On July 13, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department received a report of a possibly burglary in progress in the area of the 1300 block of North US Highway 31. 

Jackson County Officer Rick Meyer responded. 

While en route, Meyer was advised a neighbor was watching this residence while the owner was out of town. The neighbor had two subjects outside the residence and another subject was either inside the residence or had taken off on foot. 

Meyer arrived and learned that a side window of the residence had been broken.

Entrance was made thru this window and it was learned a hand gun was taken from the residence. 

The investigation determined Alexander Johnson, 20, Seymour had broken the window and gained entry into the residence. Johnson was no longer at the scene. 

Tavontay Shipp, 19, Seymour was arrested at the scene. Shipp was charged with burgarly and theft. 

The following day, Seymour Police Department made contact with Johnson, who had scrapes and cuts all over his body from where he fled the resident and ran into a thicket. 

Johnson admitted to taking the gun and breaking into the residence. 

Johnson was able to tell police the location of the gun. 

Nicholson and Jackson County Officer Mitch Ray went to the area of the 1500 block of North US Highway 31 and located the gun along the roadway. 

After being located, Johnson was taken to Schneck Medical Center to be treated for his injuries. Johnson was then taken to the Jackson County Jail. He was charged with burglary, theft and possession of a hand gun without a permit. 

The investigation is continuing. More charges could be filed. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty. 

Arresting officer was Rick Meyer, Jackson County Sheriff’s Department. Assisting officers were Adam Nicholson and Mitch Ray, Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and Chip Petro, Seymour Police Department. 

A six-year-old girl is dead after being accidentally shot in the head while her father was cleaning a handgun last night just outside of Livonia. 

Last night at approximately 10:30 pm., the Washington County Sheriff’s Department received a 911 call from a residence located 5007 South PD Baker Road in Washington County.

The deceased child is identified as Makayla S. Bowling, six years of age, from the above mentioned address.   

The caller reported that a six year old female had been shot in the head in an accidental shooting.  

Deputies from the Washington County Sheriff’s Department arrived on the scene and the child was transported by air ambulance to the Norton Children’s Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky.

Shortly upon arrival at the hospital, the child was pronounced dead.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Department requested detectives and crime scene investigators from the Indiana State Police to assist in their investigation of the incident.

Preliminarily, state police detectives learned that the female child’s father was cleaning a handgun inside the residence and thought it was unloaded. The firearm discharged striking the child.

It is not known what type of handgun it was. 

This case is still under investigation however, at this time, Indiana State Police Detectives do not feel as though foul play was involved.

The Indiana Department of Transportation will close Interstate 64’s westbound ramp to eastbound I-265 tomorrow night (JULY 14) at Exit 121 for approximately one hour to allow contracted crews safe work space for placing temporary pavement markings in advance of bridge work at the westbound I-64 structures over Captain Frank Road and Quarry Road.   

Tomorrow’s ramp closure will occur between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.  

Sunday morning (JULY 15) at 6 a.m., Indiana will begin restricting the westbound I-64 left lane —between mile markers 122.5 and 120.0—where I-64 spans Captain Frank Road and Quarry Road.  INDOT is patching, widening and installing deck overlays at both westbound bridges. 

Ragle Inc of Newburgh is the contractor for this $3.9 million bridge refurbishment project which includes work at four New Albany-area structures.

The Office of Indiana State Chemist (OISC) has selected Washington County as a site for their 2018 Indiana Pesticide Clean Sweep Project.

The Clean Sweep is designed to collect and dispose of suspended, cancelled, banned, unusable, opened, unopened or just unwanted pesticides (weed killers, insecticides, rodenticides, fungicides, miticides, etc.)

The disposal service is free of charge up to 250 pounds of product per participant. Over 250 pounds there is a $2.00 per pound charge.

This is a great opportunity for the legal disposal of unwanted products at little or no cost.

The Clean Sweep will be held at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Salem, IN from 9:00 am – 3:00pm on Wednesday, August 22, 2018.

Anyone interested in disposing of a product should complete a “Pesticide Clean Sweep Planning Form” which can be found on the Purdue Extension – Washington County website at https://extension.purdue.edu/Washington, at the Extension office, or by emailing dhowellw@purdue.edu.

This form should be completed and returned to the OISC by Tuesday, July 31 st .

More information can be found at the Purdue Extension – Washington County website or by calling 812- 883-4601.

Crothersville Police Chief Brent Turner arrested a male subject who identified himself as Leo Rodry, for driving while never receiving a license. During questioning by Chief Turner, the male subject then gave a different name as well as two different dates of birth.

When at the jail, Chief Turner told Jail Commander Charlie Murphy that he was uncertain of the man’s true identity. Commander Murphy then told Turner of the jail’s electronic thumbprint technology.

After checking the man’s thumbprint through the jail’s software it was determined that he was Miguel Felipe Gaspar, an illegal immigrant who has an active Fugitive Warrant with ICE.

In addition to the initial Crothersville charge of Never Receiving a Driver’s License, Gaspar is also arrested for False Reporting, and the ICE Warrant.

Driving while never receiving a driver’s license and false reporting are Class A Misdemeanors. Federal Immigration authorities will take custody of Gaspar for the ICE warrant after his Jackson County cases are finished.

Assisting Murphy and Turner were Jail Officers Brad Freeman and Faron Gibson.