Investigation Leads to Arrest of 911 Dispatcher and Volunteer Firefighter
23 year-old Luke Jobes, a Morgan County 911 Dispatcher and Paragon Volunteer Fire Fighter has been arrested for possession of child pornography. A criminal investigation was started this past December when Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) detectives gained information from a previous investigation that Jobes was in possession of Child Pornography.
After a thorough investigation which included interviews and search warrants, An arrest warrant was issued for Jobes, who was booked into the Morgan County Jail.
***All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Indiana Attorney General recoups $3.3 million for the Department of Workforce Development
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita thanked Deputy Attorney General John Millikan for his work recouping more than $3.3 million in funds taken fraudulently from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD). Millikan has targeted funds deposited into bank accounts by scammers who collected unemployment benefits using other people’s identities through information gathered from the dark web. Such criminal activity soared during the COVID-19 pandemic as DWD faced pressure to push payments out quickly to newly jobless individuals.
Investigators found that fraudsters often funneled their ill-gotten gains to either the same bank account or several set up around the country within the same bank. One such bank, Green Dot Bank, held approximately $3.15 million dollars in fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits.
If you learn that your identity has been fraudulently used in a claim for unemployment benefits, you should report it to the Office of the Attorney General via this online form for reporting identity theft. Additionally, you should report it to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development via that agency’s website. Finally, you should also file a report with local law enforcement and the Indiana State Police.
Monroe Lake News & Events
Monroe Lake Website: on.in.gov/monroelake
Monroe Lake Program & Event Calendar: bit.ly/monroelakecalendar
Monroe Lake on Facebook: facebook.com/monroelake
Winter Exploration Hikes
Our Winter Exploration Hike Series features off-trail hiking through lesser-known areas of Monroe Lake. These are exploratory in nature so there is no “set” path; we’ll have a general route in mind, but plenty of freedom to veer off as things of interest catch our eyes. Hikers should be prepared for the possibility of rugged terrain, lack of formal toilet facilities, and lots of fun! Recommended for ages 12 and up.
Winter Exploration Hike: Nebo Ridge (2hr), Tuesday, February 22 at 10 a.m.: Sign up at bit.ly/weh-feb22-2022 by February 20, free but limited to 20 people. *FULL, follow registration link to add yourself to waiting list
Winter Exploration Hike: Salt Creek SRA (2hr), Tuesday, March 8 at 10 a.m.: Sign up at bit.ly/weh-mar8-2022 by March 6, free but limited to 20 people. *17 spots still open
Winter Exploration Hike: Lucas Ridge (2hr), Tuesday, March 15 at 10 a.m.: Sign up at bit.ly/weh-mar15-2022 by March 13, free but limited to 20 people. *17 spots still open
Woodcock Watch, March 30 (Fairfax SRA)
American woodcocks begin their search for a mate in early spring. As the sun goes down, we’ll try to sneak a peek at the male courtship behavior. The combination of a distinct call and an aerial display make this an enjoyable bird to both watch and hear! Recommended for ages 8+; limited to 20 people. 1 hour – Registration required by March 28 at bit.ly/woodcock2022 *16 spots still open
Upcoming Virtual Programs
LIVE PRESENTATION! Thursday, February 24 at 11:30 a.m., The Dormant Days: Since some temperate woody plants live for many decades, or even centuries, they must have mechanisms in place which allow them to survive cold winters. Monroe Lake naturalist Jill Vance will explore how dormancy allows woody plants to survive unfavorable conditions. The live stream will be hosted on this Facebook Event page. (For those unable to watch live, a video recording will be available on the Monroe Lake Facebook Videos tab, as soon as the live stream concludes.)
LIVE PRESENTATION! Thursday, March 31 at 11:30 a.m., Friendship Cemetery: Monroe Lake Interpretive Naturalist, Jill Vance, will dive into the history of one of the historic cemeteries in the Salt Creek Valley, Friendship Cemetery. Jill has extensively researched this cemetery and her presentation will discuss not only its history but how she has pieced together a more complete list of burials than previously existed. She will also share stories and history about some of the people laid to rest at Friendship. The live stream will be hosted on this Facebook Event page. (For those unable to watch live, a video recording will be available on the Monroe Lake Facebook Videos tab, as soon as the live stream concludes.)
This Week in Hoosier History
2014 – 19-year-old Nick Goepper of Lawrenceburg, Indiana, won a bronze medal in slopestyle competition in the Winter Olympics in Russia. He also won a silver medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. Nick also won a silver medal just days ago, for freestyle slopestyle, at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
For more local news . . .
Check out our archived episodes of What’s Happenin’ and Talkin’ Sports with Nick Jenkinson here