Deputies in Johnson and Brown counties worked together early Tuesday morning to end a police chase.

A Brown County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson says that, just after midnight, its department was notified of a vehicle chase that began in Johnson County. The spokesperson says that the pursuit continued into the Peoga area of Brown County and encompassed numerous county roads in the northern part of the county, allowing Brown County authorities to take part. Officials say that the chase lasted approximately one hour before Johnson County deputies were able to end it by deploying “stop sticks” to deflate the fleeing vehicle’s tires.

The driver of the fleeing vehicle, who was identified as Lona Albertson, was taken into custody by Johnson County authorities with no further incidents. She will be facing a number of charges.

The Bartholomew Consolidated School Board is considering new rules and policies for the district, including expanding and clarifying the definition of protected classes of students and staff within the school district.

And the revisions would expand the scope of where harassment can take place that can rise to actionable items for the schools.

Under the proposed policies, the definition of Protected Classes by sex has been expanded to include transgender status, sexual orientation and gender identity. The previous policies only included sexual orientation or transgender identity.

Where the harassment policies used to be applicable during “educational programs or activities,” the proposed changes would be in effect if the activities are “affecting the Corporation environment.”

Dr. John Quick said many of the changes are mandated at the state level and there are no major changes.

05-10 John Quick-2

The new policies, covering many areas of school operations and amounting to about 200 pages in total, were presented for discussion at the school board’s meeting last night and will be up for a vote in two weeks.

You can read the proposed policy changes here (PDF download):

BCSC Policy changes May 2016

In commemoration of National Police Week, a memorial service to honor law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty will be held on Friday at 9 a.m. at the public safety plaza near Second and Jackson Streets in Columbus.

During the 30-minute ceremony, officers will read the names of 128 police officers and 27 police dogs killed in the line of duty during 2015. Mayor Jim Lienhoop is scheduled to speak at this event which will feature bagpipes, a 21 gun salute and the playing of taps. You are invited to attend.

Bartholomew County Sheriff’s deputies and Columbus police officers will be out looking for seatbelt violations this month.

The agencies will be taking part in the national 2016 Click it or Ticket project through May 30th.

Local deputies will join more than 250 state and local law enforcement agencies in Indiana, and thousands more across the country, to conduct high-visibility patrols encouraging drivers and passengers to buckle up.

Click It or Ticket is an annual enforcement effort supported by federal funding allocated to Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office from the Traffic Safety division of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. Bartholomew County deputies and Columbus Police officers will work overtime to conduct seat belt patrols around the clock.

According to ICJI, in 2015, there were 818 fatalities on Indiana roadways. Of those fatalities, 33 percent were unrestrained.

Don’t be alarmed if you see police cars and fire trucks on the campus of Columbus Regional Hospital this morning.

Kelsey DeClue, hospital spokesperson, says that staff members will be taking part in training on what to do in an active-shooter situation. She says the training focuses on getting hospital employees out of the building, how and where to hide and, if confronted by a shooter, what they can do to fight back.

This morning’s training is taking place in the new Emergency Room area that has yet to be opened. DeClue adds that the training should be finished by around noon

A Columbus teen was arrested after a car crash Sunday morning left a vehicle upside down in a yard.

Lt. Matt Harris, Columbus Police Department spokesman, says that at  officers were dispatched to the 3700 block of Oriole Drive at 2:10 a.m. after a vehicle crashed and came to rest on its hood in a home’s front yard.

Officers spoke with the driver, 19-year-old Jason D. Fier, who told them that he lost control of the vehicle after striking a curb. While speaking with Fier, officers noted that that he allegedly had slurred speech and the odor of alcohol on his breath.

Fier was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital, then arrested on preliminary charges of illegal consumption of an alcoholic beverage and operating a vehicle with a blood-alcohol level of .15% or greater.

A North Vernon charity needing renovations to its headquarters received a financial life-line from local government.

The North Vernon City Council voted Monday night to give Wayside Inn $8,000 to help cover the cost of a new sprinkler system for the building, at 304 Hoosier Street. The charity, which provides food, clothing, toiletries and emergency shelter, is facing an August deadline to bring the building’s sprinkler and alarm systems up to state code.

This gift game about after the charity received good news from Jennings County officials. Coleen Malone, the head of Wayside Inn, says that the county is giving $5,000 toward the sprinkler project, provided that the charity could cover the balance. With the help of these gifts, she says that the project’s $16,000 price tag should be reached.

The alarm system update, which Malone says was bid at $8,042, remains. She, as well as local officials, are examining possible options.

Malone thanked the council members for their fast action. Wayside Inn made their presentation, and request for help, just two-weeks ago. In that presentation, Malone provided statistics that showed that, in just under two full years, Wayside Inn provided approximately four-thousand nights of emergency shelter for 130 people in need.

Councilwoman Connie Rayburn was one of several council members who praised the charity, noting its valuable work in helping those in need. The city’s gift is coming out of the council’s “Civic Interests” budget. Clerk-Treasurer Shawn Gerkin noted that this gift will bring that fund down to approximately $2,000.

Despite that, council members voted unanimously to approve the gift.

Two people were arrested on drug charges Sunday evening after Columbus police allegedly saw drugs in their vehicle.

35-year-old Erin M. Jenkins, of Columbus, and 27-year-old Kevin E. Hull, of Hope were arrested after officers allegedly saw a corner cut bag and syringes in view inside the vehicle in the 1700 block of North National Road at about 7:30 p.m., says Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the police department.

As Hull was searched, officers allegedly located a cigarette pack in his pants pocket containing heroin.  Officers searched Jenkin’s purse and located additional heroin as well as methamphetamine, Harris said.

Jenkins is facing preliminary charges of possession of heroin, methamphetamine and an injection drug device. Hull was arrested on suspicion of possession of heroin and of an injection drug device.

Columbus police arrested a Hope resident Friday, after the man nearly died from an alleged drug overdose and had to be revived.

Police were called to the 1700 block of Cottage Avenue at about 5 p.m. Friday and found a woman performing CPR on a man who was laying on the kitchen floor, says Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the police. Officers used Narcan, a drug that counteracts the effects of overdoses, taking three doses to revive 24-year-old Michael B. Phelps, Harris said. Phelps was taken to the hospital and in the ambulance officers discovered that Phelps was allegedly carrying a small amount of heroin and a used syringe.

After leaving the hospital, he was arrested on preliminary charges of possession of heroin, the syringe and drug paraphernalia, Harris said.

A business relationship that started in April of 1994 is changing on Friday, May 13th.

Long-time local broadcaster John Foster is retiring as White River Broadcasting’s Station Manager and Director of Programming.

However, for the vast majority of people who have grown comfortable hearing John weekday mornings on WCSI’s “All News in the Morning”, nothing will really change. You see, even while ”retiring,” John is still going to host the WCSI morning show, a job he’s held in Columbus for 22 years.

Foster was hired from Mansfield, Ohio as White River Broadcasting’s Director of Programming in 1994. Then, late in 2013, he was given the added responsibility of Station Manager for WCSI, WKKG, WWWY and WINN.

Bob Morrison, who was named the company’s Sales Manager in 2013, will succeed Foster as White River Broadcasting’s Station Manager.
Foster said of Morrison, “I’ve worked with Bob for 22+ years. He’s a friend and I have every confidence in him in this new role. Bob knows this company and community as well as anyone and he’ll be a steadying influence on the company.”

Dave Glass, President and Director of Broadcast for White River, said that Foster is “the consummate professional, and has long provided us a well-balanced and calming presence.”

“The transition between John and Bob has been a seamless process that has been underway for a few years now, and has involved the entire Columbus Team,” Glass said.

At the same time as Foster retires, long-time White River Broadcasting staffer Kevin Kelley becomes the Brand Manager for WCSI.

Foster said, “Kevin knows WCSI inside and out and he assumes this role with my full blessing.”

Foster said when he first discussed “retirement” with his wife, Geneva, he made it clear he would very much like to remain on-air at WCSI after relinquishing his administrative duties.

“She knows how much I love this business and being behind the microphone, so I’m excited to be able to focus on my on-air duties. I figured out recently that I’ve done more than 13,000 on-air interviews since coming to Columbus and I plan to do a few more in the coming years.”

Foster served in the U.S. Air Force from 1969 to 1973. After being honorably discharged, John worked with WLKR radio in Norwalk, Ohio before being hired in 1974 by his hometown station WMAN in Mansfield, Ohio.

He held various positions, including Operations Manager and a number of on-air roles.

From 1981 to 1982 he helped with the start-up of a weekly newspaper, the Madison Tribune, where he sold advertising and wrote a weekly column, “Johnny-on-the-Spot.”

John is an active member of the Meridian Kiwanis Club, the Turning Point Board of Directors, a charter member of AmVets Post #509 as well as member of the Healthy Communities Council and the Lifecare
Advocacy group. Foster has been involved with various military veteran events, the March of Dimes and United Way and has served with the Emmaus and Chrysalis community. He is a 20+ gallon Red Cross blood donor.

He and his wife Geneva have been married since 1969 and their two daughters, Nikki and Stacey, have given them 5 grandchildren and they all live right here in Indiana.

“Neav and I will probably have a little more time to work on our home improvement projects and do a little more travelling but, for the most part, folks will still see us around town and hear about our exploits on 1010, WCSI,” said Foster.

“White River Broadcasting has been proud to call Columbus home since 1957,” Glass said. “We look forward to many more years to come.”