WARSAW — Stryker, one of the biggest orthopedic firms in the country with offices in Warsaw and other Indiana cities, said Wednesday that a cyberattack disrupted its global networks.

“We have no indication of ransomware or malware and believe the incident is contained. Our teams are working rapidly to understand the impact of the attack on our systems,” Stryker said in a statement on its website.

The logo of Handala, a hacking group linked to Iran, appeared on company login pages, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Stryker’s statement said the cyberattack hit its Microsoft programs.

A story by First Post.com reports the attack disrupted the company’s digital infrastructure and allegedly wiped thousands of systems.

Emails from The AP seeking additional information were not immediately answered.

Stryker has offices in Warsaw, a distribution center in Mooresville, and a presence in Indianapolis and South Bend.

The United States and Israel began attacking Iran nearly two weeks ago and quickly killed much of the country's leadership, including its Supreme Leader.

The country has also stepped up attacks on cargo ships attempting to cross through the Strait of Hormuz.

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UNION CITY — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared a state of emergency for three Michigan counties after multiple tornadoes on Friday killed four people and injured dozens more.

Whitmer officially declared the emergency Sunday for Branch, Cass and St. Joseph counties.

“Our entire state is wrapping its arms around Three Rivers, Union City, Edwardsburg, and everywhere in between,” Whitmer said in a social media post on Sunday. “Our hearts are with the families who lost loved ones and the Michiganders who were injured.”

The declaration authorizes the use of “all available” state resources to assist local response and recovery efforts. It also allows communities to request financial assistance from the state.

Among the fatalities was a 12-year-old boy, Silas Anderson, whose parents reported him missing soon after the storm struck before finding him. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later died, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office said.

A lone supercell moved through Cass, St Joseph, and Branch counties around 3:15 p.m. Friday.

A preliminary assessment  by the National Weather Service determined three tornadoes:

• Edwardsburg (Cass County): EF-1 with max winds of 95 mph]
• Three Rivers (St. Joseph County): EF2 max with max Winds of 130 mph]
• Union City (Branch County): EF3  with max winds of 160 mph]

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COLUMBIA CITY — A crash in Whitley County on Monday night has left one person dead.

The three-vehicle crash happened around 6:45pm and involved a pedestrian on US 24 west of County Road 800E in Whitley County.

Indiana State Police investigators believe 32-year-old Vicente Ramos, of Adrian, Mich., walked into the roadway and was struck by three vehicles traveling on the highway.

The vehicles involved were a GMC Terrain driven by Rocky Burns of North Manchester, a Ford Mustang driven by Preston Watkins of North Webster and a Ram pickup driven by Maria Shepherd of Lagro.

Ramos succumbed to his injuries at the scene. No other injuries were reported. The crash is still under investigation as we continue to collect evidence and find information.

The Indiana State Police was assisted by Whitley County Sherrif’s Department, Jefferson Township Fire, Washington Township Fire, and Parkview EMS.

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DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — Multiple people who had been allegedly plotting a violent attack over the Halloween weekend were arrested Friday in Michigan, FBI Director Kash Patel said in a social media post.

The law enforcement effort was focused on suburban Detroit. Patel said more information would be released later.

Investigators believe the plot was inspired by Islamic State extremism and are investigating whether those in custody were potentially radicalized online, according to two people briefed on the investigation who could not publicly discuss details. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

FBI and state police vehicles were in a neighborhood near Fordson High School in Dearborn. People wearing shirts marked FBI walked in and out of a house, including one person who collected paper bags and other items from an evidence truck.

Police in Inkster, another suburb, said FBI personnel were at a storage facility there.

“There is no current threat to public safety,” said Jordan Hall, an FBI spokesperson in Detroit, who declined further comment.

The investigation involved discussion in an online chatroom involving at least some of the suspects who were taken into custody, people familiar with the investigation told AP. The group had discussed carrying out an attack around Halloween, referring to “pumpkin day,” according to one of the people. The other person briefed on the investigation confirmed that there had been a “pumpkin” reference.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the group had the means to carry out an attack, but the reference to Halloween prompted the FBI to make arrests Friday, one of the people said.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said on X that she was briefed by Patel. She said she was grateful for “swift action” but offered no details.

Residents in the Dearborn neighborhood watched as investigators worked at the house.

“It’s really scary because we have a lot of relatives around this neighborhood,” said Fatima Saleh, who was next door.

Separately, in May, the FBI said it arrested a man who had spent months planning an attack against a U.S. Army site in suburban Detroit on behalf of the Islamic State group. The man, Ammar Said, didn’t know that his supposed allies in the alleged plot were undercover FBI employees.

Said remains in custody, charged with attempting to provide support to a terrorist organization. The criminal complaint was replaced in September with a criminal “information” document, signaling that a plea agreement could be possible in the months ahead.

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HOWE, IND. — Michigan State Police, at the request of the Indiana State Police, arrested a 62-year-old man on criminal deviate conduct, burglary and criminal confinement charges out of LaGrange County stemming from a case in 1986.

This follows a 39-year investigation that was able to use science and technological advancements to help in the investigation.

In October 1986 LaGrange County Sheriff’s Department, Steuben County Sheriff’s Department along with Indiana State Police detectives began investigating a sexual assault that took place near Howe, in LaGrange County.

The offense started in the early morning hours of October 23, 1986, after the suspect abducted an adult female who had stopped and exited her vehicle to remove an object from the road. During their investigation, it was determined that the victim had been held against her will near Howe, was sexually assaulted and then taken to a location near Orland in Steuben County and sexually assaulted again.

At the time an Indiana State Police Crime Scene Technician was called to collect evidence and document the scenes. All leads that were available at that time were exhausted and the case was left unsolved.

In 2015 an Indiana State Police detective learned of the case and took interest. Knowing how technology has changed since 1986, he went to the Indiana State Police Fort Wayne Regional Lab and asked if there was any evidence left in this case, specifically any DNA evidence. After the lab identified there was DNA evidence, the results were run through an Indiana DNA database with no matching results.

In 2023 the DNA results were found to be a candidate for genetic genealogy and resulted in identifying a family line tied to the DNA evidence.

Through good police work and investigation, the Indiana State Police District 22 Detectives and the Indiana State Police Cold Case Team were able to narrow this family line down to one person.

On February 10, 2025, 62-year-old Ricky Devonne McLatcher of Quincy, Mich., was arrested for Criminal Deviate Conduct, Burglary and Criminal Confinement on the warrant out of LaGrange County.

The Indiana State Police were assisted by the Michigan State Police in this arrest. Ricky McLatcher is being held at the Branch County Michigan Jail awaiting extradition to Indiana.

This case was a combined effort with Lagrange County Sheriff’s Department, Lagrange County Prosecutor's Office, the Steuben County Sheriff’s Department, the Michigan State Police, the Indiana State Police District 22 Detectives and Cold Case Team, and the Indiana State Police Regional Laboratory.

This case could not have been solved without the ISP Ft. Wayne Lab’s assistance. The non-profit, Seasons of Justice, provided the funds to have the DNA tested through Parabon, a private lab that specializes in DNA and genetic genealogy.

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A Republican-backed group pushing Indiana’s lawmakers to “adopt safe and regulated” marijuana policies launched on Wednesday.

“By embracing a smart and evidence-based approach that prioritizes public health, safety, and economic opportunity, we can give Hoosiers the access that they deserve and demand,” spokesman Joe Elsener said in an inaugural news release. He was previously executive director of the Indiana Republican Party and chair of Marion County’s GOP.

The organization, dubbed Safe and Regulated Indiana, already has a multimedia advertisement live. In its materials, the group avoided any variation of the word “legalization,” instead focusing on “regulation.”

“It’s time, Indiana — time to tax and regulate marijuana for adults 21 and up, just like alcohol,” the voice-over says.

The spot asserts that this would bring new tax revenue, put “drug dealers out of business,” and free up law enforcement to focus on bigger problems like violent crimes.

“Tell your legislator it’s time for safe and regulated marijuana,” the video concludes.

A message seeking more information on coalition members and funding was not immediately returned.

Two members of the group — an Indianapolis lawmaker and a former state firefighter union leader — echoed those arguments in the new release.

“I have spent my entire career in public safety, and I know the current policy is not working. It is time to come together and fix it,” said Tom Hanify, a veteran and retired past president of the Professional Firefighters Union of Indiana. “By thoughtfully and responsibly creating a safe and regulated marketplace, Indiana can take money out of the pockets of criminals and invest in Hoosiers.” 

Indianapolis City-County Councilor Michael-Paul Hart said that, “By adopting best practices and regulating marijuana similar to tobacco and alcohol, Indiana can better prevent access to minors, shut down illegal drug dealers, create thousands of new job opportunities, and bring hundreds of millions of dollars of new revenue to our state.”

All of Indiana’s neighbors — Illinois, Michigan, Ohio — have legalized recreational marijuana for adults. Kentucky legalized medical cannabis. But Hoosier lawmakers and leaders — like outgoing Gov. Eric Holcomb — have resisted pushes for legalization.

Gov.-elect Mike Braun said he was open to legalizing the drug for medical purposes in an October debate. He cautioned, though, that he would weigh law enforcement concerns heavily.

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AMARILLO, TEXAS — The largest producer of fresh eggs in the U.S. said Tuesday it had temporarily halted production at a Texas plant after bird flu was found in chickens, and officials said the virus had also been detected at a poultry facility in Michigan.

Ridgeland, Mississippi-based Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. said in a statement that approximately 1.6 million laying hens and 337,000 pullets, about 3.6% of its total flock, were destroyed after the infection, avian influenza, was found at a facility in Parmer County, Texas.

The plant is on the Texas-New Mexico border in the Texas Panhandle about 85 miles  southwest of Amarillo and about 370 miles northwest of Dallas. Cal-Maine said it sells most of its eggs in the Southwestern, Southeastern, Midwestern and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.

“The Company continues to work closely with federal, state and local government officials and focused industry groups to mitigate the risk of future outbreaks and effectively manage the response,” the statement said.

The company said there is no known bird flu risk associated with eggs that are currently in the market and no eggs have been recalled.

Eggs that are properly handled and cooked are safe to eat, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The announcement by Cal-Maine comes a day after state health officials said a person had been diagnosed with bird flu after being in contact with cows presumed to be infected, and that the risk to the public remains low. The human case in Texas marks the first known instance globally of a person catching this version of bird flu from a mammal, federal health officials said.

In Michigan, Michigan State University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory has detected bird flu in a commercial poultry facility in Ionia County, according to the Michigan’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The county is about 100 miles northwest of Detroit.

The department said it received confirmation of the disease Monday from the lab and that it is the fourth time since 2022 that the disease was detected at a commercial facility in Michigan.

Department spokesperson Jennifer Holton said Tuesday that state law prohibits the department from disclosing the type of poultry at the facility. The facility has been placed under quarantine and the department does not anticipate any disruptions to supply chains across the state, Holton said.

Dairy cows in Texas and Kansas were reported to be infected with bird flu last week — and federal agriculture officials later confirmed infections in a Michigan dairy herd that had recently received cows from Texas. A dairy herd in Idaho has been added to the list after federal agriculture officials confirmed the detection of bird flu in them, according to a Tuesday press release from the USDA.

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CASS COUNTY, Mich. — A Warsaw man is in custody after police say he led them on a chase across state lines in a stolen police car on Friday afternoon.

According to police, it all started when a handcuffed shoplifting suspect at the Menards near Main Street in Mishawaka began fighting with a Mishawaka police officer and an off-duty St. Joseph County police officer who happened to be at the store.

During the struggle, police say the suspect, identified as 42-year-old Michael Lee Eppenbaugh, was somehow able to take control of a Mishawaka police car on scene and drive off. Officers located the stolen vehicle a short time later as it sped away north on Ironwood Road before crossing into Michigan.

Police say the stolen police car eventually crashed with another vehicle just east of Niles on M-60 near Yankee Street in Cass County. That’s where Eppenbaugh was taken into custody.

According to police, Eppenbaugh was taken to the hospital after the crash, but is now at the Cass County Jail. The driver of the other vehicle involved, a Vicksburg woman, was not injured.

Police say Eppenbaugh was also wanted on multiple warrants in Kosciusko County.

The incident remains under investigation. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says alcohol is believed to have played a role in the crash.

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INDIANAPOLIS — A man from Indiana has been accused of making threats against a Michigan election worker.

Court documents claim Andrew Nickels, 37, of Carmel, called a clerk in Michigan on November 10th, 2020, and made threatening statements on voicemail.

The following is just part of the threats Nickels is accused of making:

"We’re watching your … mouth talk about how you think that there’s no irregularities … [Y]ou frauded out America of a real election … Guess what, you’re gonna pay for it, you will pay for it … [T]en million plus patriots will surround you when you least expect it, and your little infantile Deep State security agency has no time to protect you because they’ll be bought out and we’ll [expletive] kill you … [Y]ou will [expletive] pay for your [expletive] lying ass remarks … We will [expletive] take you out. [Expletive] your family, [expletive] your life, and you deserve a [expletive] throat to the knife … Watch your [expletive] back … watch your [expletive] back."

Andrew Nickels is charged with one count of making a threatening interstate communication.

If he's convicted, he faces up to five years in prison.

The FBI Detroit Field Office is investigating the case, which is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force.

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