Suspects Arrested in Muncie Bank Robbery
The Star Press reports Muncie Police arrested two suspects for robbing the First Merchants Bank at 101 S. Country Club road on Wednesday. 51-year-old Rodney Lewis Conatser was preliminarily charged with armed robbery and driving while suspended. His wife, 41-year-old Amanda Nichole Conatser, faces preliminary counts of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and possession of a narcotic drug. According to Melissa Criswell, deputy chief with the Muncie Police Department, a bandit, described as a white male wearing “a face covering,” robbed employees at the bank shortly after 4 P.M. Tuesday. Officers from the MPD and other local agencies searched the area for a vehicle that was believed to be linked to the holdup. They found the vehicle with the Conatsers in it and both were arrested.
One of the bills state lawmakers will considering in the upcoming legislative session will be a bill to place age restrictions on who can and can’t view porn websites in Indiana. These restrictions could come in the form of age verification or even scanning a driver’s license when you navigate to a porn site. A bill in the State Senate is similar to a law in Texas that federal courts are currently reviewing.
Indiana State Police intercepted 115 pounds of methamphetamine in close proximity to the Indianapolis International Airport. The traffic stop occurred at 8:00 A.M. on December 19th. Police noticed an SUV on Bridgeport Road near U.S. 40, by the airport, rolling through a stop sign. A canine detected the drugs in the rear-driver side of the SUV. The women told police they were traveling to Louisville for a funeral. Troopers searched the vehicle and found the drugs stored inside bags inside suitcases. Due to the large amount of seized drugs, the Indiana State Police have handed the case to the DEA, and it might go to federal court.
The Muncie Housing Authority will be accepting applications for the Muncie Housing Choice Voucher Program waiting list for Section 8 housing on Tuesday, January 16th at 9:00 A.M. They will only be accepting the first 500 online applications. For more information visit apps.muncieha.com.
Muncie Parks and Recreation has announced effective January 1st, 2024, cabin and shelter prices will increase slightly. Visit them on Facebook for an updated price list.
The Herald Bulletin reports The Madison County Prosecutor’s Office has filed formal charges against an Anderson man on four felony counts of arson. 33-year-old Adam N. Kinnard, 2400 block of Fairview Street, was arrested on December 20th in connection with four structure fires. After his arrest by Anderson police, Kinnard said “he set those fires because of all the child molesters residing at the locations.”
Mason Moulton of Yorktown High School has been named a member of Pridemark Construction’s ‘Future Leaders of America’ Series on MuncieJournal.com. Moulton is a member of the football, basketball and track and field teams at Yorktown High School. He’s also the president of the National Honors Society, student leader in his school’s chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a member of government club and captain of the math academic team.
If you go to the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles to apply for a license or register a car, you have to supply some personal information like your name, address, and age. Did you know the BMV can turn around and sell your information? That’s from a CBS4Indy report which indicated the Indiana BMV legally sold customer data for $26 million. The Indiana legislature allows it and It’s an occurrence that is so common that the BMV uses sales figures as part of their operating budget to pay for salaries, lease payments security and more.
Want to be happier in 2024? Here are a few ways: Swinging your arms while walking helps you feel more positive—Lift the corners of your mouth and smile. It can change your brain’s chemistry and make you feel happier.—Volunteer in your community or help out a friend in need.—Count your blessings and make an effort to look on the bright side of things—Exercise… It can take as little as 5 minutes for exercise to put you in a better mood.
There will be a special Pop-up workshop at the MadJax Design Lab on Thursday, January 4th from 5:00 to 8:00 P.M. You can design and press your own refrigerator magnet. Create a design or bring a photo, then print your finished magnet design on sublimation paper and press it on the heat press. No pre-registration is required. Drop in anytime. Madjax is located at 515 E Main St. in Muncie.
The Muncie Sanitary District says it’s that time of year for recycling your real Christmas trees and old lights. You can now drop real trees and old lights off at Westside, Heekin, and McCulloch Park. Look for the orange fence near the park entrances. You are asked to place old lights in the blue toters, trash such a tree bags in the trash toters, and put trees within the orange fencing.
Do you have a Powerball ticket that has not been claimed yet? Hoosier Lottery is looking for a ticket worth $50,000 that is set to expire later this month. According to a news release from the Hoosier Lottery, a winning Powerball ticket was purchased for the July 17th drawing at a GetGo station in Anderson. The $50,000 ticket matched four out of the five white balls for the drawing.
If you watch movies using Amazon Prime Video, you’re probably not going to like what the platform is going to start serving up on January 29th:—Ads. Amazon confirms that for the first time it will start adding advertisements to its streaming service and you’ll have to pay an extra $2.99 a month to keep from seeing them. Amazon prime video is included in the cost of a prime membership which provides free shipping on Amazon purchases
The Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel is revisiting its search for a naming rights partner after the pandemic scuttled a previous deal more than three years ago. CEO Jeff McDermott told IBJ that a company’s name could be added to—or change—the name of the Center, which encompasses the Palladium, The Tarkington and The Studio Theater, all at 1 Center Green in Carmel’s center core. He did not provide a dollar amount that the center is seeking from a deal.
In a social media post The Elks Lodge No. 625 has donated $4,385 to the Cancer Support of Blackford County Fund. The donation was made possible by the annual cancer support dinner, which was held on Saturday, November 18th. Cancer Support of Blackford County provides a tote of gifts to provide comfort and hope to Blackford County residents receiving cancer treatments. The totes include items such as gas cards, grocery gift cards, a blanket and other items that might be comforting during cancer treatments. An average of 45 individuals a year receive a tote.
Muncie Community Schools has received a $346,000 grant from the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning. Over $18 million in employer-sponsored child care grants were announced yesterday by Governor Eric Holcomb. The initiative, is part of Governor Holcomb’s 2023 Next Level Agenda, and is mobilizing employers and communities to create or expand child care offerings that address the needs of working Hoosiers.
The number of young people being killed in Indianapolis has increased in the Capital City. Reverend Charles Harrison with the Ten Point Coalition says more young people have access to guns than ever before. Harrison told Indy Politics that young people shoot each other after losing fistfights. He says he’s concerned about the number of times police have fired their weapons in 2023. He says IMPD Chief Randal Taylor did a good job despite what his skeptics may say about his performance.
The Star Press reports a Portland man has agreed to plead guilty to two counts of child molesting in Madison County court. The charges — both Level 4 felonies carrying maximum 12-year prison terms — were filed against 24-year-old Dusty Ray Cox in June. Cox is accused of repeatedly fondling a juvenile when he visited her family’s home in May. Interviewed by a Madison County sheriff’s deputy, Cox reportedly acknowledged having slept in the same bed with his accuser, but maintained he did not recall molesting her “because he was asleep.” Last week, a plea bargain in which the Portland man agreed to plead guilty was submitted in Madison Circuit Court 4. A hearing at which Cox would be sentenced if the agreement is accepted has been scheduled for January 23. He continues to be held in the Madison County jail under a $10,000 bond.
The building that formerly housed Burger Chef in Speedway is expected to be torn down, according to officials with the Speedway Town Council. This comes decades after four employees of the restaurant were abducted and killed in 1978. The killings were later dubbed “The Burger Chef” killings. Officials told FOX59 that the reason they believe the case has not been solved in more than 40 years is because the crime scene was not protected and that forensic evidence and fingerprint evidence was destroyed.
Two young men are in the Marion County jail after police say they walked into the Castleton Square Mall with machine guns and ski masks Tuesday evening. Police said quick action by a citizen and mall security may have prevented whatever the young men had planned. A 19-year-old from Madison County and an 18-year-old from Indianapolis were captured, one in the parking lot and the other trying to hide in the restroom of the Buca di Beppo restaurant in the mall parking lot.
On this day in history: On December 29th, 1890 the U.S. Army’s 7th Cavalry tried to disarm the members of the Lakota tribe who were camped at Wounded Knee Creek. During their attempt, a shot was fired and the cavalry massacred over 150 members of the tribe including women and children. Many historians believe that the number of people massacred was much higher. Wounded Knee is near present day Lakota Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in the state of South Dakota.
