The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has issued an Air Quality Action Day and is forecasting high ozone levels for Friday, June 2, 2017 in the following in the WSLM Listening Area: – Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Scott, and Washington counties

IDEM encourages everyone to help reduce ozone by making simple changes to their daily habits. You can:

• Walk, bike, carpool or use public transportation
• Avoid using the drive-through and combine errands into one trip
• Avoid refueling your vehicle or using gasoline-powered lawn equipment until after 7 p.m.
• Turn off your engine when idling for more than 30 seconds
• Conserve energy by turning off lights or setting the air conditioner to 75 degrees or above 

Anyone sensitive to changes in air quality may be affected when ozone levels are high. Children, the elderly and anyone with heart or lung conditions should reduce or avoid exertion and heavy work outdoors. 

IDEM examines weather patterns and current ozone readings to make daily air quality forecasts. 

Ground-level ozone is formed when sunlight and hot weather bake vehicle exhaust, factory emissions and gasoline vapors. Ozone in the upper atmosphere blocks ultraviolet radiation, but ozone near the ground is a lung irritant that can cause coughing and breathing difficulties. 

 A six-hour standoff with a wanted Vanderburgh County man came to a peaceful resolve Thursday evening.

At 4:45 PM Thursday, an investigation by the United States Marshalls Task Force led them to 401 Clay Street in Jasper, where they attempted to serve a felony warrant on 33 year old Armando Gutierrez of Evansville. 

Gutierrez was wanted through Vanderburgh County for Domestic Battery with a Deadly Weapon.

As officers arrived at the residence, six different people were located; however, Gutierrez had barricaded himself in a crawl space in the basement. 

Officers also learned Gutierrez was armed with a handgun.

Members of the Marshalls Task Force called for the Indiana State Police for assistance.  Members of the ISP, the Jasper Police Department, and the Dubois County Sheriff’s Department arrived and set up a security perimeter around the residence until members of the State Police SWAT team and Hostage Crisis Negotiations team arrived. 

Upon their arrival, negotiators began trying to speak with Gutierrez in order to reach a peaceful resolution.

While speaking with Gutierrez, Gutierrez fired a round from his firearm.  Officers do not believe he was firing at officers.  Knowing that Gutierrez was in fact armed, and had discharged his weapon, SWAT team members continued to attempt a peaceful resolution to the situation.

At 10:50 PM, SWAT team members were able to use less-lethal weapons to deescalate the situation and safely take Gutierrez into custody.  He was transported to Memorial Hospital for evaluation.

Investigators will remain at the scene to collect additional evidence.

Arrested and Charges:

Armando N Gutierrez, 33

Evansville, IN

– Warrant, Vanderburgh County

* Additional Charges Pending

Safe Night 2017 will be on June 10 th at the Lawrence County Fairgrounds from 6-10 PM. Safe night is a drug, alcohol, and tobacco prevention event that also focuses on overall healthy living.

This year’s event will include airbrush face painting, a magic show, t-shirt tie-dying, inflatable games and obstacle courses, hot dogs and chips, ice cream, snow cones, popcorn, and much, much more.

The event will end with a fireworks show! We have a lot of great door prizes this year including target gift cards, restaurant gift cards, a Jump n’ Joey’s free pass for the first 700 families, Cave Country Canoe passes and more!

As always, admission, food, treats, and all activities are completely free.

This event is made possible by the amazing community support and donations we receive. A special thank you to our platinum sponsors for making this event possible: Bedford Federal Savings Bank, Duke Energy, Bedford IGA, Johnny’s Signs, Lehigh Cement Company, Local UAW 440, Aflac – Dawn Newby, Hoosier Hills Credit Union, Tom Acton, The Palms Day Spa and Salon, The Lawrence County Fair Board, WBIW/ WQRK/ WPHZ, The Lawrence County Local Coordinating Council, and Bedford Urban Enterprise.

Go to the Safe Night website: http://safenight.weebly.com/ for more information.

A two-vehicle crash in English Wednesday injured three Crawford County residents.

At 1:35 P.M., 84-year-old Elsie Reed of Eckerty was northbound on Indiana Avenue in English in her 1994 Ford Tempo, and was attempting to turn west onto State Road 64.  Reed failed to see an eastbound 1994 Chevrolet Blazer, driven by 48 year old Roy Pickett of English, and turned in his path.  Reed tried to avoid colliding with Reed, but instead crashed nearly head on.

Reed was transported to Baptist Health Floyd Hospital in New Albany, where she was treated for injuries to her head, hand, and knee.  Pickett was taken to University of Louisville Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky due to complaints of chest pains.  Pickett’s passenger, Mary Pickett, was also treated for chest pains and a loss of feeling in her feet.

Seatbelts were in use at the time of the crash and reduced the severity of injuries sustained.  The Indiana State Police was assisted at the scene by the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department, English Volunteer Fire Department, and Crawford County EMS.

The Indiana State Police and the Vigo County Coroner’s Office have officially identified the teenage victim from this afternoon’s van versus pedestrian crash on State Road 246, just west of SR 159. 

She has been identified as 15-year-old Layla Raines of Jasonville, IN. Her family has been aware from the onset. 

The crash occurred in Clay County, but because she succumbed to her traumatic injuries at Terre Haute Regional Hospital, the coroner’s jurisdiction lies with Vigo County Coroner’s Office.

The Indiana State Police continue to investigate the circumstances of the crash, but it appears she walked or ran into the path of an eastbound 2009 Nissan van, driven by 39-year-old Stephen D. Agee of Jasonville, IN., to retrieve a recreational ball that had traveled south across SR 246 from a nearby yard. 

The investigation is ongoing by ISP Detective Michael Featherling and ISP Crash Reconstructionist Sergeant Jim Cody

This morning, May 31, 2017, members of the Indiana State Police Internet Crimes Against Children  Task Force executed a search warrant at a rural residence near Monrovia in Morgan County.

Following a five month investigation, investigators obtained the search warrant and executed it this morning at the residence located at 2665 West McCracken Road, Monrovia.

Michael Scott Polston, 32, of Monrovia, was arrested on 10 felony counts of Possession of Child Pornography. He was transported to the Morgan County Jail where he is being held on a $9,000.00 cash bond.

The investigation is continuing.

A Cannelburg man is in jail this afternoon after an incident Wednesday in which he entered a Loogootee home uninvited and became involved in an altercation. 

At 12:40 P.M. this afternoon, Senior Trooper Jarrod Lents and Loogootee Police Chief Kelly Rayhill responded to 106 North Oak Street in Loogootee, where a female caller had reported that a male intruder had been in the home. 

Arrested was Kenneth A. Bettag, 51, Cannelburg, IN. 

He was charged with 

• Burglary, Level 4 Felony
• Strangulation, Level 5 Felony
• Residential Entry, Level 6 Felony
• Criminal Trespass, Class A Misdemeanor
• Battery, Class B Misdemeanor

Chief Rayhill was first to the home and found that the male had already left the scene in a maroon van with faded paint. 

Lents patrolled the area looking for the van, and found both the van and a male, matching the description given to officers, in the Chuckle’s gas station lot.  Lents placed the male, identified as 51-year-old Kenneth Bettag of Cannelburg, into custody without incident.

In continuing their investigation, officers learned that Bettag arrived at the Oak Street residence and walked in the front door, intending to speak with an ex-girlfriend.  Bettag allegedly entered the home irate and refused to leave after being told to do so.  Bettag allegedly walked up to the ex-girlfriend’s current boyfriend, grabbed him by the throat and pulled him off of a couch, eventually striking him and tearing his shirt.  After hearing that police had been called, Bettag ran from the house and drove from the scene.

Bettag was charged with a number of felonies, including burglary, strangulation, and residential entry.  Along with Loogootee PD, the State Police was assisted by the Martin County Sheriff’s Department.