BREMEN — The Marshall County Coroner was notified of a motor vehicle fatality at the intersection of Fir and 4th Rds. south of Bremen.
The crash involved a passenger vehicle and an Amish Buggy, which occurred at 8:01 am, Wednesday, April 9.
The vehicle occupant was not injured. Three occupants of the buggy were pronounced dead at the scene.
The deceased have been identified as:
Glenda Jo Yoder Age 13
Darrell Yoder Age 10
Devon Yoder Age 9
The three are siblings from Bremen.
PLYMOUTH — Mike Miley, President of the Marshall County Historical Society, and Nelson Chipman for the America 250 celebration committee came before the Marshall County Commissioners to seek permission for a celebration commemorating Paul Revere’s famous ride on April 18 of 1775.
The committee is seeking to hold a ceremony on the Marshall County Courthouse lawn on April 18 of this year to celebrate that moment in history. The Culver Academy Black Horse Troop will participate in the ceremony that will see the lighting of two lamps in the courthouse tower to commemorate the signal sent to warn of the Continental Army of British troops on the move.
The ceremony will take place at 8:30 p.m. on April 18 on the courthouse lawn. The committee had already secured the help of the city of Plymouth in blocking off the four surrounding streets on the Court House block for the event.
The America250 initiative is leading the nationwide commemoration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence that will be held next July 4. Miley and Chipman told the Commissioners the local committee had other events planned during the coming year as part of that celebration.
PLYMOUTH — Marshall County Emergency Management Director Jack Garner reviewed last week’s response to two tornado events in the county, Sunday in the Donaldson area and Wednesday’s event in Bourbon.
Regarding sirens, Garner said that there were no sirens for the Sunday event since a tornado was never officially spotted and no warning was issued by the National Weather Service. Garner said the protocol, which he agrees with, is that the siren be sounded only when such a warning is issued or an official spotter sees a tornado.
He told the Commissioners that the county sirens did give Bourbon residents a 15-20 minute warning of the impending storm. He said that the sirens are designed for those who may be outside and not as a siren for indoor warning.
He also informed the Commissioners that there are currently no sirens in West or Polk Twp. and that such sirens are normally purchased by towns or townships and can run from $25,000 to $75,000. Grants are available, but Garner said those are very difficult to secure in the “era of cell phones” but added that multiple layers of warning for such impending storms are most desirable. He told the Commissioners that would be a question to consider as to whether or not adding those outdoor sirens would be a step moving forward.
Wednesday, Garner and the Commissioners opened the Operation Center at the courthouse as part of the Bourbon reaction.
Garner once again stressed the importance of residents reporting any storm damage to 211. He said that because of flooding in southern Indiana, the state was considering making a single statewide disaster declaration to FEMA, which he said would open the door to more funding possibilities for local needs.
Garner said that the Yellow River never reached flood stage during the event.
The Department of Homeland Security is expected to do its official assessments of damage this week.
LaPAZ — On April 5, at approximately 4:30 a.m., Marshall County Central Dispatch received a 911 for a vehicle in the ditch at Michigan Rd and 3A Rd.
Marshall County Deputies found that Jose R. Saucedo Robles, 41, struck a street sign and attempted to leave the scene. While attempting to flee, Saucedo-Robles went northbound in the southbound lane of Michigan Rd., where he lost control of the vehicle and came to rest in the ditch. A certified chemical test was administered and showed a BAC of .247.
He was taken to the Marshall County Jail.
Suspects are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
PLYMOUTH — On April 6 at 7:08 a.m., a traffic stop was conducted for an infraction on a vehicle being driven by Jordan Le Vert McCorvey, 31, of Canal Winchester, OH.
He was found to have a warrant through the US Marshals. McCorvey was taken into custody and lodged at the Marshall County Jail to await extradition.
Suspects are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
PLYMOUTH — Pending the approval of the Marshall County Council in their next meeting, Marshall County will honor former Congresswoman Jackie Walorski by naming the section of Michigan Road (Old US 31) in the county’s jurisdiction after her.
Walorski died in a tragic car accident in August of 2022, along with two staff members, Zachery Potts and Emma Thomson, while on a visit to the district on government business.
Commissioner Jesse Bohannon, citing Walorski as a “personal friend and mentor” and saying she was largely responsible for his running for office, brought the resolution to the Marshall County Commissioners during their Monday morning meeting.
The resolution would not officially change the name of Michigan Road, so no official addresses would change on the route. Signs would be placed along the road with the designation to honor Walorski.
The resolution will now be presented to the Marshall County Council for their consideration.
PLYMOUTH — Marshall County Commissioner Jesse Bohannon asked the board to add an item to their agenda for their next meeting to look at the division of powers between the Commissioners and the County Council.
Saying, “This will be a long-term discussion’, Bohannon asked the Commissioners to look at an option that he stated was created by the state of Indiana (Indiana Code 36-2-3.5-1 (2)) to offer “a better” division of powers between the two bodies that would give more authority to the Council.
County Attorney Sean Surrisi said that the change would be more like the federal government in that the Commissioners would serve as the executive body and the Council would be the fiscal and legislative body.
The legislative body has the ability to enact ordinances in the county. Only Lake and St. Joseph counties currently operate under this system.
Bohannon said he felt that the legislature passed the option at that time and had wanted all counties to operate under that system. He said that he “was guessing” that the Commissioners had not wanted to give up their legislative authority and so it was made optional.
Bohannon said he felt it was a matter worthy of discussion to see if the Council would be willing to take on the additional responsibility. Joint resolutions by both bodies would be necessary to initiate any change.
He said the questions to consider would be whether or not it was a good idea and when that transition should take place.
The item will be on the Commissioner’s agenda for their April 21 meeting.
Average gasoline prices in Indiana have risen 13.3 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.25/g today, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 3,271 stations in Indiana. Prices in Indiana are 39.0 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand 44.5 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.
According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Indiana was priced at $2.62/g yesterday, while the most expensive was $3.59/g, a difference of 97.0 cents per gallon.
“While the national average price of gasoline saw its largest weekly gain of the year, it likely won’t last long, as oil prices have plummeted amid growing concerns about the global economy following the U.S. announcement of some of the most significant tariffs in over a century, along with OPEC+ restoring oil production faster than anticipated,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “In addition to falling oil prices, the stock market has dropped sharply, and the risk of a recession has increased— raising the likelihood of reduced global energy and oil demand, which is sending prices lower. As a result, motorists can expect gas prices to begin falling nearly coast-to-coast, with oil now at its lowest level since the early days of the pandemic in 2021. If tariffs aren’t scaled back soon, the national average could fall below $3 per gallon in the weeks ahead, with no clear indication of how long it might stay there as market volatility persists.”
GasBuddy’s averages, graphs, maps, and historical pricing data covering the U.S. and Canada are available 24/7 at http://prices.GasBuddy.com.
PLYMOUTH — On Sunday, April 6, at 2:23 p.m., Marshall County Dispatch broadcast a
report of an unwanted guest at a residence on 11th Rd. in Plymouth.
When Deputies arrived they found Janell R Geren, 49, was in possession of marijuana. Additional evidence collected during the investigation led Officers to discover an altered license plate and items indicative of credit card fraud.
Geren was transported to the Marshall County Jail for Possession of Marijuana, Operating a vehicle with an altered license plate, and Credit card fraud.
Suspects are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
PLYMOUTH — On the morning of April 7, at 1:40 a.m., Plymouth Police conducted a traffic stop on a speeding vehicle on US 30 near Plymouth Goshen Trail.
It was found that the driver, 27-year-old Santiago Andrade Jr of Hammond, had an outstanding nationwide federal felony warrant for his arrest that had been issued through the US Postal Inspection Service. Andrade was taken into custody and transported to the Marshall County Jail to await extradition.
Suspects are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
PLYMOUTH — On April 1, Plymouth Police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling south on N Michigan St.
The driver, Zachary J. Hunter, 38, of Plymouth was found to be operating the vehicle while under the influence of a narcotic. Suspected marijuana was also found inside the vehicle.
Hunter was arrested and transported to the Marshall County Jail.
Suspects are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
PLYMOUTH — On April 2 at 3:30 p.m., Officers with the Plymouth Police Department went to 112 S. Michigan Street in Plymouth to serve a warrant on Abimael Gonzalez 47 years old of Plymouth.
Gonzalez had a $6,000 dollar cash bond for contempt of court.
Gonzalez was transported to Marshall County Jail and booked in for his warrant.
Suspects are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
PLYMOUTH — On April 4 at 8:13 a.m., Plymouth police made a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by Patti J. Churchill, 54 of Ft. Wayne for a traffic infraction.
She was found to have a license status of suspended-prior. She was transported to the Marshall County Jail.
Suspects are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
PLYMOUTH — A press release from Jack Garner, Marshall County EMA Director, states that the National Weather Service confirmed an EF1 tornado hit Marshall County on the evening of Wednesday, April 2.
The tornado began near Rutland at 7:52 PM and lifted near Etna Green (in Kosciusko County) at 8:10 PM. The impact was most heavily concentrated in Bourbon where at least 50 homes or commercial buildings suffered some type of damage.
The tornado was on the ground for a total of 18 minutes and 17.91 miles, with a peak width of 175 yards and peak wind speeds of 105 mph.
Immediately following the tornado, first responders conducted search and rescue operations on affected properties. A central command center was established in Bourbon and the Emergency Operations Center was opened at the county building. Operations continued well into the night before picking up again this morning.
Marshall County residents who saw structural damage from the tornado are encouraged to call 211 or visit 211’s website to report their damage to EMA. The damage reports will be compiled and could help Marshall County reach disaster thresholds to initiate additional financial assistance for property owners.
For those who are cleaning up from the storm, please make sure you are properly separating your debris. There are environmental standards that must be followed. More information on how to separate debris is available in the graphic below:
The EMA urges the public to stay away from Bourbon if they have no need to be there. Do not clog the roadways with unnecessary traffic. First responders and victims need space to be able to do their job effectively. Be cautious of scammers who may try to take advantage of disaster survivors, and try to verify all your contacts with insurance companies and contractors. If you are interested in volunteering your time or resources, please call the Bourbon Clerk’s Office at 574-342-4755.
PLYMOUTH — At the Marshall County Community Corrections board of directors meeting on Wednesday, a new Chief Officer of the Marshall County Probation Department was discussed.
The current Chief Officer, James Bendy, submitted his resignation recently after 23 years of service. In June of last year, Bendy was recognized by Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush for his commitment to the profession of probation and long-time service at the annual justice services conference.
The county has received three applications for the position so far, and Judge Janette Surrisi told the MCC board that they would wait a while longer to see if there will be more applications. She said the department has two assistant chiefs who have been filling in in the interim as the county considers the candidates for that position.
Beau Holcomb, Director of Marshall County Community Corrections, also gave a quick update to the board on his office that currently had 16 pre-trial home detention, along with 96 total clients in the home detention program who all pay a fee to the county for that service as part of their sentence. He said two clients had been terminated from the program due to violations of their probation terms.
Holcomb also told the board that he was “looking forward” to his meeting with the state on the “Cincinnati Report”.
Recently, the Indiana Department of Corrections contracted with the University of Cincinnati to audit programs around the state and then provide a report on those programs. Holcomb said he is anxious to have the meeting to get input on what Marshall County is doing right and what may need improvement.
PLYMOUTH — The Plymouth Board of Zoning Appeals approved a variance for the development of a residential housing project of 30-40 units off of SR 17.
Representatives for Mike and Joyce Relos, who own a property off of SR 17 on Glenn Overmyer Drive asked for the variance to develop the project that with current zoning would not be allowed.
Developer Kevin Berger told the board he would like to build approximately eight residential buildings with one, two, and three-bedroom units.
Plymouth Plan Director Ty Adley, along with Linda Yoder of the Marshall County Community Foundation and United Way, gave a favorable recommendation to the board that addressed a section of the city comprehensive plan that noted a significant need for housing and addressing a lack of housing diversity in Plymouth. Two recent studies by the Michiana Council of Governments (MACOG) and the United Way had cited a need in Plymouth for such housing.
The development would mirror another development by Berger, The Paddocks in Culver and would employ a professional management company to maintain the property.
Adley told the board that the property sits at the edge of the Plymouth city limits but stated the owners were willing to pursue annexation into the city limits to take advantage of city utilities that currently serve the adjacent properties.
Berger also asked for an extension of the variance for longer than the normal one year since the funding requests for the project would not be announced until November. If funding is successful it would be the fall of 2026 before actual construction could take place.
An extension of the Greenways Trail system that has long been on the books would also fall within the area of the project, but any such plans would be far in the future, and if that extension moved through it would not be at the developer’s expense.
The Plymouth BZA voted to allow the variance and the extension.
BOURBON — Severe storms ripped through Marshall County Wednesday night, leaving damage in their wake but the town of Bourbon was particularly hard hit.
Around 7:45 p.m., storms, including the reports of a tornado, did major damage to the southwest and east sides of Bourbon, as well as overturning semis on US 30.
Speaking at a Thursday morning press conference at the Bourbon Town Hall, Town Council President Les McFarland said that there were no significant injuries reported due to the storm and that power had been restored to most but not all of the town. McFarland said that crews were still in the process of assessing the extent of the damage done.
Marshall County Emergency Management Director Jack Garner said that Indiana 211 had been activated for the county and that anyone who experienced storm damage around the county this week should report that damage there. Garner said a storm survey would be done by the National Weather Service and should be completed by the end of the day
McFarland warned those cleaning up that if they came across any power lines, they should approach them with caution. He said that even if they appeared to be dead, the use of generators could cause a backflow of electricity, making them dangerous.
Those needing assistance can call the Clerk’s Office at 574-342-4755.
Last night, the Marshall County Commissioners issued a disaster declaration for Marshall County following the severe weather.
ARGOS — A property that was cited for clean-up in 2016 will see the county carry out that order.
A property on Maple Street in Argos owned by Debra Mersch was cited in April 2016 for being in violation of the county’s ordinance for maintaining the property.
Subsequent violations with a request for clean-up were filed in August of 2023, in October of 2024, the owners were no-shows for a court date on the matter, and again in January 2025, after which the county requested bids to undertake the clean-up at the owners expense.
In the Plan Commission meeting on March 27 members opened the only quote submitted for the proposed cleanup of trash and debris coming from Chain of Lakes in Plymouth for $19,740.
Discussion centered on the number of inoperable vehicles that would need to be taken from the property that there appeared to be no title for and therefore scrap owners would be unable to take them.
Payment of the bill was also discussed with the remedy of non-payment by the owners of the property being a lien on the property that would need to be paid on any subsequent sale of the property.
PLYMOUTH — Plymouth’s Plan Commission approved a resolution in support of a contribution by the city to the Life Long Learning Network.
Earlier in the year the Plymouth Redevelopment Commission had added a contribution to the city’s TIF district #3 that included an agreement for consulting services from Enfocus for the city. The Plymouth City Council passed the Redevelopment’s plan for funding consulting services but rejected the contribution of equipment and tools to the Lifelong Learning Network.
The Redevelopment Commission has decided to try again to make a contribution for equipment to the LLC’s automotive program. Part of that involves the Plan Commission passing the resolution that the contribution from a TIF district would fit in with the city of Plymouth’s comprehensive plan.
City Attorney Jeff Houin told the commission that the three basic points of the resolution regarding the comprehensive plan were collaboration with other partnerships in the community, access to quality education, and supporting local businesses. The programs for the LLN are not limited to students but adults seeking training and continuing education. The Plan Commission resolution addresses whether or not the proposed expenditure supports the overall comprehensive plan for the city.
The City Council’s decision against the contribution was based on the idea of contributing money to the school corporation after the city had already made a contribution to the Life Long Learning Center. Houin told the Plan Commission that the contribution was not intended for the school corporation but for the LLN, including adult continuing education.
PLYMOUTH — On Monday, March 31 at 2:45 p.m., officers with the Plymouth Police Department were dispatched to the intersection of Jefferson St. and Lincolnway East for the report of a vehicle accident. Officers arrived on the scene and located a two-vehicle accident with no injuries.
During the investigation, Officers detected a strong odor of Alcohol coming from one of the drivers. That female was identified as 60-year-old Jennifer Walker from Plymouth. Walker was transported to the Plymouth St Joseph Medical Center and submitted to a chemical test. It was determined that Walker had a BAC of .209.
Walker was transported and lodged in the Marshall County Jail, and charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated-endangerment, and Operating a Vehicle With a BAC of .15% or greater.
Suspects are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
