A memorial service honoring the life and career of Indiana’s former U.S. Senator and House Speaker Birch Bayh (1928-2019) will be held at noon Wednesday, May 1, in the South Atrium of the Statehouse. 

Among those remembering Senator Bayh’s accomplishments will be Governor Eric J. Holcomb, House Speaker Brian Bosma, Congressman André Carson, Purdue President Mitch Daniels, former Congressman Baron Hill and Federal District Court Chief Judge Jane E. Magnus-Stinson.

Former Governor and U.S. Senator Evan Bayh and Indianapolis attorney Christopher Bayh will eulogize their father. Former First Lady Susan Bayh will attend, as will their sons Beau and Nick. Katherine “Kitty” Bayh, the widow of Senator Birch Bayh, will read a poem written by her husband.

The service is open to the public. Attendees should enter the Statehouse from either the upper east (Capitol Street) or lower west (Senate Avenue) entrances.

Josh J. Minkler, the United States Attorney, is pleased to announce that Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) federal grant dollars are available for State and local government agencies to partner with federal law enforcement on targeted and prioritized violent-crime reduction programs, which include community engagement, prevention and reentry efforts.

PSN grants monies may be used for criminal justice-related initiatives, technical assistance, training, personnel, equipment, supplies, contracted support, information systems, research and evaluation.

Applicants are encouraged to propose evidence-based, effective, promising or best practices cited in an academic, journal, a recognized list of evaluated programs or causal evidence from an outcome evaluation. Applications must enhance or expand, not replace, existing funds.

“The Justice Department is pleased to offer opportunities for community members to partner with state and local government agencies in an effort to reduce the gun-related violence that currently plagues our communities,” said United States Attorney Josh Minkler.

“We would like to recognize and thank our PSN Task Force partners, ICJI, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Marion County Forensic Services Agency, and community volunteer Gloria Riggs, for their persistence tackling these challenges over time and their innovative efforts to drive down the violence.”

Project Safe Neighborhoods is the Justice Department’s flagship Violence Reduction initiative and was reinvigorated in 2018. In the Southern District of Indiana, United States Attorney Minkler appointed Kendra Klump, Assistant U.S. Attorney, to lead the PSN Task Force efforts in coordination with Marshall Depew of IMPD.   

This funding opportunity runs from October 2019 through September 2020. 

Applications may be submitted through May 24, 2019 using the IntellGrants system at http://intelligrants.IN.gov.

For assistance with submitting an application, contact CJIHelpDesk@cji.in.gov, Terrie Grantham at TGrantham@cji.in.gov or Leann Jaggers at LeJaggers@cji.in.gov

Workshops teach citizens how to test and protect local streams

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s (IDEM) Hoosier Riverwatch program will host 14 workshops around the state in 2019. The basic training workshop introduces Hoosiers to hands-on water quality monitoring methods. Attendees learn about aquatic habitats, chemical and biological assessment techniques, and leave the workshop knowing how to test their local rivers and streams. 

Basic training workshops:

• Wednesday, May 8 at Orange County SWCD Office in Paoli, IN
• Wednesday, May 29 at Posey County Fairgrounds in New Harmony, IN
• Saturday, June 1 at Patoka Regional Water District Office in Dubois, IN
• Monday, June 3 & Monday, June 10 at Karst Farm Park in Bloomington, IN

The basic training workshop is eight hours and attendees must be 18 or older. To sign up for a class or to find upcoming workshops across the state, visit IDEM’s Hoosier Riverwatch website. 

About Hoosier Riverwatch
Since 1996, Hoosier Riverwatch has engaged Indiana citizens in becoming active stewards of Indiana’s valuable water resources through its hands-on water quality education and volunteer stream monitoring program. The statewide Hoosier Riverwatch volunteer network has more than 3,000 trained stream monitors and more than 31 certified instructors.

Tuesday morning, April 23, Indiana State Police initiated a criminal investigation after being contacted by the Knox County Prosecutor’s Office regarding an incident that occurred at their office involving Bicknell Police Chief Terry Stremming.

Arrested and Charged:

Stremming, 47, Bicknell, IN

1. Official Misconduct, Level 6 Felony
2. Battery, Level 6 Felony

On Monday, April 22, a Bicknell police officer went to the Knox County Prosecutor’s Office and turned over a laptop that possibly contained evidence of officer misconduct on another Bicknell police officer.

Tuesday morning, April 23, at approximately 8:30, Stremming arrived at the prosecutor’s office and allegedly demanded the laptop back into his possession and attempted to remove it from a desk.

Rose Archer, 51, an investigator from the prosecutor’s office, put her hands on the laptop to prevent Stremming from taking it.

Stremming allegedly put his hands on Archer and attempted to push her out of the way. Stremming left the prosecutor’s office without the laptop.

Indiana State Police arrested Stremming last night at approximately 7:00 p.m. at the Bicknell Town Hall without incident. He was taken to the Knox County Jail where he was released after posting bond.