Gonzales found guilty
GREENFIELD — Amanda Gonzales was found guilty of killing Katrina Miller.
Whether she pulled the trigger, handed over the gun or simply helped plot Miller’s demise, the Indianapolis woman, pictured at left above, is guilty of murder and conspiracy to commit murder, a jury of 12 Hancock County residents decided Monday after a five-day trial.
Investigators said Gonzales planned Miller’s killing because she was jealous. Witnesses said Gonzales caught Miller alone in a hotel room with Gonzales’ boyfriend.
She returns to court Sept. 2 for sentencing and faces up to 130 years behind bars.
Hazmat team receives specialized truck
GREENFIELD — The county’s first hazardous materials team is one step closer to being prepared to respond to emergencies.
Recently, the Greenfield Board of Works and Public Safety approved buying a hazardous materials truck from Covance Laboratories, equipping the team with one of the last items it needs to become active after a years-long wait. On Tuesday, the fire department picked up the keys and drove the truck back to the station.
The creation of a hazmat team has been a priority for more than three years, and department officials have taken incremental steps toward making it a reality, including training firefighters in the treatment of hazardous waste. Officials now will be able to move forward with launching the team, Greenfield Fire Department Chief James Roberts said.
Store’s plans not so secret?
GREENFIELD — It appears Greenfield is in line to get a popular retailer.
City officials declined to comment on the coming development, citing confidentiality agreements, but a public document posted to the city’s website in preparation for Tuesday’s board of works meeting included T.J. Maxx in the file name, tipping off residents to the coming attraction.
Developer John Zubak of SR 9 Development LP, who is overseeing the project, filed preliminary paperwork with the city planning department to secure needed permits for the new development in Brandywine Plaza.
The plaza, between McClarnon and Green Meadows drives, houses Kroger, Bath & Body Works and Great Clips.
Teen faces charges after accident
GREENFIELD — A teenage driver who police say struck and killed one bicyclist and injured another Tuesday night while drunk behind the wheel faces a charge of reckless homicide as officials weigh whether he should be prosecuted as an adult.
On Thursday, the 17-year-old — whose name has not been released — appeared before Hancock Circuit Judge Richard Culver, who decided the boy should remain in a juvenile detention facility pending another hearing, said Wayne Addison, the county’s chief probation officer.
Juvenile proceedings are closed to the public.
Officials are trying to determine if the teen should be waived to adult court to face criminal charges, but Prosecutor Brent Eaton said his office has filed a number of juvenile counts against the teen in the meantime.
They include: reckless homicide; operating while intoxicated causing death; operating with a 0.08 percent or higher blood alcohol level causing death; operating while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury; and operating with a 0.08 percent or higher blood alcohol level causing injury.
