Latest news with #Courier&Press
Indianapolis Star
22-07-2025
- Health
- Indianapolis Star
Indiana sees first case of the West Nile virus in 2025. What to know and how to stay safe
The Indiana Department of Health announced Tuesday that the state's first case of West Nile virus for 2025 has been reported in a Vanderburgh County resident. Here's what to know about the reported case and how to protect yourself from mosquitoes. There is currently only one reported case of West Nile virus in Indiana, in Vanderburgh County. "The Indiana Department of Health expects to see additional West Nile virus cases as the mosquito season progresses," a news release states. "Taking precautions against mosquito bites can reduce the risk of disease caused by mosquito-borne viruses." In 2024, Indiana had 11 human cases of West Nile virus. Officials don't identify the affected residents due to privacy laws. State Health Commissioner Lindsay Weaver said with the large rainfall and high temperatures in the state, residents should take steps to remove mosquito breeding grounds from their property. Steps to prevent mosquito-borne diseases include: According to the IDOH, most people with West Nile virus will not have symptoms. But some could experience mild flu-like ailments including fever, headache, body aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea or a rash. From Courier & Press: Vanderburgh County resident reported as first West Nile case of the year for Indiana "A small number will develop a more severe form of the disease affecting the nervous system, including inflammation in the brain and spinal cord, muscle paralysis, or even death," the news release states. "People older than 60 years and those with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of severe West Nile virus disease.
Indianapolis Star
09-07-2025
- Indianapolis Star
Responders sickened by animal cruelty case after they found dead kittens in freezer, starved cats
A recent Evansville, Indiana, police report describes a horrific scene with dead kittens packed in a freezer, more long-dead cats and a house full of maggots and "brown matter." Responding officers described a scene with a strong ammonia odor that burned their eyes. One of them threw up. "I observed litter boxes with feces," one officer wrote. "The feces that was once solid had now become liquefied. Maggots moved in and around the litter boxes appearing to have not been touch(ed) for a significant amount of time." Officials described a "brown matter" on the stairs to the basement that appeared to be "a mix of animal feces, mold, and other unknown substances." It was so slick, they needed to use the handrail. Martin L. Haugland, 65, of Evansville, faces 10 misdemeanor animal cruelty charges. He says he's innocent. The statute under which Haugland was charged appears under the legend, "Abandonment or neglect of vertebrate animals," in Indiana Code. It states, "A person who: has a vertebrate animal in the person's custody; and recklessly, knowingly, or intentionally abandons or neglects the animal; commits cruelty to an animal, a Class A misdemeanor." Haugland told the Courier & Press that the cats were never his and belonged to the man who owned the house and died recently. But Abbi Fahse, an officer with the Evansville Police Department's humane unit, said Haugland had established residency in the house. "Even though (the cats) didn't physically belong to (Haugland), he still lived in that house for an extended period of time, which makes him just as responsible as (the homeowner) — which if (he) were still alive, he'd face the same charges," Fahse said. "He still had just as much control as (the homeowner) did, to the cats." Haugland told the Courier & Press that the deceased homeowner had planned to bury the cats officials found in a freezer. Read the full Courier & Press story: Evansville officer describes house of horrors in animal cruelty case The charges are misdemeanors and not felonies, Vanderburgh County Prosecutor Diana Moers said, because they stem from the allegation that 10 cats under Haugland's care and control at 919 E. Mulberry St. — eight cats that were still alive plus the two on the basement floor — suffered starvation and dehydration, not physical injury or abuse. "We would have charged (Haugland) with more if we could have," Moers told the Courier & Press. "It's just really unfortunate that the (Indiana) animal statutes don't reflect the severity of these crimes, in my opinion." There were actually 18 cats total, dead and alive, in the house on Mulberry, according to EPD's Humane Unit. The 10 separate cruelty to an animal counts that Haugland faces account for the eight cats found alive and the two that were dead on a floor. The eight dead cats found in a freezer — six of which were kittens — aren't part of the criminal case against Haugland, officials said, because they do not know the cause of death. Abbi Fahse, an officer with EPD's Humane Unit, said Haugland had established residency and had — like the homeowner — failed to tend to the cats' litterboxes. Ever. Fahse's report stated that Haugland told her the homeowner "never" cleaned out the litterboxes, and neither did he. The two dead cats found in the basement had been dead for a long time, according to the police report — one near the bedroom Haugland once used. Haugland said he didn't know about them, and he'd since moved to a room upstairs. After a necropsy, officials found the two cats had died of starvation and dehydration. Haugland said those cats probably died when the homeowner was in the hospital. They were "sick anyway," he said. Harrison Maglinger, one of the officers who responded to the scene, had to leave the basement to vomit; and both he and Fahse contracted fleas from the home, according to the report. The house's main floor also had brown matter covering the stairs, furniture and ceiling fan, the report said. In the bathroom, officers found a bathtub full of grey, foggy water and a toilet with mold and maggots moving along its base. According to Fahse's report, Haugland told her the homeowner fell sick three years before his death and stopped cleaning the house. Local trap neuter return (TNR) nonprofit Feline Fix filed a complaint about the property at 919 E. Mulberry St. in Evansville Feline Fix trapped cats inside and outside the house and took control of their care. Representatives of Feline Fix said the cat food Haugland left was covered in feces and bugs. Any water he may have left was long gone, said Feline Fix founder Jamie Taylor. Feline Fix said the property had been abandoned, but that Haugland was the last known resident. Others are reading: Woman on federal probation for 'animal crushing' found with dogs, cats
New York Post
04-06-2025
- General
- New York Post
Indiana man, 77, calmly calls cops to report he had just killed his wife, mother-in-law and stepson and injured 4th victim: ‘I shot them all'
A 77-year-old Indiana man calmly called police moments after he allegedly shot his wife, mother-in-law and two stepsons — killing three of them — to report the horrific crime. Patrick Waite is facing three counts of first-degree murder for the shooting deaths of his wife, mother-in-law and stepson and one count of attempted murder for gravely wounding his other stepson, according to a police affidavit and reports. Waite is accused of methodically shooting his 61-year-old wife Alma and her family, going from room to room to blast each victim in the Haubstadt home they shared, police said. Patrick Waite is facing three counts of first-degree murder for the shooting deaths of his wife, mother-in-law and stepson Gibson County Sheriff After he opened fire on all four victims, Waite called 911 to explain what he had done, where he would be when officers arrived and where investigators could find the .45-caliber Smith & Wesson he used to gun down his relatives, according to reports. 'I shot them all. I'm certainly not proud of that fact,' he said in a chilling but casual confession, according to an affidavit acquired by the Courier & Press. In addition to his wife Alma, Waite allegedly killed her 81-year-old mother Gloria Tapia and her 39-year-old son Fernando Tapia Ramirez Sr. He allegedly shot Alma's other son, 44-year-old Juan Tapia Ramirez, in the neck and chest. 'There have been multiple individuals shot at this time,' a 911 operator can be heard relaying to officers. 'I believe it's four individuals. This is still an active situation. We are talking to the shooter now.' Waite reportedly hurried the 911 operator off the phone so that he would have enough time to call his children and 'tell them what he did' before the cops arrived to arrest him, Det. Jennifer Loesch wrote in the affidavit. The alleged killer surrendered peacefully, according to reports. Four other people were in the home when he went on his murderous rampage and survived the shooting unharmed, including a child, The Herald reported. Waite had gone out to shoot a watersnake near a lake on his 1.5-acre property that afternoon, and when he came back inside the house, he had his gun in his back pocket, officials said. That's when an ongoing and wide-ranging argument between him and his wife – who had recently been asking for a divorce – reignited, authorities said. Waite said his wife of two years told him 'he needed to leave' because he brought a gun into the house, detectives wrote. Initially, the disagreement was about his attendance at bible study, then how he was neglecting his bedridden mother-in-law, and finally it became about who owned the home, according to reports. 'Patrick Waite said Alma Waite told him she filed a quitclaim deed and put their home in her daughter's name,' the affidavit states. 'Patrick Waite stated he told her he wouldn't leave the house because he had lived there for 27 years.' That's when Waite started shooting. He told investigators that he knew what he did was wrong and that God would never forgive him, according to reports. 'I'm as guilty as guilty can be,' he reportedly said. Veronica Valenzuela, a cousin of the victims, told Bakersfield Now that she was shocked by the murders, and added that Waite had always seemed like a kind person. She and her family spent a month in the house with them in the last year. Patrick Waite, 77, surrendered to police peacefully after calling 911 to tell them that he had shot four people — killing three — in the house where they lived together, police said. Christopher Sadowski 'He catered to us,' she said of Waite. 'He wouldn't let us get up to get a cup of coffee. He took us out to dinner. He took us out to casinos.' 'He was, I can't lie. Man was a very nice person, but never imagined something like this to happen. Alma was his world,' she added. Her aunt Gloria, Alma's mother, had recently suffered a stroke and was in her medical bed when Waite shot her, Valenzuela said. The surviving stepson, Juan Ramirez, remains sedated in critical condition, Valenzuela told Bakersfield Now. Valenzuela started a GoFundMe to help with the funeral costs. Waite made his first appearance in court Monday morning by video at the Gibson County jail. Waite, who has no prior arrests or criminal convictions listed in Indiana court records, is being held without bond, according to reports. He pleaded not guilty to all the counts. His attorney, Scott Danks, told local news outlets that he had no comment.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Messmer has no apparent plans for public events during two-week recess
EVANSVILLE — Members of Congress are back in their districts for a two-week recess — but if 8th District Rep. Mark Messmer is planning a mobile office hours event or a town hall, he's not publicizing them. Messmer's congressional Facebook page is replete with messages celebrating such events as Air Force Reserve Day, National Gold Star Spouses Day, Palm Sunday and Passover. There are well wishes for families affected by severe weather in Princeton, photos of Messmer with a delegation of Japanese visitors to Toyota, an offer to help constituents navigate federal agencies and a call-out for high school students to compete in the Congressional Art Competition. But there was no mention on Wednesday morning of any public events in the next two weeks. Same deal on Messmer's X account and congressional website. No shortage of content, but also no mention of looming public events. More: Anti-Messmer rally in Evansville targets Trump and Musk Emails and phone messages from the Courier & Press to Messmer aides in Washington, D.C. and Evansville went unanswered on Monday. Messmer, a Republican elected last year to succeed longtime Rep. Larry Bucshon, is not alone among Republicans in Congress, although he may stand out in the way one of his recent mobile office hours events blew up. Messmer's staff asked employees at the Boonville Public Library to call the police on constituents during a mobile office hours event — even though the mostly older attendees weren't breaking any rules, the library said. If not holding town halls were the only accessibility issue swirling around Messmer, he wouldn't be so unusual among House Republicans. Saying rowdy Democratic activists are packing town halls held by Republican House members in order to make GOP policies look unpopular, House Speaker Mike Johnson suggested in March that tele-town halls would be a good alternative for Republican members to hear from constituents. NBC News reported Monday that, "according to press releases and publicly posted event notices, the majority of town halls and town hall-style events taking place over the congressional recess will be hosted by Democrats." Messmer also has refused to speak to the Courier & Press, which serves by far the largest county in his 21-county district. Why? He sent the newspaper an email saying it reported he didn't debate his 2024 election opponents when he did. More: Messmer revisits 2024 campaign to explain his silence Messmer cited a single joint public appearance with his two opponents, an Aug. 25 Posey County Farm Bureau event that they called a candidate forum lacking any opportunity for rebuttal among candidates. Other than that event, which occurred three weeks after the Indiana Farm Bureau's political action committee endorsed Messmer, he would not appear on the same stage with his opponents. It all baffles Robert Dion, a University of Evansville political scientist who says Messmer could blunt vocal opposition from opposition activists and reassure other constituents by biting the bullet and appearing in public often — not going radio silent. "It's kind of surprising that there's been this much unhappiness about his performance, but he's not helping," Dion said. "He could run a charm offensive if he wanted to." Dion, who moderated two of Bucshon's town hall meetings, said Messmer could refute the perception that he hides from the public by engaging with constituents and media and by holding frequent town hall meetings. "Even if there were a few testy exchanges, if you make frequent visits to the district, including open town halls — if you make those a routine occurrence, then they lose any sort of novelty or power," Dion said. "The more you do it, the easier it gets." Messmer could ask attendees to write down their questions and have a moderator read them aloud, a tactic the UE political scientist said shaved several decibel points off the more confrontational questions directed at Bucshon. Dion said any seasoned politician — Messmer served 16 years in the Indiana Legislature — should know how to handle the public confrontations, press scrutiny and harsh criticism that comes with holding elected office. Like most members of Congress, Messmer is regularly trolled on social media by people who — as Dion acknowledged — didn't vote for him and never will. The UE political scientist quoted the Federalist Papers, a collection of essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay in 1787 and 1788: "As it is essential to liberty that the government in general, should have a common interest with the people; so it is particularly essential that the branch of it under consideration, should have an immediate dependence on, & an intimate sympathy with the people," the Federalist Papers state. "The House member is the one member of the federal government who is closest to the people, the most reachable," Dion said. "And Messmer seems to be the opposite of that. He's unreachable." This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Messmer has no apparent plans for public events during two-week recess
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Messmer to hold telephone town hall Tuesday; opponents are ready for it
EVANSVILLE — Under fire from his political opponents for a perceived lack of accessibility, 8th District Congressman Mark Messmer plans to show up Tuesday night. Well, kind of. Messmer isn't going to hold a public town hall, but he does plan to stage a live telephone town hall meeting from 5 p.m. CST to 6 p.m. Tuesday. The purpose: "to discuss the issues most important to YOU," states Messmer's social media. Those who want to participate can sign up to do so here, on a link that offers them the chance to "speak directly to Rep. Mark Messmer" if they will first provide their names, phone numbers and zip codes. More: Dems think they have a shot at winning 8th District in 2026 -- and a possible candidate Messmer would not speak with the Courier & Press when the newspaper asked him by email to discuss his objectives with the event, the points he anticipates making and his counter to political opponents who say he is inaccessible. He did send an email in return. "I look forward to hearing from my constituents and discussing important issues affecting Hoosiers in the 8th District," it stated. Accessibility to constituents and media has emerged as an issue with Messmer. Messmer's staff asked employees at the Boonville Public Library to call the police on constituents during a mobile office hours event — even though the mostly older attendees weren't breaking any rules, the library said. Messmer also has refused to speak to the Courier & Press, which serves by far the largest county in his 21-county district. Why? He sent the newspaper an email saying it reported he didn't debate his 2024 election opponents when he did. Messmer cited a single joint public appearance with his two opponents, an Aug. 25 Posey County Farm Bureau event that they called a candidate forum lacking any opportunity for rebuttal among candidates. Other than that event, which occurred three weeks after the Indiana Farm Bureau's political action committee endorsed Messmer, he would not appear on the same stage with his opponents. In March, hundreds of people attended an anti-Messmer rally in Evansville at which the first-term Republican congressman was pilloried for not having held a town hall meeting three months into his tenure. More: Anti-Messmer rally in Evansville targets Trump and Musk But most of those people are Democratic activists who likely never voted for Messmer and never will, said Khyle Moers, chairman of the Vanderburgh County Republican Party. It doesn't mean voters as a whole are disenchanted with Messmer. "He's certainly visible, and I think members of his office are pretty available," Moers said. "I think some of the people that are really critical of, just all of our elected officials in general — and I'm talking to people that have like, really hyper-critical, very outspoken opinions of our elected officials — it's typically the same folks over and over again. There are people in those groups that you're just not going to make happy with anything that you do." 8th District Democratic Chairman Dave Crooks told the Courier & Press in March that Democrats think Messmer already has made himself politically vulnerable over the accessibility issue. The people who will attend an Indivisible Evansville event at McCollough Public Library to coincide with Messmer's telephone town hall may not be happy with anything he says. Indivisible is encouraging supporters to register to speak with Messmer. They call their event "A Mass Call-In for Real Accountability." "Rep. Mark Messmer is holding a 'tele-town hall' where he controls who speaks, screens out tough questions, and avoids the public eye," Indivisible states on Facebook. "While he hides behind a phone line, we're showing up together to demand answers, speak truth, and make our voices impossible to ignore." More: Messmer has no apparent plans for public events during two-week recess It's not as if Messmer will get no representation at the event. The opposition activists say he will be represented by a large milk carton, a criticism meant to say he is missing and can't be found. "We'll be together in one space, amplifying our concerns and exposing the truth: Messmer is still missing from the communities he claims to represent," their statement said. This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Messmer to hold telephone town hall Tuesday; opponents are ready for it
