Jury finds father guilty in 1-year-old daughter’s death
Greenfield — The father of a 1-year-old child found dead in her Greenfield home in May was found guilty Thursday of killing the girl.
Matthew Wagoner was found guilty of murdering and neglecting his daughter, Zoey Wagoner, at the conclusion of a four-day trial in Hancock County Superior Court 1. He will return to court next month for sentencing; he faces a penalty of 45 to 65 years for the murder charge and 20 to 40 years for neglect as a Level 1 felony.
Zoey Wagoner died May 28 after sustaining blunt-force trauma injuries to her abdomen and head, medical experts testified.
Police: $680,000 of heroin found in car during traffic stop
HENRY COUNTY — A Hancock County sheriff’s deputy found about $680,000 worth of heroin in a car during a traffic stop in Henry County.
Deputy Nick Ernstes, a member of the Proactive Criminal Enforcement team, a multi-jurisdiction law enforcement drug task force that patrols Interstate 70 from Indianapolis to the Ohio border to fight drug trafficking, stopped a vehicle eastbound on I-70 near mile-marker 131 for following too closely.
While searching the vehicle, Ernstes and other officers found 15 pounds of heroin and small amounts of cocaine and marijuana on the car’s passengers. The four passengers in the car face criminal charges, including dealing heroin, a Level 2 felony.
County’s employees to receive free health care next month
HANCOCK COUNTY — County employees will soon have access to free health care, which local officials hope will save the county money on insurance claims in the long run.
Beginning Feb. 1, the approximately 225 county employees who receive health care insurance through the county will be able to book free doctor appointments at three local health clinics, all of which are part of the Hancock Physician Network, administered by Hancock Regional Hospital.
The new option provides an alternative to the county’s current high-deductible insurance plan.
E-book check-outs climb at Hancock County Library
HANCOCK COUNTY — The Hancock County Public Library has seen its electronic circulation skyrocket, from about 10,000 check-outs in 2010 to more than 197,000 last year, according to the library’s 2015 annual report.
Print is still king among library patrons, who checked out 465,800 items last year; but that number has remained steady since 2010 with only gradual gains, while digital checkouts show a steep upward trend.
Patrons have shifted from seeking physical copies of CDs, DVDs and audio books to choosing electronic files of the same titles, library officials said.
