Marshall County Traffic Safety Partnership ramping up patrols ahead of Memorial Day Weekend

INDIANAPOLIS – With Memorial Day marking the unofficial start of summer travel, the Marshall County Traffic Safety Partnership is preparing to step up patrols to crack down on seatbelt usage. From May 17 through May 31, the Marshall County TSP will join police officers across the state to participate in a national campaign to promote safe driving habits, including seat belt usage.

“To kick off the summer travel season, it’s critical to remind all motorists that wearing a seatbelt is not just the law; it’s something that can save your life,” said Douglas Huntsinger, Executive Director for the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. “Our goal is simple – we want everyone to make it home safely. Buckling up is the first step in achieving that goal.”
This high-visibility enforcement campaign is part of a nationwide effort funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration through grants administered by ICJI. During the campaign, the Marshall County TSP will take a no-excuses approach to enforcement, issuing citations to anyone not properly restrained.
Indiana continues to see strong compliance with its seat belt laws. ICJI’s latest observational survey found that 93.6% of Indiana drivers wear their seatbelts. While this is encouraging, there is still work to be done to reach the remaining 6.4% of drivers who put themselves at risk.
To reinforce the message, state traffic safety leaders are reminding people why the laws exist in the first place.
“Seat belts are one of the simplest, most effective ways to protect yourself on the road,” said Jim Bryan, Traffic Safety Director for ICJI. “Putting on a seat belt takes just a few seconds but can make all the difference in the event of a crash. If you’re not buckled up, you are taking a dangerous risk.”
Research consistently shows that seat belts can reduce the risk of injury or death in a crash by up to 65%. Without one, people are at a higher risk of being ejected from a vehicle, which can lead to fatal outcomes.

For additional information about seat belt safety, visit on.in.gov/seatbelt

PLYMOUTH — On the morning of May 7, at 1:15 am, Plymouth police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that was found speeding in the area of Oak and US 30.

The driver, Joshua Walker, 40, of Peru, had a revoked driver’s license. Officers found that Walker was in possession of narcotic drugs.
He was taken into custody and transported to the Marshall County Jail on preliminary charges of Possession of a Narcotic Drug.

Suspects are considered innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

PLYMOUTH — On Tuesday,​ May 6,​ at 11:49 PM,​ Marshall County Deputies initiated a traffic stop on a blue 2006 Chevrolet Malibu in the area of US 31 and 9A Road.

The driver,​ Caleb L. Smith,​ 31, was found to be driving while suspended with a prior.
Two adult females and a juvenile were also in the vehicle at the time. Officers completed a probable cause search of the vehicle,​ finding many baggies and items of marijuana.
A rear female passenger,​ Quadesjah ​L. Mack,​ 24, gave officers a false name and was found to have an active warrant out of Elkhart County. ​She was taken into custody and was transported to the Marshall County Jail. Smith was transported to the Marshall County jail, and the registered owner of the vehicle,​ Kimberly A. Rustman,​ was issued a summons for possession of marijuana and released from the scene with the juvenile.

Suspects are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. ​

PLYMOUTH — Plymouth’s School board took time to examine legislation that was recently passed by the Indiana General Assembly, that will have a direct effect on schools in the state.

Superintendent Mitch Mahwhorter told the Board that SB 1, on property taxes, will have a major impact on school funding, but maybe not as much as many feared. The bill has been touted by supporters as saving money for homeowners by cutting the property tax and providing long-term tax reform.
Mahwhorter said that the bottom line for schools was a reduction in the operating budget for corporations around the state. He estimated that it might mean a reduction of as much as 5.1 percent of the operating budget for Plymouth.
Laura Kruyer, the head of the Plymouth Education Association, addressed another bill with the board that would make a rather drastic change to the state’s Teacher Appreciation grants.
Currently, all licensed teachers employed in the classroom, or directly providing virtual education, who are rated as effective or highly effective as of December 1st of the year the grant is awarded, can receive the grant that could be between $3500 to $7000 for a year based on the teachers ranking and the school enrollment.
Kruyer said that the new bill limits a school corporation to 20 percent of teachers who can be rated as effective or highly effective. It will be up to the corporation to pare down that total to meet the criteria, regardless of the actual number of teachers who could be rated in those categories. Based on the current numbers in the Plymouth corporation it would mean a reduction of teachers eligible for that grant.
Kruyer said it would lead to teachers questioning the corporation as to why or why not they were rated at that level. She urged the board to exercise caution as they approach the new process, saying that the corporation needs to be “very transparent” on how they make the selection.

ARGOS — The Argos Community School Corporation will hold a public hearing regarding the tentative employment contract agreement for the Superintendent of Schools.

The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. in the Dragon Conference Room on May 12. The regularly scheduled meeting of the Argos School Board will take place immediately after the public hearing.

PLYMOUTH — Monday, the Marshall County Commissioners moved towards a change in the way the county handles public defenders for the court system.

Appearing before the Commissioners last month, Circuit Court Judge Janette Surrisi and Tami Napier, Judge of Superior Court 1, asked them to consider moving to a Public Defender Commission Board for the county. The board would have three members, one appointed by the Commissioners, a second by the four county judges, and a third independent member.
The state would set the standards of how many cases a public defender could handle and the amount of support services allowed. The state Public Defender Commission Board would then reimburse the county up to 40 percent of the expenditures.
Monday, the Commissioners took up the ordinance that would create the board. In the preliminary discussion, Commissioner Jesse Bohannon said that his understanding was that the board would create a higher cost for public defense in the county, but savings anticipated at other levels of the justice system would result in taxpayer savings for the county.
Surrissi, once again in attendance, confirmed that statement saying that studies had shown that counties that employed the Commission system saw a 16 percent reduction in jail population — that would equate to 20 inmates in Marshall County — as well as a decrease in recidivism and a 50 day shorter seperation from the home in child cases, in addition to reimbursement from the state.
The Commissioners voted unanimously for the ordinance to create the board, whose first task will be to put together a comprehensive fiscal plan for the program for presentation to the County Council to make a decision on whether the system is a good fit for Marshall County.

PLYMOUTH — On May 2 at 7:26 p.m., Officers with the Plymouth Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle after running the license plate and it showing that the owner was driving while suspended with a prior.

The Officer confirmed the driver was the registered owner, Dennis Harrell, 65 of Plymouth, and conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle. Harrell was taken into custody for driving while suspended prior and for driving with no insurance with prior conviction.

Suspects are considered innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

LAPORTE — Indiana Department of Transportation maintenance crews will be conducting pipe replacements on State Road 25 and State Road 10 in Marshall County beginning this week.

State Road 25 will be closed on or after Thursday, May 8, between State Road 331 and State Road 110. The official detour for this closure will follow State Road 331, State Road 10, U.S. 31, and State Road 110.
State Road 10 will be closed on or after Monday, May 12, between State Road 17 and Academy Road. The official detour for this closure will follow State Road 17, State Road 110, and U.S. 31 (semis should not utilize State Road 117).
Each closure will be in place for approximately two days. Local access will be maintained.

PLYMOUTH — On May 3, Plymouth police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling over 70 MPH in a posted 50 MPH zone on US 30 in Plymouth.

The driver of the vehicle, Bobby L. Green, 47, of Fort Wayne, was found to have marijuana. He was ultimately arrested and transported to the Marshall County Jail.

Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

On Friday,​ May 2,​ at 5:15 pm,​ Marshall County Central Dispatch received a call regarding two people breaking into a house in ​the 10,000 block of Union Road.

The two individuals were identified as Eric Miller, 46, and Josie Allen,​ 27, both of Plymouth. The two individuals were caught taking items out of a house after entering the house through a ​door.

Marshall County Sheriff’s Department Officers arrested the two, and they were transported to the Marshall County Jail, where they were booked in on Residential Entry,​ which is a Level 6 Felony.

Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. ​

Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Average gasoline prices in Indiana have risen 13.7 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.18/g today, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 3,271 stations in Indiana. Prices in Indiana are 8.2 cents per gallon lower than a month ago and stand 22.8 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has increased 0.2 cents in the last week and stands at $3.501 per gallon.

According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Indiana was priced at $2.74/g yesterday while the most expensive was $3.49/g, a difference of 75.0 cents per gallon. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.74/g while the highest was $3.49/g, a difference of 75.0 cents per gallon.
“Last week was another mixed bag at the pump for many Americans, but there may be some promising short-term news from OPEC+, which has agreed to increase oil production starting in June,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “Here in the U.S., slightly more than half of the states saw gas prices rise, while many others saw modest declines. We continued to see price cycling in states prone to such movements, including much of the Great Lakes region, as well as in Maryland, Florida, and parts of Texas. However, the most notable development is OPEC+’s decision to raise production next month, as oil prices hover near their lowest levels since the pandemic. While gasoline inventories have been tightening due to ongoing refinery maintenance, which has limited how much gas prices have fallen in response to lower oil refinery output is expected to rise soon. As maintenance wraps up, we could see an increase in gasoline supply and a national average that may soon dip below $3 per gallon.”
GasBuddy’s averages, graphs, maps, and historical pricing data covering the U.S. and Canada is available 24/7 at http://prices.GasBuddy.com.

PLYMOUTH — On the morning of May 4, at 4:30 am, Plymouth Police conducted a traffic stop on a red Mazda due to the vehicle driving with no lights on.

During the stop, the odor of marijuana was detected coming from the vehicle. A search of the vehicle was conducted, and suspected marijuana was located inside the vehicle. After further investigation, the driver was also confirmed to have never received a valid license and was impaired.
The driver, Gerson Martinez, 18, of Plymouth, was taken into custody and booked into the Marshall County Jail on charges of operating a vehicle without ever obtaining a license, operating a vehicle while intoxicated, and possession of marijuana. The passengers, Jonathan Gutierrez Reyes, 18, and Isaac Martinez-Tobar, 18, both of Plymouth, were taken into custody and booked into the Marshall County Jail for Possession of Marijuana.

Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

PLYMOUTH — On May 4 at 2:19 a.m. Plymouth Police stopped two men riding their bicycles down the W Washington St. sidewalk without forward or rear-facing lights.

One of the men, Paul Anthony Williams, 42, of Plymouth, attempted to discard a THC vape pen during the stop. Williams was taken into custody and charged with possession of marijuana and obstruction of justice.

Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

PLYMOUTH — Marshall County Highway Superintendent Jason Peters came before the Commissioners during the Monday meeting to present bids for the coming year’s Community Crossings Grant road projects.

The County received bids from three companies for the projects that include 9th Road from Pioneer Road to County Line, 16C Road, Redwood Road to Pear Road, and 3rd Road. The county also received a grant to fund the reconstruction of Nutmeg Meadows Drive in Plymouth.
E&B Paving submitted a bid for the work of $2,052,783.80, Milestone Contractors had a bid of $1.916,209.80, and Reith Riley had a bid of $2,091,668.04.
The companies also submitted bids for additional road work that the county has planned for the coming year, with E&B bidding $561,014.10, Milestone $537,804, and Rieth Riley $578,270.10.
The Commissioners accepted the bids under adisement allowing County Attorney Sean Surrissi and Peters to review them and return later in the meeting to award the bid.
Once the bids were reviewed, Peters recommended the low bidder, Milestone, to be awarded the contract. Milestone was also the low bidder for the additional work but Peters will review the bids again before making a specific recommendation.
The Commissioners unanimously awarded the bid for the Community Crossings projects to Milestone.

PLYMOUTH — Plymouth’s Board of Works and Safety gave Plymouth Fire Chief Steve Holm permission to proceed with the transfer of title on the city’s mass casualty trailer to Elkhart.

The city had acquired the trailer in 2008. The equipment serves seven counties that make up District 2 and would still be available to Marshall County in case of emergency, and also would be stationed in Plymouth during the Blueberry Festival. Elkhart had expressed interest in taking over the maintenance and upkeep of the trailer, saying they had the support and funding to do so.
The Board voted unanimously to allow Holm to proceed with the transfer of title for the trailer.

PLYMOUTH — On May 2,​ Marshall County Sheriff’s Deputies conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in the area of U.S. 30 and Plymouth Goshen Trl for exceeding the posted speed limit.

A probable cause search of the vehicle was ​conducted,​ and suspected marijuana, along with paraphernalia, was located inside the vehicle.
The driver of the vehicle,​ Adam L. White, 26, of Saint Charles,​ Illinois, was subsequently arrested for Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Paraphernalia.

Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

INDIANAPOLIS — Governor Mike Braun has proclaimed May as Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month in Indiana. This is in conjunction with a national campaign promoted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). As warmer weather arrives, more riders are taking to the streets after what is usually a several-month sabbatical during the winter. May presents the ideal time to remind motorists to look for motorcyclists, as well as offer tips for riders who have been inactive since last fall and could be a bit rusty.

Generally, Indiana records very few, if any, motorcyclist fatalities from November through April. With a mild winter and early spring, motorcyclists were out more than usual during those months over the last two years. Regrettably, we are again off to a tragic start with more than half a dozen fatalities prior to May. One of these was a right-of-way crash that claimed the life of the rider and his passenger.
These are not merely numbers, they are human lives. These losses have tremendous ripple effects throughout their communities. We are talking about fathers, sons, mothers, daughters, friends, relatives, and co-workers. Crashes know no barriers and cross all gender, religious, race, and socioeconomic categories. This is a “problem”, and one that we must all address collectively.
We all understand that sometimes things just happen. However, most motorcycle crashes are avoidable. Multiple-vehicle crashes where a motorist violates the rider’s right-of-way would not occur if drivers took the time to not only look but truly see motorcyclists. Single-vehicle crashes where the rider loses control are usually the result of the operator exceeding their limits. Knowing and riding within your limits is the responsibility of each motorcyclist.
Riders, especially new riders, who have not had the benefit of formal rider education, as well as those who are unlicensed or improperly licensed, continue to be over-represented in crashes. Enrolling in recognized rider training and being properly licensed and endorsed are steps that reduce the likelihood of being involved in a crash.
ABATE of Indiana urges riders to be properly licensed and trained, continually develop and practice their skills, and be prepared to react to motorists who fail to see them. ABATE also asks drivers to be conscious of motorcyclists in traffic, allow riders ample space, and share the road courteously with all road users.
Just like the bumper sticker says, “Save a life, be aware, motorcycles are everywhere”.

PLYMOUTH — On the morning of May 3 at 3:45 am, Plymouth police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that was attempting to elude police in the River Park Mobile Home Community off of Baker Street.

The 27-year-old driver was identified as Miguel Flores-Urquizo of South Bend. Two female juveniles, ages 13 and 16 were also found in the vehicle. Flores-Urquizo was found to be under the influence and in possession of marijuana.
The lengthy investigation led to Flores-Urquizo being taken into custody on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges. Flores-Urquizo is facing the charges of felony-child solicitation, OWI, dealing marijuana, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and 4 Class A Misdemeanors
Flores-Urquizo is currently lodged in the Marshall County

PLYMOUTH — On the morning of April 30, at 4:45 a.m., Plymouth Police were on patrol in the area of Oak Drive and US 30.

A traffic stop was conducted for an expired registration, and the driver was identified as 32-year-old Guillermo Toxqui-Ortiz, of Plymouth. Toxqui-Ortiz was found to have never been issued an American driver’s license and was transported to the Marshall County Jail for operating a vehicle without ever receiving a license.

Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

PYMOUTH — A media advisory from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) has announced that the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) has opened applications for Marshall County residents or property owners who incurred damage to their homes or property from the severe storm events on March 30th or April 2nd, 2025.

Marshall County became eligible for SDRF funds due to its issuance of a local disaster declaration on April 2nd, just a few hours after the second EF1 tornado in four days struck the county. On April 11th, Governor Mike Braun issued a statewide disaster declaration that included Marshall County.
Initial damage assessments conducted by the Marshall County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) and IDHS found significant damage and helped validate the declarations.
Applications to help with immediate needs will be capped at $2,000 initially, although eligible homeowners could receive additional assistance after a complete damage assessment is finished.
The State Disaster Relief Fund applies only to individuals who are uninsured or underinsured. State funding cannot replace insurance coverage, which is the primary and best source of protection from storm damage. The maximum payout from the SDRF for an individual is $25,000. The fund only addresses the costs of repairing, replacing, or restoring property that is the primary residence of the applicant.
The SDRF is not currently accepting applications for the Public Assistance program. Local jurisdictions will be notified when Public Assistance becomes available.
If eligible, apply for funds at the following link: app.smartsheet.com/b/form/f75ca97d5deb4e789290c1ed1c389223
For more information on the SDRF, visit https://www.in.gov/dhs/emergency-management-and-preparedness/state-disaster-relief-fund/
If you have any further questions on your eligibility or application, please reach out to the Marshall County EMA by emailing ema@co.marshall.in.us.