DNR Law Enforcement Division director Col. Steve Hunter recently promoted three Indiana Conservation Officers to serve in Central Office headquarters in Indianapolis. Two of the officers promoted have local ties.

Maj. Jason Lee was promoted to Lt. Colonel/Executive Officer. DNR says that Lee began his career in 1998 as a field officer assigned to Johnson County, later transferring to Brown County. He was promoted to District 6 Lieutenant in 2009 before being promoted to South Region Captain in 2011. In 2016 Lee was promoted to Operations Major. He is a 2014 graduate of the FBI National Academy and a 2016 graduate of Police Executive Leadership Academy.

Capt. Tim Beaver was promoted to Operations Major. Beaver began his career as a field officer assigned to Bartholomew County in 2003. He was promoted to District 6 Lieutenant in 2011 and then to South Region Captain in 2016 to supervise the southern District 5 lieutenants. He is a 2011 graduate of the IMPD Leadership Academy.

Cpl. Jet Quillen, a public information officer for the DNR, was promoted to Public Relations Captain.

“These officers bring a vast amount of knowledge and experience to their new leadership roles,” Hunter said. “We are very excited for the future of the Law Enforcement Division.”

Bartholomew County deputies are not buying a woman’s story of another driver of her vehicle who left the scene of a Saturday morning accident.

Instead, 23-year-old Suni Landero Escalante,  of Columbus was arrested on a charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

Deputies were called to the northbound lanes of Interstate 65 at about 4:51 a.m. Saturday after a vehicle allegedly rear-ended another vehicle, leaving one vehicle upside down. Witnesses say that a woman, later identified as Escalante, ran from the scene. Then returned shortly afterwards. They also said she was the only person in the vehicle.

However, Escalante claimed that the actual driver was picked up by a friend and had left the scene of the crash.

Columbus police are touting an active patrol effort that led to 20 arrests over the past week. Many of those arrested are now facing drug charges, but there were also arrests for drunk driving, theft and resisting law enforcement.

Sgt. Alyson M. Eichel with the Columbus police says that the proactive criminal patrols were focused on high-property crime areas of the city. In addition to the officers from the CPD intelligence-led policing unit, the department detectives, the K-9 units and the uniform division, the effort also involved the Bartholomew County Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team and the Indiana State Police also assisted.

Those arrested were:

1. David W. Sidwell, 41, Columbus; Bartholomew County Warrant, Possession of Paraphernalia
2. Travis D. Lyles, 36, Columbus; Possession of Heroin, Possession of Methamphetamine
3. Bethann L. Hill, 29, Columbus; Possession of Heroin, Possession of Methamphetamine
4. Gage R. Cossell, 22, Columbus; Possession of Heroin, Possession of Paraphernalia
5. Douglass H. Mitchell, 56, Columbus; Driving while Suspended- Prior
6. Raymond D. Sanchez, 36, Columbus; Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Paraphernalia
7. Kenneth A. Pulley, 32, Columbus; Bartholomew County Warrant
8. John C. Marshall, 27, Columbus; Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Paraphernalia
9. Jennifer A. Crow, 34, Columbus; Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Methamphetamine
10. Curtis T. Phillips, 49, Columbus; Possession of Marijuana
11. Timothy M. Nickerson, 49, Columbus; Theft less than $750, Possession of Methamphetamine
12. Cody M. McNealy, 26, Edinburgh; Driving While Suspended- Prior
13. Loni L. Mosley, 43, Columbus; Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Paraphernalia
14. Carla L. Burton, 35, Columbus; Operating a Vehicle at HTV
15. Ashley N. Marsh, 28, Columbus; Theft left than $750
16. Jordan D. Wilson, 31, Columbus; Possession of Heroin, Possession of Methamphetamine over 5 grams
17. Samantha M. Bradley, 28, Columbus; Driving While Suspended- Prior, Possession of Marijuana
18. Billy Jo Parks, 36, Columbus; Theft Less Than $750
19. Maria A. Sampson, 43, Columbus; Possession of Paraphernalia
20. Kolt A. Kreinhagen, 35, Columbus; Resisting Law Enforcement

High rates of smoking in Bartholomew and surrounding counties are leading to higher rates than expected of lung cancer.

Columbus Regional Hospital has started a lung cancer screening program to try to find those cancers in their early stages and after more than 1,100 tests doctors there have noticed the higher rates.

Dr. Mark Henderson, a radiation oncologist at Columbus Regional Health explains that high smoking rates mean higher cancer rates.

Henderson explains that they are seeing twice the rate of lung cancer found in Bartholomew and surrounding counties than the lung cancer screening trial results would have indicated.

He said that area smoking rates range from 37 to 19 percent, much higher than your average county rate nationwide of about 14 percent.

Henderson says that the vast majority of lung cancers are directly related to smoking.

Henderson says that there can be other possible indicators, those pale in comparison to the correlation with smoking.

For those who need help quitting smoking, tobacco cessation classes start again Tuesday, March 19th, in Columbus. Those classes are being held through the Tobacco Awareness Program at Columbus Regional Health’s Healthy Communities initiative.

The classes will be in the basement of the Bartholomew County Public Library and they are seven weeks long. Those are held on Tuesday nights from 6 to 8 p.m.

The course is $35 per person and there are scholarships available. That fee covers the workbook, CD, and medication.

To sign up for the classes you can call 812-343-9840 or go through the website at crh.org. You can also email  healthycommunities@crh.org.

In just a few weeks, you will be able to cast your votes in the city of Columbus primary election.

Bartholomew County Clerk Jay Phelps  explains that voter registration ends on Monday, April 8th and early voting starts on April 9th at the voter registration office in the courthouse. That will be during normal courthouse hours from 8 to 5.

On Monday, April 29th, early voting will expand to Donner Center from 10 to 6 on weekdays. The courthouse and Donner Center will be open on the Saturday before the primary from 8 to 3.

Donner Center will be the only satellite voting center open this election, due to the expected low voter turnout with only four contested races on the ballot.

All of the seats on Columbus City Council are up for election this year, as is the clerk-treasurer and the mayor.

However, the only contested races for primary voters are on the Republican ticket. Incumbent Republican Mayor Jim Lienhoop is facing challenger Glenn Petri. The City Council District 1 race representing the east Columbus area will see incumbent Dascal Bunch running against Chris Rutan. In District 3, which covers parts of eastern Columbus, recently appointed Councilman David Bush is running against Russ Poling. That seat had been held by Frank Jerome until he moved out of the city in December.

In the at-large Republican race, incumbent Councilwoman Laurie Booher is being challenged by Josh Burnett and John D. Councellor.

There are no contested races in the May primary on the Democratic ticket.

This is severe weather preparedness week and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security is urging you to check and to update your family’s plans for extreme weather conditions.

Emergency officials encourage you to build a disaster preparedness kit, to identify shelter locations and to practice emergency plans during this year’s preparedness week.

There will be a statewide tornado drill at 10:15 a.m. Tuesday morning. It is suggested that during the tornado drill you practice taking your family members to a safe location for severe weather such as a basement or an interior room with no windows on the lowest level of your home. You could also practice by moving under a sturdy table or desk, and covering up with pillows, mattresses, or heavy coats.

They also suggest you take time to go over possible evacuation routes from your home and neighborhood.

As part of a disaster preparedness kit, Indiana Department of Homeland Security suggests including:

• Food and water for three days (include one gallon of water per person, per day)
•  Battery operated all hazard radio (receives more than 60 types of emergency alerts)
• Flashlight
• Extra batteries for radio and flashlight, if needed
• First aid kit
• Extra clothing, sturdy shoes, rain gear, blankets and personal hygiene items
• List of emergency phone numbers
• Important documents (copies of photo ID, social security card, insurance and banking information)
• Cash (small bills. Power outages can limit ability to use ATMs and credit cards)
• Special items (baby formula, insulin, life sustaining medication, pet supplies)

The National Weather Service is confirming that the Brownstown area was hit by a tornado during last Thursday’s severe weather.

The agency says that an EF-1 tornado briefly touched down, damaging trees and irrigation systems at 2:06 Thursday afternoon. The estimated winds were 94 mph and the 40-yard wide tornado was on the ground for about a mile and a quarter.

The agency says that the most extensive damage was to a pole barn and a grain silo. The barn roof was lifted off and destroyed, while the grain silo roof was lifted off and blown in an opposite direction.

A series of storms Thursday afternoon were caused by a strong low pressure system. There were also damaging winds. No one was injured.

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The Fort Wayne Police Department has activated a statewide Amber Alert.

The victim, Leanna Nicole Herron, is a 5 year old black girl, 4 feet tall, 69 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a gray sweat suit with white stripes and black and white Nikes. Leanna was last seen at 3 p.m. Saturday in Fort Wayne, Indiana and is believed to be in extreme danger.

The suspect, Zyair J. Herron, is a 26 year old black male, 5 feet 9 inches tall, 165 pounds, black hair with brown eyes, last seen wearing a red and black sweat suit, black boots, a gold grill over his teeth and ZAMIRAH tattooed on the left side of his neck. He was driving an older Silver Chevy Malibu with black rims and a temporary paper plate.

If you have any information on this incident, contact the Fort Wayne Police Department at 260-427-1222 or call 03/16911.

A rally yesterday at The Commons had a simple message to state legislators: No List, No Law.

Community and business leaders urged legislators to reinstate a list of protected classes to the state’s proposed hate crimes bill. The Indiana Senate removed those categories before sending the bill to the Indiana House. The proposed law would allow judges the option to enhance sentences because of the bias against victims.

Without the list of protected groups, the law is essentially meaningless says the Rev. Nic Cable, with the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbus.

Mark Osowick, vice president for human resource operations at Cummins Inc., said that the lack of protections makes it harder for Cummins to compete for top-notch personnel from around the world:

And even with existing employees, Indiana can be seen as an unwelcoming place,  Osowick said.

John Budd, vice president of physician enterprise at Columbus Regional Health, says that to meet the needs of the modern health care system, CRH has to recruit for doctors and caregivers from other nationalities and communities. Anything that makes Indiana and Columbus be seen as less inclusive, means attractive candidates won’t even consider moving here.

Mariam Nakyobe, a Cummins employee and member of the Islamic Society of Columbus, said that the promise of America is that everyone will be treated equally.

Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop reflected on Columbus creating its Human Rights Ordinance 50 years ago, and the message it sent to minorities that they were welcome here. He said hate crimes are different than normal offenses, because they are also meant to send a message.

Indiana is one of only five states without a bias crimes law on the books.

Former Democratic U.S. Sen. Birch Bayh has died. He passed away shortly after midnight at his home in Easton, Md. He was 91.

Among his accomplishments, the three-time Indiana senator was the author of the 25th and 26th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution and author of Title IX of the Higher Education Act.

Network Indiana is reporting that Senator Bayh was the last surviving person to have cast a vote in the Senate for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as the last surviving person to have served in the Senate during the administration of President John F. Kennedy

Bayh was also the father for former governor and U.S. Senator Evan Bayh.

His family said he had been suffering from pneumonia