A Thursday traffic stop resulted in a wanted Louisville man being charged with numerous narcotics charges.
Arrested and Charged was Thang. T. Duong, 28, Louisville, KY
– Possession of Methamphetamine with a Prior Conviction, Level 5 Felony
– Maintaining a Common Nuisance, Level 6 Felony
– Possession of Marijuana, Class B Misdemeanor
– Possession of Paraphernalia, Class B Misdemeanor
Trooper Brock Werne was patrolling Rumbach Avenue in Jasper when he observed a car turn into the Jasper Manor Shopping Center without signaling its turn.
Werne pulled over the vehicle, and found that the driver, Duong, was wanted on an outstanding warrant through Perry County for Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury.
After placing Duong into custody, Werne and Dubois County Deputy John Anderson searched the vehicle, finding suspected marijuana, scales, a smoking device, and approximately two grams of suspected methamphetamine.
Duong was transported, without incident, to the Dubois County Security Center. Werne was assisted by the Dubois County Sheriff’s Department with the traffic stop and investigation.
Senator Todd Young (R-IN), a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, introduced legislation (S.J.RES. 31) that would authorize the use of military force against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Despite the fact that the Constitution vests the authority to declare war with Congress and that the U.S. has been bombing ISIS for two-and-a-half years and has thousands of service members in Iraq and Syria, Congress has failed to pass an authorization for the use of military force against ISIS.
In an op-ed published yesterday, Young wrote, “…I believe it is long past time for Congress to consider and pass an authorization for use of military force (AUMF) against ISIS and send a clear message to our troops in harm’s way that we support them and have their backs. As they have done throughout our nation’s history, members of our armed forces are once again bravely serving and fighting overseas to keep us safe, and it is important for them and their families to know that Americans and their representatives in Congress stand with them. In addition to providing our troops the necessary resources for victory, the best way for Congress to express that support is to consider and pass a well-formulated AUMF.”
He continued, “That’s why today I introduced legislation in the Senate that would authorize the use of military force against ISIS and require the administration to submit to Congress a detailed strategy to defeat the terrorist organization. I am ready to roll up my sleeves, analyze the Trump administration’s new plan, and take tough votes. That is what my constituents expect, the Constitution demands, and our troops deserve.”
In addition to authorizing the use of all necessary and appropriate force against al-Qaeda, the Taliban, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, successor organizations, and associated forces, Young’s legislation would require the Trump administration to submit a comprehensive strategy to Congress for the defeat of ISIS.
You can read that op-ed in full below:
Time For Congress to Do Its Job and Pass an AUMF Targeting ISIS
By Senator Todd Young
On January 28, President Trump directed his administration to develop a “comprehensive plan to defeat ISIS,” including a preliminary draft within 30 days. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis reportedly briefed top officials this week on the preliminary plan.
When the Trump administration completes its plan, Congress will have another opportunity to finally fulfill its Constitutional responsibility to grant or withhold authority to conduct combat operations against ISIS.
As a new member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I believe it is long past time for Congress to consider and pass an authorization for use of military force (AUMF) against ISIS and send a clear message to our troops in harm’s way that we support them and have their backs.
As they have done throughout our nation’s history, members of our armed forces are once again bravely serving and fighting overseas to keep us safe, and it is important for them and their families to know that Americans and their representatives in Congress stand with them.
In addition to providing our troops the necessary resources for victory, the best way for Congress to express that support is to consider and pass a well-formulated AUMF.
Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution clearly states that Congress has the power “to declare war”. Yet, two-and-a-half years after the U.S. began bombing ISIS—and with thousands of Americans already on the ground in Iraq and Syria—Congress has failed to exercise this fundamental Constitutional responsibility.
The American people have a right to expect better from Congress.
Undoubtedly, many in Congress, including members of both parties on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, have introduced legislation and made good faith efforts to pass an AUMF focused on ISIS. Still, the simple fact remains that Congress as an institution has failed to fulfill its Constitutional responsibility. We will soon have an opportunity to debate the President’s plan and to extend or withhold our authorization for its implementation.
More is at stake than an abstract legal requirement.
As students of history, our founders understood that the decision to go to war represented one of the most grave and serious decisions any government faces. To avoid foolish, hasty, unnecessary, or perpetual wars that tend to accrue debt and erode liberty, the founders wisely divided war powers between the legislative and executive branches of government.
While the founders clearly designated the President to serve as Commander-in-Chief, the founders granted to Congress an impressive list of enumerated powers related to war centering on the power to declare war.
The founders intended—and the Constitution demands—that Congress play a decisive role in the decision to go to war—not act as a rubber stamp or passive observer.
For much of American history, Congress took that Constitutional responsibility seriously. According to the Congressional Research Service, since our nation’s founding, Congress has passed 11 separate formal declarations of war against foreign nations and at least 70 other statutory provisions authorizing the use of military forces for various purposes, including engaging in hostilities. Yet, since World War II, Congress has routinely waived its Constitutional duty to assert its explicit war powers. Not surprisingly, Congressional inaction has resulted in a consolidation of war powers in the executive branch that many of our founding fathers would have found concerning and unhealthy for our republic.
There is little doubt that the President has the authority to utilize military force in short-term cases of immediate national emergency, but no reasonable definition of such an instance could or should include the engagement of U.S. military forces in protracted hostilities in foreign countries absent a declaration of war or authorization of Congress.
It is worth noting that the Obama administration urged Congress to pass an AUMF against ISIS but also argued that the 2001 and 2002 AUMFs provided the necessary legal authority for military operations, but it is past time to reassert Congress’s proper role in authorizing the use of military force against ISIS, an organization that didn’t even exist in 2001.
While these questions regarding the legal foundation for the war against ISIS demonstrate the need for a new AUMF, when one considers the courage and sacrifice of our service members and their families, the case for Congressional action and an AUMF focused on ISIS seems even clearer.
I recognize that members of Congress will have different views on the optimal nature of an AUMF focused on ISIS and that the details for a new AUMF will matter. We should seek to build consensus and make principled compromises where possible, but we should move forward without delay.
An AUMF against ISIS would incentivize greater Congressional scrutiny and oversight of the executive branch’s strategy to defeat ISIS, establish greater accountability by Congress to the American people, and prevent a further dangerous erosion in the Congressional war powers that undercuts the ability of the American people to influence our nation’s decisions related to war and peace.
That’s why today I introduced legislation in the Senate that would authorize the use of military force against ISIS and require the administration to submit to Congress a detailed strategy to defeat the terrorist organization.
I am ready to roll up my sleeves, analyze the Trump administration’s new plan, and take tough votes. That is what my constituents expect, the Constitution demands, and our troops deserve.
Indiana head football coach Tom Allen announced on Friday that Mike Hart will join the Hoosiers staff as running backs coach. Hart spent 2016 in the same capacity at Syracuse University.
“We are very excited to welcome Mike Hart to our staff,” Allen said. “He was a tremendous player in the Big Ten, played with the Colts and has an impressive reputation in this part of the country. I love the way he’s developed running backs and the level he has recruited as a coach. We are thrilled to have him as a part of our family.”
The University of Michigan’s all-time rushing leader, Hart spent three years with the Indianapolis Colts before entering the coaching ranks in 2011.
“I’m excited to be back in the state of Indiana,” Hart said. “I jumped at the opportunity to work with Tom Allen
. I believe I will become a better coach and a better man on his staff. Joining Mike DeBord, my offensive coordinator in college, and Nick Sheridan, my former teammate, made this decision a no-brainer.”
In his six seasons as a coach, Hart has tutored three 1,000-yard rushers, two Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year and the 2014 MAC Offensive Player of the Year, Jarvion Franklin.
Prior to Syracuse, Hart led the running backs at Western Michigan University (2014-15) and Eastern Michigan University (2012-13). He broke into coaching as a quality control assistant for offense at EMU in 2011.
Both of Hart’s WMU 1,000-yard rushers collected MAC Freshman of the Year honors. Jamauri Bogan rushed for 1,051 yards and finished second in the conference with 16 rushing touchdowns in 2015.
Franklin gained 1,551 yards, the second-highest freshman total nationally, and set program single-season records for points (150) and rushing scores (24). In addition to MAC Freshman and Offensive Player of the Year honors, he was named a USA Today Freshman All-American.
The Broncos earned consecutive bowl bids for the first time in school history. They defeated Middle Tennessee in the 2015 Bahamas Bowl for the program’s first bowl win and participated in the 2014 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
Hart oversaw a 2013 Eastern Michigan rushing attack that racked up 1,896 yards, the 12th-most in team history. Bronson Hill ranked 31st nationally in rushing, eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark and secured third team all-league plaudits. In 2012, EMU ran for 1,960 yards and 13 touchdowns.
A 2008 sixth round draft choice, Hart carried the ball 71 times for 264 yards in his 21-game NFL career. His best season came in 2010, when he gained 185 yards on 43 carries.
Hart, a two-time Doak Walker Award finalist, finished fifth in the 2006 Heisman Trophy voting. The four-year starter (2004-07) set school career records for carries (1,015) and rushing yardage (5,040), and is third with 41 touchdowns. Hart ranks fourth in Big Ten history in career attempts and fifth in career rushing yardage.
He set the Michigan freshman rushing record with 1,455 yards on 282 carries and scored nine times. It was the second-highest rookie rushing total in B1G history, and Hart became just the third true freshman to lead the conference in rushing, joining Ron Dayne (Wisconsin, 1996) and Darrel Thompson (Minnesota, 1986).
Hart earned his bachelor’s degree from Michigan in 2009. He and his wife, Monique, have two children.
The Indiana General Assembly has reached the halfway point of the 2017 legislative session. In the Senate, I have been working on a number of important issues along with my colleagues.
One of my bills, Senate Bill 322, would give law enforcement a valuable tool which could find and bring more criminals to justice for their crimes. The bill would require all individuals arrested for a felony to submit a DNA sample via cheek swab upon booking – similar to the way fingerprints, photographs and other data are collected upon all arrests.
Once probable cause has been determined, the DNA profile will be run through the state’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), and compared to other profiles in the database. The sample can be removed from the database if the case is dismissed, the individual is exonerated, or if the felony is converted to a misdemeanor under certain circumstances.
DNA profiling is an accurate, widely used tool that will help law enforcement solve crimes and convict those who are responsible. My bill would give law enforcement the tools necessary to bring more criminals to justice for their crimes, put criminals away before they can hurt others, and can help exonerate those wrongfully accused.
If passed by the House and signed into law, Indiana would become the 31st state with this type of law. Keeping criminals off our streets and bringing peace to more victims and their families is crucial to making Indiana an even safer place to live, work and raise our families.
This session, I have also authored legislation to protect the unborn and strengthen parental rights when a minor child seeks an abortion, crack down on drug dealers pushing poison on our streets, improve our education system by moving the collective bargaining window to help teachers, limit superintendent contract buyouts to provide more money for our teachers and classrooms, and give State Police officers the raise they deserve.
Yesterday just before noon, an ATF agent and a detective from the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office requested help from Trooper Nathan Abbott of the Indiana State Police Post at Sellersburg in stopping an automobile they were watching.
As trooper Abbott attempted to stop the vehicle, a red Chrysler, the vehicle fled from him east on Middle Road at speeds exceeding 70 mph.
The pursuit then turned north on Allison Lane from Middle Road and continued north at speeds exceeding 70 mph recklessly swerving in and around other vehicles.
The pursuit came to an end at Allison Lane and Meijer Drive when the red Chrysler ran a red light and crashed into a Silver Toyota, sending the red Chrysler into an uncontrolled spin coming to rest in a grassy area behind a Fuel Mart located at Allison Lane and 10th Street in Jeffersonville.
The driver, Timmy L. McDowell, 34, from Beech Grove Court Apartments in Jeffersonville, was taken into custody and charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon, Felony; Possession of Handgun without a Permit with a Prior Felony Conviction, Felony; Possession of a Stolen Automobile, Felony; Possession of Stolen Property, Felony; Resisting Law Enforcement with a Vehicle Causing Injury, Felony and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Domestic Batterer, Misdemeanor.
The passenger of the vehicle, Christopher R. Bailey, 32, from Kenwood Avenue in Clarksville was also taken into custody and charged with Possession of a Handgun without a Permit with a Felony Conviction and a Prior Conviction, Felony; Possession of a Stolen Automobile, Felony; Theft-Receiving Stolen Property, Felony and Driving while Suspended with a Prior, Misdemeanor.
The red Chrysler being driven by Timmy McDowell was reported stolen from Georgetown, IN. The driver of the silver Toyota was transported to Clark County Memorial Hospital for observation and complaint of pain.
Timmy McDowell had an active warrant out of Floyd Co
unty for Dealing a Controlled Substance. He was incarcerated at the Floyd County Jail. Christopher Bailey was incarcerated at the Clark County Jail.
This investigation is continuing. Jeffersonville City Police Officers assisted at the crash scene.
A firefighter who spent has spent the last two days in University of Louisville hospital with spinal chord injuries, is expected to make a full recovery, according to a fellow member of the Blue River Fire Department.
“Curtis Taylor is suffering from Spinal Chord Shock,” said Diedre Miller, Assistant Chief Medical Officer of Blue River Fire Department. “He is currently receiving rehab treatments and expected to have a full recovery.”
Taylor said he had no feeling or movement in his legs on Wednesday, but is now getting feeling back.
Taylor in bed at University of Louisville hospital
Wednesday afternoon, four departments responded to a house fire on Vincennes Trail Road near Beck’s Mill.
The firefighters had been on the scene since early afternoon and were even called back late in the evening when the fire rekindled.
A member of both Blue River Volunteer Fire Department and Posey Township VFD, Taylor, 23, was taken to University of Louisville hospital with spinal injuries.
He was trying to save a dog on the second floor of the house and was about clear the house, when Taylor said something hit him on his neck and back.
Debris fell and he was injured.
It was earlier reported that part of the second floor fell on Taylor. The fire department is unsure what exactly fell on Taylor, but the second floor of the home remains intact.
An estimated 1,500 members across all our substations are still without power this morning after the severe winds moved through the Orange County REMC service territory early Wednesday morning.
Many power poles like these were bent or completely down after straight line winds hit Orange and Washington County early Wednesday morning.
There has been 1,645 members that have had their power restored so far.
Damage is widespread, including numerous trees through power lines and several broken poles.
Orange County REMC crews as well as outside contract crews are working around the clock to restore power and will not discontinue work until every member is back on.
REMC expects to continue its repair efforts throughout today, tonight, and possibly into tomorrow before service can be restored to the entire system.
Any Orange County REMC member who is out of service and has not reported their outage is encouraged to call and report the outage at 812.865.2229 or 888.337.5900.
Please remember to be safe and to always treat a line that is down as energized, never approach it. Report all such situations to the REMC.
The Class 3A Boys Basketball Sectionals at Salem have been moved due to the storms and power outages on Wednesday, March 1.
Salem Community Schools were closed due to the power outages in Washington County.
The second and third games that were to have been played on Wednesday night have been moved to Thursday night.
Tonight, Salem will face Scottsburg with a tip-off time of 6p. WSLM will broadcast the pregame at 5:4p.
The second game tonight will be Silver Creek vs. Corydon at 7:30p. WSLM will broadcast that game beginning with the pre-game show about 7:15p.
The Semi-Finals games normally schedule for Friday have been moved to Saturday night with Charlestown and Brownstown playing in the first semi-final game at 6p. That pre-game show will air about 5:45p on WSLM 97.9 FM.
The winners of Game 2 and 3 will play at 7:30p, with the pre-game on WSLM 97.9 FM about 7:15p.
The championship game has been set for Monday, March 6 at 7p.
WSLM 1220 AM will provide coverage of the West Washington Senators at the Class A Borden sectional.
Borden defeated Medora, 61-36 in the first game on Tuesday night. The Senators narrowly escaped the Orleans Bulldogs, in a low-scoring contest, 49-48.
Crothersville will face Borden at 6p Friday night. West Washington will play the second game against Trinity Lutheran at 7:30p.
The championship game is set for Saturday night at 7:30p.
However, Borden High School was closed today due to storm damage and power outage.
It is not know at this time if Borden’s schedule will continue as planned. WSLM will post information when it’s available.
The Eastern Musketeers were defeated on Tuesday night in their Class 2A Crawford County debut game by Clarksville, 60-49.
Five years ago today, an EF 4 tornado ripped through Washington County and demolished the Henryville High School.
This electric tower was destroyed north of Little York, adding to the power outage issues.This chicken house was destroyed along Voyles Road near Pekin.The Washington County Emergency Operation Center was opened at the county’s government building. Circles are made showing the paths of destruction.Washington County Commissioner Preston Shell observes the list of damage in Washington County, listed on a white board.
In the early morning hours of March 1, 2017, high winds caused damage along much of the same path.
As two groups of storms approached Kentuckiana, the National Weather Service predicted on Tuesday afternoon that overnight tornadoes, hail and strong winds.
It was the 2nd round of straight line winds that passed through between 5-6:30a Wednesday that delivered the main punch.
Straight line winds of 90 mph were reported in Pekin and Borden, says National Weather Service. Or the equivalent of an EF1 tornado.
An EF2 tornado was confirmed near Mitchell.
Sites will be reviewed in Paoli and Little York today.
A few people are still without electricity and last night local schools were put on a two-hour delay and missed school on Wednesday because of the outage.
Washington County sheriff’s department lost power along with the rest of the community, and had a water pump fail on its back up generator.
As a result, all 911 calls were routed to Scott County and sent via text back to Sheriff’s Department staff.
Officials are still working this morning to get communications back to working order.
Damage was reported in the following areas in Washington County:
Cole Road – Trailer Overturned
Mt. Carmel Road – Trailer Overturned and garage on house
Sellar Lane – Trailer overturned
Prowesville – Ridge Road
Hunter Road – house damaged
335 – Chicken houses down near Trainer Lane
335 – barn destroyed
Voyles road – building in road
Hobbs Road – sawmill down
Starr Road – washed out
SR 135 S – house destroyed
About 30 power lines down in the area. Beck’s Mill and Martinsburg Road were blocked off because of downed power lines.
Electricity was out on most of the rural providers — Duke, Jackson County REMC, Clark County REMC, Orange and Harrison County REMC and a total of more than 13,000 without power.
Thursday morning that number has shrunk to about 2000.
Pekin Town Marshall Jeff Thomas said the path of destruction was similar to the one that hit the area in 2012.
The only injuries reported were on Sellars Lane near Pekin where, three people were rescued from an overturned mobile home. There were minor cuts and scrapes.
Deputy Sheriff Brent Miller said they volunteer firefighters arrived to cut them out of the trailer.
“I could hear the people screaming and hollering inside there so I grabbed my phone and called 911 to get somebody out here as fast as they can,” neighbor Steve Pike said.
A road was washed out on Starr Road and many roofs were damaged with a few barns and garages destroyed.
A two-story poultry barn was destroyed by high winds, scattering debris in yards along Voyles Road in New Pekin.
One semi storage trailer was blown off its foundation and blown into a nearby field.
Nearby a barn that was rebuilt on Ironically, that same trailer was damaged when storms moved through New Pekin in 2012, almost five years ago to the day.
A house that was rebuilt after being destroyed in the 2012 storms was also damaged in Wednesday’s storms. Winds from those storms overturned a travel trailer in the front yard of that home.
One of the chicken houses at the Wright Bros. Tyson Chicken operation was hit by lightening and burned. Two other chicken houses flattened and part of one roof was torn off.
Those buildings were damaged back in 2012.
Most of the county spent the day without power, sending the Southern Indiana communities back into the dark ages.
Without power, there was no refrigeration. Walmart Manager Mike King said there was a potential of the store losing over $1 million in frozen and fresh food.
Without power, there were no restaurants, no gas stations could pump gas and nobody could cook food, unless it was on a gas or charcoal grill.
Earlier in the day, WSLM reported that Jackson County REMC had over 6,300 customers without power. This morning, they had less than 1000 still without power.
Duke Energy had about 2000 customers in Salem without power. That’s down to 16 on Thursday, despite most customers receiving word that they wouldn’t have power back until about Noon today. Most power in Salem was restored before 8p Wednesday.
Harrison County REMC had 3,997 without power. They have all been restored.
Matt Deaton reported Orange County REMC had more than 1,000 without power.
A semi-trailer was blown over near Austin on I-65, causing delays. Trees were also down on I-65 near Sellersburg.
Damage was also reported in Austin, and one man said he was saved by devine intervention.
Raymond Bowling said he stood up to start getting ready for work but decided to let the snooze go off one more time.
“I laid back down and this happened just minutes afterwards. Good Lord was looking out for me for sure,” he wrote on Facebook. A tree slammed into his house and a foot-thick limb pierced the ceiling and rammed into the bathroom in front of the sink, where Bowling would have been standing.
“It was divine intervention,” he said.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
The National Weather Service believes an EF-3 tornado touched down, packing winds of 135 miles per hour. Most of the damage is concentrated in Posey and Gibson Counties, especially in Fort Branch, Griffin and Poseyville.
The National Weather Service was also surveying EF-2 damage near the town of Ireland in Dubois County and confirmed an EF-2 tornado that touched down near Mitchell in Lawrence County.
NWS confirmed straight line winds did damage in the Pekin area and North of Salem.
NWS will be surveying damage in Paoli and around Little York today.
The National Weather Service is surveying the area in Scott County. Crews are mapping debris and trying to determine if straight-line winds, a tornado or other small rotations caused the damage.
“What you have to do to determine if it’s a tornado or a microburst is look to see what the damage path looks like,” said Joe Sullivan with the National Weather Service in Louisville. “Was there any convergence? Was there any rotation in it?”
County emergency management officials say only the driver of an overturned semi-truck on I-65 suffered minor injuries.
Teams are reviewing two main damage areas. One is located northwest of Austin and the other is south of Scottsburg.
Along Stricker Road, residents are without power. They are dealing with downed trees, home damage, and debris all over.
A log cabin that was unoccupied was completely leveled. A barn was ripped apart and tossed across a yard. A roof of a home off Stoney Point was peeled off.
Because of what Henryville experienced nearly five years ago, the threat of severe weather is taken seriously.
On March 2, 2012, Henryville Jr/Sr High School and Henryville Elementary School were distorted when an EF 4 tornado ripped through the town.
West Clark will be making up the missed day on Wednesday, March 22. They plan on resuming classes Thursday.
Borden received quite a bit of damage and the schools will be closed today. Seymour Community Schools are closed today as well. Scott County District 2 Schools were on a delay Thursday morning.
The Clarksville Police Department is planning a press conference at 7 a.m. to discuss several arrests made in what the department is calling a “multi-million-dollar drug trafficking organization.”
A news release notes the investigation took place with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Indiana State Police.
Police have said the drug trafficking organization is responsible for bringing over 2,600 pounds of marijuana to southern Indiana over the past 18 months.
