Ivy Tech Community College has named Dr. Steven Combs, Ph.D., to serve as Chancellor of its Columbus campus as a part of the College’s organizational structure announcement. School officials say the new structure will “better align with community needs at the campus level and empower campuses to be responsive and nimble in meeting local needs.”

Prior to the change, multiple campuses reported to regional leadership, including the college’s Columbus and Southeast regions reporting to a single, shared chancellor. Columbus will now be a self-sustaining campus with Combs serving as the Chancellor. Combs previously served as the Columbus Campus President, a position that is being phased out as part of the organizational structure.

“I am humbly honored to serve as Chancellor of the Columbus campus and look forward to building on our strong relationships within our outstanding community,” Combs said. “Our partnerships within the community will continue to grow as we align our programs with the needs of our area’s workforce. The collaborative spirit of our community provides our dedicated faculty and staff with enriching opportunities to further help our students reach their educational and career goals.”

Combs began his Ivy Tech career in 1993 as a professor at the Evansville campus. In 2010, he was hired as dean and professor in the School of Applied Science and Engineering Technology at Ivy Tech’s Lafayette campus. He then came to Columbus in 2012 to serve as the region’s vice chancellor of Academic Affairs. Combs led the expansion of the iGrad program in Bartholomew County and to Jennings and Jackson counties.

Rep. Luke Messer, a Republican representing Indiana’s Sixth Congressional District, joined House Speaker Paul Ryan and a bipartisan group of 12 members of Congress Thursday for the inaugural hearing of the Task Force on Intergovernmental Affairs. This group is tasked with reducing the size of the federal government and helping return power to the states. Messer was appointed by Speaker Ryan to serve on the Task Force.

The Task Force will partner with state and local governments to help uncover federal abuses of power, and return control to state and local entities. The Task Force will also provide a forum for states, cities, and counties to showcase innovation and creativity in solving public policy problems.

A Columbus man was arrested early Wednesday morning on drug charges. Judy Jackson, Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman, says that at about 1:13 a.m., Sgt. Kris Weisner noticed a vehicle parked at the Lowell Fishing site. Upon making contact with the occupants, Weisner reported smelling marijuana inside the vehicle. Jackson says that K9 Bolt also alerted to the odor of drugs in the vehicle.

Authorities say that the driver, 30-year-old Brandon James Ramos, of Chestnut Street, admitted to having marijuana in the vehicle. When Sgt. Weisner searched it, he reportedly found 11 baggies of suspected marijuana, a grinder and more than $350 in cash. Ramos allegedly confessed that the marijuana and paraphernalia belonged to him.

Ramos was arrested on preliminary charges of Dealing Marijuana, Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Paraphernalia. His bond was set at $13,500. Jackson says that a female passenger was released at the scene.

Updated: 11:15 a.m.

The owner of a missing hunting dog says that Frank has been found. That’s after Indiana Conservation Officers went into a Jennings County cave to rescue the hunting dog yesterday, but couldn’t find the animal.

The agency’s cave rescue team and two volunteer crews were called after Frank, a Walker champion coon hunting dog went missing Tuesday night after tracking into the cave near Norris Avenue in southwestern Jennings County.

Conservation officers say that they searched the cave extensively but couldn’t find Frank.

Frank’s owner posted on Facebook that his best friend had been found safe. The owner said that at one point there were 17 people out hunting for Frank including hiking the area or searching the caves.

Indiana State Excise Police made raids this week of stores allegedly selling counterfeit merchandise, including stores in Decatur County and in North Vernon.

The excise police report that they seized more than 2,200 items in seven counties at 11 stores. Those items included hats, sunglasses, shirts and purses. They say that the merchandise included imitations of name brand items from the NCAA, NFL, Major League Baseball, Ray Ban and others.

The stores that were raided have alcohol and tobacco permits, and while state excise police normally enforce alcohol and tobacco laws, they have the authority to enforce any state law, according to the agency.

The stores were cited administratively for being a public nuisance. The agency says reports will be submitted to the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission’s prosecutor for review.

Among the stores they raided:

• The Moores Hill Food Mart, 13891 State Road 350, Moores Hill
• New Point Food Mart, 1810 South 850E, New Point
• Batesville Food Mart, 1340 East State Road 46, Batesville
• Batesville Shell, 1029 State Road 229, Batesville
• Indiana Trail BP, 7474 East Hwy 350, Milan
• Rising Sun BP, 632 N. High St., Rising Sun
• Brookville Food Mart, 1010 Main St., Brookville
• Dillsboro BP, 15313 US 50 Suite A, Dillsboro
• Rainbow Food Mart, 5987 South State Road 101, Liberty
• Delaware BP, 4900 North State Road 129, Osgood
• North Vernon Mini Mart, 895 S. State St., North Vernon

The Carmel Police Department is investigating the disappearance of an adult male from Carmel, IN. Carmel is located approximately 23 miles north of Indianapolis.

William “Bill” Steele is a 63 year old male, 6 feet 5 inches tall, 260 pounds, with gray/balding hair and blue eyes. Bill Steele was last seen Wednesday, June 21, 2017 at 9:43 a.m. in Indianapolis and is believed to be in danger.

Bill Steele was last seen wearing a turquoise polo shirt, khaki shorts, and dark colored boat shoes. He may be disoriented and require medical assistance. Bill Steele is believed to be driving a Gold 2009 Lexus with Indiana plate ULJ795.

If you have any information on Bill Steele, contact the Carmel Police Department at (317) 773-1282 or 911.

Work continues on coming up with a project for Columbus’ Riverfront District. Core Planning is helping the city in that endeavor. Karen Valiquette says that they applied for a pair of grants, totaling $350,000, through the Ohio River Foundation…

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Valiquette gave an update this week to the Columbus Redevelopment Commission. She also talked about the results of a public survey conducted by the Hitchcock Design Group to help determine what residents want in their riverfront.

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Valiquette talked more about Hitchcock’s work.

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Now that the public info has been gathered…

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During that same meeting, the redevelopment commission also approved a resolution to execute a contract with SJCA Engineers and Surveyors to conduct a 3-D model of the low-head dam in the East Fork of the White River at a cost of $7,150.

The Columbus City Council has given final approval to a large subdivision northwest of Columbus. Arbor Homes submitted a plan to annex approximately 154 acres for the subdivision to be called “Abbey Place,” in the area of Indianapolis Road and Interstate 65 near the Princeton Park subdivision.

The proposed development would max out at 312 homes, but Mike Campbell, Arbor Homes vice president, says that he expects construction to be gradual. He estimated that it would be six to seven years, at approximately 50 homes each year, before the development is complete.

Opposition to the development from neighboring residents was largely absent during Tuesday night’s city council meeting, especially compared to the first readings of the ordinances two weeks ago.

Arbor officials agreed to a number of commitments for the development, including some that were requested by concerned neighbors. They include improvements to and a roundabout for County Road 200 West, additional right-of-way at the intersection of CR 200W and Lowell Road, at least 13 acres of open space on the east side of CR 200W and a promise that all lots bordering the Princeton Parks subdivision will meet the standards of the “R2” zoning. The rest of the development would be under “R3” zoning standards. Another aspect agreed to by both parties was the establishment of a “knock-down barrier” on a proposed north/south street east of CR 200W. In addition, the council is “strongly recommending” that the Columbus Plan Commission consider the closure of vehicular traffic of potential street connections between the new development and the Princeton Park subdivision.

The council’s votes for annexation and rezoning were unanimous.

North Vernon Police made a drug arrest Tuesday morning after stopping a man driving a golf cart. Authorities say they stopped the cart, driven by 26-year-old Gregory Miller, of North Vernon, after observing a moving violation at 10:43 a.m. During the stop, K9 Heros alerted officers to the presence of drugs. Police say a subsequent search led to the discovery of meth.

Miller was arrested on a preliminary felony charge of Possession of Methamphetamine. Police say that he is being held on $3,055 cash bond.

Columbus police say that a man on home detention is now facing charges of drug dealing.

29-year-old Shane Medaris was arrested after community corrections officers and police checked on him at about 8:25 p.m. last night at his home in in the 3200 block of Washington Street.

Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the police department, says the community corrections officers were checking the home when they found what appeared to be about seven grams of heroin. Columbus police were called in and while searching Medaris after he was taken into custody, they allegedly found three syringes, methamphetamine and more than $3,700 dollars in cash in his pants pockets.

He is now facing preliminary charges of dealing heroin and possessing heroin, meth and the syringes.