Preliminary Autopsy Results Released in Marshall County Inmate Death

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Preliminary autopsy results have been released in the case of a Marshall County Jail inmate found dead in his cell Sunday morning.

Marshall County Coroner Bill Cleavenger and Deputy Coroner Lisa Richards attended the autopsy in Mishawaka Tuesday which was conducted by Dr. Joseph Prahlow, a board certified forensic pathologist. Cleavenger indicated that the preliminary results showed no evidence of violence nor foul play in the death of 44-year-old Kerry Pinder. Pinder had a history of previous medical issues and there is no evidence to suggest that his incarceration was related to his death.

Continue reading →

Marshall County Coroner, ISP Investigating Death of Inmate

Posted on Author WKVI

police investigation 2Neither violence nor foul play are suspected in the Sunday morning death of an inmate at the Marshall County Correctional Facility in Plymouth. Authorities there say 44-year-old Kerry A. Pinder of Culver had been jailed since early Saturday morning following his arrest by Plymouth Police for operating while intoxicated. He was awaiting release at the time of his death just before 11 a.m. An autopsy is scheduled today. When an inmate in custody dies, the Indiana State Police and coroner are the lead investigators.

 

Plymouth Redevelopment Corporation Opens River Park Square Bids

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
The Plymouth Redevelopment Corporation will choose a contractor for the new River Park Square at its April 16 meeting. E&B Paving of Rochester and Michiana Contracting both bid on the project. Both bids include a base amount and several alternate options, including a performance space, a fountain, a furnace in the restrooms and a pergola in the farmer’s market. The budget for the project is $1.5 million. The Plymouth Park Board, the Redevelopment Commission and the city council will review the bids prior to the April 16 meeting.

Plymouth Man Arrested after Scuffle with Police

Posted on Author WKVI

Allen Biggers
Allen Biggers
A simple arrest warrant procedure turned into a complicated situation for officers from the Plymouth Police Department on Monday.

Plymouth Police Department Detective Sgt. Leo Mangus was in the process of serving an arrest warrant for Theft on 19-year-old Allen Biggers at his home in the 300 block of Kingston Road when Biggers became agitated and refused to comply with instructions given to him by the officers.

Continue reading →

Plymouth Board of Works Approves Vehicle Purchases

Posted on Author WKVI

The lone quote for a truck chassis and body for the Plymouth Waste Water Department is well under budget. Oliver Ford bid $52,685 for a single axle truck with the tool box and a hoist to raise lift stations. Utility Superintendent Donnie Davidson told the Plymouth Board of Works he had budgeted $58,000 for this year’s vehicle.
The board also ratified the award of quotes for three new police vehicles. The Plymouth Police Department will purchase a Dodge Charger from County Auto for $20,357 and two all-wheel drive Ford Interceptors from Oliver Ford for a total of $45,397. The total cost for all three vehicles is nearly $2,000 less than Police Chief Dave Bacon has budgeted this year.
A former 1999 Ford Crown Victoria police car will be traded in to offset the cost of the new cop cars. It’s currently being used by the Plymouth Board of Aviation and will be replaced by a 2006 unmarked Ford Taurus Police Department vehicle that was designated as surplus by the board.

Heart Cart Offering Discounted Screenings This Spring

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
The Heart Cart is offering discounted cardiovascular screenings today at IU Health Primary Care at LifePlex in Marshall County, with another visit planned for next month as well. The Heart Cart will be offering the screenings from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET today and at the same times on May 21.

Both visits will be held at IU Health Primary Care at LifePlex, located at 2855 Miller Dr., Ste. 117, in Plymouth. All Plymouth residents and those of surrounding counties are encouraged to take advantage of the Heart Cart visit so close to home by pre-registering for a screening. The service is now even less expensive; the screenings cost only $50 for tests that would normally cost more than $1200.

Continue reading →

Indiana Civil Rights Commission Investigating Mental Health Facility

Posted on Author WKVI
mbhc
 

Last month’s protest outside a Marshall County mental health facility has prompted a state agency to investigate reports of wrongdoing there. The Indiana Civil Rights Commission is looking into operations at Michiana Behavioral Health. Former employees of the Plymouth facility claim it is understaffed and puts patients in danger. Officials there deny the claims. Findings from the ongoing investigation should be available in a couple of weeks.

 

Pedestrians Treated and for Minor Injuries After Being Hit by a Truck

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Two women who work in the Marshall County building were treated at a local hospital for minor injuries sustained yesterday as they were struck by a truck while walking to work. The incident occurred just before 8 a.m. at the corner of Jefferson and Center Streets in downtown Plymouth. Police there say Timothy J. Patterson, 42, of Plymouth, was blinded by the sun as he was turning left from Center Street onto Jefferson Street and did not see the women crossing the street. Catherine A. Hamman of Plymouth was treated at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Plymouth for a concussion, Angela L. Wilson of Plymouth received stitches to her face for some minor cuts. Hamman told the police officer she and Wilson were talking as they crossed the street with the light and did not see Patterson’s truck before it hit them.

House Passes Bill to Limit Pseudoephedrine Sales

Posted on Author WKVI

pseudoephedrineHoosier allergy sufferers could soon face tougher limits on how much over-the-counter cold medication they can purchase. A bill to set an annual cap on pseudoephedrine purchases passed the House by a vote of 91-1. The goal of the legislation is to curb the manufacture of methamphetamine by crimping the supply of one of the drug’s main ingredients. Plymouth Mayor and former Indiana State Police Trooper Mark Senter testified in support of the limits during a House hearing on the bill. Cold medications containing pseudoephedrine are already sold behind the counter in pharmacies in limited quantities, and purchasers must show a photo identification to buy them. The 61 gram per person limit is about an eight-month supply of the current law’s monthly limit. The bill now goes back to the Senate for consideration of a few minor changes before it can be sent to Governor Mike Pence for consideration.

 

March Madness Snowstorm Socks Kankakee Valley

Posted on Author WKVI

It’s a whole different kind of March Madness across the Kankakee Valley this morning. Roads are slick and snow-covered after a late season overnight snowstorm. This is making for hazardous travel. If you do have to be out, allow yourself plenty of time to reach your destination, and remember, ice and snow, take it slow. Maintain a safe distance from other vehicles, brake early and accelerate slowly. If you see a snow plow, stay back and give it plenty of room to operate. Don’t tailgate or try to pass a plow truck, as the roadway will be clearer behind the plow than in front of it.

You can check road conditions anywhere in the state by visiting www.trafficwise.in.gov or by dialing toll-free 1-800-261-ROAD (7623) for updated Indiana travel information, including road conditions, road closures, construction information and other traffic alerts.

Snow should taper off into flurries by midday, but additional snowfall is expected tonight and into tomorrow before temperatures warm up into the 40s by the middle of the week. Fortunately the snow will not be a factor for schools today, as most school systems within the WKVI listening area are on spring break this week. However, if we receive word of any other weather-related closings or delays we will pass it along on the closings and delays page at www.wkvi.com as well as on the air and on our Facebook page.

 

VanMeter to Retire from Plymouth Schools After 33 Years of Service

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

After serving the school for more than three decades, Sharon VanMeter has announced that she will be retiring from Plymouth Community Schools. VanMeter started at the Plymouth Community School Corporation in 1980 at Jefferson Elementary, where she served as a teacher’s aide. In 1994, she transferred to Plymouth High School as a secretary.

Throughout her 33 years at the corporation, VanMeter has become a well-known face to thousands of staff and community members, teachers, parents, and students, having worked under five different principals.

Continue reading →

K9 Unit Approved by Plymouth City Council

Posted on Author WKVI

Newly installed Plymouth Police Chief Dave Bacon recently approached the Plymouth City Council to request three vehicles for the police department that were budgeted for the year.

Chief Bacon said two cars will be used for regular patrol and an SUV will be used for K9 Officer John Wier and his partner, Jax, as it’s more sturdy and better equipped to meet their needs. K9 unit.

Continue reading →

Marshall County Commissioners Approve Payment to Humane Society

Posted on Author WKVI

The Marshall County Commissioners approved the payment of $7,000 to the Marshall County Humane Society. The county usually supports the humane society with $40,000 a year and had been behind in payments to the group.

The commissioners discussed the payment system and decided that the cost should be paid in January so the officials can budget their money they way they need to at the beginning of the year.

Auditor Penny Lukenbill urged the commissioners to draw up a contract with the humane society pertaining to the payment system as she can’t find a current contract. There was a contract, but the paper trail can not be accounted for.

The commissioners also approved a motion to pay EMA Director Clyde Avery out of county’s funds instead of having him get his salary through a grant distributed by the state. All three commissioners commented on how well Avery is conducting business out of his office. The state keeps raising the bar on points needed to obtain the grant and the commissioners know how hard he works to make sure the county is in compliance for a variety of issues.

It was unanimously approved to fund Avery’s salary out of the county budget.

Plymouth City Council Approves Bids for New Police Vehicles

Posted on Author WKVI

Newly installed Plymouth Police Chief Dave Bacon recently approached the Plymouth City Council to request three vehicles for the police department that were budgeted for the year. He says two will be used for regular patrol and an SUV will be used for the K9 unit. “We were looking at the all-wheel drive Ford utility vehicle, which is basically the Explorer to give to the K9,” explained Bacon. “We did get a bid on that and an approval for that. The two other vehicles will go into our patrol fleet.”

The council decided to purchase a sport utility vehicle for K9 officer John Wier and K9 Jax as it’s a more sturdy vehicle for the needs of the K9 unit.

“K9 units sometimes go off-road, depending on what type of situation they have, and that might call for a track out in the woods. In order to get him to where he needs to go, we thought a four-wheel drive vehicle would be the best for that,” Bacon explained.

The purchases were approved by the Council.

 

Police Turn Bomb Threat Suspect Over to Proseuctor, Probation

Posted on Author WKVI

police investigation 2A police report concerning the case involving a 15-year-old Plymouth High School student who reportedly admitted to writing a bomb threat on the boys bathroom wall in the high school on Jan. 23 is now in the hands of the Marshall County Prosecuting Attorney and the Marshall County Probation Department.

 Plymouth Police Chief Dave Bacon said they have been investigating the incident since it happened and had narrowed the suspect pool down to a few students and then this student confessed to the act.

 The student had reportedly written that a bomb would go off in the high school library at noon on January 24. Several police agencies searched the school and didn’t find any evidence of a bomb.

 The student allegedly told police that he never meant any harm to students or faculty.

 The Marshall County Probation officer and Prosecutor David Holmes will make a decision on what the juvenile’s charges will be and a decision has not been made yet.

Hacienda Restaurant Soon to Open in Plymouth

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
Plymouth residents will soon have a new place to enjoy some nice food and tasty drink, as Hacienda Mexican Restaurants have announced they will be opening a new restaurant in Plymouth in a little over two months.

The restaurant, Hacienda’s 13th in Indiana, will be located off of U.S. 30 in the building that used to house Beef O’ Brady’s. Hacienda’s vice president of sales and marketing, Jeff Leslie, said the building will be entirely redecorated to match Hacienda’s ambiance and will seat 135 people with the addition of an outdoor margarita garden. Leslie also noted that they expected to hire around 100 employees, and they are currently accepting applications online at www.haciendafiesta.com with interviews to begin on April 8.

Continue reading →

MBHC Responds to Protest Group Allegations of Inadequate Staffing, Treatment

Posted on Author WKVI
mbhc
 

The Michiana Behavioral Health Center issued a press statement in response to the allegations from a group of protesters yesterday claiming that the center is putting children in danger through a variety of policy violations, dangerously low staffing, and inadequate supervision, along with a hostile work environment that the protest group alleges has caused more than 50 employees to quit their jobs or be fired.

Continue reading →

Protestors Claim Behavioral Health Center in Plymouth Puts Children in Danger

Posted on Author WKVI

Protesters lined Oak Road voicing their outrage at MBHC.
Protesters lined Oak Road voicing their outrage at MBHC.
Weathering the wind and the low temperatures, a group of more than a dozen concerned parents, registered nurses, and other former employees of Michiana Behavioral Health Center in Plymouth made their voices heard yesterday evening as they stood along the side of Oak Road near the intersection of U.S. 30, holding signs expressing their discontent with the MBHC. The group of protestors claimed that the center is putting children in danger through a variety of policy violations, understaffing, and inadequate supervision, along with a hostile work environment that they allege has caused more than 50 employees to quit their jobs or be fired.

Continue reading →