Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc. has announced several organizational changes for key positions.

Jeff Rufener, company president, says the changes were made in an ongoing effort to improve customer satisfaction. “It is important that we are structured in a way to support our goal,” says Rufener. These changes include:

• Bill Finerty,Vice President of Sales, Distribution and Dealer Development
• Steve Tadd, Director of Marketing and Information Technologies
• Stephen Rosenberg, National Manager of Marketing
• Mike Parker, National Manager of Part Sales and Procurement
• Anne Ewing, National Manager of Dealer Operations
• Brian Liggett, National Manager of Parts Operations
• Mike Heyden, National Manager of Aftermarket Sales and Service
• Jewell Brown, Strategic Account Executive
• Troy Kaiser, Strategic Account Executive
• Niels Ostergaard, Value Selling Manager

Toyota Industrial Equipment is in the midst of another expansion at its Columbus campus on Inwood Drive.

Two local men were arrested after they were seen acting suspiciously inside of a Columbus store. Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the Columbus Police Department, says that at approximately 12:30 p.m. Saturday, officers were dispatched to the Best Buy in the 1300 block of National Road in regards to a man who entered the store wearing a mask and had a collapsible baton tucked in his waistband. Harris says that store security told police that the man threw the mask on the floor when he was asked to remove it. He then reportedly walked to the back of the store with another man. Officers found the two men a short time later and immediately recognized one of them as 29-year-old Ricky A. Schoonover, of Columbus, who a had a warrant for his arrest. When Schoonover was taken into custody officers allegedly found a small amount of marijuana and methamphetamine in his pants pockets.

Officers also spoke to the other man, whom they described as “acting nervous.” Harris says the man initially gave police a fake name. While he was being patted down by an officer, Harris says the man reached for one of his back pants pockets. He was ultimately identified as 26-year-old Devin C. Kinman, of Columbus. After Kinman was placed in handcuffs, officers reported finding a loaded handgun in one his back pants pockets, as well as the baton.

Both Schoonover and Kinman were arrested and booked in the Bartholomew County Jail on 48 hour hold. They are facing preliminary charges of:

Devin C. Kinman:
Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon
False Informing
Bartholomew County Arrest Warrant

Ricky A. Schoonover:
Bartholomew County Warrant
Out of County Warrant
Possession of Methamphetamine
Possession of Marijuana

A man wanted in the arson of an abandoned Goodwill store in Tennessee being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms was arrested in Columbus.

Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the Columbus Police Department, says that CPD was notified Friday afternoon that 23-year-old William S. Warner, of Nashville, Tennessee was possibly in the area after his vehicle had been found with a flat tire. Harris says that officers learned that Warner had a warrant for his arrest and was possibly armed with a handgun. At approximately 5:35 p.m. on Friday, Officers Travis Harbaugh and Michael Beerwart located Warner walking on State Road 46. They arrested Warner at gun point and transported him to the Bartholomew County Jail.

Columbus firefighters say an unattended candle sparked a fire early this morning.

The incident happened at about 1:51 a.m., when firefighters were called to a home in the 1000 block of Cottage Avenue, says Capt. Mike Wilson, spokesman for the fire department.

An adult was awoken by a sound of their toddler crying and noticed thick black smoke throughout the rental home. The family of two adults and the toddler escaped the and called 911.

Firefighters crawled through the thick smoke to extinguish the fire, Wilson says. The smoke caused damage throughout the house while the fire was contained to one bedroom. He said investigators estimate about $40,000 in damage was caused to the home and contents.

No working smoke detectors were found in the home. No one was injured.

The town of Hope will be holding its Old Fashioned Independence Day on Friday, June 30th on the Hope Town Square.

Barb Johnson, director of the Yellow Trail Museum, says that this year’s event will include the traditional kids parade around the Town Square and the apple-pie baking contest. But it will also feature the first “Little Miss Sparkler and Mr. Firecracker” contest. You can pick up entry forms for any of those events at the Hope branch library or at the Yellow Trail Museum.

Events start at 5 p.m. that afternoon, with the Banister Family Band performing at 7:30 p.m. and fireworks that evening.

The event is free.

About 4,000 Bartholomew County REMC customers were without power for several hours yesterday.

That’s after Duke Energy transmission lines went down. A spokeswoman for the electric co-op says that power was restored to all REMC customers by about 1 p.m. yesterday afternoon.

Local fundraisers want to put more books about women role models in Bartholomew County school and public libraries.

The Women’s Giving Circle, a program of Heritage Fund: The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County, is working with Bartholomew Consolidated and Flat Rock-Hawcreek schools to add books to community libraries dealing with women’s history and achievements.

Kristin Munn, director of development for Heritage Fund, explains:

Munn says

that the books were chosen by Bartholomew Consolidated librarians:

Laura Hack, director of elementary education for BCSC, explains the efforts

The goal to raise $5,000. That will add up to 40 books in each of the libraries at all Bartholomew Consolidated and Flat Rock-Hawcreek elementary schools, as well as each of the county library branches.

For more information or to donate to the efforts, you can look online at heritagefundbc.org/donate

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The city of Columbus has lifted the boil water advisory for Columbus City Utilities customers.

The announcement from the city:

After consulting with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management on 06‐17‐17, the Boil Water Advisory is lifted and customers in Columbus City Utilities service area can resume using tap
water for all purposes. Columbus City Utilities water quality is proven safe.

The first 2017 cases of West Nile virus in humans have occurred in Indiana, and state health officials are urging you to take steps to protect yourself from mosquito bites. The Indiana State Department of Health says that as of June 14th, two human cases of West Nile virus have been documented in Hamilton and Lake counties, and mosquitoes in Morgan and Tippecanoe counties have tested positive for West Nile virus. Health officials expect to see increased West Nile activity throughout the state this summer.

Some steps you can take to protect yourself include:

– Avoid being outside when mosquitoes are active (especially late afternoon, dusk to dawn and early morning);
– Apply an insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol to clothes and exposed skin;
– Cover exposed skin;
– Install or repair screens on windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out of your home;
– Discard old tires, tin cans, ceramic pots or other containers that can hold water;
– Repair failed septic systems;
– Drill holes in the bottom of recycling containers left outdoors;
– Keep grass cut short and shrubbery trimmed;
– Clean clogged roof gutters;
– Frequently replace the water in pet bowls;
– Flush ornamental fountains and birdbaths periodically;
– Aerate ornamental pools, or stock them with predatory fish

To see the latest results of ISDH’s mosquito surveillance, go to https://gis.in.gov/apps/ISDH/Arbo/.

Columbus City Utilities has issued a Boil Order for all customers. This after the utility’s water system detected fecal indicators (E. coli) in one of the wells. Keith Reeves, director of the utility, says that a sample from the well at the Bartholomew County Fairgrounds on Thursday tested positive for E. coli.

Reeves adds that they will have staff investigating this issue throughout the weekend. This includes multiple tests and retests in the hope of having answers within 36 hours. Reeves says the hope is that the boil order will be rescinded at that time.

In the meantime, Columbus City Utilities says that you should not consume any city water without first bringing it to a rolling boil. You are also encouraged to use bottled water for cooking, drinking and washing dishes until further notice.

Columbus boil water advisory official notice