Beech Grove sex offender arrested

South Bend, IN (January 29, 2020) — Seventy-year-old James F. Renick was arrested at the Rolfs Aquatic Center simply for being there. As a registered sex offender for life, it is a felony for Renick to so much as set foot on the property of any school.

Notre Dame police took Renick into custody after a report that a suspicious individual was taking pictures of participants at the Shamrock Invitational swim meet Friday.

Upon questioning, police learned that Renick pleaded guilty to molesting two boys under the age of 10 in 1996 At the time, a report in the Allentown Morning Call said a search of Renick’s home turned up “thousands of photographs of young boys naked and in bathing suits.”

Renick’s arrest at Notre Dame marks his second in the past 17 months. In August of 2018, Renick was arrested after taking pictures of juveniles age 14 and younger who were participating in a swim meet in Geneva, Ohio.

Renick lives in Beach Grove near Indianapolis. His bond has been set at $2,000 cash, and at last check he was still being held at the St. Joseph County Jail.

View his profile on the Marion County Sex Offenders List HERE

The University of Notre Dame released the following statement about the incident:

"Notre Dame police officers were made aware Friday, January 24, of an individual in the spectators' section of the Rolfs Aquatics Center taking photos of swimmers competing in an invitational meet. He was arrested and also received a no trespassing notice. The case was referred to the St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office. This individual has no affiliation with Notre Dame and does not reside in this part of the state. " 

SOURCE: WNDU
Be sure and "LIKE" us on Facebook at: Facebook.com/BeechGroveIndependent

Vaping bill by Rep. Cindy Kirchhofer changed

Indianapolis, IN (January 17, 2020) — A bill to raise the smoking and vaping age from 18 to 21 underwent minor changes on the floor of the Indiana House Thursday to add penalties for those who are caught with tobacco products.

House Bill 1006 follows the federal government’s Dec. 20 law which raises the legal smoking and vaping age to 21. The author, Rep. Cindy Kirchhofer, R- Beech Grove, said her bill was filed to establishes penalties so the violations of the new anti-smoking law can be prosecuted.

Rep. Cindy Kirchoffer, R-Beech Grove, made slight changes to legislation that raises the smoking and vaping age to 21. Photo by Lacey Watt, The Statehouse File.

Kirchhofer’s original version of the bill had no penalties for users, which had been in state law when smoking under age 18 was illegal. Her amendment, which passed in a unanimous voice vote, restored those penalties. Vendors also face penalties for selling to minors.

An amendment by Rep. J.D. Prescott, R-Union City, also passed in a unanimous voice vote to make it a Class B infraction for retailers who are caught selling tobacco or nicotine containing Vitamin E acetate. The maximum fine is $1,000.

The Centers for Disease Control found that when Vitamin E acetate is inhaled it could interfere with normal lung functions and could lead to EVALI, which stands for E-cigarette, or vaping product use-associated lung injury and a newly-identified disease linked to vaping.

Not all agreed that the small fine was enough. Rep. Terri Austin, D-Anderson, filed an amendment to make the penalty for retailers who are caught selling tobacco or nicotine containing vitamin E acetate a Class A infraction, which has a penalty of up to $10,000.

Rep. Terri Austin, D-Anderson, lost an effort to raise the penalty for adding Vitamin E to vaping products. Photo by Lacey Watt, The State House File.

Austin argued that vitamin E acetate isn’t found in legal cigarettes or e-cigarette liquids, but in “underground” or off-market products.

“If you’re someone engaged in the underground market, $1,000 is probably not much to you,” she said. “I think we need to hit people where it hurts. We have got to send a strong message, and truth is we have to have a strong penalty.”

Kirchhofer said the discussion should have taken place in the health committee to learn about the consequences of changing the infractions.

The amendment failed 40-57.

The bill now goes to House for a final vote.

SOURCE: The Statehouse File
Story by Victoria Ratliff, she is a reporter for The Statehouse File, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.

Pedestrian plan under review for Marion County

Beech Grove, IN (January 17, 2020) — Time is running out for more than a million people in central Indiana to weigh in as an effort is now underway to write a new master plan for new sidewalks and priorities to keep pedestrians safe when they’re walking near their homes and offices.

There’s about 30 people a year killed and another 100 people seriously injured along roads in Marion County and surrounding areas. Many of these incidents happening in an area with no sidewalk.​

Add caption

The last master plan helped Churchman Avenue in Beech Grove get a new sidewalk several years ago. The last plan was created back in 2006 but a lot that has changed in more than 13 years. That’s why planners want to hear from residents.​

Churchman Avenue has homes, the high school and even a police station. Yet it didn’t get a sidewalk between Emerson and Arlington until 2017.

After 18 months of work, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization or MPO is in the final stretch of its latest Regional Pedestrian Plan.​

MPO principal planner Jen Higginbotham tells News 8 the idea is to prioritize which roads most desperately need help so that in future years they can be addressed.​​

“So many people are actually dying on the roadways possibly because they’re not visible, possibly because they’re not on a sidewalk. We don’t know exactly but there are people that need safe places to walk.”​

The MPO takes the federal dollars raised from the gas tax and allocates them to big projects including roads, roundabouts, trails, transit as well as sidewalks.​

MPO VIDEOS (Metropolitan Planning Organization)

Planners say of more than 5,400 miles of main roads in the 8-county area, just 31% have a sidewalk. More than 3,700 miles do not — mileage which does not include interstates and neighborhood streets.​ 

Higginbotham said it’s a bit of a surprise to see how many even urban pockets don’t allow people to walk a short 0.5 mile to the grocery store.​​ 

“Walking is important,” she said. “If you think about it, for one, it’s the cheapest way to get around, it’s free to use your legs and for reasons of health.” 

​​And of course, not everyone has access to a car.​ 

So if you live in the 975-square mile area covered by the MPO, and there’s 1.5 million people who do, take a look and tell the MPO what you think because it may be another 13 years before it happens again.​​ 

“We would like to see for the communities in the region to take the plans we’ve created and use it as a resource in their own planning,” said Higginbotham.​​ 

These plans affect 33 cities and towns in 8 counties from A to Z, Arcadia to Zionsville. 

There are a number of ways you can leave feedback including email, Facebook and Twitter. ​The deadline for public input is Jan. 22, that’s Wednesday.​ 

The Pedestrian Plan will be presented to the Regional Transportation Council on Feb. 19.​ 

Click here to view the current plan and submit your input online.

SOURCE: WISH

Be sure and "LIKE" us on Facebook at: Facebook.com/BeechGroveIndependent

Car crashes through Beech Grove Apartment

Beech Grove, IN (January 17, 2020) — Neighbors are rallying behind a woman and her three children who were out of their home Thursday night after a car drove into their apartment.

It happened just before 5 p.m Thursday at the Park View at Beech Grove Apartments. That’s near Emerson and Churchman avenues in Beech Grove.

Damaged Apartment

Police told the woman who lives there that the 19-year-old driver meant to hit the brake, but hit the gas instead. Neighbors ran out to help after hearing the crash, including, Rickey Barnett.

“I was inside my apartment and I heard a kaboom. So I came out to check on it and then I immediately called the apartment complex to have them come out and shut the electricity and the water off so nothing would catch on fire and everybody on both sides of the apartment would be safe,” Barnett said.

He works for the contracting company who is going to fix the giant hole in the apartment. He says his crew is going to work quickly to fix it in about five days.

Police say the driver was not given a ticket since it happened on private property.

SOURCE: WISH

Be sure and "LIKE" us on Facebook at: Facebook.com/BeechGroveIndependent

Captured: Turkey that flew the coop

Beech Grove, IN (January 11, 2020) — Police rescued some customers in Beech Grove Friday after a turkey took roost in front of a business.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said Lt. Jeff Duhamell responded to a call of a turkey in front of Corsi Cabinets in Beech Grove.

The customer was not able to enter the business, as the turkey was blocking the door, possibly trying to get the customer to stop shopping cold turkey.

Lt. Duhamell picked the turkey up and placed him in a dog cage. Police did not indicate if fowl play was involved.

The turkey was taken to a nearby farm where he was fed until he was stuffed and has plenty of space to roam.

SOURCE: CBS4

Be sure and "LIKE" us on Facebook at: Facebook.com/BeechGroveIndependent