The contractor working on concrete pavement repairs along the KY 425 Henderson Bypass plans to reopen one section and close another at 5:00 a.m., CDT, on Saturday, May 18, 2013. 

The contractor has completed the initial round of work between mile point 2.429 at the intersection with US 41-Alternate and mile point 4.474 at the intersection with US 41.  This section of the KY 425 Henderson Bypass is expected to reopened at 5:00 a.m., Saturday. 

At that same time, the contractor plans to CLOSE the KY 425 Henderson Bypass between US 60 at mile point 0.0 and US 41-Alternate at mile point 2.429.  This section is expected to remain closed to all traffic through Friday, May 24th. 

Local access will be maintained along the work zone for businesses and property owners along this section. 

A marked detour will be provided.  However, many of the 9,000 vehicles that normally travel this section of the KY 425 Henderson Bypass each day will likely travel through Henderson on US 60/Green Street. 

Once work is complete on this section, the contractor will schedule one additional closure for concrete pavement Repairs on the section between US 41 and the Breathitt-Pennyrile Parkway.

JBI is the prime contractor on this $780,521 highway improvement project. 

Timely traffic advisories for the 11 counties of KYTC Highway District 2 are available by going to www.facebook.com/kytcdistrict2.  You do not have to be a Facebook member to access this page.


SOURCE: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet

Earlier today, I was notified by the EVSC that a parent had lodged a complaint about an incident involving a student and an EPD officer who was working off-duty at one of its schools. The parent believed the officer had committed a battery against the student and wanted the incident investigated. The Coordinator of Safety and Security for the EVSC has begun an investigation at the school and notified the EPD. The EPD has also opened a criminal investigation into the incident. 

As Chief, I take these allegations seriously and want to assure the public generally and those involved specifically that we will conduct a thorough investigation. Maintaining the public trust is crucial to having a successful police department and I will not tolerate actions that violate that trust. 

The officer involved in the incident was immediately placed on administrative leave. The officer will remain on leave while the incident is being investigated. 

Until the investigation process is final, the EPD cannot comment further due to state law and its collective bargaining agreement with the Fraternal Order of Police. 

Billy Bolin 
Chief of Police


SOURCE: Evansville Police Department - Nixle

Mayor Lloyd Winnecke’s “Fitness in the Park” program will join Pushups for Charity Saturday, May 18, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Evansville State Hospital Park to raise money for services to aid wounded military veterans. 

Registration opens at 8:30 a.m., and the official welcome will be at 9 a.m. Pushups for Charity begins at 9:15 a.m., followed by an exercise boot camp, a family fun walk/run, Box-Fit, Yoga and Zumba.

Pushups for Charity 2013 is organized locally by Custom Fit Personnel Training and Bob’s Gym. It is part of a national effort to raise $300,000 for the Boot Campaign, a nonprofit organization that provides assistance and support to troops.

“Fitness in the Park” is a health and fitness initiative launched by Mayor Winnecke as part of his Energize Evansville initiative to promote healthier lifestyles. Fitness in the Park is held the third Saturday of each month at a different city park featuring local fitness trainer leading group exercises.

SOURCE: www.evansville.in.gov

In the early morning hours of May 17, 2013, Officer Justin Chambers was in the area of Bell Road and Bell Oaks Drive when he stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation. During this traffic stop, Warrick County Sheriff's Deputy, Jonathan Scully, ran his K9 partner around the vehicle and the K9 alerted to narcotics inside the vehicle. 

During the search of the vehicle, Methamphetamine was found along with drug paraphernalia. Marijuana and paraphernalia were also found in a purse belonging to one of the passengers. 

The driver of the vehicle was charged with Possession of Methamphetamine and Paraphernalia.

One of the passengers was charged with Possession of Marijuana and Paraphernalia and Possession of a Legend Drug and another passenger was arrested for a warrant out of Vanderburgh County.


SOURCE: Newburgh Police Department - Facebook

The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office expects to file felony charges against several members of a criminal group known as the “Felony Lane Gang”. The Sheriff’s Office believes that members of this group targeted vehicles parked at the Goebel Soccer Fields at 6800 N. Green River Rd during a soccer game on April 28, 2013. 

Seven reports were taken by Sheriff’s Deputies and in each case, a car window was broken and a purse stolen. 

Checks taken during these thefts were cashed in Louisville, KY and Warsaw, IN. Two persons, a male and female, were arrested in Warsaw and charged with several felonies related to cashing some of the checks stolen here. 

The “Felony Lane Gang” operates by having one group of people commit the vehicle break-ins followed by a second group who disguise themselves to resemble the victims’ identification photos. They then go to a bank drive-thru and utilize the furthest lane (the Felony lane) from the tellers to attempt to cash the checks. This group is reportedly from South Florida and travel across the country committing these crimes. 

Case files will be sent to the Prosecutor’s Office for possible additional charges on the two arrested and the investigation is continuing. 

The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office urges citizens to not leave valuables in their vehicles. If they must, keep them out of sight and it would be best to lock them in the glove box or trunk. 

Arrested: Charges of Forgery Class C Felony and Theft Class D Felony 
Scott David Mahood, age 34, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 
Rebecka Lee Scoggins, age 37, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

SOURCE: Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office - Nixle

The federal grand jury meeting in Bowling Green, Kentucky this week charged three Henderson County, Kentucky residents with multiple counts of bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, announced David J. Hale, United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky.

Weston Neel Hurd, age 39, of Henderson, Kentucky, was charged with robbing two banks located in Owensboro, Kentucky and one bank located in Henderson, Kentucky between August 6, 2012 and December 28, 2012. Specifically, Hurd is alleged to have brandished a firearm during the robbery of the First Security Bank, located on Frederica Street, in Owensboro, of $1,131 on December 28, 2012. Further, according to the indictment, Hurd, through force, violence and intimidation allegedly robbed the Ohio Valley Financial Group, in Henderson, Kentucky of $2,651 on August 6, 2012 and that Hurd robbed the Kentucky Telco Federal Credit Union, located in Owensboro, of $2,878 on October 2, 2012.

If convicted at trial, Hurd faces no more than 20 years for counts one and two, no more than 25 years for county three, and no less than seven years to life for count four, for a combined total of 72 years in prison including life, a $250,000 fine for each count, and five years of supervised release. Hurd is being held in the Daviess County Detention Center.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel P. Kinnicutt, and is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Owensboro Police Department and Henderson Police Department.

Meiesha R. Sharp, 23, of Henderson, Kentucky, was charged in a four-count federal grand jury indictment with robbing a convenience store and a bank, both located in Henderson, Kentucky and with brandishing a firearm, specifically an AMT, Model Backup, .380 caliber pistol, during a crime of violence. According to the indictment, Sharp robbed the Kangaroo Express store, located in Henderson, on June 25, 2012 and robbed the Fifth Third Bank, located in Henderson, of $29,068.95 on June 29, 2012, and on both occasions did assault and put in jeopardy the life of another person by the use of a dangerous weapon, that is a firearm.

If convicted at trial, Sharp faces 77 years and up to including life in prison, a fine of $1,000,000 and no more than five years of supervised release for each charge. Sharp remains in the Henderson County Detention Center.

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Micah Reyner and is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Henderson Police Department.

James A. Morris, 53, of Henderson, Kentucky, was charged with robbing five banks in Henderson, and one bank in Webster County, Kentucky between July 23, 2010 and January 17, 2013. An additional charge of money laundering was added in the superseding indictment. According to the indictment, Morris, through force, violence, and intimidation, allegedly robbed Green River Credit Union located in Henderson on January 17, 2013; Independence Bank located in Henderson on August 22, 2012; Bank of Henderson on August 22, 2012; Green River Credit Union in Henderson, on July 11, 2012; U.S. Bank in Henderson on May 24, 2011; and Integra Bank in Poole Kentucky on July 23, 2010.

If convicted at trial, Morris faces no more than 20 years in prison for each count for a combined maximum of 140 years, a $250,000 fine for each count for a combined maximum of $1,750,000, and supervised release for a period of three years. Morris remains in custody awaiting arraignment on the new charge.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Judd and is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

SOURCE: www.fbi.gov

Evansville Police have completed their search of the home where a wanted suspect was arrested last night. 

Police went to the home at 1408 S. Grand to arrest 33 year old John Cannon on charges that he held his ex-girlfriend and her 6 month old son in the home for 3 days against their will. During that time, they were not allowed to leave. The victim told investigators that Cannon beat her several times with his hands and also hit her with a metal baseball bat. 

The victim said Cannon threatened to shoot her son if police came to the house looking for her. She also told police there was an AR-15 rifle in the basement of the house. 

When the victim was allowed to leave, she went to a local ER for treatment and reported the incident to police. 
When police arrived to arrest Cannon, he fled into the basement. His elderly mother was evacuated from the front room of the home and the SWAT Team surrounded the house. Police put tear gas into the home after Cannon refused to surrender or communicate with negotiators. After a 4 hour standoff, Cannon was overwhelmed by the tear gas and surrendered. 

During the search, investigators removed weapons from the home. That included the AR-15 that the victim told officers was in the house. Multiple rounds of ammunition and several cans of black powder were also removed from the home. Investigators also found the bat believed to have been used to assault the victim. 
Cannon was out of jail on bond on a separate criminal confinement case at the time of the latest crimes and standoff. 

In February of 2012, Cannon was involved in a police chase that ended when he crashed his truck. When he was taken into custody, he was in possession of a stolen handgun. Cannon also had an AR-15 rifle on the driver’s seat that was loaded and had a round in the chamber and the safety switch was off. More rifles were found in the bed of the truck. During those events, Cannon said it would be “war” if police tried to arrest him. 

Due to his previous actions and the information given to officers during the latest crimes, the SWAT Team was used to make the arrests. Cannon is in jail on the original confinement and battery charges and also faces resisting law enforcement charges.

*UPDATED: From Evansville Police Department - John Cannon, the suspect in the Wednesday standoff with police, has now been charged with Receiving Stolen Property. The charge was added after a check of the AR-15 rifle that was recovered after the standoff showed it had been reported stolen from an Evansville home in March of 2012.


SOURCE: Evansville Police Department - Nixle

Beginning May 20th and continuing for approximately one month, The Evansville Water and Sewer Utility will temporarily change the disinfectant used in the water treatment process. EWSU will be using free chlorine rather than chloramines during this time period.

What is Chloramine? 
Chloramine is a disinfectant used in drinking water to remove bacteria and viruses that can make you sick. It is made up of chlorine and ammonia. EWSU has used chloramines as the disinfectant in its water treatment process since 1999.

What is Free Chlorine? 
Free chlorine is a slightly stronger disinfectant than chloramines, and may be used to remove more resistant bacteria and viruses that may be found in the water distribution system.

Why Would The Evansville Water and Sewer Utility Convert from Chloramines to Free Chlorine? 
This brief, scheduled change in disinfectant is a standard water treatment practice to keep water mains clean and free of potentially harmful bacteria throughout the year.

State drinking water guidelines recommend that utilities using chloramines periodically switch to free chlorine for a period of time. The temporary use of chlorine will ensure that a high level of disinfection is maintained throughout the network of water mains and pipes that deliver your drinking water.

Free chlorine is a more aggressive disinfectant than chloramines, and this temporary change in the water treatment process denies bacteria the ability to form resistance to the usual disinfection treatment process. 
Switching to free chlorine is a proactive step to ensure that we maintain optimal levels of disinfection in the water distribution system.

As always, the drinking water will be regularly monitored to ensure that the water delivered meets, or is better than, federal Safe Drinking Water Act standards.

Why Does EWSU Use Chloramines Most of the Year? 
While chlorine is an effective disinfectant, using chlorine alone creates byproducts, which are regulated by the US Environmental Protection Agency. We can drastically and cost-effectively reduce byproduct levels through the use of chloramines.

Chloramine is a better long-term choice because it produces lower levels of disinfectant by-products like trihalomethanes, improves the odor of water (compared to chlorine), and lasts longer in the distribution system to prevent bacterial growth.

Will I Notice a Difference in My Water? 
Possibly, some customers may notice a slight change in the taste or smell of their tap water. Free chlorine may have a bit of a chemical odor or smell slightly like water in a swimming pool. Each individual customer has his or her own sensitivity level to the taste and/or odor of free chlorine. Many detect no change at all. The mild chlorine taste and smell is normal and poses no health risk.

Are Free Chlorine and Chloraminated Water Safe? 
Yes, both forms of chlorine are effective and safe for people and animals to drink, for cooking and bathing, watering the garden, and for all other common uses. However, precautions must be taken to remove or neutralize chloramines and free chlorine during the kidney dialysis process, in the preparation of water for fish tanks and ponds, and for businesses requiring highly-processed water. A de-chlorination procedure optimized for chloramine removal will work equally well with free chlorine.

People and businesses that normally take special precautions to remove chloramines from tap water, such as dialysis centers, medical facilities and aquatic pet owners, should continue to take the same precautions during the temporary switch from chloramines to free chlorine.

Most customers will not need to take any precautions as the water remains safe to drink and is treated according to both state and federal standards.

• Kidney Dialysis 
Just like chloramines, free chlorine must be removed from water used in kidney dialysis machines. EWSU has contacted representatives from the medical community to inform them of this temporary conversion. We advise customers who are dialysis patients to call their physicians or dialysis centers if there are any questions. 
• Fish Owners 
Like chloramines, free chlorine is toxic to fish. Fish owners need to remove chlorine, ammonia and chloramines from the water before use with tropical fish. Local pet stores carry water conditioners that remove chloramines and free chlorine. If customers have questions, we recommend contacting their pet store for information and detailed instructions.

EWSU is committed to providing high quality water and related services that meet all regulatory drinking water standards in a manner that prevents pollution, enhances the environment, and promotes sustainability. If you need further information regarding this change, please contact the Utility at (812) 428-0568.


SOURCE: www.evansville.in.gov

MOUNT VERNON, Ind. – The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) is announcing there will be temporary lane restrictions on the State Road 62 Wabash Memorial Toll Bridge.  

On Thursday, May 16, bridge inspection teams will finish their bi-annual inspection of the structure. This work is scheduled from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time.  Crews will use Friday, May 17, should weather be a factor.  

The east bound lane of S.R. 62 will be closed to allow crews and equipment to set up for the inspections.  Traffic will be maintained on the west bound lanes and will be controlled by flag persons on each end of the work site.  Motorists should anticipate delays. 

INDOT encourages motorists to slow down and pay special attention while traveling in work zones throughout Indiana.  For the latest news and information about INDOT, please visit www.in.gov/indot and www.trafficwise.in.gov