Wrong-Way Driver Killed on I-465 Crash

The Indiana State Police are investigating an early morning crash on east-bound I-465 that has claimed the life of one driver.  Troopers and emergency personnel were dispatched to the 31.1 mile marker around 5:30 a.m. for a head-on collision between a car and a semi tractor-trailer. 

Officers arrived to find a white Nissan Sentra passenger car with heavy front end damage and a FedEx semi pulling double trailers.  The driver of the Nissan was killed in the crash.  The driver of the semi received minor injuries and his passenger who was in the sleeper berth was uninjured. 

Troopers are trying to determine the reason why the driver of the Nissan was traveling west-bound in the east-bound lanes.  The crash happened in the center lane of I-465 just east of the US 31 exit.

Investigators are attempting to make notification to family members of the deceased party.  Names of the individuals involved in the crash are expected to be released later today.

Wabash County Commissioners Adopt Policy Updates

Wabash County commissioners, in their first official act of 2018, approved a group of policy updates and changes during their meeting Wednesday. One group of resolutions allows for the execution of deeds or authorize the cancellation of certificates of purchase to real estate, one covers a policy on discrimination, harassment and sexual misconduct, another covers identity theft and ethics, another an annual renewal of the state’s attorney’s appellate prosecutor contract.

Tax Law Changes Spur Spike In Wabash County Prepayments

Wabash County has benefited from any taxpayer anxiety over changes in tax laws enacted by Congress and signed into law by the president. Treasurer Beverly McBride said there was a rush to prepay 2018 taxes before January 1st, to the tune of $150,000. As for this year’s taxes, McBride told commissioners that over $10.7 million has been collected, with only $275,000 left to collect on 433 parcels.

State's Attorney & Sheriff Present Annual Reports

A couple of Wabash County officeholders presented year-end summaries at Wednesday’s meeting of the Wabash County Board, its first of 2018.

State’s Attorney Cassandra Goldman said her office handled 209 felonies and exactly that many misdemeanors during the last 12 months, along with 49 DUI and 29 careless driving cases. The number of traffic cases topped 1,000.

Sheriff Derek Morgan said his office issued 550 summons and 489 warrants during 2017. The office worked a total of three-thousand-50 incidents for the year. Morgan also said there were 135 meth arrests made last year.

Cold Forces 2 Hour School Delay Thursday In Gibson County

East, South and North Gibson Schools will be on a 2 hour delay Thursday January 4, 2018.

A surge of Arctic air will overspread the area tonight and winds will be gusty. Waiting on the busses in the morning and those who must be outdoors should bundle up as much as possible and limit their time outdoors. Additionally make sure outdoor pets have adequate shelter from the cold.

City Sells East 4th Street Property

Meeting for the first time in 2018 on Tuesday night, the Mt. Carmel City Council accepted a bid from Anna Hannah to buy the property at 615 East 4th Street. City Clerk Rudy Witsman said Hannah bid $9,000 for the property, well above the $1,000 the city had set for a minimum bid. Witsman said the property was of no use to the city and selling it will allow the parcel to return to the tax rolls. Hannah was the lone bidder for the property.

Still No Decision On Cemetery Mowing Contract

The Mt. Carmel City Council still hasn’t made its’ mind up over who will mow the city’s cemeteries this year. Last month, the council took two bids for the mowing under advisement. Those bids were from Greg Locke of GL Services for $22,000 and from Art Kimmel of Clean Cut Lawn Care for $22,222. At Tuesday’s city council meeting, commissioner Eric Ikemire said that since both bids are so close, the contractors are being asked to specify what exactly the work would include to make sure a fairer comparison can be made. Ikemire said it’s hoped the contract will be awarded at the next meeting on the 15th.

WCHD Hosts Blood Drive Thursday

Here are the details...

Brush Harbor Back To Regular Hours

Now that fall leaf season and the holidays are over, its back to business as usual for Mt. Carmel brush harbor. City Clerk Rudy Witsman said the brush harbor is now open its’ regular days of Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays. During leaf season, the facility had been open extended days.

Mt. Carmel Fire Runs See Steep Decline In 2017

"Keep up the good work"…that’s what Mt. Carmel Fire Commissioner Rod Rodriguez had to say as he reported year end statistics for the fire department at last night's city council meeting.

According to Rodriguez, local firefighters made a total of 163 runs last year, down almost 50% from an average year of 240 runs. In addition, Rodriguez said firefighters completed 1,063 hours of training and attended 24 meetings.