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By: Sgt. Carey Huls, Public Information Officer, Indiana State Police Sellersburg District

Washington County - Thursday, August 1, 2024: A Salem man was arrested on a warrant for impersonating a public servant following an investigation by the Indiana State Police (ISP).

The investigation began in mid-July when ISP Detective Travis Baker learned that 62-year-old William J. Salyer, of Salem, allegedly left two voicemails with an Arizona man in which Salyer identified himself as a detective with the Indiana State police. In the voicemails, Salyer allegedly stated that he would contact the Arizona State Police for theft charges if a locket mailed to Arizona was not immediately returned.

It was learned that a woman residing in Salem had an online relationship with the Arizona man and mailed him a locket containing small portion of her deceased son’s ashes. The locket was to be buried on a Native American reservation in Arizona.

When the Arizona man returned the call and spoke with Salyer, he became suspicious Salyer was not a police officer and contacted the Indiana State Police in Sellersburg.

The investigation included interviews with all parties involved. At the conclusion of the investigation, all information was provided to the Washington County Prosecutor’s Office for review and possible charges.

On Wednesday, July 31, 2024, an arrest warrant was issued for two counts of Impersonation of a Public Servant. Each count is a Level 6 Felony.

On Thursday morning, Deputy Devin Hopkins with the Washington County Sheriff’s Department arrested William Salyer on the warrant. William Salyer was transported to the Washington County Jail without incident.

“All subjects are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.”

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Historic Beck’s Mill will host its annual Grind XI 5K Run/Walk Anderson-Good Memorial Race on Saturday, Sept. 14. Activities will be centered around the mill, located at 4433 S. Becks Mill Rd, Salem, IN.

The Grind 5K is the mill's largest annual fundraiser. All proceeds from the event will be used to preserve and maintain the mill.

This is a Mag 7 Race. Race participants will receive five additional points for participating in this "Hidden Gem" race.

Registration will begin at 7:30 a.m., and racing starts at 9 a.m.

Early registrations before Sept. 1 are $25 with memorial shirt or $20 without a shirt. Registrations after Sept. 1 will be $25 and will not include a shirt.

Some shirts may be available for purchase on race day.

To register online, please visit: https://runsignup.com/Race/IN/Salem/TheGrind5KRunWalkatBecksMill

Race entry includes access to the mill and grounds for participants, including a post-race breakfast provided by Shady Patch Farm of Salem and snacks. Participants will enjoy the quiet countryside, tours of the mill and learning history of the mill. Relaxing post-race comfort can be found at the waterfall (dam) at the old mill.

There will be an award ceremony immediately after the race, including many door prizes. Finisher medals will be given to the first 100 participants to cross the finish line. Awards will be given to the top three male and female finalists, as well.

Meals from the Mt. Carmel/Friends of Beck’s Mill Chicken Barbecue will be available, beginning 11 a.m. in the parking lot. Meals include chicken and two sides for $8. The barbecue is sponsored by Tyson and Walmart.

The race is in honor of Joyce Anderson, seventh-generation owner of Beck’s Mill who donated the mill to Friends of Beck’s Mill, and past board member and volunteer, Gerry Goode.

The Beck family built their first mill on this historic site in 1808. Their third mill still remains. The mill once ground corn, small grains such as wheat and processed wool; all powered by water!

After setting idle for more than 50 years, the little grist mill south of Salem is now churning out a product that once made it famous.

In 2008 Beck's Mill was returned in restored and operational condition to the directors of the Friends of Beck’s Mill, Inc. Beck’s Mill is operated solely by the efforts of an all-volunteer staff. The leadership of Friends of Beck’s Mill, Inc. continues to enhance the visitor experience to Beck's Mill every year as numerous new events are planned every season.

Friends of Beck’s Mill is undergoing a restructuring of leadership and encourages everyone to become a member of the group. They recently issued the following statement, “It is vital that we keep the mill and it’s property are accessible and safe for all to enjoy its beauty. With this new leadership we are hoping to see new ideas to keep visitors interested in returning each year.”

“Thanks to our dedicated racers and generous sponsors, this race would only be successful because of your kindness and dedication in securing the historic mill’s future.”

Donations to help support the mill may be mailed to:
Friends of Beck’s Mill
P.O. Box 288
Salem, IN 47147

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By: Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Every May, wild turkey chicks (poults) begin to hatch in Indiana, and DNR needs your help counting turkey broods (hens with poults) and hens without poults.

Brood reports have been collected every year since 1993 to calculate the annual Wild Turkey Production index, which informs biologists about population status and guides management decisions for the species.

Please share your 2024 observations with us online from July 1 until Aug. 31. Recording observations takes less than five minutes, and no login is required.

We rely on your observations to calculate our Production Index, so every report counts! We appreciate your participation.

The wild turkey brood reporting period is July 1 - Aug. 31

Wild turkey hen with nine poults.

Wild turkey hen with ten poults. Photo by Dan Kaiser.

Help the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife monitor summer production of wild turkeys by recording wild turkey sightings during July and August using our online survey tool.

Why count turkeys?

Brood surveys provide useful estimates about annual production by wild turkey hens and the survival of poults (young turkeys) through the summer brood-rearing period. Summer brood survival is generally the primary factor influencing wild turkey population trends. Information on summer brood survival is essential for sound turkey management. Information gathered through the brood survey includes:

Average brood sizes (hens + poults). For example, in the photo above there is one hen with seven poults, for a brood size of eight.
Percentage of adult hens with poults.
Production Index (PI) = total number of poults/total number of adult hens

What is a wild turkey brood?

A wild turkey brood is composed of at least one adult hen with young (poults). As the summer progresses, multiple broods may gather into what is termed a “gang” brood with several adult hens and multiple broods of poults of varied ages. During summer, adult gobblers (male turkeys) play no role in raising a brood and either form small male only “bachelor” flocks or are observed as a single gobbler.

No gobblers should be reported.

What should I report if I see a turkey brood or some turkey hens without poults?

We are interested in the following observations of turkeys from across the state:

Number of adult hens with the number of poults or
Number of adult hens without poults and
County and date of each observation.

Please provide as accurate a count of both hens and poults as possible. It is also just as important to record observations of hens without poults. Don’t compile multiple observations as one report, instead report each different observation separately, even if observations of different broods are made on the same day in the same county. Understand that by mid to late August, turkey poults are normally about two-thirds the size of an adult, and a juvenile gobbler (jake) can be about the same size as an adult hen. Suspected repeat observations of the same turkeys during the same month should not be recorded.

Wild turkey hen with eight poults.

Need help identifying male and female turkeys?

Females are generally smaller in body size, about the size of a Canada Goose (8-12 lbs), and their coloration is duller brown to buff with no obvious iridescence. In general, female wild turkeys do not have a visible beard. In contrast, males have larger bodies, much larger than a Canada Goose (18-28 lbs), and their general coloration is very dark, appearing black with an iridescent sheen. Most adult male wild turkeys have a visible beard.

Turkey Teaser Results

The full brood report will be posted above once it is available. In the meantime, enjoy these maps that show participation by county and brood reports by landcover from the 2023 Turkey Brood Reporting period. If there are no reports from your area, but you saw a turkey brood this past summer, make sure to check back in July and August to submit your own reports and contribute to turkey management.

Map showing Indiana turkey brood reports by county

Map showing Indiana turkey brood canopy cover

If you have questions about the turkey brood survey, please email Wildlife Index, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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The Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) is excited to once again be a part of the 15 greatest days of summer this year at the Indiana State Fair. The fair runs Aug. 2 – 18 and is closed on Mondays. We encourage all fairgoers to stop by and say hello at any of ISDA's locations on the fairgrounds.

Normandy Barn | Building Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. ET everyday

Explore all things Indiana Agriculture inside Normandy Barn and Garden Center! Be sure to check out the newly added solar panels on the side of the barn.

Pathway To Water Quality | Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. ET everyday

The Pathway to Water Quality, managed by the Indiana Conservation Partnership, is a model watershed that shows how land “sheds” excess water and what that means to you.

FFA Pavilion | Building hours: 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. ET everyday

Join the Indiana FFA State Officers at the FFA Pavilion every day for mini golf and a petting zoo.

Indiana Grown Marketplace | Building hours: 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET everyday

Shop locally grown, raised, processed and/or packaged products daily in the Indiana Grown store. The Indiana Grown State Fair Marketplace will offer fairgoers the opportunity to shop over 400 unique products from nearly 100 local Indiana Grown members.

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Kristy Purlee, CEO of the Washington County Family YMCA, announced that Temple and Temple Excavating has made a generous committment to the Y's Capital Campaign.

The company's support is a significant boost to the efforts to enhance the programs and facilities at the WCFYMCA.

Purlee said, "Temple and Temple Excavating's commitment to our cause exemplifies the community spirit that makes Washington County such a wonderful place to live and work. We are deeply grateful for their support and look forward to making even more impactful changes with this contribution. Join us in thanking Ken Temple, and Temple and Temple Excavating for their incredible support! Together, we can achieve great things for our community."

To learn more about the Capital Campaign and how you can contribute, visit the website at wcfymca.org or email CEO Kristy Purlee at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..