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FULTON COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) – On Friday, police responded to a three-vehicle crash in Fulton County that sent seven people to the hospital.

It happened late Friday afternoon on Old U.S. 31 when a Ford truck driven by 62-year-old Kent Reed of Galveston pulled into the path into the path of a car driven by 28-year-old Latasha Ashley of Michigan City.

Reed’s truck struck Ashley’s car and spun, hitting a Jeep driven by 32-year-old Andrew Draper of Rochester. Draper was stopped at the intersection of Southway 31 and Old U.S. 31 at the time.

After being hit by Reed’s truck, Ashley’s car rolled several times. She and her four passengers were taken to a Fort Wayne hospital. Their injuries were not reported to be life-threatening.

Both Reed and a passenger in his truck were taken to a Fort Wayne hospital and a Rochester hospital, respectively. Their injuries were also reported to be not life-threatening.

Police say that the injuries could have been worse had all involved in the crash not been wearing seat belts.

Alcohol and narcotics are not believed to have been involved in the crash.

ISP was assisted by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department, the Rochester Fire Department, Samaritan Helicopter, and Woodlawn EMS.

ROCHESTER, Ind. (AP) – Officials in a northern Indiana county have voted against zoning rules that could have allowed a British-based energy company to build a wind farm proposed across parts of three counties.

Fulton County Commissioners decided this week to strike down the county’s commercial wind ordinance after protests over the project from Renewable Energy Systems. The company has proposed building more than 300 turbines at locations in Fulton County and neighboring Cass and Miami counties.

The (Logansport) Pharos-Tribune reports Fulton County Commissioner Bryan Lewis said many people supporting the project had conceded they wouldn’t want to live near the 600 foot-tall turbines. The company didn’t immediately comment on the Fulton County action.

Some residents in Miami County also are fighting the project, citing worries over noise and flashing lights from the turbines.

ROCHESTER, Ind. (WISH) – An Indianapolis man wanted on multiple charges, including attempted murder, was arrested Tuesday in Rochester after the car he was riding in was pulled over.

An Indiana State Trooper conducted the traffic stop around 2 p.m. on U.S. 31 near State Road 25. The car was allegedly driven by 39-year-old Takisha Jacobs of South Bend, with 23-year-old Darius Marshall of Indianapolis as the passenger.

After a K-9 arrived to search the vehicle, police found two loaded .45 caliber handguns, marijuana and $2,891.

Further investigation revealed that Marshall was wanted on a warrant issued out of Marion County for a charge of attempted murder along with other counts of dealing marijuana, possession of marijuana, visiting a common nuisance and maintaining a common nuisance. Marshall also faces additional charges for possession of a handgun without license, with a prior conviction and possession of marijuana.

Jacobs was arrested for allegedly driving on a suspended license with a prior conviction. Both were booked into the Fulton County Jail.

ROCHESTER, Ind. (WISH) – Caston Junior-Senior High School announced a unique pick to head their varsity football program, straying from the typical teacher-coach model and selecting a full-time law enforcement officer.

Sgt. Tony Slocum, a long-time Indiana State Trooper, was hired to fill the head football coach position ahead of the rural school corporation’s new academic year and athletic season.

He feels “humbled” to coach the tight-knit team of 17, he said Monday during a team practice.

“It’s humbling to coach football at all,” Slocum told 24-Hour News 8. “Being a head coach is something I thought would never happen.”

However, his experience with the Comets athletic program at Caston spans more than a decade.

Slocum was first hired by the Fulton County public schools in 2002 as an assistant coach and has since coached “every level of football at Caston from [elementary] to high school varsity,” he said.

At least four rising seniors currently on his team have trained with him since the fourth grade.

“I’ve watched these young men grow up and I want to continue being there to show them the right way to do things,” Slocum explained.

He said the sleep he sacrificed to work as a coach alongside his State Police duties was “worth it” and he valued the opportunity to mentor young football players.

“It’s what my mentors did for me,” said Slocum. “My dad was never around so quite often the coaches were father figures to me… [They were] always asking about my grades [and] asking if I went to school. That might not sound like a big deal, but when you grow up in an inner city community where that’s not always important, having someone look out for you to do the right thing [is important]. That’s what I try to do here [at Caston].”

He and fellow Caston coaches take time to speak with student athletes about their family dynamics, academic goals, career plans and other aspects of their lives not related to football.

“The most important thing here isn’t winning football,” said Slocum. “I want to instill a sense of responsibility in these kids. I want to teach them to always do the right thing… Football teaches them discipline, dedication and teamwork.”

He compared the sport to police work, saying he held his varsity players to the same standards as law enforcement personnel.

“When someone calls 911, they expect you to show up and do a good job,” Slocum explained. “I expect the same level of dedication when my guys show up at practice… Winning is a mentality. You don’t just show up at a game and win.”

Tayt Cowell, a rising senior and team co-captain, said the new head coach’s “tough love, no excuses” approach to coaching made a noticeable difference in their performance both on and off the field.

He admitted it was “intimidating” the first time he saw Slocum pulling up at school in his patrol vehicle, still dressed in his State Trooper uniform, but said the team now considers him a father figure.

“‘The standard is excellence’ – he always says that,” he recalled. “Coach tells us if [we] mess up on a play, it’s easier to not blame someone else. Just take responsibility and move on. And make sure you go harder on the next play and [do] the job right.”

Teammate Blake Albright, an incoming junior, said Slocum’s unswerving emphasis on discipline previously led their junior high team to an undefeated season.

“I was like, ‘Yes!’ when I found out he was coming back as head coach,” he said, punching the air. “We always hear his voice in our heads.”

Slocum paused and smiled while discussing his influence on the teenagers’ lives.

“If I think about it too much, I might shed a tear or two,” he laughed. “Unmanly tears! They’ll make fun of me.”

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INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — As many as 700 students must retake an ISTEP+ math section or be left with an invalidated score following what the IDOE calls inaccurate guidance on the part of the test vendor.

Students in Rochester School Corporation elementary, middle and high schools were given calculators for what turned out to be a non-calculator section of the ISTEP+ math assessment, according to The Indiana Department of Education. The school corporation told IDOE some students did use a calculator while others were quickly stopped by teacher who noticed the issue.

This testing irregularity means invalidated scores for students not specifically provided an accommodation to use a calculator. According to an IDOE release, “Impacted students will receive an ‘undetermined’ on this portion of their assessment, noted as UND on result reports.”

IDOE says it’s working with school administrators to determine a course of action for students impacted by the error. Most significantly affected are high school sophomores, who will need to retake the non-calculator section during one of four offered sessions — twice in the school year and once each summer — before their planned graduations.

The school corporation may also see a negative impact from the error — in the form of a lowered accountability grade. IDOE says it’s still unclear the effect the invalidated scores could have, but that they will continue working with the school corporation to assist in next steps, up to and including an appeal from the school to the state board for any grade they believe does not accurately reflect the school’s performance.

The release further commended the Rochester School Corporation for their quick identification of the testing irregularity, helping IDOE to address the problem and hold the testing company, Pearson, responsible for the role it played in the calculator use error.

Parents can access their students’ scores beginning June 19. After reviewing those scores, parents with questions are encouraged to contact the Indiana Department of Education’s Office of Assessment at 317-232-9050 or 888-544-7837.

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FULTON COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) – Police have arrested one man, but are searching for a second suspect after a deer was hit by a car and set on fire.

According to the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department, 18-year-old Christopher Hodges and 20-year-old Mark Shepherd are charged with a single count of torturing or mutilating a vertebrate animal, a level 6 felony.

Hodges is currently in the Fulton County Jail but Shepherd is not in custody and has a warrant for his arrest.

On Feb. 16 a passerby discovered a deer that had been hit by a car and set on fire at the intersection of State Road 25 and County Road 400.

When authorities arrived at the scene, they put the deer out of its misery after it was still smoldering.

During the investigation, it is believed that Hodges and Shepherd struck the deer and then turned around where they found it still alive. According to police, they poured gasoline on the deer, set it on fire and left the scene.

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FULTON COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) – Police have arrested one man, but are searching for a second suspect after a deer was hit by a car and set on fire.

According to the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department, 18-year-old Christopher Hodges and 20-year-old Mark Shepherd are charged with a single count of torturing or mutilating a vertebrate animal, a level 6 felony.

Hodges is currently in the Fulton County Jail but Shepherd is not in custody and has a warrant for his arrest.

On Feb. 16 a passerby discovered a deer that had been hit by a car and set on fire at the intersection of State Road 25 and County Road 400.

When authorities arrived at the scene, they put the deer out of its misery after it was still smoldering.

During the investigation, it is believed that Hodges and Shepherd struck the deer and then turned around where they found it still alive. According to police, they poured gasoline on the deer, set it on fire and left the scene.

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FULTON COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) – PETA is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest after a deer was hit by a car and set on fire.

According to the animal rights organization, on Feb. 16 a passerby discovered a deer that had been hit by a car and set on fire at the intersection of State Road 25 and County Road 400.

When authorities arrived at the scene, they put the deer out of its misery after it was still smoldering.

“No animal should experience the agony and terror of being run over, set on fire, and left to burn to death slowly,” says PETA Senior Director Stephanie Bell. “PETA urges anyone with information about this case to come forward immediately.”

The debris left at the scene looks to belong to either a blue or black General Motors model vehicle.

Contact Fulton County Sheriff’s Department Crime Stoppers at 574-223-7867 or Indiana Conservation Officers’ “Turn in a Poacher Line” at 1-800-847-4367 with any information.

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FULTON COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) — An 11-month-old is dead following a crash Saturday afternoon in Fulton County.

It happened just before 5 p.m. on U.S. 31 at State Road 110.

Early investigations concluded that 21-year-old Brittany Gonzalez was driving southbound on U.S. 31 when she attempted to make an eastbound turn and was struck by a truck driven by 24-year-old Ricardo Hernandez.

Gonzalez and two other passengers in her vehicle were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. A third passenger, the 11-month-old, was transported to a Plymouth hospital where they later died from their injuries.

Alcohol nor drugs were believed to be a factor in the crash.

The investigation remains ongoing.

ROCHESTER, Ind. (AP) – Two Notre Dame football players arrested on marijuana charges may avoid jail time and criminal records after reaching plea bargains with prosecutors.

Running back Dexter Williams and defensive back Ashton White each pleaded guilty Tuesday to a single misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana. The two sophomores were among five players who were arrested after an Aug. 19 traffic stop along U.S. 31 in Indiana.

Under the plea agreement, White and Williams would enter a diversion program that would dismiss their cases after serving one year of probation. If they fail to meet required conditions, a judge could enter convictions and send them to jail.

The South Bend Tribune reports that cases remain pending against the three other current or former players who were arrested.