Loca law enforcement, fire and other public safety agencies are taking part in an annual event aimed at helping Indiana Special Olympics. Capt. Mike Wilson, spokesman for the Columbus Fire Department, explains…

Wilson explains the program is about finding out which department has the strongest staff…

Each participant is asked to raise at least $200 for the Indiana Special Olympics.

“Showdown of the Shields” is set for 10 a.m. Saturday, May 18th at FairOaks Mall. You’re encouraged to stop by and cheer on the teams.

The North Vernon City Council is considering an ordinance relating to UTVs and off-road vehicles on city streets. Council members say they recognize the increased popularity of these vehicles and want to make sure they can be safely enjoyed by everyone who is legally allowed to do so.

During Monday night’s first reading of the ordinance, council went over specific policies for drivers. Operators must have a valid drivers license and proof of financial responsibility in order to legally operate within city limits.

Council has also restricted the use of these vehicles on certain streets. These vehicles are to stay off of U.S. 50, State Road 3 and State Road 7, except to cross them at a 90-degree angle. Council members are considering adding additional restrictions ahead of the second reading of the ordinance, set for May 29th.

Two new members of the Columbus Human Rights Commission took their appointments this week. Mayor Jim Lienhoop administered the oath to Claudia Sanchez-Davila and Sondra Bolte on Monday after city council made the appointments during its May 8th meeting.

Sanchez-Davila was appointed to fulfill the unexpired term of Commissioner Tony McClendon, who passed away in March. The term ends in March, 2021.

Sanchez-Davila is the Latina Services Case Manager at Turning Point. Originally from Mexico, Sanchez-Davila earned a Bachelor’s degree in Judicial Law from the Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí. Sanchez-Davila and her family relocated to Columbus in 2012.

Bolte was appointed to a three year term. This seat was previously held by Ian Kohen, who served on the Commission for 15 years.

Bolte is a Cummins retiree, where she worked for 32 years. She led the Global Ethics Investigations at Cummins during her last 14 years with the company. Bolte was a founding member of both Pride Alliance of Columbus and the Inclusive Community Coalition. She served on the Planning Commission and led the Columbus chapter of Showing Up of Racial Justice. Bolte is a lifetime member of the NAACP.

The Lincoln-Central Neighborhood Family Center, a not-for-profit group resource center for those that live in downtown Columbus, will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary on June 8th. Spokeswoman Diane Doup says that the organization is recognizing many of those who’ve helped the organization grow.

Doup encourages you to visit the LCNFC’s Facebook page.

Doup says those featured in the 25 recognitions have contributed to the creation, growth and the present of what the Lincoln-Center Neighborhood Family Center has become.

You can get more information at lcnfc.org.

An Indianapolis man is behind bars after a traffic stop in Bartholomew County. Just before 1 a.m. Tuesday, a Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Deputy saw a vehicle traveling without headlights on and initiated a traffic stop near the intersection of U.S. 31 and I-65.

The driver, Lonnie Ball, 50, was found to be driving with a suspended license. After Ball was taken to the Bartholomew County Jail, the deputy who transported him reported finding methamphetamine where Ball had been seated in the back of his vehicle.

Ball is facing preliminary charges of:

– Obstruction of Justice
– Possession of Methamphetamine
– Driving while Suspended with a Prior Conviction

Ball remains behind bars on $70,000 bond.

A request from the Bartholomew County Health Department for an additional appropriation to make a part-time nurse a full-time position made no traction at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Bartholomew County Council.

The department requested $25,328 to cover the additional costs that would be incurred for this year by making the change. Health department staff point to a marked increase over the past three years in HIV testing and STD investigations as a major reason for the request. Council members agree that the need may be real, but now is not the time to request a new full-time position. Councilman Mark Gorbett explains.

The request for an additional appropriation failed to garner a motion at Tuesday night’s meeting. Gorbett says the council needs more data.

Council members say that, as of now, they are anticipating that department heads will be asking for 11 new positions across government. They stress that there is no way the county can afford each request, as they would cost an additional $700,000 to $1 million annually.

Gorbett says that work on next year’s budget begins in earnest in late July or early August.

Columbus Police are investigating after a body was found in a lake at CERAland Park Tuesday morning. Authorities say that officers were notified at approximately 11:20 a.m., that a person was seen floating in a lake.

Authorities say that the adult body has not yet been identified. The Bartholomew County Death Investigation Team is conducting the investigation. The team is made up of CPD, the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Police, the Bartholomew County Coroner’s Office, and the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office.

Investigators are trying to determine if the body belongs to a local man who’s been missing since early this month. Timothy Duckworth, 22, was last seen inside Ceraland in the early morning hours of May 4th.

Indiana State Police issued a silver alert for Duckworth. He is described as a white male standing 5’8″ tall with brown hair and brown eyes.

We will have more details as they become available.

The Indiana Department of Transportation is slated to have a crew beginning preventative maintenance work on the State Road 46 bridge over Otter Creek in Bartholomew County on or after Wednesday, May 15th. weather permitting. Crews will apply a latex overlay to extend the life of the current bridge deck.

INDOT says that a one-mile section of State Road 46, from Base Road to County Road 100 North, east of Columbus, will be closed for approximately 90 days while the contractor completes the project.

The official state detour for the closure is State Road 46 to State Road 3 to U.S. 50 to State Road 7 and back to State Road 46.

The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office has cleared the officers involved in a Police action shooting in Brownstown. Prosecutor Jeff Chalfant released his findings on Monday.

Indiana State Police conducted the investigation, which consisted of multiple witness interviews, review of videos and documents. They say the investigation revealed that on the morning of April 3rd, an area woman took her daughter to school in Brownstown, and then drove away in her pick-up truck. The woman reached behind the truck seats and felt, then saw, Barry Rucker who was hiding in the back of the truck. State Police say that the woman had been in a relationship with Rucker, but it ended in late 2018 after Rucker had threatened her with a machete.

Authorities say that Rucker pulled out a handgun, pointed it at the woman, and told her to drive into the country. She instead drove to the Brownstown Police Department and ran inside to get help. However, the only two officers on duty were assisting with traffic at local schools.

Investigators say that Rucker chased the woman into the Brownstown Police Department, dragged her outside, and threatened to shoot and kill her. A person driving by noticed the struggle, called 911, and reported the scene.

Brownstown Police Chief Tom Hanner and Assistant Chief Joe Kelly arrived and confronted Rucker, but he refused to cooperate. The officers attempted to use “less lethal” measures by use of Tasers on Rucker, but the Tasers did not completely incapacitate him. Investigators say that after Rucker fell to the ground, he pointed a handgun at Chief Hanner. The officers ordered Rucker to drop his weapon, but he refused, leading both officers firing on Rucker.

Law enforcement officers with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department responded and rendered emergency medical aid to Rucker, who was transported to Schneck Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy revealed that Rucker died of multiple gunshot wounds. The autopsy also revealed that Rucker’s blood contained Methamphetamine and Fentanyl.

The investigation also revealed that the firearm that Rucker was armed with was a handgun capable of firing shotgun shells. It was, in fact, loaded with shotgun shells.

The investigation concluded that Chief Hanner and Assistant Chief Kelly were faced with an actual deadly force threat and were justified in using deadly force to protect themselves and others. Investigators add that Chief Hanner and Assistance Chief Kelly and the citizen who called 911 most likely saved the woman’s life.

Correction: The date that U.S. marshals arrested Shanice Hatcher was incorrect in a previous version of this story.

A woman who fled the Bartholomew County Courthouse last month has been captured. The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department says that on the morning of April 15th, Shanice Hatcher, 23, Indianapolis, fled the courthouse after being sentenced to 30 days in jail.

Authorities say that Hatcher was arrested in Indianapolis on May 9th by U.S. marshals.

Hatcher is being held in the Bartholomew County Jail without bond.