The Columbus Parks and Recreation Department will be constructing a new maintenance building at a cost of just over $200,000.

That’s after the Indiana Department of Environmental Management warned that the current building in Lincoln Park is inadequate, especially for an area that also has some of the city’s wells for drinking water.

Mark Jones, head of the parks department, explains that the existing building is used to store many materials including chemicals. He said that there have been no spills or other incidents, but the discussion with IDEM came about after an audit of parks facilities.

Jones, head of the parks department says that the existing building started out as a two-bay garage which is too small for the city’s needs.

Jones said that the city will be building a structure that allows for space for the up to 15 employees who work there now, as well as facilities to safely clean equipment. The building will not be air conditioned and will largely be a shell.

The City Council last night approved spending the money to construct the building out of the parks department’s cash reserves. Jones said the estimated cost to construct the building is about $200,000 but that is before the design work has been completed. He asked the Council to approve $240,000 in spending for the project.

Columbus police say that a traffic stop last night turned into a drug arrest for a Nineveh man.

Police saw a vehicle driving without taillights at about 11:40 last night on U.S. 31 near Central Avenue. After stopping the vehicle, the officer allegedly noticed the smell of narcotics inside the vehicle and saw methamphetamine in the center console.

32 year old Kyle L. Stewart was arrested and is facing preliminary charges of possession of methamphetamine and maintaining a common nuisance. Two other people in the vehicle were released.

A wanted Columbus man is behind bars after police spotted him walking near 11th Street and Franklin Street on Friday afternoon. Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the Columbus Police Department, says that at approximately 2:45 p.m., Sgt. Oscar Olmeda spotted 42-year-old William C. Cox. Harris says that Cox had a felony warrant for his arrest. After Cox was taken into custody, officers reported finding a syringe and a stolen debit card in his possession.

Cox is facing preliminary charges of Possession of Stolen Property and Possession of a Syringe. The warrant was for Failure to Appear on original charges: Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Theft of a Firearm, Theft and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm with a Prior Domestic Violence Conviction.

Congressman Luke Messer, a Republican representing Indiana’s Sixth Congressional District, announced Monday that his staff will host mobile office hours in Columbus on Thursday. Mobile office hours will be held Thursday, from 10:30 a.m to 1:30 p.m. at the Hamilton Center’s CMT room, located at 2501 Lincoln Park Drive in Columbus.

Constituents who need help navigating the federal government or have questions are invited to stop by and speak with staff members.

For more information, visit messer.house.gov.

Franklin Police are investigating a shooting that left one man injured. Authorities say that at approximately 1:52 a.m. on Sunday, officers responded to 1531 Younce Street on a report of a person shot. Upon arrival, police found 21-year-old Tristan Lear shot in his left forearm multiple times. Lear was transported to Eskenazi Hospital where he was later released in good condition.

Investigators say that the shooter and another subject had left the scene just prior to officers’ arrival. Soon after the incident, police say they located the shooter, 24-year-old Michael Lentz, and another person who allegedly fled the scene. Authorities say that Lentz is cooperating with investigators.

Franklin Police say that once the investigation is completed, findings will be forwarded to the Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office for review to determine if any criminal charges will be filed.

Portions of the People Trail system are closed due to high water. Columbus Parks and Rec says that currently, high water is across the trail in the following areas:
Hawcreek by the hospital and by State Street bridge;
the Northbrook area;
sections of the Clifty Park trail.

They will reopen after the water has receded and crews have cleaned any mud and debris left behind.

A number of streets in Columbus, and throughout Bartholomew County, are flooded to the heavy rainfall. Officials from the city have released the following statement:

Due to the extensive rain the Columbus area experienced today, many streets and storm sewers are flooded. The flooding is also compounded by leaves in the streets and storm sewers, which inhibits drainage.

The Columbus Police Department and Department of Public Works employees have been out all Sunday evening dealing with flooded streets and putting up barriers as needed. They will continue throughout the night and into Monday clearing streets and working on alleviating the flooding.

Please use caution when driving and do not drive through high water. We would appreciate any help residents can provide by removing leaves and debris that may be clogging storm grates along their street.

A Columbus man was arrested after an alleged armed robbery at a gas station. The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department says that at about 6:40 p.m. on Saturday, deputies responded to the station at the intersection of 25th Street‬ and State Road 9. Authorities say that a man entered the business, displayed a handgun and demanded money from an employee.

The suspect was identified as 27-year-old Joseph Freeman, V. Authorities say that Freeman was arrested at his home on a preliminary charge of Robbery with a Deadly Weapon, a Level 3 felony. He remains behind bars at the Bartholomew County Jail.

The incident remains under under investigation and anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Terrance Holderness at (812) 565-5927.

A community vigil will be held Sunday afternoon in memory of Xavier Scrogham, a teen who died in a motorcycle crash on a country road near Hope after a police chase last year.

Scrogham was driving his motorcycle on U.S. 31 north of Columbus in August of 2016, when he passed a patrol car driven by an off-duty, Nashville reserve officer. After fleeing from the officer, Scrogham crashed and died in eastern Bartholomew County not far from his home.

Scrogham’s mother, Carleen, says that the vigil Sunday is meant to raise questions she has about her son’s death and to bring awareness to problems in our judicial system.

The driver of the police car pleaded guilty to false informing in August. As part of the plea deal, charges of reckless driving were dropped. He admitted to lying about the speed Scrogham was driving, when he began the chase. He was given a 180 day suspended sentence and placed on probation for 180 days.

The vigil will be at 2 p.m. Sunday on the steps of Columbus City Hall. It is being organized by the local chapter of Black Lives Matter.