Southport Reserve Officer Charged

Southport, IN (February 25, 2020) —An investigation that began around mid-January has led to the arrest of a Franklin man on the charges of criminal confinement and neglect of a dependent, both are Level 6 Felonies.

It began in January after a staff member at Franklin High School was made aware of a situation involving a 15-year-old student that took place off campus, according to the release. The staff member contacted the Department of Child Services, which then notified authorities.

DCS contacted the Franklin Police Department who then turned the case over to the Indiana State Police when it was determined the alleged crime occurred in Marion County.

According to state police detectives, 37-year-old Timothy Hayes Jr. who at the time was a reserve police officer for the Southport Police Department, allegedly utilized his position as a police officer for an attempted scare tactic for his 15 year old son, state police said.

Hayes Jr. allegedly left his son handcuffed and unattended in an intake holding area at the Southport Police Department for over 30 minutes. Hayes Jr. then drove his son, who was still handcuffed, to the Adult Processing Center for the Marion County Jail and parked in an area designated for police vehicles, however neither Hayes Jr. nor his son exited the vehicle. Hayes Jr. then drove back to his home in Franklin.

Indiana State Police detectives presented the results of their investigation to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office. Prosecutors reviewed the case and subsequently issued an arrest warrant for Timothy Hayes Jr. on Monday. Earlier this morning, Hayes Jr. turned himself into the Marion County Jail.

The Southport Police Department has been fully cooperative with this investigation, state police said. Timothy Hayes Jr. on administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation.

All suspects named are considered innocent until and unless proven guilty in the court of law.

Dog Adoption Fee Waived

Southport, IN (February 13, 2020) — If you want a valentine who will give you unconditional love forever, and you’re ready for a full-time commitment, you may want to adopt a dog.

And if you do, Coors Light beer company will pay your adoption fee of $100. The brewing giant launched a new program called the “Coors for Canines Offer.”

You can use that money toward food, toys, a cool bed, your dog’s first vet visit, or reimburse yourself the adoption fee.

Here’s the scoop: You have to adopt a dog between February now and February 21, 2020.


The fine print says, “the offer is only redeemable while supplies last,” and the first 1,000 accepted entries will be eligible for the cash.

So get down to your local shelter, or contact your favorite rescue group, adopt a dog that suits you and your lifestyle, and get your paperwork in quickly.

• You don’t have to buy any beer.
• You do have to adopt a dog.
• You have to be old enough to drink.

Once you’ve got your pooch, take a picture of your paperwork proving adoption, and text the photos(s) to 28130, and enter the keyword: “COORS4K9.” You do need a Venmo account to get your $100.

Here’s the proof Coors needs to see to be considered for the payout:

• Adoption receipt showing Adoption cost
• Name of Adoption shelter
• Adoption location/state
• Date of adoption (Adoption must occur between February 4, 2020, and February 21, 2020)
• Animal type (Offer only valid for dog Adoption)

For some reason, if you live in California, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia, you’re not eligible. That’s unfortunate because some of those states euthanize a whole lot of dogs in their shelters. But the legal eagles at Coors must have some reason for the exclusion.

There are more rules, terms, and conditions; you should check out on the Coors website.

Why the payout for a pooch?

Coors Light says, “Each Winter, we witness a cultural phenomenon where people couple up to stave off the weather-induced blues; better known as Cuffing Season. Valentine’s Day is the pinnacle of Cuffing Season, and according to a new survey from Coors Light, a majority of young legal drinking age millennials (58%) find it overrated. That’s why Coors Light encourages you to skip the cheesy Valentine’s traditions and spend the day with a fur-ever friend.”

Rules and regulations can be found HERE

Fountain Square library could close

Fountain Square, Indianapolis (February 11, 2020) — The Fountain Square branch of the Indianapolis Public Library could be closing and moving to a bigger facility.

The neighborhood’s first library opened in 1896 as Branch #3, the third oldest in the system. Subsequent moves occurred in 1906, when it became known as the Prospect Branch, as well as in 1941 and 1969.

In 1994, the library moved to its current location on the ground floor of the historic Fountain Block Building in the heart of the Fountain Square Business District and was renamed the Fountain Square Branch.


A panel of Indianapolis Public Library Board of Trustees proposed moving the library to the western part of Perry Township. The decision still has to be approved by the full library board on February 24.

Its current location will be taken over by the nonprofit Indy Reads adult literacy organization. The last day of service at the Fountain Square branch would be May 8.

SOURCE: WISH TV

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Slime Making Class for Kids

Southport, IN (February 11, 2020) — Children and teens ages 6 – 17 are invited to create their own slime with Ripple Mobile Arts. You can add beads, foam, clay or even sand. choose a cool color, and practice many fun exercises with your new slime.

Register at the below links: 

Slime Class for Kids
Monday, February 17: 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Garfield Park Branch

Slime Class for Kids
Thursday, February 20: 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
East 38th Street Branch

Slime Class for Kids
Saturday, February 29: 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Michigan Road Branch

Slime Class for Kids
Saturday, February 29: 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
West Indianapolis Branch

Slime Class for Kids
Wednesday, March 04: 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Franklin Road Branch

Slime Class for Kids
Tuesday, March 17: 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
East Washington Branch

Slime Class for Kids
Tuesday, March 24: 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Southport Branch

Slime Class for Kids 
Wednesday, March 25: 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Beech Grove Branch

Slime Class for Kids
Thursday, March 26: 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Decatur Branch

Slime Class for Kids
Saturday, March 28: 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Fountain Square Branch

Slime Class for Kids
Monday, March 30: 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Central Library

SOURCE: Indy With Kids

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Firefighters Battled Large Fire

Indianapolis, IN (February 11, 2020) — Fire investigators say three people possibly living inside of a vacant building on Indianapolis' south side may have accidentally caused a large fire while trying to keep warm.

Photo by: Indianapolis Fire Department

Indianapolis Fire Department firefighters received multiple calls around 5 p.m. about a large fire in the 800 block of East Sumner Avenue, IFD Battalion Chief Rita Reith said in a press release. The fire was upgraded to a two-alarm response three minutes after crews arrived at the scene.

Residents in the area said three people were believed to be living in the building, Reith said. Investigators say they were believed to be using pallets inside to build a fire to keep warm. Chromium, a hazardous material, was possibly inside the building, Reith said.


Two Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers were checked out by medics for smoke inhalation, but were not transported to the hospital, Reith said. No firefighters were injured.

It took crews more than an hour to get the fire under control, Reith said.

The incident remains under investigation.

SOURCE: The Indy Channel

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Former Ice Cream Shop Owner Sentenced

Greenwood, IN (February 10, 2020) — The former owner of a popular Greenwood ice cream shop pleaded guilty to child pornography charges and learned his sentence Monday.

John Cassin, 75, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography. He received three years on probation, with the first year being on home detention. Prior to the plea, he had been facing one to six years in jail and a fine of up to $10,000.

Cassin was the owner of the popular Mrs. Curl Ice Cream Shop in Greenwood. Following his arrest in April, the shop said new ownership was put in place in January of 2019 due to Cassin’s age and pending retirement. The company remained open and Cassin gave up any further role at the establishment.

According to the probable cause affidavit filed in the case, the investigation began in October 2018 after police received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about child pornography, specifically a sexually explicit photo of a juvenile.

Former owner of Greenwood ice cream shop gets probation in child pornography case https://t.co/sZyTiZEMdF via @fox59

— Zach Myers (@ZachMyersNews) February 10, 2020

Investigators tracked the IP address to Cassin’s home in Whiteland and obtained a search warrant for all computers and related electronics at the home, along with all electronic media, accounts and associated passwords.


Investigators executed the search warrant on March 20. When police went to Cassin’s home, he told them he had a desktop computer that he used to read news and look at pornography.

He told investigators they would “probably find child pornography activity on the computer dating back to its purchase.”

Cassin told police they’d find search terms about juveniles on the computer. He visited different internet chan boards/image boards to look at images of child pornography, court documents said.

He denied ever engaging in sexual activity with a juvenile.

SOURCE: Fox59

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What You Want to Know About Your Home

Beech Grove, IN (February 10, 2020) — The anxiety of buying a new home can form in any number of ways, and you might find yourself questioning the property you’ve chosen – is the backyard really that small? Is the soil contaminated from the nasty-looking stream nearby? Is your house haunted?

Maybe you’re not asking the last one, and maybe you’re trying to convince yourself you’re not asking the last one – but it’s not unreasonable to wonder. Rest assured you can investigate your concerns before you purchase a home, and you can do most of it online.

Four websites provide a wide of range of property details, and then some – from historic aerial images to documents that show the home was used as a meth lab. These tools can help you see what might be a game changer before you sign the deed.

DiedinHouse.com

True to its name, DiedinHouse.com can tell you the name of every person associated with the address at any point in time, if someone has died in a home, if there were any previous fires on the property or if it was ever used as a meth lab.

Roy Condrey, founder and co-CEO of DiedinHouse.com, says he got the idea for the site when a tenant in one of his rental properties claimed the house was haunted. Condrey found no evidence of the paranormal, but it made him wonder. “I started thinking, I didn’t know the history of these homes,” Condrey says.

When Condrey found no websites offering information about deaths in homes, searchable by address, DiedinHouse.com was born.

At $11.99 for a single search, you receive an instant report that pulls from data providers that partner with DiedinHouse.com. For the next 30 days, DiedinHouse.com will continue to search the address in case the initial report missed anything and will notify you with any new results, as well as provide a final report at the end of the 30 days.

Condrey says it’s up to the consumer to decide whether certain results are a deal-breaker on a home, but having the information keeps you from wondering after you’ve moved in.

“A lot of people say one-third of Americans admit to believing in ghosts – and I say those are the ones that admit it. There’s a lot of people that don’t admit it, but also there’s more to it than just paranormal [activity]. ... I still don’t want to live in Andrea Yates’ home where she drowned her five children,” says Condrey, referencing the 2001 case in Houston. "I don’t want to live in a home with any deaths, that’s just my opinion.”

Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office

The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management has digitized its collection of more than 5 million federal land title records, making it possible to pull up images of original documents signing land over to private individuals dating back to 1820.

Survey plat maps, land patents and field notes on properties show the formation of property lines. All the information is searchable with the state name, name of the patentee or even minute details for the property, such as township number, survey number and issue date.

The free searchable collection of documents only covers property in the 30 states formed from the public domain, which excludes the original 13 states, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and West Virginia. However, details for properties in those states should be available through an online or in-person search through the state’s archives.

NETROnline.com

Originally launched as a portal for environmental records, National Environmental Title Research, better known by its acronym, provides an array of information from its databases and partner information companies, as well as links to local assessor offices across the country.

NETROnline.com’s property data has become a standard resource for many financial institutions. As Brett Perry, president and founder of NETROnline.com, explains, the site streamlines the research process on a home, “essentially making it easier to get those documents, as opposed to going to the courthouse [in person].”

While property data reports can be purchased through the site for additional information not readily available, the site provides free access to environmental records, links to county assessors' offices with online records and aerial images that date back to the 1920's.

While much of the information is used for professional use, Perry says features like the historic aerial photos are popular among metal detecting hobbyists who research where buildings once stood on a property and may have artifacts buried in the soil.

“It’s a virtual time machine,” Perry says. “It enables the user to put in their location and see what it looks like not only today from a bird’s-eye view, but going back in time in some instances to the 1920s and the 30s … you can look at different decades and see what existed on your property.”

HouseFax

Providing reports of a wide range of property information, HouseFax aims to increase the transparency of property information so homebuyers know what they’re getting into.

HouseFax CEO Eddy Lang explains the site started in 2002, inspired by an ongoing lawsuit at the time between Ed McMahon and his home insurance company after mold grew and spread throughout his house. A Los Angeles Times article from 2003 reports the case was settled; McMahon was awarded $7.2 million for a shoddy cleanup job from a home flood caused by a pipe burst, which made McMahon and his wife ill, and forced them to put their dog to sleep.

After following the case, Lang says he wanted to give homebuyers a better understanding of properties they view before they make the purchase. He adds that homebuyers should know the previous insurance claims on the home, what construction has been permitted on the property and what damage the property might be prone to based on the location and topography of the land. "Usually, insurance is the very last piece of [the transaction], and that’s when you find out: Is it in a flood zone? Has there been damage? Was there a fire in the house? What are the previous claims?” Lang says.

Housefax offers the first Property History Report for free, with each report after that costing $9 each – which includes property details, building permits, records of carbon monoxide or use of the property as a meth lab, natural disaster risk assessments and loan history.

The site meets homebuyer and seller needs, which make up 70 percent of HouseFax’s users, according to Lang. But for real estate professionals looking to pull reports en masse, subscriptions are available as well. HouseFax also offers an offline service – the pre-appraisal report – which brings an appraiser to your home to inspect it, take photos and make an appraisal estimate for $199 to $399, depending on square footage. The service is intended to provide buyers or sellers with a better understanding of the value of a home before a lender gets involved and conducts an appraisal.

Whether you’re curious about the construction history on a property or want to confirm your house is inhabited by the recently deceased, an increasing number of sites are offering greater transparency with property records and can provide you with the answers to questions that the deed, or maybe even the listing agent, won’t tell you.

SOURCE: Business Insider

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February is Heart Month

Southport, IN (February 8, 2020) — Heart health is among the most important factors to an individual's physical well-being. Heart disease is the leading cause of death nationally in adults, and everyone should know its risks factors, as well as how to promote good heart health overall. There's no better time to take such steps than now: February is American Heart Month.

Observed every second month of the year, American Heart Month represents a critical time for raising awareness of preventative actions and healthy lifestyle choices that lead to better heart health.

Responsible for 1 in every 4 deaths, heart disease is a subject that needs to be addressed. Take the time to recognize symptoms and brush up on how to make better decisions for your heart. You can start by learn more about American Heart Month.

What is American Heart Month?

February has been designated American Heart Month since 1964. President Lyndon B. Johnson made the observance official with Proclamation 3566, signed Dec. 30, 1963, according to the American Heart Association. Since that time (when half of U.S. adult deaths were due to cardiovascular disease), advocates have launched efforts to educate the public on how heart disease can be prevented and identified.

A key date in American Heart Month is the first Friday of February. While that date this year (Feb. 2) has already passed, what's known as Wear Red Day is a highlight for every American Heart Month. As implied, people across the country wear the color red to raise awareness of heart disease and prevention; it's a chance to engage with communities, families and friends on the basics of good heart health.

In 2018, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) announced a social media campaign to inspire Americans to "#MoveWithHeart." A general resolution to get more physical activity done each day, NHLBI recommended participants record a short video of their #MoveWithHeart pledge and share it across their social networks to reach others about the importance of heart health.

Facts about heart disease

American Heart Month is such a valuable time to conduct outreach about heart disease because of the scale of its lethality. According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 630,000 Americans die each year from heart disease, making it the No. 1 killer of both men and women. Each minute, more than one person in the U.S. dies from a heart disease-related event, while every 40 seconds an American experiences a heart attack.

While there are many types of cardiovascular disease (including congenital heart disease, arrhythmia and high blood pressure), coronary heart disease is the most common, responsible for around 366,000 deaths in 2015. It's also worth noting the demographic effect of heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in African-Americans, Latinos and whites.

Altogether, the CDC estimated heart disease costs the United States around $200 billion annually. The sum of health care costs, medications and lost productivity results in a huge net financial impact to the country, not to mention the social toll.

Recognizing risk factors

Considering the scope of heart disease in America, it's important to become well-aware of the risk factors that negatively affect cardiovascular health. The most prevalent and highly associated risk factors to look for include:

• High blood pressure.
• High cholesterol.
• Smoking.

According to the CDC, about half of Americans have at least one of the above three factors. Those learning more about heart disease should also be aware of the effects of:

• Diabetes.
• Obesity and being overweight.
• Diets with poor nutrition and high in trans fats.
• Physical inactivity.
• Substance abuse.

It's just as vital to know what symptoms indicate a cardiac event. Being able to identify warning signs means being able to act more quickly and effectively, which is crucial when time is of the essence. While chest pains and discomfort are clear red flags, the CDC noted most people aren't aware of all the major symptoms, like shortness of breath, nausea, cold sweats, and upper body pain and discomfort in the arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach.

"Small steps to improve lifestyle choices add up."

Leading a more heart-healthy life

As ominous as the statistics about heart disease are, even those most at risk can take small steps to improve lifestyle choices add up. Heart disease is largely preventable, and there are a number of steps an individual can take to mitigate their risk and improve his or her heart health and overall well-being. Let's begin with a few changes that are relatively easy to make:

Cut down on takeout; shop for groceries more: It can be easy to fall into a rut of eating out often. Grocery shopping takes time, and the cooking afterward can be even more time-consuming. But that's no reason to rely on unhealthy and fatty fast food to constitute the majority of your diet. Grocery shopping itself is an exercise in taking more control over your life, and finding quick and easy recipes can make the process all the more enjoyable. Focus on the food groups by getting plenty of vegetables, fruits, and healthy proteins and grains.

Walk whenever and wherever you can: If you have the option to walk somewhere, always consider it as your first choice. Getting your steps in each day goes a long way toward improving heart health. Even if you have to drive to work, think about parking further away. Even a quick walk around the block is better than nothing; avoid being sedentary at all costs if you can.

Schedule an appointment with a doctor: There's no harm in knowing what risk you're at of developing heart disease. When you have the clarity that a doctor can provide, it's easy to identify ways to live a more healthy lifestyle. Though it can be scary, there's no substitute for a medical professional's expertise and advice. Besides these steps, there are other more intensive actions that others may need to take:

Quitting smoking: Ask anyone who's tried to quit smoking before on their experiences and it's understandable how difficult the task can be. However, it's massively important to heart health that smoking is taken out of the equation. If ready to quit, get in contact with an expert, join a support group and research treatment options and alternative products (like nicotine gum). Any progress made in quitting smoking is good progress.

Losing weight: An ask as challenging as the one above, losing weight can have a marked effect on heart health. It starts with small steps like fitting in small amounts of exercise and building up, as well as eating better and reducing unhealthy habits. It may be a long road to embark on, but shedding pounds also sheds risk of heart disease.

Take the time today to learn more about American Heart Month and how you can lead a more heart-healthy life.

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Greenwood partners with Beech Grove firm

Beech Grove, IN (February 7, 2020) — The city of Greenwood hopes to create a new athletics campus with a multi-use playing field, eight ball diamonds and a splash pad on 40 acres adjacent to Interstate 65.

The unnamed project—still in its early planning stages—would cost an estimated $8 million to develop over the next few years on a strip of vacant land northwest of the Worthsville Road and the I-65 interchange, on the city’s southeast side.

Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers delivers his ninth State of the City address on Thursday at The Nest Event Center in Greenwood. Scott Roberson | Daily Journal

According to a site plan, the first phase calls for eight total softball or baseball diamonds (four 225-foot and four 300-foot fields), as well as a shelter, parking, batting cages, a playground that would accommodate children with special needs and a maintenance structure.

Phase two would feature a 240-foot-by-300-foot multi-use sports field for soccer, football and a variety of other sports, plus a splash pad, a second playground, a trail and restrooms.

Greenwood has partnered with Beech Grove-based Mader Design LLC to master-plan the site and will use a public bid process to find a developer to execute the city’s vision.

“We’re thinking late summer to fall that we’ll hopefully have the design package ready and put it out for bid,” Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers told IBJ. “We’re hoping in 2021 to start construction on the site.”

The land for the project was acquired by the city from the Indiana Department of Transportation in mid-2019 at no cost, because the city contributed about $12 million toward the Worthsville interchange project, Myers said.

The land is bordered on the west by Clark Pleasant Middle School and the Harvest Indy South church, with fields and a planned neighborhood to the north.

The mayor announced the development during his State of the City address Thursday, touting it as an opportunity for Greenwood to draw in families and central Indiana athletic teams for games, as well as competitions for travel teams.

“We’ve always had a large softball demand in our area for local teams, so this will help augment that,” Myers said. “At the same time, we know that we’re designing it so it’s big enough for travel teams that are passing through. It will be a good destination” for those types of competitions.

The mayor said the city is exploring the use of artificial turf for the fields, along with advanced water drainage systems—such systems are used at many recently-constructed facilities, including Grand Park in Westfield.

Myers said a firm date has not been determined for when the project might open to the public.

SOURCE: IBJ
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Development planned for 137 acres on Southside

Indianapolis, IN (February 1, 2020) — Sheehan Development Co. Inc. plans to construct an apartment complex with nearly 400 units on the far-south side of Indianapolis as part of a larger mixed-use development.

Locally-based Sheehan is seeking approval from the city’s Metropolitan Development Commission to rezone about 137 acres of land on the northwest corner of South Arlington Avenue and East County Line Road—directly east of Interstate 65—for a project with multifamily, commercial and light industrial uses.

The 19.5-acre apartment complex, accessible from South Arlington Avenue, would have 384 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units in 12 three-story buildings, according to filings with the city’s Department of Metropolitan Development. A rendering for the project shows some units would have covered parking or garages.

The development also would feature a clubhouse with a fitness facility, community pool and leasing office near its main entrance. The firm has not said how much it is spending on the project.

According to a preliminary development statement from Sheehan, the project is expected to contain about 48 studio units, 150 one-bedroom units, 156 two-bedroom units and 30 three-bedroom units.

The development won’t be limited to apartments. According to a traffic impact study conducted at the city’s request, additional plans include 65,000 square feet of light industrial, a 100,000-square-foot office building, a 135-room business hotel and a 97,500-square-foot shopping center.

Most of the land on the southern and western portions of the property is expected to feature a mix of light industrial and commercial uses, accounting for about 78.5 acres.

A conceptual land use plan shows the developer hopes to build about five outbuildings for commercial or light-industrial use along East County Line Road, along with two additional commercial structures immediately south of the apartment complex.

Another 39 acres to the north of the apartment complex are expected to have C-1 commercial uses, which would allow for most retail businesses, as well as restaurants, grocery stores, and professional office space. The developer would be required to provide an updated land use plan to the city before beginning work on those elements.

The traffic study—which itself was not included in public filings—recommended new lights and additional turn lanes along South Arlington Avenue and East County Line Road.

Sheehan first sought approval for the project from the MDC Hearing Examiner in August, but a decision was delayed five times as the city gave the developer more time to work with neighbors and to conduct its traffic study.

The request, which would rezone the land from D-A and C-4 uses into a C-S, special commercial, district is expected to be heard by the MDC during the commission’s Wednesday meeting. It is recommended for approval by city staff, provided Sheehan makes the following commitments:

— a right turn lane for the southbound lane of Arlington Avenue into the apartment complex;

— an updated site plan for the entire property prior to starting construction on the multifamily or commercial elements;

— a wetlands delineation for part of the property;

— a tree assessment and preservation plan;

— an updated development statement that excludes certain commercial uses requested by staff;

— and updated building elevations for the multifamily development.

Avon-based Sebree Architects Inc. is the designer on the project.

Representatives for Sheehan did not return a call requesting comment.

SOURCE: IBJ
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