Blog

INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Colts QB Anthony Richardson Sr. has been charged in Hamilton County after a traffic stop netted a small amount of marijuana paraphernalia.

Charges were filed in Carmel City Court on Monday, online court records show.

A probable cause affidavit obtained by News 8 says a Carmel Police Department officer patrolling the area of Springmill Boulevard and Silver Stream Drive in Carmel spotted a black Dodge Charger with an expired plate registered to another vehicle.

Turning on the patrol car’s emergency lights, the officer pulled the vehicle over, identifying the driver as the 24-year-old Richardson.

Court documents say the officer “immediately detected the odor of marijuana” in the Charger, and confronted Richardson on the smell.

Richardson reportedly admitted to smoking marijuana inside his car because he “did not want to smoke around his children.” Richardson also said he “had a small amount of marijuana inside the vehicle.”

The officer detained Richardson while searching the Charger. Police say the officer eventually found in the glove box a small jar of marijuana and an open bag of THC gummies.

The officer then issued Richardson a citation for the expired plate and a summons for drug possession.

Online court records show Richardson’s initial court hearing was waived. A bench trial is scheduled for Jan. 4.

The Colts said in a statement shared with News 8 that they were aware of the situation, but were still gathering information.

We are aware of the situation involving Anthony Richardson and are currently gathering additional information. We will have no further comment at this time.

The Indianapolis Colts

This is a developing story. News 8 has contacted the Carmel Police Department for additional information.

INDIANAPOLIS — Journey Mitchell’s father last saw his teen daughter Friday after they prayed together before he went to bed.

Indianapolis police asked the public Thursday for help finding her.

Charles Mitchell, who lives near the intersection of West 29th and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. streets, said Journey and some of her friends had discussed taking a trip for fall break, but her friends ultimately stayed home. He did not know if she went somewhere on her own, but fears she may have left with a man “who was old enough to drive and old enough to buy liquor.”

She turned 15 on Tuesday.

Charles said an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department missing-persons investigator had been working with him to determine if Journey ran away. However, IMPD said in a Thursday night alert: “New information leads detectives to believe she may possibly be in danger. If located, please call 911 immediately.”

IMPD says she was last seen Saturday wearing a dark blue sweatshirt and dark blue sweatpants. The alert described her at 4 feet, 4 inches tall and 140 pounds, with brown hair and eyes.

Charles said his daughter’s school had earlier agreed to distribute flyers about her disappearance, while his church and the Crown Hill Neighborhood Association helped spread the word.

The flyer, as shown on social media, says Journey as 5 feet, 5 inches tall and 175 pounds.

ANDERSON, Ind. — A school superintendent on Thursday said he will need to make cuts even if voters renew his property tax levy.

Anderson Community School Corporation is one of 40 school corporations statewide holding a property tax referendum this year for operating expenses. It’s the first round of school referendums since state lawmakers passed a new property tax law last year. Among other things, the law limits by how much property taxes can grow each year and requires traditional public schools to share their tax revenue with charter schools beginning in 2028. When combined with inflation and the increase in funding directed to school vouchers, Superintendent Joseph Cronk said his schools get less out of their property tax levy than they did when it was approved in 2018.

“Anderson is an impoverished district,” he said. “It’s part of the old Rust Belt. Effects from SEA 1 have severely impacted our financial picture and our ability to deliver services to our students.”

Many of the referendums on November’s ballot ask voters to increase property taxes to offset the impacts of the new property tax law. Cronk said Anderson Community Schools is only asking its voters to renew its current property tax levy. He said he has already taken steps including eliminating some administrative staff positions as people leave and renegotiating some contracts. He also plans to eliminate some school bus routes next year. If the levy fails, he said more drastic measures might be necessary.

“You could potentially see cuts to transportation,” he said. “You could see increaed class size, and anyone that’s in education knows there’s an inverse relationship to class size and learning. So larger class sizes could inhibit learning. But when you don’t have the money to pay for things, you make do with what you have.”

Tyler Elmore, the school corporation’s chief financial officer, said Anderson Community Schools gets 44% of its revenue from property taxes, a share he said is typical. Another 24% comes from debt service in the form of bonds, with the rest coming from the state’s school funding formula. Elmore said the new property tax law has not reduced the corporation’s tax revenue, but it has limited how much it can grow.

The changes to property taxes were brought on by an uproar among homeowners and some business owners over rapid increases in assessed valuation. Bryce Curry, the CEO of Premier Arms in Brownsburg, said the property taxes he pays on his building have gone up by 46% since 2018, even after he appealed to the Hendricks County Assessor. Curry said so far, he has been able to absorb those costs, but if it keeps up, it will mean higher prices for his customers. He said property taxes are his second-highest expense, after payroll.

“Any expense that a business incurs has to be put into the factor of the profits, the markups, the margins, and in our industry in general, the margins are pretty thin to begin with,” he said. “At a certain point, as in a lot of businesses, eventually you have to start passing that on to the consumer.”

Curry said most of the business owners he knows have seen property tax spikes of 10-20% over the same period. He said most businesses lease their building space rather than owning it outright, but higher property taxes mean higher leases for them. Curry said he used to own rental properties and he had to raise rents whenever property taxes went up. He said before schools ask for more money, they should examine their own financial decisions.

“They really need to look inside their four walls and say, what expenses can they cut, what salaries can they cut, what programs can they cut,” he said. “That may not be popular, but to simply go out to your tax base with your hand out every single year, it seems, in a lot of cases, and simply say, ‘We just need more money,’ but then we see them building a brand-new sports field. Do we need another sports field? Does that need to be built?”

The Indiana Department of Local Government Finance has a calculator tool on its website homeowners can use to determine how much a property tax referendum in their area would cost them.

News 8 has what you need to know to check your voter status and learn where to vote.

INDIANAPOLIS — Marion County may have federal eyes on its upcoming midterm election.

The Marion County Election Board said it received notice on Oct. 21 that the U.S. Department of Justice plans to send election monitors to the county on Election Day to observe election processes for federal law compliance.

Marion County is one of only two counties in Indiana to receive the designation — the other being Lake County.

Marion County Clerk Kate Sweeney Bell says the board was given little explanation for the decision.

“We were not informed as to who or what prompted this unique status,” said Clerk Sweeney Bell. “We were not told what criteria was used to make this determination, and we do not know why the Department of Justice chose these two specific counties in this election cycle in this particular state.”

The board has not been told exactly what the monitors will do on Election Day beyond observing the process.

The Election Board said it recently approved a new policy instructing poll workers on how to handle interactions with DOJ officials and federal agents. Poll workers have also been trained to prepare for those interactions.

“Election integrity is paramount, and it means ensuring every legally registered voter who would like to cast a ballot is able to,” Clerk Sweeney Bell said. “It also means using every legal tool at our disposal to ensure no voter is intimidated or disrupted in the voting process — by anybody– as protected by state and federal law.”

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

INDIANAPOLIS — Two people died after a shooting on Indianapolis’ northwest side early Thursday morning, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

Dispatchers received a report of a person shot in the 4400 block of Moller Road at the Colonial Square Apartments just south of West 46th Street just after 8 a.m.

When officers arrived, they located two people suffering gunshot wounds. Unfortunately, both victims died at the scene.

It’s not clear what led up to the shooting or if there were any suspects. An IMPD public information officer was expected to give an update later Thursday morning.

News 8 has a crew heading to the scene.

This is a developing story.

INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers on late Wednesday night found a person with injuries consistent with gunshot wounds in an industrial area northwest of downtown.

The shooting was reported at 10:35 p.m. Wednesday in the 1100 block of Burdsal Parkway. That’s located northwest of the Central Canal aqueduct for Fall Creek.

The person was stable, police said.

Authorities released no further information, including whether the area was safe or a suspect was being sought.

This is the third person injured in a reported shooting Wednesday evening.

MADISON, Ind.–Thirteen people face charges after Operation Rusty Cherub, a multi-state warrant sweep that concluded a three-month investigation into a July 4 brawl between rival motorcycle organizations during the Madison Regatta.

The arrests stemmed from an altercation at Shipley’s Tavern in Madison, Indiana, involving members of the Iron Horsemen and Hells Angels outlaw motorcycle organizations. The fight left multiple people injured and caused property damage during one of the busiest weekends of the year in the Ohio River community.

Law enforcement officers arrested 11 suspects in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky before dawn Tuesday. The U.S. Marshals Service arrested two additional suspects in Richmond, Virginia, later that day.

Bar fight erupted during holiday celebration

The incident began shortly after 3 p.m. July 4 when members of both organizations encountered each other inside Shipley’s Tavern on West Street, according to Indiana State Police. The ensuing fight injured multiple people as thousands of visitors filled Madison for the regatta and Independence Day celebrations.

Madison Police Department officers initially responded to the scene. The Indiana State Police Special Investigations Section assumed lead responsibility for the investigation, which resulted in charges filed in Jefferson Superior Court.

Detective Tim Denby of the Indiana State Police Special Investigations Section led the operation, coordinating with more than two dozen law enforcement agencies across four states.

18 search warrants executed

Officers served search warrants at 18 locations in the tri-state area Tuesday morning. Additional search warrants and possible charges are expected, according to state police.

Investigators used multiple techniques during the three-month investigation, including Flock cameras to identify and locate suspects.

All 13 suspects face corrupt business influence charges, a Level 5 felony. Many also face charges of battery with a deadly weapon and other felonies.

Jefferson County Prosecutor David Sutter praised the coordinated law enforcement response.

“In one of our community’s busiest and most exciting weekends of the year, individuals from these two organizations chose to engage in criminal activity and cause chaos among law-abiding citizens who wanted to enjoy what Madison has to offer,” Sutter said. “I commend the Indiana State Police and all cooperating law enforcement agencies for their efforts in pursuing those engaging in this criminal activity to make our community a safe and enjoyable place.”

Investigative agencies

The investigation involved the Indiana State Police, FBI field offices in Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Louisville, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service and numerous local police departments and sheriff’s offices in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky.

Prosecutor’s offices in seven Indiana counties, five Kentucky counties and three Ohio counties participated in the investigation.

The arrested

Colton W. Griffin, 37, Milton, Kentucky

• Corrupt Business Influence, Level 5 Felony
• Aiding in Battery with Deadly Weapon, Level 5 Felony
• Battery Resulting in Moderate Bodily Injury, Level 6 Felony
• Disorderly Conduct, Class B Misdemeanor

Elizabeth A. Whelan, 36, Rising Sun, Indiana

• Corrupt Business Influence, Level 5 Felony
• Battery with Deadly Weapon, Level 5 Felony
• Disorderly Conduct, Class B Misdemeanor

Jacob B. Barkalow, 29, Dry Ridge, Kentucky

• Corrupt Business Influence, Level 5 Felony
• Aiding in Battery with Deadly Weapon, Level 5 Felony
• Battery Resulting in Moderate Bodily Injury, Level 6 Felony
• Disorderly Conduct, Class B Misdemeanor

Toby L. Jones, 39, North Vernon, Indiana

• Corrupt Business Influence, Level 5 Felony
• Battery (2 counts), Class B Misdemeanor
• Disorderly Conduct, Class B Misdemeanor

Crystal A. Melcher, 48, Sellersburg, Indiana

• Corrupt Business Influence, Level 5 Felony
• Attempted Obstruction of Justice, Level 6 Felony
• Attempted Battery (2 counts), Class B Misdemeanor
• Attempted Battery by Bodily Waste, Class B Misdemeanor
• Disorderly Conduct, Class B Misdemeanor

Michael D. Melcher, 53, Sellersburg, Indiana

• Corrupt Business Influence, Level 5 Felony
• Battery (2 counts), Class B Misdemeanor
• Disorderly Conduct, Class B Misdemeanor

Owen A. Dumford, 22, Richmond, Indiana

• Corrupt Business Influence, Level 5 Felony
• Aiding in Battery with Deadly Weapon, Level 5 Felony

Tyler L. Cole, 28, Mount Orab, Ohio

• Corrupt Business Influence, Level 5 Felony
• Battery with Deadly Weapon, Level 5 Felony
• Battery Resulting in Moderate Bodily Injury, Level 6 Felony
• Intimidation, Level 6 Felony
• Battery, Class A Misdemeanor
• Criminal Vandalism, Class B Misdemeanor
• Disorderly Conduct, Class B Misdemeanor

Toby W. Hughes, 47, Rising Sun, Indiana

• Corrupt Business Influence, Level 5 Felony
• Aiding in Battery with Deadly Weapon, Level 5 Felony
• Battery Resulting in Moderate Bodily Injury, Level 6 Felony
• Disorderly Conduct, Class B Misdemeanor

Jason D. Stowers, 47, Frankfort, Kentucky

• Corrupt Business Influence, Level 5 Felony
• Aiding in Battery with Deadly Weapon, Level 5 Felony
• Battery, Class A Misdemeanor
• Attempted Battery, Class B Misdemeanor
• Disorderly Conduct, Class B Misdemeanor

Robert M. Stagge, 37, Cincinnati, Ohio

• Corrupt Business Influence, Level 5 Felony
• Aiding in Battery with Deadly Weapon, Level 5 Felony
• Battery Resulting in Moderate Bodily Injury, Level 6 Felony
• Disorderly Conduct, Class B Misdemeanor

Cole M. Hoffman, 27, Crittenden, Kentucky

• Corrupt Business Influence, Level 5 Felony
• Aiding in Battery with Deadly Weapon, Level 5 Felony

Christopher M. Moore, 45, Scottsburg, Indiana

Aiding in Battery with Deadly Weapon, Level 5 Felony

Corrupt Business Influence, Level 5 Felony

INDIANAPOLIS — Longtime state Sen. Ron Alting on Wednesday announced he will resign his seat if re-elected, citing neurological problems following accusations of shoplifting.

Alting, a Republican, was first elected in 1998 and currently represents eastern Tippecanoe County and Carroll County. Last week, accusations surfaced that he had shoplifted from a store in West Lafayette. Alting is running for another term and faces Democrat Natasha Baker.

In a statement posted to his official Facebook page, Alting said he has been undergoing a number of medical tests due to “concerning changes in my judgment, behavior and cognitive functioning.” He said those tests are still ongoing.

Alting said if he is re-elected on Nov. 3, he will resign his seat, in which case the Republican Party will caucus in a replacement. He said he has informed Senate President pro tempore Rod Bray of his intention to resign. Bray’s office confirmed this but did not provide further comment.

Full statement from Alting:

“Twenty-eight years ago, I asked the people of this community for the privilege of representing them in the Indiana Senate. It has been the greatest honor of my life.

“Over the past several weeks, I have been undergoing extensive medical evaluation for concerning changes in my judgment, behavior and cognitive functioning. That evaluation has included specialists in neurology, geriatrics and mental health, as well as an MRI and other testing. That work is continuing as my doctors seek a definitive diagnosis.

“During this time, I did things that were wrong and completely out of character for me. I take responsibility for my actions. I am deeply sorry for the hurt and disappointment I have caused my family, friends, colleagues, constituents and the store employees involved.

“After many difficult conversations with my family, my doctors and people I have trusted for many years, I have concluded that I need to bring my time in public office to an end and devote my attention to my health and my family.

“I have informed Senate President Pro Tem Rod Bray of my decision to resign from the Indiana Senate.

“Because voting in this year’s election is already underway, my name will remain on the ballot. If I am elected, my successor will ultimately be chosen through the Republican Party’s vacancy process. I have great confidence that this process will produce an outstanding leader who will serve Senate District 22 and its people well.

“For nearly three decades, the people of Tippecanoe County have entrusted me with something very precious: the opportunity to represent them. I will never be able to adequately express my gratitude for that trust.

“There will be time in the days ahead to say more. Tonight, I simply want to say thank you.

“As I continue through this medical evaluation and we work toward answers, I ask that you keep me, my family and the doctors caring for me in your prayers.”

Sen. Ron Alting, R-West Lafayette