In January 2022, a long-time Lawrence County Highway superintendent announced his retirement, five people were arrested after breaking into and stealing weapons and ammunition from Cosner’s Gun & Knife Shop, an 8-year-old girl who was kidnapped from Nevada was rescued at Brown County State Park and the Mitchell chapter of Tri Kappa celebrated their 100th Anniversary.
Five were arrested for breaking into Cosner’s Gun & Knife Shop and stealing firearms
In January 2022, $5,000 was offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction of those responsible for breaking into Cosner’s Gun & Knife Shop and stealing more than 20 firearms.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms industry offered the reward.
The crime was committed on Tuesday, January 11, 2022.
Detectives received multiple tips during their investigation and received reliable information identifying the three individuals seen in the store video footage.
Search warrants were obtained for several residences within Bedford, which were executed by the Bedford Police Department SWAT Team. Upon searching the residences, multiple firearms were located that were stolen from the store.
The individuals involved in the burglary were identified as Calvin Levi Johnson, 19, of Bedford, and two juvenile males, 15, also from Bedford. Johnson was arrested on charges of burglary and theft of a firearm.
Ian Canfield, 19, Bedford, was also arrested. One juvenile male, 16, Bedford, was also arrested for possession of the stolen firearms.
On July 19, 2022, Canfield pleaded guilty to a charge of theft of a firearm but was mentally ill and was sentenced to the Indiana Department of Corrections for 365 days. He was given credit for two days served in jail and 361 days were suspended to supervised probation. He was also ordered to serve 24 hours of roadcrew.
Lawrence County Highway Superintendent David Holmes announced his retirement
Lawernce County Highway Superintendent David Holmes announced his retirement. His last day was January 28, 2022.
Holmes served Lawrence County for more than 13 years.
All three commissioners Rodney Fish, Dustin Gabhart, and Wally Branham praised Holmes for his service.
Kidnapped girl located at Brown County State Park, Male detained
An 8-year-old girl kidnapped from Nevada was rescued on Friday, January 21, 2022, at Brown County State Park.
According to a Brown County Sheriff’s Department deputies responded to the park after a report of a suspicious-looking man seen with a young girl near the park’s south gate. Police stopped the vehicle for a traffic infraction on Main Road within the park. The driver refused to identify himself and was detained.
“Park security started getting kind of a bad vibe with his actions and whatnot, and they were concerned about the juvenile that was in the vehicle with him,” said Deputy Joshua Stargell. “So they asked for us to check him out.”
Deputies later found that Daniel N. Eggers was wanted in Nevada on a warrant charging him with parental kidnapping of a minor, issued in September 2021 when he left with his daughter — later identified as the minor in his car, according to Deputy Stargell.
Eggers was detained and was returned to face charges in Nevada. The female child was turned over to the Department of Child Services.
Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Brown County State Park staff, and the Nashville police department assisted.
Mitchell Chapter of Tri Kappa celebrates 100th anniversary
The Mitchell Chapter of Tri Kappa celebrated its 100th anniversary in January.
The Mitchell Chapter, called the Gamma Epsilon Chapter of Tri Kappa, was installed on January 7, 1922, to help bring beautification efforts to the city that have continued today.
Tri Kappa member Suzanne Patton shared the importance of celebrating the anniversary and continuing the traditions set by the first chapter.
“This is a great way to celebrate and honor the original members of Tri Kappa, to show that what they stood for continues today,” said Patton. “These women set out to make their community better by placing flowers around the town and offering scholarship opportunities among other things to members of the community.”
