Investigators in Marshall County do not believe foul play was a contributing factor in last week’s unattended death of a 28-year-old pregnant woman. Trisha Hemminger’s husband called 911 last Thursday after finding his wife unresponsive and not breathing at their home on Michigan Road. Initial autopsy results show no evidence of trauma. Coroner Bill Cleavenger stresses that results of toxicology and other tests are necessary to determine her cause of death. Those results are pending. Cleavenger’s continuing investigation will also include an extensive review of Hemminger’s medical history. She was seven months pregnant at the time of her death.
A Plymouth man facing murder and drug charges is jailed in Marshall County on a $100,000 bond after a Marshall County Grand Jury returned a two-count indictment late Tuesday. The charges against Olan Q. Howard, 37, stem from the May 19 murder of Stephen O.Vires of Argos. Court documents indicate that crime occurred while dealing in heroin or morphine. Plymouth Police arrested Howard within a few hours of the formal charges being handed down. His initial hearing has yet to be scheduled.
The state is mobilizing resources to help the 86 employees of a Marshall County plant that is set to close in the next few months. Plymouth-based Whitley Products filed a WARN notice with the Indiana Department of Workforce Development last week. It’s a legal step that requires companies with 100 or more employees to file a 60-day notice of any plant closing or mass layoff. A copy of the notice is shared with employees.
A spokesman for the Department of Workforce Development says it allows the state to mobilize a rapid response team to help transition affected workers into other employment. He says the state offers a variety of programs and encourages all employees to register with the local Work One office as soon as possible to get the process started.
The Moving Starke County Forward organization met in a public session Thursday afternoon and Coordinator Nancy Dembowski said the focus of the meeting was to examine the issue of health in Starke County.
“The idea was just to examine the issue, which is Starke County ranks 91 out of 92 counties in health issues,” said Dembowski. “We wanted to see if we could find some achievable projects or things that could help begin to address the situation.”
The Starke/Pulaski Habitat for Humanity organization is gearing up to start construction on their fifth house, but first they must complete one very crucial step: choosing a lucky family in need to live in the home. Steve Morrison, president of Starke/Pulaski Habitat for Humanity, said they held two meetings last week to discuss the effort and allow interested families to take applications for the Habitat home.
Get your piggy bank ready! A program designed to give families and individuals the push to start thinking about budgeting strategies and the impact budgets have on their financial future is on the horizon. Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson is encouraging Hoosiers to begin saving at least $10 a week and begin a pattern of saving to build a strong financial footing for tomorrow as part of America Saves Week 2013, from Feb. 25 to March 2.
A Pulaski County attorney is accused of having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a defendant she represented. Lisa Traylor-Wolff has 20 days to answer the disciplinary charges filed by the Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications.
They stem from a physically intimate relationship she reportedly developed with a 26-year-old male client identified in the complaint as S.W. Traylor-Wolff was appointed his public defender in September of 2011. He pleaded guilty a month later and was sentenced in January of 2012 to 30 years in prison. Traylor-Wolff was appointed S.W.’s public defender for his appeal. He even worked as a Manassas criminal defense lawyer for a number of years, and therefore, has quite a lot of experience under his belt.
Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Vice President Terry Young, and President Tracey ShorterPulaski County Commissioners voted to terminate two employees during an executive session meeting Monday night, according to sources close to the situation. Even though Indiana is an at-will employment state, a vote to terminate an employee who reports directly to the commissioners must be taken in an open meeting.
Embattled highway superintendent Kenny Becker and longtime maintenance supervisor Morry DeMarco were both fired over violations of the employee policy manual. Becker was suspended with pay last month in response to complaints about how the department is run from sources who have been allowed to remain anonymous. An investigation by the commissioners found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing, and Becker was reinstated as county highway manager on Feb. 4 under the supervision of commissioner Larry Brady.
“ Mr. Becker was commended on his role in helping with some of the positive changes at the Highway Department in the last three weeks. Mr. Becker was presented with new policy violations that have been observed by Commissioner Brady since his oversight. The issue of Mr. Becker’s Knowledge of the policy book and his observance of it were discussed. Commissioner Brady as acting department head informed Mr. Becker of his removal as general manager and termination of his employment with the county. This is in no way a negative reflection on Mr. Becker as a good moral person. Mr. Becker has proved to be a hard working individual with a good deal of specialized ability,” the release states.
Calls to the commissioners seeking comment were not immediately returned. They have previously refused to answer any questions and have directed all inquires be made in writing to county attorney Kevin Tankersley.
The Marshall County Sheriff’s Department and the Marshall County Coroner are investigating an unattended death that occurred Thursday in the 5000 block of Michigan Road in Plymouth.
The initial investigation showed that 28-year-old Trisha Hemminger was found dead in her home and was discovered by her husband. An autopsy has been scheduled, but police don’t believe foul play was involved.
Marshall County police arrested a man Saturday after finding drugs in a vehicle the suspect had stolen.
A vehicle being operated by John Groves was stopped by police at the intersection of Michigan Street and Jackson Street after a Marshall County Deputy found Groves had committed several traffic violations. During a search of the vehicle, the officer found narcotics and a loaded handgun. The officer then found that the vehicle was stolen.
Groves was arrested on preliminary felony charges of Criminal Conversion, Auto Theft, Possession of a Schedule IV Controlled Substance and Receiving Stolen Property, and a misdemeanor count of Carrying a Handgun without a permit. He is being held in the Marshall County Jail with no bond.
Jennie CarterStarke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall heard the final arguments in the case against Jennie Carter this afternoon and rendered his verdict in the bench trial against the woman accused of taking $7,000 in Starke County Tourism Commission funds for her own use.
Carter faced a count of Theft as a Class D felony in the bench trial which began last Wednesday. Three witnesses testified throughout the course of the bench trial, including the lead investigator in the case with the Indiana State Police, Debbie Mix of the Starke County Tourism Commission and Chamber of Commerce, and the defendant.
Final arguments began Wednesday afternoon and continued today, when the elements of the theft charge were explained and other legal issues were discussed.
The verdict was left to Judge Hall to decide, who entered a verdict of guilty of Theft as a Class D felony. Carter will receive her sentence on March 25 at 10 a.m. in the Starke Circuit Court.
The 15 Marshall-Starke Head Start students whose bus got hit by a truck this morning on the way to school have been released to their
Head Start students were checked out at IU Health Starke Hospital following a bus v. truck crash.
parents. They were all taken to IU Health Starke Hospital to be checked out after bus 37 was hit by a truck as it was crossing Heaton Street at Lake Street by One Stop just before 8 a.m. Continue reading →
These two vehicles were involved in the crash at Heaton and Lake Streets.
Passengers on Marshall-Starke Head Start Bus 37 are getting checked out at IU Health Starke Memorial Hospital after their bus was struck by a truck this morning at the intersection of Heaton and Lake Streets in downtown Knox. There’s no word yet on the extent of their injuries, and the crash remains under investigation. The bus was crossing Lake Street and was struck by the truck, which is registered to Standard Pallet, Inc. of Knox. A witness told investigators the bus had the right-of-way.
The Knox woman accused of shooting her boyfriend has written a notice to the Starke Circuit Court indicating she cannot afford an attorney.
During her initial hearing Friday, Feb. 15, Kathleen Holt told Judge Kim Hall that she would be obtaining her own attorney, but has since found she hasn’t the resources available to secure counsel.
Final arguments will continue today in Starke Circuit Court in the case of Jennie Carter.
Carter is facing a count of Theft as a Class D Felony in a bench trial began last Wednesday. Three witnesses testified including the lead Indiana State Police investigator in the case, Debbie Mix of the Starke County Tourism Commission and Starke County Chamber of Commerce and Jennie Carter herself.
A federal judge sentenced a Knox man to seven years in prison and 10 years of supervised release on a child pornography charge.
Jeffrey Farmer, 42, previously pleaded guilty to the felony offense of accessing with intent to view child pornography. Starke County Detectives obtained a state search warrant to search Farmer’s residence and seize computers and digital storage devices following an investigation by members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Multiple law enforcement and emergency personnel agencies participated in an active shooter training at the Monterey Elementary School Saturday.
It was an enlightening experience to witness the emergency personnel work in a potential deadly situation. Pulaski County Sheriff Michael Gayer noted that he thought the overall turnout was a success.
Beginning today, the Indiana House will be taking a look at rewriting the decades-old criminal sentencing code.
The Criminal Code Evaluation Committee has agreed that the main overhaul of the code focuses on consistency, proportionality, like-sentences for like-crimes, new criminal penalties and sentencing schemes designed to keep dangerous offenders in prison, but avoid using prison space for non-violent offenders.
