On 6/17/24, Mt. Carmel Police arrested Ivan D. Hinds Jr., age 30, of Albion for DUI-Alcohol, Aggravated Battery to a Peace Officer, Driving While License Revoked, and Fleeing/Attempting to Elude a Peace Officer. Prior to the stop, the arresting officer observed a gray 2001 GMC truck commit multiple violations of the Illinois Vehicle Code. The officer conducted a traffic stop at 4th & Hackberry Street and informed the driver the reasons for the stop. The officer noted the driver, later identified as Hinds, had his hand on the gear shifter and foot on the brake with the vehicle still running. Furthermore, Hinds exhibited indicators of being impaired due to the odor of alcohol coming from him and his demeanor. The officer requested Hinds shut the vehicle off at which time Hinds refused and began attempting to put the vehicle into gear in an attempt to leave. The officer attempted to shut the vehicle off resulting in Hinds grabbing the officer by the arm to stop him. The officer was able to break away from Hinds and deploy his Taser. The officer then shut off the vehicle and Hinds was placed under arrest. Officers found that Hinds had a revoked driver’s license from prior DUI arrests. Furthermore, open alcohol was located inside the truck. Hinds refused to submit to field sobriety testing and was transported to the Wabash County Jail. Hinds was processed for the above charges and held pending a pre-trial detention determination by the court. MCPD was assisted by the Wabash County Sheriff’s Office. It should be noted that Hinds was arrested in 2023 for DUI and Aggravated Fleeing/Attempting to Elude Edwards County law enforcement.
HOT CARS, KIDS, and PETS DON'T MIX
(Jasper, IN)- With outside temperatures reaching a sweltering 95+ degrees this week, the Indiana State Police is reminding all motorists, parents, and pet owners as to the extreme dangers of leaving precious cargo unattended in a hot car.
Even at moderate outdoor temperatures this time of year (low 70's), a parked car with the windows up can quickly reach inside temperatures of 120 degrees or more.
As reported by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), over the past 25 years, more than 970 children have died of heatstroke, because they were left or became trapped in a hot car. Everyone needs to understand these tragedies can happen to anyone – but are always preventable.
Know the Facts
A child's body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult's. When a child is left in a vehicle, that child's temperature can rise quickly — and the situation can quickly become dangerous.
Heatstroke begins when the core body temperature reaches about 104 degrees.
A child can die when their body temperature reaches 107 degrees.
In 2023, 29 children died of heatstroke in vehicles.
In 2018 and 2019, we saw a record number of hot car deaths — 53 children died each year — the most in at least 25 years, according to NoHeatstroke.org.
Everyone Can Help Prevent Hot Car Deaths
Parents and Caregivers can prevent hot car deaths by....
Never leave a child in a vehicle unattended for any length of time. Rolling windows down or parking in the shade does little to change the interior temperature of the vehicle.
Make it a habit to check your entire vehicle — especially the back seat — before locking the doors and walking away.
Ask your childcare provider to call if your child doesn’t show up for care as expected.
Place a personal item like a purse or briefcase in the back seat, as another reminder to look before you lock. Write a note or place a stuffed animal in the passenger's seat to remind you that a child is in the back seat.
Store car keys out of a child's reach and teach children that a vehicle is not a play area.
https://www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/heatstroke
Act Fast. Save a Life.
If you see a child alone in a locked car, act immediately and call 911. A child in distress due to heat should be removed from the vehicle as quickly as possible and rapidly cooled.
911 call leads to arrest of Francisco woman
On June 16, 2024, at 12:33 p.m. Gibson County Central Dispatch received a 911 report of a female trespassing at residence in the 6300 block of East 250 South near Francisco. Deputy Bryan Small was dispatched to the scene and while enroute the caller identified the suspect as 40 year old Jessica Cox of Francisco. The reporting party also reported that Ms. Cox was in possession of a knife. Upon arriving Deputy Small located Ms. Cox and began an investigation into the incident. During the investigation Ms. Cox became physically violent towards Deputy Small and was taken into custody. At the conclusion of his investigation Ms. Cox was officially trespassed from the property by the homeowner. She was then transported to the Gibson County Jail where she was charged with Battery on an Officer and Disorderly Conduct.
Deputy Small was assisted in his investigation by Special Deputy Riley Farmer and Francisco Town Marshal Bryan Archibald.
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Body of Mitchell man recovered from White River
Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating after recovering the body of a Mitchell man from the East Fork of the White River in Lawrence County Thursday.
At approximately 2:30 p.m., Lawrence County Dispatch was notified that Brian Howell, 52, of Mitchell, went missing in the river near the Lawrenceport boat ramp while attempting to retrieve gear after it was washed from his kayak while in turbulent water.
Conservation Officers located and recovered Howell’s body near the area at 8:55 p.m. An exact cause of death is pending medical examination, and the incident is still under investigation.
Indiana Conservation Officers were assisted on scene by the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department and Indian Creek Fire Department.
Virginia man arrested for Residential Entry
On June 8, 2024, at 6:16 a.m. Gibson County Deputy Zach Lienemann responded to a B & E in progress in the 300 block of East Elm Street in Haubstadt. Upon arriving on scene Deputy Lienemann was greeted by witnesses who stated they were in charge of checking on the residence while the homeowners were away, and they discovered a man asleep inside the residence. Deputy Lienemann went inside the residence and located 38 year old Paul McCarvell of Martinsville, Virginia asleep in a chair. Mr. McCarvell was taken into custody and transported to the Gibson County Jail where he was charged with Residential Entry and Criminal Mischief.
Assisting Deputy Lienemann in his investigation was Deputies U.B. Smith and Bart Wagner.
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
ILLINOIS STATE POLICE ANNOUNCES RESULTS OF RECENT DISTRACTED DRIVING ENFORCEMENT
EFFINGHAM – Illinois State Police (ISP) Troop 9 Commander, Captain Nathan Douglas, announces the results of Distracted Driving Enforcement Program patrols held in Effingham and Wabash counties during May. This program provided extra patrol coverage for ISP officers to focus on saving lives and reducing serious crashes by enforcing distracted driving laws.
Violations Enforcement Activity
Hand-held phone/device citations 13
Texting while driving citations 9
Other types of distracted driving citations 0
Total distracted driving citations 22
Total distracted driving written warnings 0
Total of all citations 26
Total of all written warnings 9
This project was funded through the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Oil Cooler Issue Sidelining New Indiana State Police Dodge Durango Patrol Vehicles
The Indiana State Police began the transition from the Dodge Charger, a vehicle which it has used for its police fleet since 2010, to the Dodge Durango police package vehicle in May 2023. ISP has ordered a total of 516 Durangos (approximate value of $25.8M). Over the last year, a total of 219 of these have been issued into the field for patrol duties.
During this timeframe, 39 Durangos (18%) have experienced a mechanical failure due to a defective oil cooler. Using this same ratio, ISP would anticipate having an additional 40 Durangos experience this same mechanical failure for a total of 79 anticipated failures. That means approximately $3.9 million dollars of equipment may not be available for their intended use by ISP personnel.
ISP Superintendent Doug Carter has spoken with a Chrysler representative and was not given a timeline to resolve the matter.
A fully equipped ISP Dodge Durango costs approximately $50,000. During the month of May 2024, ISP had 15 Dodge Durangos experience this oil cooler failure. The average downtime for an engine replacement/repair is four-to-eight weeks. This downtime creates a huge burden on fleet operations, a significant loss of confidence in the vehicle by ISP personnel, and an ineffective loss of public service while the Trooper cycles in and out of a pool car to perform their daily duties.
“ISP has used Dodge as our primary police vehicle provider for the last decade-and-a-half, it is unfortunate that we have found ourselves in this precarious position”, said Carter. “We’re having to sideline brand new vehicles, losing out on their value and functionality… the citizens and taxpayers of Indiana are being shortchanged and deserve better.”
Voters To Decide Fate Of City Pool
Mt. Carmel voters will get to decide this November whether or not a new city pool is built. Mayor Joe Judge said the city is in the process of filing the necessary paperwork with the county clerk’s office to place a referendum on November’s ballot…
Estimates for a new city pool have come in at around $8 million while renovating and bringing the current pool up to state and federal codes is $11 million. If a new city pool isn’t built, Judge said it’s only a matter of time before Mt. Carmel joins the growing list of other communities who find themselves without a city pool….
Judge said the pool foundation committee is looking at creative ways to generate money including selling the naming rights of the new aquatic center and specific items located in the splash area of the new pool. There have been no firm numbers released yet on how much the city will be asking voters to approve in the November referendum.
WSJD File Photo
Mt. Carmel Man Arrested For DUI For 2nd Time In A Month
On 6/11/24, Mt. Carmel Police arrested Wade Lingerfelt, age 31, of Mt. Carmel for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Driving While License Suspended, Illegal Transportation of Alcohol, and Endangering the Life of a Child following a traffic stop in the 100 block of W 5th Street. The stop was a result of the arresting officer observing Lingerfelt operating a blue Jeep and that he had a suspended license. In speaking to Lingerfelt, the officer noted Lingerfelt showed signs of impairment. Lingerfelt refused to submit to a roadside sobriety check so the officer arrested Lingerfelt, based on his prior observations. During the arrest the officer also located an open bottle of alcoholic liquor near Lingerfelt. Furthermore, Lingerfelt had his juvenile child in the vehicle, resulting in the additional charge of endangerment. The child was turned over to another family member and Lingerfelt was transported to the Wabash County Jail where he was processed on the charges and released on a Notice to Appear. It should be noted this is Lingerfelt’s second arrest for DUI in the last month.
Mt. Carmel Woman Picked Up On FTA Warrant & Meth Charge
On 6/05/24, Mt. Carmel Police arrested Brittny M. Byrns, age 36, on a Wabash County FTA Warrant and added a new charge of Possession of Methamphetamine. The arresting officer located Byrns in the Lucky Lady in the 300 block of West 9th Street. Byrns was taken into custody at which time the officer located suspected methamphetamine, which Byrns acknowledged, inside her wallet. Byrns was taken to the Wabash County Jail where she was issued the warrant along with the new drug charge. Byrns is being held pending a pre-trial release determination by the court.