The Indiana Department of Transportation will restrict lanes on Interstate 265 in Floyd County during overnight hours later this week—and on I-65 in Clark County during daytime and nighttime hours starting next week—as part of an ongoing $2,048,900 bridge preservation project.   

Contracted crews are expected to begin painting the 4-span Green Valley Road bridge overpassing I-265 located 1.29 miles west of S.R. 111 as soon as Wednesday night (JULY 18).  Lane closures will be implemented as needed while beams and bridge members are painted overhead–impacting nighttime travel on I-265 in Floyd County for the next four weeks.    

Next Monday (JULY 23), the two outside lanes of southbound Interstate I-65 at mile marker 6.0 in Clark County will be closed for approximately three weeks while the 2-span I-265 bridges are being painted overhead.  Southbound I-65’s two inside lanes as well as ramps to eastbound and westbound I-265 will remain open to traffic. 

Once this section of I-265 beams and bridge members have been painted, operations will shift— necessitating the closure of southbound I-65’s two inside lanes.  At that time, motorists will continue to have ramp access.  The two outside lanes of southbound I-65 will be opened to traffic. 

INDOT officials advise motorists to anticipate traffic queues, especially during peak travel times.    

After Labor Day, bridge painting activities will focus on the I-265 bridges overpassing the northbound lanes of I-65.  There will be single-lane weekday closures between the hours of 7 p.m. and noon the following day—as well as weekend closures from 7 p.m. Fridays to noon on Mondays—through October. 

Civil Coatings and Construction Inc. of Valparaiso in Indiana’s prime contractor for this multi-bridge preservation project.  Its crews are currently painting the I-265 bridges over CSX rail tracks located west of S.R. 111 in Floyd County.  

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.