BURR OAK — On Wednesday,​ March 26 at 6:30 a.m.,​ Marshall County Police were dispatched to the intersection of 15th Road and State Road 17 for reports of a vehicle stopped in the intersection with a male subject slumped over the steering wheel.

Officers arrived on scene and found 30-year-old Stephen A. Frain ​asleep behind the wheel. Frain was believed to be under the influence of alcohol. Field sobriety testing was completed and a certified test later showed him to be over three times the legal limit of alcohol.
Frain was transported to the Marshall County Jail.

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

BOURBON — On March 26 at 9:38 p.m.,​ the Marshall Central Dispatch received a 911 call for a motor vehicle collision on 12B Rd.,​ near Filbert ​Rd.,​ east of Bourbon.

​
Upon officers arriving in the area,​ it was found that a 2013 Ford pickup truck had been traveling west on 12B Rd. and for an undetermined reason,​ the truck ​went into a ​skid and ran off the north side of the roadway into a deep ​ditch. ​While at the scene,​ probable cause was found that the driver of the vehicle, MacKenzie K. Houin, 32, of Argos, was intoxicated. ​
Houin was transported to Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center in Plymouth for medical treatment and a certified chemical test. ​She was later lodged at the Marshall for operating while intoxicated.

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

PLYMOUTH — Plymouth Building Commissioner Dennis Manuwal and the Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety continued to follow up on properties that were cited for code violations during their meeting on Monday.

The latest to come before the Board was the former Plymouth Building at 310 N Michigan St. The property had been cited with an unsafe building order in late January of this year and was given a 30-day window to make the repairs to the electrical and heating system, repair sections of the roof and restore the masonry on the outside of the building.
Louis Heiser, representing the owner of the property listed in county records as 310 N. Michigan LLC, came before the Board to report on progress made in those repairs.
Since the order in January the junction box had been entirely replaced and the roof issues were being addressed. It was apparent when air conditioning units on the roof of the building had been replaced there had been punctures made in the roof.
The heating issues had been addressed but a storage area attached to one of the offices was still without heat.
The internal repairs had been slow due to one of the offices belonging to a counseling service. HIPA laws on privacy limited work to Sundays when no clients were in the building and Hizer said it was difficult to get contractors to agree to work on Sunday.
So far as the facade on the property, a mason will be needed to complete repairs on a 6 to 8-foot section.
Heiser told the Board that his company had purchased the building for $425,000 and to date had spent approximately $490,000 in repairing it.
He told the board that he felt that the repairs required could be completed in 30 days but also said that given some of the variables he was concerned that it might take longer and he didn’t want to promise 30 days and not deliver, asking for 60 days for completing the work.
Board members replied with a certain amount of “skepticism” saying that they had heard such things before, and voted to give the company 30 days to complete the repairs, with the stipulation that consideration would be given if communication on difficulties were communicated to Manuwal in a timely and consistent manner.

PLYMOUTH — The Marshall County Prosecutor’s Office announced Wednesday the completion of the prosecution of Jackie Gomez.

Gomez was sentenced to a total of twenty years, eighteen of which are to be served in the Indiana Department of Correction. Two years shall be suspended and served on probation for the charge of dealing cocaine.
This investigation was led by Detective Sergeant Jonathan Bryant with the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department, assisted by the Indiana State Police, Plymouth Police Department, NET 43, and Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department.
A search warrant was executed on Gomez’s home in Bourbon in April of 2024 after officers had purchased over 347 grams of cocaine from Gomez. During the search of the home, officers located and seized an additional 30 grams of cocaine and evidence of dealing including two digital scales and packaging materials. Officers recovered $2750 in US Currency which had been used by Detective Bryant previously to purchase cocaine from Gomez.
On March 20, Gomez pled guilty to Dealing Cocaine as a Level 2 Felony before Judge Tami Napier in Marshall Superior Court 1. The State of Indiana was represented by Deputy Prosecutor Elizabeth Boehm.

PLYMOUTH — On March 26 at 5 a.m., Plymouth Police conducted a traffic stop at the intersection of Pierce St. and Gilmore St.

The stop was for a random vehicle registration check, which showed the registered owner was unlicensed. The driver of the vehicle was confirmed to be Yaritza Contreras-Montes, 44, of Plymouth, who is the registered owner. It was also confirmed that Contrereas-Montes had never been issued a valid driver’s license.
She was taken into custody and transported to the Marshall County Jail where she was booked for Operating a Vehicle Without Ever Obtaining a License.

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

PLYMOUTH — On March 25 at 9:34 a.m., a traffic stop was conducted for an infraction on a vehicle being driven by German Cruz Martinez, 27 of Plymouth.

Cruz-Martinez was found to have never received a license. He was lodged at the Marshall County Jail.

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

BOURBON — On Wednesday,​ March 26,​ at 12:39 a.m.,​ Marshall County Deputies initiated a traffic stop on a blue 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo in the area of US 30 and SR 331.

During the investigation,​ a Kosciusko County canine officer was requested to the scene. The canine alerted to the vehicle, and a probable cause search of the vehicle was completed. The officer located suspected marijuana within the vehicle.
The driver,​ Jaspier ​D. Watkins,​ 25, was found to be operating a vehicle with a driving status of suspended and was found to have a state-wide active warrant through Whitley County. A passenger,​ Garrett S. Wildey,​ 29, was found to be in possession of marijuana.
They were both transported to the Marshall County Jail.

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

PLYMOUTH — Discussion continued on Monday at the meeting of the Plymouth Common Council regarding the state of repair on both the Police and Fire stations in the city.

Plymouth Fire Chief Steve Holm had made an open invitation for Council members to take a tour of his facility and discuss his vision for the department, an invitation that has been accepted by all the current Council members. A week ago, Councilman Randy Longanecker commented to the Council on his tour stating that he found the roof in desperate need of repair and as a contractor by profession had seen other things that made him question the safety of the building.
Monday Councilman Duane Culp commented on his tour of the facility, urging the re-forming of a study committee to look at solutions to the structural problems of the current firehouse saying “it can’t wait”.
Culp and Lenganecher confirmed “40-50 areas of the roof leaking” and also mold in the basement of the structure.
Mayor Robert Listenberger added that the study should include the police station as well saying that that structure had similar problems that were in desperate need.
A committee had been formed previously to consider a study but was abandoned as too costly. Listenberger urged taking on the consulting firm previously considered for a study of the city’s needs for both fire and police to make a decision that would impact the next 75 years for the city.
The consultant study would provide the city with a breakdown of the most efficient use of city dollars for the two departments if they would need a combined facility, satellite facilities, and other such possibilities.
Saying that “the longer we let it linger the more it’s going to cost” Listenberger supported and the Council voted for the re-forming of the committee and looking into a study that was originally anticipated to cost $60-$80,000.

CULVER — The 2025 Culver Sidewalk Program will open at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, April 1.
The intent of the program is to work with homeowners to replace sidewalks.

The program reimburses the homeowner a set per-square-foot amount for sidewalks and per lineal foot for curb and curb/sidewalk combination (when the sidewalk and curb are next to each other). This amount is set by the town council. It is not a 50/50 program. It is the homeowner’s responsibility to obtain a contractor, provide the town specs, and pay for services.
Applications are available at http://www.in.gov/towns/culver/services/.
Completed applications, including a sketch of the property and sidewalk to be replaced, will be accepted via email beginning at 8 a.m. local time, Tuesday, April 1. Applications will be reviewed in the order they are received after 8 a.m. Applications may be emailed to kheim@townofculver.org. Applications will be accepted through July 1 or until the funds set aside for the sidewalk program are committed, whichever is first. Applications for completed projects do not qualify and will not be accepted.
Once applications are received, they will be reviewed by the utilities superintendent and the measurements will be confirmed by him or one of his employees. The town reserves the right to make adjustments to measurements based on the conditions of the site and will not participate in any concrete placed outside the measurements applied for.
If your site qualifies for the program, you will receive a letter from the clerk-treasurer confirming your participation, the amount of reimbursement, and the next steps. Please do not start your project until you have received the confirmation letter.
Sidewalks and curbs must meet ADA and town specifications in order to qualify for reimbursement. You are responsible for making arrangements with a contractor and providing the town specifications to them. You also are responsible for safety marking during construction, removing the rubble, and returning the construction area to its original condition.
Prior to placing concrete, you or your contractor must call the utilities superintendent for an inspection. He can be reached at 574-292-3943. Failure to do so will result in the loss of reimbursement and may result in the replacement of the concrete at the owner’s expense.
If there are any further questions, please call Town Hall at 574-842-3140.

PLYMOUTH — Former Plymouth City attorney, Sean Surrisi came before the Plymouth Common Council on Monday night with a request and information regarding the Bardwell Aquatic Center.

Surrisi asked the Council to advance their lease payment of $72,000 scheduled for June in order to cover current operating expenses and salaries to keep the facility open. Later in the meeting, Surrisi said the group was also planning to ask the Plymouth Community Schools to do the same with a similar lease payment in June.
Surrisi began a history of the complicated financing history of the facility and its construction that involves multiple entities and individuals, as well as methods and sources of funding.
Surrisi told the Council that the initial difficulties began soon after the New Market Tax Credit financing agreement closed in 2018.
It started with the original leases that were to be with Ancilla College, the city of Plymouth, and Plymouth High School for the use of the facility. Surrisi said that Ancilla, now Marian University’s Ancilla College, had agreed to a $60,000 per year, 25-year lease to start a swim program at the school. Then President of the school, Dr. Ken Zirkle, had signed a memorandum of understanding to that effect but, according to Surrisi, never shared that with his board of directors, who did not want the school to be part of the contract but honored the commitment with the understanding that when the financing arrangement was able to be “unraveled” in seven years, they would be released from the commitment.
In the fall of 2019 before the facility was to open, a company formed by Rick Miller that was to take over the operation of the facility, according to Surrisi, “…advised they were going to be breaching their contract and would not be operating the facility.”
At that time a limited liability company was formed by then CEO of the Marshall County Economic Development Corporation Jerry Chavez, to operate the facility for six months.
According to Surrisi, after that time the MCEDC Board of Directors stated that doing such was outside of their core mission, that they had helped out but backed away from further involvement.
Current MCEDC CEO Greg Hildebrand came forward early in the discussion with the Council to make clear that MCEDC did not contribute any funds to the project.
“I do not want our investors and the county and the communities to think any of their money went towards the aquatic center,” he said.
Hildebrand stated that the MCEDC subsidiary was used as a “pass-through” organization for the lease agreements.
Surrisi told the Council that the New Market Tax Credit financing “unwinds” in July and the possible restructuring of the financing could make the lease payment in June “the last payment, at least in the shape it is now, that the city or school would have to make.” Surrisi pointed out the money was already budgeted and that advancing it to keep the facility open, even if just temporarily, would not involve additional expenditure.
Confusion on the part of the Council revolved around the possibility this would be the last lease payment, with Mayor Robert Listenberger saying his understanding was that the city had a long-term lease agreement that they would be responsible for regardless of the facility being open or closed. The members of the Council also asked for clarification of the city’s actual responsibility.
Surrisi told the Council that his long-term hope was that the city would advance the lease payments for this year and somehow sit all parties down, including the Plymouth School Corporation, to work out a solution for day to day operation of the facility. If they took a “dim view” of that, Surrisi asked them to make the first lease payment early to pay all the current bills and give time to set a date for closure.
The Council decided to advance the $72,000 payment for June with the understanding that more answers about the responsibilities and possibilities for the entities involved would be presented at their next meeting on April 14.

PLYMOUTH — On March 20,​ Marshall County Police assisted Parole agents with a home visit at the Economy Inn in Plymouth. It was found that Perez-Cardenas was non-compliant with the sex offender registry having failed to register changing rooms at the Economy Inn,​ in possession of an unregistered cellular phone,​ and failed to register a change in his employment.

Perez-Cardenas is a registered sex offender having been convicted of Child Solicitation. He is classified as an Offender against Children with a Lifetime requirement to register in person ​as a sex offender annually as well as within 72 hours of any change of information including but not limited to residence,​ employment,​ and phone numbers. ​
Perez-Cardenas was taken into custody and transported to the Marshall County Jail for the crime of Failure to register as a sex offender as a level 6 felony with a $1500 cash bond.

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

PLYMOUTH — On March 23 at 6:48 p.m., officers with the Plymouth Police Department went to 318 North Street to serve a warrant for Cintia Matute Velasquez, 31, of Plymouth for Felony Identity Deception.

Officers were able to locate her and took her into custody. Matute-Velasquez was transported to the Marshall County Jail and booked for her outstanding warrant.

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

PLYMOUTH — The Marshall County Republican Party will hold a caucus on Tuesday, April 1, at 6 p.m. at the party headquarters at 117 Water St. in Plymouth.

The caucus is to fill a vacancy on the Polk Township advisory board created by the death of Richard Parker.
Anyone interested in the position should file a declaration of candidacy no later than 72 hours before that meeting with Party Chairman Debbie VanDeMark, PO Box 102, Plymouth 46563, call 574-274-8325, or email deb0831@outlook.com

Average gasoline prices in Indiana have risen 25.2 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.17/g, according to GasBuddy’s survey of stations in Indiana. Prices in Indiana are 28.4 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand 31.4 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has decreased 0.9 cents in the last week and stands at $3.549 per gallon.

According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Indiana was priced at $2.51/g yesterday while the most expensive was $3.69/g, a difference of $1.18/g.
The national average price of gasoline has risen 6.3 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.08/g today. The national average is down 1.6 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 42.5 cents per gallon lower than a year ago, according to GasBuddy data compiled from more than 11 million weekly price reports covering over 150,000 gas stations across the country.
“For the first time in over a month, the national average price of gasoline has risen, driven by the final step in the transition to summer gasoline across wide portions of the country,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “This increase has nothing to do with politics or tariffs — which remain paused for now — but is instead the result of seasonality, and is something that happens almost every year. Concerns over refinery maintenance have been muted so far this year, largely due to broader concerns about the U.S. economy, and demand remains soft. However, for those in the Northeastern U.S. who have enjoyed relatively low gas prices compared to the national average, the final step in the transition to summer gasoline is still a few weeks away. Once it occurs, they too will likely see prices rise. For areas that have already completed the switch, ongoing economic uncertainty will likely prevent further major increases— for now.”
GasBuddy’s averages, graphs, maps, and historical pricing data covering the U.S. and Canada are available 24/7 at http://prices.GasBuddy.com.

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Department of Transportation is aware of a tolling-related text message or “smishing” scam targeting Hoosiers statewide.

False messages appearing to come from INDOT or tolling service providers alert recipients of a “final notice” regarding unpaid tolls and mention additional fines, late fees, suspension of vehicle registration, vehicle impoundment, and further legal action, in addition to a link for payment.
“INDOT does not and will not notify drivers of unpaid tolls via text message,” said INDOT Strategic Communications Director Natalie Garrett. “We urge members of the public to exercise extreme caution before opening suspicious links. The best thing to do is delete these messages.”
Various “smishing” scams have been ongoing since the spring of 2024. The FBI issued a warning on April 12, 2024, citing over 2,000 complaints of false text messages representing toll collection services. The agency encourages victims of fraudulent messages to report them to its Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov and to delete the texts.

BREMEN — On March 23, at 9:28 pm,​ Marshall Co. Deputies were notified of a possible intoxicated driver.

Deputies made a traffic stop on Fir Road south of 7th Road for traffic infractions.
The driver,​ Timothy Byers, 60, of Ft. Wayne, had allegedly been drinking and submitted to field sobriety tests.
Byers was offered a certified breath test and agreed and tested at .14% and was then arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
Bremen Police also assisted with the traffic stop and the vehicle was towed by Lyons Wrecker Service.
Byers was charged and booked in the Marshall County Jail.

While on routine Patrol Marshall County Deputies stopped a vehicle for speeding.
The driver, Melvin D. Cubas, 24, told officers he had never had a license to operate a motor vehicle.

Cubas was taken into custody and transported to the Marshall County Jail for Operating without ever obtaining a license.

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