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

Over the next 12 hours, wind chills could reach 25 below zero in Kentuckiana.

The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Chill Advisory for much of the WSLM Listening Area, from 9p Thursday night through Friday at 11a. 

Current counties include Scott, Washington, Jefferson, Clark, Jackson and Jennings. 

According to the weather service, temperatures below zero combined with winds of 5-10 miles per hour, will push wind chills into the 17 to 25 below zero range. 

The National Weather Service in Louisville relayed that the cold wind chills can cause frostbite in as little as 30 minutes to exposed skin. 

The cold will spread from portions of North Central Illinois through Indiana. 

Frost bite and hypothermia can occur if precautions are not taken. Make sure to wear a hat and gloves and protect all exposed skin. 

The American Red Cross has the following cold weather safety tips if you need to get out. 

As temperatures drop this winter, the American Red Cross offers ten steps people can take to stay safe during the cold weather.

1. Layer up! Wear layers of lightweight clothing to stay warm. Gloves and a hat will help prevent losing your body heat.

2. Don’t forget your furry friends. Bring pets indoors. If they can’t come inside, make sure they have enough shelter to keep them warm and that they can get to unfrozen water.

3. Remember the three feet rule. If you are using a space heater, place it on a level, hard surface and keep anything flammable at least three feet away – things such as paper, clothing, bedding, curtains or rugs.

4. Requires supervision – Turn off space heaters and make sure fireplace embers are out before leaving the room or going to bed.

5. Don’t catch fire! If you are using a fireplace, use a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.

6. Protect your pipes. Run water, even at a trickle, to help prevent your pipes from freezing. Open the kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals out of the reach of children. Keep the garage doors closed if there are water lines in the garage.

7. Better safe than sorry. Keep the thermostat at the same temperature day and night. Your heating bill may be a little higher, but you could avoid a more costly repair job if your pipes freeze and burst.

8. The kitchen is for cooking. Never use a stove or oven to heat your home.

9. Use generators outside. Never operate a generator inside the home, including in the basement or garage.

10. Knowledge is power. Don’t hook a generator up to the home’s wiring. The safest thing to do is to connect the equipment you want to power directly to the outlets on the generator.

Indiana head football coach Tom Allen announced today that David Ballou (buh-lou) will serve as the program’s head strength and conditioning coach. A former Hoosier fullback, Ballou spent 2017 as the University of Notre Dame’s co-director of football strength and conditioning.
 
“David Ballou is one of the more highly-respected strength coaches in the country,” Allen said. “I have known him for many years and have followed his work at both the high school and collegiate levels. We are looking forward to him working with our program and helping us achieve our goals on and off the field.”
 
Ballou spent 14 years as head strength and conditioning coach at Avon (Ind.) High School. He lettered with the Hoosiers in 1997, 1998 and 1999, and was recognized as the Hoosier Strength Challenge Champion. Ballou graduated in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and is looking forward to his return to Bloomington.
 
“It’s great to come back home,” Ballou said. “I have loved this university and football program for as long as I can remember. It’s very special to me. I could not be more excited to get a chance to work for Coach Allen, a man of high integrity and a great person. I am committed to helping this program win football games consistently, year after year, and winning a Big Ten championship.”
 
In Ballou’s lone campaign in South Bend, the Fighting Irish went 10-3 with a victory over LSU in the Citrus Bowl. ND posted a 4-8 record prior to his arrival. He helped develop the recipients of the Joe Moore Award, honoring the best offensive line in the country.
 
Prior to his arrival in South Bend, Ballou worked as the head football strength and conditioning coach at IMG, where the program made huge strides in speed and injury preventions. The 2015 team went undefeated (9-0) and ranked No. 4 in the country (USA Today). IMG also went unblemished (12-0) in 2016 and rated No. 1 nationally (MaxPreps). 
 
In 2016, seven IMG players were laser-timed at under 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash one year after having no players achieve that benchmark. Twenty-one of the 22 season-opening starters also started in the final game of the season.
 
Ballou was a part of the 2016 and 2017 NFL Combine Training at IMG. Over these two years, he trained 26 players that were drafted into the NFL.
 
During Ballou’s tenure at Avon (2002-14), teams won six state championships in multiple sports and seven others were finalists. He assisted in the development of 80 NCAA Division I athletes.

Ballou was a finalist for the 2014 NSCA National High School Strength Coach of the Year Award. He has held the credential as a certified strength and conditioning specialist (with distinction) since 2001.

In 2009, Ballou earned his master’s degree in human movement from A.T. Still University.

Ballou is married to the former Leah Horn, a Bloomington native, IU pole vaulter, two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and Indiana graduate. The couple has two daughters, Mallory (13) and Aubrey (10).

State Sens. Travis Holdman (R-Markle) and Erin Houchin (R-Salem) announced the introduction of Senate Bill 123 on Wednesday, which would expand the availability of newborn safety incubators, commonly referred to as “baby boxes.”

Keeping with Indiana’s Safe Haven law, Houchin joined Holdman in co-authoring SB 123 to expand the use of baby boxes in Indiana by allowing fire departments staffed on a 24 hour basis to install baby boxes.

Baby boxes are safety incubators where mothers can anonymously surrender their newborn babies.

Currently, there are only two in Indiana. Expanding this program is voluntary, allowing each fire department to make the decision whether or not to install these boxes. 

The Indiana Safe Haven Law enables a person to give up an unwanted infant anonymously without fear of arrest or prosecution if surrendered at a hospital or a site staffed by an emergency medical services provider.

Under the Safe Haven law, the Indiana Department of Child Services takes abandoned infants into custody through Child Protective Services and places the child with a caregiver.

“In circumstances where parents feel they cannot care for their newborn, while we would prefer for the child to be placed into the arms of another individual, these baby boxes can protect infants from in many cases what could otherwise be fatal circumstances,” said Houchin. 

“By ensuring these mothers have a safe, anonymous way to surrender their child, this option will reinforce our commitment to the well-being of children throughout Indiana.”

“Baby boxes allow women to give their baby a chance for a better life,” added Holdman. “Encouraging fire departments that are staffed 24/7 to have baby boxes will positively benefit more infants’ lives by increasing the number of locations baby boxes can be installed.”  

On Tuesday, Nov. 7, a baby was placed in one of the Safe Haven baby boxes in Michigan City, and was recently adopted.

After a year of investigation and following up on leads, detectives are still looking for any leads that the public may be able to provide in the murder of James Bryson. 

James Bryson was found deceased on December 27th, 2016 at 11387 West County Road 50 South in French Lick after concerned family members asked police to check on Bryson’s welfare.

Bryson was last seen on December 24th, 2016, three days prior to being found. 

State Police Investigators, along with grieving family members are pleading for information that may help solve this case.

Anyone with even the smallest piece of information are asked to contact the Indiana State Police Jasper Post by calling 1-812-482-1441, and all callers may remain anonymous.

A $5,000 reward is also has been established for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or person’s responsible for the death of James Bryson.