Bristol

BRISTOL — Both Washington Township and Bristol leaders are working with their lawyers to decide if the two will create a joint fire territory. One of the two has to be the responsible entity that sets the budget and levies taxes, also known as the “provider unit.” Bristol Fire Department covers 45 square miles of territory in Bristol, Washington Township and portions of York Township. Bristol town officials want the town to serve as the provider unit. "That is their major hang-up with the entire thing," said Fay Kemp, Bristol's fire chief.

ELKHART - Elkhart County police are investigating a car crash near the Elkhart Municipal Airport late Sunday morning. Around 10:30 a.m., a man was heading north on County Road 5, north of Bristol Street, when his car went left of the centerline and off the road. Police say the car took out a couple of mailboxes, hit the rear of two pickup trucks before slamming into a tree.  The driver was not hurt, but police say a 74-year-old woman in the car was shaken up, suffered some chest pains and was taken to the hospital.  There's no word what led to the crash.

ELKHART COUNTY - An arrest has been made in the murder of an Elkhart County tattoo artist. On September 10, 2012, 44-year-old Mark Miller of Elkhart was reported missing by his sister, Dawn. County police launched an investigation and ten days later found Miller's lifeless body in a 55-gallon barrel in the St. Joseph River near Six Span Bridge along County Road 17. An autopsy showed Miller died of a gunshot wound. During their initial investigation, police learned that Miller owned and operated a tattoo business on the southeast side of Elkhart and was last seen around 11 p.m. on September 7. Police say Miller's business partner, 35-year-old Todd Stewart of Bristol, originally told detectives he had been working with Miller on the night of September 7 but left the shop between 11 p.m. and midnight when Miller was on his cellphone.

BRISTOL - Dallard Tackett, a former Indiana State Police trooper accused of stealing more than $90,000 from the state, has pleaded guilty. Last year Tackett was charged with stealing the money. He resigned from his job after learning that there were suspicions of how he handled state police funds.   Investigators say over a three year period Tackett used his position as a lieutenant and former Indiana Toll Road district commander in Bristol to transfer state funds into a personal account.

ELKHART COUNTY - Fire crews from Bristol and Osolo Township were called to the scene of late afternoon blaze Tuesday. Around 5 p.m., fire was reported at Al-Ko Kober in the 21600 block of Protecta Drive, off County Road 17 near U.S. 20. A Bristol fire official tells WSBT a machine used to separate used oil, burning water off the oil, caught fire and created lots of smoke around the area. A WSBT videographer said he smelled the smoke as he approached the Six-Span Bridge.

BRISTOL - An Elkhart woman was flown to South Bend's Memorial Hospital after her motorcycle hit a deer. Elkhart County police say 48-year-old Kathy McNeal was heading west on County Road 8 near Bristol Tuesday morning when a deer stepped into the road. It happened around 7 a.m. Tuesday as McNeal approached the intersection of C.R. 131. Police say McNeal was thrown from her bike and suffered head and arm injuries. She was taken by ambulance to a landing zone at Raber's Golf Course where Memorial Hospital's MedFlight helicopter flew her to South Bend.

GLADE SPRING, Va. (AP) - An 8-year-old foster child has been charged with setting a fire that left a Washington County family of 10 homeless. Sheriff Fred Newman said the boy will be tried in juvenile and domestic relations court on an arson charge. Newman says the Dec. 27 fire began in a living room closet. Dan and Lana Colson lived in the home with seven adopted teenagers, the foster child and an adult friend. Lana Coalson tells the Bristol Herald Courier (http://bit.ly/xRc1ej)

We first told you on Tuesday that after 39 years in Wakarusa, Utilimaster is moving its plant and 800 workers 20 minutes away to Bristol. But new Thursday, there is more information on a ray of hope for the small town. Watch the video attached above for the full report from WSBT's Ed Ernstes.

ELKHART - Police say they have arrested a suspect in a robbery at a CVS store in Elkhart early Thursday morning. Elkhart police received a robbery call around 6:23 a.m. from a CVS store located in the 900 block of East Bristol Street. Police have arrested Ronald Callahan, 43, of Elkhart for the robbery and possession of a controlled substance. Stay with WSBT.com for updates as they become available.

BRISTOL - Firefighters were back at the scene Friday looking for the cause of a fire that heavily damaged a Bristol home Thursday night. According to Bristol Fire Chief Fay Kemp, about 50 firefighters from five departments battled the fire in the 53000 block of Pheasant Ridge Drive, in the subdivision of the same name. Kemp says the homeowner heard a crackling sound in the garage and found it on fire. The three-stall garage and one car inside sustained heavy damage and left the rest of the home with smoke and water damage.