The second victim in this month’s house explosion northwest of Allendale has passed away. Sue Murphy passed away this afternoon at a Louisville hospital where she was flown following the August 19th explosion at her and her husband Kevin’s house on N 2360 Boulevard. Both of the Murphy’s were flown to Louisville for treatment as Kevin passed away later that night at University of Louisville Hospital. Sue had been reported in stable condition in ICU but succumbed to her injuries this afternoon. The Illinois State Fire Marshal’s office has been investigating the explosion and has not released a cause, if one has been determined.
Mt. Vernon Shooting Update, Wife Arrested for Attempted Murder
Posey County – Indiana State Police detectives have arrested Melissa Wade, 48, of Mt. Vernon, for allegedly shooting her husband during an argument that occurred inside their residence on August 26. Wade has been released from Deaconess Midtown Hospital and is currently being held without bond in the Posey County Jail.
Herbert Wade is still being treated for his injuries.
Arrested and Charges:
Melissa Wade, 48, of Mt. Vernon, IN
Attempted Murder, Level 1 Felony
Aggravated Battery, Level 3 Felony
Battery with a Deadly Weapon, Level 5 Felony
The original release that was issued following the shooting is below:
Indiana State Police Detectives Investigate Overnight Shooting in Mt. Vernon
Posey County – Friday night, August 26, at approximately 8:42, Posey County 911 Dispatch received a call from a residence located at 160 SR 62 West in Mt. Vernon reference to a man and a woman who had been shot. Moments later, Mt. Vernon Police arrived and located Herbert Wade, 58, on the living room floor with a gunshot wound. Melissa Wade, 48, was in a rear bedroom with a gunshot wound. A male juvenile relative was also inside the residence during the shooting, but he was not injured.
Indiana State Police detectives are currently investigating the shooting. According to detectives, Herbert and Melissa Wade are married and were involved in an argument when Melissa Wade allegedly shot Herbert Wade in the chest with a handgun. Detectives believe Melissa accidently shot herself in the leg. They were both transported to Deaconess Midtown Hospital in Evansville. Herbert Wade is currently being treated for life threatening injuries. Melissa Wade is currently being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
This is an ongoing investigation and further information will be released as it becomes available.
Investigating Officers: Sergeant/Detective Chandler, Detective Wilson, Sergeant Clamme, Sergeant Staggs, Trooper Roberts, and Trooper Vennekotter, Indiana State Police
Assisting Agencies: Mt. Vernon Police and Posey County Sheriff’s Office
Plane Crash in French Lick Claims One Life
The Indiana State Police is currently assisting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with the investigation of an airplane crash. The crash took place at the French Lick Airport.
At approximately 9:09 p.m. on Saturday, August 27, 2022, Orange County Dispatch received 911 calls reporting that a small plane had crashed at the French Lick airport. When officers and first responders arrived at the scene, they located a single-engine fixed wing plane on fire.
The preliminary investigation revealed that there was one occupant in the plane who was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Orange County Coroner. The victim's name is being withheld until proper identification and notification has been made to their next of kin.
Investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been contacted and the crash scene will be turned over to them upon their arrival. The Indiana State Police will continue to assist the FAA, however, any determinations made relating to the cause of the crash will be released by their agency concluding a thorough investigation.
The Indiana State Police were assisted by the Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, Orange County Sheriff Department, French Lick and West Baden Police Departments, French Lick and West Baden Fire Departments, Orange County Rural District #1 Fire Department, and the Orange County Coroner.
MCHS Announces 2022 Homecoming Plans
Mt. Carmel High is announcing plans for Homecoming, September 16, 2022.
There will be a parade at 3:30 p.m. which will go uptown from the High School and will include the Fall Sports and Cheerleaders and also include the Homecoming court. If any one wants to be in the parade wish to participate please contact Mike Mandrell immediately at mmandrell@wabash348.com
The Homecoming Queen will be crowned at halftime of the Homecoming Football game against Lawrenceville at 7:00.
A Homecoming Dance will be held at the Anderson Building on Saturday from 8:00 to 10:00. It is open to current MCHS students. Admission is $5 If a current student wants to take a guest, pick a form in the High School Office and return by Friday, September 9, 2022.
Motorcycle Passenger Killed In Clark County Crash
ISP FATAL TRAFFIC CRASH ALERT
The Following Preliminary Information is Being Released by Illinois State Police District 12
WHAT: Two Vehicle Fatal Traffic Crash
WHERE: US Route 40 westbound at Baystown Road, Clark County
WHEN: August 26, 2022 at approximately 5:05 p.m.
VEHICLES: Unit 1- 2009 Red Chevrolet Impala
Unit 2- 2001 Red/Orange Yamaha XVS Motorcycle
DRIVERS: Unit 1- Austin S. Lowry, 25-year-old male from Martinsville, IL – Refused medical treatment.
Unit 2- Joseph B. Roseberry, 55-year-old male from Terre Haute, IN – Transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries.
PASSENGER: Unit 2- Tosha Y. Davis, 44-year-old female from Marshall, IL - Deceased
PRELIMINARY: A preliminary investigation indicates the following occurred: Unit 2 was traveling westbound on US Route 40, just east of Baystown Road. Unit 1 was traveling westbound on US Route 40, behind Unit 2. Unit 2 was slowed in traffic, attempting a right turn, northbound, onto Baystown Road. Unit 1 struck the rear end of Unit 2. The passenger of Unit 2 was ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced deceased on scene.
CHARGES: The driver of Unit 1 was cited for Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid an Accident.
All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
St. Elmo Woman Dead In US 40 Crash
ISP FATAL TRAFFIC CRASH ALERT
The Following Preliminary Information is Being Released by Illinois State Police District 12
WHAT: Two Vehicle Fatal Traffic Crash
WHERE: US Route 40 at Spring Street, Fayette County
WHEN: August 26, 2022 at approximately 2:03 p.m.
VEHICLES: Unit 1- 2015 Chevrolet Equinox
Unit 2- 2005 Peterbilt Truck Tractor
DRIVERS: Unit 1- Beverly A. Crawford, 66-year-old female from Saint Elmo, IL – Deceased
Unit 2- Douglas W. Tuttle, 59-year-old male from West Union, IL – Uninjured
PASSENGER: Unit 1- Rodney E. Crawford, 67-year-old male from Saint Elmo, IL – Air lifted to a regional hospital with life-threatening injuries.
PRELIMINARY: A preliminary investigation indicates the following occurred: Unit 1 was traveling US Route 40 westbound just east of Spring Street. Unit 2 was traveling US Route 40 eastbound in the same location. For an unknown reason, Unit 1 swerved left and crossed over the center dotted line into the eastbound lane of traffic. The front of Unit 1 struck the front of Unit 2. The driver of Unit 1 driver was pronounced deceased on scene.
Edwardsport Man Dies in ATV Crash
Knox County – Sunday morning, August 28, at approximately 1:00 a.m., Indiana State Police and Knox County Sheriff’s Office responded to a single vehicle ATV crash on Albrecht Road near Oaktown Road. Preliminary investigation revealed Charles Hunt, 64, of Edwardsport, was operating his ATV on Albrecht Road when he abruptly went off the roadway and into a ditch ejecting him from the ATV. Hunt was pronounced dead at the scene by the Knox County Coroner’s Office.
Investigating Officer: Trooper Brock Buchanan, Indiana State Police
Assisting Agencies: Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Department of Natural Resources, and Knox County Coroner’s Office
Indiana State Police Detectives Investigate Overnight Shooting in Mt. Vernon
Posey County – Friday night, August 26, at approximately 8:42, Posey County 911 Dispatch received a call from a residence located at 160 SR 62 West in Mt. Vernon reference to a man and a woman who had been shot. Moments later, Mt. Vernon Police arrived and located Herbert Wade, 58, on the living room floor with a gunshot wound. Melissa Wade, 48, was in a rear bedroom with a gunshot wound. A male juvenile relative was also inside the residence during the shooting, but he was not injured.
Indiana State Police detectives are currently investigating the shooting. According to detectives, Herbert and Melissa Wade are married and were involved in an argument when Melissa Wade allegedly shot Herbert Wade in the chest with a handgun. Detectives believe Melissa accidently shot herself in the leg. They were both transported to Deaconess Midtown Hospital in Evansville. Herbert Wade is currently being treated for life threatening injuries. Melissa Wade is currently being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
This is an ongoing investigation and further information will be released as it becomes available.
Investigating Officers: Sergeant/Detective Chandler, Detective Wilson, Sergeant Clamme, Sergeant Staggs, Trooper Roberts, and Trooper Vennekotter, Indiana State Police
Assisting Agencies: Mt. Vernon Police and Posey County Sheriff’s Office
Tickborne Heartland Virus is Reported in Jackson County in Southern Illinois
SPRINGFIELD – An older person who resides in a rural area of Jackson County recently tested positive for Heartland Virus, the third reported case in Illinois since 2018, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced today. The first two Heartland virus cases in Illinois were reported in 2018 in Kankakee County and Williamson County. Likely spread by the Lone Star tick, more than 50 cases of Heartland virus disease have been reported in the Midwest and southern United States since 2009.
“As people continue to enjoy summer activities like hiking and camping, it is important to take precautions against ticks,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “Remember to wear insect repellent when in tick habitats and check for ticks immediately afterwards.”
Heartland virus was first identified in 2009 when two Missouri farmers who had been bitten by ticks were admitted to a hospital. Almost all individuals with Heartland virus have been hospitalized.
Although most people infected have fully recovered, a few older individuals with medical comorbidities have died. There are no vaccines to prevent Heartland virus infections.
Signs and symptoms of infection are like those of other tickborne diseases and can include fever, headaches, fatigue, muscle aches, and diarrhea. Most people have reported becoming sick about two weeks after being bit by a tick. And while there is no treatment, doctors can treat some of the symptoms. If you have been bitten by a tick and think you may have Heartland virus or another tickborne illness, visit a health care provider. Other tickborne illnesses Illinois residents have been diagnosed with include Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichiosis, and tularemia.
Ticks are commonly found on the tips of grasses and shrubs. Ticks crawl―they cannot fly or jump. The tick will wait in the grass or shrub for a person or animal to walk by and then quickly climb aboard. Some ticks will attach quickly, and others will wander, looking for places like the ear, or other areas where the skin is thinner.
The best way to prevent infection with Heartland virus or other tick-borne illnesses is to prevent tick bites. Simple tips to avoid tick bites include:
• Wear light-colored, protective clothing—long-sleeved shirts, pants, boots or sturdy shoes, and a head covering. Treat clothing with products containing 0.5 percent permethrin.
• Apply insect repellent that contains 20 percent or more DEET, picaridin, or IR3535 on exposed skin for protection that lasts several hours.
• Walk in the center of trails so grass, shrubs, and weeds do not brush against you.
• Check yourself, children, other family members, and pets for ticks every two to three hours.
• Remove any tick promptly by grasping it with tweezers, as close to the skin as possible and gently, but firmly, pulling it straight out. Wash your hands and the tick bite site with soap and water.
Additional information about ticks can be found on IDPH’s Tick Surveillance Map. A map of the location of Heartland virus cases is also available on the CDC website.
Alley Trash Pickup May End For Some
After announcing plans to chip and seal 10 alleys, Mt. Carmel street commissioner Tom Meeks said Molnday something needs to be done about trash trucks causing damage to alleys….
City officials will meet with Republic to see what solutions might be available in moving trash pickup from alleys to the front of homes. Some areas of the city won’t be able to transition trash pickup from the alleys, but Meeks said any stress the city can take off of the alleys will be worth the effort.