A detached garage was completely destroyed in a Monday morning fore. Capt. Mike Wilson, spokesman for the Columbus Fire Department, says that firefighters were called to the 700 block of Cottage Ave. At approximately 4:44 a.m. He says that a neighbor was preparing to leave for work when she saw flames coming from the rear of 728 Cottage Avenue. The neighbor was able to alert the family and they escaped safely.

Firefighters arrived on the scene to find the garage fully engulfed, about 20 feet from the home. A car was just feet away. Wilson says that as firefighters began to stretch fire hoses to the building, they encountered arcing power-lines above the garage. Within minutes, a portion of the power-lines fell to the ground in the area of the garage, causing crews to reposition.

The fire was marked under control at approximately 5:10 a.m. During the fire a large portion of the garage roof collapsed into the building, which contained an a passenger car and lawn moving equipment. A minivan located near the home sustained radiant heat damage. The home itself was not damaged.

Wilson says that as firefighters cleared the scene, Duke Energy was making repairs to the electric utility. Due to the condition of the block wall garage, and the potential for secondary collapse into a public alleyway, the fire department requested the assistance of the Department of Public Works. A front end loader was requested at the scene to push down a block wall leaning into the alleyway.

Wilson says that investigators have not yet been able to determine what caused the fire. Damages have been estimated at $6,000. No one was hurt.

A Columbus man was arrested after allegedly threatening people with a gun. Deputy Cody Low with the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department says that authorities received information on Sunday that 30-year-old Michael Shuffitt was inside a home in the 7000 block of US 50 West threatening the residents with a firearm and also threatening to harm anyone that called the police.

Authorities say that Shuffitt was wanted on an outstanding Bartholomew County Warrant for burglary. Deputies arrived on the scene at approximately 2 a.m. and took Shuffit into custody without incident. Further investigation led deputies to discover heroin, methamphetamine, syringes, scales, paraphernalia, approximately $1,200 in cash and a firearm.

Shuffitt is facing preliminary charges of:
Possession of Syringe (Level 6 Felony);
Possession of a Narcotic Drug (Level 6 Felony);
Possession of Methamphetamine (Level 6 Felony);
Dealing in a Narcotic Drug (Level 4 Felony);
Possession of Paraphernalia (A Misdemeanor);
Possession of a Firearm by a Violent Felon (Level 4 Felony);
Possession of Marijuana (B Misdemeanor);
Maintaining a Common Nuisance (Level 6 Felony)

Shuffitt was held on a $6,255 cash bond and a Bartholomew County Warrant for felony Burglary.

Deputies also arrested 24-year-old Caitlin Rhodes, of Seymour, on preliminary charges of:
Possession of a Syringe (Level 6 Felony);
Possession of a Narcotic Drug (Level 6 Felony);
Possession of Methamphetamine (Level 6 Felony);
Dealing a Narcotic Drug (Level 4 Felony);
Possession of Paraphernalia (A Misdemeanor);
Maintaining a Common Nuisance (Level 6 Felony)

Rhodes was held on a $3,155 cash bond.

An Edinburgh man is facing charges after an alleged domestic violence incident Sunday in Franklin. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Department says that at about 2:30 a.m., deputies were called to the 5800 block of South County Road 700 East. When they arrived, they learned that the suspect, 22-year-old Kody Weber, had fled the scene. Authorities say that a K9 unit found Weber moments later in a doghouse behind the home.

Investigators say that Weber had returned to the home that he shares with his girlfriend when the pair got into an argument. The girlfriend reportedly told deputies that Weber got violent and began breaking things and hitting her. She then texted her sister. The sister told authorities that when she arrived, Weber met her vehicle, forced his way inside and punched her in the head.

Deputies say that Weber strongly smelled of alcohol. He later tested .186 percent BAC on a portable breath test, according to the report.

Weber is facing preliminary charges of Criminal Recklessness, Aggravated Battery with Injury and Battery.

A single engine plane made an emergency landing this morning in Johnson County. Sheriff Doug Cox says that at 10:06 a.m., staff at Columbus Municipal Airport notified Johnson County authorities that a plane was having problems and may be down somewhere near County Roads 400 South and 700 East in the Amity area.

Sheriff Cox says that deputies arrived to find the plane just north of County Road 400 South on 800 East after it landed in a snow covered farm field. The pilot reportedly told authorities that he was having a mechanical problem causing him to put the plane down successfully with no damage.

Sheriff Cox says that police and fire were on scene and after conferring with the pilot and others, he was allowed to put the plane back into the air.

If you live along Haw Creek, the Columbus-Bartholomew County Planning Department has some information you’ll want to know about. Emilie Pinkston, senior planner, says that FEMA has issued preliminary flood plain maps that will change the flood plain boundaries and the base flood elevations along Haw Creek in Columbus and Bartholomew County.

Pinkston explains that these maps are used to determine flood insurance rates and help local communities enforce construction regulations in flood prone areas. Officials say that Flood Insurance Rate Maps and a Flood Insurance Study also includes base elevations for Haw Creek, which indicate the elevation that floodwaters are expected to rise during a 100-year flood. Pinkston says that these preliminary maps, which take the place of previous ones issued in December of 2014, can be viewed online at floodmaps.in.gov or msc.fema.gov.

An open house with these updated maps is set for Tuesday, Jan. 30 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Donner Center. Pinkston says that officials from the planning department and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources will be on hand to answer any questions.

Columbus Police say that two local residents were scammed out of thousands of dollars after they received a call from a person claiming they were from their department. Lt. Matt Harris, CPD spokesman, says that the caller threatened the victims with arrest if they did not pay a fine in regards to alleged back taxes that they owed. The victims advised that the phone call originated from (812) 376-2600, the number for the Columbus Police Department help desk.

Detective Ryan Linneweber stated that it appears the suspects are using a cell phone masking application to make it appear that they are calling from the Columbus Police Department. During the phone call, the suspect instructed the victims to purchase gift and phone cards for payment to avoid arrest, costing them $6,000.

Harris stresses that the Columbus Police Department does not solicit payment for warrants over the telephone. In similar incidents, he noted that he could not think of a single police or government agency that require payment via gift cards, phone cards or wire transfers. If you have any doubts about the legitimacy of any phone call or document, you should contact law enforcement directly.

A man accused of raping a 16-year-old girl in Jackson County has been arrested. WDRB in Louisville is reporting that Kemberly Florvil was arrested in Florida for the incident that reportedly took place on Feb. 20, 2016. Authorities say that the then-18-year-old Florvil was in a car with the alleged victim and several others as they were traveling from Bloomington to Seymour.

The report says that days later, when the victim was interviewed by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, she told police that, over the course of the trip, she was sexually assaulted by Florvil and another man in the car. The victim told police that, during the incident, she was afraid that the pair might hurt her.

The same report says that Florvil denied the allegations in an interview with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department. According to court documents, he denied ever being in the back seat with the girl, but the sheriff’s office added that his account of the events, “wasn’t making sense and he wasn’t being consistent with what he was saying.”

DNA samples were taken from both men.

In June 2017, Florvil was charged with Rape and Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury. A spokeswoman for the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office told WDRB that authorities arrested Florvil in Florida just recently. He was returned to Jackson County on Jan. 13. The spokeswoman also told the television station that the other suspect was never charged, because he died in a car crash before the results of the DNA test could be returned.

For more on this story, visit wdrb.com.

Landlords in Columbus will have to provide contact information, such as phone numbers, for their rental properties under an ordinance that received first approval at Tuesday night’s city council meeting. City officials say the measure is meant to enhance public safety and make it easier for the city to reach property owners. A spill-over crowd packed council chambers, with several landlords speaking out against the proposal. Just before the vote, Councilman Frank Jerome took issue with the tone of some of those protesting the ordinance.

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Several landlords say they are concerned for their privacy and personal safety. Laurie Booher was the lone “no” vote.

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Brad Grayson is president of the Bartholomew County Landlords Association, representing approximately one-thousand landlords in our area. He says that additional government regulation only hurts tenants and the city’s stated goal of making more affordable housing units available in Columbus…

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The ordinance includes a five-dollar registration fee and fines of up to $850 for non-compliance.

The council is scheduled to vote a second, and final, time on the ordinance at its next meeting Jan. 30th.

A Columbus Police Officer received a letter of commendation Tuesday from Chief Jonathan Rohde for his actions in helping a Columbus family earlier this month. Lt. Matt Harris, department spokesman, says that Officer Frank Dickman, a seven year veteran, responded to a report of a toddler wandering around a Columbus apartment complex unsupervised. After speaking with the child’s mother, Dickman learned that she was intending to purchase door alarms but was unable to do so until she received a paycheck. A supervisor later discovered that Dickman purchased the door alarms and delivered them to the family.

Chief Rohde stated in the commendation letter to Dickman, “not only did you take it upon yourself to make the child safe, but you did so without asking for any recognition and spent your own money to do so.” “In addition, when I was made aware of your actions during this call, I communicated to you the desire to recognize you in front of the Board of Public Works and Safety and you declined to be recognized.” “I commend you for your selfless actions and applaud your commitment to serving the citizens of Columbus.”

Landlords in Columbus are protesting a proposed city ordinance requiring a registry of landlords and local contacts for their properties. Brad Grayson is president of the Bartholomew County Landlord Association, representing approximately one-thousand landlords in our area.

Grayson says that other big concerns include safety and privacy of the landlord. He explains that landlords sometime have to evict tenants or turn away applicants. By having a database on file of landlord addresses in one place, that information could be compromised and threaten the safety of not only the landlord, but their family and neighbors as well.

Grayson says that the proposed ordinance “government intrusion” that goes against the city’s stated goal of providing for additional affordable housing units in Columbus.

Grayson expands on these “bullies”…

Grayson adds that there will be a large contingent of landlords at Tuesday night’s council meeting to speak out against this proposed ordinance.

Tuesday night’s council meeting begins at 6 p.m. inside city hall.