BOURBON — ​On Saturday,​ April 26,​ at approximately 8:24 p.m.,​ Marshall County deputies and Bourbon Police performed a traffic stop on US 30 near SR 331 after witnessing a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed.

The driver,​ Leonel Alejandro Bermudez-Contreras, 28, did not have a valid drivers license. ​
Bermudez-Contreras was transported ​to the Marshall County Jail for reckless driving and operating a motor vehicle without ever receiving a license.

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

PLYMOUTH — On the evening of April 26, at 8:20 p.m., Plymouth Police conducted a traffic stop for a moving and licensing violation near the entrance of the Northgate Mobil Home Park.

The driver was identified as 37-year-old Wayne L. Upchurch Jr, of Plymouth. Plymouth Police K9 officer Castor assisted on the traffic stop and indicated the presence of narcotics. A loaded firearm was removed from Upchurch’s person, and approximately 33 grams of suspected methamphetamine were located in the vehicle.
Upchurch was taken into custody and lodged at the Marshall County Jail on charges of dealing methamphetamine, maintaining a common nuisance, and possession of paraphernalia.

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

PLYMOUTH — On April 27, at 1:11 a.m., Plymouth Police responded to the Red Rock Inn for a report of a possible overdose.

Police found an unresponsive woman and determined she had overdosed on a narcotic drug. Inside the room, police found trace amounts of cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, along with various paraphernalia.
Officers arrested Ernest J. Westerhoff and Alyssa K. Kring for possession of methamphetamine, possession of cocaine, possession of paraphernalia, maintaining a common nuisance, and possession of a hypodermic needle.
Both were transported to the Marshall County Jail.

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

PLYMOUTH — The Marshall County Plan Commission hired a new Plan Director during their meeting last week, hiring Nicholas Witwer, a Bremen native, to take the position.

Witwer takes over the vacancy that was left when Ty Adley resigned to take a similar position with the city of Plymouth.
Witwer has a background in government, having graduated from Ball State in 2004 with a degree in Urban Planning, and did his internship in 2003 in Marshall County under the then-plan director Troy Kiefer. He went on to work for the city of Noblesville and then for the city of South Bend.
Most recently, Witwer worked as a quality control manager in manufacturing and is happy to return to the work where he began his career.
“I feel like this is a good fit and the right opportunity for me,” he said. “A lot of doors opened for me to be here today.”
Witwer began work on Monday and knows the challenges ahead for he and his department.
“There are some new uses coming to the county and regional area that haven’t existed in the past,” he said. “Writing ordinances that fit the needs of the county and these different businesses and zoning for them is going to be one of the biggest needs and challenges.”
“Updating our comprehensive plan is not necessarily a challenge but it’s something that we haven’t done since 2013 and that’s something that’s due.”

Average gasoline prices in Indiana have risen 3.5 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.05/g today, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 3,271 stations in Indiana. Prices in Indiana are 5.3 cents per gallon lower than a month ago and stand 50.6 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has decreased 2.0 cents in the last week and stands at $3.499 per gallon.

According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Indiana was priced at $2.59/g yesterday while the most expensive was $3.56/g, a difference of 97.0 cents per gallon.
“Average gasoline prices in the U.S. have been volatile over the past week, with roughly half of the 50 states seeing prices decline while the other half experienced increases,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “Oil prices, which had fallen into the $50 per barrel range at the height of Trump’s trade war, have since rallied and are now holding in the low $60s, leading to rising gas prices in some states. For now, I expect the national average to bounce around in the $3.10 to $3.20 per gallon range over the coming week, with a continued mixed bag for consumers—about half of the states may see prices inch lower, while the other half could experience increases. We’ll be watching for any market developments, but for now, the market appears to be in a holding pattern.”
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 April 27, at 10:32 a.m., Plymouth Officers were dispatched to the Comfort Suites about a person yelling in one of the rooms.

Ricky McFarland was the occupant inside the room and had broken out the room window. Police also located methamphetamine and cocaine inside the room. He was transported to the hospital for jail clearance and then transported to the Marshall County Jail, where he was lodged for level 4 felony possession and criminal mischief.

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

MUNCIE — LaVille High School Freshman Caden Christy is the 2025 eSports Network state champion, retaining his number one ranking and taking wins over both his opponents over the weekend on the campus of Ball State University.

Christy defeated his opening round opponent from Knightstown High School 3-0 and took the final over his opponent from Michigan City 3-0-1.
Christy lost just one match in the fall and spring season, playing the Swiss format that pairs competitors based on previous performance.

CULVER — A production crew from “Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid” will be in Culver Sunday, May 4, to film an educational documentary TV series surrounding “Discover America: Great Places Live, Visit and Start a Business.”

“Viewpoint” is an educational documentary-style TV program that runs on public television and is also broadcast as commercial news breaks on CNBC, FOX Business, CNN Headline News, and the Discovery Channel. It is also distributed on the Internet via narrowcasting. You can view current and previous episodes here: https://www.viewpointproject.com/.

PLYMOUTH — On April 22 at 11:22 p.m., Plymouth Police responded to a report of a property damage accident in the alleyway between Walnut St. and Plum St.

Callers advised that the vehicle fled the scene.
Officers located the vehicle in the driveway of a residence on Walnut St. The driver of the vehicle, Larry Arroyo, 39, was found to be operating the vehicle while intoxicated. He was taken into custody and transported to the Marshall County Jail.

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

PLYMOUTH — On April 26, an officer with the Plymouth Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling east on Adams St.

The driver of the vehicle, Terencio De Jesus Jarquin Herrera, 25, was found to be operating the vehicle while intoxicated as well as never obtaining a driver’s license. He was arrested and transported to the Marshall County Jail.

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

Courtesy Scot Shearer https://www.lavillelancers.com/

MUNCIE – This weekend LaVille freshman Caden Christy will participate in the Indiana eSports Network state championships Chess Tournament at Ball State University.

He started the 30-person field as the No. 1 seed, and after three rounds, the tournament is down to the Final Four contenders.
Caden, a freshman at LaVille Jr-Sr High School, has his eyes set on his upcoming round, with a chance to bring the state title back to Lakeville, IN.
“This weekend, the 4 people left in the bracket are going down to Muncie to play. The 4 people are seeded 1, 2, 6, and 12. Unfortunately, I only know their username on chess.com and their school,” said Christy. “Saturday’s games will be decided by a best out of 5 match, with a 10|3 time control—which means each side has 10 minutes plus 3 seconds per move to make all of their moves. The winners of the matches will play to decide the 1st and 2nd places, and the losers will play to decide the 3rd and 4th places. I hope to take it all this weekend for LaVille, and I think I have a great shot at it, based on my opponents’ ratings.”
According to Caden, players can earn rating points from chess.com based on whether they win a game or lose a game.
“All the opponents that I will be facing on Saturday are rated below 1300,” noted Christy. “As I am writing this, I am rated 2054 in the specific time control we are playing, praise God! The opportunity to play this weekend in a state tournament for LaVille means a lot to me. I see this as an opportunity to show that God can work through those who follow His will to do anything that He wants to do. I have faith that God will help me win this weekend for LaVille and for His glory.”
The final four chess players are from Knightstown, Michigan City, and Kankakee Valley, along with LaVille. Caden opens against Knightstown in a best-of-five series beginning at 9 am ET at Ball State University. Winners advance to the state championship match, while the consolation round will also be played. Both those matches are scheduled for 11 am ET.
Early on, when he was just learning, his older sibling Colin would get the best of him.
Caden got away from the game because he didn’t like to lose.
Then, after a short hiatus, Caden returned to chess in middle school.
He was able to find a website that allowed him to work on his craft and continue to advance in his rating via IEN (Indiana eSports Network).
“I have been playing chess for a long time, starting when I was young,” Caden recalled when asked about how long he has been playing. “Back then, I wasn’t great at it. Unfortunately, my brother Colin beat me every time, and I did not enjoy the game. This was before I was in 2nd grade, if I am remembering correctly. I then didn’t play chess for a long time, because I would rather win than be defeated all the time.
“In 6th grade, I found a website that was unblocked, and it had chess on it. I decided to play some people in school, and I started winning. That was when I got back into chess. Later, in my 7th grade year, I asked the head of the technology department, Mr. (Brandon) Shafer, if he could unblock chess.com. For some reason, he did. I don’t remember why. Aside from that, I have been playing chess almost daily on chess.com since the day they unblocked it. Fast forward to high school, and I am still playing it today.”
Going into Saturday’s IEN state Final Four, the roller coaster continues its way up for Caden.
It could end up going to the top of the ride as he competes for an Indiana state title.

BREMEN — A Bremen woman has been charged with practicing medicine without a license.

Aurelina Kiefer, 38, is also charged with being a corrupt business influence. Both of those charges are felonies. She is also charged with a misdemeanor related to massage therapy licensure.

Neither Indiana State Police nor Bremen Police discussed the details of the case publicly. But, records show Kiefer had multiple business interests, which were all searched during the investigation.

Those included the Aurelina Spa, which is in Bremen and another business in Goshen.

A home on State Rd. 331 in Bremen was also searched.

The investigation began with the Bremen Police Department, whose officers asked for assistance from state police. The penalty for the level five felonies, with which Kiefer is charged, is six years in prison and fines of up to $10,000.

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

PLYMOUTH — On April 23,​ at 9:22 pm Marshall County Deputies were advised of a white utility van all over the roadway.

Deputies located the van in the area of US30 and US31. The driver of the van,​ James P. Obrzut, 47, ​of Chicago, was stopped for traffic infractions. During the investigation of the stop, Obrzut was found to have a Schedule IV controlled substance. He was arrested and taken to the Marshall County Jail for processing, where he was charged and booked.

CULVER — The town of Culver is having its annual town-wide garage sale Friday and Saturday.
A map of all the sites participating is available at the Culver at Town Hall, First National Bank of Monterey, Phillips 66, and BP.

You can also access a map online at https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1FJKlpqDtZJmDjbrLTFJ8RB5ol20oR9g&usp=sharing

PLYMOUTH — The Marshall County Commissioners approved a new tool for detectives to use in their investigations.

Marshall County Sheriff Matt Hassel asked the Commissioners to allow his department to enter into a three year contract with “Leads Online” as a tool for detectives. The service would allow deputies investigating a case to search for stolen property being sold online.
Hassel told the board that his detectives had informed him that the service would be a valuable tool for them in gathering evidence in many cases.
Present at the meeting to talk on another issue, Marshall Superior Court 1 Judge Tami Napier came forward to address the Commissioners, stating that the service had proved invaluable to her and investigators on several cases in her time as Chief Prosecutor, including a murder investigation.
The Commissioners unanimously approved the contract which is at a rate of $3103 for the first year, $3199 for the second, and $3219 for the third.

In other action, the Sheriff also obtained the go-ahead from the Commissioners to increase the department’s charges to provide records and evidence on specific cases.
Most requests come from lawyers and can include every 911 call, all radio traffic and all video recorded that relates to the case.
Hassel said that the processing of the electronic data can be time-consuming and requires an officer to review each item in order to redact areas that would be covered under privacy laws.
The Sheriff will increase the amount to $30 per hour up to $150 per request.

PLYMOUTH — On April 12,​ at 12:47 pm,​ Marshall County deputies stopped a 2013 Ford Escape on US31 north of US30 for a speeding infraction.

The driver,​ Domingo Escobar, 22, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, did not have a license nor ever obtained one to drive.
Escobar was arrested for operating a vehicle without a license and was ​taken to the Marshall County Jail.

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

PLYMOUTH — On April 16, at 6:00 pm Plymouth Police officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for an equipment violation at the Love’s Truck Stop.

During the course of the investigation, sixty-six-year-old Seberino Arroyo Jr. was found to be driving without ever receiving a license. Arroyo was transported to the Marshall County Jail where he was booked and lodged for: Knowingly or Intentionally operating a motor vehicle without ever receiving a license.

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

PLYMOUTH — The Marshall County Commissioners will explore a high-tech solution for efficiency in the Highway Department’s road management.

Commissioner Adam Faulstich approached the board with information on a software company called vialytics Americas, based in Edison, NJ, which provides “fleet services” for highway departments to make management of highway work more efficient.
Faulstich told the board that the company outfits cameras on fleet vehicles that record to software that records potholes, street signs, ditches, any damage, to or alongside the road, records the locations on GPS, and can generate work orders for their repair. It can record all the vehicle speeds, and even go as far as to record when a snow plow is raised and lowered on a vehicle.
As a result, Faulstich said that the software could be used to create a map of which county roads have been plowed in the winter, and record it to a map that could be made available online for county citizens to know which roads have been cleared during a storm, or are clear during summer storms that may cause flooding.
He said that the software could also record PASER (Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating) ratings on the roads the vehicle travels, which could be used by INDOT’s Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) regarding road repair and funds for such.
Mike Miley, the county’s insurance advisor, voiced a concern for possible liability to the county for unaddressed road issues that may lead to lawsuits. County Attorney Sean Surrisi stated that he felt that the concern could be addressed by establishing a clear process on how issues are addressed and the priority of each hazard.
Highway Superintendent Jason Peters will ask the company to make a presentation during an upcoming public meeting of the Commissioners.

By Becca Shepherd, Kankakee Valley Broadcasting

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana State Senator Mike Bohacek welcomed Ciniah Llovet, from Culver, who is homeschooled, and Gabe Smith, from Bremen, who attends Leo Jr./Sr. High School, to the Statehouse as Senate Pages in March.

Pages spend a day at the Statehouse touring the historic building, observing debates from the Senate floor and interacting with their state senator.
“The Indiana Senate Page program is a great way for young Hoosiers to learn more about the legislative process and visit our state’s capitol,” Bohacek said. “I encourage any eligible student in my district with an interest in government to sign up.”
Students in grades six through 12 participate in the page program on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays during the legislative session. Groups serve on Wednesdays.