Fire destroys more than half of home
JACKSON TWP. — More than half of a Lanam Ridge Road home was destroyed by fire last week.
Jackson Township Volunteer Fire Department Chief Glenn Elmore said at least 50% of the home was damaged by flames.
Firefighters from Jackson Township, Brown County (Nashville), Fruitdale and Southern Brown volunteer fire departments as well as an ambulance, wrecker and county officers responded to the fire at a home in the 4100 block of Lanam Ridge Road around 1 a.m. on March 23.
Elmore said a bucket on the back porch of the home was used to dispose of cigarette butts. Above the bucket were shirts hung out to dry, which then caught fire near a cracked window of the home. Drapes hanging in the window then caught fire inside the home.
The home is now unlivable due to the damage, but one man living at the home did have a place to stay, Elmore said.
No one was injured. The fire was ruled accidental.
Deputies step up patrols to enhance bus safety
Deputies with the Brown County Sheriff’s Department will be out this spring ensuring that students remain safe when traveling to and from school on the bus.
Over the next couple of weeks, deputies will be positioned along bus routes and in school zones where they will be on “high alert” for stop arm violations, speeding and other forms of reckless driving, according to a release from the department.
The overtime patrols are part of the state’s Stop Arm Violation Enforcement (SAVE) program and funded with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) grants administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI).
“Every time you see a bus, slow down, be ready to stop and watch for children,” Sheriff Scott Southerland said in the press release.
“If the overhead lights flash red and the stop arm extends, you are required by law to stop. Under no circumstances, should you speed up in an attempt to beat the bus. That’s beyond reckless and puts every child boarding or exiting the bus in danger.”
The department joins more than 200 police agencies for the spring enforcement campaign, as part of an ongoing effort to prevent reckless driving in school zones and around buses. Last year alone, more than 2,700 drivers were cited for stop arm violations by Indiana law enforcement, according to ICJI.
To address this, officers will be conducting high-visibility patrols in the morning and afternoon hours along routes identified in cooperation with local bus drivers and school transportation officials.
As part of the campaign, the department is urging motorists to slow down, pay attention to the road and to never pass a bus that has its red lights flashing and stop arm extended. This applies to all roads with the lone exception being highways divided by a physical barrier, such as a concrete wall or grassy median, where only vehicles traveling in the same direction as the school bus are required to stop.
The department says it is important to be prepared to stop when approaching a bus. Plan ahead and factor in extra time during each commute for school bus stops.
Disregarding a school bus stop arm is a Class A infraction and a serious offense. Violators could pay a fine of up to $10,000, have their license suspended for up to 90 days for a first offense or up to one year for a second offense.
