A jury trial has been slated for Alyssa Shepherd, the driver in the fatal bus stop crash in Fulton County.
Following a pretrial conference Thursday afternoon, Fulton County Prosecutor Mike Marrs announced there was no plea agreement at that time and a jury trial has been set for 8:30 a.m. Oct. 15 in Fulton Superior Court.

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Several developments are underway in Fulton County for the construction of a new jail.
County commissioners met Monday and officially signed a contract with Garmong Construction Services to serve as the construction manager. The firm will operate under the Construction Manager as Constructor, or CMC, approach. This project delivery method, also known as Construction Manager at Risk, allows for Garmong to be involved in the design process and provide input to the architecture firm.

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A teacher walk-in is scheduled for Thursday morning from 7:30-7:45 a.m. at each of the Rochester Community School buildings.
Teachers will be wearing red in support of public education and have invited everyone to join them, wearing red, and bring noisemakers and friends if they prefer.

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Rochester city police arrested two men Sunday night after a vehicle pursuit from city limits to a field a couple miles west of town.
The pursuit involving a Chevrolet Tahoe began near Park Road and West Eighth Street, according to police records. Rochester Police Chief Andy Shotts reports a patrolman had not yet initiated a traffic stop when the driver, later identified as 22-year-old Keean A. Powell, took off. The officer gave chase, pursuing the vehicle west on Eighth Street to Sweetgum Road.

Indiana Department of Transportation officials say public comment is important when making transportation decisions that affect communities across the state.

The department hosted a public open house this past week in Rochester to solicit input on county projects spanning the next four years.

In one of two contested races on the Republican ticket for the May 7 primary election, incumbent Rochester Mayor Ted Denton runs against former mayor Mark L. Smiley.
Smiley served two terms as mayor, Jan. 1, 2008, to Dec. 31, 2015. Denton defeated Smiley by 66 votes in the May 2015 Republican primary.

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U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Dist. 2, visited the Rochester Learning Center Thursday to unveil legislation she filed in the House Wednesday that, if passed, will required a federal study to evaluate school bus safety.
The act would require the U.S. Department of Transportation to conduct a comprehensive review of existing laws and programs, recommend best practices and create a nationwide public safety campaign.

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Wynnfield Crossing invites anyone ages 55 and older to join in on a walk.
Senior Walks kick off 9-11 a.m. April 30. Six more walks follow at the same time on the last Tuesday of the month: May 28, June 25, July 30, Aug. 27, Sept. 24 and Oct. 29.

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GOSHEN — The largest agriculture sector in Indiana, the hardwoods industry, wants to expand, and a new study may help it do so.
The “Indiana Hardwood Assessment” is a study undertaken by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture and Purdue Center for Regional Development. The study was completed in December and presented to the Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen’s Association in February.

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Michael Miller was found guilty Monday of robbing Lake City Bank last year.
The Rensselaer man appeared for sentencing in Fulton Circuit Court. Judge Chris Lee sentenced him to 8.5 years in prison, six for the bank robbery March 3, 2018, and the rest for possessing methamphetamine.

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A disagreement between city and county officials over a proposal for maintenance of Mill Creek may have to be settled by the court.
The city has filed for judicial review in order to delay the establishment of an assessment fee it finds unjust and has plans to perform its own maintenance of the creek in city limits.

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Question marks are blowing in the wind as the Indiana General Assembly heads down the home stretch. That’s especially true where a small town’s ability to keep towering wind turbines away from their residents is concerned.
Senate Bill 535, which would essentially limit a town’s ability to create such buffer zones outside of its boundaries, was scheduled for second reading by the Indiana House of Representatives Thursday, but later taken off the agenda.

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Indiana lawmakers are poised to dial back a change to state code that officials say contributed to recent jail population growth at the Monroe County Jail
County officials have in the past attributed jail inmate population challenges to the growing addiction crisis in the community and changes at the state level regarding the incarceration of Level 6 felons. On Jan. 1, 2016, an update to state code made Level 6 felons ineligible to be sent to state correctional facilities.

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Indiana State Police said they confiscated drugs, guns and money when arresting Rochester people on a combined eight criminal charges Thursday morning.
The arrests of Joseph N. Utter Jr., 33, and Shannyn R. Fritz, 28, were the result of a narcotics investigation by Indiana State Police and the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department.

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WEST LAFAYETTE — In celebration of Purdue’s agriculture week, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue spoke in Fowler Hall Tuesday about trade deals, climate change and how to recruit the next generation of farmers.
University president Mitch Daniels introduced the two-term former governor of Georgia as one of the nation’s greatest public servants. And no, he is not in the chicken business or the opioid business, “which we have to irritatingly answer about from time to time,” Daniels quipped.

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