (sweetbox). Annual inspections of nursery stock by the DNR verify that this pathogen is not indigenous to Indiana, nor can it be found in nursery stock that is sourced locally.

When the fungus, which can lay dormant in drier conditions, is present, it can be found on all above-ground portions of the plant and presents itself as dark leaf spots.

It causes rapid defoliation, which typically starts on the bottom of the plant and moves toward the top.

This fungal pathogen can move through sporulation in water and from dropped leaves. As a result, infection can spread to surrounding plants from a single infected plant.

The infected nursery stock is currently being pulled from shelves in 13 Home Depot stores by nursery inspectors and Cottage Garden representatives and will be disposed of in a manner that will prevent the pathogen from spreading to other stock.

There are several varieties of boxwood sold in Home Depot stores. The only species that is currently testing positive for the fungus is Korean boxwood (Buxus Koreana), however the DNR is testing other species to ensure the pathogen has not spread.

If you have purchased a Korean boxwood from a Home Depot store in the last month please contact the DNR for further guidance at 866-NO EXOTIC.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) confirmed more than 70 Walmart stores and 18 Rural King stores in the state have received rhododendron plants infected with sudden oak death (SOD), a fungal pathogen that kills oak trees.

Shipments containing infested material were sent to nine other states as well.

Workers from the Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology have been visiting stores across Indiana to destroy any stock that has been found infected and quarantine any stock that is symptomatic. The division has made this its top priority.

The DNR has destroyed approximately 1,500 infested rhododendron so far and pulled another 1,500 from stores.

The DNR has also ordered these stores to stop selling rhododendron until further notice. Any quarantined material not infected will be released following testing at Purdue University.

The DNR is also following up with homeowners that have called in to say they’ve purchased material that they believe is infested or are seeing signs/ symptoms of sick trees in the environment.

SOD has killed large tracts of oaks on the West Coast. SOD has not been established in the Midwest, to date. SOD can kill standing oak trees, which could happen if SOD-positive rhododendron were planted within about 6 feet of a standing oak.

SOD travels in more than a hundred species of host plant material. It causes some browning of the leaves in the host but does not kill it.

For a list of those plants see the following https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/pram/downloads/pdf_files/usdaprlist.pdf

If you have purchased rhododendrons in the last four weeks from Walmart or Rural King, destroy them, or call 1-866-NO-EXOTIC (663-9684) or the local county extension office at 1-888-EXT-INFO (1-888-398-4636) for instructions.

This is an ongoing investigation, and guidance could change as more information is gathered.

To learn more about SOD, see: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pests-and-diseases/phytophthora-ramorum/sod.

The Jackson County Public Library and Jackson County United Way are teaming up to bring Family Fun Day events to the Seymour, Crothersville and Medora libraries.

Numerous community agencies will be on site providing games, crafts, and information about their services for people of all ages. Participants also will enjoy Fla-Vor-Ice pops, hot dogs and chips, a bouncy house, and more.

Patrons are encouraged to sign up for the summer learning program, pick up a program guide, and get ready for an out-of-this-world summer of fun.

The times, dates, and locations are:

• 4 to 6 p.m. Monday, Crothersville Library, 120 W. Main St.
• 2 to 6 p.m. June 6, Seymour Library, 303 W. Second St.
• 1 to 3 p.m. June 8, Medora Library, 27 W. Main St.

Information: Follow the library on Facebook, visit myjclibrary.org or call 812-522-3412, option 2, in Seymour, 812-793-2927 in Crothersville or 812-966-2278 in Medora

On May 28th the Indiana State Police were called to assist the Loogootee Police Department with the report of a rape.  

Indiana State Police Trooper Detective Shane Staggs responded and gathered information from the Loogootee Officer and then began his investigation. 

During the course of his investigation, it was discovered that Dakota Lee Browning, 26 of Jasper, IN had met the juvenile victim at a graduation party and had gone to a residence in Loogootee with the victim following the graduation party.

In the early morning hours of May 26^th, it is alleged that Browning went into the bedroom the victim was sleeping in and had sexual intercourse with the victim against her will. 

Detective Staggs was able to gather enough probable cause for the Martin Circuit Court to issue arrest warrants for Browning for Rape a Level 3 Felony and for Child Molestation a Level 1 Felony.  

All suspects are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.