Driving while suspended
4-10-25
Rusty Nixon

PLYMOUTH — On April 10 at 12:17 p.m. a traffic stop was conducted for an infraction on a vehicle being driven by Osa Ma, 23 of Ft. Wayne.

He was found to have a license status of suspended with a prior. He was lodged at the Marshall County Jail.

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

PLYMOUTH — On April 10 at 8:35 a.m. Plymouth Police were dispatched to the probation department for Roberto Alejandro Navejar, 42 of Plymouth for an active warrant through Marshall County.

He was taken into custody and lodged at the Marshall County Jail.

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

LAPAZ — On Saturday, April 12, officers with the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department responded to a residence in the 100 block of Vandalia Street in Lapaz for a battery complaint.

Officers observed items in plain view within the residence that qualify as “destructive devices” under Indiana state statute. A search warrant was then applied for and granted.
During that search, officers recovered numerous “destructive devices,” and materials used to manufacture said devices. Officers also recovered firearms, ammunition, high-capacity magazines, and gunpowder along with suspected methamphetamine and evidence of dealing in methamphetamine.
Arrested at the scene was 48-year-old Scott Avila of Lapaz. Avila is currently being held at the Marshall County Jail for dealing in methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of destructive devices.

The Marshall County Sheriff’s Department was assisted by the South Bend Police Department Bomb Squad, ATF, and the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department Drug Task Force.
Suspects are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

CULVER — An outdoor, walking version of the centuries-old practice of praying the Stations of the Cross will be presented by St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church on Friday, April 11, starting at 6 p.m.

Participants will start at the Church at 124 College Ave. in Culver, to Cavalier Park, located across School Street from the Culver Community High School, just north of the superintendent’s office building at 700 School Street. Fr. Stephen Felicichia, pastor of St. Mary’s, will lead the Stations.
The longstanding practice of praying at the Stations of the Cross during Lent has its origins in Christian pilgrims visiting the path Jesus walked on the way to his crucifixion in Jerusalem. In the 1300s and 1400s, the practice developed of praying what became the 14 Stations of the Cross in local churches, with Stations typically illustrated with statuary or other artwork.
While St. Mary’s prays the Stations in the church building weekly during Lent, this is the only instance this year for this special, outdoor iteration. The public is welcome to attend, and a meatless soup and bread supper will follow in St. Mary’s parish hall.

CULVER — Culver Elementary School has been recognized with a Level 2 certification in Marzano High Reliability Schools.

Level 2 certification means Culver Elementary School has established “Effective teaching in every classroom,” which focuses on the responsibility of both school leaders and teachers to ensure high-quality instruction.
The high-reliability school (HRS) program was created by Marzano Resources to help transform schools into organizations that take proactive steps to ensure student success. This framework defines five progressive levels of performance that a school must master to become a high-reliability school where all students learn the content and skills they need for success in college, careers, and beyond.
Schools must collect data and validate their performance to climb each level of the hierarchy.
Certification is determined by Marzano Resources analysts in cooperation with school data teams.
Using the HRS framework and indicators, schools can drive sustained, positive, and significant impacts on student achievement by synthesizing multiple complex initiatives into one harmonious system.

BREMEN — Bremen Schools will have a resource Officer for the coming school year as the Bremen School Board voted to ratify the contract with the town of Bremen in their meeting on Wednesday.

Superintendent Jim White told the board that the town of Bremen was generous in funding the officer for the first three years.
The question of where the office will be for the SRO was brought up and White said that there was currently an unused space in the school that could be utilized for the present. The school corporation is in the process of reconstructing and reconfiguring the entrance to the school to secure the entrance at the high school and said that an office for the SRO would be part of those plans.
White also updated the board on property tax legislation currently being considered by the Indiana General Assembly and how it will affect school funding.
White said that the bill in its current state would “flatline” the budget for the coming three years. He added that it wasn’t great news, but not “gloom and doom” either and that the corporation will work to stay within the budget.

PLYMOUTH — On April 12 at 7:30 pm, The REES welcomes back Brooklyn Charmers to the Bob Pickell stage in Plymouth.

Comprised of some of Chicago’s top players, who inject new energy into the beloved catalog with masterful precision and an obsessive dedication to the music, bridging the gap between new and lifelong fans alike.
Steely Dan’s blend of rock and jazz, along with their infectious hooks and poignant lyrics, put them in another league in the eyes of critics and fans. Their prolific and consistent output throughout the 1970’s cements them as classic rock royalty. Brooklyn Charmers are excited to carry the torch into the new generation.
Tickets are $25 for general admission and $50 for the balcony VIP, which includes a meet-and-greet with band members and a VIP bar.
Tickets are available online at reestheatre.org, in person at Na Rie Simple Treasures, and at the door one hour before the show.

PLYMOUTH — The Marshall County Coroner’s Office was notified of a death in the 11,000 blk of Hawthorn Rd. east of Plymouth in Marshall County.

A 911 call was placed shortly before 10:00am. Plymouth & Bremen Fire Depts responded to the call of an individual caught in a grain bin.
Investigation has found the deceased was working inside a grain bin working to loosen grain that was stuck. Victim was pulled into the grain when the grain began to move downward towards the auger.
Autopsy has been scheduled to assist in determining the cause of death.
Deceased has been identified as Marilyn K. Miller, age 58 of Mishawaka, IN

PLYMOUTH — On the evening of April 6, at 11:30 p.m., Plymouth Police executed an arrest warrant at 900 W. Harrison Street, lot 216.

Officers took 51-year-old Jason Housour into custody for an arrest warrant issued through Marshall County Superior Court 2. Housour was transported and lodged at the Marshall County Jail.

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

PLYMOUTH — On the evening of April 4, at 10:10 p.m., Plymouth Police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in the area of Michigan and LaPorte Street for driving with no lights on.

The driver was identified as 53-year-old Exal Cruz-Meda, of Plymouth. Cruz-Meda was found to have never been issued a driver’s license and was taken into custody and lodged at the Marshall County Jail.

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

PLYMOUTH — On April 6 at 12:34 p.m., Plymouth Police made a traffic stop at Michigan and Skylane on a vehicle driven by Wilmer Daniel Rodas Alvarez, 43 of Goshen.

He was found to be driving without ever having received a license. He was lodged at the Marshall County Jail.

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

PLYMOUTH — The REES Theatre in historical Plymouth, invites you to their March Seasoned Citizen movie matinee featuring “The Happiest Musical Ever Made” Easter Parade starring Judy Garland and Fred Astaire on Wednesday, April 9th at 2 p.m.

For just $8, “Seasoned” citizens aged 55 and up can enjoy an afternoon out with pop and popcorn included.
The Seasoned Citizens series is presented on the second Wednesday of each month at 2 p.m.
The Family Matinee series continues in April with Nanny McPhee starring Emma Thompson and Colin Firth on Sunday, April 13.
Kids 12 and under are free when accompanied by a paid adult.
Tickets for both movies are available at the door one hour before the show, at Na Rie Simple Treasures, or in advance at reestheatre.org.

BOURBON — On April 7 at 12:10 p.m. Marshall County Deputies conducted a traffic stop on a Silver Honda at US 30 and Fir Road.

The driver, Luis G. Lara, 26, was found to never have had a driver’s license and speeding. He was taken to the Marshall County Jail.

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

PLYMOUTH — The Marshall County Board of Zoning Appeals gave a variance of use to a Bremen farmer to add to his CFO business on Grape Road in Bremen.

Caleb Coffel came before the board for a third time seeking to add two barns for broiler chickens to his current business. Just as in the first two attempts several neighbors opposed to the expansion also made their voices heard.
The variance of use was to amend a setback of 1320 feet from a neighboring structure part of the Marshall County ordinance for such an operation. The state of Indiana only requires a 400-foot setback for such an operation.
In his last attempt, Joseph Stoller, who owns property across the street from Coffel, objected since the neighboring structure belonged to him and voiced his objection, saying that the setback should be adhered to.
Since that unsuccessful attempt at a variance, Coffel has purchased an adjacent property for the purpose of expansion. In this case, there is also a neighboring structure that is not quite in the required setback for a neighboring structure and Coffel asked for the variance to 500 feet. He also had the written approval of the two neighbors, Michael Leeper and Audra Berg, owning the structure and the adjacent property for the allowance.
Stoller again expressed his objection based on increased truck traffic saying that each month 30 to 40 more trucks would be on the road to haul the 80,000 birds out and bring new birds in. He also restated his objections based on the smell of the operation and the lowering of property values.
The area is currently zoned for agricultural activity, but the town of Bremen again voiced their objection to the expansion citing the town’s plans to develop property to the north for housing.
While there is no “imminent” development planned the town says feels that the expansion less than a mile outside of the city limits would be a long-term impediment to any such development.
Coffel has obtained the needed IDEM permits for the expansion and meets all the other standards of the county ordinance.
The board voted for the variance 4-1 with Trent Bennett voting no.

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 — 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.

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 — 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.

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.