Benton County Indiana Sheriff's Department

10/13/2026

The Benton County Commissioner have declared a burn ban in Benton County. See attached.
Sheriff Cox

10/07/2026

I know it’s busy for our community this time of the year but don’t miss this opportunity if possible! See you at the Boswell Town Hall tonight!

10/05/2026

Farmers - a talking points document from the motor carrier division of the Indiana State Police.

Talking Points Concerning EO 26-34, Special Dyed Fuel

• On September 30, 2026, Indiana Governor Mike Braun issued an executive order titled “Suspending the Special Fuel Restrictions for Farmers and Timber Harvesters”.

• Special dyed fuel is standard diesel fuel with a red dye added for identification purposes. Dyed fuel can be used in any diesel-powered vehicle but, under normal circumstances, it’s intended and authorized use is in vehicles operated in an off-road capacity such as any farm-related equipment or off-road construction equipment and must be removed if the vehicle is to be used on a public highway. Because its authorized use is off road only, it is not taxed, like standard fuel is, to raise funds for roadway maintenance and repair.

• Indiana Governor Mike Braun’s Executive Order 26-34, will continue through the duration of the energy emergency, set to end on January 20, 2027.

• ISP dyed fuel enforcement shall comply with all aspects of the Governor’s executive order. Key points are as follows:

“Indiana farmers and timber harvesters maintain on-farm and on-site storage of dyed diesel fuel for nontaxable off-road use, and allowing that fuel to be used in highway vehicles engaged in agricultural and timber harvesting operations.”

“Ind. Code 6-6-2.-62© establishing special fuel restrictions is suspended for Indiana’s farmers and timber harvesters taking place during the duration of the energy emergency.”

“Nothing contained in this declaration shall be construed as an exemption for any portion of the motor carrier safety regulations other than those regulating hours of service or any portion of the special use fuel restrictions other than the use of dyed fuel for transporting and hauling agricultural products.”

• ISP cannot speak for other states as to whether they will honor Indiana’s EO on dyed fuel. If you live and operate in a state border area, we recommend you contact that state’s State law enforcement agency for guidance.

• ISP is awaiting further direction on enforcement after the EO ends but we expect there will be a reasonable grace period.

• Vehicles typically authorized to use special dyed fuel:
• Heavy equipment, for off-road use
• Off-road farm vehicles
• Fertilizer spreading machines
• Special machinery vehicles, well drillers etc.
• Permitted vehicles, under special licensing by IDOR
o Available for school buses and intracity transportation

10/05/2026

To my Benton County Community.
Our farmers are hard a work moving up and down our county roads to get their crops out. Please be patient with them as they find ways to get where they are going while still allowing motor vehicle drivers room to move as well. This afternoon I witnessed a pickup truck come up tight behind a large auger wagon where the tractor driver could not see him and the pickup truck driver could not see the tractor driver in the mirrors of the tractor. A brief second later the pickup shot out from around the wagon and into my lane before gunning it to get around. This led to a me having a brief but thorough educational conversation with the driver of the pickup truck on the variety of consequences his actions could have caused.....including having to explain to his friends why he almost hit the sheriff head on.

Now I know all of the impatient drivers are not from out community here in Benton. Most of you know what happens around here in the spring and fall. Its like having to get used to ice and snow every year. We always know its going to happen, we just have to get through the initial relearning curve. So please - give our farmers a break and lets get through this harvest season injury free.

To my farmer friends and neighbors - you and your family members and employees are just getting started. Its going to be a grind for the next few weeks and you will all we exhausted. That said, please remind you semi drivers to drive the speed limit on our county roads. Unincorporated county roads that do not have a signed speed zone are 55 mph. Please be patient with the motoring public as they try to figure out how to share the roads with you. I know you just cannot dive off into a ditch or get over any further at that moment due to a culvert or drain pipe but the motoring public cannot see what you see from your cab.

One last thing for you - some feedback from the Indiana State Police Major who runs the motor carrier division reference the Governor's order and the use of red diesel in farm trucks and grain hauling semis until November. These are two questions I could not answer locally.

1. Q. Farmers that have ground in Indiana and Illinois. If they’re using red diesel as permitted by the governor, and they travel into the state of Illinois, will Illinois LE be testing Indiana plated trucks and ticketing them when they find them using what is allowable in Indiana under the governor’s current order?

A. We do not know if Illinois will honor Indiana’s EO or not. In our talking points (sent to you in a prior email) we recommend the dyed fuel user contact the Illinois State Police directly for their answer.

2. Q. Many of the grain hauling semi‘s and farm trucks that pull corn and bean heads are really only used heavily around harvest. That means it’s going to take a lot longer to burn the red dye diesel out of those fuel tanks than it would those farmers that use their grain hauling trucks year-round to move grain from the farm to the market. Is there an expectation that these farmers completely dump their fuel tanks in November when they’re required to go back to Green diesel or will ISP allow them to burn through what’s in the tank as long as there putting green diesel back in their tanks when the governors order is over?

A. We do not have definitive answer on this. We are awaiting direction from the Governor’s office, but we do expect a reasonable grace period to burn off the dyed fuel. Dyed fuel can stain fuel tanks and fuel filters so for some time after the expiration, we recommend regular fuel receipts be kept in the vehicles to provide proof of standard fuel purchases.

Hope this helps.
Sheriff Cox
Benton County SO

10/02/2026

To our Benton County Farm Families - Here is the latest information from our partners at the Indiana State Police. Please see the link to the news article. I checked in with our Lafayette Post and this is the latest information they have. I have been asked by our farmers who farm in Illinois and there is no information as to whether IL will honor the Governors' order if your driving a IN plated farm truck. I would error on the side of caution until we get a definitive answer.

Sheriff Cox
Benton County Sheriffs Office

Good afternoon!

Indiana Governor Mike Braun is suspending the special fuel restrictions for dyed diesel. This will allow farmers to use dyed diesel for any farm-related activities. Governor Braun is also extending the statewide energy emergency and gas tax suspension through November 4.

https://fox59.com/indianapolitics/braun-extends-indianas-gas-tax-holiday-for-seventh-month-in-a-row/

I have received a few inquiries regarding the dyed fuel holiday. This has been confirmed through Supt. Scott.

INDIANAPOLIS — For the seventh month in a row, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun has issued a gas tax holiday. After an announcement on Wednesday, the holiday suspends both the state’s gas excise…

10/01/2026

Sharing information on our ISA 2026 drive for associate members. Please take a moment to read it, if nothing else that to learn more about how I work with our Indiana Sheriffs Association to support our community.
Sheriff Cox

10/01/2026

New Spam Alert -
Our Recorder Benton County, Indiana, Glenda Wallpe, shared a new Spam effort going around. Several Counties have been affected. County employees and residents are getting emails from what appears to be their local Recorders Office, that has a document attached. It appears it has to do with making a payment. Do not open it. If you do, you will see that it asks you for a password. DO NOT put a password in the line.

If you have questions, please reach out to Glenda in the Benton County Recorders Office for more information. If you are a county employee, reach out to your IT team member and report it.

Sheriff Cox

09/25/2026

Hope Springs offered DV training for area LE agencies this week. Several Benton County LE agencies were able to take advantage of it including Boswell PD, Oxford PD and the Benton County Sheriff’s Office. Thanks to Hope Springs for inviting us and being a valuable resource! Also thanks to Budreau Steak and Tap House in Attica for providing the space for the training and lunch.

Today Hope Springs partnered with Dottie Davis to train our local law enforcement on how to effectively respond to domestic violence. Agencies from Benton, Fountain and Warren county attended. Dottie comes with over 30 years of experience in Law Enforcement and working with domestic violence survivors. Today she was able to share that experience with our officers.

We also want to thank Budreau’s Steak and Tap house for hosting our training today! Nate even handed out gift cards to all the officers for attending! We are so grateful for his partnership!

09/23/2026

Just a reminder that 600 E. south of the railroad tracks in Templeton is closed today from 7 AM to 5 PM while crews resurface a bridge on 600 E between Templeton and State Road 26. Find alternate routes.