Two Eastern students were recently selected as the winners of an essay contest sponsored by the Indiana Society of Plastics Engineers. Senior Jon-Michael Beasley placed first in the contest, while sophomore Devan Smith took second place.
Over 500 students from across the state participated in the contest, including all the students in Mr. Kevin Keltner’s chemistry class at Eastern. The participants were asked to write an essay over the importance of plastics.
The winners were presented with their awards by Dan Stratton of TTC Technologies and Ray Amos of Cook Medical on behalf of the Indiana Society of Plastics Engineers.
The awards consisted of both a certificate and a cash prize for each winner.
Beasley wrote his essay about using plastics to help reduce the cost of electronics such as smartphones. He is planning to attend Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology next fall where he intends to major in chemical engineering and biochemistry. He would eventually like a career that involves either helping to develop more efficient alternative energy sources or working to understand the mechanisms of diseases.
Caption: Pictured from left are Dan Stratton, president of the Indiana Society of Plastics Engineers; Devan Smith, EHS sophomore and second place winner of the plastics essay contest; Jon-Michael Beasley, EHS senior and first place winner of the contest; and Ray Amos of the Indiana Society of Plastics Engineers. Stratton and Amos came to EHS on Friday, April 22, 2016 to present Smith and Beasley with their essay contest awards.
The Indiana State Police is currently investigating a serious injury crash with a possible fatality on I-65 Southbound at the 68 mile marker near Columbus.
Both southbound lanes of I-65 are shut down at this time and will be shut down for an extended period of time.
The Indiana State Police is asking the publiic to seek an alternate route and avoid traveling on I-65 southbound in Bartholomew County. An alternate route includes US 31, which parallels I-65.
This evening, shortly after 5:00 pm, the Indiana State Police responded to a report of a one vehicle crash with injuries on US 50 near the Jennings-Ripley County Line.
Upon arriving on scene, troopers found a male with injuries to his lower extremities. Troopers also located a deceased female in the vehicle, which was located well off the roadway.
Troopers soon determined the two individuals were both listed as missing after the Indiana State Police began a missing person investigation two days earlier.
The investigation by Trooper Jordan Craig began on Sunday September 18th, when family members reported Nikki K. Reed, age 37, Seymour, Indiana as missing.
Family members said that Reed had made a trip to Pennsylvania to pick up her boyfriend, Kevin Bell, age 39, Dover, Pennsylvania. She was last heard from on Saturday while driving back to Indiana with Bell.
During the course of the investigation, Trp. Craig learned that Bell’s family had not been able to contact him either since Saturday.
The investigation determined that at some point during the afternoon of Saturday September 17th, Bell lost control of the 1999 Ford Explorer he was driving and ran off the road in the 8600 block of east US 50. T
he vehicle traveled down an embankment and struck a tree head on.
At this time, it appears that Reed, who was in the front passenger seat, sustained fatal injuries in the crash and died instantly.
Due to Bell’s injuries to his legs, he wasn’t able to leave the vehicle and crawl back to the road until this evening, three days later. Bell was transported to St. Vincent-Jennings Hospital in North Vernon for treatment of his injuries. His injuries are not believed to be life threatening.
It should be noted that the vehicle’s location was well off the roadway and not visible from the road.
Trp. Rick Hewitt is conducting the crash investigation. Trps. Hewitt and Craig were assisted by other troopers with the Indiana State Police, Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, Jennings County Fire, Jennings County EMS, and the Jennings County Coroner’s Office.
35-48-4-1 Dealing in Cocaine or Narcotic
35-48-4-11 Possession Marijuana/Hashish
35-48-4-13 Maintaining a Common Nuisance(Repealed)
35-48-4-7 Possession Controlled Substanc
35-48-4-8.3 Possession of Paraphernalia
National Guard soldiers with Company A, 2/20th Special Forces Group can officially call the Hoosier State their home.
Beginning Sept. 1, 2016, soldiers with Company A, 2/20th Special Forces Group can officially call the Hoosier State their home.
The Indiana National Guardsmen held a ceremony Saturday at Camp Atterbury to mark the move that started last year.
“This ceremony demonstrates the interest and support of the 20th Group and Alpha Company specifically moving to Indiana. There’s a lot of support for you all,” said Maj. Gen. Courtney P. Carr, the Indiana National Guard adjutant general.
With that support Carr offered resources such as the 122nd Fighter Wing’s A-10s, the 181st Intelligence Wing capabilities, world-class training venues and conventional forces throughout the Indiana National Guard as opportunities to create the integrated training environment units such as Company A requires in order to be ready for future conflicts.
“We are honored to have Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group in the Indiana Guard. We are uniquely positioned and structured to support you,” said Carr who spotlighted the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, Camp Atterbury’s cyber range and Indiana’s intelligence assets.
The soldiers will base their operations at the southern Indiana post, which is approximately 35 miles south of Indianapolis and has increased Company A’s operational tempo.
“In the last six months we have executed more training events than we have in the last year all because of the state support we received from both Illinois and Indiana,” said Maj. Colby Broadwater, the Company A commander. “We have a bright future ahead. We strive to be a key piece of the state’s strategic initiatives that develop capability and international partners. We want to honor the state’s amazing military tradition and be an important part of its future. ”
Special Forces units are the primary Army element responsible for nine principle tasks which include unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, counterinsurgency, security force assistance, special reconnaissance, direct action, counterterrorism, counter proliferation, and preparation of the environment.
Previously the unit was stationed in Chicago. The company’s higher headquarters is stationed in Mississippi, but will be operationally controlled by Indiana National Guard Headquarters in Indianapolis.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has issued anand is forecasting high ozone levels for Wednesday, September 21, 2016 in the following areas:
Southeast Indiana – Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Scott, and Washington
Central Indiana – Marion, Bartholomew, Boone, Brown, Delaware, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Madison, Monroe, Morgan and Shelby
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. To learn more about ozone or sign up for air quality forecasts, visit www.SmogWatch.IN.gov or download our iPhone App:
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.
About the ozone standard: On October 1, 2015, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) finalized the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone. The new rule sets more stringent standards, lowering both the primary (health-based) and secondary (welfare-based) standards from 75 parts per billion (ppb) to 70 ppb. Because of the stricter standard, it is possible that Indiana may see an increase in the number of air quality action days (AQAD) due to ozone in 2016. IDEM encourages all Hoosiers to be proactive and help reduce ozone for those who may be sensitive.
