On April 22, 2025, at 2 p.m., Gibson County Deputy Eric Powell went to the Diplomat Motel, located at 1733 South State Road 57 near Oakland City, to conduct a welfare check on a possible missing person. Upon arriving at the motel, Deputy Powell located 54-year-old Todd Sloan of Oakland City sitting outside his motel room. While speaking with Mr. Sloan, Deputies detected the odor of burnt Marijuana coming from inside his room. At that point, Deputy Powell began a drug investigation that resulted in Mr. Sloan being taken into custody and transported to the Gibson County Jail, where he was charged with Possession of Methamphetamines, Possession of a Schedule Drug, Possession of Paraphernalia, and Possession of Marijuana.
Detective Jennifer Loesch, Deputies Wes Baumgart, and Shawn Holmes assisted Deputy Powell in his investigation.
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Oakland City man arrested on drug possession
On April 22, 2025, at 8:45 p.m., Gibson County Deputy Wes Baumgart and Eric Powell went to the 12000 block of East Harrison Street as part of an investigation. Upon arriving, Deputies knocked on a door to the garage and spoke with 64-year-old Scott Tooley of Oakland City. While speaking with Mr. Tooley, Deputies detected the odor of burnt Marijuana and began a drug investigation. After his investigation, Deputy Baumgart placed Mr. Tooley into custody and transported him to the Gibson County Jail. Upon arriving at the jail, Mr. Tooley was charged with Possession of Methamphetamines, Possession of Marijuana, and Possession of Paraphernalia.
Deputies Eric Powell, Bart Wagner, and Shawn Holmes assisted Deputy Baumgart in his investigation. Also assisting in the investigation was Oakland City Officer John Pace.
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Wabash County Drug-Free Community Coalition Takes Action to Curb Underage Alcohol Access
Wabash County, IL — Established in 2023, the Wabash County Drug-Free Community Coalition (WCDFCC) strives to reduce and prevent youth substance use by connecting community sectors through collaboration while engaging youth and families through activities, advocacy, education, and training.
According to the Illinois Youth Survey, 17% of 10th graders and 31% of 12th graders in Wabash County reported purchasing alcohol from local retailers. In a coordinated effort to address this issue, the WCDFCC partnered with the Illinois Liquor Control Commission, Mt. Carmel Police Department, and Wabash County Sheriff's Department to conduct alcohol compliance checks across the county.
During the checks, 17 local businesses were visited. Of those, 6 failed to comply with state law and sold alcohol to an underage individual.
Work Zone Awareness Week kicks off start of construction season
SPRINGFIELD – With construction ramping up across the state, the Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois State Police, Illinois Tollway, industry partners, local agencies and frontline construction workers today teamed up for National Work Zone Awareness Week to remind the public to “Respect the zone so we all get home.”
“Whatever the mode of transportation, we will all be traveling through work zones over the upcoming weeks and months,” said Acting Illinois Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi. “The people you see working on our roads, on equipment, or behind the cones and barricades are someone’s loved one, a friend, a neighbor, part of our community. Working together, we can ensure their safety and yours. Let’s make this the safest construction season ever in Illinois.”
The theme for this year’s National Work Zone Awareness Week is “Respect the zone so we all get home,” reinforcing the message that your undivided attention and caution is necessary at all times when traveling through work zones to protect everyone in them – workers, drivers and their passengers, bicyclists, and pedestrians. When you are behind the wheel and approach a work zone, eliminate all distractions, decrease your speed and proceed with care and consideration for others.
To call attention to the heightened risks of work zones, Gov. JB Pritzker has proclaimed April 21-25 as “Work Zone Safety Awareness Week” in Illinois. This week, IDOT is once again holding “tailgate talks” at the start of the day to give workers refreshers on work zone protocol.
At all times during construction season, the public should be ready for lane closures, changes in traffic patterns, reduced speed limits and the presence of workers and equipment. This year, IDOT is strengthening its effort to make work zones safer, including expanding the use of speed safety vans and deploying more temporary rumble strips approaching projects. As part of the It’s Not a Game safety campaign, high-traffic work zones will be geotargeted so drivers can hear streaming audio ads, reinforcing safety messages.
“Road workers are out there repairing and maintaining the highways we drive every day to make them safer for us,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “Be a decent human being and respect them and the work they do by slowing down and giving them room so everyone can go home safely.”
Each year, an average of nearly 6,300 crashes occurs in Illinois work zones, resulting in more than 1,600 injuries. Preliminary statistics for 2024 show that 13 people died in work zones in Illinois, including four workers, a reminder that crashes in work zones generally have a much greater impact on drivers and their passengers.
“Our highest priority is protecting everyone who uses or works on our roads, and that commitment extends to providing the safest possible work zones as we reconstruct and improve our system, but we’re reminding our customers we need their help,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Cassaundra Rouse. “Drivers must do their part to protect workers, emergency responders and themselves by taking additional precautions in work zones, including slowing down, following posted speed limits and putting away cellphones to avoid distracted driving. Working together with our customers makes our roads safer for everyone.”
The following guidelines for traveling through work zones should be followed at all times:
Drop it and drive. Phones and electronic devices down at all times – it’s the law.
Obey the signs. They will help you safely navigate work zones – and sometimes avoid delays.
Slow down. The posted speed limits are there for the safety of workers and you.
Be on the lookout for slowed or stopped traffic.
Give yourself time to react. Avoid following too closely and maintain at least two seconds of space in front of you.
Consider the limitations of heavy equipment, trucks and commercial vehicles. Provide them extra distance to come to a complete stop if they are behind you.
Remember that a work zone can take many forms: a maintenance crew patching potholes or collecting litter, a major interstate reconstruction, a minor repair on a neighborhood street or a utility company out in the field. If you see orange, slow down and save lives.
For additional facts, printable materials and information on projects this year in Illinois, click here or visit idot.click/work-zones.
Once again, IDOT is partnering with communities and businesses across the state to light buildings and bridges orange to commemorate the week. They include: Peoria’s Murray Baker Bridge, the Interstate 74 bridge in the Quad Cities, Rockford’s Morgan Street Bridge and others.
On Friday, IDOT also is collaborating with the Laborers’ International Union of North America to distribute informational material at many of the state’s rest areas on how to keep you and your family safe traveling through work zones.
Work zone safety is another element of IDOT’s comprehensive multimedia campaign, “It’s Not a Game,” highlighting the fact that there are no extra lives, no respawns and no second chances to get it right with safety on the roads. Visit itsnotagameillinois.com for more information.
Indiana State Police Detectives Seeking Public’s Assistance
Indiana State Police detectives are seeking the public’s assistance with pictures and or video that may have been captured leading up to, during, or after the officer involved shooting that occurred on April 21, 2025, on Heim Road between Inderrieden Road and SR 62 in Chandler. This entire event started at approximately 8:52 a.m. when someone called 911 reporting the suspect traveling west on SR 62 in a silver Toyota Corolla near Walmart and operating in a reckless manner. After a brief chase, the suspect crashed, and a confrontation occurred that resulted in the suspect being shot by Chandler Police. The suspect was able to drive away in the officer’s patrol vehicle.
Detectives believe the suspect traveled SR 62 to Boonville and then possibly used various county roads east of Boonville to Spencer County before getting on US 231 where a second chase was initiated near C.R. 350 North. The second chase went into Kentucky and ended near US 60 and Terminal Road in Daviess County, KY. The suspect was eventually taken into custody after being Tased.
One county road that the suspect traveled on was Maurer Road in Warrick County. It’s very possible that the suspect traveled on other area county roads too. Detectives are encouraging homeowners in Warrick and Spencer Counties to check their Ring or home security cameras that may have captured video of the black 2022 Ford Explorer or any other suspicious activity related to this incident. The police vehicle may or may not have had the emergency lights activated.
If you think you have pictures or video off the suspect, suspect’s vehicle, or the Chandler Police patrol vehicle after the officer involved shooting, you can simply click on the link below and download your picture and or video. https://indianastatepdin.evidence.com/axon/-request/public/25ispc006703
You can also scan the QR code, which will take you to evidence.com and follow directions to submit your video or pictures.
ISP Participating in National DEA Drug Take Back Day Saturday, April 26
Evansville – On Saturday, April 26, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is sponsoring the 27th nationwide “Prescription Drug Take Back” initiative. The “Take Back” initiative seeks to prevent prescription drug abuse and theft through proper disposal of prescription drugs.
Collection sites will be set up nationwide for expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs which will be properly disposed of without threat to the environment. This program is for liquid and pill medications. Vaping pens without batteries and vaping cartridges will also be taken. Needles WILL NOT be accepted for disposal. This service is free and anonymous with no questions asked.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Unused or expired medication in home cabinets is highly susceptible to theft, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.
Indiana State Police at Evansville, which is located at 19411 Hwy 41 North, will be accepting unused or expired prescription medication on Saturday, April 26, between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Wabash District #348 Personnel Matters-April 2025
The school board acted on these personnel matters at Monday’s monthly meeting.
District #348 School Board Reorganizes & Swears In New Members
An eventful Wabash District #348 school board meeting last night at the elementary school. The meeting was to have featured the swearing in of incumbent board member Theresa Hocking and new board members Jessica Peter and Tim Zimmer. While Hocking and Peter were sworn in, it didn’t happen for Zimmer who withdrew from the board before taking the oath of office….
Last night was supposed to be the last meeting for long time board members Tim Schuler and Kyle Peach. And while it was for Schuler, it wasn’t for Peach who was appointed to fill Zimmer’s spot on the board until the next school board election in two years.
After the board was finally seated, the board voted to make Jamie McCorkle the board president, Gregg Wilcox the vice president, and Hocking will remain the board’s secretary. Darlene Underwood was reappointed as the district’s treasurer.
One other housekeeping note, the board voted to change the start times of their meeting from 7pm to 5pm on the third Monday’s of each month.
The swearing in of Peter means the school board has a female majority for the first time ever.
District #348 Superintendent Dr. Chuck Bleyer thanks Tim Schuler for his years of service on the school board.
Monday’s meeting was the last one for long time board president Tim Schuler.
District #348 Superintendent Dr. Chuck Bleyer thanks Tim Schuler for his years of service on the school board.
District #348 Superintendent Dr. Chuck Bleyer thanks Kyle Peach for his years of service on the school board.
Tim Zimmer explains why he is not accepting a seat on the District #348 school board.
Jessica Peter reads the oath of office as she is sworn in as a new member on the District #348 school board.
Jamie McCorkle (L) assumes the position of school board president as Superintendent Dr. Chuck Bleyer looks on.
After agreeing to fill the board vacancy caused by Tim Zimmer’s decision not to accept a position on the board, Kyle Peach reads the oath of office to resume his service on the board until at least the next board election in 2027.
Suspect Arrested after Officer Involved Shooting and Chase
Warrick County – Monday morning, April 21, at approximately 8:52 a.m., Warrick Dispatch received a 911 call reporting a reckless driver on SR 62 westbound near Walmart. Approximately two-minutes later, a Chandler Police officer spotted the Toyota Corolla, but the driver refused to stop. The vehicle eventually stopped after crashing into a ditch on Heim Road between Inderrieden Road and Lincoln Avenue in Chandler. The suspect, who was wearing a motorcycle helmet, exited his vehicle and started waving an object that appeared to be a sword toward the officer. During this confrontation, the officer discharged his firearm, striking the suspect at least once. The suspect was able to drive away in the officer’s patrol vehicle and drove toward Boonville.
The suspect was able to elude police until a Rockport Police officer spotted the Chandler Police vehicle traveling south on US 231 near C.R. 350 North. Police attempted to stop the police vehicle, but the suspect continued to travel south at speeds of more than 120 mph. Once the suspect entered Kentucky on US 60, the driver left the roadway near Terminal Road and crashed into an open field. The suspect exited the patrol vehicle and started to flee on foot. The Rockport Police officer and a Daviess County Deputy eventually Tased the suspect and he was taken into custody without further incident. The suspect was transported to Owensboro Health Hospital and is currently being treated for his injuries.
The suspect has been identified as Nina Adalina Devillez, 31, of Santa Claus, IN.
The Chandler Police officer is currently on administrative leave.
This incident is being investigated by Indiana State Police
Assisting Agencies: Daviess County KY Sheriff’s Office, Warrick County Sheriff’s Office, Spencer County Sheriff’s Office, Boonville Police, and Rockport Police
Lane closures planned for I-69 in Gibson and Pike Counties
GIBSON/PIKE COUNTY Ind. – The Indiana Department of Transportation announces alternating lane closures on I-69 in Gibson and Pike Counties
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Beginning on or around Tuesday, April 29, crews will begin alternating lane closures on I-69 in Gibson and Pike Counties. These lane closures will occur between the 27-mile marker and 40-mile marker. Work will take place between 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays.
Alternating lane closures will allow for linear grading to both inside and outside shoulders in both directions of traffic. Work is expected to take a month to complete, depending on the weather. INDOT urges drivers to slow down and stay alert near crews.
