YES Cinema and Bartholomew County Democrats are announcing a free showing of the new movie, “The Life of Pets” on Saturday morning at the theater on Jackson Street in Columbus.

The show will start at 10 a.m., but doors will open at 9:30 a.m. and admission will be free for the first 177 customers. Bartholomew County Democratic Party candidates will be on hand to meet and greet theater-goers.

The free event is being sponsored anonymously.

The cause of an apartment complex fire that left more than two dozen people homeless will remain a mystery.

Inspectors have announced that they cannot determine the source of the fire which destroyed a 12-unit building in the Stonegate Apartments on June 25th. Inspectors, including those from the Columbus Fire Department, the Bartholomew County fire investigation team and a private insurance inspector, say that the fire was sparked on the outside of the building and quickly spread to the attic space. That fire eventually caused the roof to collapse.

There were reports on social media about fireworks going off in the area just before the fire, but Capt. Mike Wilson, spokesman for the fire department, said inspectors have found no physical evidence of that as a cause.

A police chase led to law-enforcement firing a shot at the fleeing vehicle, leading to the arrest of the driver.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Department says that at about 8 a.m. Wednesday, Lt. Travis Maloney tried to stop a speeding vehicle that was heading east on State Road 44. Authorities say that the driver, Cody Johnson, of Shelbyville, refused to stop and led the officer on a high-speed pursuit.

A department spokesman says that Johnson continued into Rush County, where he ran off of the roadway briefly, but regained control of the vehicle and continued to flee. Authorities say that the chase continued in to the small town of Manilla, when Johnson ran off the road again, this time in the 8800 block of West County Road 250 South. Sheriff’s officials say that Lt. Maloney then got out of his police car and ordered Johnson to get out of his car. Johnson then allegedly backed his vehicle in the direction of the officer, resulting in Maloney firing one shot that struck Johnson’s vehicle. Johnson then stopped his vehicle and surrendered, say authorities.

Johnson is being held in the Rush County Jail, as that was where he was arrested. There has been no word on when, or if, Johnson will be in the custody of Shelby County authorities. They say that charges are pending and that the investigation is ongoing. Authorities stress that neither Johnson nor Lt. Maloney were injured.

The Columbus City Council will be joining a local manufacturer in celebrating 25 years in Columbus.

Alan Whitted, City Attorney, made the announcement Wednesday that council members have been invited to NTN’s Silver Anniversary celebration, set for Tuesday. The event will be held at NTN’s campus, located at 8251 South International Drive, inside the Walesboro industrial park. It is expected to begin at 10:45 a.m. and last until 1 p.m.

Whitted notes that, while council members will be in attendance and may receive information, they will not be in a formal session. He adds that no official business will be conducted.

Columbus firefighters had to deal with a diesel fuel spill on National Road yesterday after a 50-gallon fuel tank fell of a semi.

Capt. Mike Wilson says that a driver saw the tank disconnect from the semi, bounce into the air and come to rest in the 3100 block of North National Road at about 4:38 p.m. yesterday afternoon. A car nearly hit the gas tank and the tank ruptured, sending diesel fuel down the street into a storm drain.

The semi driver did not stop, or even seem to notice the fuel tank fall off and there is no identification of the truck involved or the trucking company.

Firefighters used absorbent material including absorbent booms to clean up the mess, Wilson said. About 30 gallons of fuel were left in the tank, but there is no indication of how full the tank was when it fell off.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management inspected the scene and found no need for further remediation after the firefighters’ cleanup efforts, Wilson said.

A Jennings County fugitive was arrested Sunday by deputies with the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department. A department spokesman says that authorities received information that 21-year-old Bryan P.

Goodpaster, of North Vernon, was staying at a home on County Road 275 East, in Center Township.

Authorities say that when they arrived at the scene, they found Goodpaster exiting a detached garage. While at the property, deputies reported finding a John Deere Gator that had been reported stolen out of Jefferson County.

Goodpaster was arrested on the original felony warrant out of Ripley County, as well as a felony charge of Possession of Stolen Property.

Sheriff’s officials say that Goodpaster is being held at the Jennings County Jail, awaiting transfer to Ripley County.

Two Columbus teens were taken into custody on drug charges after a crash over the weekend in Jennings County.

A spokesman with the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department says that at 12:02 a.m. Saturday, deputies responded to the property damage

accident in the area of State Road 7 North and County Road 950 North, in Geneva Township.

While investigating the crash, deputies reportedly found several pills in plain view on the driver’s side floorboard and on the driver’s seat of the teens’ car. During the investigation, authorities say that the pair, ages 16 and 17, were determined to have a large quantity of pills and money hidden in their clothes.

Sheriff’s officials say that the items Seized included:
Over 100 Alprazolam pills, a schedule IV controlled substance;
Approximately one-gram of Cocaine, a schedule II controlled substance;
$1,034 in cash.

Authorities say that both teens were arrested and held at the Jackson County Juvenile Detention Center without bond on preliminary charges of Dealing a Controlled Substance (Level 3 Felony), Possession of a Controlled Substance (Level 6 Felony) and Violation of the Legend Drug Act (Level 6 Felony).

A proposed change to a Columbus ordinance that would ban the ownership of chickens and other livestock within the city limits is in flux. The ordinance first went before the Columbus City Council last month and passed on a vote of 5-to-2. An outpouring of opposition during Tuesday night’s second reading seemingly changed some minds on the council.

The council meeting was moved to the Cal Brand Meeting Room inside of City Hall in anticipation of a large turnout. That anticipation was well-founded, as the room was nearing standing-room only. Mayor Jim Lienhoop explained to the audience the purpose of the ordinance and Council Frank Jerome followed up, explaining that, with the first reading already approved, those who were opposed to the ordinance change would have to change the minds of at least two council members. Two of the council’s newest members, Democrat Elaine Wagner and Republican Laurie Booher, were the dissenting votes in the first reading of the plan that would have made it a violation to keep chickens, chinchillas, teacup pigs and miniature horses, among other animals, within city limits.

Some members of the council briefly summarized their thoughts before the public discussion. What followed was nearly two-hours of area residents sharing their thoughts on the subject. The room, and those who chose to speak, were overwhelmingly against the ordinance change. While many speakers noted that they have chickens, others said that they did not, but added that they did not want to see their neighbors get rid of their animals. Residents argued that chickens provide food, as well as serve as pets, sources of comfort and aid children who have difficulties socializing.

Those opposed to the ordinance change also targeted arguments made by those who want to see the change passed. On issues like health concerns, some chicken ownership proponents said that the threat was overblown, stating that for a genuine health concern, there would have to be thousands of birds confined to a small area. Amber Porter, who organized the group “Columbus Homeowners Initiative for Chicken Keeping,” also spoke in favor of her feathered friends. She stressed to the council that chickens are good for the environment and provide for a sustainable way of life. Another chicken advocate, Mike Sharp, argued that council members shouldn’t put so much stock into anonymous complaints. He cited a procedure with Columbus Animal Care Services in which residents who wish to make complaints about an animal must identify themselves.

City Council Frank Miller spoke out against that line of thinking. Miller says that, in many cases, neighbors don’t make complaints to other neighbors, or to Animal Care Services, out of fear of creating disharmony in the neighborhood. Reading from papers in front of him, Councilman Miller spoke about complaints he has personally received from residents about chickens. He told those in attendance that he can no easier discount the complaints any more than he could discount the opinions of those who spoke at the meeting.

While most of those who did speak out publicly were “chicken-friendly,” a few were not. One resident on Nottingham Drive said that the ordinance change is needed out of concerns for the health of the community. Another resident noted that chickens can be loud and, unlike dogs, cannot be trained to lower their noise. She also took issue with what she perceived as some residents using their children to push an agenda that most city residents don’t want.

Once the public comment session ended, Councilman Frank Jerome proposed tabling the ordinance change for three months to allow the “pro-chicken” residents an opportunity to write-up a proposal that would allow them to police themselves, while at the same time, address the concerns of residents who don’t want farm animals in the city. That failed on a vote of 3-to-4, as other council members said they wanted a more inclusive committee to address the issue.

Council ultimately voted, 5-to-2, to table the ordinance change to allow the creation of this committee. Mayor Jim Lienhoop says that the group will consist of five residents on each side of the issue, along with two members of the city council. He says that the issue will be discussed next at the council’s October 4th meeting.

Efforts are being made locally to help those in West Virginia who are dealing with massive flooding, as well as the aftermath. Gene Ernst, with the Orphan Grain Train, is helping to put this project together…

Ernst talks about the kind of supplies that are desperately needed…

You can help by bringing your donations to a drop-off site on Thursday…

Ernst says that if you can’t make it to the drop-off site at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church on Thursday, you can drop-off your donation, any time, at the Orphan Grain Train warehouse in Jonesville, through Thursday evening. He adds that, if you want to drop off your donation after normal business hours, there is a donation trailer on the building’s east side that you can utilize.

North Vernon Police arrested two people on drug charges after a traffic stop Sunday night.

A spokesperson with the North Vernon Police Department says that, at 11:23 p.m., officers were sent to investigate a suspicious vehicle in the area of State Road 7 North. When officers found the vehicle, they noticed that the license plate was expired. Police stopped the vehicle, which they say led to the discovery of methamphetamine, marijuana and paraphernalia.

Authorities say that Anthony Horton, 43, of Mitchell, and Steven Minor, 63, of Bartholomew County, were both arrested on charges of Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Paraphernalia, Possession of Marijuana and Legend Drug Violations.