He passed away Friday at the age of 80, surrounded by family members at his home. He was first appointed mayor in 1990 and then won three consecutive terms in office.
Visitation will be held from 2 to 8 Tuesday and from noon until services at 1 p.m. Wednesday at First United Methodist Church in Seymour. Arrangements are being made by Voss & Sons Funeral Service.
Memorials may be made to Don & Dana Myers Cancer Center or First United Methodist Church. He also asked that you donate blood in his name, if you are able to. He credited donated blood with allowing him to survive for an extra year.
Aaron Allman. Photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department
Bartholomew County deputies found it easy to arrest a wanted man after he accidentally called 911.
The incident happened Friday night when dispatchers received the accidental call from the 300 block of Daugherty Street. The caller said everything was fine and no one needed to come to the home, but deputies decided to check things out.
That’s when they discovered that the caller, 48-year-old Aaron Allman of Columbus was wanted on an outstanding warrant. He was taken to the Bartholomew County Jail.
Emanuel Martinez. Photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.
A suspect in a Columbus domestic dispute was arrested early Friday morning after being found driving below the speed limit on State Road 7.
Columbus police started the initial domestic battery investigation in the 700 block of McClure Road Friday morning. The asked for assistance finding a vehicle that was believed to be headed south on the highway. Bartholomew County deputies found the vehicle which was weaving across the centerline and driving substantially slower than the speed limit at about 12:29 a.m. Friday morning.
After stopping the vehicle, officers smelled alcohol on the driver, 36-year-old Emanuel Martinez, of Mission, Texas. He allegedly blew a .183 on a blood alcohol test, more than twice the legal limit. A search of his vehicle also recovered cocaine and marijuana.
He is facing preliminary charges of domestic batter in the presence of a minor, battery, interfering with the reporting of a crime, possession of the drugs and driving under the influence.
Columbus firefighters extinguished a fire at an apartment complex early Sunday morning.
Columbus Fire Department is reporting that the fire was found in a crawl space under the apartment house in the 700 block of Reed Street at just after 3 a.m. Sunday morning.
Two of the three apartments were vacant but one family is temporarily homeless. They are being assisted by the Salvation Army.
No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains undetermined.
A Louisville man was arrested after fleeing from police through Jackson and Bartholomew counties Friday.
Indiana State Police were called to a report of a speeding pickup truck driving erratically and heading northbound on Interstate 65 in Jackson County Friday afternoon. After trying to stop the driver just north of Seymour, he allegedly fled from officers. More troopers and Bartholomew County deputies joined the chase.
After running over a tire deflation device, just south of the Columbus exit, the driver eventually stopped. The driver, 42-year-old Russell J. Bradley of Louisville, is accused of struggling with police before being taken into custody. He was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital to be checked out before being jailed in Jackson County.
A trooper also suffered a minor hand injury during the struggle. He was also checked out at CRH.
Bradley is facing preliminary charges of resisting law enforcement in a vehicle, resisting law enforcement resulting in bodily injury, operating a vehicle while intoxicated in a construction zone, operating a vehicle while intoxicated with endangerment, criminal recklessness and reckless driving.
The Indiana State Police were assisted by the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, Columbus Regional EMS, and the Columbus Fire Department.
Bartholomew County Emergency Management has set a yellow travel advisory for the county. The lowest level of local travel advisory, yellow means that routine travel or activities may be restricted in areas because of a hazardous situation, and individuals should use caution or avoid those areas.
Brown and Johnson counties have also declared travel advisories tonight.
Previous updates
The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for our area running through 7 a.m. Tuesday.
A total of 4-7 inches of snow are expected for areas of Indiana south of Interstate 70. Freezing rain or drizzle is expected to mix with bands of heavy snow tonight. You should expect slippery and snow-covered roads for your morning commute.
Sgt. Stephen Wheeles with the Indiana State Police says roads are starting to become slick across southeast Indiana as of 5:30 p.m. and crashes are being reported.
INDOT is reporting that it is having a full call-out of snowplows for area highways. Drivers will be out clearing and treating state highways until conditions improve. They are also reporting that roads were pre-treated yesterday across the district in anticipation of a winter event.
In the Columbus subdistrict, 30 plows were scheduled to start at 5 p.m. Sunday.
INDOT driver safety tips:
Reduce speed: Allow extra time to reach your destination, be patient as snowplows travel below posted speed limits.
Safe distance: Do not tailgate and give snowplows plenty of room to work, allow plenty of time to slow down.
Pay attention: Drive distraction-free, focus on safe driving, be aware of surroundings and changing road conditions
Photo courtesy of Columbus Police DepartmentPapa M. Sylla. Photo courtesy of Columbus Police Department.
The Bartholomew County Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team arrested a man believed to be involved in the sale of drugs at Columbus East High School.
24-year-old Papa M. Sylla of Columbus, was arrested Thursday. The investigation began after school resource officers received a tip about Sylla using a student to sell marijuana and THC vape cartridges at the school. The student has also been taken into custody.
Members of the Columbus and Bartholomew County SWAT team raided Sylla’s apartment in the 2300 block of Sycamore Street at about 3:15 Thursday afternoon, recovering drugs and currency. That included marijuana, THC vape cartridges, psychedelic mushrooms, cocaine, and more than $20,000.
Sylla is facing preliminary charges of dealing in and possessing cocaine, marijuana and a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and maintaining a common nuisance.
Sylla was already out on bond following an October arrest for dealing marijuana.
Also assisting at the scene were officers from the CPD Intelligence Led Policing Unit, Columbus Police Department K-9 Division, as well as the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.
The Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team is a combined unit of the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, the Columbus Police Department and the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office targeting the manufacturing and abuse of dangerous drugs in Columbus and Bartholomew County.
A Democrat new to local politics has defeated an incumbent Columbus City councilman, as Jerone Wood’s single vote margin in last month’s District 1 race holds up after a recount.
Bartholomew County election officials held a recount this morning requested by Republican Councilman Dascal Bunch following his loss as he sought his third term. Bunch, was defeated 260-259. Independent candidate Michael Kinder received 81 votes.
Wood’s finalized win gives Columbus Democrats control over the City Council for the first time since the 1980s. Wood will join fellow Democrats Tom Dell, Grace Kestler and Elaine Hilber on the council in January.
Republican council members Frank Miller, Tim Shuffett and David Bush were also reelected.
CIty officials will be sworn in at 10 a.m. the morning of Jan. 1st.
Four Lansing, Michigan residents were arrested Wednesday afternoon in Jackson County following a traffic stop.
The investigation began when an Indiana State Police Trooper stopped a car for a traffic violation on I-65 northbound near the 38 mile marker near Crothersville at about 12:30 p.m. During the course of the traffic stop, the trooper smelled the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle.
During a search of the vehicle, officers reported finding over 600 grams of marijuana, methamphetamine, digital scales, drug paraphernalia, and a handgun. All four occupants of the vehicle were arrested on charges of Dealing Marijuana, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Handgun without a Permit and Possession of Paraphernalia.
Arrested were:
– Mercedes N. Santibanez, age 23;
– Kera M. Jackson, age 26;
– Tylor L. Hintz, age 24;
– Anthony E. Jean, age 21;
All four were transported to the Jackson County Jail where they were incarcerated pending their initial appearances in Jackson Circuit Court.
Photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Dept.
A woman was rescued from a one-vehicle crash after she was spotted by the wife of Bartholomew County Sheriff Matt Myers.
Shortly after 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Kyra Myers was traveling in the 9000 W block of 700 S when a red flag caught her eye. Upon further inspection, Mrs. Myers saw a vehicle down the embankment sitting in a ditch. Authorities say the driver, 33-year-old Justina Roberts, was waving a red flag in her attempt to get the attention of passing motorists. Myers immediately called 911 and deputies were dispatched to the scene.
Authorities say it appeared the vehicle had run off the side of the roadway, hit a dirt embankment, became airborne and came to rest in a deep ditch.
Deputies found Roberts still in the driver’s seat. She was unable to exit the vehicle on her own due to an ankle injury. Southwest Fire Department and Columbus Regional Hospital EMS removed her through the car’s window.
Roberts reportedly told deputies that she was on her way to Mt. Healthy Elementary School to pick up her children when another vehicle ran her off the road.
While deputies were speaking to Roberts, they detected the odor of alcohol. She was transported to Columbus Regional Hospital where ber blood-alcohol content tested at .14. Roberts was admitted to the hospital due to the severity of her injury.
Authorities say charges are being forwarded to the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office for consideration.
