MCPD Makes Another Domestic Battery Arrest

On 7/20/24, Mt. Carmel Police arrested Hector A. Vazquez, age 29, of Mt. Carmel for Domestic Battery following a dispute with a family member at their residence in the 400 block of E 6th Street.  Police were called to the scene to a report that the alleged victim had been struck in the back of the head during the argument.  Officers found evidence that Vazquez battered the victim by punching him in the head and by slamming the victim into the wall.  Vazquez was placed under arrest and transported to the Wabash County Jail where he was charged and held pending a pre-trial release determination by the court.  MCPD was assisted by the Wabash County Sheriff’s Office and the Wabash General Ambulance Service.

Evansville Man Arrested Following Report Of Suspicious Vehicle

On 7/22/24, Mt. Carmel Police arrested Brandon L. McCraw, age 27, of Evansville, Indiana for Driving Under the Influence of Drugs, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia following an investigation into a suspicious vehicle report in the 1000 block of N Mulberry Street.  Officers responded to the area to investigate a report of a male subject parked along the street for over an hour, with the vehicle still running.  The caller reported an attempt at waking the subject up with no success.  Officers were eventually able to wake the driver, identified as McCraw, and found that he believed he was in Evansville.  Officers detected an odor of alcohol and burnt cannabis coming from him and requested he exit the vehicle for a roadside sobriety check.  In doing so, McCraw showed numerous clues to indicate impairment. McCraw was arrested and a search of the vehicle led officers to finding scales, two clear bags of cannabis, a clear bag of suspected methamphetamine, and pills that are controlled substances known as Diazepam and Alprazolam.  McCraw could not provide a prescription for either medication.  McCraw was processed for DUI and issued the charges as provided above.  McCraw was later released from the Wabash County Jail on a Notice to Appear.  MCPD was assisted by the Wabash County Sheriff’s Office.

Wire Theft Investigation Leads To Charges For Mt. Carmel Woman

On 7/21/24, Mt. Carmel Police arrested Sabra B. Garrett, age 32, of Mt. Carmel for Theft-Over $500, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Controlled Substance, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia following an investigation into the theft of conductor wire owned by Quantum XP LLP located at 800 Stokes Street and that it had an approximate $1,400 value.  

Video surveillance footage from the building was utilized which provided evidence of the two suspect’s identity.  Furthermore, officers checked the area and found a path through the tall grass that led towards the 1100 block of W 7th Street.  Shortly thereafter, the officer found one of the alleged suspects, Sabra Garrett, riding a bicycle on Poplar Street, where he made contact.  Information gleaned from this contact resulted in officers responding to a residence in the 600 block of Vine Street, which is near the 1100 block of W 7th.  Garrett allowed the officer to enter the home to show there was none of the suspected wire in the home.  In doing so, the officer found a broken spool of wire that matched that of what was reported stolen.  There were also piles of scrapped metal within the home as well as suspected methamphetamine on top of a digital scale.  The residence was secured and Wabash County States Attorney Kelli Storckman agreed to prepare a search warrant for the home.  The search warrant was granted by Wabash Circuit Judge William Hudson, resulting in law enforcement returning to search the home.  In doing so, officers collected an assortment of evidence including, suspected methamphetamine, unprescribed controlled medications, various drug paraphernalia, security camera system, various tools used to steal and strip wire, a garden wagon loaded with the broken spool, various other sections of the wood spools, and numerous sections of cut and stripped copper wire.  It should be noted that the garden wagon had been stolen from a nearby neighbor as well.  

Garrett was taken to the Wabash County Jail where she is being held pending a pre-trial release determination by the court since she out of the jail on work release from other ongoing charges.  

Mt. Carmel Police were assisted by the Wabash County Sheriff’s Office.

 Charges will also be facing the male subject, who has been identified, but not located at this time.

Disc Golf Course Idea Introduced In Mt. Carmel

Plans are expected to be unveiled next month on a proposed disc golf course in Mt. Carmel. If you’re not familiar, disc golf is played much like golf. Instead of a ball and clubs, though, players use a flying disc or Frisbee.. The sport was formalized in the 1970s and shares with golf the object of completing each hole in the fewest strokes-or, in the case of disc golf, fewest throws. At this week’s city council meeting, city clerk Ryan Turner said he had met with Wabash Valley College president Matt Fowler exploring a 9-hole disc golf course. Turner said he hopes more details on the idea will be presented to the council next month.

Photo Credit: AARP

Franklin County Man Sentenced to Prison for Producing Counterfeit U.S. Currency

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A federal district judge sentenced a man from Christopher, Illinois, to 24 months’ imprisonment after he admitted to printing counterfeit money.

Michael A. Eskew, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of manufacture of counterfeit obligations of the U.S., one count of possession of counterfeit obligations of the U.S., and one count of possessing digital image of U.S. currency for counterfeiting.

“Making, using and possessing fake U.S. currency with fraudulent intent is punishable under federal law, and Michael Eskew was maintaining a full-scale, counterfeiting enterprise,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “He schemed to defraud local businesses and enrich himself with the fake currency, thus warranting this sentence to federal prison.”

According to court documents, Eskew used printers and electronic images of dollar bills to produce counterfeit U.S. Currency at his home. Following a search warrant of Eskew’s residence in July 2019, law enforcement recovered $33,826 in counterfeit bills.

Eskew distributed the counterfeit bills to at least five individuals within his community. In addition to imprisonment, Eskew was ordered to pay a $600 fine and serve three years of supervised release.

The U.S. Secret Service led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zoe Gross and Kathleen Howard contributed to the prosecution.

LAWRENCE COUNTY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL ANNNOUNCES LEADERSHIP TRANSITION

Lawrenceville, IL – Lawrence County Memorial Hospital (LCMH) today announced that Keith Miller, CEO, has been appointed Chief Administrative Officer and Deaconess Indiana Region President, effective August 12, 2024. Mr. Miller will be stepping down from his role as CEO of LCMH, a position he has held since April 2023.

During his tenure as CEO, Mr. Miller has made significant contributions to LCMH's growth and strategic direction. Under his leadership, LCMH has seen expansion in services and facilities, including the addition of a new General Surgeon, introduction of new service lines, and the recruitment of additional healthcare professionals to enhance primary care offerings.

"We are grateful for Keith's dedicated leadership over the past 15 months," said Carl Aten, Chair of the Board of Directors at LCMH. "His strategic vision and collaborative approach have positioned LCMH for continued success in providing exceptional healthcare services to our community."

“Looking ahead, LCMH remains committed to its strategic initiatives, including further integration with our strategic partner, Deaconess Health System”, said Miller. “Moving forward with the Master Facility Plan and adding additional services will be key to the continued success of LCMH, and I am confident that our board’s ongoing contributions, alongside the strong leadership team in place, will ensure a seamless transition and continued growth.”

LCMH will begin a search for a new CEO immediately, with interim leadership arrangements in place to ensure uninterrupted operations and continued focus on delivering high-quality patient care.

Mobile Home Taxes Due August 2nd

Wabash County treasurer’s Angie Broster’s office is continuing to collect prepayments on the 2023 payable 2024 real estate taxes. She reported to county commissioners last week that to date, $73,206 had been collected. At this point, Broster said the cut off for prepayments will be August 30th, although that date may be extended. Mobile home taxes are due August 2nd with 47% being collected so far.

Keepes & Dean Spar Over Coroner's Vehicle Purchase

Wabash County coroner Shaun Keepes’s attempt to have county commissioners provide his office with a vehicle seems to be growing more contentious. Keepes has told commissioners that he has been using his personal and business vehicles for the last several years. But now, Keepes says it’s time for the county to step up and provide the coroner’s office with a vehicle.  At last week’s county board meeting, Keepes sparred with commissioner Rob Dean over how the vehicle would be used. Keepes said it would be utilized as an every day vehicle such as a sheriff’s department unit…

Dean took exception to Keepes’ comments and said the vehicle should be used only for coroner calls. After the 15 minute back and forth ended, the issue was tabled as commissioners said they will check with surrounding counties to see what their vehicle policy is for their coroners.