A kitchen fire, possibly sparked by a candle, did $30,000 in damage to a Columbus apartment Sunday afternoon.

Firefighters were called to the Columbus Villa Apartments on 27th Place at about 5:40 p.m.  yesterday and found heavy smoke and flames coming from apartment windows. Firefighter found the apartment door locked, so they attacked the kitchen fire from outside, extinguishing it. It was out just before 6 p.m.

Capt. Mike Wilson said that the apartment appeared unoccupied and a former resident said there were no utilities turned on at the location. She said that her family was mostly moved out, but were collecting things earlier in the day and had used a candle in the kitchen, but she thought she had extinguished it. .

Interior damage was limited to the single apartment, but flames damaged vinyl siding on the two-story townhome apartment building. Wilson said the fire caused an estimated $30,000 in damage. The cause of the fire is undetermined, but investigators suspect the candle in the kitchen.

Columbus police that they recovered a stolen pickup Saturday afternoon, just minutes after its loss was reported.

Officers were called to the 700 block of Reed Street on a stolen vehicle report just after noon Saturday. The truck was found near 8th and Wilson streets a few moments later.

The driver, 26-year-old Dilian Ozbun of Columbus was arrested and a search of his clothing recovered methamphetamine and two stolen cell phones, police report.

He is facing charges of theft, auto theft and possession of methamphetamine.

Last week’s cold weather led to record numbers of overnight stays at the Columbus Brighter Days homeless shelter.

The shelter is operated by Love Chapel and the Columbus Township Trustee’s office. Kelly Daugherty, the new executive director of Love Chapel, was in his first week flying solo in the new role, when a snowstorm shut down county roads over MLK Day weekend, and then a polar vortex just a few days later brought record colds to the area.

Daugherty said said that the shelter housed 36 people Tuesday night, and 41 on Wednesday night — a new record. He praised the efforts of staff and volunteers, but said there are areas that still need to be addressed in future disaster plans.

Columbus Township Trustee Ben Jackson said that he will be meeting with city officials soon to nail down housing plans for families in dire conditions.

Jackson said that he and others tried to find every homeless person they could to get them to the shelter during the worst of last week’s weather.

There have been no reports yet of any homeless residents injured or killed by the cold snap.

Jackson said there are several homeless people known to authorities and community members who simply will not accept the help nor give information about their living conditions. He said there is little to be done in those situations.

Columbus police are looking for any information you might have about a man possibly involved in the death of a woman on Interstate 65 last fall.

They are looking for Alejandro Espinoza Ocampo who officers believe may have information on the death of Aracelei Macedo in September. Her body was found on the side of the interstate between Columbus and Walesboro and went unidentified for several days.

Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact the Columbus Police Department at 812-376-2600. Tips and information can be left anonymously.

A fire in hot oil on a kitchen stove led to $30,000 in damage to a Central Avenue apartment complex Saturday night in Columbus.

Columbus firefighters were called to the apartments in the 3600 block of Central Avenue at just after 8:30 Saturday night and found smoke and flames coming from a kitchen window. All residents were already out of the four apartments, says Capt. Mike Wilson.

The fire was quickly knocked down and investigators discovered that a resident had placed frozen food in a pan of hot oil, causing the oil to splatter and ignite nearby combustible materials. Wilson said the damage was confined to the single apartment including extensive damage to the kitchen.

No injuries were reported and Wilson said the apartment had a working smoke detector.

Indiana State Police are accusing a Columbus corrections officer of firing a shot that went through a wall of his own home and into a neighbor’s bedroom where two children were sleeping.

Troopers are reporting that the incident happened on January 11th on Alan Drive in Columbus. 19-year-old Nicholas L. Wright is accused of firing the shot that ended up lodged inside a toy in the neighbor’s children’s room. And he is also being accused of altering the scene to cover up the incident and then lying to investigators about the situation.

Wright is facing charges of criminal recklessness and obstruction of justice.

Indiana State Police detectives investigated the case after it was found that Wright worked in the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.

A large tire fire at a Garden City scrapyard sent up a huge plume of smoke south of Columbus Friday afternoon. Three volunteer fire departments battled the blaze.

Chief Dave Thompson with Columbus Township Fire and Rescue says that a cutting torch being used to dismantle cars at Garden City Iron and Metal sparked the blaze in the tire pile. Firefighters from his department, along with others from Harrison and Wayne Townships used water and foam to extinguish the fire.

Thompson says that crews spent about an hour battling the fire. No one was injured and no damage estimate are available.

The city of Columbus and Columbus Regional Health now own the Fair Oaks Mall property. The city partnered with CRH and Heritage Fund: The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County to offer to purchase the more than 35 acre site for $5.9 million in December.

The city council created the non-profit group, Fair Oaks Community Development Corporation to handle the transaction and to manage of the site. On Friday, the Fair Oaks Community Development Corporation Finance and Facilities committees held a joint meeting at the mall. Mary Ferdon, the city’s director of administration, explains…

Brad Davis, chair of the Finance Committee, says that some action has already been taken. That includes the retention of Veritas Realty as property manager and Securitas being retained for security. As for mall tenants, Davis says that the mall added one new tenant in January.

Ferdon says the work of these committees in ongoing.

A third committee, called a Design Committee, has yet to be formed. That body will be charged with coming up with a plan on how to proceed with the property. City officials have long said that hopes for the site include an indoor sports complex and a CRH-run clinic of some kind.

Committee members met Friday in anticipation of the full board’s meeting at the mall on Monday. That’s set for 1:30 p.m. in the former J. Nicole store. You’re invited.

Lower water levels and a break from the record low temperatures allowed emergency personnel to search the Big Blue River again today for a potential drowning victim.

First responders from Indiana Conservation Officers, Johnson County Dive Team, Shelby County Water Rescue Team and Franklin Fire Department conducted a complete search of the river from the dam to approximately 200 yards downstream. There were over twenty personnel in the water, using poles and their hands and feet to search the bottom of the river. They were searching for the body of a white male who reportedly went over the dam at the Big Blue River near Edinburgh on the afternoon of Jan. 24th. A witness reported that the man had blond hair, thin build and was wearing a red shirt and blue jeans.

Conservation officials say that agencies will always be on the lookout. However, unless there is significant information about the identity of the potential victim, there are no further plans to have a coordinated search of the river.

Bartholomew County Sheriff Matt Myers wants schools to be safer. He joined Porter County Sheriff Dave Reynolds, who also the Legislative Chairman of the Indiana Sheriff’s Association, to support his testimony for Indiana House Bill 1225.

HB 1225 provides that school corporations, with their county sheriff, may apply for a grant from the Indiana Secured School Fund to provide for the initial set up costs for an active event warning system. When installed, Myers says the system would notify all law enforcement of a dangerous situation.

Sheriff Myers says he supports this bill because it serves as another way to secure the safety of children. In addition, he says the bill will provide law enforcement in our communities with quicker response times to incidents. Myers explains that on-duty and off-duty law enforcement officers would immediately be notified in case of an Active Assailant incident, even notify officers who may be in another county. It also allows every officer to know every other officer who is on scene.

That’s not to say that Sheriff Myers is completely happy with the proposal. “What I don’t support about this particular bill is the fact that schools will need to apply for grants overseen by the State to install the Automated Immediate Notification System in schools. I believe these systems should be mandated by the State and funded by the State.”