Attorney General Curtis T. Hill, Jr. will be the featured speaker at this year’s Lincoln Day Dinner at Southern Hills Church on Thursday, April 12 at 6:30p.

Doors Open 5:30 p.m. with the dinner at 6:30 p.m.

Table Sponsorship Levels are:

• Platinum: $500
• Gold: $300
• Silver: $200
• Individual Tickets: $25

The evening will also feature a silent auction and door prizes.

Hill was born February 21, 1961) and has served as the 43rd Attorney General of Indiana since 2017. He defeated his opponent, Lorenzo Arredondo, on November 8, 2016, with 61.94% to 38.06% of the vote. 

The 1,643,689 ballots cast for Hill made him the top vote-getter of any elected official in Indiana history.

 He took office on January 9, 2017.

Please RSVP to Tara Hunt at taracoatshunt@gmail.com or call 812-844-6003

Tickets also available at Green’s Auto Sales, Salem, Indiana

Make checks payable to: Washington County Republican Central Committee or mail to: P.O. Box 173, Salem, IN 47167

Just before noon today, Indiana State Police South Zone SWAT members established a residential perimeter at 2123 4th Avenue in Terre Haute.

The perimeter was to secure the residence after receiving new information that a potential homicide suspect was at that residence. 

At approximately 12:10 this afternoon, the male suspect ran outside from the rear of the residence, presented a threat to SWAT team members, which caused team members to engage the suspect with department firearms. The suspect was pronounced deceased at the scene. 

Investigators believe they know the identity of the suspect, but the name is being withheld until positive identification can be made and attempts to contact family members has occurred. An autopsy is expected in the coming days. 

This incident stems from a homicide investigation originated by the Terre Haute Police Department during the afternoon hours of March 5, 2018. The suspect in the homicide investigation made his way from the Putnam Street crime scene to a residence at 2214 1st Ave in Terre Haute. When THPD officers arrived at the 2214 1st Avenue address, the suspect immediately engaged the officers with multiple gunshots. THPD SWAT was immediately called to the scene to attempt to apprehend the suspect.  

I

t is believed the suspect eluded officers before midnight in the cover of darkness and made his way from the 1st Avenue home to the 4th Avenue residence, where he was found by ISP around noon today. 

Indiana State Police Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators are conducting two investigation simultaneously. One involving the possible shooting and wounding of the suspect by THPD last evening and the death of the suspect today. Once the two investigations are complete, all information will be turned over to the Vigo County Prosecutor’s Office for review. 

Assisting the Indiana State Police and Terre Haute Police Department were ISP EOD, ISP Hostage Negotiations, Vigo County Sheriff’s Office, Vigo County Coroner’s Office, Indiana State University Police officers, West Terre Haute Police officers, and the Terre Haute Fire Department. 

Under the Law, criminal charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Today, at approximately 6:00 am, the Indiana State Police and Seymour Police Department responded to 2119 E. Tipton Street, Seymour, Indiana to investigate a report of a stabbing that occurred on a MegaBus.

The initial investigation determined that the stabbing occurred while the bus was in motion on I-65 Southbound, just north of Seymour. 

After the stabbing occurred, the bus driver exited the interstate and stopped at a gas station at the corner of US 50 (Tipton Street) and Sandy Creek Drive until officers arrived.

As a result of stabbing, a male victim, Xavier Collins, age 19, Chicago, Illinois was transported to Schneck Medical Center in Seymour for treatment of non-life threatening injuries to his leg.  A female suspect, Lebria Graham, age 19, Chicago, Illinois (Collins’ girlfriend) was detained for questioning.  The suspected weapon was recovered from the scene.

Further investigation by Indiana State Police Detectives determined that Graham and Collins were allegedly playing a “game” with the knife while they were on the upper deck of the bus. 

At some point during the game, Graham stabbed Collins in his leg with the knife.  Graham was arrested on charges of criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon and battery with a deadly weapon. 

Collins became uncooperative in the investigation and provided a false name to investigators.  After being treated and released from the hospital, Collins was arrested on charges of Obstruction of Justice and False Informing.  Both suspects were transported to the Jackson County Jail where they were remanded to the custody of the jail staff pending their initial appearances in court.

The investigation is ongoing.

Indiana State Police Detectives were assisted by the Seymour Police Department and Jackson County EMS.

The Department of Natural Resources is seeking private landowners to allow limited public gamebird hunting opportunities on their properties in exchange for financial incentives and technical assistance through a program called APPLE.

APPLE stands for Access Program Providing Land Easements. In its second year, APPLE provides hunters with an opportunity to hunt ring-necked pheasant, bobwhite quail, and American woodcock, while also providing landowners with significant benefits.

With nearly 96 percent of Indiana privately owned, public gamebird hunting opportunities are limited.

Participating landowners are eligible for incentives of up to $25 per acre. Additional financial assistance is also available for creating or improving habitat.

DNR biologists will work closely with each landowner to develop a wildlife habitat management plan. Biologists will also help landowners plan the number and timing of hunts on their land.

The DNR is targeting landowners of 20 acres or more within five focal regions across the 

state. For more information, including a description of the five focal regions, visit wildlife.IN.gov/9572.htm.

Hunters will be selected for the program using Indiana’s online reserved hunt draw system.

Landowners can continue to hunt all other species on their land during the duration of the APPLE hunts, and may hunt gamebirds after the APPLE hunts.

With two arrests on Monday, it brings the total to four the number of truckers who have been arrested on drug charges on Southern Indiana Interstates, according to Indiana State Police Public Information Officer Jerry Goodin. 

Since February 20th, troopers from the Sellersburg State Police Post have arrested four commercial vehicle drivers for drug related charges while they were operating a commercial motor vehicle.

The latest two happened Monday, a trooper made a traffic stop in the morning hours on Interstate #64 East Bound near the 119 Mile Marker in Floyd County.

As the trooper was investigating during the stop he could smell burnt marijuana. The driver, Theodore Lee Sauders, 23, from Louisville, KY, was arrested for Possession of Marijuana and Operating a Commercial Motor Vehicle while Intoxicated. He was incarcerated at the Floyd County Jail.

Later Monday afternoon, another trooper made a traffic stop on a semi-tractor and trailer in Scott County, on U. S. #31 South, near the Clark County line. He made the stop for failing to maintain the lane of traffic.

As the trooper conducted his investigation, he found evidence of drug use.

The driver, Benjamin M. McDaniel, 33, from Blue Mountain, MS, was arrested for Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Paraphernalia.

He was incarcerated at the Scott County Jail.

The Indiana State Police urges anyone who sees an impaired driver to contact 911 and report the vehicle description, to include the license plate, the location and direction of travel and the type of driving behavior that is not normal.

“Do not attempt to call in the information while driving,” said Goodin. “Either have a passenger call or pull off the roadway and make the call.”

The body of a missing Perry County Kayaker was found this morning after being reported missing for the past week. 

Indiana Conservation Officers, along with the Perry County Sheriff’s Department, resumed their search for a missing kayaker this morning. 

An Indiana Conservation Officer located the body of a male in approximately 3 feet of water, in the vicinity of his capsized kayak just before 9:30 a.m. 
 
The Perry County Sheriff’s Department was notified of a missing person on the afternoon of March 1, and located the victim’s truck parked near the floodwaters of Poison Creek, south of Derby. Shortly afterward, the victim’s partially submerged kayak was located in the water. 
 
Indiana Conservation Officers responded with SCUBA Divers, sonar, and a Remote Operated Vehicle (R.O.V.) with submersible camera. 

Multiple agencies searched by boat, kayak, and foot, however their efforts were hampered by flood debris and thick vegetation. 
 
An autopsy is planned to determine cause of death and identify the body this week.  Assisting agencies at the scene included the Troy, Central Perry, and Anderson Township Fire Departments, Perry County Rescue, Perry County EMA, and Indiana State Police.