Robbery team terrorized stores around the Midwest.

United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced today the sentencing of two men convicted of robbing cell phone stores in the Midwest.  

Jeffrey A. Kemp, 41, Dolton, Illinois, was sentenced to 384 months (32 years) and Lawrence D. Adkinson, 28, Hazel Crest, Illinois, was sentenced to 346 months (over 28 years) before U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt.

The defendants were found guilty at a jury trial in August 2017, of conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to brandish a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, robbery, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

“This group used violence to terrorize retail store employees around the Midwest,” said Minkler.  “Putting the safety of shoppers, employees and law enforcement in jeopardy will never be tolerated. They will many years in the Bureau of Prisons to contemplate their actions.”

The investigation began when a T-Mobile store in Clarksville, Indiana, and a Verizon store in Lexington, Kentucky, were robbed at gun point on successive days in July 2015. The investigation led by the FBI and a coalition of state and local law enforcement agencies and offices determined that Kemp and Adkinson led a group of ten men who committed armed robberies of cell phone retailers in various cities and towns in Illinois, including Orland Park, Joliet, Bloomington, Batavia, and DeKalb, and in St. Louis, Missouri, and Waterloo, Iowa, in addition to those in Clarksville, Indiana, and Lexington, Kentucky.  The defendants were ultimately arrested in Iowa, while still in possession of phones stolen from many of the other locations.

The robberies were violent in nature. The robbers often held firearms to the faces of the victims before ultimately restraining them in the back rooms of the retail stores.  Kemp and Adkinson, as the leaders of the group, provided all the vehicles, guns, and other instrumentalities of the robberies, selected all of the stores to be robbed, and decided who would rob each store. The other eight defendants have all pled guilty for their roles in the offenses.

“These men victimized the Midwest over the course of four months, traumatizing employees who were simply trying to do their jobs and had no idea their ‘customers’ were really violent criminals out do to them harm,” said W. Jay Abbott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Division. “This conviction is a testament to the dedication of our agents and our partners whose hard work on this investigation ensured this group is no longer a threat to the community.”

According to Assistant United States Attorneys Bradley Shepard and Pamela Domash who prosecuted this case for the government, both defendants face 3 years of supervised release after serving their sentences.

The route of Salem’s annual Christmas parade will change this year after many requests from the public.

The parade, with the theme of an Old Fashion Christmas, is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 2 at 6 p.m. and will start at the corner of Homer and North Main streets and travel down Main Street, around the square and disperse on East Market Street.

2017 Christmas Parade entry form

Santa will make the full lap around the square and then visit with youngsters at his house set up behind Fox Purlee’s business. Santa’s reindeer will be available for photos at Cheddar Depot from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m.

Washington County Chamber of Commerce Marketing Director Tara Kritzer says this is the route the parade used to take years ago and does not know why it was ever changed.

There will be four trophies awarded this year: Best Overall Float, Best Business Float, Best Civic Float and Best Walking entry.

There will be no lighting on the courthouse this year, but the city will be putting up lights around the square.

Homeowners along Main Street are asked to decorate their homes for “Light Up Main Street.”

Several businesses have volunteered to decorate home for anyone who is willing to sponsor to take care of the decorations. Residents are asked to leave their homes decorated from Dec. 2 until Jan. 2. Homes will be decorated

Salem and West Washington school corporations have groups who are going to decorate a home in school colors.

Anyone who would like more information or to sponsor a house or to have your house sponsored, can call Kevin Stewart at (812) 620- 2710.

The Purdue Extension Service of Washington County will present a program titled “Agricultural Outlook 2018” in the Meeting Room of the Washington County Government Building (806 Martinsburg Rd., Salem) on Monday, December 11, 2017 at 11:00 am.

Lunch will be provided through generous sponsorship.

The program is free to the public and is designed to help farmers, landowners, and agribusiness managers make better business decisions in the coming year.

The program will be presented by Chris Hurt an Agricultural Economist from Purdue.

Where is U.S. agriculture headed in 2018? Will low crop prices finally “turn the corner” and begin to recover, or are we locked in a period of low-for- long?

Indiana’s crops had a rugged start last spring but most regions recovered. This program will discuss the latest local and national USDA yield estimates along with price prospects and potential marketing strategies for corn and soybeans.

Crop farmers have been facing weak margins since 2014. Are profit prospects for the 2017 crops going to improve? Early income prospects for the 2018 and 2019 crops will be discussed as well.

Farmers have been trying to push costs per bushel lower. How much progress have they made and what are the prospects for lower input costs in 2018? How can crop farmers adjust to tighter,
or even negative margins?

How will acreage shift among corn, soybeans, and wheat in 2018. What farm and agribusiness management strategies will work best in the current economic environment?

A new Farm Bill is expected in 2018. What are some of the early prospects for that legislation?

The animal industries continue to expand with lower feed prices. Will larger production mean lower animal product prices and margins in 2018?

What about land values and cash rents? How much did they change in 2017 and what might be the direction for 2018 and beyond? Are land values and rents going to adjust a little bit more, or a lot more? What will be the drivers to watch?

RSVP’s are needed by Friday, December 8, 2018 by contacting Purdue Extension – Washington County at dhowellw@purdue.edu or 812-883- 4601.

Hoosiers will pay significantly more for their Thanksgiving meal this year, when comparing prices to 2016, according to Indiana Farm Bureau’s annual Thanksgiving market basket survey. The average cost for a Thanksgiving dinner for 10 this year, including 12 traditional food items, is $50.88 or approximately $5.08 per person.

The INFB Thanksgiving market basket survey was conducted by 37 volunteer shoppers across the state who collected prices on specific food items from one of their local grocery stores. Volunteer shoppers are asked to look for the best possible prices, without taking advantage of special promotional coupons or purchase deals.

While 2017 prices are approximately 9 percent higher than 2016’s market basket at $46.81, this year’s prices are only 1 percent higher than prices in 2015. Last year, prices saw a decrease of around 7 percent overall, making the 2016 market basket the lowest recorded since 2010. In 2013, 2014 and 2015, the prices showed a steady increase each year – 2017 prices trend similarly.

The market basket price of $50.88 includes a 16-pound turkey, the ingredients for stuffing and a pumpkin pie, sweet potatoes, rolls, peas, a carrot and celery veggie tray, whole milk, cranberries and miscellaneous baking items such as eggs, sugar and butter. 

While some items on the holiday shopping list declined in cost, the main factor in the overall price increase was the 16-pound turkey, being the most expensive item on the list, which increased 15 percent, or just over $3, this year. Stuffing, pumpkin pie filling and the veggie tray also saw significant increases in price.

“Despite the modest increase in Indiana, consumers continue to see affordable prices for turkey this year, due to its large inventory across the country,” explained Isabella Chism, INFB’s second vice president and chair of the Women’s Leadership Committee. “Indiana has a lot to do with that, since our state ranks fourth in the nation in turkey production. Turkeys also consume about 15 percent of all soybean meal fed to livestock in Indiana, so they’re great for our state’s economy.”

The items that Indiana shoppers can expect to pay less for this year include rolls, peas, whipping cream and pie shells. The price for whole milk and cranberries remained relatively unchanged.

*The change column is comparing 2016 and 2017 prices exclusively.

INFB’s survey is part of a national survey coordinated annually by the American Farm Bureau Federation. A total of 141 volunteer shoppers in 39 states participated this year. While Indiana’s average meal price increased this year, the national average meal cost decreased. The national meal average is $49.12 which is approximately 3 percent less than this year’s Indiana average.

“For the second consecutive year, the [national] cost of Thanksgiving dinner has declined,” AFBF director of market intelligence Dr. John Newton said. “Even as America’s family farmers and ranchers continue to face economic challenges, they remain committed to providing a safe, abundant and affordable food supply for consumers at Thanksgiving and throughout the year.”

Shoppers with an eye for bargains in all areas of the country should be able to purchase individual menu items at prices comparable to the Farm Bureau survey averages. Another option for busy families without a lot of time to cook, such as the many farmers still completing this year’s harvest, is ready-to-eat Thanksgiving meals for up to 10 people, with all the trimmings, which are available at many supermarkets for around $50 to $75.

“As a member of an Indiana farm family, I am honored to help produce the food that families gather around for Thanksgiving celebrations each year,” said Chism, who farms in Howard County.

INFB and AFBF’s 2017 Thanksgiving market basket prices track closely with the government’s Consumer Price Index for food eaten at home.

Two men were arrested after Indiana Conservation officers received a tip of multiple whitetail deer being shot illegally.

Corporal Eric Doane conducted a series of interviews with multiple individuals, and was able to determine that 26-year-old Brook N. Hawkins, of Shoals, had shot and killed three whitetail bucks within a period of 48 hours with the aid of 27-year-old Brandon Clifton, of Loogootee.

Hawkins was arrested on the following charges:

• Hunting deer by illegal method
• Illegal taking-possession of whitetail deer
• Use of artificial light to take deer
• Hunting deer with the aid of a motor vehicle
• False informing

Clifton was arrested on the following charges:

• Illegal taking-possession of whitetail deer
• Use of artificial light to take deer
• Hunting deer with the aid of a motor vehicle

On November 10th between the hours of midnight and 2 a.m. Hawkins was searching for deer from a motor vehicle with a spotlight.

He located three deer and police say he shot a large 9-point buck from the vehicle with a .204 Ruger rifle with the aid of a spotlight.

He then left the area and returned later to claim the deer.

Then on Nov. 11th between the hours of midnight and 3 a.m. Hawkins was in a burgundy Ford truck driven by Clifton, when Hawkins spotted a buck in his spotlight, and shot it from the vehicle.

When the buck dropped Hawkins ran into the field, cut off the head, and left the body lying in the field. 

Then around 6 p.m. Hawkins was again in a vehicle driven by Clifton when he saw a buck standing in a field and shot it with a .204 Ruger rifle. The deer was not retrieved.