Two Arrests Made In Friday Drug Overdose

On March 2, 2018, the Mt. Carmel Police were notified of a 17 year old female that was being treated for a possible drug overdose.  During the course of the investigation it was discovered that the female may have taken a narcotic in a form similar to “gummy bear” candy.  Police continued their investigation and were able to locate the person who is said to have provided the 17 year old female with the “gummy”.  That individual was a 16 year old juvenile who was also being treated for ingesting the “gummy” candy.  The 16 year old was charged with possession of a controlled substance and released to his guardian. 

A second arrest was made in relationship to this investigation.  Police arrested 18 year old Jacob E. Molstad of Mt. Carmel after he was stopped by police in the area of 9th and Market Street in Mt. Carmel.  Police located prescription pills in the vehicle and placed him under arrest.  Molstad was transported to the Wabash County Jail where he was charged with possession of a controlled substance and delivery of a controlled substance while on school grounds.  Molstad is being held in the Wabash County Jail pending the setting of bond. 

Detective Sgt. Ryan Turner said, " (The) attached (photo)  will (show) the actual “gummies” that were confiscated. The gummies will be sent to the Illinois State Police Crime Lab for analysis.  Only then will we know what chemical and narcotic compounds were used to make this drug.  At this time we have no reason to believe this is the drug commonly referred to as FLAKKA as reported in social media. Further testing is needed to confirm the actual drug used in making these gummies. This investigation is ongoing and more arrests could be made." 

Turner continued, "The Mt. Carmel Police Department takes these complaints serious as does District #348.  We encourage parents to look through their student’s book bags, phones, and tablets.  The Fourth Amendment doesn’t apply to parents but it does apply to the police.  Also, if a student has a tip on narcotics or any other illegal activities at the Mt. Carmel High School please text the tip line at 262-237-8472.  Individuals can also call CRIMESTOPPERS at 262-HALT."

Disturbance call leads to arrest of Oakland City man on numerous charges

On March 1, 2018, at 7:38 p.m. Gibson County Central Dispatch received a report of a disturbance in the 10,000 block of North Salem Lane near Hazelton, Indiana. Upon arriving on scene officers discovered 64 year old Mark Thomson of Oakland City on top of the homeowner. Upon separating the parties Captain Bryan Ellis began an investigation into the incident. At the conclusion of his investigation Captain Ellis placed Mr. Thomson into custody and transported him to the Gibson County Jail. Upon arriving at the Gibson County Jail Mr. Thomson was charged with Battery, Strangulation, and Residential Entry. He remains in custody on a $750 bond.

Assisting Captain Ellis in his investigation was Deputy Jennifer Loesch and Conservation Officer Matt Clark.

All Criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Indiana Sheriff's Deputy Killed In Line Of Duty

Lebanon, IN - Boone County Sheriff's Deputy Jacob Pickett was fatally wounded by a fleeing suspect earlier today.

Deputy Pickett, a Brownsburg Indiana native and 2002 graduate of Brownsburg High School has been employed by the Boone County Sheriff's Office since July of 2015. Prior to his work with BCSO he served as a deputy for the Tipton County Sheriff's Department from November of 2013 until July of 2015. Deputy Pickett also served as a jailer at the Marion County Jail from 2010 until 2013. 

Deputy Pickett was the lead K9 handler for the Boone County Sheriff's Office and patrolled with his partner Brick for more than 2 years. 

Deputy Jacob Pickett and his family continue to selflessly serve even after his fatal wound by donating his organs. 

 The last person killed in the line of duty from the Boone County Sheriff's Office was Sheriff John Pepper in 1935. 

Earlier release:

Lebanon, IN - A Boone County Sheriff's Deputy has been shot while pursuing a suspect on foot. The Deputy was flown by medical helicopter to St. Vincent's Hospital in Indianapolis in critical condition. 

The incident began when police officers from the Lebanon Police Department were attempting serve an outstanding warrant on Yates Street, in Lebanon on a female suspect. At 9:32 a.m. the officers noticed a male subject in the area who they visually identified as 28 year old John D. Baldwin Jr. Baldwin Jr. was known to have an outstanding warrant as well. When ordered to stop Baldwin Jr. and two other people got into a silver Ford Focus and fled the scene. The officers began to chase the vehicle as it fled through the streets of Lebanon. A deputy from the Boone County Sheriff's Office joined the pursuit to assist the officers. At approximately 9:39 a.m. the vehicle came to a stop on Indian Springs Road and the occupants fled on foot. While chasing one of the suspects the Boone County Deputy was shot. 

One suspect, 21 year old Anthony Bumgarht of Lebanon was wounded by officers. Another occupant of the vehicle, 55 year old John Baldwin Sr. fled on foot. Baldwin Jr., the driver, fled again in the silver Ford.  He was later apprehended by officers on I-65 after another pursuit. 

At the request of Boone County Sheriff Mike Nielson, the Indiana State Police has taken the lead investigation in this case. Currently crime scene investigators, detectives and tactical officers remain in Lebanon to continue the investigation. 

At this point police do not believe there is any further risk to the community. Police activity will likely continue through the evening.

 At the time of this release a mug photo for Anthony Bumgahrt was not available. 

More information will be released as it becomes available. 

WVC Schedules Conceal Carry Class

If you are interested in obtaining your Illinois Concealed Carry License, why not enroll in the next Concealed Carry course being offered by Illinois Eastern Community Colleges which will be offered at  Wabash Valley College on Thursday and Friday nights,  March 22 and 23,  from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m., and on Saturday, March 24,  from  8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.  D Ray Etzkorn is the instructor for this class.

Not only will attendees learn the minimum information required by the Concealed Carry Act, but through the use of lecture and range drills, attendees will learn how to safely handle a handgun and hone their skills, as a marksman, and survive a real-world encounter.  Whether you are new to handguns or more experienced, this course is designed to make everyone a more knowledgeable and accomplished shooter.  Through the teaching of current trends and techniques, students will learn and understand how to maintain the proper mindset, skills, and abilities that come with “bearing arms” for the purpose of self-defense.

Pre-registration is required.  The cost of the 16-hour course is $175 for in-District students, which includes tuition and fees, and must be paid in advance to reserve a seat in the course.  The cost for enrollees over 60 years old is $92.  For more information or to get registered, contact your local Student Services Office:  Wabash Valley College-Mt. Carmel, 866-982-4322, or Frontier Community College-Fairfield, 877-464-3687. If you have questions concerning the program, contact the Concealed Carry Coordinator, Bryan Hart, at hartb@iecc.edu, or call 618-879-9420 and leave a message.

WVC COMMUNITY GARDEN EXPANSION BEGINS

The Community Garden is a service-learning and leadership opportunity at Wabash Valley College that has been working for 3 years to provide fresh produce to theWADI food pantry.  Jennifer Stroughmatt began the Garden after recognizing a need in our area for access to fresh fruits and vegetables for those in need.  Jennifer worked for the University of Illinois Extension Office from 2007 to 2011, communicating the need to spend food stamp allocations on fresh produce for the health benefits these foods offer.  She learned first-hand what some of the issues were that encouraged processed foods over fresh.  One of the main issues is a limited allocation of funds.  If individuals spend their food stamp allowance on something that might perish and/or that their family might not eat, they have wasted their food stamp allocation.  Working with both families in local agencies and children in the schools, the crux of the issue was clear; parents were having a difficult time justifying the purchase of foods that might go to waste, and encouraging kids to eat them did not change the availability of fresh foods at home.  Simply talking about the health benefits was not enough to change behavior.  After beginning her work at WVC, she and Dr. Fowler, President of the College, began to discuss a student-led garden program.

The College, as a learning community, has been the perfect environment to begin the Community Garden.  The students are highly devoted to making the Garden a success and recognize the opportunity to build themselves as leaders.  Jacey Schwarlose, a Spring graduate who has been in the class every semester as elective credit, helped write the class mantra, “Feed the people!”  She says, “This class has helped me develop leadership skills like managing work flow, planning and organizing, increasing the motivation of others, and seeing things from a ‘big picture’ perspective. We work really hard out here, but the reward is knowing that we are giving people a smile on their faces when they get fresh foods from the pantry.”

Each year, the Garden students have taken on developing a little more area to try to grow new vegetables and fruits.  In the past, they have been very successful at cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, beans, peppers, lettuce, watermelon, and now we have a new strawberry bed that was donated by a community member.  This year, they are excited to be awarded a Mini-Grant from  Walmart in Princeton to help make a dream of expansion for the Garden a possibility!  However, more funding is needed to make the expansion project complete.  The group is looking to increase the production area by approximately 50% for the Spring with hopes of additional expansion in future classes over summer and fall.

“This is such a dream for me.  It was a struggle some days to believe that I was really having an impact when I was working to encourage families to make healthy food choices. Now, with the Community Garden, I know that we are making an impact for those who might like fresh foods or might like to try new things but lack the budget to afford them,” Jennifer says.

Debbie Meyer, County Manager at the WADI Rural Resource Center, shares her support for what the Garden is doing. “The food pantry serves nearly 200 people per month, and rarely does the food pantry get fresh fruits and vegetables, except what the College is providing.  Many of the people can no longer garden or afford to purchase these items.  We appreciate all the College is doing for the community and are happy to be a part of it.”

The Garden has had marvelous support from the community through donations of material goods and funds.  Current sponsors include Wabash General Hospital, Rural King, Kieffer Lumber, and the MCHS Greenhouse, as well as El Mexicano Restaurant in Fairfield.  If you are interested in helping, please contact Jennifer Stroughmatt at the College, 618-263-5013.

Spring Break At WVC

Wabash Valley College will be observing Spring Break next week, March 5-9.   There will be no classes the entire week.  Campus offices will be open 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Small World, the Pool, and the Fitness Center will remain open, operating on normal hours.  Additionally, the Red Café will operate from 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. (closed Friday), serving lunch only-patrons may order off the menu.  The College Campus Store will be open 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Allendale Students of the Month

llendale School is proud to announce its February Students of the Month:

Front row:  Wyatt Buchanan (Kindergarten), Olivia Phelps (1st Grade), Michael Medler (3rd Grade)

Back row:  Emma Ford (2nd Grade), Joleigh Keeling (Jr. High), Kennedy Adams (4th Grade)

Absent:  Blake McDonald (Jr. High)

WGH Board of Directors Approve Organizational Changes

Wabash General Hospital’s Board of Directors approved organizational changes effective March 1, 2018.  These changes are being made to assist with the succession plan of Jay Purvis, President & CEO, who plans to retire at the end of 2018. 

Karissa Turner will be promoted to Executive Vice President of Hospital Operations/Chief Operations Officer.  The VP of Clinical Services/CNO, Tamara Gould, and VP of Human Resources, Bridget Shepard, along with their respective departments will report to Mrs. Turner.

Lynn Leek will be promoted to Hospital Controller.  She will oversee the following departments:  Business Office, IT, Materials Management and Medical Records.  Mrs. Leek will continue to report directly to Steve McGill, Executive VP of Finance/CFO.

Danielle Stevens will take on additional tasks with the WGH Foundation and her title will be changed to Executive Assistant/Marketing, Foundation & Credentialing Director.   Mrs. Stevens will continue to assist the CEO and CFO in their daily matters, maintain the providers’ credential files and coordinate all marketing and public relations assignments. 

City Thankful For Senior Center Donations

Thanks to donations that continue to roll in, the Wabash County Senior Citizens Center now has enough resources to remain open through at least mid-May. At Monday’s City Council meeting, Wabash County Ministerial Alliance President Kevin McGinnis presented a $1,000 check to the senior center. Senior Citizens Commissioner Joe Judge said last week’s chili supper brought in more than $11,400 in donations and table sponsorships. Also, the VFW Auxilliary chipped in $900 from bingo last Friday night, Heartland Worship Center gave $1,000, and St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church has pledged $3,000 a month for the next three months to help the senior center. Judge said every donation is appreciated…

Judge said the senior center also recently received a donation of a chest freezer to replace one that failed and caused the center to store its’ frozen food at various locations around town.

Senior Citizens Commissioner Joe Judge accepts a $1,000 check from Wabash County Ministerial Alliance President Rev. Kevin McGinnis.

Mayor Bill Hudson shakes hands with Tony Hodgson of Heartland Worship Center after he presented a check for the continued operation of the Senior Citizens Center.

Local Groups Benefit From K of C Tootsie Roll Drive

Dan Kieffer representing the Knights of Columbus presented $1.000 checks this morning to two local organizations.

$1,000 went to Wabash District #348 to be used for handicapped accessible swings and special education Chromebooks. And, another $1,000 was presented to WAVE.

Kieffer said the money comes from last fall's 47th annual K of C Tootsie Roll Drive.

District #348 Superintendent Tim Buss accepts a $1,000 check from Dan Kieffer of the Mt. Carmel K of C.

Dan Kieffer presents a $1,000 check to WAVE's Misty Holstlaw.