Former Salem Police Department Assistant Chief Roy Overshiner has filed his candidacy for Washington County Sheriff.

He ran as the Republican candidate in 2014 and was defeated by Roger Newlon.  

Roy has more than 30 years in Law Enforcement starting at Indiana University Police Program then to Columbus Police Department, and then finally to Salem Police Department where he rose through the ranks to Assistant Chief.

Within his time at Salem Police Department Roy was a certified police trainer and certified to train police officers in a wide variety of skills.

Roy is currently the senior Staff Duty Officer at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, serving as the Professional Assistant to the Executive Director of the Indiana Law Enforcement Training Board.

Roy’s run for Sheriff is aimed at Moving Forward for a Safer County, by bringing in fresh ideas and new perspective for a county that has been ravished by the increased crime and a drug epidemic.

Statement from Roy Overshiner:

Early in 2017, I begin being approached by many citizens, asking me to consider running for sheriff again in 2018. These individuals, not knowing each other, referenced many common problems. My wife, Susan, and I along with our adult children discussed the possibility. As time passed, I recognized that all felt the problems needed a fresh new professional approach from a law enforcement individual not associated to the current and previous administrations’ ways of doing things, as they were deemed as failing the communities’ needs. Many cited the increasing drug problem and the other crimes resulting from it. Which have become worse at an increasing rate during the past three years, since the last sheriff election.

Those approaching me commented on my feelings on such matters and my background in the Law Enforcement community. They cited the fact that I possessed the desire to not follow the old standard ways of doing things, seen as an out of touch approach, to the problem of today. They commented to me. “You understand Roy. You have seen what we are talking about and you had a plan the first time you ran for Sheriff.” They felt we need that approach and leadership standard now.

Other considerations come from a three year continued communications contact project using a venue on a Facebook site known as Roy Overshiner: Ideas for Our Community, which later changed to Moving Forward for a Safer County with citizens being able to engage me with their concerns and feeling and ideas on helping the county as a whole.

I offer to the citizens of Washington County the same solid fresh approach standard as before. I offer my solid 30 plus years of experience at all levels from rookie street officer to the Assistant Chief of Police of the Salem Police Department from before. I offer further experience resulting from my continued work as a professional in Law Enforcement at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy at Plainfield, Indiana. My most current position has provided me another level of enhancements influenced from the state level. Adding to my leadership base during a five year period.

Add to this my personal life. At 58 years old I am a graduate of Salem High School class 1977, I attended Indiana University for two years Bloomington Campus and then attended the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, Plainfield Indiana earning a certificate (session 82-70) in Law enforcement in 1982. I am the father of five adult children, four adult step children and 12 grandchildren. As with all us we have family – brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers.

I was raised in the rural Haleysburg community of Northern Washington County later lived in the city of Salem for 29 years. I have been retired from the Salem Police Department for 6 years and living as a normal civilian citizen here in our county. One year ago I moved to the West Washington School area in rural Washington County with my wife.

I understand when citizens talk to me about problems and experiences of living both in the city and rural areas. I understand family and neighbors. And when citizen talk of being just that a normal citizen. With Normal needs or having a problem.

After much thought and conversation, based on the many needs and considerations there in, concerning Washington County and our many communities. I have decided to once again run for the office of Washington County Sheriff in 2018.

Idalene “Idie” Kesner, dean of the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, will travel to South Korea and join two alumni in the torch relay leading up to the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

Idalene “Idie” Kesner

Kesner will carry the torch in Seoul near the Heungkook Life Insurance Building between 11:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. Jan. 13.

Curtis A. Ferguson

She will be preceded on the torch run by Curtis A. Ferguson, president of Greater China and Korea for The Coca-Cola Co., who earned a Bachelor of Science from Kelley in 1980.

Young-Jin Kim

Following Kesner will be Young-Jin Kim, a 1984 MBA graduate who is chairman and CEO of Handok Inc., a pharmaceutical/health care company that develops, manufactures and distributes health care solutions in South Korea.

The 2018 Winter Olympics will begin Feb. 9 in PyeongChang, South Korea, and will run for two weeks.

The Orange County Community Foundation Inc. is offering a second grant cycle for nonprofit organizations, schools and libraries to apply for grant to promote STEM projects.

The STEM programming must occur outside of the school day and promote opportunities for hands-on learning in science, technology, engineering and math. The program may fall within the summer months.

Grant applications are available online only at the foundation’s website www.occf-in.org. Applications must be submitted by 4 p.m. Feb. 12. This is the second STEM grant opportunity from the Orange County Community Foundation.

Awards will be distributed later in February. Projects must be completed and final reporting received within 18 months, with interval reporting during that time. Proof of sustainability for the program is a plus.

For more information, contact the Orange County Community Foundation at (812) 723-4150.

The Indiana State Bar Association (ISBA) will sponsor “Talk to a Lawyer Today,” a pro bono program to provide free legal assistance to the underserved on Monday, Jan. 15, as an annual tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The program is an opportunity for attorneys statewide to offer free legal consultations to members of the general public who might not otherwise be able to afford the counsel of an attorney. A total of 23 walk-in sites and 7 local hotlines will be available for the public on Monday, Jan. 15. Click here for a comprehensive list of locations.

Established in 2002, “Talk to a Lawyer Today” is expected to have more than 200 attorneys providing 10 to 15 minute consultations to answer general questions and offer legal information for those who utilize this service.

In addition to numerous walk-in site locations across the state, a statewide hotline for callers will be available by calling 1-800-266-2581 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Spanish-speaking callers can call the same hotline from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. for assistance. For a comprehensive list of all of the walk-in site locations, as well as information about the hotlines, please visit www.inbar.org.

Founded in 1896, the Indiana State Bar Association (ISBA) is the single largest legal organization in the state. With more than 11,000 members, the ISBA serves and advocates on behalf of its members, their clients and the public interest as the independent voice of the legal profession. The ISBA’s office is located in downtown Indianapolis. For more information about the State Bar, visit www.inbar.org.

U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly today lauded the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for its new practice of publicly posting information on the number of opioid prescriptions from VA pharmacies. The VA is the first hospital system in the nation to publicly release this data, which does not include veterans’ personal information. In November 2017, bipartisan legislation proposed by Donnelly and Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) was signed into law by President Trump, allowing the VA to share data with state Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs – including the INSPECT program, Indiana’s monitoring program.

Donnelly said, “It will take all of us working together, on every front, to combat this devastating opioid epidemic. Expanded information and data sharing by the VA will help in this fight, and I applaud their action. This builds on my bipartisan legislation, which was recently signed into law, to ensure that the VA can work with prescription drug monitoring programs, like Indiana’s INSPECT program, to reduce opioid abuse.”

Over the past few years Donnelly has worked effectively to advance legislation to combat this public health crisis. He has introduced seven bills and amendments with seven different Republican partners and several of these provisions are now law. Last year, several of Donnelly’s provisions were signed into law, and he successfully advocated and continues to advocate for funding that would expand prevention and treatment programs. The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) and the 21^st Century Cures Act, both of which Donnelly helped pass into law, have programs and funding to combat the opioid abuse and heroin use epidemics. Through the Cures Act, Donnelly helped Indiana secure nearly $11 million in federal grant funding this year that will support prevention, treatment, and recovery services across the state. Donnelly has spoken in the Senate several times in recent months calling for more resources to combat the opioid epidemic.

By Indiana Rep. Steve Davisson

This session I plan to help tackle some of the most pressing issues facing our state, including the drug epidemic. Currently, around 100 Hoosiers die every month from a drug overdose. That’s why the drug addiction problem will be at the forefront of my legislative priorities.

In recent years, House Republicans championed various reforms to expand treatment options and services for Hoosiers. As a result of a new law I championed, mobile addiction teams now serve more rural areas of Indiana affected by drug addiction. However, there is still so much more to do as Indiana continues this fight. Many families struggling with this issue often cannot find appropriate treatment in their area because there simply aren’t enough providers. A bill I am authoring this year would establish Medicaid and Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP 2.0) reimbursement for addiction treatment.

Unfortunately, this epidemic has also effected the workplace. With over 130,800 jobs that need to be filled by 2024, many perspective employees aren’t able to pass their initial drug screening.

I am authoring legislation that would give options to employers and jobseekers facing this dilemma. It would establish a drug addiction workforce recovery program that employers could give as a conditional option of employment to applicants suffering from addiction. For example, a company could hire such an employee with the understanding they must also undergo drug treatment, counseling and testing.

Funding for the program would come from grants and HIP, along with a small portion being withheld from the employee’s paycheck. This would allow these employees to invest in their own recovery. Our hope is that we can simultaneously address our communities’ workforce shortages while putting those struggling with addiction on the path to sobriety and steady employment.

I will continue to combat Indiana’s drug epidemic and push for legislation that helps solve problems that Hoosiers are facing every day. Throughout session, it is important that we stay connected. I will continue to provide updates about legislation as it moves through session.

You can also track bills and watch live committee meetings by visiting iga.in.gov.

I encourage you to contact me with any questions or input at (317) 232-9769 or at h73@iga.in.gov.

Five were arrested this morning in a drug raid in Austin, Indiana.

At approximately 10:48 am, troopers from the Indiana State Police Post at Sellersburg along with Officers from the Austin City Police Department served a search warrant at 218 South Lawnview Drive in Austin.

The search warrant was obtained by troopers through the Scott County Court after conducting a drug investigation at the residence.

During the search officers located alleged Methamphetamine, syringes, scales and other pieces of paraphernalia.

Below are the arrested, their charges.

1-Erica Moore, 24, from Scottsburg; Dealing in Methamphetamine, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Paraphernalia, Possession of Syringe and Maintaining a Common Nuisance. 

2-Timothy Ebertshauser, 26, from Scottsburg; Dealing in Methamphetamine, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Paraphernalia, Possession of Syringe and Maintaining a Common Nuisance. 

3-Terry Morris, 46, from 218 S. Lawnview, Austin; Maintaining a Common Nuisance and Possession of Syringe. 

4-Eric Howard, 29, from Scottsburg; Visiting a Common Nuisance. 

5-Victoria Autenrieb, 28, from Seymour; Visiting a Common Nuisance. 

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

This investigation is continuing.

Today at approximately 10:00 Troopers from the Jasper Post responded to I-69 near the 56 mile marker to the report of a crash with injuries.

Preliminary investigation reveals that a white 2009 Toyota Matrix driven by, Kaylee Jo Lashbrook, 31, Washington was traveling south on I-69 when according to the Lashbrook a dog appeared in the roadway. 

When she swerved to avoid the dog, the Toyota traveled off the roadway, across the northbound lanes, and up an embankment. 

The vehicle came to rest approximately 50’ off the road. The Toyota had extensive front end damage from traveling through the median and over large rocks along the side of the road.

Lashbrook was transported by South West Medical to Daviess Community Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

“Drivers need to remember that when an animal appears in the roadway it is safer to hit the animal than to swerve to avoid it.  More injuries occur when people try to avoid the collision, especially at interstate speeds, than hitting the animal itself,” stated Senior Trooper Jarrod Lents. 

Troopers were assisted on scene by: The Daviess County Sheriff’s Office, Southwest Medical, and Tri-State Towing

Investigating Officer: Senior Trooper Jarrod Lents