Indiana State Police are reporting that a newspaper carrier died after his car went off the road and into a stream Friday morning in Jennings County.
69-year-old Jimmy W. Turner of North Vernon went missing while he was delivering papers Friday morning in southern Jennings County.
The Jennings County Sheriff’s Office initially took the missing person report and troopers from the Indiana State Police-Versailles Post assisted in the search to locate Turner.
At about 9:30 p.m. Friday night, a vehicle was spotted in water off the west side of State Road 3 near County Road 650 South in rural Jennings County.. Emergency crews found Turner was located inside of the vehicle and he was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Jennings County Coroner’s Office.
State police say that the initial investigation suggests that Turner was traveling southbound on State Road 3 when his vehicle left the west side of the roadway for an unknown reason at about 7 a.m.. The vehicle overturned into a creek out of the view of passing motorists and there were no witnesses to the crash.
INDOT is reporting that some delayed road work on Interstate 65 between Columbus and Seymour will lead to lane closures tonight and tomorrow night.
Crews will be closing the right lanes of northbound I-65 for asphalt patching between 9 and 6 tonight for a four-mile stretch of the highway north of Seymour.
On Saturday night, crews will be closing the right lane on southbound Interstate 65 near the Jonesville Road exit, about six miles north of Seymour.
INDOT says you should slow down, use extra caution and don’t drive distracted in work zones.
If you are looking for more traffic information, download the WAZE app for your smartphone and join the WCSI Traffic team powered by Crew Car Wash. You can find updated traffic information on our website, on-air and on the app.
An accident Thursday night on State Road 46 left a Columbus man dead and sent another to an Indianapolis hospital.
58-year-old Richard D. Walters of Columbus died after the head-on crash that happened at about 8 p.m. last night. He was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Columbus police say that an SUV driven by 34-year-old Nathan F. Morrow of Bloomington was headed west on State Road 46 near Goeller Boulevard when it crossed the curbed median, striking Walter’s eastbound car head-on.
Morrow was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital with a head injury, then transferred to IU Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.
Police say the crash remains under investigation and toxicology results are pending.
Assisting at the crash scene were: Columbus Fire Department, Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Police and Columbus Regional Hospital EMS.
Columbus police recovered drugs, guns and money and arrested 12 people in a raid last night on California Street.
SWAT team officers from the Columbus police and Bartholomew County Sheriff’s departments raided the home in 2100 block of California Street at about 10 p.m. last night. An investigation led police to believe that guns and drugs were inside the home, according authorities.
Photo courtesy of Columbus Police Department.
Inside the home they found about a pound of methamphetamine, a quarter ounce of a heroin/fentanyl mixture, marijuana, several controlled substances, as well as drug paraphernalia, syringes, scales, and drug packaging material. Police also found methamphetamine in a small child’s bedroom. The child was not home at the time.
Several rifles were recovered including AR-15s and an AK-47, plus four handguns, ammunition and cash.
Jessica Adams. Photo courtesy of Columbus Police Department
At the home, police arrested 32-year-old Leslie L. Carman and 34-year-old Jessica N. Adams, both of Columbus, and 26-year-old Brandon M. Stephens, of Nineveh on charges including drug dealing, possessing drugs and drug paraphernalia, and maintaining a common nuisance.
Four others were arrested at the home.
Leslie L. Carmen. Photo courtesy of Columbus Police Department.
Arrested at the home were:
Stephens: Dealing in Methamphetamine; Possession of Methamphetamine, Cocaine or a Narcotic Drug, a Legend Drug Device, paraphernalia and a Legend Drug; Maintaining a common nuisance
Adams: Dealing in methamphetamine Level 2; Possession of Methamphetamine Level 3; Possession of Cocaine or Narcotic Drug; Possession of a Legend Drug Device; Possession of Paraphernalia; Possession of a Legend Drug;
Possession of Marijuana; Maintaining a Common Nuisance, Body Attachment
Carmen: Dealing in Methamphetamine; Possession of Methamphetamine; Possession of Cocaine or Narcotic Drug; Possession of a Legend Drug Device; Possession of Paraphernalia; Possession of a Controlled Substance; Possession of Marijuana; Maintaining a Common Nuisance
Rachel A. Cardoso-Nelson, 30, of Clifford: Possession of Methamphetamine; Possession of Marijuana; Possession of Paraphernalia; Maintaining a Common Nuisance
Dut D. Tong, 26, of Columbus: Possession of Methamphetamine; Possession of Marijuana; Possession of Paraphernalia; Maintaining a Common Nuisance
Hugo A. Alba, 34, of Columbus: Possession of Methamphetamine; Possession of Paraphernalia; Possession of a Legend Drug Device; Visiting a Common Nuisance
Raheem A. Gary, 26, of Columbus: Possession of Methamphetamine; Possession of Paraphernalia; Visiting a Common Nuisance; Outstanding Warrant
Before the raid, police from the Columbus Police Department’s Intelligence Led Policing Unit and the Bartholomew County Sherri’s Department police dog Diesel and his handler made several arrests during traffic stops. Those suspects were accused of various drug possession or drug paraphernalia possession charges.
Those included:
Jessica L. Boyce, 40, of Louisville, Kentucky: Possession of a Legend Drug Injection Device
Kendra L. Fields, 23, of Columbus: Possession of a Legend Drug Injection Device, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Mark A. Lang, 34, of Columbus: Possession of Methamphetamine, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Alexandra J. Calhoun, 30, of Edinburgh, IN : Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of a Legend Drug Injection Device
Thomas J. Kooiman, 51, of Columbus: Possession of Marijuana
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. The investigation into the sale of illegal drugs in Columbus and Bartholomew County continues and additional charges are possible in this ongoing investigation.
Seymour city officials say that they will be ending curbside leaf pickup on Monday, Dec. 16th.
If you need leaves picked up after that you can bag them and call the city for pickup.
If you have any questions or need to have leaves picked up, you can call 812-524-1100. You can reach the Department of Public Works between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Jackson Shepherd. Photo courtesy of Columbus Police Department
A new Columbus police officer was sworn in this week.
21-year-old Jackson Shepherd is originally from Jennings County and earned a degree in sociology and criminal justice at Franklin College. Before joining the Columbus police he worked as a corrections officer at Johnson County Sheriff’s Department.
The police department says that Shepherd will go through about four weeks of training here before attending the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy starting in January.
A sweep of suspected drug dealers in Jennings County last night led to five arrests.
Sheriff Kenny Freeman says he wants the dealers to know that if you are dealing drugs in Jennings County, the law is coming for you.
According to the sheriff’s department, the arrests are part of a long-term investigation where members of the narcotics team oversaw the purchase of illegal drugs from those they later arrested.
The roundup started at about 8 p.m. last night and wrapped up by 10:15 p.m. as deputies served the arrest warrants. All of the suspects were arrested without incident.
37-year-old Stephanie M. Crouch, 24-year-old Rachael E. Lee, 20-year-old Ricky D. West and 28-year-old Nicolas J. Ezzo were all arrested on various felony drug dealing charges. All are from North Vernon.
Charges include:
Crouch: Dealing methamphetamine
West: Dealing heroin, aiding in dealing heroin
Lee: Dealing methamphetamine, conspiracy to deal methamphetamine
Ezzo: Dealing heroin, aiding in dealing heroin
One person at a home was also arrested after he was found to be carrying methamphetamine. 19-year-old Caleb Root of Seymour is accused of possessing methamphetamine and paraphernalia.
Columbus Police are inviting you to take part in a DARE fish fry fundraiser today.
That will be at the American Legion Post 24 on 25th Street in Columbus from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday. Meals of fish or tenderloin sandwiches will be available for $8. Meals come with sides of baked beans, potato salad and coleslaw
Orders of six meals or more are eligible for free delivery in Columbus.
The police department says that around 1,300 sixth-grade students go through the DARE program each year, locally.
The recount of the disputed election to determine the winner of the Columbus City Council District 1 seat will be held next week.
Incumbent Republican Dascal Bunch lost to political newcomer and Democrat Jerone Wood by a single vote, 260-259, in the Nov. 5th election. Independent candidate Michael Kinder received 81 votes.
Bartholomew Superior Court I Judge Jim Worton issued an order Thursday setting the recount for 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 13. Members of the recount commission and observers are to appear before the court at that time. The commission will count each ballot cast in the district’s seven precincts.
By law, the recount must be completed and certified by Dec. 20th.
The Seymour Main Street organization is putting on its final “First Thursday” event of the year on Dec. 5th. From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., you are encouraged to dine downtown and follow that up with Christmas shopping. Organizers say merchants will have deals on furniture, jewelry, electronics, music, kids clothing, and more.
