Press release from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department
On Saturday, February 27, at 12:39 p.m., Franklin County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the report of a one-vehicle accident with injuries on St. Mary’s Road, east of East Alley Road.
Tracey L. Ratliff, age 53 of Sunman, was operating a 2007 Lincoln Navigator eastbound on St. Mary’s Road. Ratliff reported she met an oncoming westbound large utility truck When she veered to the right, she struck a cement culvert, which caused a tire to blow. Ratliff lost control of the vehicle, causing it to go off the south side of the roadway, overturning, and coming to rest in a creek.
Ratliff was transported by Brookville EMS-2, to Margaret Mary Hospital in Batesville, for treatment of injuries sustained in the accident.
Deputies were assisted at the scene by the Brookville Volunteer Fire Department, Brookville EMS-2 and Responder 24.
Franklin County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Jeremy Noah investigated the accident.
Franklin County Council members and commission president Tom Linkel had a discussion, which seem to parallel the current national discussion on increasing the minimum wage: An increase in the wage of part-time county employees would be offset by the subsequent decrease in the hours of employment.
This came at the February county council meeting Tuesday night, February 23.
Linkel talked to council about a Franklin County Handbook meeting earlier that day. He described it as a meeting full of opinionated people in one room. Some others attending the same meeting said it was a very interesting, but somewhat raucous meeting.
One of the main topics coming out of that meeting was the county’s hourly rate for part-time employees. It is $12 per hour. However, many elected officials and department heads said that rate was too low to draw qualified candidates.
Linkel described a recent situation involving the department he oversees, the highway department. It needed part-time truck drivers to help with snow and ice removal for the county’s road system. However, he said no one holding a CDL, which is mandatory to drive one of the snow plows, would work for $12 an hour.
Other elected officials and department heads had similar examples at the handbook meeting, Linkel said.
Council president Jeff Koch explained the financial dilemma associated with increasing part-time wages. Money for part-time help in the various departments is divvied up during the annual county budget workshops held in late August.
“I don’t have a problem raising rates,” Koch said. “But if an office gets $3,000 for part-time help, they can run it for $20-25 an hour (and) that is fine. But once that amount is gone, it’s gone. Don’t come back … the problem is when we set those budgets, council’s all in agreement this department will get this set amount and when we go beyond that, why do we even have budget hearings? It just doesn’t matter if we go over it or outside those lines, the whole thing’s a mess.”
“We talked about that today in the meeting,” Linkel said. “And everybody stood there and shook their head yes. They all understand that. If they raise the hourly wage and they use their money up, (you) don’t come back.”
Koch said council just has to say no to any requests for additional appropriations for any department asking for more money for part-time help once their respective budgets for that are depleted.
“I think it goes back to managing that office,” Koch said. “Each department head is the manager of that office. If you run it into the ground, then you’ve ran it in the ground. There’s nothing left.”
After that, there was a discussion of how to make the part-time hourly rate – changeable for each office — work for the State Board of Accounts. Bauman had noted the state regulators do not like the verbiage “up to” an amount.
Franklin County Auditor Karla Bauman suggested putting wording that department heads are free to make their own part-time hourly rates on the front page of the county handbook. She also agreed that once the department heads have depleted that budget, they are done.
After the department head decides on a part-time hourly rate, that department head should come before council and inform them of the rate, she said.
Koch said as a county council member, he does not want to micromanage. And to that end, he does not want to make each department head feel like he or she has to come before council and explain every little thing they do.
“It’s just a hassle for them and us,” Koch said.
Council member Scott McDonough suggested the auditor develop a form and the department head could inform the auditor of the rate he or she is going to set for part-time help.
Linkel then asked Bauman to contact the SBA and see what verbiage, regarding allowing department heads to differentiate the hourly rates for part-time help, that agency will accept. Bauman said she could do that. Also, she said everyone needs to just think about the situation and the best way to handle it. Koch and Linkel agreed.
“We need to find something that is the positive solution to this,” Koch said.
Newly elected Franklin County Council Member Brian Patterson asked a question about how many lighted warning signs the county has at slabs.
The subsequent answers may have surprised him concerning the realities of county funding and current costs.
Patterson asked the question near the end of the Tuesday night, February 23, council meeting. He said some constituents had asked him that question, and he had passed over the slabs at Bushy and Yellow Bank roads that day. The water was up and flowing across the slabs due to snow melt and those slabs were without lighted warning signs.
The question was directed at Franklin County Commission President Tom Linkel, who was at the podium talking about the replacement of a county dump truck, where the former one had been destroyed by fire.
Linkel was unable to immediately give a complete answer to Patterson’s question, but promised to do research. He came up with an answer as to cost early the next day.
His answers the night of the meeting and with his subsequent research are Franklin County currently has five LED signs. There are four LED signs at two locations: Bullfork low-water crossing and Pipe Creek low-water crossing. One is in stock and one was destroyed by vandalism. Linkel said vandalism to county highway road signs, including the lighted warning signs, is a major problem and seemingly has always been a problem.
The four lighted warning signs were put in place following Dec. 31, 2018, when a woman was swept off the Pipe Creek low-water crossing and killed during a flood. Her GPS took her down the road, and she was unfamiliar with it. It was at night.
There are 23 slabs in the county. To install LED low-water crossing signs at all low-water crossings in Franklin County, it is estimated to cost $110,000 for sign installation in addition to annual maintenance costs and continued replacement due to vandalism, commissioners communicated on Wednesday.
“The commissioners’ goal, as funding becomes available, is to eliminate one low-crossing location per year and install a bridge in its place,” the commissioners said in an email on Wednesday.
While a good intention, real-world finances may make that goal impossible. Commissioner Tom Wilson was first elected as a commissioner in the 1990s with a primary goal of eliminating low-water crossings in the county. This came after a young mother and her children were swept off a slab and drowned about 30 years ago in the western part of the county.
However, the grim reality was Wilson’s goal was outside the county’s relatively meager revenue in highway funds.
Just the Bushy and Yellow Bank roads’ low-water crossings’ replacement is a multi-million dollar task. And if the county would attempt to build the bridges with federal grant money administered by the state, the cost would escalate even more as the bridges would have to be built to high federal standards. With these grants, the county must pay 20 percent of the costs.
Commissioners were soundly criticized for constructing a new bridge to replace slabs on Stockpile Road. Many said it was an interstate bridge in the middle of the country, thus wasting money. However, the commissioners were forced to have a bridge designed and constructed to meet federal standards because the design and construction were 80 percent funded by federal grants.
There is more to building an apparatus than to just span a stream. The bridge must be high enough to survive, at the minimum, 100-year floods. Approaches have to be engineered to meet that height and to also allow safe approaches to the bridge.
One slab on East Walnut Fork Road is badly deteriorated and may soon become impassible. But, it is on a dead-end road with one home beyond the slab. What should be done with that? And with talking about bridge construction, one must take into account the current county roads. It is estimated to cost $900,000 just to fix flood damage on River Road at Gobles Creek.
Thus, this is one dilemma, which continues to perplex both county council and county commissioners.
Franklin County Sheriff’s Department press release
On Thursday, February 25, at 9:32 p.m., Franklin County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the scene of a one-vehicle accident in the 19,000 block of Five Point Road.
Through their investigation, deputies determined that Zachery L. Fledderman, of Indianapolis, was driving a 2007 Honda Odyssey westbound on Five Point Road, when his vehicle went off the south side of the roadway, striking two large trees.
Fledderman, age 36, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Franklin County Coroner’s Office.
Deputies were assisted at the scene by the Batesville Fire Department, Batesville E.M.S., and the Franklin County Coroner’s Office. The accident is still under investigation.
Brookville Police Chief Terry Mitchum cleared up some misunderstanding and confusion surrounding a set of police-activity-related fees he suggested at the Brookville Town Council February 9 meeting.
At the February 9 meeting, Brookville Town Council President Curtis Ward read the proposed charges and changes Mitchum sent to that meeting in written form. It generated a lot of questions both from council members and media who were present. Mitchum came to the February 23 meeting and discussed the fees.
One of the main ones that was previously misunderstood regarded accident reports. It seemed at the Feb. 9 meeting Mitchum wanted to increase that fee by $5. It already costs $12 to receive the report via mycrash.com.
What Mitchum is suggesting is if people who have accidents in Brookville want to forego the $12 charge when they use the internet site, they could come to the police department, request a report and for $5 receive the report, saving the person $7. He said if that person wants to print it out in their home off the website and pay the $12 that is totally up to the individual.
He then went on to the false alarm fee. According to Mitchum, any address is allowed two false alarms not related to weather, but with the third false alarm and any subsequent false alarms not related to weather, a $25 fee will be assessed. He said some places allow three before charging the fee, and others have the fee at $50. Mitchum said it is really not about making money but about making sure the property owner keeps the alarm system upgraded.
The next proposed fee was not discussed at the earlier meeting. He proposed a $15 processing fee for towed vehicles. Mitchum emphasized this would be assessed for criminal-related offenses and not accidents. Thus, the person having their vehicle towed, would have to come to the police station and pay the processing fee, taking that receipt to the towing facility and paying whatever cost there and retrieving their vehicle.
Currently, the police will assist people if they are locked out of their vehicles, and there is no charge to the person. Mitchum said in non-emergency situations, he wants to do away with assisting with lockouts altogether. That is because of the liability involved. He said it is a matter of time until the town is sued for damage to a vehicle incurred during the procedure to unlock the vehicle. However, in emergency situations, the officers will still unlock the vehicle free of charge.
The final fee regards vehicle identity number (VIN) checks on vehicles. Currently, they are also done free of charge. Mitchum said he would like to have a $5 fee. BTC member Brooke Leffingwell suggested a higher fee for non-Brookville residents. However, Mitchum said that will become too confusing. People often drive into town to have a VIN check. Also, the town police assist the sheriff’s department with VIN checks if the county deputies are too busy and that favor is done in reverse if the town police officers are too busy.
He said keeping it at $5 for everyone will be easier to administer.
Council members voted unanimously to have Brookville’s attorney Tammy Davis to draw up the ordinance for the new fees.
James Melvin Fraley, 67, of Connersville, passed away on Wednesday, February 24, 2021, at Reid Health in Richmond. He was born in LaFollette, Tennessee, on September 24, 1953, to the late Willard Fraley and Mabel Crabtree Fraley.
On January 3, 1997, he married Kathy Henry in Connersville, and they were able to share 24 years of marriage together.
He retired from Howden Roots in 2019.
Along with his wife, he is survived by two daughters, Heather (Michael) Studt, of Brookville; and Lisa (Éimhín) McManus, of Kirkland, WA; two step-sons, Brett (Jessica) Moore, of Cambridge City; and Tyler (Jamie) Moore, of Connersville; a sister, Pamela (Clarence) Davidson, of Connersville, and eight grandchildren, Justin and Peyton Studt, Theia and Natalie McManus, Liam Moore, and Anna, Arieanna, and Alayna Moore.
Besides his parents, James was preceded in death by two infant sisters.
The visitation will be held on Tuesday, March 2, 2021, from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m., at Urban-Winkler Funeral Home, Connersville. Private services for family and close friends, followed by burial, will be held on Wednesday, March 3, 2021.
Urban-Winkler Funeral Home is honored to be assisting the family with arrangements.
Kaye Branson, 80, of Connersville, went home to be with the Lord late Thursday evening, February 25, 2021. Friends may visit from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m., Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at Miller, Moster, Robbins Funeral Home. A funeral service will be conducted at 11 a.m., Wednesday, March 3, 2021. Burial will be in Dale Cemetery.
A Liberty woman was shot and killed after approaching police officer with a knife.
Shortly before 1 a.m., early Friday morning, February 26, the Union County Sheriff’s Department received a 911 call reporting a woman walking in the middle of US 27 south of Liberty. Liberty police officer Lorenzo Shepler responded to the area. Upon his arrival, he observed a woman standing in the middle of the highway. When Officer Shepler approached the woman and attempted to move her out of highway, the woman began to resist and a struggle ensued. During the struggle, the woman retrieved a knife and advanced towards the officer. Officer Shepler fired multiple rounds from his duty weapon, striking the woman at least one time.
The woman was flown by medical helicopter to Kettering Ohio Medical Center. She later died from her injuries sustained from the shooting. She has been identified as Maggie A. Dickerson, 29, Liberty.
Officer Lorenzo Shepler is a two-year veteran of the Liberty Police Department. He sustained minor injuries during the struggle. He has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
At the request of the Liberty Police Chief and the Union County Sheriff, the Indiana State Police will investigate the shooting. Once complete, the findings will be forwarded to the Union County Prosecutor.
At the Tuesday, February 23, Brookville Town Council meeting, BTC President Curtis Ward said the Proposals/Qualifications for a new Town Hall came directly from an executive session, and the reason to immediately move on the project is the seller wants to move quickly.
Ward read the Proposals/Qualifications for a Town Hall at the BTC meeting held on February 9. At that time, Ward said he wanted to hire a company to get the project going quickly. Bids for a company to provide “all financing services, development services, design services, site acquisition, site work, labor and material to develop, renovate and/or construct the Project [sic],” are due by March 3, according to the request Ward read into the record at the Feb. 9 meeting.
Ward said he would like to see construction begin by the summer.
“The Town [sic] will likely seek to renovate and redevelop an existing building within the Town [sic], and therefore will need assistance with evaluations regarding structural integrity, schematic floorplans [sic], and complete building analysis potentially for multiple sites or buildings in the Town [sic],” the document Ward read into the record continues.
Following the choice of a site or existing building for the new town hall, the project will continue on the fast track, Ward read from the document at the Feb. 9 meeting.
“The scoping period is anticipated to be a very intense and fast-paced process, with the goal of achieving a guaranteed price and final schematic design in Spring [sic], 2021 in order to accomplish construction commencement in Summer, [sic] 2021,” Ward read at the Feb. 9 meeting.
Town council members unanimously passed the Proposals/Qualifications for a Town Hall at the Feb. 9 meeting without one word of discussion.
There was an executive session on January 26 for the purchase or lease of real property by the governing body up to the time a contract or option to purchase or lease is executed by the parties. At the February 23 meeting, Ward said the need is for more information.
“We needed more information on it so we thought the most efficient way to do that was through the (Proposals/Qualifications for a Town Hall),” Ward said Feb. 23.
After the subject of a new town hall blew up on social media, Ward commented on a post council wants to use a vacant building on Main Street and then further intimated the building in question is the former Elsie Dreyer Nursing Home at the intersection of 3rd and Main streets at the top of Oregon Hill. It is currently owned by Knecht’s Rentals. Another large empty building downtown is the old Rosenberger’s Building. But both buildings have been on the market for a long time. Also, the Popper Building is vacant, but that one has also been on the market for a long time. It is owned by Mick Wilz. The Farmer’s Mutual Building will be vacant when that entity moves to its new location at the bottom of Oregon Hill, but it is not ADA accessible. Another potential building is the movie theater, which has been closed since the shutdown in March of 2020. Nixie’s was recently purchased and is going to be remodeled. However, it is not ADA accessible, has limited parking and probably does not have enough room. Parking at all the above-mentioned buildings is limited. However, no one on town council has made a definitive statement on which building council members are looking to buy and renovate.
He said after the proposal by a building owner to the town, there has been discussion by council members if there is a need “for that specific project.” However, that subject and specifically that discussion has never been broached in a public session.
According to Ward, prior to the offer of the property, there was no discussion among council members about the need for a new town hall. After the proposal came up, council members began discussing the bad points of the present town hall located on Franklin Avenue in Brookville.
He said the meeting room is too small. In the pre-covid world, if there were a topic, which drew a crowd, it was not possible to seat more than a few people in the small meeting room. He said it was hard to hear each other at the meeting room in the current town hall. Also it is not Americans with Disabilities friendly.
“Our building is very small, and obviously we’re not meeting there tonight, and it’s not feasible for us to,” Ward said.
Council meets in the spacious Brookville Public Library’s meeting room free of charge. There were about five people in the audience Feb. 23.
“So if we can buy the property that would benefit the town, which would have a larger space and be more accessible for the public and more acceptable to the public … have we had prior conversations about the need for that, the answer is no,” Ward said. “This was just the result of having the property presented to us.”
Town Clerk/Treasurer Gina Gillman said people with disabilities have to access the side door to the current town hall.
Town council member Catherine Pelsor said it is the town council members’ duty to look at every possibility that comes before council and see if it is beneficial to the town.
Council member Eric Johnson said he is neither for nor against the project until council members “see the details that come out of the investigation.”
“The opportunity is not presented all the time so you have to take advantage of it when it is,” Johnson said.
Council member Chuck Campbell said this could be an opportunity to join the police department with the town hall employees and functions so a citizen can go to one place and pay parking tickets and the water bill.
On Tuesday, February 23, the Indiana State Police served a search warrant at a rural Washington County address that led to the discovery of a large amount of suspected crystal methamphetamine and the arrests of the homeowners.
As part of an ongoing investigation, troopers with the Indiana State Police-Versailles ‘All Crimes Policing Team’ with the assistance of the Indiana State Police Drug Enforcement Section obtained a search warrant for a residence located on Pumpkin Center Road in rural Washington County.
While serving the search warrant, troopers located approximately 18 pounds of suspected crystal methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and a large amount of US Currency.
The homeowners, Raymond Collins, age 48, and Deborah Mack-Collins, age 52, were both arrested on numerous drug-related charges. Both were incarcerated in the Washington County Jail pending their initial appearance in court.
They preliminarily face felony charges of Dealing Methamphetamine, Possession of Methamphetamine, Corrupt Business Influence, Maintaining a Common Nuisance and misdemeanor charges of Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
The Indiana State Police continues to actively pursue those who choose to distribute illegal drugs into our communities. Anyone with information about ongoing drug activity is urged to report the activity to your nearest Indiana State Police Post.
