The Fair board has set a workday for the Washington County Fairgrounds on Wednesday, May 17 at 9 a.m. to improve and upgrade some of the aging electrical service.

This will be a joint project performed by Duke Energy, Jackson County REMC and Orange County REMC. These three electric providers are donating their time and talents to make our fairgrounds a safer and more efficient place which is used by the general public.

The fairgrounds is used not only during the week of the annual fair but also throughout the year for auctions, meetings, receptions, parties, yard sales, sporting events, horse shows, dog training, livestock shows and many other miscellaneous events.

“We want to publicly thank these three electric utility companies for generously agreeing to help us with this much needed project,” said Fair Board President Tony Nolan. 

Nolan said this is the first time that all three companies have agreed to come together to work on a project of this size.

“We want everyone in our area know how much we appreciate these three companies that provide electricity to the residents of Washington County, Indiana,” said Nolan. 

The fair begins Saturday, June 17 with the baby contest and runs through June 24. 

The Washington County Clerk’s Office is now accepting applications for their 2017 summer internship program.

The program is open to any students, age 18-24, graduating from one of the surrounding high schools and who will be attending an accredited college this fall.

“This program is a great opportunity to gain valuable work experience for young leaders in our community,” said Clerk Sarah Milligan. “This internship will be a great way to build a strong resume and develop an understanding of local government, giving interns will have a first-hand look at the inner workings of the county clerk’s office.”

Along with assisting clerk deputies with daily task and responsibilities, interns accepted into the program will help scan and digitally file decades of public records in order to preserve them for the future generations.

Experience gained from this program will give local students an opportunity to learn more about our justice system and their county clerk’s office.

The internship is unpaid and students must dedicate a minimum of 15 hours a week to participate in the program. The program will begin in late May and will end in mid-August.

“We need dedicated individuals who are willing to get involved and make a difference in their community,” said First Deputy Lindsey Jackson. “Participating in this program will leave a lasting impact in our county and in our clerk’s office.”

Interested individuals are asked to send a completed application, resume and cover letter to the Washington County Clerk’s Office by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, May 19^th..

Required documents can be dropped off or mailed to:

Washington County Clerk of the Circuit Court

ATTN: Sarah Milligan

99 Public Square, Suite 102

Salem, Indiana 47167

Or emailed to Clerk@WashingtonCounty.in.gov

Those interested in applying can request an application by emailing clerk@washingtoncounty.in.gov or by stopping by the clerk’s office to pick-up a packet.

If you have questions or concerns, individuals are asked to contact Clerk Sarah Milligan at 812-883-5748.

WSLM reported on a meth arrest from last Friday morning, and more details are now available. 

On May 5th, members of the Washington County Drug Taskforce executied a search warrant located at 113 Hickory Avenue in Salem where drugs and an unlicensed gun was found. 

Leslie E. Spaulding, 36, and Monica Dorta, 29, were arrested on the following charges:

Spaulding –

• DEALING IN MARIJUANA HASH OIL, HASHISH OR SALVIA
• PRIOR CONVICTION FOR A DRUG OFFENSE AND AMOUNT IS AT LEAST 30 GRAMS BUT <10 POUNDS MARIJUANA OR AT LEAST 5 BUT <300 GRAMS HASH OIL HASHISH OR SALVIA
• MAINTAINING A COMMON NUISANCE
• NEGLECT OF A DEPENDENT
• POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA HASH OIL HASHISH OR SALVIA
• PRIOR CONVICTION FOR A DRUG OFFENSE
• POSSESSION OF METHAMPHETAMINE
• POSSESSION OF PARAPHERNALIA

Dorta – 

• DEALING IN METHAMPHETAMINE W/FIREARM
• MAINTAINING A COMMON NUISANCE
• NEGLECT OF A DEPENDENT,
• POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA HASH OIL, HASHISH OR SALVIA
• POSSESSION OF METHAMPHETAMINE W/ FIREARM,
• POSSESSION OF PARAPHERNALIA,
• POSSESSION OF A SYNTHETIC DRUG OR SYNTHETIC DRUG LOOKALIKE SUBSTANCE

Police arrived at the resident along with a K-9 unit and entered the house.

When they initially entered the home, they found Spaulding and Dorta, along with three young children – 6, 5 and one-years-old.

Department of Child Services was called for assistance with the children. They took custody of the three children. 

At that time, the two adults were placed in restraints and the residence was secured.

The adults were served the search warrant issued by Washington Circuit Judge Larry Medlock.

The K-9 “hit” on narcotics in a grey safe, located on the floor in the house’s bedroom, on the north side of the residence. 

The K-9 also alerted to a top dresser drawer located in the same bedroom. 

There were no other “hits” by the drug K-9, the officers secured the dog in the patrol car and conducted a search on the residence. 

Police found a clear plastic bag, containing a dry green plant-like material which weighed approximately 42 grams, in the top right dresser drawer located in the north bedroom. 

Additional plastic bags commonly used to package narcotic drugs were also found.

According to the probable cause affidavit, a hand rolled marijuana cigarette and a clear glass pipe were also located on the top of the dresser.

A loaded Smith and Wesson .38 special was located under the mattress in the bedroom. Laying next to the gun was a plastic bag, containing a white crystal type substance, which was later field tested to be meth. 

Also under the mattress, police found a glass mirror with a white powder reside that tested positive for meth.

 Inside the grey safe, police located a container with white residue, numerous glass smoking devices and drug paraphernalia. 

During the police search, Spaulding was not wearing any pants and had asked police to get a pair of pants from the bedroom. Police officers picked up the pants he asked for and $380 cash in one pocket and $360 in the wallet. 

There was four $20 bills inside with serial numbers that matched drug enforcement buys. 

Another firearm was located in the residence – a Remington shotgun. 

State Rep. Steve Davisson (R-Salem) recently welcomed student pages to the Statehouse.

As a House page, these participants toured government offices, helped staff with daily duties and joined Davisson on the House floor during the legislative session:

• Samantha Albertson, from Salem, attends Salem High School;
• Nevaeh Muntz, from Depauw, attends Crawford County Junior-Senior High School; and
• Ethan Rust, from Seymour, attends Trinity Lutheran School.

Davisson said students aged 13 to 18 should consider participating next session. For more information, visit www.indianahouserepublicans.com/page-program.

Washington County Chamber of Commerce Marketing Director Tara Kritzer shared these top scams with WSLM today. 

“You might want to share this with yourfamily and friends,” she noted. 

1. If you see a Facebook post about a $50 Mother’s Day Lowe’s coupon, don’t click on it! This will send you to a survey site that asks for personal information and asks you to share the post with your friends. Lowe’s is not running this promotion – it is a scam.
2. BBB is still receiving reports of the “can you hear me?” scam. Callers are claiming to be with a warranty department, vacation companies, or government agencies. Don’t say “yes” to these calls – just hang up!
3. Beware of fake Amazon emails. The email provides an order number along with an invoice. If you click on this link, you will be sent to a phishing website. If you receive an email like this, log into your Amazon account directly to check your order status.
4. Consumers are reporting receiving text messages from their banks saying that their card is locked and to call a number to fix the issue. The number they provide goes to the scammer, not to your bank. If you suspect a problem with your account, contact your bank directly.
5. Did you receive a letter from the International Claims Department along with a check? Don’t fall for it! A local consumer received a letter that said she won over $140,000 with instructions to deposit a $3,920 check to cover government taxes and clearance.
6. The jury duty scam is making the rounds again. Scammers are calling and claiming to be with the sheriff’s office. They threaten you with jail time because you failed to show and demand that you wire money to avoid prosecution.
7. Now that tax filing season has passed, local tax payers are receiving phony IRS calls claiming they owe money. Scammers are threatening consumers with lawsuits or jail time. If there is an issue with your taxes, the IRS will send you a letter in the mail.
8. A local consumer received a phone call about a payday loan. The scammer demanded $600 in order to clear up the old debt. When the consumer refused, the scammer threatened legal action. This is a scam!
9. Business owners: beware of “vanity directory” scams. You get an email saying you’ve been selected as “Best of” in your business industry. The email includes options for you to purchase additional advertising in the directory. Do your research on the company before you send any money – many of these are scams!
10. If you receive an email from your IT Department to update your account settings, don’t click on any links! This may be an attempt to phish for your information. Contact your IT department directly to clear up any issues.

For more consumer tips, visit bbb.org or call 800-388-2222.