Gibson County Sheriff's Department Warns Of Jury Duty Scam

From Gibson County Sheriff’s Department:

Be aware of jury duty scams.

We had a report of somebody claiming to be Officer Davis with our department calling people and saying they missed jury duty and that there are now warrants issued for their arrest.

They then ask for personal information and payment information to cancel the warrant.

This is a scam!  

We will not ask for any kind of payment to cancel a warrant.  If there is an actual warrant, it will be something you have to take care of by coming to jail.

The Sheriff's Office does make phone calls regarding jury duty, but we also send letters in the mail.

E-Bike Crash Sends Mt. Carmel Woman To Evansville Hospital

On 9/17/24, at 4:32 pm, Mt. Carmel Police responded to a vehicle versus e-bike collision on Hydraulic Ave just north of the 4th Street intersection.  MCPD along with the Wabash County Sheriff’s Office, Wabash General Ambulance Service, and Mt. Carmel Fire Department responded to the scene and found that a black e-bike, operated by Stephanie A. Holder, age 40, of Mt. Carmel, was traveling northbound when she collided with a white 2002 Dodge truck operated by a 17-year-old male juvenile traveling southbound.  Holder was taken to an Evansville, Indiana area hospital with significant injuries.  A witness near the old Twin Rivers Restaurant noted the Dodge did not appear to be speeding or driving recklessly, before the collision.  Another individual on a different motorized bike was unharmed as they traveled ahead of Holder.  The cause of the collision remains under investigation. 

911 Mapping Helps Locate Domestic Violence Incident

On 9/16/24, Mt. Carmel Police arrested William D. Smith, age 29, currently of Mt. Carmel for Domestic Battery.  On this date, Wabash County 911 received a 911 call where a male subject could be heard making threats of harm to a female subject.  While the telecommunicator could not speak to the caller, they utilized 911 mapping in an attempt to locate the address.  Eventually, officers determined the location in question was a home located in the 900 block of W 5th Street.    Officers arrived to the area and could continue to hear yelling and threats until they made contact.  The above defendant answered the door and was detained pending further investigation.  The officers confirmed this individual was the male subject in question and that he was in a relationship with the female.  The female acknowledged making the call, that the male subject had battered her, and that he would not let her leave the home.  The homeowner was present and also confirmed these ongoing domestic issues.  Smith 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.

Traffic Stop Leads To Arrest Of Princeton Man On Drug Charge

On 9/08/24, Mt. Carmel Police arrested Paul E. Spade, age 43, of Princeton, Indiana for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia following a traffic stop.  Before the stop, Spade, who was operating a black Chevrolet, had violated the Illinois Vehicle Code in the 700 block of N Walnut Street.  During the stop, Ofc. Nelson and K-9 Eleven conducted a free-air narcotic sniff around the exterior of the Chevrolet.  K-9 Eleven alerted to the odor of narcotics.  Spade admitted there was a pipe to ingest drugs inside the vehicle.  Ofc. Nelson located a glass smoking device with a burnt methamphetamine residue inside it. Spade was taken to the Wabash County Jail where he was charged accordingly and later released on a Notice to Appear.

Mt. Carmel Man Arrested After Allegedly Threatening To Kill His Neighbor

On 9/13/24, Mt. Carmel Police arrested Vincent A. Sutton, age 59, of Mt. Carmel for Aggravated Assault following a neighborhood incident in the 1100 block of West 6th Street.  Police were called to the scene regarding an allegation that Sutton had verbally threatened to kill his neighbor.  As officers investigated, they found Sutton running in a nearby yard.  The arresting officer approached the area and eventually found Sutton lying in the grass.  Sutton was taken into custody and transported to the Wabash County Jail.  Sutton was charged and later released on a Notice to Appear.  MCPD was assisted by the Wabash County Sheriff’s Office.

Public Meeting On New Pool Set For Next Week

If you have questions or would like to find out more about the proposed new aquatic center in Mt. Carmel, Mayor Joe Judge says you can get answers at a public meeting next week…

JOE JUDGE POOL MEETING 9 16 24

Voters in November will decide whether to approve a property tax increase that would be used to help pay for the $8 million pool. The Illinois Department of Public Health has effectively shut down the city pool from operation in 2025. Judge said the pumps at the pool are being removed and repurposed within the city. He said the pumps are the only equipment able to be salvaged from the facility.

Bleyer Comments On Loss Of COVID Money

Now that the COVID money spigot from Washington has been shut off, Wabash District #348 seems to be better positioned than other school districts. At Monday’s school board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Chuck Bleyer said many districts hired additional staff members with the extra COVID money. Bleyer said District #348 went a different route with the roughly $4 million the district received…

DR. CHUCK BLEYER NOT OVEREXTEND COVID 9 16 24

One other note about finances, Bleyer pointed out that the district receives about $850,000 a year from the 1% local sales tax.

District #348 School Board Approves 24-25 Budget

At their monthly meeting Monday night, the Wabash District #348 school board approved the 2024-25 budget that calls for almost $18.8 million in expenditures and nearly $19.2 million in receipts. On the expenditure side, Superintendent Dr. Chuck Bleyer said nearly $13.5 million, or 71.5 percent of expenditures will go toward salaries and benefits. Almost $6.5 million of the budgeted receipts will come from local real estate taxes.

ILLINOIS STATE POLICE ARRESTS PAXTON MAN FOR POSSESSION OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE MATERIAL

PAXTON – Illinois State Police (ISP) announces the arrest of 37-year-old Brett M. Sorensen of Paxton, Illinois for Dissemination of Child Sexual Abuse Material.

After the receipt of a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), the ISP began an investigation regarding the dissemination of child sexual abuse material.  Preliminary facts gathered through the course of the initial investigation led to the issuance of an arrest warrant for Sorensen. 

On September 17, 2024, ISP Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 5 agents arrested Sorensen and executed a residential search warrant in Paxton, Illinois. Sorensen is being held pending an arraignment hearing in Ford County, Illinois. 

This ongoing investigation is a collaborative effort between the Illinois Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Ford County Sheriff’s Office, the Paxton Police Department, the Ford County State’s Attorney’s Office, and ISP..

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Ford County Crime Stoppers at (217) 379-2109.

Anonymous tips of child sexual abuse material can also be reported through the NCMEC CyberTipline at www.cybertipline.com. To keep kids safe online, learn more at: https://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/onlinesafe/; www.cybertipline.org ; For resources for survivors of sexual abuse visit: https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/csam-resources .

Wabash County Drug Free Community Coalition Awarded Federal Grant for Youth Substance Use Prevention

Mount Carmel, Illinois — Wabash County Drug Free Community Coalition has been selected as a recipient of a $125,000 in federal grant from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) under the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program. This grant program, managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), represents an opportunity to strengthen ongoing efforts in preventing youth substance use in our community.

 ONDCP’s DFC program is the nation’s leading effort to mobilize communities to prevent and reduce substance use among youth. The DFC program provides federal grants to community coalitions to identify and respond to the issues unique to their community and change community conditions tied to youth substance use. With this grant, Wabash County Drug Free Community Coalition will be able to continue building a safe, healthy, and drug-free community.

 “Preventing substance use today is critical, so that today’s youth don’t become tomorrow’s overdose victims. We are thrilled to award this grant because we know the outcomes DFC funded coalitions are capable of achieving when implementing evidence-based prevention strategies at the local level.” said Helen Hernandez, Administrator of the DFC Program at ONDCP. “Through the DFC program, CDC is empowering community coalitions to implement local solutions to unique, local conditions, with the common goal of preventing youth substance use.” added Allison Arwady, MD, MPH, director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at CDC.

 “Wabash County Drug Free Community Coalition is grateful for the support of and partnership with ONDCP and CDC,” said Wabash County Health Department Administrator, Judy Wissel.  “We are proud to share this mission and effort to prevent youth substance use and protect the well-being of our community. Furthermore, this grant will allow us to better collaborate with our partners, including Wabash County Health Department, Wabash County Sheriff’s Office, Mount Carmel Police Department, Wabash CUSD #348 , Wabash County Chamber of Commerce, WSJD-FM Radio Network, Allendale Community Consolidated School District, H.E.R.O. Foundation, First Christian Church of Allendale, Rotary Club, Wabash General Hospital, Wabash Community Health Center, and Wabash County Drug Court. By focusing our collective expertise and resources on this critical issue, we will ensure a positive impact on our youth and community.”

 More information about the DFC program can be found here.