The Salem VFW Post 6636 will be hosting Marcus Pride Entertainment on Friday, April
28th from 8:15 PM to 12:15 AM.
He will be singing, playing the best dancing music and providing Karaoke.
There is no cover charge and this event is open to the public.
State Sen. Erin Houchin (R-Salem) praised the passage of a balanced state budget plan that increases funding for education, public safety and fighting drug abuse.
“With this two-year budget, Indiana continues our track record of being fiscally responsible and promoting pro-growth economic policies,” Houchin said. “This budget reflects our Hoosier priorities by putting our children and teachers first through increased education funding, increasing funding for the Department of Child Services, which keeps our most vulnerable children protected, and by giving a much needed raise to our Indiana State Police officers that work to keep our communities safe.”
Highlights of the state budget (House Enrolled Act 1001) include:
In addition to supporting the two-year budget, Houchin has worked on a variety of measures including:
The Senate is now adjourned “sine die” – which signifies the end of the 2017 Indiana General Assembly.
Motorists are advised to be alert for construction crews and flaggers along U.S. Highway 31 in Clark County and State Road 9 in Bartholomew County over the next 30 to 45 days while rumble stripes are being cut as part of a $241,200 centerline and edge line project to enhance driver safety. Localized work begins in mid-April.
Gridlock Traffic Systems of Indianapolis is the state’s contractor for installing rumble stripes on S.R. 9 from south of Sunland Road to the Shelby County line north of Hope.
Its crews will also place rumble stripes on U.S. 31 between Memphis and Henryville.
Rumble stripes alert motorists of potential cross-lane hazards by generating tactile vibrations and audible rumbling or humming sounds.
They are also known as sleeper lines, corduroy growlers and drift lines. Studies show these cost-effective applications reduce incidents of cross-lane collisions and off-road crashes.
Mowing contractors for the Indiana Department of Transportation will be out in full force in Clark and Floyd counties this month.
Under a $212,000 INDOT contract, workers will mow, trim and remove litter along these right-of-ways:
INDOT officials advise motorist to be alert for tractors/mowers, vehicles and workers entering and leaving roadside areas.
These mowing operations are weather dependent.
They should be completed in five work days.
This is the first of four mowing cycles within this contract which was awarded in February to Whites General Contracting of Winamac.
Indiana Department of Transportation personnel met with contractor representatives last week at Seymour District offices to review plans for installation of thin bridge deck overlays on State Road 258 and S.R. 256.
Ragle, Inc. of Evansville, the state’s contractor for this $300,000 2-bridge project, is charged with placing 3/8-inch polymeric deck overlays at these locations:
Temporary signals at either end of the S.R. 258 bridge will allow motorists to cross one-direction-at-a- time. Work will begin June 1.
The S.R. 256 bridge deck overlay is scheduled after the July 4th holiday. This operation will require a 30-day closure.
A signed detour will reroute traffic via S.R. 39, S.R. 56 and Interstate 65.
Indiana State Police detectives and crime scene investigators at the request of Michigan City Police Chief Mark Swistek are investigating an off duty police shooting. The shooting occurred at approximately 3:54 p.m., this Saturday, April 22, 2017, afternoon.
Preliminary investigation revealed two Michigan City police officers who were off duty but working security at Franciscan Health in Michigan City were called to the hospital parking lot by family about a family member who refused to leave his vehicle and seek medical assistance.
Both officers, fully uniformed, were able to make contact with this individual, a forty-six year old white male, who was later identified as Thomas J. Walsh III of Michigan City, sitting on the passenger side of an F-150 Ford pick-up.
At one point, during their interaction with him, Walsh, withdrew a handgun from within the pickup, pointed that weapon at one of the officers standing by the driver’s door. The officer standing on the passenger side for fear of injury/death to the other officer, pulled his weapon, and shot Walsh several times.
Medical assistance was immediately given at the scene and Walsh was eventually flown to Memorial Hospital in South Bend for treatment where he is in critical condition. Family has been notified.
This investigation is continuing and can take several weeks to complete. No further information will be released at this time. After the investigation is complete it will be turned over to the La Porte County Prosecutor for determination.
The Michigan City Police Department will release the names of their officers at their discretion.
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
We’ve heard the excuses. They wrinkle my clothes. It doesn’t fit me right. If my car is on fire after a crash I don’t want to be trapped in a seat belt. I wasn’t traveling that far. Troopers that have worked the road for even a short period of time can easily recount having heard these and similar excuses for not wearing a seat belt. The truth is, there are no excuses.
Within the last week Indiana State Police troopers have investigated two crashes, one in Marion County with five people that were ejected after a rollover crash and another crash in Knox County where two people were ejected. In both of these crashes indications are seat belts were not being used.
According to America’s Health Rankings United Health Foundation, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children and adults aged 1 to 54 years in the United States. A total of 21,022 drivers and passengers died in 2014 the result of motor vehicle crashes and more than 2.3 million people were injured and treated in emergency departments. Over half of teens and adults who died in crashes in 2014 were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash. Wearing a seat belt is the most effective way to prevent deaths and injuries in car crashes, helping to reduce injuries and deaths by approximately 50%.
Information compiled by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute revealed that in 2015 there were 250 unrestrained passenger vehicle fatalities in Indiana. The number of unrestrained passenger fatalities in 2015 increased 31.6 percent from 2014. However, overall, there has been a 23.6 percent decrease in unrestrained passenger vehicle fatalities since 2006.
In June 2015, the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute Law Enforcement Liaison conducted an observational seat belt survey to determine usage rates for drivers and passengers of all vehicles. Historically, seat belt usage rates of pickup truck occupants has been lower than cars; therefore, one of the ICJI’s primary focuses was targeting this class of occupants. Survey results found pickup truck occupant usage rates for 2015 at 83.1 percent, which is significantly lower than that of cars, which was 94.8 percent. However, truck seat belt usage rates increased 4 percent from 2014 to 2015. This indicates efforts to increase truck sea tbelt usage rates have had a positive effect.
Indiana law requires all passengers in a moving vehicle be restrained in a seatbelt or child restraint system while the vehicle is in forward motion. Law enforcement can make a traffic stop if you are observed operating a motor vehicle in violation of this law.
Please buckle-up every time, for every trip, long or short.
“Seat belt usage is one of the simplest ways to enhance your safety and reduce injuries in the event of a crash” said Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter. “Trooper’s will aggressively enforce seat belt usage to advance voluntary compliance and ensure the safety of Hoosier families.”
To learn more about Indiana’s restraint laws visit the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute website at http://www.in.gov/cji/2383.htm
Three Austin men were charged and arrested on warrants for drug related charges Friday afternoon.
Arrested and Charged were:
Troopers from the Indiana State Police Post at Sellersburg and officers from the Austin City Police Department went to Cypress Street in Austin looking for Jeffrey “Darin” Hanner, 45, from Water Tower Road, Austin, (address located in the county).
Jeffrey “Darin” Hanner had a warrant for his arrest issued out of the Scott County Circuit Court for Dealing and Possession of Methamphetamine. Troopers and officers located Jeffrey “Darin” Hanner at the residence and after a short foot pursuit he was apprehended and taken into custody.
The warrant was a result of an investigation that began on February 21st of this year.
On that day, the Indiana State Police received information of possible drug activity taking place at an address on Fourth Street in Austin. When troopers and officers from the Austin City Police went to the address on Fourth Street, they located Jeffrey “Darin” Hanner and two other male subjects located inside of a vehicle parked with the engine running behind the home.
After speaking to the occupants of the vehicle, a trooper located Methamphetamine, Digital Scales and U.S. Currency.
The evidence was taken into custody and the investigation ended with three arrest warrants being issued on April 18th for, Jeffrey “Darin” Hanner, (in driver’s seat of vehicle during initial investigation), Jesse Eversole, (back seat occupant of the vehicle during initial investigation) and Joseph Riley, (front passenger seat occupant of the vehicle during initial investigation).
Two Troopers from the Jasper District were honored today at an awards ceremony at the Indiana Government Center.
Senior Trooper Jarrod Lents and Trooper Jeremy Galloway were presented awards for their service to the State of Indiana.
Senior Trooper Jarrod Lents was awarded as the 2016 Jasper District Trooper of the Year. This award was presented to Senior Trooper Lents for achieving outstanding enforcement efforts in the areas of traffic and criminal enforcement, case and crash investigations, public information programs and community service; and for exemplifying the professionalism and integrity expected of an Indiana State Trooper.
For 2016, Senior Trooper Lents arrested individuals on 264 criminal charges, issued 1914 traffic contacts, and made 8 operating while intoxicated arrests as a day-shift trooper. Lents was the Jasper District Trooper of the Year in 2009, and was awarded the Department Purple Heart and Combat Action Award in 2014. Lents is a 12 year veteran of the State Police and primarily patrols Martin and Daviess Counties.
The Top Drunk Driving Award was presented to Trooper Galloway for his efforts in removing impaired and intoxicated motorists from Indiana’s roadways. Trooper Galloway was awarded for his efforts of arresting more impaired drivers in 2016 than any other Jasper District trooper. Trooper Galloway received the Top Drunk Driving Award in 2014 and 2015 as well. Galloway is a five year veteran of the State Police and primarily patrols Perry County.
The actions and dedication to duty of Senior Trooper Lents and of Troopers Galloway are in keeping with the finest traditions of law enforcement and reflect great credit upon themselves and the Indiana State Police Department.
Friday at an awards ceremony held at the Indiana Government Center in downtown Indianapolis, Master Motor Carrier Inspector Mary Eglen, Seymour, Indiana was named “2016 Motor Carrier Inspector of the Year” for the Indiana StatePolice’s Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division.
M/MCI Eglen began her employment with the Indiana StatePolice in 1990. Upon completing the Indiana State Police Motor Carrier Academy, M/MCI Eglen was assigned to the Seymour Post of the Indiana State Police. In 2010, she was transferred to the Versailles Post after the Seymour Post closed. M/MCI Eglen continues to conduct commercial vehicle enforcement primarily in Jackson County, Indiana.
According to M/MCI Kimberly Hill, Versailles District MCI Coordinator, “M/MCI Eglen is a hard worker who is continually seeking to promote the goals of the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division by striving to reduce commercial vehicle crashes by conducting quality inspections that result in unsafe drivers and vehicles being taken off the road. She also helps to reduce the damage to Indiana’s highway infrastructure through effective enforcement of Indiana’s size and weight laws.”
The primary responsibility of motor carrier inspectors is to conduct inspections of commercial motor vehicles to enforce federal and state laws and regulations in an attempt to gain compliance. Their role as civilian employees of the Indiana State Police is vital in making sure commercial motor vehicles are operating safely on all roadways in Indiana.Seymour Resident Named Motor Carrier Inspector of the Year
