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.

A former Funeral Home Director in Brownstown, Indiana was recently charged with numerous felonies related to the thefts of money from the funeral trust funds of nearly 20 individuals. 

The investigation by the Indiana State Police Organized Crime and Corruption Unit began in August 2017, an initial victim reported that money given to the Winklepleck-Weesner Funeral Home for the purpose of establishing a pre-need trust was missing.  

Over the course of the next few months, numerous individuals reported they had paid Funeral Home Director James D. Weesner Jr., age 47, payments meant to be applied to trusts at a local Brownstown, Indiana bank.  

When the victims checked with the bank, they were informed that no trusts existed.  

The trusts were intended to be established to pay for future funeral expenses through the funeral home.  

It is believed that Weesner never established the trusts and kept the money for personal use.

The investigation determined that Weesner stole approximately $200,000 from the 20 victims in this investigation.

At the conclusion of the investigation, the case was submitted to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office for review.

In June of this year, Weesner, who now lives in Indianapolis, was charged with 25 level 5 felony counts of Wrongful Disbursement of Funeral Trust Funds and one level 5 felony count of Corrupt Business Influence.

This case is still pending in the Jackson County Circuit Court.

The Indiana State Police Organized Crime and Corruption Unit was assisted by the Indiana State Police-Versailles Post, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, Brownstown Police Department, the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Indiana Attorney General’s Office.

A local police drug team made an arrest on Monday afternoon after a continuing investigation involving a local man selling narcotics. 

On July 9 at approximately 2:42p, the Washington County Drug Team executed a search warrant on Adam Thurman of Salem, who was driving down Main Street in Salem. 

The warrant was the result of a several-months long investigation.

The drug team was able to locate and arrest Thurman on South Main Street. 

During the arrest, other drug-related items were located and seized as evidence. 

Also during the arrest, it was discovered that Thurman’s passenger, Joshua Hill, had an outstanding warrant issued by Orange County Superior Court. 

Both Thurman and Hill were arrested without any further incident. 

Thurman was arrested and charged with his outstanding warrants; three counts of dealing in a narcotic drug, a level 4 felony; three counts of possession of a narcotic drug; level 5 felony.

Thurman was transported to the Washington County Detention Center where he is being held on a $30,000 cash only bond. 

Hill was also transported to the detention center and is being held on the Orange County warrant. 

The drug team encourages anyone with drug information or drug activity to call the Crime Tip Line at 812.883.6566. Information can be left confidential and all calls are investigated. 

A Milltown man was flown by helicopter ambulance from the scene of a two vehicle crash on State Road 56 West this morning. 

Washington County Sheriff’s Department deputies responded to a 911 call this morning at 6:40a on SR56 West, slightly west of West Washington School Road. 

According to Deputy Lucas Gray, Brandon Hawkins, 23, Milltown was driving a 2005 Pontiac Grand Am eastbound on SR 56. 

Gray said he crossed the center line and struck a log truck that was being driven westbound by Jonnie Gibson, 65, Campbellsburg. 

Hawkins stated he believed he had fallen asleep while driving. 

Gibson sustained minor injuries. 

Hawkins was flown by helicopter ambulance to U of L for serious injuries. 

Livonia Fire Department, Campbellsburg Fire Department, Salem Fire Department and Washington County EMS also assisted.