An early-morning shouting incident in downtown Columbus ended up in an arrest for a North Vernon man over the weekend.

Columbus police are reporting that they were called to an incident where a man was screaming in the area of Fourth and Washington streets at about 1:50 on Sunday morning. They found 37-year-old Joshua K. England who was slurring his words and appeared wobbly on his feet. As he was being arrested, he allegedly kicked an officer while police were trying to put him in a patrol vehicle and also kicked a jail officer while being locked up, according to police reports.

He is facing preliminary charges of resisting law enforcement, disorderly conduct and battery on a law enforcement officer.

The first funding request to tap into money from last year’s Bartholomew County income tax hike to battle drug addiction will be heard this afternoon.

Bartholomew courts officials are asking for just over $240,000 to fund what they are calling REALM, or the Recovery Enables a Life for Men program. The court-ordered drug treatment program is patterned after a similar program for women called WRAP that the county already has been using.

Jeff Jones, the executive lead for the Alliance for Substance Abuse Progress in Bartholomew County said that a city and county funding board will consider the request.

The new joint board was set up specifically to consider the funding requests from the new income tax revenues. It is made up of the Columbus mayor, a county commissioner, the hospital CEO and members of the city and county councils.

Jones said this is the first financial request of the recently formed board.

The proposal includes funding to operate the rest of this year and all of next year. If approved by the funding board, the request would then go on to the City and/or County Councils for final funding approval.

The Substance Abuse Public Funding Board meets at 2 p.m. today in the Council Chambers at Columbus City Hall.

North Vernon police say they were called to check on the welfare of a woman at a home and ended up arresting two people on drug charges.

Police reported yesterday that they were called last Monday evening to check on a woman and on reported drug activity at a home in the 500 block of Daniel Drive.

After receiving reports detailing drug activity at the home, police sought a search warrant and recovered drug paraphernalia, prescription pills not in their container, 20 grams of what they believe to be methamphetamine, along with heroin residue and 10 firearms.

47-year-old Perry D. Proctor and 32-year-old Cassie L. Bright are both facing charges of dealing in a controlled substance and methamphetamine, along with maintaining a common nuisance and possessing drug paraphernalia.

The Purdue Cooperative Extension office in Bartholomew County is reporting that we have some top-notch tractor drivers in the community.

Seven community students took part in the tractor competition at the Indiana State Fair last week competing against 180 youth from all over Indiana

Daniel Murphy won the championship in the senior lawn tractor category and defended his 2017 championship in senior zero turn tractors. Joel Murphy was reserve champion in the junior zero turn category. Winning blue ribbons in their categories were Brendan Boewe, Joel Beck, Wyatt Romine, Heidi Murphy and John Beck.

Bartholomew County had the highest number of rankings of any county at the state level, according to the extension office.

North Vernon police arrested a man on drug charges after he was found slumped over in a vehicle Saturday morning. Police were asked to check on the man in a store parking lot at just after 8 a.m. Saturday.

They found 33-year-old Rodney Calvert in the vehicle and he allegedly had a syringe in plain view. A search of his vehicle also allegedly found 8 grams of meth, more syringes and prescription pills that were not in the proper containers.

Calvert was arrested on charges of possession of meth and a syringe and a legend drug violation.

Several local people were recognized recently by the Indiana Office of Tourism Development and Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch for their contributions.to improving tourism with the Hoosier Hospitality Award.

Among those receiving awards at a ceremony last  week were Bartholomew County awardees Andrea Stewart with Sprague Hotel Developers and Cindy Waddle with Dora Hotel Company. That was  along with Darla Gartner with the Hilton Garden Inn and Kim Smith with the Ashley-Drake Historic Inn and Gardens, both in Johnson County.

Those receiving the Hoosier Hospitality Awards were nominated by community members and by their patrons.

The awards were announced at an annual presentation at the Indiana State Fair.

North Vernon Police are reporting two arrests in a child abuse investigation where a small child was allegedly neglected by his parents.

Police report that they were called to a home in the 200 block of Manor Road earlier this month on a report of a battery on small child. While the child appeared OK, police discovered that the living conditions in the home “horrid,” said Sgt. Andrew Richmond.

Police said that there was a fish tank containing dead fish and left over food on the front porch, exposed electrical wiring, sewage in a bathroom, and piles of dirty clothes. There was also no electricity nor hot water , very little food and no cold food storage.

Officers asked the 9-year-old when his last meal had been, and the boy said he had last eaten during lunchtime at school. The call came in at about 11:25 p.m. on the night of Friday, Aug. 10th according to police reports.

Police arrested the parents, 42 year old Justin Dubben and 47 year old Karen Dubben on charges of neglect of a dependent.

The boy was taken from the home by the Jennings County Department of Child Services. Jennings County Animal Control also removed a dog from the home.

Columbus city officials are trying to get you up to speed about some new style traffic signals you will be seeing around town. The two new types of signs are called Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons and Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons.

You will see the Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons as part of the Rocky Ford Road improvement project and the Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon at the 17th and Washington Street intersection.

City planners say that these signals improve access and safety for those walking and biking in our community but pedestrians and drivers need to know how they operate and what you need to do when you encounter them.

The Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons flash yellow when pedestrians have activated them, while the Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons trigger a duel red light when pedestrians push the button.

City officials have posted directions on the Facebook page of the City County Planning Department or you can check out the graphic below:

WTIU Public Television will be airing a biographical documentary on a Columbus icon next week.

The show will feature the life of Clessie Cummins, the co-founder of Cummins Engine Co.

Andie Redwine, producer of the documentary, talked about how Cummins’ ingenuity helped him overcome an eighth grade education.

Redwine  explains that the company gave the filmmakers access to a taped interview with Clessie’s son Lyle:

Lyle said that his dad was the product of both his own family, and a close relationship with the Irwins.

The show will first air Monday on the IU based station at 8 in the evening. There will be other showings, both afternoon and evening through the rest of the week. You can get more information online at indianapublicmedia.org/clessiecummins/
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Columbus firefighters battled a fire in a vacant mobile home in Candlelight Village early this morning.

Capt. Mike Wilson with the fire department says that a resident was walking dogs in the neighborhood at about 3:20 a.m. this morning and noticed a flickering light coming from inside the home in the 2800 block of Lamplight Drive.

Smoke was pouring out of the home when firefighters arrived. Columbus police warned neighbors that they might need to evacuate. Attacking the fire from two sides, firefighters got the blaze under control and limited most of the fire damage to the rear of the home.

However, Wilson said there was still heat and smoke damage throughout the structure. Although the home had been vacant for about two months, there were still belongings left behind by the previous tenant.

He estimated the damages at about $20,000.