A North Vernon man was arrested Friday night on a drunk-driving charge. The North Vernon Police Department says that at 7:42 p.m., officers responded to a report of crash with property damage crash in the 400 block of Hayden Pike. Authorities say the driver, 71-year-old Danny Brumfield, drove off of the road, through a ditch alongside the road, and into a back yard. He then allegedly tried to leave the scene and backed into the ditch, where the vehicle became stuck.

The NVPD says that Brumfield providing a certified breath sample of .212, more than two-and-a-half times the legal limit. He was arrested on a preliminary charge of Operating a Motor Vehicle With a Blood-Alcohol Content of .15 or Greater. Brumfield was also cited for Use of Telecommunication Device While Operating a Motor Vehicle.

No injuries were reported.

Three people were arrested Thursday on drug charges after police executed a search warrant at a home in Country Squire Lakes. Lt. Mike Mowery with the Jennings County Sheriff Department says that at approximately 11:30 a.m., deputies assisted Indiana State Parole with the search at a home in the 2200 block of Avonshire Court.

During the search, deputies and parole agents reportedly found methamphetamine, syringes, marijuana, Pills and paraphernalia.

Authorities arrested Charles Williams, Christina Rodgers and Natasha Mosier on preliminary charges of:

• Dealing in Meth – Level 2 Felony
• Dealing Controlled Substance – Level 2 Felony
• Possession of Meth – Level 6 Felony
• Possession of Controlled Substance – Level 6 Felony
• Possession of Paraphernalia – Level 6 Felony
• Possession of Marijuana – Class A Misdemeanor

Rodgers was also charged with Possession of Syringe – Level 6 Felony

Police say that Williams’ bond is doubled to $20,055 because he was already out on bond from a previous arrest. Rodgers’ and Mosier’s bonds were set at $1,055

Three people were arrested Wednesday night after a passerby spotted a suspicious vehicle in the 1800 block of West Tellman Road in Columbus. Judy Jackson, spokeswoman for the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, says that at about 7:24 p.m., Deputy Matt Bush was dispatched to the scene where he found a car sitting in the roadway in front of a house. The vehicle had its flashers on and was occupied by 32-year-old Kelly Parker, of Columbus. Parker allegedly told the deputy that her vehicle had run out of gas and that she was alone.

Deputy Bush then reported noticing that the front door on the home was broken and open. When he called inside, 31-year-old Garry Robinson, of Elizabethtown, reportedly came out with a can of butane in his hand. Robinson allegedly told the deputy that he was with Parker.

Authorities say that Robinson told him that he didn’t know if anyone else was inside the home. However, during a search, Deputy Bush found 37-year-old Rachel Robinson, of Scipio, IN, hiding behind a door.

Authorities say that several items from the residence were found in the possession of both Garry Robinson and Rachel Robinson. They add that K9 Diesel arrived on the scene and alerted to the vehicle where a glass pipe, commonly used to smoke methamphetamine, was found. In addition, police say that Rachel Robinson was in possession of marijuana, hydrocodone and drug-related paraphernalia.

Rachel Robinson was arrested on preliminary charges of:

Possession of Paraphernalia,
Possession of Marijuana,
Possession of a Controlled Substance,
Residential Entry,
Theft,
Criminal Trespass,
Burglary

She is being held on $43,400 bond.

Garry Robinson was arrested on preliminary charges of Burglary,
Theft and Criminal Trespass.

He is being held on $32,500 bond.

Kelly Parker was arrested on a preliminary charge of Possession of Paraphernalia and remains behind bars on $2,500 bond.

Sheriff Matt Myers says this incident shows the importance of community members looking out for one another. “This is another incident where the public saw something that looked suspicious and called,” said Myers. He went on to say: “If you see something, call.”

Rep. Luke Messer, a Republican representing Indiana’s sixth congressional district, voted Wednesday in favor of legislation he co-sponsored that he says protects the rights of law-abiding gun owners across state lines. Messer says that his bill is rooted firmly in the Second Amendment.

Messer spoke on the House floor in favor of the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act before it passed the House of Representatives. Under the act, if a law-abiding person has a concealed carry permit in one state, they may carry their gun in any other state that allows their own residents to do so. The bill ultimately passed in the House by a vote of 231 to 98. There’s no word as to when the bill may come up for a vote in the Senate.

The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department says that its office, along with the Columbus Police Department, says that its officers issued 59 citations and made 21 arrests over a 24-day enforcement period. Sheriff Matt Myers says this was an effort to make area roads safer for families traveling over the holiday season. Federal highway safety funds administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute supported overtime patrols for more than 230 law-enforcement agencies across the state.

“Why do we enforce traffic laws? There is only one reason – to save lives,” said Sheriff Myers and Columbus Police Chief Jon Rohde. “Anyone who responds to a severe crash, or notifies next of kin, simply wants you and your family to buckle up and drive sober this holiday season.”

In every state, it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher. In Indiana, drivers under 21 with a BAC of .02 or higher are subject to fines and a license suspension for up to one year.

For more information about impaired driving visit http://on.IN.gov/drivesober and for more information about seat belts visit http://on.IN.gov/buckleup.

An India-based engineering and design firm has agreed to establish its North American headquarters in Columbus. Abby Gras, with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, says that Gov. Eric Holcomb and Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop met with Sudhakar Gande, vice chairman of AXISCADES and other key executives Wednesday as the company announced its plans.

“As a global company, AXISCADES had a world of options to expand. Choosing Indiana sends a clear message that the Hoosier state offers the pro-growth business climate and the tools companies need to thrive,” Gov. Holcomb said. “We’re pleased to extend a warm Hoosier welcome to another India-based company. With its growth here, AXISCADES is joining a network of more than 800 foreign-owned business establishments that provide good jobs across the state, and we look forward to watching the company’s story unfold here in Indiana.”

AXISCADES announced plans to locate in Indiana last month and will invest up to $10 million over the next five years to launch operations here. In Columbus, the company will initially lease space at 810 Brown Street to serve as its North American headquarters and house its management functions. Additionally, the IEDC says that the company plans to establish satellite offices in Indiana for customer-focused engineering teams.

“We are privileged to partner with Indiana and the city of Columbus to set up our North American headquarters. The state offers us a central location for our business and a strong pro-business environment under the leadership of Governor Holcomb,” said Gande. “The advanced manufacturing and high technology environment in Indiana also provides a key element in our selection. We are excited to leverage the availability of skilled engineering talent In Indiana as well as the state’s strong education system to meet the growing skill demands of the future.”

The IEDS says that AXISCADES anticipates creating up to 100 new jobs within the first year of establishing operations and up to 500 total, high-wage jobs by the end of 2023. In addition to its Columbus headquarters and satellite offices, the company, which is a provider of product engineering solutions to aerospace, defense, heavy engineering, automotive, energy, medical and health care companies, also plans to locate engineering associates at its clients’ facilities in order to better serve the needs of its customers.

Pending approval from the IEDC board of directors, AXISCADES was offered up to $4.3 million in conditional tax credits and up to $500,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans. These incentives are performance-based, meaning that until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. The IEDC will also consider additional incentives up to one-million dollars through the state’s Industrial Development Grant Fund to support infrastructure needs.

The City of Columbus, at the request of Greater Columbus Economic Development Corporation, has offered up to $50,000 of performance-based incentive support from its Economic Development Income Tax fund, to be used for relocation and start-up expenses.

“Columbus, Indiana, is known for being a community that welcomes foreign direct investment along with the best and brightest engineering talent in the world,” said Mayor Lienhoop. “We are exceptionally pleased to welcome India-based AXISCADES and their team members to Columbus, and we look forward to supporting their success.”

Customers of Columbus City Utilities won’t see a rate-increase in 2018, but they should expect one in the coming years. That, from Utilities Director Keith Reeves.

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Reeves explains that the utility is facing falling revenue and increasing infrastructure costs.

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Reeves says that there is a need for increased capital expenditures in the coming year for the water plants, as well as the wastewater treatment facility.

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Reeves says that work will begin next year. In addition, he explains that the budget calls for two additional employees to help accelerate the removal and replacement of lead service lines…

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Reeves stresses that the lead service lines don’t pose a hazard to customers, but says that in addition to the age of those lines, a big reason for replacing them is the anticipation of federal rules dictating that they be removed.

The total budgets for both water and wastewater is $14,388,124. That is a 1.5 percent increase over the 2017 plan. The city council unanimously approved them during its meeting Tuesday night.

The Columbus Firemen’s Cheer Fund is again asking for your help to refill its shelves. Capt. Mike Wilson explains that they need new and gently-used toys…

Wilson explains that a planned toy boxing session last Friday had to be cancelled due to a lack of toys…

Wilson says that these boxing sessions resumed Monday night. If you’d like to volunteer, he says that boxing sessions continue every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6 p.m. at the United Way Center. You can also help deliver gifts on Saturday, Dec. 16th. Donations of new and gently-used toys can be dropped off at any of the city’s six fire stations or the Doug Otto United Way Center. You can make a financial contribution online at cheerfund.com.

Columbus leaf pickup crews are running about half a day behind in their pickup schedule. Richard Macy with the city garage says that as of noon Monday, they had caught up with the previous week’s routes and were starting on this week’s.

Macy said that crews will continue running their routes as long as the leaves don’t get frozen to the ground, or workers have to be called off for snow removal. Although the normal cut off date for the leaf routes would be Dec. 15th, Macy said that the routes will continue as needed.

Leaves should be kept loose, and raked to the curb but not into the street as they will block storm drains. Leaves should be out on the same day as your normal trash pickup.

If you still have leaves that need collected after the normal routes end for the year, you can call the city garage and they will take extra requests. You can call (812) 376-2508.

The body found Sunday afternoon in a Shelby County river has been identified as that of a man reported missing last month. Shelby County Sheriff Dennis Parks says that his office received a 911 call at 4:14 p.m. Sunday after kayakers found the body in the Big Blue River approximately four miles west of Shelbyville.

Authorities have identified the body as that of 38-year-old Christopher A. Young, of Shelbyville. Sheriff Parks says that Young was reported missing on November 7th.