U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler of the Southern District of Indiana joined Jackson County Prosecutor AmyMarie Travis and other law-enforcement

officials Friday morning for a press conference in Seymour detailing the arrest of 61-year-old Charles Hollin in a kidnapping and child molestation case that occurred in 1999…

Minkler says that Hollin was the prime suspect in the kidnapping and rape of a 10-year-old girl when he fled the area…

Minkler says that the passport photo led to authorities tracking Hollin down in December…

Minkler says that Hollin is being brought beck to Indiana, where he will face state and federal charges.

The City of Columbus will have trash and recycling collections on your normally scheduled day next week.

That is despite the Marin Luther King Jr. Day holiday on Monday and the closing of city offices. Among those closed are Columbus Utilities offices. If you have a water or sewer emergency you can call 812-372-8861 and follow the prompts.

The Bartholomew County Solid Waste Management district offices and the Columbus and Bartholomew County Recycling Center will be closed on Monday. The Bartholomew County landfill will be open normal hours, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated

Authorities are announcing this morning that a fugitive suspected in a 1999 sexual assault and kidnapping case in Seymour has been captured.

61 year-old Charles Hollin has been arrested in Oregon by the FBI on federal charges of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution and identity theft. The case stems from the January 1999 abduction and sexual assault of a 10-year-old Seymour girl.

U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler said Hollin will be returned to Jackson County for felony charges related to that case. The Jackson County Prosecutor filed charges of confinement with a deadly weapon and child molestation again Hollin in February of 2000.

Minkler said officers trying to find Hollin learned that he had been working in Oregon under the identity of Andrew Hall, an 8-year-old boy who died in a car accident in 1975.

Hollin could face up to eight years in prison if convicted on the federal charges but faces decades in prison if convicted on the local charges.

Authorities accuse Hollin of luring the girl to his vehicle by claiming his keys were stuck inside. They allege that he then captured her at knife point and assaulted her, before leaving her naked by the side of the road.

Police searching for him after the crime said they were told by people who knew Hollin that he had access to fake hairpieces and other items to disguise his identity and had bragged about how easy it is to change your identity and disappear. A federal warrant was issued for him on the flight charges in 2007.

Minkler said that in December, the FBI determined through use of Facial Analysis, Comparison and Evaluation (FACE) services that Hollin may be residing in Salem, Ore. under the assumed name. He was arrested at his job earlier this week and he is currently being held by the U.S. Marshall’s Service.

For more information you can go to our website.

You will have an opportunity to talk to an attorney for free on Monday at several local locations.

Kelly Baer with the local Legal Aid office said Talk to a Lawyer Day on Jan. 16th gives a chance for people to spend up to 15 minutes going over their legal issues with an attorney.

The event is organized and sponsored by the Indiana State Bar Association and the local Legal Aid Office in recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Baer said the lawyers involved are experienced and can cover many topics including family law and estate planning and landlord-tenant issues. However, due to the short amount of time available for consultations she also suggested that you should come with a list of your questions prepared in advance and with any pertinent paperwork.

In Bartholomew County the event will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.  at the Bartholomew County Public Library and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  at the Legal Aid office in the United Way Building on 13th Street.

There will also be locations at:

• Brown County/Nashville — Brown County Public Library from 5 to 7 p.m.
• Decatur County/Greensburg — Decatur County Library from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Jackson County/Seymour — Jackson County Public Library from 9 to 11 a.m.
• Jennings County/North Vernon — Jennings County Public Library from 2 to 4 p.m.

You can also call a local hotline for advice from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 877-378-0358 or a state hotline available in English and Spanish from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 800-266-2581.

Cummins is saying it had nothing to do with the Chrysler diesel vehicles that are accused of cheating on emissions testing.

The EPA is accusing Fiat Chrysler of installing software in vehicles that allow them to cheat on emissions tests, according to a report from TTWN Media Networks. The EPA says the software was allegedly installed in more than 100,000 Jeep Grand Cherokees and Dodge Ram trucks. The agency says the software would violate the Clean Air Act and put out more air pollution. In a statement, Fiat said its emission controls are state of the art, and it’ll work with the incoming administration to try to resolve the matter fairly.

Cummins released a statement Thursday saying that it did not supply the engines in question and pointed out that the Columbus-based engine manufacturer was not named in the EPA’s notice of violation.

According to the company statement, Cummins does not use defeat devices and is committed to meeting emissions standards.

The new year brings a new Congress to Washington D.C. Congressman Luke Messer, a Republican who represents Indiana’s Sixth Congressional District, says he wants to reduce the regulatory burdens on Americans…

Messer is championing the Range Act…

Messer says that he proposed an amendment to the Range Act which says that for every new regulation, another one must be removed. He says that amendment was approved last week.

Messer says the goal is to limit the power of regulators and make the federal government more accountable.

The Columbus Human Rights Commission is accepting nominations for the Wiliam R. Laws Human Rights Award. The recipient will be a member, a group of members from the community, or a community organization who have made a substantial contribution to the community of Columbus in any area of human equality. The most recent award was presented to Dr. Marwan Wafa and Ala’a Wafa. Previous recipients include Gil Palmer, Lorraine Smith, Arlette Cooper Tinsley, Tom Harmon, Owen Hungerford, Bob Pitman, Tracy Souza, the Heritage Fund’s Community Foundation of Bartholomew County, Tim Solso and Joe Loughrey, Sondra Bolte, Benjamin “Mickey” King, and J. Irwin Miller.

The nominees for the Award should have made a significant contribution in the areas of improving relationships among all people, increasing the sensitivity of one group towards another group, human rights and finding ways to safeguard the rights of others. The Laws Award recipient will receive the award at the Human Rights Commission’s 2017 Annual Dinner.

Nominations for the Laws Award should be submitted to the Human Rights Commission office in City Hall by Friday, February 24 at 5 p.m. The Commission will accept nominations via mail, personal delivery, or e-mail. Nomination forms are available at City Hall and online at columbus.in.gov/human-rights/laws-award/.

North Vernon City Utilities say that they found a number of errors on customer bills. Officials say that, while most bills are correct, they have found a “handful of errors.” Mayor Mike Ochs says that the errors were the result of faulty meter-reading and a computer glitch.

The Utilities Service Board says that it has voted to approve a $600,000 project to install new meters for all 2,200-plus residential customers. Officials say that these new meters will be read remotely, at regular intervals, to eliminate fluctuating bill amounts. These meters are expected to be delivered and installed within 90 days. Mayor Ochs stresses that this project won’t raise water rates.

If you think you have been billed incorrectly, you should call the utilities office at (812) 346-4691.

Indiana residents will officially be Hoosiers in federal record keeping.

Indiana Senators Joe Donnelly and Todd Young jointly announced today that the new federal government style guide has agreed to use “Hoosiers” instead of “Indianans” in federal documents. The change will affect publications produced through the Government Publishing Office, the federal government’s official printing office. That includes official publications of Congress, the White House, and other federal agencies.

Last year, Sen. Donnelly and then Rep. Young petitioned the Government Publishing Office’s Style Board to make the change.

“We aren’t achieving world peace here, but it’s nice to be recognized by the federal government as Hoosiers,” Young said. “It’s not just a classic movie. It’s not just the nickname for IU athletics. It’s who we are.”

Local police pulled a man from the Flatrock River in Columbus over night, after he allegedly stole an SUV and fled from officers.

36-year-old Jerry W. Hounshell was arrested following his rescue by the Bartholomew County Water Rescue Team last night.

Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the Columbus police, said officers saw a white SUV near 11th and Jackson Street at about 11:53 p.m. Wednesday that matched the description of one stolen earlier in the day. When officers tried to stop the vehicle, the suspect allegedly fled onto Tellman Road, abandoned the vehicle in the woods and then ran away. Police dogs tracked the suspect to the river, where officers could hear the man shouting for help. He was holding onto a log in the middle of the river.

After being picked up by airboat, Hounshell was treated for hypothermia at Columbus Regional Hospital, then sent to jail. He is facing preliminary charges of auto theft, resisting law enforcement in a vehicle and on foot and an outstanding warrant.