On January 4, 2010 President Obama issued a proclamation naming January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

This followed a 2007 Senate resolution naming January 11th as Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

 Indiana State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officers (CVEOs) and Motor Carrier Inspectors (MCIs) are teaming up with officers from neighboring states to raise awareness of human trafficking.

During the week of January 22th through the 26th, Indiana State Police officers will join their colleagues with the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Illinois State Police and Michigan State Police, along with the organization Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) to educate motorists about the signs of human trafficking and to enforce laws that crack down on traffickers.

“The Indiana State Police Department has been working with Truckers Against Trafficking since 2015. The goal of this week-long, multi-state human trafficking initiative is to raise awareness and educate individuals in positions to observe human trafficking taking place.  Individuals such as commercial motor vehicle drivers, public transportation company employees, rest area attendants and truck stop employees are a force multiplier that can act as the eyes and ears on Indiana’s highways,” said Major Jon Smithers, Commander of the Indiana State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division. 

To report human trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at888-373-7888 or text BeFree to 233733. For more information about TAT, visit truckersagainsttrafficking.org.

Four Southern Indiana residents were arrested on a variety of drug charges and auto theft this morning in a search of a Jeffersonville home.

Arrested and charged were: 

Conner Mettling, 24, of 416 West Howard Street, Clarksville, IN; Dealing in Methamphetamine, Possession of Methamphetamine, Dealing in Cocaine or Narcotic, Possession of Cocaine or Narcotic, Auto Theft, Maintaining a Common Nuisance and Possession of a Syringe.

Gabrielle Wagner, 19, of 1511 Duncan Avenue, Jeffersonville, IN; Dealing in Methamphetamine, Possession of Methamphetamine, Maintaining a Common Nuisance, Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Paraphernalia.

Dylan Kemp, 26, of 1511 Duncan Avenue, Jeffersonville, IN; Dealing in Methamphetamine, Possession of Methamphetamine, Maintaining a Common Nuisance, Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Paraphernalia.

Zackary Morgan, 31, 2202 Tunnel Mill Road, Charlestown, IN; Warrant for Dealing in Methamphetamine, Possession of Methamphetamine, Maintaining a Common Nuisance, Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Paraphernalia.

At approximately 8:16 am, troopers from the Indiana State Police Post at Sellersburg served a search warrant at 1511 Duncan Avenue in Jeffersonville.

The search warrant was obtained by troopers through the Clark County Circuit Court #2 after conducting a drug investigation at the residence.

During the search, officers located approximately 71.56 grams of suspected Methamphetamine, approximately 0.5 grams of Heroin, approximately 7.0 grams of Marijuana and Paraphernalia.

They also recovered a 2000 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck stolen out of Louisville, KY.  

All the arrested were incarcerated at the Clark County Jail awaiting their first court appearance.

This investigation is continuing.

Just a few minutes experiencing ostracism or rejection causes people to report a reduced sense of self-esteem, self-control, belonging and meaningful existence.

In 2015, 28 percent of 12- to 18-year old students reported being bullied at school, and one in 10 students in the U.S. drop out of school because of repeated bullying.

Rejection can create surges of anger and aggression; correlations exist between peer rejection and higher rates of delinquency, arrest, violent behavior and substance abuse.

The Indiana Youth Institute, Boys and Girls Club of Crawford and Harrison Counties and Purdue Extension of Harrison County are hosting a special training session to help caring adults in the community learn about the effects of rejection and ostracism, and ways to overcome and prevent violence and tragedy.

The workshop is on Wednesday, January 24 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Purdue Extension, 247 Atwood Street in Corydon.

Annette Lawler and Rebecca Wilkins, extension educators at Purdue Extension of Harrison County will be facilitating a discussion in conjunction with a film screening.

The documentary film “Reject” takes an in-depth look at the science of social rejection, with a solution-oriented focus on the roots of bullying behavior and violent behavior against the self or others.

The film includes commentary from experts in psychology, education, medicine, neuroscience, and juvenile justice who have studied rejection in their respective fields.

As part of IYI’s Youth Worker Café program, the seminar and lunch are free, but reservations are required. Attendees may RSVP by going to www.iyi.org/ywc.

Please contact IYI Statewide Outreach Manager Debbie Jones at djones@iyi.org for registration issues. For more information about the event, attendees may contact IYI Southwest Senior Outreach Manager Joe Shrode at jshrode@iyi.org.

Youth Worker Cafés are designed to bring together local youth workers to build relationships and inspire collaborations that will benefit children. If South Harrison Community School Corporation is closed due to weather, this event will be rescheduled to a later date.

The Grissom Boyhood Home is once again hosting The Galactic Gathering for 2018 with special guest speaker, Former Astronaut and Moonwalker Charlie Duke.

This is the second event to be hosted in Mitchell, after last summer’s successful historical gathering of 7 of 9 living Indiana-born Astronauts. 

Duke is an American former astronaut, retired U.S. Air Force officer and test pilot. As Lunar Module Pilot for Apollo 16 in 1972, he became the tenth and youngest person to walk on the Moon.

A former test pilot, Duke has logged 4,147 hours flying time, which includes 3,632 hours in jet aircraft; and 265 hours in space, plus 20 hours and 15 minutes of extravehicular activity.

A resident of New Braunfels, Texas, he is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.

In April 1966, Duke was one of the 19 selected for NASA’s fifth group of astronauts.

In 1969, he was a member of the astronaut support crew for Apollo 10. He then served as CAPCOM for Apollo 11, the first landing on the Moon, where his distinctive Southern drawl became familiar to audiences around the world.

As CAPCOM, he became the voice of a Mission Control nervous by a long landing that almost expended all of the Lunar Module Eagle’s fuel.

Duke’s first words to the Apollo 11 crew on the surface of the Moon were flustered, “Roger, Twank… Tranquility, we copy you on the ground. You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We’re breathing again. Thanks a lot!”

Duke was backup Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 13, however shortly before the mission he caught German measles from a friend’s child and inadvertently exposed the prime crew to the disease.

As Ken Mattingly had no natural immunity to the disease, Mattingly was then replaced as Command Module Pilot by Jack Swigert. Mattingly would be reassigned as Command Module Pilot of Duke’s flight, Apollo 16.

Duke served as Lunar Module Pilot of Apollo 16 in 1972 where he and John W. Young landed at the Descartes Highlands and conducted three EVAs, making Duke the tenth person to walk upon the surface of the Moon. He also served as backup Lunar Module Pilot for Apollo 17. Duke retired from NASA in December 1975.

Various ticketed events will be offered throughout the weekend, as well as “for donation” guided tours and activities at the home.

There will also be various activities to participate in at Spring Mill State Park for free, as this event will once again take place in conjunction with Gus Grissom Days hosted by Spring Mill State Park.

All proceeds for The Galactic Gathering will go toward the Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom Boyhood Home, which is dedicated to restore and preserve the history of the home Grissom was raised in.

Timeline:

Friday, July 20, 8 pm – 10 pm – Launch Party; 1960 Cocktail Party held in the Spring Mill Lakeview Room
*Tickets are required and limited. A cash bar will be available at an additional cost to you that evening.

Saturday, July 21, 11 am – 4 pm – Tours Through The Grissom Boyhood Home
*Tickets are not required. Donations will be accepted and appreciated. Tours will be open house style and will include dessert bar.

Saturday, July 21, 2-4 pm – Photo Opportunity with Charlie Duke at First Baptist Church 
*Purchase individually or bundle with symposium tickets for discount.

Saturday, July 21, 7:00 pm – Symposium held at the Mitchell Opera House
*Special presentation from moonwalker, Charlie Duke. Tickets are required and limited.

If you are planning to purchase tickets and need lodging while in town, limited rooms are set aside in the Spring Mill Inn for this event. Call 812-849-4508 for reservations and reference Galactic Gathering.

*There will be no autograph opportunities during this event.

After the first week of filings to seek party nominations in the May Primary, out of 17 already filed, most are Republicans. Only two Democrats have filed to run in the election so far. 

Of those are Brent Miller for Sheriff and Marsha Guthrie for Township Trustee of Vernon Township. 

The filing period will continue through Friday, Feb. 9 at noon.

Other Candidates who have filed as of Tuesday afternoon are:

Republicans 
Randall “Randy” Bills – Auditor 

Tim Rodman – Recorder

Terri L Graves – Recorder

Roy A. Overshiner – Sheriff

Todd M. Ewen – Commissioner, District 2
Preston Shell – Commissioner, District 2
John P. Revels – County Council, District 2

Jason W. Nelson – County Council, District 4

David Brown – Brown TWP Trustee

Steven L. Anderson – Franklin TWP Trustee

Matthew Incantalupo – Jackson TWP Trustee

Angela “Angie” Wilson – Monroe TWP Trustee

Dennis R. Fleming Sr. – Pierce TWP Trustee

Brice Robinson – Washington TWP Trustee

Scott K. Miller – Pierce TWP Advisory Board

Police in Clark County say three people were arrested after authorities found meth, marijuana and a stolen weapon inside a home.

According to a release from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, 59-year-old Adrian May, 54-year-old Lawrence Hoskins and 46-year-old Lisa Tesch, all of Charlestown, were taken into custody.

On January 11, 2018, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office Detective Division, with assistance from the Jeffersonville SWAT and Southeast Regional SWAT executed a search warrant at Adrian May’s residence located in the 6900 block of Hibernia Rd., Charlestown, Indiana.

After successfully executing the search warrant approximately 2 ounces of Methamphetamine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia were located along with a rifle that was recently reported stolen from a burglary in the area.

Two other suspects were located inside the residence and were identified as Lawrence Hoskins and Lisa Tesch.

Adrian May, 59 years of age, Charlestown, Indiana, was arrested and charged with:

• Possession of Methamphetamine – Level 6 Felony
• Maintaining a Common Nuisance – Level 6 Felony
• Possession of Stolen Property – A Misdemeanor
• Possession of Marijuana – A Misdemeanor
• Possession of Paraphernalia – B Misdemeanor

Lawrence Hoskins, 54 years of age, Charlestown, Indiana, was arrested and charged with:

• Maintaining a Common Nuisance – Level 6 Felony

Lisa Tesch, 46 years of age, Charlestown, Indiana, was arrested and charged with:

• Maintaining a Common Nuisance – Level 6 Felony

Shortly after 6:30 pm, the Washington County Sheriff’s Department received a 911 call of a domestic situation with weapons at 102 Lapping Road, Hardinsburg, in Washington County.

When deputies and troopers arrived on the scene they made contact with a male subject who stated he was the one who called 911.

He stated he and his ex-wife got into an argument earlier in the evening and he left the residence to run errands.

He stated when he returned home his ex-wife threatened him with a firearm and allegedly fired a round from the gun.

He stated he left the home and called 911.

The female was allegedly in the home by herself.

A perimeter was set up around the home and shortly after this Indiana State Police Negotiators and SWAT members arrived.

At 9:18 pm, the female, from the above mentioned address, surrendered to officers.

She was taken into custody and transported to the Washington County Sheriff’s Department for questioning and to be booked in.