Authorities have issued a statewide Amber Alert for a missing toddler, 7-month-old Xeniyah Sanders.

She is a black girl, 2 feet tall, 25 pounds, with black hair with brown eyes. She was last seen wearing white shirt with a watermelon on the front and the words “Grandpa is one in a melon”, a diaper, and no shoes. Xeniyah was last seen at 5:35 this morning in Merrillville, Indiana and is believed to be in extreme danger.

The suspect, Leandre Nutull, is a 35-year-old black male, 5 feet 9 inches tall, 150 pounds, black hair with brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a black coat and black jeans, and driving a silver 2006 Acura TL with Illinois license plates of CU62616.

If you have any information on the disappearance of Xeniyah Sanders you can contact the Merrillville Police Department at 219-660-0028 or call 911.

Schneck Primary Care will be offering flu clinics over the next three Saturdays at locations in Seymour and Brownstown.

The clinics will be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. with the first on Saturday at Schneck Professional Building’s parking garage on level 4, on Oct. 23rd at the Schneck Primary Care Brownstown parking lot, and again on Oct. 30 at the Schneck Professional Building’s parking garage.

The vaccine is available in regular doses and in high doses for those 65 and older. The cost is covered by most insurances or you can self-pay. The vaccines will be available first come, first served. You can get more information at 812-522-1613

INDOT is planning to replace culverts on State Road 135 in Jackson County starting Wednesday.

Crews will be closing the highway from 8 to 3:30 to replace three culverts, with each taking about a day to replace. Two culverts are north of Vallonia and one is just north of the Muscatatuck River bridge near Millport.

INDOT says that access for local traffic will still be allowed during the closures, however you should find an alternate route. The work is expected to be finished by the end of the day Friday, weather permitting.

INDOT reminds you to slow down, to use extra caution and to drive without distractions in all work zones.

Indiana House Republicans say the deadline is approaching for those interested in serving as paid interns during the legislative session.

The session runs from January through mid-March and the internships are full-time positions, 8:30 to 5 Monday through Friday. Interns are paid $750 bi weekly and can earn academic credit. Previous political or government experience is not required.

The positions are open to college sophomores, juniors and seniors of all majors as well as to recent college graduates. Law school or graduate students can also apply.

Interns serve in a variety of departments including legislative operations, communications and media relations and policy.

The caucus said the last day to sign up is Oct. 31st.

You can get more information or apply online at www.indianahouserepublicans.com/2022-house-republican-internship-program.

Indiana State Police are investigating the death of an inmate at the Decatur County Jail.

According to State Police reports, 54-year-old James L. Catron of Greensburg collapsed while he was in jail custody at about 1 a.m. Friday morning. Despite first aid and CPR, Catron was pronounced dead at Decatur County Memorial Hospital.

The Decatur County Sheriff’s Department requested State Police conduct the investigation in Catron’s death.

Troopers say that no foul play is suspected. An autopsy is pending.

Catron had been in jail since Sept. 26th.

A Seymour man was rescued Saturday after getting stuck in waist-deep mud during a hunting trip.

According to reports from the Indiana State Police, 63-year-old James Cole called authorities for help from the Muscatatuck Wildlife Refuge at about 10 Saturday morning , saying that he had become separated from his grandson while they were hunting in the area, and he got lost. Cole entered a swamp and became stuck.

Rescuers soon found the grandson and entered the woods to find Cole. They heard him calling for help and located him nearly a mile from the road. They found him stuck in the mud, with the swampy terrain and thick vegetation making it hard to get him out.

Rescuers used logs and sticks to create temporary bridges to be able to get close to Cole. With the assistance of Cole’s grandson, officers were able to get a rope to Cole and then were able to pull him out of the mud.

Cole was treated by medics at the scene. Although he was exhausted, Cole was uninjured.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, Seymour Police. U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Redding Fire Department, Jackson County EMS and Indiana State Police all took part in the rescue.

Photos courtesy of Indiana State Police.

Bartholomew County deputies are searching for a suspect’s vehicle after a drive-by shooting on Tyler Drive.

According to reports from the sheriff’s department, several shots were fired from a 9 mm gun Saturday and it is possible that two people were inside the blue, four-door vehicle.

Sheriff Matt Myers says that there several people in the area at the time of the shooting, including children. No one was injured.

Any information, no matter how seemingly insignificant could be helpful. If you have any information, you can call Detective Will Kinman at 812-565-5926 or you can call the sheriff’s department tip line at 812-379-1712. Information can be left anonymously.

Photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.

The Alliance for Substance Abuse Progress in Bartholomew County is hoping to find volunteers to fill several open positions at the ASAP Hub.

The ASAP Hub is a recovery resource center for individuals, families, and friends affected by substance use disorders. The Hub is a centralized location to get help getting a person with an addiction into recovery.

Tracey Clark, community impact manager for ASAP, said that the agency lost some volunteer help during the pandemic when the Hub was closed.

ASAP needs to fill volunteer positions as a Spanish-speaking front desk reception person, marketing specialist, in transportation and in data management.

A volunteer information session is set for Thursday, from 10:30 to 11:30 at the Hub, which is in the Doug Otto United Way Center at 1531 13th Street in Columbus.

For more information, you can contact Clark at ([email protected]) 812-418-8705.

Seymour Police Department is holding its second annual Jeep Rally on Saturday to benefit the DARE program.

The event will feature door prizes, a silent auction, off-road adventure course, an articulation ramp, rock-crawler-area, woods trail and a 100-mile Jackson County Road Rally.

The cost to take part is $30 per Jeep and it includes an entry decal, route map, door prize entry, off-road course entry and T-shirt.

On-site registration starts at 8 a.m. on Saturday and the event starts at 10 a.m. The rally gathering point will be near Freeman Field park.

The Seymour DARE program   serves 500-700 students annually, helping them learn  decision-making skills to support a healthy drug-free lifestyle.

To get more information on signing up click here.

Police arrested a Columbus man after he was allegedly found walking down 25th Street with property he had stolen from a vehicle.

According to reports from Columbus police, officers had been called to the 2400 block of Charleston Place at about 9 Tuesday morning after receiving complaints of items stolen from vehicles.

One of the theft victims noticed a man carrying the stolen property in the 3400 block of 25th Street shortly afterwards. Police stopped the man, identified as 23-year-old James J. Burns III of Columbus and recovered the victim’s missing property, along with a bag containing items stolen from a separate vehicle.

Burns is facing a preliminary charge of theft from a motor vehicle.

Police say that you can help reduce property crime by removing valuable items from your vehicle and by locking your vehicle doors.