A Columbus man wanted on four warrants for alleged auto theft was arrested Saturday evening after being found outside of a car on 16th Street.

Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the Columbus police, says that after seeing 40-year-old Keith J. Gilbert in the 2800 block of 16th Street, an officer checked for warrants and found that Gilbert was wanted.

As Gilbert was being searched before going to the jail, officers allegedly found a broken glass pipe with a powdery residue in his coat pocket. In addition to the warrants, he is now facing an additional charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Thousands in our area left without power and traffic tied up for hours on Interstate 65 after high winds on Saturday whipped through the area.

Duke Energy reported last night that power was restored to about 90 percent of its customers across the state, with power expected to be restored for the rest by 6 p.m. tonight. About 10 customers were still without power in North Vernon as of this morning and a handful of scattered customers in Columbus.

A wind-related wreck near Edinburgh tied up traffic on the interstate for several hours after an empty refrigerated semi was blown off the road, overturned and was impaled on a guardrail.

Deputy Chief Matt Lynch with the German Township Volunteer Fire Department said the accident happened near the 76-mile-marker on Interstate 65. The driver was slightly injured and had climbed out of the cab of the truck by the time firefighters arrived. He was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

About 50 gallons of diesel fuel were also spilled during the incident, Lynch said.

Because of the large number of calls to local rescue workers, Shelbyville firefighters were called in to help at the scene.  German Township volunteers had to cut out the guardrail that had been embedded in the truck and wreckers from 31 Wrecker Towing company put the truck back on its wheels.

Lynch said that German Township volunteers were on the scene for about two hours and during that time, Bartholomew County dispatchers made 47 fire and EMS calls around the county, most related to the high winds.

A man who was allegedly involved with breaking out windows in the 4000 block of 25th Street in Columbus Saturday afternoon ended up facing a drug charge, according to police.

Officers were called to the disturbance around 2:20 p.m. and found 37-year-old Jeremy A. Kittle, who allegedly admitted he had been involved in the incident. A check found that Kittle was wanted on a parole violation warrant and he was arrested. While being searched prior to the trip to the jail, officers allegedly found that Kittle was carrying methamphetamine.

Kittle was arrested on the warrant and n a preliminary charge of methamphetamine  possession.

A 25-year-old Columbus woman was arrested early Saturday morning after allegedly scuffling with police at a downtown bar.

Officers were called to the bar in the 300 block of Washington Street about a person who had been injured in a fall. While trying to deal with that situation, Bobby J. Noblitt allegedly became disruptive and eventually grabbed an officer’s shirt and tried to pull away as she was being arrested, says Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the police department.

She was arrested on charges of public intoxication, disorderly conduct and resisting law enforcement.

Dozens of people gathered outside Columbus City Hall, held hands and prayed on Friday for the safety of our local police officers and sheriff’s deputies.

The event was organized by local police chaplains and the wives of officers. Rachel Jones, the wife of Columbus officer Jeremy Jones, said she helped organize the event to show community support in light of the death of a Howard County deputy.

“It is definitely a scary time to be in law enforcement or to be a law enforcement family member,” Jones said. “there is just so much hatred toward them. It is easy to focus on that. It is hard to focus on the positive. It is hard to focus on that they do the right thing. They stand up and protect us.”

Jones said she uses one Bible verse in particular to help her get through her husband’s shifts

“It just reminds me that the Lord is with him, the Lord is protecting him,” Jones said. “When he walks out the door there is nothing I can do. I can just sit home and worry or I can sit home and pray and just put him in God’s hands. And that verse is Psalm 34:7. It says ‘The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them.'”

You can watch video from the event and see photos on our Facebook page.

A driver on Interstate 65 was killed on Saturday when his vehicle crossed the median into oncoming traffic.

Judy Jackson with the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department says that 49-year-old William Floyd of Indianapolis was killed at about 5:43 p.m. Saturday evening when his southbound pickup crashed into a northbound vehicle near the Jonesville exit on Interstate 65. He had to be rescued from the wreckage by Wayne Township Volunteer firefighters.

The driver and a passenger in the second vehicle were slightly injured and taken to Columbus Regional Hospital for treatment, Jackson said.

Although there were strong winds in the area around the time of the accident, no cause has been established and the accident remains under investigation, Jackson said.

NEWS: If you hear loud explosions at night that are not thunder,it’s Camp Atterbury.

Camp officials say that members of the active Army will be conducting artillery and mortar live fire training through April 10th. They note that area residents may hear explosions during this time, which could extend into the night. Officials also say that you may notice an increase in air traffic over the facility. They stress that this additional air traffic will have no impact on the community.

Officials note that this training is necessary to maintain unit readiness for future missions and for soldiers to stay proficient in their skills and equipment they use.

An arrest has been made in the pair of explosions that took place last month in Madison.

Madison Police Chief Dan Thurston says that members of his department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Police and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms arrested 37-year-old David A. Theiring, Jr. in connection with the explosions on March 6th and March 16th. The Chief says that Theiring, a Madison resident, was arrested at approximately 3:10pm, Friday on two counts of Possession, Transporting, Receiving, Placing or Detonation of a Destructive Device, Level 2 Felonies. Theiring is being held at the Jefferson County Jail on $100,000 cash bond.

Thurston says that the investigation is ongoing. He noted that federal authorities have executed a federal search warrant on Theiring’s home.

Ivy Tech nursing and paramedic students are scheduled to participate in natural disaster response training.

Randy Proffitt, Ivy Tech’s executive director of Marketing and Recruitment, says that a simulated tornado scene at Camp Atterbury will enable the students to learn about complex medical emergencies that can result from a natural disaster. He adds that the exercise will allow them to to have a “hands-on, real world response.”

The Joint Disaster Management Simulation is scheduled for Tuesday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Camp Atterbury. Proffitt says that Ivy Tech Nursing and Paramedic Science students will respond to emergency medical situations, with other students portraying the parts of victims. He adds that the majority of the actual simulation will be from noon to 2 p.m.

“Natural disasters can create complex medical emergencies that require effective communication skills; quick, accurate assessments; and triage,” said Danielle Robinson, Ivy Tech Nursing Program Department Chair. “The Joint Disaster Management Simulation will give our students very realistic experiences in the decision making and medical practices necessary during such emergencies.”

Proffitt says that Ivy Tech will partner in the simulation with IUPUC nursing students, the third joint simulation for the two schools’ Nursing Programs. He adds that this will be the first large disaster simulation and the first time involving Paramedic Science students. Along with the students’ victim portrayals, school officials say that simulation mannequins will also be available for practicing emergency medical procedures.

Proffitt says that the simulation is partially funded by Indiana Campus Compact, a partnership of Indiana’s public, private, and community college higher education institutions focused on advocating, implementing, and improving service engagement.