Warsaw

Officers with the Warsaw Police Department investigated the following accidents:

5:52 p.m. Friday, May 29, intersection of High Street and Winona Avenue, Warsaw. Drivers: Megan E. Welch, 27, Charles Street, Winona Lake; Jason A. Kado, 39, Fairview Drive, Goshen. Welch was turning from High Street onto Winona Ave and collided with Kado. Damages up to $10,000.

5:27 p.m. Friday, May 29, Walton Boulevard near Jalynn Street, Warsaw. Drivers: Hunter M. Dolsen, 17, EMS W26 Lane, North Webster; Holly D. Hall, 29, Briar Ridge Circle, Warsaw. Dolsen rear-ended Hall who was stopped for a turning vehicle. Damages up to $10,000

4:34 p.m. Friday, May 29, Detroit Street near 059 Ramp D, Warsaw. Drivers: David D. Snodgress, 56, Blue Heron Drive, Warsaw; Jacob J. Harris, 42, Wildwood Drive, Warsaw. Snodgress rear-ended Harris. Damages up to $2,500

1:45 p.m. Friday, May 29, 2500 block of Walton Boulevard, Warsaw. Drivers: Daniel L. Millington, 53, Buffalo Street, Warsaw; Candi S. Norris, 56, CR 48, Syracuse. Millington and Norris were both backing out of parking spaces and collided. Damages up to $2,500

1:07 p.m. Friday, May 29, Detroit Street near Canal Street, Warsaw. Drivers: Donald L. Butts, 80, Red Squirrel Court, Warsaw; Anthony W. Kaehr, 48, Frazier Street, Warsaw. Butts rear-ended Kaehr. Damages up to $25,000

7:37 a.m. Friday, May 29, Center Street near Maple Avenue, Warsaw. Drivers: Kaila Conley, 23, Country Club Road, Warsaw; Risa K. Crouse, 56, Isle View Drive, Winona Lake. Conley rear-ended Crouse. Damages up to $25,000

Yesterday, the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club and Warsaw Police Department held the annual Law Enforcement in Action Day at Pike Lake Park in Warsaw.

The event allowed children and families to get an up-close-and-personal look at what local law enforcement does.

Law enforcement vehicles were on display throughout the event, including patrol cars, SWAT vehicles and an ambulance. Kids were welcome to sit in some of the vehicles.

The demonstration of local K-9 unit demonstration seemed to be a big hit. WPD’s K-9s, Mako and Dax, as well as Kosciusko County Sheriff Department’s Rex showed how the dogs help locate narcotics and apprehend suspects.

WPD Lt. Kip Shuter demonstrated the Tazer. He passed around used cartridges to the crowd, displayed two different models of Tazer and even fired one of the Tazers into a target.

The WPD SWAT team also held a demonstration. The SWAT team used a flashbang grenade and bean bag rounds to subdue a perp (a full-size target erected for the demo).

The Warsaw Dive Rescue Team and Multi-Township EMS held a mock drowning demonstration. A dummy was pulled from Pike Lake by divers and EMS loaded into an ambulance, just as they would a real drowning victim.

Stacy Sult, 39, Warsaw, was reportedly robbed of approximately $2,000 worth of household electronics, jewelry and other items while serving time in the Kosciusko County Jail, according to a Warsaw Police Department report.

Sult was arrested on May 25 for maintaining a common nuisance, resisting law enforcement and disorderly conduct noise. She was released on bond on May 31.

Upon her release she returned to her residence on Sheridan Street, Warsaw, to retrieve some personal items and discovered the house had been burglarized. Sult told police no one was supposed to be in the house. A meth lab was discovered in the residence on the day of Sult’s arrest, and the health department closed off the residence pending test result. Officers advised Sult to compile a complete list of all missing items, but she was unable due to the health department restrictions.

Stacy visited an associate’s residence, where she located a number of the stolen items, including televisions sets, computers and gaming systems. Sult recovered those items.

Sult stated the residence had been ransacked. Some of Holbrook’s clothing was missing, her clothing had been tossed out of its drawers, some of her personal items had been knocked off shelves. Additionally, a bathroom shelf was pulled off the wall and several holes were knocked into the drywall throughout the house.

She also reported that a purse that was left in the residence was missing items, namely $120 cash, $82 in coins and a debit card. Sult’s bank did not report any unauthorized activity on the card. A safe containing personal documents was also reported stolen. Additionally, Sult’s vehicle was stolen and recovered during her incarceration. She reported $60 in change was missing from the vehicle.

WPD conducted a search warrant and did find an opened safe. The total value of the stolen items was estimated at $1,975. At the time of the report, filed on June 8, only $760 worth of the items had been recovered.

Officers, include Pierceton Town Marshal Tim Sammons (second from left) and WPD Chief Scott Whitaker (far right) prepare to breach a building during Active Shooter Training.

On Wednesday, June 10, officers of the Warsaw Police Department, Pierceton Police Department and the WPD SWAT team gathered at Pierceton Elementary School for Active Shooter Training.

Active shooter situations are defined by the Department of Homeland Security as, “an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area; in most cases, active shooters use firearm[s] and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims.”

“It could be a business, it could be an open field, shopping mall or a theater,” says Sgt. Chuck Hodges, who led the training. “It really hit home when they slaughtered those kids at Columbine. It bears on the hearts of our community when little ones go down.”

Hodges says WPD and other area law enforcement have been participating in the training for many years. Active shooter training is designed to prepare first responding officers to handle these kind of dire situations.

“It is no longer an option for first responding officers to wait,” says Hodges. “We’re not looking at this as something that’s only going to happen in L.A. or New York. It affects everyone.”

The training includes breaching a building, secondary breach points, handling a single shooter and various other scenarios. “The building that we’ve been provided is phenomenal,” says Hodges of the soon-to-be-demolished Pierceton Elementary School.

Hodges says in many cases an active shooter is killed during the situation, which makes it difficult to understand why the situation occurred in the first place. Law enforcement must look at the environment, items left behind by the shooter and talk to people who knew the shooter. “What caused this? How can we prevent this in the future?” Hodges says.

The active shooter training prepares officers to think, in and outside the box, during these high-stress, face-paced situations. Officers also used special equipment for the exercise.

Weapons were loaded with Simunition, a type of bullet composed of a plastic jacket and filled with paint. The bullets are fairly accurate, non-lethal and allow the officers to train with their duty weapons. The “bad guys” are armed with Airsoft guns. The officers can simulate live fire situations protected by just a paintball mask and long sleeves.

Simunition and Airsoft equipment used during the training exercises.

(Photos by Deb Patterson)

Emergency personnel responded to an accident located on Detroit Street and CR 350N, Warsaw, at 11:16 a.m. Thursday, June 11.

The accident, which injured three individuals, occurred after a vehicle, driven by Heather L. Davis, 33, of Leesburg, pulled into the intersection at North Detroit Street and CR 350N and collided with a vehicle driven by Sara T. Tryon, 32, of Jacksonville, Fla. A witness at the scene claimed Davis pulled into the intersection at full speed on a red light.

Davis initially refused EMS but agreed later to be transported to Kosciusko Community Hospital due to a complaint of pain to her lower leg. A passenger in Davis’s car, identified as Jesse V. Avalos, 67, of Leesburg, complained of chest pain and was transported to Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne. Police believe Avalos may have sustained a broken rib as a result of the collision.

Tryon, who complained of pain to her shoulder and upper arm area, was transported to KCH by a friend.

Damages from the crash are estimated to total up to $25,000. Warsaw Police Department and Multi-Township EMS responded to the scene.

Ryan Kauffman

Last week, Warsaw Police charged several subjects involved in a white supremacist hit on a local individual.

The investigation began on May 25, when Warsaw Police narcotics officers, along with the Indiana State Police, acted on a tip of a methamphetamine lab in Warsaw. During the meth lab investigation, officers found that a local gang member had ordered an “SOS” (Shoot/Smash on Site) hit. The hit was confirmed through various sources and the individuals involved were identified.

On Thursday, June 11, Warsaw Police located, Ryan Kauffman, who was the alleged hitman, and took him into custody. Kauffman, 33 years old, of Warsaw, had a firearm in his possession along with methamphetamine.

Kauffman was arrested and transported to the Kosciusko County Jail where he is being held on the following felony charges: conspiracy to commit felony aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, criminal gang activity, possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon and possession of methamphetamine. He is being held on a $500,000 bond with a parole hold.

Also located and charged are:

• Mark Holbrook, 37 years old, of Warsaw, is being held on charges of conspiracy to commit felony aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, criminal gang activity and dealing Methamphetamine. He is being held in the Kosciusko County Jail on a $500,000 bond with a parole hold.
• Stacy Sult, 39 years old, of Bourbon, is being held on charges of conspiracy to commit felony aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and criminal gang activity. She is being held in the Kosciusko County Jail on a $500,000 bond.

The investigation is ongoing. Additional charges and arrests are pending further investigation. Warsaw Police were assisted in their investigation by the Indiana State Police and the Kosciusko County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Kosciusko

Officers with the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department investigated the following accidents:

12:43 a.m. Monday, June 22, CR 1350N near CR 400W, Milford. Driver: Kyle P. Mersch, 21, Williams Street, Nappanee. Mersch drove off the roadway, struck a utility pole and drove into a cornfield. No serious injuries reported. Damage up to $10,000

5:59 p.m. Sunday, June 21, CR 1100N near CR 1000E, Cromwell. Drivers: Robin L. Kibe, 47, Melrose Drive, New Carlisle, and Chandler M. Hyndman, 19, SR 5, Cromwell. Kibe proceeded through the intersection without seeing the motorcycle driven by Hyndman. A collision was unavoidable, and Hyndman laid down is motorcycle. Hyndman was transported to Goshen Hospital for treatment of road rash. Damage up to $2,500

1:31 p.m. Sunday, June 21, Main Street near Huntington Street, North Webster. Drivers: James C. Hoy, 31, Noble Kinsmen Place, Fort Wayne, and Doyle D. Smith, 70, EMS B6B Lane, Leesburg. A vehicle in front of Hoy stopped suddenly to make a turn. Consequently, Hoy stopped suddenly, and Smith rear-ended his vehicle. Damage up to $1,000

8:01 a.m. Sunday, June 21, Marine Key Drive near Hatchery Road, Syracuse. Drivers: Bradley E. Shrock, 63, CR 50S, Greentown, and Michael S. Hall, 25, SR 120, Elkhart. Shrock was rounding the curve on Marine Key Drive and drifted left of center. Shrock struck Hall’s vehicle. Hall and his passenger, Kaylah Hall, 30, were transported to Kosciusko Community Hospital for complaint of general pain. Shrock Damages up to $10,000

3:08 a.m. Sunday, June 21, US 30 near CR 650W, Warsaw. Driver: David B. Dreifus, 26, Highlander Drive, Warsaw. Dreifus hit a water spot on US 30, causing him to lose control of his vehicle, drive off the roadway and strike a guardrail. Damage up to $10,000

1:09 a.m Sunday, June 21, CR 100N near CR 400E, Warsaw. Driver: Michael M. Holt, 24, Lindenwood Ave., Warsaw. Holt lost control and overturned his vehicle. Two passersby helped Holt out of the vehicle, at which point he fled the scene on foot. Holt was located by law enforcement and taken into custody. Alcohol was determined to be a factor in the accident. Damage up to $2,500

12:02 p.m. Saturday, June 20, SR 14 near CR 100E, Silver Lake. Driver: David W. Cohron, 56, CR 1300S, Kokomo. Cohron drove off the roadway to avoid a collision with the vehicle in front of him, striking several fence posts. Damage up to $1,000

2:26 p.m. Friday, June 19, 2100 block of SR 13, Pierceton. Drivers: Dustin J. Sieglinger, 31, EMS W30 Lane, North Webster, and Julie E. Mongold, 22, Meyer Avenue, Fort Wayne. Sieglinger rear-ended Mongold. Damages up to $1,000

North Webster

Officers with the North Webster Police Department investigated the following accidents:

9:59 p.m. Friday, June 19, SR 13 near CR 500N, North Webster. Drivers: Skylier J. Bakehorn, 18, CR 500W, Columbia City, and Karen A. Schneider, 72, EMS W20 Lane, North Webster. Bakehorn rear-ended Schneider. Damages up to $5,000

Warsaw

Officers with the Warsaw Police Department investigated the following accidents:

4:46 a.m. Monday, June 22, CR 250E near Corridor Drive, Warsaw. Driver: Donna K. Pontius, 54, EMS B61J Lane, Warsaw. Driver struck deer. Damage up to $2,500

7:24 p.m. Sunday, June 21, Market Street near Scott Street, Warsaw. Driver: Natasha D. Sturgeon, 33, EMS T36 Lane, Leesburg. Sturgeon stated her daughter dropped he sippy cup, and when she went to retrieve the cup, she veered off the roadway and struck two parked cars. Sturgeon was driving on a suspended license. She was cited and arrested following the accident. Damage up to $5,000

Miguel Raymond Castro

Two misdemeanor counts of theft have been upped to felony charges after police discovered a Warsaw man was a repeat offender.

On July 1, Warsaw police responded to a report of check fraud at Builder’s Mart. Manager Tom Ness told police that, on June 30, Miguel Castro had ordered 15 bundles of shingles, which were delivered to an address on Union Street. Castro wrote a check for $350 for the shingles, then returned the shingles to Builders Mart.

On July 1, Castro wrote a check for $459.30 for 15 more bundles of shingles, plus roofing nails, then attempted to return those, too. It was then discovered that both checks had been written on a closed account.

Police spoke with Castro, who reportedly became nervous and left the building. Warsaw Police Officer Allan Danko spotted Castro heading southbound on Detroit Street and pulled him over. It was then that Danko spotted shingles in the back of the car.

Police contacted Indiana Lakes Federal Credit Union, where Manager Dave Brumbaugh told them Castro had opened the account on May 25, then closed it on June 18.

Police arrested Castro on two counts of misdemeanor theft and two of misdemeanor check fraud. The theft charges were later upped to felonies when it was discovered that Castro was convicted of theft in 2009 and in 2013.

Kosciusko

Officers with the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department investigated the following accidents:

5:50 a.m. Friday, July 10, East CR 700N and N. CR 200E, Leesburg. Drivers: Javier S. Torres, 53, Ballycastle Place, Fort Wayne, and Ginger M. Steen, 49, EMS D18B Lane, Syracuse. Torres was northbound on CR 200E and, after stopping at the intersection, pulled into the path of Steen’s westbound vehicle. Damage up to $5,000

5:33 a.m. Thursday, July 9, West CR 1350N and N CR 750W, Milford. Driver: Marc C. Patterson, 32, Hastings Street, Nappanee. Patterson drove through standing water west of CR 750W and ran off the road, striking a tree, telephone junction box and then collided with a railroad tie used to support a fence. Damage up to $2,500

12:15 a.m. Thursday, July 9, West US 30, west of North SR 19, Etna Green. Driver: Roseanna L. Monnier, 21 Jeffrey Drive, Columbia City. Driver struck deer. Damage up to $2,500

North Webster

Officers with the North Webster Department investigated the following accidents:

12:50 p.m. Saturday, July 11, West Huntington and South Main streets, North Webster. Drivers: Franklin M. Eberstein, 54, East Davilla Court, Warsaw, and Jennifer J. Byrd, 61, West Avon Ave., Marion. Ebertein attempted to back up his vehicle in traffic and struck into Byrd’s vehicle. Damage up to $2,500

Syracuse

Officers with the Syracuse Police Department investigated the following accidents:

6:18 p.m. Thursday, July 9, 308 S. Huntington St., Syracuse. Drivers: Brooke A. Stahly, 26, West CR 450N, Cromwell, and Kelli R. Rolston, 31, West Boston Street, Syracuse. Stahly was backing out of her parking space when she collided with Rolston’s vehicle. Damage up to $5,000

Warsaw

Officers with the Warsaw Police Department investigated the following accidents:

5:42 p.m. Friday, July 10, 302 West Market Street, Warsaw. Drivers: Jeffrey C. Justice, 52, North Penny Drive, Warsaw, and Sandhu Ramanpreet, 31, Chamberlin Drive, Warsaw. Justice backed out of his parking space and into Ramanpreet. Damage up to $5,000

4:09 p.m. Friday, July 10, North Parker Street and Lake City Highway, Warsaw. Drivers: Keith H. Immel, 72, East Clark Street, Warsaw, and Sabrina N. Adams, 27, North CR 175E, Warsaw. Immel’s brakes failed and he struck into Adams. Damage up to $5,000

1:30 p.m. Friday, July 10, North Detroit Street, north of Shelden Street, Warsaw. Driver: Jeryl R. Cates, 28, Alexis Drive, Milford, and Timothy C. Heckaman, 37, West CR 600S, Claypool. Cates was southbound on Detroit Street rear ended Heckaman, who was stopped in front of him for an oncoming ambulance. Damage up to $5,000

12:31 p.m. Friday, July 10, East Center and South Harrison streets, Warsaw. Drivers: Harold R. James, 27, West CR 500N, Wabash, and Dustin R. Hamilton, 30, South CR 775E, Pierceton. James was eastbound on Center Street at the Harrison Street intersection when he rear ended Hamilton. Damage up $10,000

Officer Morales connects with WCS students.
(Photos provided)

Life is what you make it. Everyday, kids are making choices that will impact who they will be for the rest of their lives: What type of friends should I have? Should I attend that party? Go on that trip? How do I pursue my dreams?

Kids need someone to mentor them along the path of uncertainty, which is why the SRO (School Resource Officer) program has existed for the last 26 years at Warsaw Community Schools. Four Warsaw city police officers are assigned to the school system to teach DARE classes, help with traffic, mentor students, and assist administration with safety procedures.

Sgt. Dave Morales, the officer at the high school, explained that the SROs are “an extension of the school, like another arm. Students often feel more comfortable talking to us about their struggles than another adult. And in this way we are living out the school’s mission and enriching the lives of others.”

Indiana is one of the top states for school safety because of this excellent program. SRO requires annual training and a 40-hour basic class on mentoring, related laws, and school policies. But the WCS program goes above and beyond.

“We do a lot of things that other schools don’t to stay ahead of trends. We incorporate cameras; conduct building searches and much more. The school is the safest place to be in the whole county,” Morales said.

Officer Doug Light, a DARE coach, added, “DARE stays on top of trends and makes curriculum changes when needed. Our newest one discusses topics like dealing with stress, friendship, and peer pressure. It’s not all about the drugs —though we do address tobacco and alcohol. But there will always be a diversity of tough choices kids have to make and bumps in the road. We help them learn how to deal with that.

“I always tell the kids, ‘I am going to give you all the tools, and it is what you do with the tools that makes all the difference.’ So if a kid makes a poor choice, it wasn’t because DARE failed, it was because they didn’t use the tools,” explained Light.

Light also noted, “A couple weeks ago we had a two-hour fog delay, and a gentleman came to see me down at the station. He said, ‘you had my son in DARE. He had some rough years, and I wanted to thank you for everything you did for him. I know it wasn’t easy, but I want you to know he has turned things around, and he just enlisted in the National Guard. I know that you played a big part in that.’ Those are the things that drive you. There have been times when promotions have been available, but I didn’t apply because I wanted to keep doing this. I love this job. For me it is about making that difference in a child’s life. That is the rewarding part about it, to see those impacts you have.”

Morales agreed, adding, “The thing about being a DARE officer is that you have to have that passion. You have to want to do it. You can’t just take any police officer and stick him/her in there and say ‘have at it.’ You truly have to have the heart for it, and that is really what makes it special. Every year, I get wedding invitations and baby announcements from former students. They remember that you cared, and they often want to stay in touch.”

This year’s sixth grade class will have a large DARE graduation at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center on May 12. Previous events have included repelling police officers from the ceilings and funny videos. This year’s celebration, which included a motorcycle riding onto the stage, was just as entertaining.

Sgt. Clay Layne’s vehicle involved in the first accident. (Photo by Warsaw Police Department)

By LT. KIP SHUTER
Warsaw Police Department Public Information Officer; City of Warsaw Traffic Safety Commissioner; Training, Fleet, Grant, Quartermaster Administrator

Yesterday evening, just before 9 p.m., two police vehicles from Warsaw Police Department were involved in separate personal injury crashes only yards apart during last evenings strong storm.

At approximately 8:55 p.m. Sgt. Clay Layne was on normal patrol and driving through the intersection of Center Street at Eastlake Drive, when another vehicle ran the red light and collided with the driver’s side of Layne’s squad, resulting in personal injury.

Other officers responded to the area, including Patrol Officer Ross Minear. Minear was responding from the area of K-Mart, and while traveling west on Frontage Road, his vehicle hydroplaned, losing control, striking a high tension power pole, and then rolling over in front of Indiana Tech. Minear was trapped in his squad and was eventually extricated.

Patrol Officer Ross Minear’s vehicle

Damage to the pole knocked out power to the east end of Warsaw for most of the night as NIPSCO crews worked to restore power.

Both Layne and Minear were transported to Lutheran Hospital and treated for their injuries and released.

Indiana State Police worked Layne’s crash and the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department worked Minear’s crash.

Also assisting was Warsaw Wayne Fire Territory, Multi-Township EMS, Winona Lake Police, North Webster Police, and Grace College Security.

A Warsaw Police Department vehicle rolled over after colliding into a power line on Eastlake Drive.
(Photo by Alyssa Richardson)

WARSAW — During the Warsaw Common Council’s meeting Monday, July 20, the council tabled an ordinance amending the city code referencing disbursement of buy money used by the police department.

The ordinance, drafted by the city attorney, states a check be issued to the City of Warsaw Police Department in care of the Chief of Police for drug buy funds. Council member Elaine Call adamantly stated checks cannot be done that way.  While Scott Whitaker, police chief, disagreed with her, stating there has been no past issues. He stated there is a chain of command and records kept of funds.

Council members asked the city attorney to review the ordinance again and clarify the change.

The council also approved a transfer of $47,000 from the aviation’s repairs and maintenance fund to the machinery and equipment fund. Repairs are now being handled in-house and equipment for those repairs are needed to be purchased.

Additionally the council approved an ordinance amending a section of the city code changing the daily maximum limits of arsenic and cyanide into the city wastewater treatment facility. The amounts have been approved by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Lynne Christiansen, clerk-treasurer, reminded council members of a budget workshop from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday, July 27.

WARSAW — Warsaw Police Department is taking its efforts to new heights. The department is one of the few agencies in the area to possess and operate a quadcopter — commonly referred to as a “drone.”

Shuter demonstrates the capabilities of the quadcopter outside of Warsaw Police Department.

According to Lt. Kip Shuter, the device allows officers the opportunity to survey crash scenes, assist in manhunts and scout potentially dangerous situations before sending officers in.

The quadcopter’s functions are truly impressive. The device is equipped with GPS tracking to allow officers to keep track of the distance traveled by the machine, as well as height traveled. Though the copter can fly up to 1,000 feet in the air, due to air traffic regulations, Shuter noted it would not reach heights higher than 450 feet.

Due to the GPS installed in the device, should the battery begin to run low while flying, or the device go out of reach of tracking, the copter will fly back manually to its launch position and land itself.

Currently, only Shuter is trained to operate the device at WPD. Training was recently provided to Shuter as well as the Department of Natural Resources and two officers with the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department. Shuter noted he hopes to have other officers trained on the device, particularly in the SWAT division of the force.

An additional use for the copter is water rescue. Shuter explained divers can be tracked with the device from the air and, should weather be permitting, a victim may be able to be located from the HD camera equipped on the device.

Both photos and video are shot at a high resolution, with video playing back in 1080 HD. Shuter demonstrated the device’s camera for InkFreeNews. The video relays from the device to his phone, which is equipped within a controller for the copter. Shuter is able to manipulate the camera while in the air to swivel a full 180 degrees from front to back.

Shuter calibrates the machine for take off, allowing the GPS to be set for tracking the device.

Though one may worry wind would be a problem for such a small, light device, Shuter noted the GPS capability within the copter allows it to constantly adjust itself so it remains in the same spot. Similarly, should the controller need to step away from operating the device, the quadcopter will remain hovering in the same spot.

Although some may guess the new equipment was expensive for the department, Shuter noted the device was actually very affordable. He also explained that though privacy concerns are always noted with such devices, regulations will be followed to ensure civilian privacy is not disturbed. The copter will not video or photograph a residence without proper permissions granted first.

Syracuse

Officers with the Syracuse Police Department investigated the following accident:

3:07 p.m. Thursday, July 23, South Syracuse Webster Road, south of West Pickwick Drive, Syracuse. Drivers: Sarah E. Wegener, 38, East Fox Run Drive, Syracuse, and Edward J. Lapato, 46, South Kinder Drive, Syracuse. Wegener reportedly attempted to make a left turn onto West Pickwick Street from South Syracuse Webster Road and failed, according to a witness and Lapato, to utilize the turn signal. Lapato rear ended Wegener. Lapato was checked by Syracuse Medic 8 due to the type of collision however no injuries were found. Damage up to $25,000.

Warsaw

Officers with the Warsaw Police Department investigated the following accidents:

12:48 p.m. Friday, July 24, 2211 East Center Street, Warsaw. Drivers: David J. Skerritt, 53, North Fort Wayne Avenue, Warsaw, and Tina B. Mevis, 43, East CR 400N, Warsaw. Skerritt was backing out of a parking space at Owen’s Supermarket when he collided into Mevis’s vehicle. Damage up to $1,000

2:23 p.m. Thursday, July 23, Fort Wayne Street and North Buffalo Street, Warsaw. Driver: James H. Cooper, 72, North CR 600W, Warsaw.Cooper sideswiped a vehicle registered to Woodrow W. Goad of Warsaw while attempting to parallel park in from of the American Legion. Damage up to $2,500.

1:15 p.m. Thursday, July 23, Provident Drive and Springhill Drive, Warsaw. Drivers: Tamara L. Wager, 46, 11th Road, Plymouth, and Tamara E. Martin, 55, East Wilcox Road, Warsaw. Wager rear ended Martin’s vehicle. Damage up to $1,000.

12:39 p.m. Thursday, July 23, North Detroit Street, north of Lyon Street, Warsaw. Drivers: Joseph R. Jackson, 17, South Woodfield Trail, Warsaw, and Janet H. Hoffer, 77, Heron Boulevard, Warsaw. Jackson rear ended Hoffer’s vehicle. Damage up to $5,000.

Warsaw

Officers with the Warsaw Police Department investigated the following incident:

• 8:06 a.m. Friday, July 24, 1700 block East Center Street, Warsaw. Karl J. Reusser reported two windows damaged by rocks.
• 10:56 p.m. Thursday, July 23, 900 block North Detroit Street, Warsaw. Jose R. Espinoza reported a domestic dispute.
• 6:59 p.m. Thursday, July 23, 4100 block Heron Boulevard, Warsaw. Sheena A. Zile reported her victim had been vandalized.
• 11:33 a.m. Thursday, July 23, 900 block North Lake Street, Warsaw. H and L Motors reported five windows were broke out of five separate vehicles.
• 9:46 a.m. Thursday, July 23, 100 block South Lake Street, Warsaw. Service liquor reported an adult male stole a bottle of rum.
• 1:29 a.m. Thursday, July 23, 1600 block Tippecanoe Drive, Warsaw. Sara Elizabeth Stewart reported a theft of mail from mailboxes.

Kosciusko

Officers with the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department investigated the following accident:

7:40 p.m. Sunday, July 26, South CR 500E and East CR 450S, Warsaw. Driver: Sheila K. Craig, 70, South CR 600E, Pierceton. Hit deer. Damage up to $2,500.

6:24 p.m. Sunday, July 26, North Syracuse-Webster Road, North CR 1100N, Syracuse. Driver: Andrea J. Chupp, 34, North West Street, Milford. Chupp swerved off the road to avoid an animal and struck a road sign with her vehicle. Damage up to $2,500.

1:38 p.m. Monday, July 27, 483 Clinic Court, Warsaw. Drivers: Shirley E. Jordan, 68, East Section Street, Claypool and Ryan E. Coble, East Fort Wayne Street, Warsaw. While backing up to turn around, Jordan hit Coble’s vehicle. Damage up to $5,000.

Silver Lake

Officers with the Silver Lake Police Department investigated the following accidents:

10:42 p.m. Monday, July 27, S.R. 13 south of C.R. 675 East. Driver: Ryn J. Wehrly, 31, Glenn Avenue, Wabash. Wehrly hit a deer. Damage up to $10,000.

Warsaw

Officers with the Warsaw Police Department investigated the following accidents:

10:05 p.m. Sunday, July 26, South Buffalo Street, north of East Winona Avenue, Warsaw. Drivers: Nathan K. Manahan, 38, Park Avenue, Winona Lake, and Rachel L. Maron, 22, EMS B40 Lane, Leesburg. Manahan attempted to change lanes when he struck into Maron’s vehicle. Damage up to $2,500.

1:23 p.m. Sunday, July 26, Lake City Highway, east of Old Road 30, Warsaw. Drivers: Morgan N. Ellis, 18, South Chauncey Street, Columbia City, and Judith I. Leitch, 33, East CR 375N, Churubusco. Ellis rear ended Leitch. Medics arrived and treated Leitch and her two children. One of the children had a previous medical issue. Leitch and her children went to the hospital for evaluation. Damage up to $2,500.

Winona Lake

Officers with the Winona Lake Police Department investigated the following accidents:

8:40 p.m. Monday, July 27, East Winona Avenue, west of Lakeview Drive, Winona Lake. Driver: Jose G. Garcia, 20, Indian Trail, Warsaw. Garcia was pulling out of the Dairy Queen parking lot and did not see an oncoming cyclist. Garcia struck the cyclist, who was treated for pain in her ribs and bleeding from her lower left leg.

(From left) Joe Hawn, WPD Dive Team Commander;
Rich Haddad, K21 Health Foundation; Amy Cannon, KCCF and KREMC Operation Round Up;
Stephanie Overbey, KCCF;
R.J. Nethaway, WPD Dive Team Asst. Commander;
Scott Whitaker, WPD Chief of Police.
(Photo provided)

By Lt. Kip Shuter,
Warsaw Police Department

Recently, the Warsaw Police Department Dive Team was the recipient of several community
grants to obtain new dive equipment to better serve our community in a water emergency. Grant funds
were obtained from the K21 Health Foundation, Kosciusko County Community Foundation, and from
the Kosciusko REMC Operation Round-Up Grant.

The grant funds, totaling $41,567, were used to obtain a new RescueONE® Connector Boat® dive boat, a RescueONE® TwinTransport® trailer, and added 360 imaging to their current Humminbird® side scan sonar.

The need for a new dive boat was realized when the dive team responded to several water
emergency incidents and the current inflatable boat was not adequate for multiple divers, and dive
command operations had to be done from shore. Often, the team relied on civilian boats for additional
support, but civilian boats hampered the efforts due to lack of space, improper equipment and safety
concerns for the divers in the water.

The new boat will accommodate four fully outfitted divers and two two support personnel, or
up to eight eight personnel without equipment. The boat is equipped with StiffBACK™ double hull design that increases stiffness, safety and durability. The boat forms a floating platform for in water dive operations.

The new boat comes equipped with a RescueONE® ProPower® outboard motor. These motors are all enhanced with high tech advanced electronic features emergency responders need, but cannot get from the motor manufacturers except on the RescueONE® ProPower® motors. The new trailer is a double stack trailer that stores, transports and launches two boats towed by one standard half
ton vehicle.

The trailer allows the dive team to deploy both the new boat and the team’s Zodiac® inflatable boat at the same time. The additional 360 imaging added to the team’s Humminbird® side scan sonar now allows the team to search up to 150 feet in front of the sonar pod, either in full 360 mode or by isolating the sweep area.

The new 360 imaging allows the sonar to isolate the sweep area of water
from 10 to 360 degrees thus giving dive personnel the underwater intelligence they need to make a
successful search and rescue.

The WPD dive team has been in existence for 38 years and responds to water emergencies within
the City of Warsaw, but also throughout Northeast Indiana when additional assistance is requested.

WARSAW — The Deer Task Force is looking for archers this year to participate in their deer reduction program. The program was designed to control deer overpopulation inside city limits and aims to aid the residents of Warsaw by doing so.

This year, the task force will only be accepting veteran Deer Task Force archers into its reduction effort. Veteran task force archers are defined as being “archers who have successfully participated in our reduction effort for a minimum of one year since the inception of the program.” This means that only archers who have previously participated in the deer reduction effort may volunteer.

The Deer Task Force is inviting former archers to return and qualify for their reduction efforts this year at their training session from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 20, at the Warsaw Police Department. Due to low numbers in the past few years, there will only be one training date for veteran archers.

Due to low deer counts in the past few years, the Deer Task Force is also either limiting participation in/or closing the following Public Reduction Zones:

• Hire Park (BMX)
• Lakeview Middle School Island
• Boggs Park

For more information, forms, or applications for veteran Deer Task Force archers about the deer reduction program for 2015, visit the city website.

Police officers and EMTs prepare to leave the scene of a three-car accident that happened Wednesday in Warsaw. No major injuries and no major damage were reported (Photo by Tommy Bohrer)

WARSAW — No major injuries were reported in a three-car accident that happened earlier today at the intersection of Center Street and Scott Street, Warsaw

Officers with the Warsaw Police Department responded to the call around 11:43 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5. Driver Jane A. Leasure, 61, Warsaw had been stopped at a red light, with another driver, Janet D. Bryant, 60, Columbus Ohio, stopped behind her.

Meanwhile, a vehicle driven by Donald C. Morris, 49, Carmel, was approaching the light. Morris reported that he hit his brakes but was not able to stop in time, hitting Bryant’s vehicle and pushing it forward into Leasure’s.

While no major injuries were reported, Bryant reported shoulder pain and was treated at the scene. There was no visible damage to any of the cars.

Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer, Warsaw Police Chief Scott Whitaker on the left, are shown with new WPD Officer Samuel Weaver and his family, wife Tarah Weaver, holding daughter Rowen. Daughter Kinley is shown standing in front.

WARSAW — One of the favorite tasks Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer enjoys, is the swearing in of a new officer. He was given that privilege Friday morning, Aug. 7, at the Warsaw Board of Public Works & Safety.

Samuel Weaver was sworn in as the newest officer of the Warsaw Police Department. Thallemer expressed the appreciation of the officer’s commitment and dedication to the job.

Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer gives the oath of office to Warsaw Police Officer Samuel Weaver

The swearing ceremony took place at the start of the morning’s meeting.

The busy morning’s agenda (Related: City Going Paperless, Getting A Mobile App) included the awarding of bids for the Central Park Storm Sewer Cleaning. While bids were solicited from three companies, only Selge Construction, Niles, Mich., submitted a bid. The base bid was $20,000, with $4,050 for mobilization and demobilization, $3,800 for an inflatable plug, and the cost to clean and video the line at $19 a square foot was $5,700. To install a manhole isl $6,450.

The bid was taken under advisement until the end of the meeting, giving the city engineer, James Emans and Brian Davison, utility manager, an opportunity to review the bid. Emans noted the cleaning is needed for that line, which is a 36-inch line, before American Structurepoint Inc.’s evaluation of the line can continue. “We hope to improve the drainage in the park area,” Emans said.

He stated it is believed the storm sewer line in the 500 block of Lake Street is a near total block. The shallow line has multiple trees growing over it. It is believed the line is filled with tree roots. The hope is the cleaning will find the problem and clearing of the line can easily take place. If not there will need to be follow up work.

A legal matter was also discussed. City attorney Mike Valentine was given the authority to act on behalf of the city in a mediation between the city and Dore Company who demolished the old sewer plant. The company filed suit against the city for funds still owed, however the city has filed a counterclaim of $28,000 for damages and tardiness. The city has also learned subcontractors had not been paid. The matter will go to mediation on Aug. 26.

During other business:

• An agreement was signed with Weaver Consultants Group, Granger, for the removal of underground storage tanks and soil assessment at the police department. The estimated cost is $27,937. The expenditure will be split between the stormwater utility and police budgets. Soil samplings will be taken in locations where NIPSCO had stored transformers to make sure there is no soil contamination.
• Gave official approval for the purchase of two new Caprice Police Patrol Vehicles at a total cost of $55,718. These vehicles will be purchased from Lakeside Chevrolet. WPD received $25,575 from Governmental Interinsurance Exchange for the damages to the vehicles. The remainder of the funds will be made from the 2014 general bond.
• Approved Center for Lakes & Streams to conduct water testing at Kelly Park, at a cost of $1,075. The center will do testing for nutrients, pH, dissolved oxygen, water temp, conductivity, suspended sediments measurements, which cannot be done in-house. “We are lucky to have them in the community,” said Davison.
• Approved an agreement with Boyce/Keystone/Komputrol for the annual key-billing software, maintenance and updates. A cost of $2,275.
• Approved an agreement with Linko Technology Inc., for the annual pretreatment software maintenance at $1,535.
• Accepted an agreement with A.E. Boyce Company, Inc.,/Keystone for the annual software license, a cost of $3,195.
• Approved an agreement with American Structurepoint, Inc., for the Buffalo Street Reconstruction Project, engineering services at a cost not to exceed $180,800.
• Approval given to amend the contract with A&Z Engineering for an additional $9,000 due to unforeseen engineering work on the Market Street Construction project.