North Vernon Police made a pair of arrests after a Tuesday night traffic stop. Officers say they stopped a vehicle in the area of North State Street and Scott Street at 7:41 p.m. They allege that the driver, Andra Baker, was intoxicated. She was arrested on a preliminary charge of Operating a Vehicle while Intoxicated. A passenger, 25-year-old Nicole Stephens, of North Vernon, was ultimately on preliminary charges of Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Paraphernalia.

Supporters of the United Way of Bartholomew County celebrated the announcement last night that the annual Give United campaign raised $4.1 million dollars in 2017.

The agency held its annual meeting and awards ceremony yesterday.

The Live United award went to Faurecia Clean Mobility, Al Furlani picked up the Volunteer award while Beth Powers was named the recipient of the Advocate award. Cummins was recognized with the Give award.

The outgoing board chairwoman Jenny Manns passed the gavel to this year’s chairman Paul Malone at the event held at The Commons.

An inmate trying to flee the Bartholomew County Courthouse was Tased and is now facing additional charges.

The incident happened at just after 3  p.m. Monday afternoon, when the inmate, 32-year-old Fredrick Dabner of Seymour, began waving his hands in the air while making an appearance in the Child Support courtroom. Dabner then allegedly pushed past a corrections officer and ran out of the courtroom, according to Judy Jackson spokeswoman for the sheriff’s department..

Corrections Officer Tim Claburn was at the courthouse security desk. saw the situation unfolding on camera and intercepted Dabner — hitting him with the Taser before the inmate could make it outside. An Indiana State Police trooper and a sheriff’s deputy arrived to assist in Dabner’s recapture.

Dabner had originally been in jail on a court order for failing to pay child support. He is facing new charges of resisting law enforcement and escape.

Another step to create and fund and an advisory board to help tackle the opioid epidemic in Bartholomew County passed the Columbus City Council Tuesday night. The board would be comprised of officials from the city, county, Columbus Regional Health and other stakeholders in determining what projects and programs would benefit from public funding.

The city council voted 7-0 to give final approval for ordinances creating and funding the body. Mary Ferdon, the city’s director of administration, explains that the measure now goes to the county commissioners for their approval. Once both the city and county give final approval, an agreement linking the two bodies would need to be approved. Ferdon says that is likely still months away.

Tuesday night’s actions also included the creation of a non-reverting fund to help finance future efforts to battle the opioid epidemic. The council set aside $250,000 during last year’s budget process for that very effort. The council also approved moving those funds to that account.

Work on further development of the downtown riverfront in Columbus continues after the city council gave its initial approval for the city’s Redevelopment Commission to spend nearly half-a-million dollars to create design development plans, largely for the area between the Second and Third Street bridges. Heather Pope, the city’s director of redevelopment, explains that the past four administrations have talked about developing the riverfront, but work began in earnest by the redevelopment commission in January of 2017.

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Pope says that it was made clear that the community view riverfront development as an important part of improving the quality of life for residents of Columbus.

Pope explains that the plan calls for the removal of the low-head dam and the addition of other amenities.

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Money for the project would come from revenue in the city’s tax increment financing district — a portion of property taxes paid by owners in the district that are scooped up by the commission for development.

City Council members approved the ordinance unanimously. It is scheduled to come before the council for final approval on March 20th.

The Columbus Fire Department reminds residents to change your smoke alarm batteries as you set your clocks for the beginning of daylight savings time this Sunday. Daylight savings time will begin at 2 a.m. on Sunday. At that time, clocks should be sprung forward to 3 a.m. Capt. Mike Wilson, department spokesman, says this is a great time for families to review fire safety planning and inspect or replace smoke alarms in the home. CFD recommends that smoke alarm batteries be replaced twice a year, while alarms should be tested once a month.

“Smoke alarms are an inexpensive tool for early fire detection that every home should have,” says Columbus Fire Chief Mike Compton. “Working smoke alarms, coupled with an emergency escape plan, increases the chances of surviving a fire in the home.”

Wilson says that firefighters recommend that you inspect all of your smoke alarms this weekend and ensure that they are in working order. He adds that smoke alarms that were manufactured 10 or more years ago, should be replaced. Authorities say that a smoke alarm’s manufacture date is typically found on the back of the device.

In addition to protecting your family through the use of smoke alarms, CFD officials recommend reviewing your home fire escape plan with your family. All family members should be aware of what to do if a fire breaks out in the home. If you need assistance in creating a home fire escape plan, or need assistance with smoke alarms, you are encouraged to contact the Columbus Fire Department Fire Prevention Bureau at (812) 376-2584, or visit the Columbus Fire Department website: columbus.in.gov/fire/.

Two Chicago residents were arrested in Seymour on Tuesday after a stabbing. Sgt. Stephen Wheeles, spokesman for the Indiana State Police Post in Versailles, says that ISP Troopers and Seymour Police were called to the 2100 block of East Tipston Street at approximately 6 a.m. after the stabbing, which occurred on a MegaBus.

Wheeles says that the initial investigation determined that the stabbing occurred while the bus traveling south on I-65, just north of Seymour. After the stabbing, the bus driver exited the interstate and stopped at a gas station at the corner of US 50 and Sandy Creek Drive until officers arrived.

Police say the victim, 19-year-old Xavier Collins, was taken to Schneck Medical Center in Seymour for treatment of non-life threatening injuries to his leg. The suspect is Collins’ girlfriend, 19-year-old Lebria Graham. Wheeles says that police also recovered the suspected weapon from the scene. ISP detectives determined that Graham and Collins were allegedly playing some type of game with the knife while they were on the upper deck of the bus. At some point during the game, Graham allegedly stabbed Collins in the leg.

Graham was arrested on preliminary charges of Criminal Recklessness with a Deadly Weapon and Battery with a Deadly Weapon. Authorities say that Collins became uncooperative in the investigation and gave a false name to investigators. After being treated and released from the hospital, Collins was arrested on preliminary charges of Obstruction of Justice and False Informing.

The investigation is ongoing.

Schneck Primary Care is announcing that Dr. Michael Conway plans to retire from his family practice on May 17th.

Dr. Conway has been a Seymour family doctor for more than 33 years, including at Jackson Park Physicians, which is now a Schneck facility, according to the hospital.

Schneck Primary Care is urging patients to move their care to another physician team in the practice and to reschedule any appointments set for after May 17th.

Columbus police arrested two people on drug charges after a traffic stop last night on the east side of Columbus.

Police stopped a car for a minor traffic violation at around 9 last night on Gladstone Avenue and Columbus police dog Max alerted to the smell of drugs inside the vehicle. The driver, 55-year- old Felix A. Rodriguez of Jonesville allegedly was carrying marijuana and drug paraphernalia, while a passenger, 32-year-old Jessica N. Hynes allegedly had heroin, syringes and drug paraphernalia in her purse says Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the Columbus police.

Harris says that jail workers discovered more drugs hidden in Rodriguez’s clothing after he was taken in.

Rodriguez is facing preliminary charges of possession of methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia along with trafficking with an inmate..

Hynes is facing preliminary charges of possession of heroin, a legend drug injection device and drug paraphernalia.

Columbus City Council will consider spending just under half a million dollars to design a project for the riverfront between the Second and Third Street bridges downtown.

Last month, the Columbus Redevelopment Commission approved the spending, which would take the project through the design process, right up to the start of applications for approval to regulatory bodies at the state and federal level. There is no guarantee that the agencies will approve the city’s request to revamp the area, including removing the dangerous dam in East Fork White River.

Although the redevelopment commission has the authority to spend up to half a million dollars on its own, the commission decided to bring the $496,000 design project to the City Council for their approval also.

City Council meets at 6 p.m. tonight at Columbus City Hall.