PLYMOUTH — The Marshall County Commissioners will meet on Monday morning at 8:30 a.m. in the second-floor meeting room of the Marshall County Building in Plymouth.
Superior Court I Judge Tami Napier will make a request to apply for a Family Court grant, and Plymouth Fire Chief Steve Holm will make a Public Safety Grant request. Andrea Turnage of the Probation Department and Karen Richey of Purdue Extension will seek agreement ratifications. The Commissioners will hear reports from Veterans Service Officer Pam Schweizer-Betz, Highway Superintendent Jason Peters, County Attorney Sean Surrisi, and County Auditor Angie Birchmeier. The meeting will be live-streamed on YouTube @MarshallCountyIN. ADA Notice: For special accommodations, please contact the ADA Coordinator at (574) 935-8720 at least two business days prior to the scheduled meeting to request an accommodation.
PLYMOUTH — On Oct. 29, Plymouth Officers observed a vehicle traveling on US 30 with no taillights on. A traffic stop was conducted on the vehicle.
Plymouth Police K9 Castor was on scene and gave a positive indication on the vehicle. During the investigation, officers discovered a large amount of marijuana. The driver, James Albaugh, 35, of Philo, Ohio was taken into custody and transported to the Marshall County Jail without incident.
Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
PLYMOUTH — On Oct. 24, officers with the Plymouth Police Department responded to the area of Jefferson Street and Fifth Street for the report of a single vehicle accident.
During the investigation, it was determined that Amahirani Vargas, 31, of Plymouth, was intoxicated. Vargas was lodged in the Marshall County Jail for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, neglect of a dependent, and operating a vehicle without ever obtaining a license.
Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
PLYMOUTH — The Plymouth Aquatic Center will need to find another funding source for a proposed energy study, after the Plymouth Common Council said no to a Plan Commission resolution.
The path of the request started with the Aquatic Center approaching the Plymouth Redevelopment Commission to fund the $16,000 energy study that could help the Center cut its energy bills by as much as 50 percent. In order for the Redevelopment Commission to fund the study, the project would have to be added to the plan for the Aquatic Center’s TIF (Tax Incremental Financing) district. In order for that to happen, the Plymouth Plan Commission would have to rule that the Aquatic Center fits into the City of Plymouth’s Comprehensive Plan. City Attorney Jeff Houin informed the Council that while the Aquatic Center wasn’t specifically mentioned in the Comprehensive Plan, it was an example of the type of cooperation between public and private interests that is mentioned in the Plan. The Plan Commission ruled that the Aquatic Center did fit in the Comprehensive Plan and moved the matter on for final approval by the city Council. Council person Randy Longanecker, also a member of the Plan Commission, stated that he had voted against the proposal. Council Person Kayla Krathwohl voiced her concerns as well.
Longanecker moved to deny the request, which the Council voted for unanimously.
PENDLETON – The Egyptian and Northern Spider tortoises taken from the Indianapolis Zoo earlier this month were found safe and uninjured this afternoon in Falls Park, which is located in the Madison County city of Pendleton.
According to the Pendleton Police Department, at approximately 4 p.m., they received a call from park visitors who, while walking on a sidewalk behind the park’s museum, near the falls, came across an unattended cardboard box. The box was said to have had a paper plate on top with a note referencing the Indianapolis Zoo. Inside, the visitors found the two tortoises and immediately called the police, who arrived within minutes and took custody of them. The tortoises were later positively identified as the two reported stolen after having their microchips scanned by Zoo personnel. Currently, this incident remains under investigation, and there is no additional information to release publicly. Assisting the Capitol Police in the recovery and subsequent ongoing investigation are the Pendleton Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General, and the Indianapolis Zoo.
PLYMOUTH — On the morning of Oct. 25, at 2:50 a.m., Plymouth Police Officers responded to Carriage Green Apartments for a report of a suspicious person.
When the officers arrived in the area of Dora Lane, no person was located; however, the caller stated that they believed the woman was possibly staying in the 1300 block of Dora Lane in an apartment. A woman was found, and during the course of the officer’s investigation, it was determined that April Chalabis, 40 years old of Culver, had multiple outstanding warrants for her arrest out of LaPorte and Porter County. Chalabis was taken into custody and lodged at the Marshall County Jail on the outstanding arrest warrants without incident.
Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
PLYMOUTH — The city of Plymouth will not be working with a developer on a housing project for the immediate future.
At the Monday meeting of the Plymouth Board of Works and Safety, a tabled item was brought up regarding an agreement with a company known as Future Habitat. The company has no ties or relationship with Habitat for Humanity. The company is looking to Plymouth for a development for affordable housing. The company targeted Plymouth with several studies showing it as one of the communities in the state that were in need of such housing. Future Habitat was seeking an agreement that would give them a partnership with the city in order to apply for state and federal grants available. The company also uses new technology and techniques to build their projects with renewable materials that can be recycled at the end of a project’s life, and sought to get a city pledge to protect their “intellectual property” on those techniques from other developers should they reject a project. The agreement would be a first for Future Habitat in the sense of partnering with a municipality, as the company’s other projects around the world have been in partnership with private developers. There were only four members of the Board in attendance, with Mayor Robert Listenberger absent from the meeting, and a motion by Mayor Pro Tempore Don Ecker to pursue the agreement was voted against by members Duane Culp and Dave Morrow, leaving a 2-2 tie. Shiloh Milner was the other yes vote.
INDIANAPOLIS – Angie Johnson Birchmeier, Auditor of Marshall County, has been elected to serve as Secretary of the Indiana Auditor’s Association for 2026.
Birchmeier currently represents the Northwest District on the Association’s Legislative Committee and will continue to help guide statewide collaboration and advocacy on behalf of county auditors. Birchmeier has been a public servant for nearly three decades, working for the City of Plymouth for twenty years before being elected Marshall County Treasurer in 2016 and subsequently elected Auditor in 2022. She continues to focus on accuracy, transparency, and strong financial stewardship for local taxpayers. A lifelong resident of Marshall County, Birchmeier is a proud graduate of Plymouth High School and Indiana University South Bend. “I am honored to serve my peers across the state and represent Marshall County in this leadership role,” said Birchmeier. “Our Association plays a vital part in ensuring counties operate effectively and responsibly, and I look forward to the work ahead.”
PLYMOUTH — On Oct. 24 at 6:19 p.m., Officers with the Plymouth Police Department went to the Economy Inn to try to locate Jessica Mishler, 47 years old, of Bremen, who had a warrant out of Elkhart County for Probation Violation.
Officers were advised that Mishler was staying in a room at the hotel. When the Officers went to the room, a man answered the door and advised that Mishler wasn’t there. The man then admitted he was lying and that she was hiding in the bathroom. Mishler was taken into custody and transported to Marshall County Jail for her Elkhart County Warrant.
Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
PLYMOUTH — On the afternoon of Oct. 25, at 2:20 p.m., Plymouth Police Officers were dispatched to the area of 706 N. First Street, for the reports of an unknown problem.
Officers arrived on scene and spoke with multiple people inside the residence, determining that Adisyn O. Huff, 18, of Plymouth, and Ingrid Y. Guzman Osorino, 37, also of Plymouth, had gotten into a physical altercation with each other. Both individuals were transported and lodged in the Marshall County Jail and charged with Battery.
Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
PLYMOUTH — Plymouth’s Board of Public Works and Safety unanimously affirmed Plymouth Building Commissioner Dennis Manuwal’s emergency order to vacate the Red Rock Inn on Plymouth’s north side.
Manuwal issued the order on Oct. 17 due to serious violations, including fire safety hazards, structural issues, and a pest infestation that were discovered during an inspection conducted along with the Marshall County Health Department. A separate 14-day formal vacate order was also issued for the building’s maintenance issues and pest infestation. Manuwal outlined for the Board cockroach infestation, missing smoke detectors, ventilation ducts of restrooms taped over, biological growth on ceilings, water closets removed, uncapped so that sewer gases were leaking into the building, and multiple fire hazards, including the guard rails and stairs that had previously been cited by Manuwal. In the official order, Manuwal stated that no repairs had been made to the building since the original order in mid-August. The property’s owner, Niesh Patel, came before the board asking for a three-month extension, telling them he was in the process of selling the property and had a purchase agreement in place. The Board did not consider Patel’s request and voted to affirm the order. City officials and volunteers are continuing to assist residents with relocation.
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Department of Transportation is challenging Hoosiers to buckle up and put their phones down behind the wheel.
Wednesday, Oct. 29, is Buckle Up Phone Down Day, a day dedicated to encouraging motorists to rethink every trip they make or take in a vehicle, with the goal of improving safety for drivers, their passengers, and other road users. “Nearly 900 people lost their lives on Indiana roadways last year,” said INDOT Commissioner Lyndsay Quist. “Overall, fatalities are decreasing, but we’re still seeing a higher incidence of injury crashes. As an agency, INDOT is doing what it can to enhance roadway safety through a variety of systemic improvements, but creating change also takes consistent cooperation and behavior modification from members of the traveling public.” For the third year, INDOT is joining more than two dozen state departments of transportation in a larger movement that focuses on two of the most impactful actions both drivers and passengers can take to prevent crashes – or survive if one occurs – wearing a seatbelt and putting phones and mobile devices away. While just under seven percent of Indiana drivers don’t wear their seatbelts, they account for 45% of passenger car fatalities, and texting while driving increases the risk of a crash by 50%. In 2023, more than 9,000 collisions were reported to involve driver inattention or cell phone use despite Indiana’s Hands-Free Law enacted in 2020. Follow INDOT and other state departments of transportation on social media to participate in Buckle Up Phone Down Day. Like and share posts, and use the official hashtags, #BUPDDay, #BUPDIN, and #BuckeUpPhoneDown to show your support. Drivers can also watch for specialized messages on overhead dynamic message signs on interstate routes across Indiana. Buckle Up Phone Down was launched in 2017 by the Missouri Department of Transportation and was adopted by INDOT in 2023. Learn more and take the pledge at BUPDIN.com.
PLYMOUTH — Marshall County Sheriff’s deputies investigated a fatal crash on Tuesday morning on US 30.
According to witnesses, a Coleman tractor/trailer driven by Nicolae Pavel, 61, was westbound on US 30 approaching Queen Rd. intersection. Witnesses said he failed to stop for the red light and crashed into a southbound Chevy pickup driven by Richard Louzon, 77. Louson was later pronounced dead. The passenger in the Chevy, Katelynn Pekofske , 20, of Walkerton, was injured and flown to Memorial Hospital in South Bend. Agencies Involved: Marshall County Sheriff’s Department and the Indiana State Police
INDIANAPOLIS — The Capitol Police Section of the Indiana State Police is asking for the public’s help in locating two tortoises that were stolen from the Indianapolis Zoo earlier this month.
According to investigators, the theft occurred sometime between 10 a.m. on Oct. 11 and 10 a.m. on Oct. 12. Both species, an Egyptian tortoise and a Northern Spider tortoise, are currently listed as critically endangered species. Both tortoises are microchipped, and the Egyptian tortoise is said to have a prominent scar on its underside. Anyone with any information related to this theft is asked to call either the Capitol Police at (317) 234-2131 or Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at (317) 262-TIPS (8477).
PLYMOUTH — On Oct. 25 at approximately 1:49 a.m., Plymouth Police were dispatched to the Red Rock Inn for a report of a possible domestic battery in progress.
Upon arriving on scene Police located John D. Simpson and April D. Campbell inside room 102. The investigation determined that the two had been in a physical altercation and had battered each other. Both Simpson and Campbell were arrested and transported to the Marshall County Jail.
Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
PLYMOUTH — On Oct. 25 at 8:29 p.m., Officers with the Plymouth Police Department were dispatched to McDonald’s on N. Michigan St. for a 911 hang-up.
Dispatch was able to get the caller back on the line, and they advised that there was a man there hitting a woman in the parking lot, and that the man was now hitting a dog. When the Officers arrived on the scene, the vehicle was leaving. An officer got behind the vehicle with their emergency lights on, but it didn’t stop until the Michigan St. and US 30 on-ramp. During the investigation, it was determined that the man’s name was Alexander McDaniel, 30 years old, of Logansport, Indiana. It was determined that he had a warrant out of Pulaski County. The woman didn’t want to talk with the police and said that the man never hit her. According to witnesses, the man did hit the dog. McDaniel was taken into custody and transported to Marshall County Jail, and booked in for his warrant, invasion of privacy, and animal cruelty.
Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Average gasoline prices in Indiana have risen 21.1 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.04/g today, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 3,271 stations in Indiana. Prices in Indiana are 7.5 cents per
gallon lower than a month ago and stand 11.6 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has increased 4.7 cents compared to a week ago and stands at $3.638 per gallon. According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Indiana was priced at $2.49/g yesterday while the most expensive was $6.66/g, a difference of $4.17/g. The national average price of gasoline has risen 2.5 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.00/g today. “The national average saw a slight rise over the last week, as gas prices surged in parts of the Midwest after a refinery fire pushed wholesale gasoline prices sharply higher in the region,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “While the spike in prices in affected areas was significant, relief is likely in the weeks ahead as the situation stabilizes. For now, the possibility of a U.S.-China trade deal could lift oil prices on optimism that it would increase trade and reduce tariffs—potentially keeping the national average slightly above the $3-per-gallon mark for a couple more weeks before slipping back below $3 ahead of Thanksgiving.” 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 Oct. 23, at approximately 2:30 a.m., Plymouth Police observed a
vehicle in the 1200 block of W. Jefferson Street that appeared to have a man hanging out from the driver’s side door of the running vehicle. The officer a man, had thrown up outside of the vehicle and on himself and was suspected of being intoxicated. Pedro A. Chavez, 24 years old of Plymouth, failed standardized field sobriety testing and, upon completing a chemical test, was transported to the Marshall County Jail where he was lodged for operating while intoxicated.
Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
CULVER — Beginning Monday, the Culver Street/Utilities Department will pick up piles of leaves raked to the curb.
Please place leaf piles as close to the road as possible, but do not place them in the road. The truck has a vacuum hose, and it only extends so far, so if you notice a nice line of remaining leaves, they were outside of the arm’s reach. Please make sure to pull branches and sticks out of any leaf piles and set them in a separate pile so that they do not get sucked up with the leaves and clog the hose. Please do not rake your leaf piles into the streets. When that happens, they get run over and matted down, which makes it difficult to collect them all. They also cover storm drains, slowing down drainage and causing backups. Once a complete route through town is completed, they will start over so they should pass by properties at least once a week. Any questions, contact Karen Heim, Clerk-Treasurer, Town of Culver, ILMCT Past-President, 574-842-3140, http://www.townofculver.org
PLYMOUTH — On Oct. 14, Plymouth Police took a report of a stolen handgun. During the investigation, the male suspects were identified as Keegan Burt, 19, of Knox, Andrew Quinn, 19, of Plymouth, and a male juvenile, 16, from Warsaw.
They admitted to stealing the firearm, and showed Plymouth Detective Derek Workman a location where they had thrown the handgun into the Yellow River near the walking bridge on the Eastside of River Park Square. Detective Workman made contact with the St. Joseph County Dive team, and they agreed to come attempt to retrieve the handgun from the river. On Oct. 24, several members from the St. Joseph County Dive Team dove the river and were able to locate the stolen handgun. No other items of note were located; however, the Dive Team did remove several other items from the river. The handgun located was not suspected to be used in any other crimes and was taken to the Plymouth Police Department for Processing.
Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
