A suspect in the death of 10-and-a-half-month-old Mercedes Lain has pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder. Justin Lee Miller appeared for an initial hearing in Starke Circuit Court Friday morning. An initial plea of not guilty was already entered on his behalf in Marshall County, on a related charge of neglect of a dependent.
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Marshall County has reported its biggest single-day increase in COVID-19 cases since early January. Another 47 cases were reported in Friday’s update from the Indiana Department of Health. Starke and Pulaski counties also remained in the double digits, with 18 new cases in Starke County and 15 in Pulaski County.
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Schools that require face masks are being allowed to ease their COVID-19 quarantine procedures. A control measure from the Indiana Department of Health lets close contacts keep attending school, but only if all students and adults in the classroom “correctly and consistently wear well-fitting masks” during the entire school day.
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Marshall County’s unemployment rate is down, but so is the number of residents working. The county’s unemployment rate dropped from 3.6 percent in June to 3.1 percent in July, according to the latest report from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.
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The preliminary autopsy results for Mercedes Lain have been released. Marshall County Prosecutor Nelson Chipman says the cause of death was determined to be blunt force injuries of the head, while the manner of death was determined to be homicide. Chipman says several anatomic findings were noted but are not being released publicly at this time.
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Better water quality may soon be coming to some local lakes, thanks to the latest round of Lake and River Enhancement grants from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Koontz Lake was awarded $100,000 and Lake Maxinkuckee got over $46,000 for wetland enhancement. Lake Bruce was awarded almost $47,000 for water quality monitoring.
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As COVID-19 cases continue to increase, so do hospitalizations. More than 1,700 Hoosiers were in the hospital with COVID-19 symptoms as of Thursday, the highest number since January.
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Mercedes Lain’s parents made their initial court appearance Friday. They’re charged with the Level 6 felony of neglect of a dependent after the 11-month-old’s body was found in a wooded area in Starke County Wednesday night.
Continue readingIndiana’s daily increase in COVID-19 cases has surpassed 4,000 for the first time since January. Another 4,120 cases were reported in Friday’s update from the Indiana Department of Health.
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A total of four people were arrested after drugs were reportedly found during two Marshall County traffic stops. On Wednesday evening, sheriff’s deputies say they pulled over a vehicle near Linden and 7th Roads, and a police K-9 alerted them to the presence of narcotics.
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A Michigan man was taken into custody following a traffic stop at an Argos gas station early Thursday morning. Marshall County sheriff’s deputies say they pulled over a motorcycle with no license plate at the BP station at Walnut and U.S. 31.
Continue readingThe Indiana Department of Health is ramping up COVID-19 testing, as demand shoots back up. During a press conference Wednesday, State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box apologized for the long wait times experienced at testing sites.
Continue readingGovernor Holcomb says he’s happy to leave it up to individual counties to decide on mask mandates. During a press conference Wednesday, Holcomb said the state will continue to make sure local leaders have the information they need to make their own decisions, along with the resources to carry them out.
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Improving Indiana’s public health structure is the goal of a new commission announced by Governor Holcomb Wednesday. Over the next year, the 15-member commission will look at the strengths and weaknesses of the current health system, analyzing funding, staffing challenges, and the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The Indiana Department of Health says someone “improperly accessed” the state’s COVID-19 contact tracing data. Indiana Chief Information Officer Tracy Barnes said in a press release that the data was accessed by a company “that intentionally looks for software vulnerabilities, then reaches out to seek business.”
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The 2020 Census showed population declines in Marshall and Pulaski counties, but Starke County’s population held steady. Marshall County lost 956 residents from 2010 to 2020, according to data released last week, for a new population of 46,095. That’s a two-percent drop.
Continue readingAnother round of funding is available to expand broadband coverage in Indiana. The state is now accepting applications for the third round of Next Level Connections Broadband grants, according to a press release from the Governor’s Office.
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Indiana communities can get some “HELP” spending their American Rescue Plan money. The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs officially announced its Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program on Tuesday.
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The number of new COVID-19 cases in Indiana has surpassed 2,000 for the first time since early February. Eight of those cases are among Starke County residents, seven are from Marshall County, and four are from Pulaski County, according to Friday’s update from the Indiana Department of Health.
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Indiana is stepping up its naloxone distribution, amid a significant increase in overdose deaths. The Governor’s Office says Overdose Lifeline will distribute another 35,000 doses of the opioid overdose reversal medication and place another 215 “NaloxBox” units, thanks to another $1.3 million in state funding. A “NaloxBox” is a hard acrylic box containing six to eight doses of naloxone that organizations can mount outside of their buildings.
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