Bartholomew County deputies arrested 20-year-old Evan Wischmeier of Columbus early Sunday morning after a crash. Deputies say that Wischmeier crashed his car near the intersection of County Roads 450S and 400W at about 2:25 a.m. Sunday morning.

He allegedly told deputies that he fell asleep while driving, and his car ran off the road and down an embankment.

He was arrested on preliminary charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing an accident, illegal consumption and possession of a controlled substance.

A Columbus homeowner was arrested on Saturday afternoon, accused of getting drunk and firing weapons in his neighborhood.

34-year-old Adam Brown of Sheffield Court was arrested on a preliminary charge of criminal recklessness with a firearm after the incident. Bartholomew County deputies were called to the 8400 block of Colony Parke on a report of shots fired at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday. When they talked to Brown, he appeared to be intoxicated. He allegedly told deputies that he had been shooting a .22 hand gun and a 12-gauge shotgun at an archery target in this back yard, says Judy Jackson, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s department.

Deputies report that Brown’s home is in close proximity to others and there were many people in the neighborhood outside that evening. Deputies reported finding 81 .22 caliber shell casings and three shotgun casings in the area, Jackson said.

Brown was released on $7,500 bond, Jackson said.

A driver died after a Friday afternoon crash on National Road in Columbus.

Columbus Police are reporting that a car driven by 80-year-old William H. Everroad of Columbus drove into the rear of a semi near the intersection of Commerce Drive and U.S. 31 at about 4:15 p.m.

He was cut from the vehicle by rescue workers and then flown to IU Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, where he later died. The southbound lanes of the highway were closed for several hours. The accident remains under investigation.

Jackson County deputies rescued two people who were trapped when their boat lost power and then was swept over a dam Sunday on East Fork White River.

Indiana Department of Natural Resources Conservation officers report that the incident happened at just after 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon at the Rockford Dam where two people were fishing on the upriver side of the dam, when their boat lost power to its trolling motor. The people in the boat tried to start their main motor, but it wouldn’t start either.

Deputies arrived and threw a rope with a throw bag to the boaters, and pulled them in close enough to shore so that they could evacuate before their boat went over the dam.

Both of the occupants were taken to Schneck Medical Center for treatment of hypothermia and are in good condition. Conservation officers say that they were carrying the required life preservers onboard the boat but the occupants weren’t wearing them at the time of the incident.

Deputies Joey Francis and Dustin Steward were first on the scene for the rescue. They were assisted by Indiana Conservation Officers, Brownstown Police Department, Indiana State Police, Seymour Fire Department and Jackson County paramedics.

The incident remains under investigation.

A Bartholomew County homeowner held three people at gunpoint, who were allegedly caught robbing his home early Saturday morning.

Authorities say the incident happened when the property owner found two suspicious vehicles in the driveway. Deputies were called to the 1200 block of East County Road 450S at about 6:02 a.m. that morning to find the homeowner holding 31-year-old Derek Sarver, 28-year-old Natasha Carr and 28-year-old Stephen McFarland at gunpoint.

Items belong to the homeowner were found in the back of a pickup at the property and the pickup had been reported stolen from Columbus earlier in the morning, says Caitlyn Gross, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s department.

Sarver, Carr and McFarland are facing charges of burglary, theft and auto theft.

A Columbus teen died Saturday night in an incident involving a vehicle on Franklin Street.

15-year-old Abbott F. Garn was struck and killed while trying to get back into a moving SUV at about 9:30 p.m. in the 2500 block of Franklin, according to the Columbus Police Department. Lt Matt Harris says that Garn was taken by Lifeline helicopter to IU Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis where he later died. The driver, 16-year-old Jonah Michael Wichman, was not hurt.

Garn was a student at Columbus East High School.

The city of Columbus is going to buy a downtown business property.

The Columbus Redevelopment Commission on Friday morning held a special meeting and voted to spend $300,000 for the Bob’s Car Wash property on Second Street, says Sarah Cannon, the commission president.

The city also expects to have to spend between $95,000 and $180,000 to remediate environmental contamination at the property, based on estimates from a 2012 environmental study.

The property was appraised for between $290,000 and $295,000 in February of 2015, according to the commission’s resolution.

Cannon said the city would commission another environmental study on the property.

That is the last property in that block that the city doesn’t already own. The city had already acquired the former Bartholomew County REMC property, the former Rhino lining property along with the site of a former creosote plant. The city has long planned to consolidated the properties, finish cleaning them up and then sell or offer them to a developer.

Cannon said there are no current plans lined up for the property.

The Jackson County Visitor Center 2017 Developmental Grant application is now available. The grants will offer 1:1 funding match assistance to not-for-profit groups. These include a city, county or public organization, tourism related business or an organizational combination for new projects or enhancements designed to have a direct impact on Jackson County and tourism.

Successful projects will provide recreational, cultural, entertainment and/or educational attractions or events which enhance the quality of life in Jackson County and tourism offerings for residents, visitors and groups.

Projects should be completed within a year from the notification date of grant approval.

Application deadline for 2017 is April 1, with awards presented in June. Any funds left after the June awards may be available during an additional cycle.

For additional information and an application, visit the Jackson County Visitor Center offices at 100 North Broadway or call (812) 524-1914. You can also visit www.jacksoncountyin.com.

The ColumBike program dominated discussion during Thursday night’s Columbus Park Foundation Report to the Community.

Dick Boyce, interim director of the Columbus Bike Share Program, says that ridership peaked at 754 bike riders in June, but has fallen steadily since. The report says that more than 12-thousand riders have utilized the bicycles since the program kicked-off in May.

Lee Jones, of B-Cycle, said that the city needs to make the bike share program as accessible as possible. Andrew Myer, with the Cummins Six Sigma program is looking into ways to improve ColumBike. He says the study revealed that the pricing structure, check-in process and bike safety were top concerns of local riders.

Currently, there are eight bike kiosks with a total of 78 bikes available to area riders.

A Shelbyville man already facing drug charges is in more trouble with the law after a Thursday afternoon traffic stop in Johnson County.

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Department says that Deputy Scott Rautio was patrolling State Road 37 near Banta Road when he saw a car drive by with the driver trying to hide his face. After a subsequent traffic violation, the deputy pulled the car over and spoke with the driver, 30-year-old Joseph Ramsey. Deputy Rautio says that Ramsey was acting suspiciously, so he asked for consent to search him and his vehicle. That search allegedly resulted in the discovery of methamphetamine, a digital scale, plastic bags and over $900 in cash.

Ramsey, whom police say was already out on bond for meth charges in Rush County, was arrested on preliminary charges of Dealing Methamphetamine and Possession of a Controlled Substance. Due to the Rush County charges, Ramsey bond amounts were doubled. He was eventually released on a $1,000 cash bound, according to Johnson County officials.