Warren County Archives

WEST LEBANON, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — Warren County-based Tru-Flex LLC, a manufacturer of flexible elements for exhaust systems, has been acquired by Nelson Global Products Inc. of Wisconsin. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Tru-Flex supplies exhaust bellows, metal hoses and aftermarket products for on- and off-road commercial vehicle applications. Tru-Flex has manufacturing plants in Indiana and Poland.

Nelson Global is a worldwide manufacturer of exhaust systems for heavy duty vehicles and industrial engines. It has facilities in North America, South America, China, India, and Australia, including a plant in Fort Wayne.

According to the NGP website, the company is a supplier to numerous frontline brands, including Columbus-based Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI), Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT), and Deere and Co. (NYSE: DE).

“Combining Tru-Flex’s engineering strengths, engineered NVH solutions and European operations with Nelson’s global purchasing, logistics, manufacturing and distribution networks and engineering capabilities allows us to better serve our customers and accelerate growth,” said Steve Scgalski, Nelson Chief Executive Officer.

Nelson Global says HBM Holdings, a holding company owned by a family Trust established by Tru-Flex founder Harry Mathews, is the parent company of Tru-Flex. HBM will retain an ownership position through an investment in Nelson.

The Wabash River Enhancement Corp. has launched a regional planning project to increase the usability and economic viability of the Wabash River watershed in north central Indiana.

The organization says the Wabash River Greenway Corridor Master Plan is intended to develop the waterway into a world-class destination for recreation and culture.

The 90-mile corridor runs through five counties, including Fountain, Warren, Tippecanoe, Carroll, and Cass.

The WREC has hired Kimley-Horn, a national planning, and engineering firm, to lead the 18-month public outreach project.

The planning process began earlier this year with data collection and mapping of the corridor. It will now focus on getting input from the public and stakeholders.

The organization has launched this website to provide insight into the project. It will also have planning stations for people to view the project until December 21.

FOSTER, Ind. (WISH) — An Illinois man is behind bars after large bags of marijuana were found during a traffic stop in Warren County.

Indiana State Police said a trooper pulled a driver over for speeding on State Road 63 near Baltimore Hill road just after 10 p.m. Wednesday.

The trooper detected a marijuana smell coming from the vehicle during the traffic stop and requested assistance to search the vehicle.

Deputies searched the vehicle and found more than five and a half pounds of marijuana in large, plastic bags in the trunk.

The backseat passenger, Keyon Carter, 30, of Danville, Ill., told troopers the marijuana was his. Carter was arrested for dealing in a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance.

The driver and another passenger in the vehicle were not charged with any crimes.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing.

WEST LEBANON, Ind. (AP) – Authorities say one person died after a small plane flying from Ohio to Illinois crashed in western Indiana.

The plane was discovered Sunday morning in Warren County, about 75 miles northwest of Indianapolis, shortly after the resumption of a search that began late Saturday. Indiana State Police say the pilot who was killed, 68-year-old George Irick Jr. of Congerville, Illinois, was the only occupant.

The Civil Air Patrol says the single-engine Cessna departed from Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday morning bound for Peoria, Illinois. The plane was expected to refuel in Danville, Illinois. But when it dropped off radar late Saturday, the Vermillion County Sheriff’s Department in Illinois notified authorities in Warren County of a possible downed plane.

The cause of the crash is being investigated. The Federal Aviation Administration is on the scene, and the National Transportation Safety Board is set to arrive Monday.

WILLIAMSPORT, Ind. (WLFI) – A jury has found 34-year-old Scottie Kincade guilty of murder and arson in the death of 31-year-old Heather Smith.

Firefighters were called to a house fire in Williamsport on Sept. 27, 2016.

After the flames were out, Smith’s body was found in the home.

According to court documents, Kincade’s brother told police Kincade admitted to killing Smith and setting her house on fire.

They were in an on-again-off-again relationship and Smith was allegedly planning to leave him.

WARREN COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) – The Warren County coroner has identified the woman found dead inside a Williamsport home after a fire deemed arson on Tuesday.

Warren County Coroner Bryan Lanham has identified the body as 31-year-old Heather Smith, who lived at the home.

Lanham said an autopsy will not be released until pending toxicology results due in 4-6 weeks.

Warren County Prosecutor John Larson tells WISH-TV’s sister WLFI that Kincade faces a preliminary charge of suspicion of murder and arson. A 48-hour hold is on the case for formal charges to be filed.

WILLIAMSPORT, Ind. (WLFI) – An investigation is underway following the discovery of a body in a home in Williamsport, Indiana, and now Indiana State Police say there is a manhunt for a person they believe to have connections to the case.

ISP Sgt. Kim Riley tells News 18 police are searching for 33-year-old Scottie M. Kincade. They said he is 5 feet 6 inches tall, 180 pounds, with blue eyes and brown hair.

Riley said they are currently searching a cornfield in Warren County for Kincade following a crash on County Road 300 North. He fled the crash scene and headed into a cornfield. Police even have a helicopter on the scene searching for him.

Earlier Tuesday afternoon around 1 p.m., flames were showing when fire crews were called to the Williamsport home on Jackson Street. After the fire was extinguished, a body was discovered inside the home.

Riley said detectives think the two cases are related – the arson and the crash.

Authorities said Kincade is believed to be armed and dangerous. They believe he may be involved in possible murder as well as leaving the scene of the crash.

If you know the suspect or think you see him, please contact 911 or your local police. Authorities said do not approach him.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The NCAA partnered with local universities and schools to encourage reading.

To kick off the NCAA Team Work’s “New Readers Become Leaders Program,” a pep rally took place Friday morning. 24-Hour News 8’s Lauren Lowrey emceed the event.

The NCAA Executive Vice President for Education and Community Engagement and Chief Inclusion Officer, and student-athletes from IUPUI attended the pep rally at 10 a.m.

The program is for all third graders in Indianapolis, Lawrence, Pike and Warren Township. All third graders took a pledge to read 30 minutes a day between Friday, September 23 until March 2017.

TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) – During Monday’s second wave of storms several tornado warnings popped up around central Indiana.

24-Hour News 8’s sister station WLFI-TV meteorologists say the line of storms was showing rotation in Tippecanoe and Warren counties. Emergency sirens were also set off in those counties.

WLFI-TV meteorologists also confirmed reports of at least one tornado spotted on the ground near Pine Village, Ind., 12 miles west of Lafayette. Another report said a funnel cloud was sighted in Warren County.

This system brought with it severe weather threats including damaging straight-line winds, large hail and another possibility of isolated tornadoes.

On Monday, the the National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for Benton, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Fountain, Fulton, Howard, Jasper, Miami, Montgomery, Newton, Pulaski, Tippecanoe, Vermillion, Warren and White counties. Those watches expired 3 a.m. Tuesday.

Flash flood watches were in effect in those areas until 5 a.m. Tuesday.

COVINGTON, Ind. (AP) – A body pulled from a car submerged in a northwestern Indiana creek has been identified as that of an Evansville man.

Warren County Sheriff Bill Miller said Saturday that an autopsy revealed the man was 59-year-old Daniel Bryk of Evansville. A bridge inspector spotted his car Thursday in Opossum Creek near Indiana Route 63 in Warren County, about 80 miles northwest of Indianapolis.

Miller says Bryk was reported missing June 22 to Evansville police.

Miller says Bryk’s body appeared as though it had been trapped in the submerged vehicle for days. The autopsy revealed he died as a result of injuries from the crash.

Miller says waters in the area have been high due to flooding before receding this week. He says it’s possible the car had been completely submerged.