Wells Superior Court
Criminal Cases
Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Katie Lynn Flum, 30, rural Yoder, charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person, a Class A misdemeanor, and operating a vehicle with an alcohol concentration equivalency of at least .08 percent but less than .15 percent, a Class C misdemeanor. Bond continued at $1,500. Jeffrey Stineburg appointed public defender.
At 12:02 p.m. June 27, Bluffton police received word from a motorist that a sport utility vehicle had the curb and came to a stop in the 600 block of North Main Street. Bluffton police, Bluffton Fire Department first responders and Wells County EMS were dispatched.
The investigating officer noted in his report to the court that a 2011 Chevrolet Equinox was up against the curb with a flat right front tire from where it had struck the curb hard enough to blow out the tire. Behind the steering wheel was a woman, later identified as Flum, who appeared to be unresponsive, was extremely pale and whose lips were turning blue. Emergency personnel shattered the driver’s side window to gain entry because the vehicle was locked.
Flum was removed from the vehicle, it was placed in park and the lead officer administered Narcan, which he wrote in his report had the desired effect of bringing Flum back to consciousness.
Flum reportedly told the officer that she remembered leaving work to get lunch then the next thing she remembered was being in an ambulance.
A report from the state police toxicologist showed Flum’s alcohol concentration equivalency to be .122 percent at the time of the incident.
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Preliminary pleas of not guilty entered for Steven J. Detamore, 32, and Cassie M. Detamore, 35, both of Bluffton, charged with harboring a non-immunized dog, a Class B misdemeanor.
Officers responded to the 1200 block of Virginia Court Sept. 22 after a man reported that his neighbor’s dog, a Yorkshire/dachshund mix had run into his yard and bit him while he was mowing. The man reported the dog had bitten both him and his wife on previous occasions.
The investigating officer in the matter noted in his report that the dog’s owners had previously been cited for harboring a non-immunized dog.
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Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Mary Jane Whited, 36, Fort Wayne, charged with operating a motor vehicle after having been found to be an habitual traffic violator, a Level 6 felony. Bond continued at $16,000. Allison Sprunger appointed public defender.
Whited had made an appearance in Wells Superior Court, left the hearing at its conclusion, exited the courthouse, walked across the street, and then entered a white van.
Whited was known to be a convicted habitual traffic violator by the court and upon her actions, the Bluffton Police Department was contacted. A Bluffton police sergeant was in the courthouse at the time, walked outside and reportedly observed the white van. He then walked back to his patrol car and started to drive on Walnut Street, reportedly observing Whited driving west parallel to the patrol car on nearby Market Street. He pulled the van over in the area Marion and Miller streets.
Whited allegedly admitted to the officer that she knew she was an habitual traffic violator and that driving was a violation of her convicted status.
Infractions
One count of driving while suspended, a Class A infraction, dismissed for Matthew D. Mayotte, 38, Bluffton.
Civil Cases
Marriage of Maria K. Miner and Zachary J. Miner dissolved.
Judgment of $200, court costs of $125, and the return of tiki torches and a lamp table awarded to Shannon L. Haines, Bluffton, against Steven D. Michael, Bluffton.
Marriage of Shara K. Thomas and Victor M. Thomas dissolved. Her former name of Sain restored to her.
Writ of possession granted to Jayne E. Schoeff, rural Bluffton, against Joshua Lee and Lora Schorey, rural Decatur.
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles ordered to issue a replacement vehicle title for a 1977 International cab-over-engine semi tractor to Anna Lee Ault, rural Bluffton.
Agreed judgment for possession entered for Bluffton Woods mobile home park with tenants Johnathan and Michelle Stevens.
Agreed judgment for possession entered for Silo Farms mobile home park, Ossian, with tenant Amanda Fairchild.
Wells Circuit Court
Criminal Cases
Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Jason Andrew Dillard, 46, Albany, charged with operating a motor vehicle after forfeiture of his driver’s license for life, a Level 5 felony, and 50 mph-30 zone, a Class C infraction. Bond continued at $10,000.
On Sept. 29, a sheriff’s deputy was monitoring traffic on Main Street (300W) in Liberty Center when he clocked a northbound 2016 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck at 50 mph-30 zone and pulled it over.
The driver, identified as Dillard, told the deputy he was running late for work at Inteva. Dillard reportedly explained to the deputy that he new he was an habitual traffic violator but that he had court-ordered specialized driving privileges. A cursory review of Dillard’s paperwork by the deputy made it appear that Dillard was in compliance with the privileges.
However, upon further inspection, the deputy discovered that the privileges had expired at 11:59 p.m. Dec. 3, 2021.
Dillard’s reportedly has been suspended from driving for life.
Files Report
A report of receipts and expenditures has been filed with the Wells County Clerk’s office by Barry Gordon for Jefferson Township Trustee, Barry R. Gordon, Ossian, Republican for Jefferson Township Trustee.
For the period beginning April 9 and Oct. 14, 2022, the committee showed no cash on hand, no itemized contributions or receipts. No unitemized contributions or receipts, no itemized expenditures, on unitemized expenditures and ended the reporting period with no cash on hand.
The committee owed no debt.
Files Statement
A statement of organization and designation of principal committee or exploratory committee has been filed with the Wells County Clerk’s office by Nathanael A. Wilson, rural Markle, seeking election a Trustee for Rockcreek Township.
The name of the committee is Nathanael Wilson for Trustee. The candidate himself is serving as his own chairman. Veronica Wilson is serving as campaign treasurer. The designated depository for campaign funds is Chase Bank
