INCIDENTS
City:
Tuesday, 5:28 p.m., residence in the 1100 block of West Central Avenue. License plate stolen.
Wednesday, 4:33 a.m., Wiley Avenue at Bond Street. Bluffton police officer pulled over a pickup truck and arrested the driver, Bret L. Poff, 54, Bluffton, on charges of possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor; operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Class C misdemeanor; and possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor. Bond set at $1,500. Reportedly Poff had a “dugout” in his sweatshirt pocket, a slang term for a wooden box that holds a small pipe called a “bat” (both are baseball references) in which a small amount of marijuana may be consumed. A SoToxa test reportedly showed Poff’s saliva tested positive for cannabis.
Wednesday, 8:01 a.m., James S. Jackson Construction, 1643 Harrison Plaza. Construction trailer broken into and the interior spray painted and a fire extinguisher discharged.
Wednesday, 10:42 a.m., Bluffton Harrison Middle School, 1500 Stogdill Road. Students reported his airpods were stolen.
Wednesday, 12:08 p.m., residence in the 400 block of West Wiley Avenue. Burglar alarm. Officers responded. No sign of foul play found.
County:
Wednesday, 5:59 a.m., New Holland Tri-County. Burglar alarm. Deputy responded. Possible evidence of an extension cord being tampered with was found, but no other sign of foul play was found.
ACCIDENTS
City:
Tuesday, 6:24 p.m., 300W at Ind. 218. Darla Arelland, 38, rural Markle, thought the intersection was a four-way stop and drove her 2005 Chevrolet Suburban north into the intersection where it crashed into an eastbound 2020 Kia Sportage driven by Tamera Murray, 52, Bluffton. Wells County EMS, Liberty Township Fire Rescue and Chester Township Fire Department first responders were dispatched but no one was trapped or injured. Damage exceeded $10,000.
Tuesday, 8:22 p.m., 8972N-500E, Ossian. Collin M. Evans, 19, of that address was backing a 2005 Ford F-350 pickup truck out of the garage at the residence when he failed to see a 2006 Chevrolet Suburban, registered to Larry Gilly, rural Bluffton, parked in the driveway and backed into it. Damage exceeded $1,000.
Tuesday, 8:38 p.m., Ind. 124 near 500E. Sandra Andrews, 52, rural Decatur, hit a deer with her 2008 Chevrolet Impala. Damage to the car exceeded $2,500.
Wednesday, 7:15 a.m., Ind. 1 at U.S. 224. A 2013 Volkswagen Jetta, driven by Reghan Plunkett, 17, Ossian, hit a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado from behind driven by Michelle Holcomb, 46, Ossian. Damage exceeded $1,000.
Ossian:
Tuesday, 9:20 p.m., residence in the 200 block of South Jefferson Street. Officers responded to a verbal altercation between a son and his stepfather. The son left before officers arrived.
FIRE RUNS
Monday, 9:37 p.m., 911 E. Spring St. residence of David Croghan Jr. Oven on fire. Fire out before firefighters arrived.
Tuesday, 9:27 a.m., Linder Oil, 820 Industrial Parkway. Smell of natural gas in the area. Ossian Fire Department dispatched. Northern Indiana Public Service Company contacted.
Friday, 6:41 p.m., rental house at 702 Clark Avenue. Report of fire coming up through the floorboards in a room in the house. Bluffton Fire Department dispatched and Liberty Township and Ossian fire departments dispatched for mutual aid but later advised to disregard. Source of the flames was traced to a faulty electrical outlet in the floor. The breaker powering the outlet was turned off. Firefighters determined that the outlet was not properly wired. Tenants advised to contact the landlord.
Saturday, 6:36 p.m., Sonlight Wesleyan Church, 2350S-Ind. 1. Skidsteer loader caught fire in the parking lot. Bluffton Fire Department dispatched. A sheriff’s deputy was the first to arrive and used his in-car fire extinguisher to put out the fire. When firefighters arrived, they discovered that there was straw packed up in the engine compartment of the vehicle. The smoldering straw was pulled out and extinguished with a water can. The owner of the skidsteer was Dustin Wilkerson of rural Keystone.
Sunday, 5:38 p.m., 208 N. Oak St. apartment of Kodi Hamilton. Smell of natural gas in the apartment. Bluffton Fire Department responded. No gas detected.
ARRESTS
Will Anthony Gregory, 26, Indianapolis; failure of carriers of dangerous communicable diseases to warn persons at risk, a Class B misdemeanor. Bond set at $1,000.
Amanda J. Dow, 37, rural Warsaw; theft, wherein the value of the property alleged stolen is in excess of $750 but less than $50,000, a Level 6 felony; counterfeiting and application fraud, a Level 6 felony; and fraud, a Level 6 felony. Bond set at $15,000.
Shawn Michael Collis, 29, Bluffton; probation violation. No bond set.
Raigan Ilene Harkinson, 22, rural Montpelier; driving while suspended, a Class A misdemeanor. Bond set at $1,500.
Angela Marie Smith, 42, Ossian; battery, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct, all Class B misdemeanors. Bond set at $4,000. Bonded.
Dennis Allen Bower, 42, rural Poneto; operating a vehicle with an alcohol concentration equivalency of .15 percent or more, a Class A misdemeanor. Bond set at $1,500. Bonded.
Brandon Tyler DeHart, 27, Bluffton; dealing in a Schedule I, II, or III controlled substance, a Level 5 felony. Bond set at $10,000.
