A Columbus Police Officer was recognized for saving the life a choking infant. Columbus Police Department (CPD) Spokesman Lt. Matt Harris says that Officer Alyson Rech was recognized during Tuesday morning’s Board of Public Works and Safety meeting at City Hall.

Harris says that on March 24, Officer Rech, a three year veteran, responded to a report of a three-week-old child who was choking. When

Rech arrived at the residence, the infant was unresponsive and not breathing. Harris says that Rech immediately began Infant CPR and was able to get the child breathing with no additional help. Speaking to Officer Rech, Columbus Chief of Police Jonathan Rohde said, “You remained focused throughout your response, which in turn, brought calm to a chaotic scene.” He continued, “You utilized the training that you received and your actions ultimately saved the infant’s life. Your supervisor referred to your actions as heroic and I’m sure there is a family in Columbus today that agrees.” During the ceremony, Rech received a Letter of Commendation from Chief Rohde for her life-saving efforts.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department arrested two area men Monday night after an observant deputy saw suspicious activity.

A department spokesperson says that at approximately 11:45 p.m., Deputy Rick Meyer was watching a residence in the 5800 block of North Base Road. The Sheriff’s Department says that the property had bit hit by several incidents of theft over the past couple of weeks. Deputy Meyer reported seeing a vehicle stop along the road, near the property. He then allegedly witnessed a man get out and walk towards a set of private gas tanks on the property. A short time later, Meyer reported that the man came back to the vehicle, then drove away.

Deputy Meyer caught up to the vehicle and pulled it over at the intersection of Base Road and State Road 258. Inside the vehicle were 33-year-old Kyle England, of Freetown, and 38-year-old Darrell Crow, of Columbus. Meyer also reported seeing a gas can in the back seat of the vehicle. Authorities then went to the property and spoke with the owner, who allegedly confirmed that the gas tanks were tampered with.

Sheriff’s Department officials say that England and Crow were arrested and booked in the Jackson County Jail on preliminary charges of Theft and Possession of Paraphernalia.

Hope volunteer firefighters are moving ahead with plans to finish a new fire station on the east side of the town.

Disputes over funding and the finances of the new station tied up the town last year but the town council agreed to a new building permit last night.

Ed Johnson, formerly with the Hartsville Fire Department and a building inspector, said he would be overseeing the final construction. He said the work would all be done up to code and would be inspected before the new station opens.

Bartholomew County will be setting up a panel to look into whether or not the county could move to a full-time public defender’s office, or find another solution for the overloaded public defender system.

Magistrate Joe Meek brought the proposal to the county commissioners yesterday on behalf of the county’s three judges, saying the formation of the 3-member board is required by the state for the county to start the process.

Meek said the county is constitutionally mandated to pay to represent defendants who can’t pay for their own attorneys. Between the three courts, nearly 2,000 defendants required public defenders last year and the numbers for this year are already trending higher.

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Now each Bartholomew County court contracts for public defenders with lawyers in the county. That means each attorney also pays for their own office staff and supplies to support the public defender’s mission.

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Meek said that the board had three separate options for recommendations.

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If the board recommended a full-time public defender’s office be created, and the county approved the plan, the state would pick up 60 percent of the cost, Meek said.

Commissioners gave their first approval to an ordinance establishing the board.

The city of Columbus is closer to seeing a Bikeshare program implemented. April Williams, with the Columbus Parks Foundation, gave an update Monday night to the city’s Redevelopment Commission.

Williams says that the service provider for Columbus will be “B-Cycle.” She explained that this is the same provider that runs the Indianapolis Bikeshare program. Williams talked about the goals of the Bikeshare program. She says that the program is meant to be environmentally friendly, create alternate transportation serving all, help provide healthy options, grow the city’s infrastructure and increase tourism, all while being economical. On the economical front, Williams says that you will be able to take part in the program for eight-dollars per day, or 80-dollars per year.

Williams told the Redevelopment Commission that the bikes are scheduled to be delivered May 9th and the program is scheduled to launch on May 21st. She asked the commission to approve the site-preparation for the various bike stations that will be installed throughout Columbus. The Redevelopment Commission will have to hold a special session to approve the request. Members were unable to take action on Monday night, as the request was not listed as an “action item” on the agenda. That special meeting is expected to tale place in advance of May 9th, but it has not yet been scheduled.

The city of Columbus will take preliminary steps to inquire about the possibility of purchasing 1.71 acres of land at Water Street and Lafayette Avenue.

The city’s Redevelopment Director, Heather Pope, asked members of the Columbus Redevelopment Commission their thoughts during the commission’s meeting Monday night at City Hall. She explained that the property, which had two homes on it prior to the 2004 flood, is currently sitting vacant. The homes were torn down after being decimated by the historic flood that June. Pope said that a realtor working for the property’s current owner approached city officials to gauge interest.

The property is currently zoned “Downtown: Commercial” and is surrounded by other city-owned property. Pope noted that the property doesn’t have a conventional shape, measuring just over 100 feet deep. She added that she thought the Redevelopment Commission may want to consider purchasing the property, as the city continues to work towards establishing a thriving Riverfront District. Pope explained that if the city were to purchase the property, it would first need to get two appraisals on the property. City officials could then offer the average of the appraisals if they decided to pursue the purchase. When asked what the appraisals would cost the city, Pope estimated a total of $3,000 for both appraisals.

Some members of the commission expressed hesitation about paying that much. However, they did instruct Pope to make inquiries in to getting estimates on actual appraisal costs. Depending on those figures, the Redevelopment Commission will make a determination on whether or not to pursue the property.

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) plans to close State Road 45 on Monday (April 25), just west of Helmsburg in Brown County, for a $1.3 million bridge replacement project at Lick Creek. INDOT Spokesman Harry Maginity says that State Road 45 will close between Lick Creek Road and the project’s end-point, about 0.3 miles west of Lick Creek Road in Jackson Township.

Maginity says that a state highway detour will route motorists around the bridge site via State Road 46 and State Road 135. He says that HIS Constructors, INDOT’s contractor, will demolish the existing State Road 45 bridge at Lick Creek and replace it with a three-span, 100-foot-long, continuous reinforced concrete slab structure measuring 30 feet, side-to-side. Maginity says that the work to replace Lick Creek’s bridge should finish in September.

INDOT says this project will affect a number of drivers. Maginity says that State Road 45’s traffic count is 1,860 vehicles per day, while Lick Creek Road has a traffic count of 1,000 vehicles per day.

Franklin Police have made an arrest in a January hit-and-run crash that seriously hurt another driver. The crash occurred Jan. 23rd on King Street, near Middleton Drive, in Franklin. The driver suspected of causing the crash left the scene of the crash prior to police officers arriving.

Franklin Police was able to gather video of a suspect’s vehicle allegedly driving away from the scene. They say that the video was obtained from the Franklin Parks and Recreation video recording system. A photo from that video was released to the media and public on April 13th.

A Franklin Police Department spokesperson says that on the following day (April 14th), officers received a tip from an unidentified member of the community. Police say that the anonymous citizen directed detectives to the home of 29-year-old Will E. Slinger.

Franklin Police say that Slinger met Monday morning with Detective Adam Joseph. As a result of that conversation, Joseph arrested Slinger on a preliminary charge of “Failure to Stop after a Motor Vehicle Accident Causing Serious Bodily Injury to Another Person,” a Level 6 Felony. Slinger was booked in the Johnson County Jail. Bond information has not been released.

Indiana State Police say that an autopsy was completed Monday morning on Jama D. Brown. The body of the 49-year-old North Vernon resident was found Saturday in a lake in the 1900 Block of East County Road 100 South, near North Vernon.

Indiana State Police (ISP) Spokesman Sgt. Stephen Wheeles says that the Jennings County Coroner’s Office determined that the cause of death was from drowning. He says that toxicology results are pending and could take four to six weeks. Wheeles says that, at this time, foul play is not suspected in Brown’s death. Authorities remain unclear as to how, or why, Brown ended up in the lake.

Wheeles adds that the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department and Indiana State Police continue to work together on this investigation.

A trooper from the Indiana State Police (ISP)-Versailles District was honored Friday during an awards ceremony at the Indiana Government Center in Indianapolis.

ISP Spokesman Sgt. Stephen Wheeles says that State Police Superintendent Douglas G. Carter presented Trooper Korry Clark with

the award after being named the 2015 “Trooper of the District” for the Versailles Post. Clark was also honored for leading the district in DUI arrests last year and for being one of the top five troopers in the state in DUI arrests in 2015.

Wheeles says that Trp. Clark, who lives in Bartholomew County, was given the “Trooper of the District” award for “outstanding efforts in traffic and criminal enforcement, crash investigations, community service, and for exemplifying the integrity, service, and professionalism of an Indiana State Trooper.” Lieutenant Raymond Otter, Versailles District Commander, selected Clark to receive the award based on his performance during 2015. The Versailles District includes Bartholomew and Jackson Counties.

Wheeles says that during 2015, Trp. Clark, a seven-year ISP veteran, issued over 800 citations and 500 warnings. He also had 93 criminal arrests and conducted over 200 police services. State Police officials say that Clark’s 55 DUI arrests led the Versailles District and earned him the “Top 5” award for being fifth in the state in the number of impaired drivers arrested last year.