A Columbus man was arrested Friday evening after officers allegedly found a large amount of methamphetamine in his vehicle.

Columbus Police Department Spokesman Lt. Matt Harris says that at

approximately 6:10 p.m., Officer Maren Crabtree stopped a suspended driver in the 1800 block of Maple Street. Police say the vehicle was being driven by 58-year-old Jeffrey D. Johnson. During a search of Johnson’s vehicle, officers allegedly found over five grams of methamphetamine under the driver’s seat.

Johnson was arrested and booked in the Bartholomew County Jail on preliminary charges of Driving while Suspended with a Prior Conviction and Possession of Methamphetamine.

Two North Vernon residents were arrested on drug charges late Sunday night after a traffic stop.

North Vernon Police Department (NVPD) officials say that officers stopped a pickup truck driven by 19-year-old Devon Copeland in the area of South State Street at 11:32 p.m. Officers reportedly became suspicious and called for K-9 “Heros” to sniff around the outside of the vehicle. NVPD officials say that Heros was alerted to the odor of narcotics coming from the vehicle. Officers then conducted a search of the pickup truck, where they allegedly discovered marijuana.

Copeland and his passenger, 20-year-old Gage Campos, were arrested for Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Paraphernalia. Police say that Copeland was also cited for speeding. Both men were booked in the Jennings County Jail.

Columbus police arrested a New Albany man on domestic violence related charges early Sunday morning after an incident on Sycamore Drive.

Police were called to the home in the 1300 block of Sycamore Drive at about 2 a.m., said Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the police department. 41-year-old Kenneth Wilson said he was visiting from out of town when an argument broke out. The victim said that during the argument, Wilson grabbed her by the throat and shoved her and then allegedly put a gun to her head.

Police recovered a gun hidden under a couch cushion.

Wilson is facing preliminary charges of domestic battery,  strangulation and intimidation with a deadly weapon.

A broken light and an alleged attempt to swallow evidence led to the arrest of a man early Saturday morning in Bartholomew County.

Deputies report that they stopped a vehicle on Interstate 65 near the Edinburgh exit at about 1:45 a.m. Saturday for driving with only one headlight. As a deputy spoke to the driver she could smell marijuana.

Deputies say the driver, 25-year-old Gerald Rowe from Indianapolis, bent over to get his vehicle registration and a gun fell out of his jacket pocket. Rowe turned out to have a permit for a handgun, but a police dog allegedly smelled drugs in the vehicle.

Rowe told deputies that he had tried to swallow the marijuana but had to spit it out. He was arrested on preliminary charges of possession of marijuana and obstruction of justice.

An Indianapolis native and Franklin college grad was the winner of the 10th annual Crash the Super Bowl contest by Dooritios. The winning commercial was Dorito Dogs.

Our news-gathering partners at Network Indiana are reporting that Franklin College Grad Travis Braun says having his commercial run during the Super Bowl is huge.

Viewers were able to watch the three finalists from this year’s competition during the Super Bowl and vote for their favorite video online.

Braun, a 2010 Franklin graduate, produced a commercial for the contest that showed three dogs trying to get into a supermarket to get some Doritos. They use distractions and disguises to get to the chips.

Bartholomew County deputies say that a Columbus man was arrested on drunk driving charges after a crash at 1:37 a.m. Sunday on U.S. 31 at Bear Lane.

According to police reports, a southbound vehicle crossed the median into the northbound lanes before crashing into a ditch and striking a stop sign.

The driver, 54-year-old Mark D. Crawford was taken to CRH then to the Bartholomew County Jail.

An early-morning police chase on Interstate 65 Saturday reached speeds of up to 134 mph.

A Bartholomew County deputy, Sgt. Kris Weisner, saw a vehicle racing down Interstate 65 near State Road 252 at about 4:30 a.m. and then cut off a semi which had to swerve to avoid a crash, says Judy Jackson, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s department.

When Weisner tried to pull the car over, the driver allegedly hit the gas. Indiana State Police Trooper Korry Clark stopped the vehicle south of the Edinburgh exit.

Deputies allegedly found digital scales with traces of cocaine inside the vehicle.

21-year-old Demarcus M. Williams of Indianapolis is facing preliminary charges of reckless driving and possession of cocaine.

Columbus police have released photos of subjects of interest in a robbery last week of a pharmacy on the west side of Columbus.

Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the department, said Columbus police are looking for your help solving the Thursday morning robbery.

Harris says that a man went into the CVS Pharmacy on West State Road 46 and presented a note, saying he had a gun. The man then jumped over the pharmacy counter and took prescription medications.

Harris said the amount stolen is not being disclosed.

The suspect is described as a black man, 19 to 30 years old. He was last seen wearing a dark jacket/sweatshirt, dark pants, a dark stocking cap, and white tennis shoes.

If you have any information on this robbery, you should contact Columbus Police Detective, Brian Plummer, at 812-376-2524. Tips and information can be left anonymously.

The Columbus Human Rights Commission is accepting nominations from the public for the William R. Laws Human Rights Award.

Molly Connor, deputy director of the Human Rights Commission, says that the recipient will be a member, a group or a community organization that has “made a substantial contribution to the community of Columbus in any area(s) of human equality.” The most recent award was presented to Gil Palmer, Lorraine Smith, and Arlette Cooper Tinsley. Other Laws Award recipients include Tom Harmon, Owen Hungerford, Bob Pitman, Tracy Souza, the Heritage Fund’s Community Foundation of Bartholomew County, Tim Solso and Joe Loughrey, Sondra Bolte, Benjamin “Mickey” King, and J. Irwin Miller.

Connor says that nominees for the award should have made a significant contribution by doing one or more of the following: (1) improving relationships among all people; (2) increasing the sensitivity of one group toward another group; (3) educating people about the barriers or eliminating the barriers facing people of color, women, persons with disabilities, religious minorities, or others who have been treated unequally because of prejudice; or (4) using existing means or creating new safeguards to protect the rights of others.

The Laws Award recipient will receive the award at the Human Rights Commission’s 2016 Annual Dinner. The date and location of the dinner have not yet been announced.

Connor says that nominations for the Laws Award should be submitted to the Human Rights Commission Office in City Hall no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, Feb, 22. She adds that the Commission will accept nominations via mail, personal delivery, or e-mail. Connor says that nomination forms are available at the Human Rights Commission Office, as well as online at columbus.in.gov/human-rights/laws-award.

For more information, contact the Human Rights Commission at (812) 376–2532, or by e-mail at humanrights@columbus.in.gov.

Driving through Nashville may cause you some delays, beginning next month.

Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) Spokesman Harry Maginity says that INDOT officials met with contractor representatives and town officials on Friday morning. He says they discussed the implementation of a $695,596 asphalt pavement project for State Road 135, running through Nashville. Maginity adds that approximately 11,060 vehicles utilize that section of State Road 135, every day.

Maginity says that E & B Paving of Bloomington, the state’s prime contractor, plans to begin concrete work at curb ramps and sidewalks in early March. He adds that pavement repairs and resurfacing activities, between State Road 46 and Ridgeway Drive, should start after April 1.

INDOT says that the state’s contract calls for updating curb ramps to make them compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. In addition, sections of deteriorating sidewalks are scheduled be replaced before work on State Road 135’s mainline begins. Maginity notes that asphalt patching will precede milling and paving operations along the one-mile section of roadway.

INDOT says that while there will be single-lane restrictions as needed, no complete closures of the road are anticipated. Motorists will be directed around work sites by flaggers.

Maginity says that the contract completion date is June 30. However, he notes that the contractor hopes to finish mainline paving before the May 7th Spring Blossom Parade. Maginity also stresses that construction timelines are subject to the weather.