The Columbus Visitors Center held its annual meeting on Wednesday afternoon. The organization, which is tasked with growing tourism to the area, honored Ben Weaver with the “Partner of the Year Award.” Karen Niverson, executive director of the Visitors Center, explained that Weaver takes care of the former grounds and home of J. Irwin and Xenia Miller as an employee of the Indianapolis Museum of Art…

Weaver said that he was honored by the recognition and proud to help take care of such an important piece of Columbus history.

Weaver thanked his grandmother, for introducing him to the Miller family and helping him to understand and appreciate the architecture of the property.

Two Columbus men were arrested in Johnson County after being pulled-over in a stolen vehicle.

Johnson County Sheriff’s Deputy Tom Ashley, Jr. says, that at 1:28 a.m. on Wednesday, he was on a routine patrol, driving south on US 31 in

front of Franklin Middle School when he saw vehicle headed north with no headlights. The deputy turned around and pulled the car over at US 31 and Mallory Parkway.

Deputy Ashley spoke with the driver, 45-year-old David Ward, of 311 Hege Ave., and his two passengers. Ward allegedly told the deputy that his license was suspended. As the deputy ran the vehicle’s license plates, Ward reportedly informed him that the plates were false. This led Deputy Ashley to check the car’s VIN, when he learned that the vehicle had been reported stolen out of Bartholomew County. When informed of this fact, Ward reportedly stated that he got the car from a family member in Columbus and that he didn’t know it was stolen.

As deputies were searching the car, they allegedly found a crack pipe with white residue in the front drivers side floor, as well as a set of digital scales.

One of the passengers allegedly gave authorities a fake name. Deputies ultimately learned that his real name is Nathan Shepherd, 29, of 3570 Nicholas Lane. Authorities determined that he was wanted on two warrants out of Bartholomew County and placed him under arrest for those warrants, as well as on a charge of False Informing. The second passenger was released.

Ward was arrested on preliminary charges of Theft, Driving While Suspended and Possession of Paraphernalia. He was booked on $3,200 cash bound.

A Franklin man was arrested for reckless driving after a Johnson County Sheriff’s Deputy reported clocking him doing 133 mph in a 55 mph zone.

Deputy Travis Derrett says that at 7:10 a.m. on Tuesday, he was traveling east on State Road 144, just west of County Road 100 West when he saw a vehicle speeding westbound on State Road 144. The deputy activated his front radar and reported receiving a brief clock of 133 mph as the car passed him. When he turned the radar off and then activated his rear antenna, he says that he received a clocked speed of 103 mph when the vehicle was near the area of County Road 100 West.

Deputy Derrett reported that he turned his patrol car around to pull the car over. As he caught up to it, he noted that the vehicle was braking

heavily. The deputy conducted a traffic stop moments later on State Road 144 near County Road 200 West. The driver, 25-year-old Justin Palmer, reportedly told the deputy that he was late for work. The deputy says that he ran a check of Palmer’s license, where he discovered two recent speeding tickets, as well as what he called “a poor driving record dating back to 2008 consisting of numerous violations and suspensions.”

Palmer was ultimately arrested on a preliminary charge of Reckless Driving. The deputy noted the speed of the car, Palmer’s driving history, as well as the fact that the incident occurred during the morning rush-hour when several others were on the roads. Palmer was placed into custody without incident.

This morning Columbus Regional Hospital moved its emergency room into the newly expanded emergency department space.

Kelsey DeClue, spokeswoman for the hospital, says this will mean a change if you need to go to the emergency room with a new entrance off of 17th Street between the hospital campus and the hospice.

05-25 Kelsey DeClue emergency-1

Columbus police are warning about an increase in vehicle break-ins and suggest you take extra precautions to keep your valuables safe.

Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman with the Columbus Police Department, explains:

05-25 Matt Harris-2

That comes after a break-in last week where a thief stole a boy’s hearing implants from a locked car.

Harris said that the hearing implant thefts happened last week near Pence Place apartments where a thief broke out the window of a vehicle to steal the belongings. If you have any information on that case or other thefts should contact the Columbus Police Department at 376-2600.

Editor’s note: This story has been edited since its original posting.

A new gas station is being planned for 25th Street in Columbus, but neighbors are opposing the development. The proposed Ricker’s Gas Station would combine the former rental car and laundry properties between Cherry Street and Cottage Avenue.

About a dozen concerned neighbors turned out last night to a meeting of the Columbus Board of Zoning Appeals to voice their concerns. Those concerns included crime, possible oversaturation of gas stations in the area, potential chemical spills and worries about a possible increase in tobacco use among children, among others.

Assistant Planning Director Melissa Begley explained that the property is zoned for such a business. Opponents said they planned to ask City Council to rezone the property if necessary to stop the project, but Begley said the project would likely be grandfathered in.

BZA members seemed to struggle at times to get the neighbors to understand that the body does not have the authority to shut down a properly-zoned project. Member Dave Fisher stressed several times that the BZA was only considering the variance requests.

BZA members thanked the group for their input and encouraged them to take the issue up with the city council if they want their neighborhood to be zoned differently.

The project is still on hold until the developers can work out several variances with the Board of Zoning Appeals. Only three members attended yesterday’s meeting and a majority of the board could not be reached to approve variances requested by the developer,

Representatives of Ricker’s requested a half-dozen variances for the project, set to be constructed on consolidated lots at 1711 and 1725 25th Street. Two of the variance requests, focusing on the placement of a dumpster and the placement of an entrance, received majority approval, but failed because all votes must receive at least three positive votes from the five member board to be binding. Only three members of the five-member board were present for the meeting, as Hanna Omar and Eric Frey were absent.

The company must decide whether to wait for the June 28th BZA meeting in the hopes of more members attending to see if they can receive a third “yes” vote, or, make changes to the requests that would satisfy the member who voted against them, Tony London. Representatives for Ricker’s did not indicate what they would do, other than verify that they would be back for the June meeting.

The Indiana Department of Transportation plans to close U.S. Highway 31, between U.S. 50 and State Road 250, in Jackson County for two-weeks while contractors remove and replace a 2,400-foot section of concrete pavement at Kriete Corner. Harry Maginity, INDOT spokesman, says that this closure is tentatively scheduled to begin on Tuesday, May 31, weather permitting.

INDOT officials say that U.S. 31 will be open, to the construction site, for local traffic coming from the north. They add that there will be no local access between Kriete Corner and State Road 250 and that all through-traffic should detour around the closure via Interstate 65.

Maginity says that this work is part of a $5,188,987 rehabilitation project along 21 miles of U.S. 31 between U.S. 50 and Lake Road, just south of Scottsburg.

Dave O’Mara is the state’s contractor. Workers, say Maginity, will be making full-depth concrete patches and partial-depth asphalt patches on rural segments of U.S. 31 in both Jackson and Scott Counties. In addition to pavement repairs, he adds that the highway will be milled and resurfaced through Crothersville, between Marshall Street and Cindy Lane, as well as through Scottsburg and Austin, between Lake Road and the Muscatatuck River overflow bridge.

INDOT says that the work is contracted to be finished by November 15.

A large gas line was struck by heavy machinery at the new Kroger site at 3080 N. National Road in Columbus on Tuesday afternoon. Officials say the rupture was caused by a worker operating a backhoe at the construction site.

The initial call was received by dispatch workers at 2:44 p.m. The Columbus Fire Department  responded to the scene within minutes and began evacuating nearby businesses. Capt. Mike Wilson, spokesman for the fire department, says that four businesses had to close, at least temporarily, as a result of the gas leak. They were identified as: Fazolis, Sunbelt Rentals, Top Dog Car Wash and Nichols Body Shop.

Wilson says that the gas line that was damaged was originally reported as being a 12-inch line. Once the scene was evaluated, he says that it was actually a six-inch gas line with approximately 54 pounds of pressure per square inch. CFD officials say that Vectren workers were finally able to stop the flow of natural gas at 5:44 p.m. There has been no word from Vectren as to the extent of the damages and when the line was, or will be, completely repaired. Capt. Wilson stressed that, at no time, was the general public in any danger from the gas leak.

The accident also resulted in both directions of National Road being closed, from Central Avenue to Middle Road. Officials say that closure went in to effect just before 3 p.m. The road was reopened to traffic at 6:03 p.m.

The Columbus Fire Department is fully staffed after two firefighters were sworn in by Mayor Jim Lienhoop Tuesday morning. Capt. Mike Wilson, fire department spokesman, says that the ceremony took place during

the Board of Public Works and Safety Meeting. He explains that these new hires, Josh Hanson and Daniel Pinnow, will undergo a department familiarization program as part of their on the job training. After completing the 10-week program, Wilson says that the pair will receive their shift and station assignments. The hiring of Hanson and Pinnow, says Wilson, brings the number of sworn firefighters working for the Columbus Fire Department up to 95.

The department has released biographical information for both new hires. Hanson is a 24-year-old Hope resident. He is a 2009 graduate of Southwestern High School in Shelby County and a 2014 graduate of Ivy Tech Community College where he earned an associate’s degree in Public Safety. Following graduation, Hanson completed an internship with the Sugar Creek Township Fire Department in Hancock County.

Hanson is a state certified EMT and also holds a state certification for Firefighter l and II.

Pinnow is a 27-year-old Columbus native and a 2007 graduate of Trinity Lutheran High School in Seymour, says Wilson. Pinnow has lived in North Vernon since 2012 and currently serves as a volunteer firefighter for both the Vernon and North Vernon Fire Department. He is also certified by the state as a Firefighter I and II and is currently obtaining an Instructor I certification, according to CFD officials.

A Taylorsville man is under arrest after allegedly rampaging with a cutlass and threatening to harm his young nephews.

A woman called 911 at about 7:40 last night to report that her brother, 23-year-old Harley Pasley, was intoxicated and causing trouble including cutting the caller’s hand with a piece of glass, according to reports from the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.

Pasley allegedly grabbed the phone from the victim and hung it up. Deputies found Pasley in a storage building with the weapon and police say he refused to obey orders, instead allegedly swinging the cutlass at deputies, causing them to pull their weapons. After an attempt to use a Taser didn’t subdue him, three deputies tackled him and wrested the sword away.

Deputies report that Pasley had been drinking rubbing alcohol and he was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital for treatment before being taken to jail on preliminary charges of battery and interfering with a 911 call.