Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating after a man drowned Saturday near Milltown.

According to officials, a 911 call was placed just before 6 p.m. saying a victim went missing after he and another member of a paddling group capsized their canoe in the Blue River.

The victim was identified as 48-year-old Albert “Neal” Barger of New Albany.

Search efforts began shortly after but were later suspended after they were unable to locate Barger.

The search resumed Sunday morning using Sonar and officers were able to locate him.

Officials said Barger didn’t have any swimming experience and was not wearing a life jacket.

The search resumed Sunday at 7 a.m. using two types of side scan sonar, which officers say helped them pinpoint Barger’s location. 

Conservation officers strongly urge everyone to wear a life jacket at all times when around water, especially if swimming ability or water conditions are questionable. 

The investigation is ongoing. No other information was immediately available. 

Shortly after 3 p.m. Thursday, authorities were dispatched to the Flatrock River at Mill Race Park in Columbus in reference to a missing child. 

Here are some statistics for the day:

All involved agencies searched diligently all Friday, but were ultimately unsuccessful in locating the missing 6 year-old. 

The primary search area has been checked exhaustively with sonar units and divers. 

Due to the water level and the strength of the current, dive and sonar operations are being suspended until the water conditions become more conducive to an underwater search, at which time it will resume. 

Until then, we will continue with our surface search using bank and boat patrols, which will resume tomorrow morning at 8 a.m.

• Search time: > 13 hours (several hundred man-hours)
• Boats on the water: 5, including 3 DNR boats, a Lawrence County hovercraft, and a Bartholomew County airboat;
• Divers in the water: 8, including 4 DNR divers, 2 from ISP, and 2 from Bartholomew County;
• Sonar/R.O.V. units utilized: 2 sonar units, 1 R.O.V. (all DNR)
• Length of search area: the subsurface search focused on the area from the point of entry to approximately 300 yards downstream, utilizing sonar, video, and divers working from the bank and from boats working off of a static line. A search of the surface including both banks covered over a half mile.
• Other search methods:ISP conducted an aerial search utilizing a helicopter. Indiana Department of Homeland Security checked the banks utilizing search dogs.

The search was called off Thursday night due to dark conditions.
Initial investigation revealed the child was playing on a sandbar with family members, when he ventured into deeper water and was swept away. 

Family members attempted to rescue the child, but efforts were unsuccessful.

The Indiana State Police along with numerous police agencies responded to the Travelers Inn motel this morning after a man from one of the rooms fired shots at Fremont Police Officers.

Preliminary investigation by Indiana State Police Detective Clint Hetrick revealed at approximately 10:50 a.m., four officers from the Fremont Police Department responded to the hotel which is located on State Road 120, about one-half mile east of I-69, to perform a welfare check on an individual in one of the rooms. 

The officers entered the room and made contact with a man who was sitting in the bathroom.  They partially opened the bathroom door and saw he was armed with a handgun, which he then used to fire on the officers with.  None of them were hit nor injured by the shots.

They immediately exited the room and called for assistance, and once additional officers arrived, a perimeter was established and the other rooms were evacuated.  Local businesses were informed and nearby schools were placed on lockdown. 

State Police Negotiators were summoned and began attempting to establish communication with the man in the motel room, later identified as 36 year old Joshua A. Kelley of Kendallville.  Intermittent telephone communication was established with him over the next six to seven hours.

At approximately 5:00 p.m., tear gas was introduced into the room and at approximately 5:20 p.m., Kelley allegedly fired shots at officers.  Finally, at about 5:45 p.m., Kelley exited the room on his own and surrendered himself to police.  He was taken to Cameron Hospital to be medically cleared for incarceration.  He is currently incarcerated in the Steuben County Jail without bond on the following preliminary charges:

• Manufacturing Methamphetamine
• Possession of a Handgun by a Convicted Felon
• Pointing a Loaded Firearm
• Intimidation
• Three (3) Counts of Criminal Recklessness

Working collaboratively at the scene were the Fremont Police, Steuben County Sheriff, Auburn Police, Orland Police, Angola Police, Ashley Police and Fort Wayne Police Departments; Fremont and Angola Fire Departments, Steuben County EMA, Steuben County EMS and the Steuben County Prosecutor’s Office.

Yesterday afternoon at approximately 4:48 pm, traffic on Interstate #65 North at the 24.0 Mile Marker was stop and go from a crash that had occurred earlier in the day in Jackson County with traffic being backed up for nearly 15 miles.

Two tractor-trailers were involved in the crash on I-65 Northbound at 39.5 mile marker earlier in the afternoon. 

The driver of a 1999 Chevrolet Pickup truck, Luis J. Perez, 38, from Austin, IN, stated he was north bound in the left lane at approximately 70 miles per hour when he took his eyes off the roadway to light a cigarette.

He stated he looked back at the roadway and saw a black 2015 Lexus being driven by Lloyd D. Huffman, 72, of Corsicana, Texas, stopped in front of him.

He stated he tried to avoid the collision but was unable to and crashed into the rear of the Lexus.

The collision pushed the 2015 Lexus into a 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander being driven by James Eaton, 57, from Normal, Illinois, that was also stopped in traffic in front of the other two vehicles.

The driver of the Chevrolet pickup truck, Perez, was transported to the University of Louisville Hospital in Louisville, KY, with non-life threatening injuries.

The driver of the 2015 Lexus, Huffman, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Scott County Coroner’s Office and the driver of the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander, James Eaton, was not injured.

Indiana State Police Crash Reconstructionist investigated the crash and all involved in the crash were wearing seat belts.

Assisting Agencies- Scott County Sheriff’s Department, Scott County E.M.S., Scottsburg City Fire Department and the Scott County Sheriff’s Department.

This investigation is continuing.

In honor of our Washington County farmers, the USDA Farm Service Agency, Natural
Resources Conservation Service, Purdue Extension, and Soil and Water Conservation District, will host a Farmer Appreciation Open House on July 3rd with a free luncheon.

The Open House and lunch will begin at 11:00 and will run to 1:00 PM. It will be held at the USDA Service Center at 801 Anson Street in Salem.

All farm families are encouraged to come enjoy a lunch of hot dogs and the fixings with us.

Reservations are encouraged and can be made by calling 812-883-3006 ext.3, but are not required.

Come out and let the staff show their appreciation for the great job done by our farmers.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has issued an Air Quality Action Day and is forecasting high ozone levels for Friday, June 15, 2018 in the following areas: 

• Central Indiana – Marion, Bartholomew, Boone, Brown, Delaware, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Madison, Monroe, Morgan and Shelby
• Southeast Indiana – Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Scott, and Washington
• Southwest Indiana – Daviess, Dubois, Gibson, Greene, Knox, Perry, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh, and Warrick 

IDEM encourages everyone to help reduce ozone by making simple changes to their daily habits. You can:

• Walk, bike, carpool or use public transportation
• Avoid using the drive-through and combine errands into one trip
• Avoid refueling your vehicle or using gasoline-powered lawn equipment until after 7 p.m.
• Turn off your engine when idling for more than 30 seconds
• Conserve energy by turning off lights or setting the air conditioner to 75 degrees or above 

Anyone sensitive to changes in air quality may be affected when ozone levels are high. Children, the elderly and anyone with heart or lung conditions should reduce or avoid exertion and heavy work outdoors. 

IDEM examines weather patterns and current ozone readings to make daily air quality forecasts. To learn more about ozone or sign up for air quality forecasts, visit www.SmogWatch.IN.gov or download our iPhone App: 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/smogwatch/id882860480?mt=8 

Ground-level ozone is formed when sunlight and hot weather bake vehicle exhaust, factory emissions and gasoline vapors. Ozone in the upper atmosphere blocks ultraviolet radiation, but ozone near the ground is a lung irritant that can cause coughing and breathing difficulties. 

About the ozone standard: On October 1, 2015, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) finalized the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone. The new rule sets more stringent standards, lowering both the primary (health-based) and secondary (welfare-based) standards from 75 parts per billion (ppb) to 70 ppb. IDEM encourages all Hoosiers to be proactive and help reduce ozone for those who may be sensitive.

About IDEM
IDEM (www.idem.IN.gov) implements federal and state regulations regarding the environment. Through compliance assistance, incentive programs and educational outreach, the agency encourages and aids businesses and citizens in protecting Hoosiers and our environment.  

The Indiana Department of Transportation is planning a weekend closure of State Road 56 for removal and replacement of a drainage structure just east of Livonia.  

Contracted crews are scheduled to install a new 12- X 6-foot concrete box culvert measuring 72 feet in width over the last weekend in June.

This requires full closure of S.R. 56 from 7 p.m. Friday, June 29, to 5 a.m. Monday, July 2.    

A signed detour routes motorists around the S.R. 56 closure via S.R. 337, S.R. 37 and S.R. 60. 

Temple & Temple Excavating/Paving of Salem is INDOT’s contractor for this $336,724 small structure replacement project.  

Its crews will be present at the construction site—located 0.7 miles east of S.R. 337 near the Hardinsburg-Livonia Road—several days prior to S.R. 56’s weekend closure, then again during the week following the closure.  At times, it will be necessary to flag motorists around these weekday operations. 

In case of rain, the schedule will be pushed back a week. 

S.R. 56 in Madison Township of Washington County has a traffic count of 2,420 vehicles per day.