Today is the first day for Columbus residents to legally shoot off fireworks leading up to the Fourth of July. Although you wouldn’t know that from the weeks worth of nightly fireworks detonations around town.

Lt Matt Harris, spokesman for the Columbus Police Department, says that Columbus changed its laws regarding fireworks last year.

Instead of being allowed year-round, fireworks are now only allowed in the days around the Fourth of July and on New Year’s Eve.

Today through July 3rd, and July 5th through the 9th, fireworks are allowed to be shot off between 5 in the afternoon and no later than 11 p.m. On the Fourth of July the fireworks are allowed to be fired between 10 in the morning and midnight. New Year’s Eve fireworks are allowed to be fired between 10 and 1 in the morning.

Although illegal outside of those hours, the police department is generally too busy to respond to fireworks complaint calls, Harris said. They have to give priority to ongoing events such as car crashes or fights rather than incidents where a minor crime has already happened.

Harris said it is the responsibility of those shooting off fireworks to do so safely, not damaging others property or causing fires.

You can find more information on Columbus fireworks ordinances here.

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Authorities say a Hope man shot his wife in the chest this morning with a small-caliber firearm and is now facing a charge of attempted murder.

70-year-old Thomas Venable was taken into custody without incident on the felony charge.

According to the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, the incident happened at about 8:20 a.m. this morning in the 2000 block of Neal Drive. The shooting victim, 68-year-old Linda Venable was alert at the scene and spoke with authorities. She was flown by Lifeline helicopter to the University of Louisville Hospital, where she is reportedly in stable condition.

Deputies say this is an ongoing investigation.

Columbus police say that they arrested two suspected drunk drivers in less than an hour this morning.

The first incident was around 2 a.m. near Thornybrook and Waycross Drives after a hit-and-run crash. Officers located the suspect vehicle nearby. The driver, 43-year-old Nathan K. Morton of Columbus had trouble keeping his balance and had the strong odor of alcohol on his breath.

He is facing charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated with a prior conviction within seven years and leaving the scene of an accident.

About 55 minutes later, officers stopped a vehicle for a minor traffic violation in the 300 block of Cleveland Street. The driver, 21-year-old Winston J. Cherry, had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath according to police reports. He is facing a preliminary charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

A speeding driver on Interstate 65 is now facing charges for driving a stolen vehicle after an early morning traffic stop by a Bartholomew County deputy.

The deputy noticed a car speeding on southbound Interstate 65 at about 1:52 a.m. this morning, and pulled the vehicle over. 43-year-old Amanda Maynard of Indianapolis did not have a valid driver’s license and the deputy smelled marijuana inside the vehicle, according to police reports.

A search revealed marijuana, methamphetamine and drug-related paraphernalia, police say. Officers also found that the vehicle had been reported stolen out of Indianapolis.

Maynard is facing charges for possessing the drugs and paraphernalia, possessing a stolen vehicle and driving with a suspended license.

Columbus firefighters say a shipping container full of recycled cardboard burst into flames at a Columbus business Wednesday night.

Workers at Columbus Container in the 3400 block of Commerce Drive called for help at about 11:41 p.m. Wednesday night after a semi-trailer at the company’s loading dock was found to be burning. Crews had been cutting and loading cardboard into the trailer when they noticed the fire.

Firefighters said heavy smoke was coming from the fire when they arrived. And the roof and floors of the semi trailer were heavily damaged, making it hard to reach all of the burning cardboard. Firefighters cut openings in the trailer, so water could be sprayed inside. All told, firefighters were on scene for about four and a half hours.

The building had minimal damage because of the sprinkler system, however some rolled paper in the loading dock did receive some water damage. No estimates are available of damages and no one was injured.

Columbus officials don’t know yet the exact impact the COVID-19 pandemic is going to have on city finances. But they are making plans to weather the upcoming changes.

Mayor Jim Lienhoop said that state revenue will  likely be hit hard, because most of that money comes from income and sales taxes. With high unemployment and reduced spending, both of those areas will take a significant hit.

However city budgets will be somewhat more stable as they get their revenue from a different pool of taxes.

Lienhoop said that the city does get about a third of its revenue from income taxes, so there will be a hit. But the funding formula takes into effect a rolling average of income tax receipts over several years, which means the city won’t feel the pinch until probably 2022 from that revenue shrinking.

In the meantime, city officials are taking actions to reduce spending including deferring some capital projects and choosing not to rehire employees to fill some vacant positions.

The mayor spoke recently with John Foster on AM Columbus on News Talk 1010 WCSI. You can hear more of John’s interview with Mayor Jim Lienhoop on our website.