A Canadian truck driver was flown to an Indianapolis hospital after a crash yesterday afternoon on Interstate 65 that tied up traffic for several hours in southern Bartholomew County.

The Indiana State Police are reporting that traffic was already slowed by an earlier crash at about 1:30 p.m. yesterday in the northbound lanes near the Walesboro exit when a semi driven by 37-year-old Timothy Lill of Alberta Canada collided with another semi and then crashed into a guardrail. Lill was trapped inside his truck and had to be rescued before being flown by Lifeline helicopter to Indianapolis.

His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening according to Trooper Stephen Wheeles, spokesman for the Versailles state police post.

The northbound lanes were shut down for about two hours and traffic was slowed down for about an hour more, Wheeles said.

Franklin Police are investigating the theft of a statue from a local college.

A police department spokesman says that at about 9 a.m. on Friday, the Franklin College Security Department reported that sometime over the previous night, suspects stole a grizzly cub statue from the college campus just east of the Dietz Center. The bronze statue measures two-feet by two-feet.

Authorities are asking for anyone with information on the statue’s whereabouts to contact the Franklin Police Department at (317) 736-3670, or the tip line at (317) 346-1100. Tips can be left anonymously.

Republican Ryan Lauer, a former member of Bartholomew County Council, has filed to run for the Indiana Assembly District 59 seat now held by Rep. Milo Smith.

Lauer first made a run for the seat two years ago, losing to Smith in the primary.

Lauer holds a degree in biochemistry from Indiana University. He has worked at Cummins for more than 10 years and is now a senior engineer in the Test Technology Engineering area. He has served as a member of the Sheriff’s Department Merit Board, Community Corrections Advisory Committee, and Computer & Data Board and led efforts including UnCommon Cause and the “Save Eos” campaign.

Ryan lives in Columbus with his wife, Blair, and two daughters, Awyn and Lillian.  He is a member of Grace Lutheran Church on Central Avenue and Chairman of the Grace Lutheran Church Congregation.

Smith also filed to run for re-election last week and Lew Wilson, Bartholomew County’s assessor, is also seeking the Republican nomination for the seat in the, now, three-way race.

The deadline to file for office is Friday at noon.

Columbus based Premier Ag Co-op is merging with the Jackson-Jennings Farm Bureau Cooperative Association, Inc. to form a co-op that will serve 14 counties in southeastern Indiana.

The cooperatives reached agreement last fall to the merger and made the announcement Friday. The merger creates a $250 million company with about 200 employees.

The companies assist area agriculture and consumers with agronomic inputs, energy, grain marketing and other products and services.

Jackson-Jennings was founded in 1929 and Premier was founded in 1923.

For more information, click here.

Columbus police have arrested a man in connection with thefts from storage units.

Officers were called to a storage facility on 15th Street at about 11:30 Friday night, said Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the police department. Police fired a Taser at a suspect, who then ran away.

47-year-old Johnny L. Gibson of Scottsburg was found by police a short time later and arrested. He is facing preliminary charges of burglary, attempted theft and resisting law enforcement.

Two people were wounded and another arrested after a shooting in downtown Columbus over the weekend.

The shootings happened near 12th and Pearl streets at about 4 p.m. Saturday, says Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the Columbus Police Department. 28-year-old Kyle K. Husbands of Columbus is accused of opening fire after an argument. 24-year-old Tyler L. Lucas, of Columbus, and 19-year-old Cody J. Spencer, of Franklin, were injured. They were both taken to IU Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis and are both expected to recover from their injuries, Harris said.

Husbands was arrested a short time later in the 2400 block of Charleston Place with the assistance of the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department and the Indiana State police

Husbands is facing preliminary charges of aggravated battery and battery with a firearm causing serious bodily injury with a previous conviction. Both are Level 3 felonies.