Search warrant leads to arrest of Oakland City woman

On July 21, 2025, at 4:28 p.m. Gibson County Deputies went to 695 S State Road 57 in Oakland City to assist Pike County Chief Deputy Dallas Killian and Detective Scott Arnold in serving a search warrant for a case that they were working.  Upon arriving on the scene, Deputies detained 56-year-old Diane Moade of Oakland City and executed the search warrant.   At the conclusion of the search Deputy Shawn Holmes transported Ms. Moade to the Gibson County Detention Center where she was charged with Dealing Marijuana, Possession of Methamphetamines, Possession of Marijuana, and Possession of Paraphernalia.
 
Deputy Shawn Holmes was assisted in his investigation by the aforementioned Pike County Deputies as well as Deputies Eric Powell and Bart Wagner.  Oakland City Police Chief Tim Gaines and Officer Ty Schmittler also assisted in this investigation. 
 
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
 

Evansville man arrested for DUI

On July 22, 2025, at 11:33 p.m., Gibson County Deputy Wes Baumgart conducted a traffic stop on a White Ford F150 on Interstate 69 near the 27-mile marker after observing the driver failing to maintain their lane of travel.  Upon approaching the vehicle Deputy Baumgart detected a strong smell of an alcoholic beverage coming from inside the vehicle.  At that point he began a roadside DUI investigation that resulted in the driver 44-year-old Michael Watkins of Evansville being taken into custody and being transported to the Gibson County Detention Center where he was charged with Possession of a Schedule Drug, Possession of Marijuana, and Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated.
 
Deputy Baumgart was assisted in his investigation by Deputies Wyatt Hunt, Eric Powell, and Levi Sims. 
 
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Opus Closing Mt. Carmel Operations

The Opus Packaging facility on West 9th Street in Mt. Carmel is closing.

Opus Chief Financial Officer Louis Sicilia confirmed to WSJD that “after careful consideration and exhaustive review of all possible alternatives, the company had made the difficult decision to close the Mt. Carmel facility”.

According to Sicilia, “the difficult decision to close the facility in Mt Carmel was made in response to significant changes in market conditions, operational challenges, and the evolving needs of the business”.

The Mt Carmel operation is being consolidated in the Opus facility near Indianapolis. The Mt. Carmel facility will remain operational until August 1st, at which point employment will end for 15 employees and they will be offered a severance package.  The facility will continue to operate in a distribution capacity and will wind down over the course of the next few months, closing permanently by the end of the year.  At that point, employment will end for 6 additional employees, and they will be offered a severance package, according to the CFO. Some employees have been offered a position at other Opus facilities.  5 employees have/will be employed by the facility near Indianapolis and 1 moved to our Florence, SC facility.

Opus Packaging Group acquired Wabash Container Corporation on March 1st, 2019.

Last year, Opus closed a facility in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Sicilia said that decision and the Mt. Carmel closure are not related, “Last year we consolidated our Kalamazoo and our Grand Rapids area facilities into a single operation due to a deteriorating facility in Kalamazoo – completely unrelated to the closure of the facility in Mt. Carmel.  Opus Packaging overall remains a healthy company.”

Indiana State Police Cold Case Squad and FBI make Arrest in 31 Year Old Murder Case

Gibson County –Tuesday afternoon, July 22, Indiana State Police and FBI arrested TimothyR. Farber, 61, of Evansville, for the alleged murder of Norman Ellerbrook in 1993.
 
The Indiana State Police Cold Case Squad and FBI recently revisited the unsolved homicide of Ellerbrook, which occurred on September 2, 1993, at his residence near Warrenton. Ellerbrook was found by his roommate at the bottom of the stairs to the basement. An autopsy revealed Ellerbrook died from blunt force trauma to his head. He also had multiple stab wounds, but the wounds were not in any vital area. Detectives spent years attempting to solve this homicide but were never able to link his death to the person responsible. Ellerbrook was 63 at the time of his death.
 
During this investigation, DNA evidence helped detectives link Farber to Ellerbrook’s death. The DNA analysis occurred at the Indiana State Police Regional Laboratories in Evansville and Indianapolis.

On Tuesday, July 22, the Gibson County Prosecutor’s Office filed for a murder arrest warrant for Farber. Indiana State Police and FBI arrested Farber at approximately 4:10 p.m.after Evansville Police found Farber walking in the area of Fulton Avenue and Maryland Street. He was arrested without incident and taken to the Gibson County Jail where he is currently being held without bond.
 
No additional information will be released at this time.

 
Investigating Officers: Detective Toni Walden, Indiana State Police Cold Case Squad and Detective Loren Brooks, FBI Task Force
 
Assisting Agencies: FBI and Evansville Police

Mt. Carmel Man Sentenced To 6 Years In Prison On Two Charges

Kelli Storckman, Wabash County State’s Attorney, reports that on July 22, 2025, David A. Banks, a 61-year-old Illinois man, was sentenced to 6 years in the Department of Corrections by the Honorable Circuit Judge William Hudson in Wabash County Circuit Court.

State’s Attorney Storckman advises that the Defendant was charged on March 3, 2023 with Possession of Methamphetamine, a Class 2 Felony, and then on May 8, 2023, with Burglary, a Class 2 Felony.  Defendant was sentenced to three (3) years on each case to be served consecutively.  Defendant will be placed on mandatory supervised release for 24 months following his release from DOC.

School Board Explores Dropping Student Athletic Admission Fee

The Wabash District #348 school board is considering dropping admission charges to sporting events for district students. At Monday morning’s monthly meeting, Superintendent Dr. Chuck Bleyer brought up the idea of not charging any student in the district to get into athletic events. He said the district didn’t make a lot of money by charging the students. For the first time this school year, all students in the district will be issued photo ID’s that Bleyer said could be used for admission into the games. While not taking any action on the idea, members of the school board seemed receptive to the plan. The school board will meet in special session next Tuesday at which time they could approve the proposal ahead of the start of the new school year.

Vincennes woman arrested for Reckless Driving

On July 21, 2025, at 7:02 p.m. Gibson County Deputy Eric Powell conducted a traffic stop on a Silver 2011 BMW for traveling 90-mph in a 50-mph zone on US 41 near State Road 168.  Upon approaching the vehicle Deputy Powell identified the driver as 63-year-old Katherine Hatton of Vincennes.  During a brief roadside investigation Deputy Powell placed Ms. Hatton into custody and observed drug paraphernalia in plain view.  As the investigation continued, Deputy Powell seized Methamphetamines and additional drug paraphernalia before transporting her to the Gibson County Detention Center.  Upon arriving at the Gibson County Detention Center Ms. Hatton was charged with Reckless Driving, Possession of Paraphernalia, and Possession of Methamphetamines. 
 
Deputy Bart Wagner 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.