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Bruce Ungethiem’s Reasons for Running for County Commissioner and Bio

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After receiving encouragement from many residents of Vanderburgh County, I have decided to run for the office of Vanderburgh County Commissioner because I believe our community needs and deserves an experienced leader they can depend on to lead us into the future.

There are three major reasons I believe this:

First, we need leaders that are more in tune with the people, who will listen to their concerns and be open and honest with them while not making decisions behind closed doors. This was very apparent when two of the three commissioners came out in favor of the reorganization plan of government but two out of three citizens were against it.

Second, we need a fiscally responsible conservative fiscal leader for the future. We will be challenged in the near future with providing essential services with limited funds. It will require new ideas and out of the box thinking to provide these services in a more efficient manner. My career in the private sector was spent working to continuously improve processes and I believe I can bring this practical problem solving ability to local government.

Third, it is critical that we develop a sustainable long range plan for the county. The economy is beginning to turn around and that will mean private industry will be ready to invest money in new ventures. We need to partner with our local developers and private industries to provide essential services to take advantage of these opportunities. We need to plan for growth and not reacting to it after the fact and we need to keep the best interest of the people in mind as we go forward.

After talking with family and friends and carefully consideration of the commitment this will require, I have decided to file for the commissioners office.

Bruce Ungenthiem

Mr. Ungenthiem’s Qualifications

Bruce was born in Vanderburgh County 1955 and grew up in the Darmstadt area. He graduated from Scott elementary school in 1969 and Central High School in 1973. It was at Central high school where he got his first taste of public service while working for the late David Koehler on his city council campaign. Bruce applied and was accepted into Rose Hulman Institute of Technology and in 1977 graduated with a BS degree in Mechanical engineering and a minor in political Science.

Upon graduation, Bruce accepted a job offer from Mead Johnson as an engineer and returned to Vanderburgh County. He worked for Mead Johnson in various capacities over the next 33 years including, Project Engineer, Automation Manager, Latin American Regional Technical Manager, and North American Regional Technical Manager. During that time he managed many multimillion dollar projects and even larger capital budgets for Mead Johnson. As a result of these duties he has traveled and worked in several foreign counties including Mexico, Ecuador, Argentina, China, the Netherlands, and Saudi Arabia. Bruce retired from Mead Johnson in 2010 at the age of 55 to pursue other interests.

The same year he started with Mead Johnson he married his hometown sweetheart, Debbie, and they have been married for 36 years. They have two grown children, Jeremy and Derek who both reside in Vanderburgh County and six grand children ranging from age 8 to 11 months. Bruce and Debbie now enjoy being grandparents and spending time with the grandchildren.

Bruce continued his interest in public service when he returned to Vanderburgh County after graduating college. He joined the Scott Township Volunteer fire department where he served for over five years as a second class fireman and a certified EMT. Once his children got old enough, he gave up the fire department to serve as coach, organizer, commissioner and whatever else was needed to various athletic organizations as the two boys grew up. He was one of the founders of MOYBA (McCutchanville Oak Hill Youth Basketball Association) and Central Junior Basketball Association. He also served as the President of the Scott Township Youth Baseball program for 7 years. When the boys reached high school age, Bruce supported the athletic programs they were involved in at Central High School.

In 1996, commercial development came to his neighborhood in the form of a grain milling plant and there were many odor issues as a result. Bruce organized a group of concerned citizens and persuaded the owner of the milling plant and local county officials to fix the problem by spending several million dollars in improvements to their waste handling system to eliminate the odor issue. Shortly thereafter, Bruce ran in the Republican primary for County Council 2nd district against a 25 year incumbent. Although he did not win, the experience taught him a lot about local government.

In 2008, talks began to surface about another attempt to consolidate local government and Bruce became involved. After attending several meetings and realizing that local citizen input was not being listened to, Bruce decided to form a committee to change the plan. The original committee was called We The People and its mission was to change the plan so that it would be acceptable to all county residents. This attempt was not successful and the plan went forward to the ballot with few changes. Because the plan was not acceptable to many, Bruce and a group of concerned citizens then formed CORE (Citizens opposed to Reorganization in Evansville were Bruce served as Co Chairman and spokesperson. They worked diligently in a grass roots effort to inform people about the details of the plan and why it was not good for the county. Despite being outspent by a 4 to 1 margin, the question on the ballot was defeated by a 2 to 1 margin. Once this was accomplished, Bruce lead the same group of people to the Statehouse to change the reorganization laws so that in the future any reorganization plans will have to satisfy all areas of the county. This CORE organization is still active and working on other issues of local interest.

Now with the experiences he has had, Bruce has decided to again volunteer for public service again by filing for County Commissioner Second district. Bruce will use his many experiences in industry and the public sector to provide leadership in the community that is in tune with the public and a willingness to listen.

Suit spawns liquor-distribution showdown

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by images-9 Scott Olson for theindianalawyer.com

Indiana’s largest beer distributor is mounting the latest legal challenge to the state’s arcane, Prohibition-era liquor laws.

Indianapolis-based Monarch Beverage Co. Inc. is suing officials of the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission in federal court, arguing the company should be granted the right to also supply liquor to bars, restaurants and retail outlets.

State law prohibits alcohol wholesalers from supplying both beer and liquor, forcing them to choose between the two. The system is so unusual that no other state in the nation regulates alcohol that way.

Monarch filed its first lawsuit in late October and followed up with a related complaint Dec. 6 from affiliate trucking company E.F. Transit Inc. Both suits argue Indiana’s restrictive alcohol laws violate parts of the U.S. Constitution.

“The General Assembly has never provided an official explanation for why it chose to prohibit beer wholesalers from holding a liquor permit,” Monarch argues in its suit. “The available evidence, however, suggests that this restriction was enacted to further a post-Prohibition patronage system that operated to the benefit of state and local politicians.”

The belief, at least according to Monarch’s argument, is that following Prohibition, statewide politicians doled out licenses for liquor, and county officials handled those for beer. Alcohol wholesaling has remained separate since.

“The argument that we’re making is rather simple and straightforward,” said Brian Paul, a lawyer at Ice Miller LLP representing Monarch. “There’s no rational reason for that distinction.”

Monarch maintains in its complaint that the system violates the equal protection clause in the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by treating beer wholesalers unfairly.

Grocery and convenience stores wanting to sell cold beer have raised a similar challenge on constitutional grounds. In August, the Indiana Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association filed suit in federal court, arguing the law governing cold-beer sales violates the 14th Amendment, by favoring “one class of retail over another.”

The association won a partial victory Dec. 11, when federal magistrate Debra McVicker Lynch denied 21st Amendment Inc.’s request to intervene. 21st Amendment operates 19 liquor stores in the Indianapolis area.

Legislative action unlikely

In addition to pursuing the right to sell cold beer, grocery and convenience stores want to sell beer, wine and liquor on Sundays.

The convenience and grocery stores launched their legal effort to sell cold beer only after attempts to get the General Assembly to change the law fell on deaf ears.

Monarch, too, has failed to convince legislators in its efforts to distribute liquor. It has tried unsuccessfully the last four sessions to advance a bill supporting its position before resorting to federal court.

The likelihood that lawmakers will have a change of heart anytime soon seems slim, said Ed Feigenbaum, who publishes Indiana Legislative Insight.

“In the short session, it’s probably unlikely, particularly with a lawsuit pending,” he said.

Monarch’s suit, however, has caught the attention of liquor distributors who oppose the company’s attempts to compete with them.

On Dec. 3, the Wine & Spirits Distributors of Indiana trade group filed a brief to intervene in Monarch’s suit, arguing that a change to the laws would enable Monarch to create a monopoly. The Indiana Beverage Alliance, which represents Anheuser-Busch wholesalers, supports the filing.

Monarch already is the sole distributor of Miller and Coors products in 69 of Indiana’s 92 counties, and reaches the entire state when counting the wine and craft beers that it distributes, said Marc Carmichael, president of the Indiana Beverage Alliance

“It’s a zero-sum game for the Legislature to make a change that dramatic because all it would do is shift business from some wholesalers to Monarch,” Carmichael said.

Dueling arguments

Founded in 1947, Monarch has become the biggest beer distributor in Indiana, in part because of a decision by Miller about a decade ago to begin distributing its beer through larger suppliers. Monarch benefited from its central location and quick access to interstates.

By contrast, 18 Anheuser-Busch distributors operate in the counties where Monarch is the sole Miller and Coors distributor, Carmichael said.

Under Indiana law, beer wholesalers are granted franchise protections that require distributors that take business from others to compensate them for the lost business. Those same rights aren’t granted to liquor distributors.

So any business Monarch might take from a liquor distributor if it succeeds would not cost the company a dime in payments to its vanquished competitors.

Liquor distributors operating in Indiana include Dallas-based Glazer’s, Indianapolis-based Republic National Distributing Co. LLC and Miami-based Southern Wine & Spirits.

The sheer size of Monarch might tempt liquor brands to jump ship because Monarch would be better positioned to promote them, opponents of Monarch’s suit say.

“Monarch’s claim actually seeks preferential treatment that would put Monarch in position to dominate the wholesale tier of the Indiana alcoholic beverage market, to the detriment of Wine & Spirits’ members,” the group said in its brief to intervene.

Seeking cost savings

Meanwhile, the complaint filed earlier this month by Monarch sister company E.F. Transit follows two failed attempts to merge some of its operations with Indiana Wholesale Wine & Liquor Co., owned by St. Paul, Minn.-based Johnson Brothers Liquor Co.

In 2010, the state alcohol and tobacco commission rejected a request from Indiana Wholesale to move its warehouse to E.F. Transit’s Pendleton Pike location. The two then entered into an agreement in which E.F. Transit trucks simply would pick up shipments from Indiana Wholesale’s existing warehouse.

The commission declined to weigh in, saying it would not render legal advice to an alcoholic beverage permit holder. Indiana Wholesale interpreted that to mean it could face a “substantial risk” of violations and backed out of the deal.

The E.F. Transit suit argues that the commission’s refusal to approve the agreement violates a federal transportation law as well as the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution.•

Can parents sue DCS? Yes, divided justices rule

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by :Dave Stafford for theindianalawyer.com

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A sharply divided Indiana Supreme Court decision that a family may sue the state’s child protection agency for negligence is sure to resonate within the Department of Child Services, attorneys familiar with the case said.“The whole purpose of this appeal was to try to hold the Department of Child Services accountable for its failure to abide by statutory requirements,” said Adam Sedia of Rubino Ruman Crosmer & Polen LLC of Dyer, who successfully argued the case decided in a 3-2 opinion Nov. 26.Sedia will continue to represent the family in the case that’s been remanded to Vanderburgh Superior Court, where a status conference is scheduled for Jan. 7. At issue is DCS’ failure to disclose to parents allegations of sexual abuse of their 2-year-old daughter by a 12-year-old relative. The parents knew of allegations that the relative had abused a 4-year-old son, but they weren’t informed by DCS that the juvenile who was adjudicated delinquent also said he inappropriately touched their daughter.Evansville police learned of the allegations regarding the daughter and reported them to DCS as required under the child abuse reporting statute, I.C. 31-33-6-1. But DCS didn’t notify the parents about the abuse allegations. Sedia said the mother learned of those allegations more than a year later during an email exchange unrelated to DCS.Chief Justice Brent Dickson, writing for the majority joined by Justices Steven David and Robert Rucker, said that the failure of DCS to disclose the abuse allegations to the parents gave them a private right of action against the agency under the Tort Claim Act.The plaintiffs “contend that DCS’s inaction with respect to the separate report of abuse to Daughter hindered their ability to obtain proper treatment. The facts, which we must construe in favor of the plaintiffs as the non-moving party on summary judgment, do not fall within the circumstances granting immunity under the plain words of the statute. … Accordingly, summary judgment is not proper,” Dickson wrote.“Because plaintiffs’ claims against DCS do not result from the ‘initiation of a judicial or an administrative proceeding,’ DCS is not immune under Indiana Code Section 34-13-3-3(6), and summary judgment in favor of DCS is therefore improper,” the majority held.

While reversing the Vanderburgh County court’s grant of summary judgment for the agency, justices affirmed summary judgment in favor of Evansville police and the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office in F.D., G.D., and T.D. b/n/f J.D. and M.D.; and J.D. and M.D., individually v. Indiana Dept. of Child Services, Evansville Police Dept., and Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office, 82S01-1301-CT-19.

Sedia believes the majority applied strict construction to determine DCS had an affirmative duty under I.C. 31-33-6-1 to notify the parents about the abuse allegations. “Based on the plain language, DCS isn’t afforded immunity,” he said. “I think the Legislature imposed this duty on DCS for a reason.”

But Justice Loretta Rush wrote a dissent joined by Justice Mark Massa that didn’t find anything of the sort.

“In the absence of immunity, Indiana law requires us to analyze whether the Legislature intended the violation of the Notice Statute to give rise to a negligence action. Applying that analysis, I can find no such legislative intent here,” Rush wrote.

“I do not condone DCS’s egregious conduct of allegedly not notifying parents of their child’s abuse, but not every breach of a statutory duty provides plaintiffs with a negligence action. … I conclude DCS is immune from liability, and even if it weren’t, the Notice Statute would not provide plaintiffs with a private right of action,” she wrote.

The decision split the court’s experienced juvenile court jurists – David and Rush. Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathryn Dolan said neither would comment on the ruling beyond the written opinions.

Attorney General Greg Zoeller’s office defended the suit, and Zoeller said in a statement that under the immunity principle behind Indiana’s Tort Claim Act, “taxpayers who did nothing to cause a situation ought not be held financially responsible without limit for actions of government employees.

“We respectfully disagree with the narrow scope of the Indiana Supreme Court majority’s opinion as to the State and immunity. Whether liability exists is a separate question that will be determined by the trial court. The Office of the Indiana Attorney General supports the prompt reporting of and prompt investigation of allegations of child abuse and neglect so that children are not subjected to further victimization, consistent with statutes the Legislature has passed,” Zoeller said.

Kaarin M. Lueck, a public defender in Richmond who writes the Indiana Juvenile Justice blog, said the impact of the decision remains to be seen, but the facts of this case appear to be narrow. “It’s a tragedy, and hopefully it doesn’t happen often,” she said.

“This case is another aspect of increased scrutiny of DCS processes and the expectation of no mistakes given what is at risk,” Lueck said, noting reforms within the agency in the last couple of years.

“In the world of all (Child in Need of Services) and delinquency cases, this scenario is going to play out in a small amount of cases,” Lueck said. “Usually, when there is an allegation of sex abuse, the child-victim is interviewed, and the parent is aware of the CPS assessment.

“By statute, DCS’ investigation can and usually will be shared with the prosecutor’s office for possible criminal or delinquency allegations,” she explained. “If the alleged perpetrator is adjudicated to be a delinquent, he or she is generally put into rehabilitative services that usually involve revealing any other potential victims. The delinquent child may be given a diagnostic polygraph to aid in this process. If any other victims are revealed, the therapist is required to notify DCS of new child abuse allegations. The assigned Child Protection Services worker will conduct their investigation. That is the point where the notification statute – I.C. 31-33-18-4 – requires that the parent, guardian or custodian be notified of the assessment in this scenario.”

Sedia said there was deposition testimony in this case that the failure to notify was characterized as, “It just fell through the cracks.” He’s uncertain whether the high court’s decision may result in other similar claims against DCS.

“There’s always the freak case, and I hope this is it,” Sedia said. “I don’t know how many similar situations there are and have been, but it certainly presents something for the Department of Child Services to take caution of in the future.”

Lueck said the decision will force DCS “to figure out how to deal with these problems without opening up the floodgates of civil litigation.”

“As big a machine as DCS has become, how do you ensure this kind of thing doesn’t happen again?” Lueck said. “This cannot be the only time there’s been a mistake.”•

John Friend Elected 2014 City Council President

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City Councilman John Friend
City Councilman John Friend

This evening the Evansville City Council elected John Friend, CPA Council President for 2014.  Stephanie Brinkerhoff-Riley was elected Vice President?  Dr. Dan Adams was appointed Chairman of the ASD committee.  Al Lindsey will be  the next chairman of the Public Works Committee and Conner O’Daniel will be the next Finance Committee chairman?

VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES

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nick herman Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Friday, January 03, 2014

 

Wesley Nickens               Residential Entry-Class D Felony

 

Amber Serrett                   Domestic Battery-Class D Felony

 

Darryl Smith                       Possession of Schedule II Controlled Substance-Class D Felony

Theft-Class D Felony

Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Endangering a Person

with a Passenger Less than 18 Years of Age-Class D Felony

 

Stephanie Stewart          Possession of Cocaine-Class D Felony

Possession of Paraphernalia-Class A Misdemeanor

 

Melissa Whitlock            Possession of Schedule IV Controlled Substance-Class D Felony 

Neglect of a Dependent-Class D Felonies (Two Counts)

Possession of Marijuana-Class A Misdemeanor

 

David Williams                 Possession of Schedule II Controlled Substance-Class D Felony

Operating a Vehicle as an Habitual Traffic Violator-

Class D Felony

 

Marvin Willis                    Operating a Vehicle as an Habitual Traffic Violator-

Class D Felony

 

Ryan Winebrenner         Possession of Schedule IV Controlled Substance-Class D Felony 

                                                Possession of Paraphernalia-Class A Misdemeanor (Enhanced to  D Felony Due to Prior Convictions)

Possession of Marijuana-Class A Misdemeanor

False Informing-Class B Misdemeanor

 

Lynette Berry                    Theft-Class  D Felony

 

Derrick Collins                  Theft-Class D Felony

Criminal Mischief-Class B Misdemeanor

Public Intoxication-Class B Misdemeanor

(Habitual Offender Enhancement)

 

Duane Davenport            Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury-Class D Felony

Intimidation-Class D Felony

Domestic Battery-Class A Misdemeanor

 

Montel Fox                        Receiving Stolen Property-Class D Felonies

(Two Counts)

 

John Jackson Jr                 Armed Robbery-Class B Felony

 

James Sheene                   Intimidation-Class D Felony

Possession of Marijuana-Class A Misdemeanor

 

Anthony Smith                 Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon-

Class B Felony

 

Nicholas Strader              Theft-Class D Felony

Criminal Trespass-Class A Misdemeanor

 

Michael Vance                  Theft-Class D Felony

Criminal Trespass-Class A Misdemeanor

(Habitual Offender Enhancement)

 

For further information on the cases listed above, or any pending case, please contact Kyle Phernetton at 812.435.5688 or via e-mail at KPhernetton@vanderburghgov.org

Under Indiana law, all criminal defendants are considered to be innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.

 

IS IT TRUE January 6, 2014

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Mole
Mole

IS IT TRUE that incumbent Marsha Abell of the Vanderburgh County Commissioners along with Tom Shetler, Jim Raben and Pete Swaim of the County Council have all decided to seek re-election to another term.?…Republicans currently hold a majority on both the County Commission and the County Council?…this team of incumbents will be filing to run together on Wednesday at 3:15 PM in the Civic Center Election Office on the 2nd Floor in Room 214?

IS IT TRUE at least one of these candidates is facing a primary challenge and that would be Commissioner Marsha Abell who will be facing Bruce Ungenthiem who was instrumental in the defeat of the consolidation of city and county governments that Commissioner Abell supported?…despite having a primary candidate against Ms. Abell who engineered a 2 to 1 victory to defeat consolidation against a well funded and incumbent supported PR campaign, Vanderburgh County Republican Chairman Wayne Parke has already endorsed Abell for the position?…it was just last week that Mr. Parke wisely withheld his endorsement to allow the five candidates for the house seat vacated by Suzanne Crouch to be determined by a vote?…in the case of the County Commissioner seat Mr. Parke would have been better served to let the Republican voters decide whether Ungenthiem or Abell should be the candidate for office?…both of these candidates for the party nomination have enough performance history in the public arena to be capable of campaigning for themselves and raising their own contributions?…what Mr. Parke has really done here constitutes a ringing endorsement of the STATUS QUO?

IS IT TRUE it was widely reported this weekend that the Obama Administration having been stung by the failures of the HealthCare.gov rollout is considering forming a new federal unit to deal with big tech projects?…this is all well and good and has been proven by the 3 year nearing a Billion Dollar debacle of a website that really was saved in only 3 months when private business leadership came in to pull the President’s fat from the fire but there are several hurdles that will have to be overcome to make this work?…the first of which is that in the private sector the kind of people that will be needed already earn a higher salary than cabinet members and even the President?…secondly the stifling nature of federal employment is like kryptonite to technology developers?…such people typically do not like or respect how the government is run and even if more money were offered may reject the opportunities offered?…as the federal government spends $77 Billion per year on information technology every year they certainly need a team of competent engineers to keep more debacles from happening?

IS IT TRUE that there is strong precedent that the federal government can actually accomplish big technology related tasks?…from the Manhattan Project to the Space Program, President’s had technological excellence at their disposal for over 60 years?…as long as NASA was doing big things in space and bringing in new blood the USA could compete in the technology world?…with the decommissioning of the last space shuttle and the aging workforce of federal tech agencies that is no longer the case as the Obama Administration proved on the front pages for 3 continuous months?…if the federal government is to return to a position of technological prowess the powers that be will have to snap back to the realization that writing specifications from a position of ignorance does not constitute technical achievement?…they will also have to calibrate themselves to the real world where more than words are needed to actually make something happen?

IS IT TRUE that this evening the Evansville City Council shall elect John Friend, CPA Council President for 2014?… Stephanie Brinkerhoff-Riley shall be elected Vice President?  … that Dr. Dan Adams will be elected Chairman of the ASD committee?…Al Lindsey will be  the next chairman of the Public Works Committee and Conner O’Daniel will be the next Budget Chairman?

I-65 Shut Down Again Due to Deteriorating Weather Conditions–I-94 remains open to traffic

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ISP

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. – The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) announces the emergency closure of I-65 again. The interstate will be closed, both northbound and southbound, between U.S. 30 (Merrillville) and mile marker 172 (Lafayette). Deteriorating weather conditions brought upon the closure, including blowing snow with zero visibility, snow drifts, and icy surfaces. This closure is for the safety of motorists. There is no timeframe for when I-65 will reopen.

I-94, which closed in tandem with I-65 last night, will remain open.

Drivers in Northwest Indiana can monitor road closures, road conditions, and traffic alerts at any time via the District’s social media channels: www.Facebook.com/INDOTNorthwest or Twitter @INDOTNorthwest. Or visit http://www.trafficwise.in.gov for INDOT’s TrafficWise Traveler Information Service.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Matt Deitchley, INDOT Northwest District
(219) 325-7526 (desk)
(219) 363-4946 (cell)
mdeitchley@indot.IN.gov

School Board Meeting Postponed

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EVSCThe meeting of the Evansville Vanderburgh Board of School Trustees, originally scheduled for tonight at 5:30 p.m., has been postponed until Monday, January 13, at 5:30 p.m.  Please call my cell phone if you have questions:  812-480-2274.

Statewide Travel Conditions/Road and Weather Update

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ISP

Motorists should evaluate the need to travel anywhere in the state over the next couple of days as temperatures have fallen below zero. Add wind to the extremely frigid temperatures and wind chills are forecast to reach anywhere from 30 to 40 below zero at times with blowing snow and blizzard like conditions.

As of 8:00 a.m. this morning, although the snowfall has tapered off to mostly flurries across the state, most of Indiana is snow covered with the heaviest accumulations in northern Indiana. The following is a list of roads currently closed:

• I-80/94 east and westbound from U.S. 421 (34 mile marker) to the Illinois State Line (0 mile marker)
• I-65 north and southbound from State Road 26 (172 mile marker) to U.S. 30 (253 mile marker); and
• US 35/SR 22 in Howard County is closed from US 31 E to SR 13 in Grant County

Road conditions in central Indiana remain hazardous as INDOT crews have been out around the clock statewide working to keep roads passable.

Road conditions are only slightly better throughout southern Indiana where snow accumulations were less than in the central and northern parts of the state. However, there are still many areas where snow and ice conditions make for very hazardous travel.

The Indiana State Police advise travel in counties under a red travel advisory should only be for emergency purposes. To see the current travel status in your county, click here: http://www.in.gov/dhs/traveladvisory/. Travel in these counties is extremely hazardous and should be avoided unless there is a LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCY that requires the need to travel.

If it becomes necessary to travel, make sure you are prepared by following these tips:

• Tell someone where you are going, your route of travel, and your expected arrival time.
• Also tell that person your vehicle color, year, make, and license plate number.
• Allow plenty of extra time to travel
• Make sure your car is full of fuel and refuel when your gauge indicates a half tank
• Pack an emergency kit in the trunk consisting of:
o Extra blankets/coats/hats/gloves
o Working flashlight and extra batteries
o Some bottled water
o High energy, non perishable snacks such as nuts, granola bars, etc.
o A candle and some matches
o Emergency flares

• Have fully charged cell phone or bring along a phone charger for the car
• Keep some sand or “kitty litter” in your trunk help provide some traction should your car
• get stuck
• Carry a shovel

If you become stranded along the roadway, remain with your car unless you can see a house or business that is only a short distance away. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CAR TO “LOOK” FOR HELP. Tie a brightly colored flag or other material on the antenna. Run your car’s engine for 15-20 minutes per hour just to keep warm and make sure the exhaust pipe stays clear of snow or other obstructions. An idling engine generally will only burn about one gallon of fuel per hour. While your car is running, turn on all lights and honk your horn to attract attention. Make sure to shut off all lights and other electrical components and avoid honking your horn while the engine is off to conserve battery power. CALL 911.

Please avoid calling state, county, and local law enforcement dispatch centers for road and weather updates. Instead, tune into your local radio station, favorite TV news channel, or call the statewide road and weather line at 800-261-7623. This Indiana State Police link http://www.in.gov/isp/2332.htm will take you to an overview page that includes these useful links:
• Situational Awareness for Current Winter Storm
• TrafficWise
• INDOT Road and Weather Sensors
• National Weather Service
• IDHS County Travel Status Map

FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION FROM THE INDIANA STATE POLICE ON THE WINTER STORM, visit our webpagehttp://www.in.gov/isp/3096.htm. This page reads and flows like a blog page. This will continue to be updated for the duration of the storm over the next few days.

 

State Fire Marshal Requests Hoosiers to Clear Snow from Fire Hydrants

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ISP

 

With impending snow accumulation, the Indiana State Fire Marshal is requesting citizens to clear snow from fire hydrants as part of the snow removal for their properties.
“As you’re clearing your driveway and sidewalks, it’s always appreciated when fire hydrants are kept clear of snow,” said Jim Greeson, Indiana State Fire Marshal. “It saves a lot of time when it comes to locating and using a fire hydrant in time of a fire.”
Greeson adds that snow accumulation or the results of plowing and snow clearing can completely cover or restrict access to fire hydrants.
“A blocked hydrant can mean slower response to extinguishing fires and only takes a few minutes,” said Greeson. “Help your neighbors and your local firefighters. A fire hydrant blocked or covered by snow can result in time lost fighting fire and dire consequences to a homeowner or business owner.”
Greeson adds that snow accumulation or the results of plowing and snow clearing can completely cover or restrict access to fire hydrants.
Snow removal tips
• Adopt a fire hyrdrant to keep an eye on.
• Make it a regular part of a snow clearing routing.
• Clear a path to fire hydrants from the road.
• Remove snow from all sides so it is visible from the road, and easily accessible for a fire hose.
Greeson also reminds those removing snow to take frequent breaks and to avoid snow removal until conditions are safe. For more information, go to GetPrepared.IN.gov.

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