Midwest
Indiana father who drove his truck into shallow river, let 2-year-old Emma Sweet drown gets 40-year sentence
An Indiana man will spend four decades behind bars after driving his truck into a shallow river under the influence of marijuana and methamphetamine — although bystanders were able to rescue the father, his 2-year-old daughter, Emma Sweet, drowned in the vehicle.
Jeremy Sweet, 41, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for neglect of a dependent and an additional 10 years for a habitual offender enhancement on Tuesday after pleading guilty to both charges, WRTV reported.
Emma likely died some time on Thanksgiving Day in 2021. She and her father were last seen together on Nov. 24, 2021, and reported missing the next day, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Emma Sweet was reported missing after her father picked her up from her mother’s on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24, and never returned. Her body was found by divers on Nov. 26 in the White River. (Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office)
INDIANA GIRL EMMA SWEET’S DEATH DECLARED DROWNING, HOMICIDE: CORONER
After Sweet was rescued from the truck by duck hunters on Nov. 26, 2021, he told investigators that he had taken a friend to work, got lost in some fields, took a wrong turn on a dirt road and accidentally fell into the east fork of the White River.
The two-year-old’s body was recovered by divers days later on Nov. 28, Fox News Digital previously reported, and likely died on Thanksgiving. The river was between three and five feet deep where the truck was submerged, law enforcement determined, and they believe Sweet drove his vehicle into the body of water from an embankment 15 to 20 feet above the river.
The girl’s official cause of death was described as “complications of hypothermia and asphyxia due to drowning,” and was ruled a homicide, FOX 59 reported.
Sweet, 41, was later charged with two felonies: neglect of a dependent resulting in death and unlawful possession of a syringe, according to the station. At the time he was pulled from the water, he was out on bond for unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon as well as possession of methamphetamine, the sheriff’s office said.
Jeremy Sweet, 41, pleaded guilty to one count each of neglect of a dependent resulting in death and a habitual offender enhancement for drug crimes on Tuesday. (Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office)
INDIANA GIRL, 2, FOUND DEAD IN RIVER DAYS AFTER SHE VANISHED WITH FATHER
In an interview with detectives the day after his daughter’s body was discovered, Sweet admitted that he was high on meth and marijuana when he drove the car into the river.
He then gave multiple differing accounts of what happened. In one version, Sweet told investigators that he dropped his daughter off somewhere before the truck went into the water. Later, his story changed, and he admitted that the girl was in the car at the time.
Investigators said that the river was three to five feet deep where the truck was submerged, and believe that Jeremy Sweet drove the vehicle into the river from an embankment 15 to 20 feet high. (Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office)
FATHER OF INDIANA GIRL, 2, FOUND DEAD IN RIVER GAVE ‘CONFLICTING STORIES,’ HELD BY POLICE: REPORT
“Jeremy said that water was coming into the truck, so he put Emma on the hood or roof of the truck,” the affidavit read. “Jeremy said that he and Emma fell into the water.”
In another version, Sweet said that he grabbed his daughter and climbed onto the roof of the truck before falling into the water. Then, Sweet said, he put his daughter on the roof alone and fell asleep. When he woke up, the girl was gone, he said.
Sweet said he last saw the girl on the roof of the truck “yelling for her mom,” the Indianapolis Star reported.
Two-year-old Emma Sweet’s body was recovered on Nov. 28, 2021, two days after her father was rescued from the submerged vehicle. (Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office)
At the crash site, investigators saw that one of the truck’s windshield wipers were bent, appearing “as if someone had been hanging on it,” former Sheriff Matt Myers said during the search for the girl in 2021, according to The Republic.
Law enforcement later learned that Sweet had been at a Casino in nearby Shelbyville with two friends the day before the crash, and picked up his daughter from her mother in Columbus on Thanksgiving Day when her mother had to go to work.
At his sentencing, Sweet broke down emotionally and apologized to his ex-wife for losing their daughter.
“There’s nothing I can say to change what has happened,” he said, according to courtroom reporting by The Republic. “But I swear to God on everything I love that I’m so sorry.”
Read the full article from Here
Wisconsin
Flood Safety Week runs March 9-13 as Wisconsin braces for a spring swell
(WLUK) — As winter thaws, Wisconsinites are encouraged to think about preparing for potential flooding.
Gov. Evers has declared March 9 -13 as Flood Safety Week in Wisconsin.
During Flood Safety Awareness Week, ReadyWisconsin is asking everyone to review their flooding risk and take proactive steps to protect their families, homes, and businesses before waters rise.
- Know your flood risk. Assess the potential for flooding on your property if you live in a flood plain, near a body of water, or have a basement. Plan with your family for what you will do if the floodwaters begin to rise.
- Consider flood insurance. Most homeowner, rental, and business insurance policies generally do not cover flooding. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Most flood coverage requires 30 days to take effect. Find more information about flood insurance options here.
- Move valuables or mementos out of the basement and store them in waterproof containers.
- Elevate or flood-proof your washer, dryer, water heater, and HVAC systems. Relocate electrical outlets to three feet above the floor.
- Have copies of important documents (personal identification like passports and birth certificates, medical records, insurance policies, and financial documents) in a waterproof container.
- Build a “Go Kit.” Include items such as food, water, cash, and medications.
- Make an emergency plan. If you can’t make it home or need to leave quickly, identify a meeting place for your family. Make a list of emergency numbers and important contacts.
- Keep water out of and away from your house. Clean gutters regularly, direct downspouts away from your foundation, repair cracks in your foundation, improve grading so water flows away from your house, and cover window wells.
When flooding occurs, keep the following steps in mind:
- Stay up to date on the forecast. Identify multiple ways to receive alerts about dangerous weather conditions and potential flooding, such as a NOAA Weather Radio, trusted local news outlets, and mobile weather apps. Enable Wireless Emergency Alerts on your smartphones.
- Never drive or walk through flooded areas. Just six inches of fast-moving water can sweep adults off their feet, while just 12 inches can carry away a small car or 24 inches for larger vehicles. Moving water is not the only danger, your vehicle could potentially stall when driving through floodwater.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
Flooding could potentially impact your health as well. Avoid entering floodwaters, which can contain bacteria from human and animal waste, sharp objects, hazardous chemicals, downed power lines, and other dangerous items. If your home floods, follow cleaning and disinfection guidelines to avoid mold growth.
Midwest
Breaking: Arkansas Announces Significant Partnership With Tyson Foods, Including New Uniform Patch Logos
As the college athletics landscape continues to change, schools are continuing to find new sources of income, which include sponsorship deals that are now shown on football jerseys.
After the NCAA passed a rule allowing schools to promote their new sponsors on the field and on athletic jerseys, there have been plenty of athletic departments looking for ways to raise additional revenue.
Now, schools are starting to sell major advertising deals to the most suitable, but also the biggest companies that will help increase that revenue flow.
EXCLUSIVE: White House Confirms College Sports Panel With President Trump, Including A-List Attendees
According to multiple sources, Arkansas has signed an exclusive deal with Tyson Foods, with Razorbacks donor John Tyson part of the monumental deal for the athletic department.
Breaking: Arkansas Announces Significant Partnership With Tyson Foods, Including New Patch Sponsorship
As part of the most comprehensive partnership in college sports history, Tyson Foods will be integrated across Razorbacks Athletics through a comprehensive set of brand assets, including:
- Official Protein of the Arkansas Razorbacks
- Logo placement on fields and courts across sports venues
- Media backdrops at press conferences and broadcast facilities
- Brand Ambassador programs engaging Arkansas student-athletes
“This historic sponsorship is transformative for Razorback Athletics. For decades, Tyson Foods has been more than a corporate partner—they are an integral part of the Arkansas story, Arkansas AD Hunter Yurachek said about the deal. “Having Tyson Foods incorporated across our varsity teams and venues sends a powerful message about the caliber of our programs and the type of talent we can bring to the University. We are grateful for our continued partnership and thrilled to showcase this collaboration to the nation every time our teams compete.”
Breaking: Arkansas Announces Significant Partnership With Tyson Foods, Including New Uniform Patch Logos [Photo by Noah Southard/University of Arkansas Athletics Department]
The terms of the agreement have yet to be announced, but the Tyson logo will appear on all 19 men’s and women’s varsity Razorback teams starting in the 2026-27 athletic season.
Now, we wait to see which other schools will look towards outside investors to help fund this new era of college athletics.
Read the full article from Here
Detroit, MI
Detroit Pistons’ loss to Cavs shows weaknesses before playoffs
What questions have Pistons answered this season?
Friend of the pod Laz Jackson walks through what the Detroit Pistons have proved of themselves this year.
CLEVELAND – In just five days, the Detroit Pistons faced the Cleveland Cavaliers twice.
They split the games to finish their season series against the Central Division rivals, but with a potential reunion looming in the second round of the NBA playoffs, the Pistons came away from both games unsatisfied.
On Friday, it was the Pistons needing overtime to overcome a Cavaliers team missing James Harden and Donovan Mitchell at Little Caesars Arena. On Tuesday, March 3, in Cleveland, however – with Harden back in the lineup – the Pistons struggled in the areas they usually thrive, for a 113-109 loss.
The Pistons’ first loss on the road since Jan. 29 didn’t feature their usual fire for much of the night.
“I’m frustrated with the effort level, the attention to detail that we played on that end of the floor,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “The times and opportunities where we did do the right thing, did get stops, we let people outwork us to come up with offensive rebounds. We can’t afford to not play at maximum effort. That’s been our superpower all year long and, tonight, I felt like there were times where we were outworked. If we’re outworked, this isn’t going to be the results that we want.”
The Pistons work at being the league’s most disruptive team via turnovers has given them a top-three defensive rating. They force turnovers on 17.2% of possessions – best in the NBA –and only trail the Houston Rockets in offensive rebounding percentage. They also lead the league in steals and blocks per game. Getting out in transition and capitalizing on second-chance opportunities has created an above-average offense despite struggles on 3-point shooting.
For three quarters against the Cavaliers, little of that materialized – as least until the Pistons grabbed seven steals in the final period (after just two in the first three). Overall, the Pistons were beat on the offensive glass (11-10), mustered just 10 fastbreak points (their lowest total since Jan. 27) and picked up 11 second-chance points (their least since Feb. 6).
It was, in all, a lackadaisical defensive performance, with the Pistons repeatedly losing shooters behind the arc as the Cavs knocked down 17 3-pointers – eight more than the Pistons.
“Obviously they’re a good team, but we haven’t been playing to our standard on that side of the ball,” Pistons wing Javonte Green said. “Coach talked about the effort we need to bring every game. We just need to play harder. We can’t get outworked on offensive rebounds and 50-50 balls, that’s our identity. I feel like we needed to pick up that slack.”
The Pistons also were hurt by a poor shooting performance by Cade Cunningham; he finished with 10 points and 14 assists but shot 4-for-16. Cleveland threw multiple defenders at him all night, and he obliged by passing the ball and setting up his teammates. It led to a big second half for Tobias Harris, who scored all 19 of his points in the last two quarters.
But it wasn’t enough.
“On the defensive end we just couldn’t put up a wall, couldn’t get a stand going,” Cunningham said. “Personally, I had a lot of bad closeouts; just off the ball, I didn’t feel sharp. Just gotta clean all that stuff up.”
With 22 games remaining, the Pistons are focused on cleaning up the margins so they’ll be ready for postseason play. These two games against the Cavaliers have given them a list of areas to clean up.
Friday, they needed an extra period to win after rallying from a late nine-point deficit despite losing Cunningham late after he fouled out with just under two minutes left in the fourth quarter. Jalen Duren and Daniss Jenkins stepped up in overtime after Duncan Robinson also fouled out.
Mostly, the Cavaliers have proven they can pounce during soft stretches on defense. Thursday brings another rematch with a contender, as the Pistons wrap up a three-game road trip against the San Antonio Spurs (another opponent from last week).
“We didn’t play our best basketball the other night,” Bickerstaff said of the Cavaliers’ game on Feb. 27. “Give our guys credit because we played 53 minutes and were able to pull it out in some adverse conditions. Cade fouls out, Duncan fouls out, our guys still figure out a way to get it done.
“We need to be better. We need to be better defensively, we need to impose ourselves on the game a little bit more than we did last game. I thought the last two quarters of the Orlando game [on Sunday] were the best quarters we’ve played defensively since New York [on Feb. 19]. I hope, and told our guys, that we can continue to build off that, because that’s where it always starts for us. You can tell the tone by how we are defensively and how we’re getting after it.”
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky and/or X @omarisankofa.
[ MUST WATCH: Make “The Pistons Pulse” your go-to Pistons podcast, listen available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) or watch live on YouTube. ]
Next up: Spurs
Matchup: Pistons (45-15) at San Antonio (44-17).
Tipoff: 8 p.m. Thursday, March 5; Frost Bank Center, San Antonio.
TV/radio: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit; WXYT-FM (97.1).
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