Donald Rooks Jr. Photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.
Bartholomew County deputies arrested an Elizabethtown man on domestic violence charges after an incident early Saturday morning.
45 year old Donald Rooks, Jr. of County Road 350E is facing charges of domestic battery with children present and Intimidation.
Deputies were called to the home at about 1:39 a.m. in the morning. They say that Rooks had been arguing with a victim, when he fell and hit his head. As the victim tried to help him up, he allegedly hit her in the face.
The victim refused medical treatment. Rooks was checked at Columbus Regional Hospital before being taken to the Bartholomew County Jail.
Shannon Hickey; photo courtesy of Columbus Police Dept.
Two local residents were arrested by Columbus Police for drunk driving within a four hour period over the weekend. Lt. Matt Harris, department spokesman, says that at approximately 11:10 p.m. Saturday, Officer Robert Mitchell noticed a vehicle traveling west in the eastbound lane of McKinnley Avenue near McClure Road. Mitchell stopped the vehicle and noted that the driver, 30-year-old Shannon E. Hickey, of Columbus, appeared to be intoxicated. After failing a field sobriety test, Hickey was transported to Columbus Regional Hospital for a blood draw. She is facing a preliminary charge of Operating a Vehicle while Intoxicated (Previous Conviction within Five Years).
Harris says that just before 3 a.m. Sunday, Officer Michael Butler was dispatched to the area of Gladstone Avenue and Indiana Avenue in regards to a possible drunk driver that had ran off the road. Butler found the vehicle a short time later and noted that it had front end damage and was partially in the roadway. When Butler spoke with the driver, 36-year-old Hector M. Alamo Tapia, of Columbus, he reported
Hector M Alamo Tapia; photo courtesy of Columbus Police Dept.
smelling alcohol on Tapia’s breath. Authorities say that Tapia failed one field sobriety test and refused to the complete the others. He was transported to Columbus Regional Hospital for a blood draw and later arrested on preliminary charges of Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated and Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Accident.
The Hawcreek and Flat Rock Area Endowment had its second best fundraising year ever in 2017, blowing through a fundraising goal and qualifying for 2 to 1 matching funds.
That achievement is pushing the fund, which benefits not-for-profit groups in northeastern Bartholomew County, to more than $800,000 in the endowment nest egg. Adam Miller, chairman of the endowment, explains.
Miller explains that will allow the fund to give out about $30,000 in grants this year..
Last year, the fund gave out just under that amount. Miller explains some of the most recenlty funded projects.
The endowment is taking applications for not-for-profit groups seeking grants through Friday, April 6th.
Columbus Regional Hospital hopes to announce plans in the next few days on who will be taking over the former Republic office building on Second Street in downtown Columbus.
The now empty building is centrally located in downtown, across the streets from both the Bartholomew County Courthouse and Columbus city Hall.
Designed by the same firm that created the former Sears Tower (now Willis Tower), in Chicago, the building is a National Historic Landmark and is on the Columbus architectural tour. It was sold in 2106 by the former owners, Home News Enterprises, after the newspaper itself was sold. The newspaper has since moved to National Road.
Kelsey DeClue, spokeswoman for the hospital, says that they will soon announce plans on selling the building.
DeClue says that the hospital’s original plans were to move hospital support services such as billing to the former newspaper offices.
The announcement of the new owners should come before the end of the month, DeClue said.
Ultimately, the hospital’s goal was to be a good steward of the architectural landmark, DeClue said.
Cummins’ new X12 engine has been chosen for Heavy Duty Trucking’s Top 20 award for 2018. The company says the award is recognition for the innovation in creating the lightest heavy-duty engine in North America.
The company says the new engine will weigh in at just over a ton (2,050 pounds) and can deliver up to 500 horsepower, the highest power-to-weight ration of any heavy duty engine, between 10 and 16 liters in size. Combined with the aftertreatment system, the entire package still weighs only 2,340 pounds, the company says.
The engine will be available this year. Last year, the Cummins X15 engine platform won the same award.
Portions of the Columbus People Trail System have been closed due to rising water.
Columbus Parks and Recreation Department says that the trail near Northbrook has been closed until the water recedes and they can clear up any debris. Other areas may close over the weekend as water continues to rise.
Jerry D, McInteer. Photo courtesy of Columbus Police Department.
A traffic stop last evening led to a drug dealing arrest after Columbus police found more than $3,700 in cash and drugs in a vehicle.
39-year-old Jerry D. McInteer is facing preliminary charges of dealing methamphetamine and possession of marijuana.
Columbus police report that an officer saw McInteer commit a minor traffic violation at about 7 p.m. Thursday evening at McKinley Avenue and South Mapleton Street. Officers thought McInteer looked nervous and a police dog detected the smell of drugs inside the vehicle.
Police say that they found marijuana under the driver’s seat and a search of McInteer turned up a large amount of methamphetamine and the cash in this clothing.
The Columbus Area Arts Council is announcing the lineup for this summer’s Neighborfest concerts in front of The Commons and this year the Thursday afternoon shows will offer a new time.
The season will kick off on June 7th with the Woomblies Rock Orchestra. This year the shows will start at 6 and run to 8:30 p.m. which is half an hour later than the start in previous years. Organizers say that the new start time should allow more people to attend.
Other shows are set for July 12th with the Warrior Kings, August 2nd with The Jackson Way and September 6th with Columbus’s own Flat Earth.
Neighborfest is sponsored by JCB and the concerts are free to the community. You can get more information about arts council programming by going to artsincolumbus.org
A young Columbus girl died from complications of the flu.
Bartholomew County Coroner Clayton Nolting says that results are back from the autopsy of 7-year-old Savanna Jessie who died at her home on Feb. 1st.
She was found unresponsive by her family. Emergency responders rushed her to Columbus Regional Health, where she was pronounced dead. Nolting says the child had been treated after testing positive for influenza B, strep throat and scarlet fever.
Jessie was a student at CSA Lincoln Elementary.
Amanda Organist, head of the public nursing unit at the Bartholomew County Health Department, says that the first line of defense against the flu is to get a flu shot. That is despite some concerns that the shot may not be as effective this year as it has been in previous years.
Other keys to preventing the spread is to make sure that if you are sick, to stay home.
She said you should also take standard precautions not to spread illness, such as covering your face with a tissue or your elbow if you cough, and make sure to wash your hands frequently.
Organist said that there is still flu vaccine available at the health department. You can call their offices at 812-379-1555 and hit option 1 to schedule an appointment.
The Indiana State Department of Health says there have been 169 flu-related deaths in Indiana so far this year. The most recent report, which came out last week, only counts through Feb. 3rd.
Columbus firefighters fought a major fire last night at Quail Run Apartments, that caused more than a quarter of a million dollars in damage, left 17 people homeless and killed at least one family pet.
The incident started when a resident noticed heavy smoke coming from a downstairs apartment in the 1100 block of Kevin Drive at just before 10 p.m. last night. Residents evacuated in their night clothes, coming outside to the heavy, cold rain. Two families were trapped by fire in the stairwell and had to be rescued from their apartments with ladders, says Capt. Mike Wilson, spokesman for the Columbus Fire Department.
Most of the damage was confined to the single apartment and the exterior of the building, Wilson said. Firefighters were able to stop the blaze before it spread to the building’s eaves, where it could have caused even more damage.
While firefighters worked at the scene, the apartment complex provided shelter to the displaced families to protect them from the rain and cold. After the fire was extinguished several families were escorted inside and allowed to gather some personal belongings, Wilson said.
Four families of 10 total people are being taken in temporarily by the Salvation Army while seven other people found their own shelter, Wilson said. A search of the apartments revealed a dog and cat who survived. Another dog died and a cat remains missing.
No injuries were reported at the scene and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Photo courtesy of Columbus Fire Department.Photo courtesy of Columbus Fire Department.Photo courtesy of Columbus Fire Department.Photo courtesy of Columbus Fire Department.Photo courtesy of Columbus Fire Department.
