State’s Attorney Cassandra Goldman reported to county commissioners this week that her office handled 12 misdemeanor cases in November, along with 15 felonies, 7 D-U-I, five careless driving and 101 traffic cases. Her office issued almost 15-thousand dollars in fines and collected over 23-hundred dollars in restitution. Goldman also reported that two deceptive practice notices were mailed, and two warrants were issued.
97% Of Real Estate Taxes Collected In Wabash County
Around 97% of real estate tax money due the county has been collected. Treasurer Beverly McBride told the county board this week that only 370-thousand dollars remain to be collected on 143 parcels of land. She said certified letters to delinquent taxpayers will go out on January 5th, the last day to pay up and keep your name out of the paper will be January 19th and a tax sale has been scheduled for February 16th at 10 a.m.
Finally! State Is Caught Up In Back Payments To Wabash County
The state is no longer behind on the money it owes Wabash County. Not only that, Treasurer Beverly McBride reports Springfield is actually ahead of the money it owes. The state has already paid almost 34-thousand dollars to the county this month, in salary reimbursements and income tax receipts.
Dramatic Turnaround For Wabash County Finances
Treasurer Beverly McBride presented to county commissioners Monday a report indicating just how much county finances have improved over the last few years. She said that in 2010, year-end general fund reports indicated that the county had a deficit of 450-thousand dollars. In contrast, the year-end 2017 figures show a balance of almost 285-thousand dollars, a turnaround of over three quarters of a million dollars.
County Commissioners Address Unpaid $5,000 Bill
A brewing dispute today over a 5-thousand dollar bill presented to Road District 3 Commissioner Tim Glick, a bill he says is not his but instead was for work performed before he became commissioner earlier this year. He asked county commissioners at Monday’s meeting if he and they needed to lawyer up over the matter. State's Attorney Cassandra Goldman said it was the first she had heard of the problem. Commissioners asked Glick to work with Highway Engineer Dustin Bunting on the matter first, but that in the end he might end up having to pay the bill.
Lack Of State $$ To Impact Wabash Senior Center
An ominous warning last night from Mt. Carmel finance commissioner Joe Judge regarding the Wabash County Senior Citizens. Judge said that due to lack of funding by the state, senior nutrition services could be either curtailed or discontinued altogether….
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Judge urged residents to contact legislators to help fight for the nearly $17 million in funding owed to the 13 area agencies on aging that in turn funds the local senior nutrition programs. Locally, Judge said the state owes more than $20,500 from fiscal year ’17 and almost $11,000 from October and November of FY ’18 to the Wabash County Senior Citizens Center.
Evansville Man Arrested for Possessing Handgun and DUI
Vanderburgh County – At approximately 1:20 this morning, Trooper Fox and Evansville Police were in the area of Covert Avenue and Green River Road looking for a suspect involved in an alleged carjacking and shooting that occurred late Monday night. Trooper Fox observed a 2002 Lincoln stop in the middle southbound lane at the traffic light on Green River Road at Covert Avenue. After the traffic light turned green the vehicle suddenly made an improper turn by turning west onto Covert from the incorrect lane. The vehicle then turned into the parking lot at Chuckles. Trooper Fox stopped the vehicle in the parking lot, approached the vehicle and identified the driver as Steven Martin Freels, 25, of Evansville. Fox detected an odor of an alcoholic beverage while talking to Freels. During the traffic stop a male driving a street sweeping truck approached Fox and informed him that a handgun was laying in the roadway on Covert just west of Green River Road. Evansville Police immediately responded and secured the weapon. Trooper Fox had just driven through that area before stopping Freels and did not see the weapon. Fox believes the handgun was thrown out of the vehicle after Freels turned onto Covert Avenue and before turning into Chuckle’s parking lot. The .380 caliber handgun was loaded. Further investigation revealed Freels had a blood alcohol content of .13%. He was arrested and taken to the Vanderburgh County Jail where he is currently being held without bond.
NOTE: Freels has not be arrested or charged with a crime connecting him to the carjacking/shooting that occurred last night in the area of Covert Avenue and Green River Road.
Arrested and Charges:
- Steven Martin Freels, 25, Evansville, IN
- Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon
- Carrying a Handgun without a License
- Driving While Intoxicated
Arresting Officer: Trooper Taylor Fox, Indiana State Police
Assisting Agency: Evansville Police
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Indiana Church To Increase Security
One of the largest churches in Hancock County, Indiana will implement a new security protocol in the new year to keep parishioners as safe as possible should they encounter an active shooter situation.
Leaders at Greenfield's Park Chapel Christian Church started organizing a safety team shortly after the November church shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, killing 26 people.
"What would happen if somebody decided to come in and they wanted to cause harm?" asked Scott Kern, Director of Ministries for Park Chapel Christian.
The question inspired the implementation of a church security team which is made up of law enforcement officers who already attend the church. They'll be armed and on alert during service hours.
Volunteer churchgoers will not have guns but will be stationed around the church, equipped with two-way radios to send out alerts.
"Unfortunately the state of affairs in our country is such that more and more people that are not police need to know what to do in case of an active shooter," said Commander Roger Spurgeon, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
In addition, there will be at least one visible police cruiser that will be intentionally parked in plain view.
"That's a deterrent. Maybe I don't want to come into the church because I know a law enforcement person is going to be there so tht has happened since the Texas situation," said Kern.
In recent weeks, churches across central Indiana have called upon police to conduct safety seminars.
Kern says it's now time to put that guidance into action.
"Well, it's unfortunate that we have to have the conversations, but you know, we want people to feel safe and secure and I think we have an obligation to do that," said Kern.
URBAN COYOTE
Stories of coyotes snatching dogs or encroaching on people’s backyards are growing across Illinois for a number of reasons.
Cook County Forest Preserve District Senior Wildlife Biologist Chris Anchor said wildlife researchers are going into 18 years of studying so-called urban coyotes and there’s one thing they’ve found around the state.
“You are in the territory of some coyote family group,” Anchor said. “The vast majority of coyotes are living amongst us and you don’t even know they’re there. It’s very rare that we have a coyote that actually gets in trouble.”
But there are reports around the state of coyotes causing problems in urban settings.
Anchor attributes the increased activity this time of year to it being breeding season.
“Coyotes become much more active during the day,” Anchor said, “and they’re actively defending their territory from other coyotes, but in the process they come in contact with more domestic dogs and people’s cats and things.”
A security camera got footage of a coyote attacking a small dog in Northfield. In Springfield, aldermen said they’ve heard similar reports from constituents. They asked Springfield Police Chief Kenny Winslow what can be done about it. Winslow said he’s been asked the same thing by city residents.
“‘What if I’m walking down the street and it’s attacking me and it’s coming right at me’,” Winslow recalled a conversation with a resident.
“‘I got my concealed carry, what can I do?’ I’m not your attorney,” Winslow said. “I’m not your legal advisor. You make your decision and we’ll deal with whatever happens when it comes out.”
Winslow said it’s illegal to hunt in the city or even fire off your gun in the city.
Anchor said residents could carry pepper spray.
“If an animal gets close enough that you feel threatened, generally it’s close enough to pepper spray,” Anchor said. “In those cases where people have pepper sprayed coyotes, the problem disappears very quickly.”
While there aren’t any reports of people getting attacked by coyotes in Illinois, Anchor said it’s an issue elsewhere.
“The attacks that have been documented have been documented typically on children 6 and under in North America and, with rare exception, every single one of them was preceded by people actively feeding coyotes,” Anchor said.
The best things residents can do, Anchor said, is to not feed coyotes, teach kids to not approach or feed any wild animal, keep track of family pets, leash them when on trails, and make sure trash cans with food waste are secure.
More information about the Urban Coyote Project can be found at UrbanCoyoteResearch.com.
Pair Arrested On Drug Charges
On 12/18/17 at 07:21am Mt. Carmel Police arrested Mt. Carmel residents Morgan K. Shelby, age 18, and Evan T. Doan, age 20, for Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. The arrests were a result of officers looking for a male subject who was trespassing at the apartment complex in the 1400 block of West 3rd Street. When officers made contact with Shelby they observed methamphetamine drug paraphernalia on the table behind her. Officers then investigated further which resulted in methamphetamine being found on another table as well as other drug paraphernalia. Also present in the room was Evan Doan who was found sleeping. Both were placed under arrest and transported to the Wabash County Jail. Charges were issued and bond was set at $2000 cash for each subject.
