There will be at least one contested primary in Columbus this May. Russ Poling filed paperwork Monday morning to seek the Republican Party nomination for the City Council, District 3.

Poling, a quality manager at Cummins, is currently serving in his second term on the Columbus City Plan Commission. He previously served on the Columbus Redevelopment Commission. He also volunteers as a Veteran Mentor for the Bartholomew County Veterans Treatment Court.

Poling served on active duty in the United States Air Force for 20 years. He was honorably discharged with the rank of Master Sergeant.

Poling is running against fellow Republican David Bush, who was selected by party officials to complete the term of Frank Jerome. Jerome resigned at the end of 2018 after announcing plans to move out of the district. Poling, Bush and former State Rep. Jon Padfield were the three candidates party officials considered for Jerome’s seat.

Poling and Bush aren’t alone in their bid for the seat. Nancy Hoover, a Democrat, filed Monday afternoon to run for the seat. She is currently unopposed in the Democratic primary. So far, only three Democrats have filed to run for city office. Along with Hoover, there is Grace Kestler running for City Council At-Large and incumbent Democrat Elaine Wagner is running for reelection to the District 2 council seat.

Candidates can file at the Voter Registration Office inside the Bartholomew County Courthouse. The deadline to file is noon on Friday.

A local man suffered an ankle injury after reportedly trying to evade Columbus Police. At approximately 7:10 p.m. on Friday, officers saw 38-year-old Lawson R. Allen, of Columbus, in the 2300 block of Charleston Place. Police say Allen, who had two warrants for his arrest, spotted officers and ran into a nearby apartment. They say he later jumped out of a second story apartment window in an effort to avoid arrest.

The officers pursued Allen on foot and caught a short time later. He was transported to Columbus Regional Health for treatment of an ankle injury before being booked in the Bartholomew County Jail on outstanding warrants out of Bartholomew and Johnson counties, as well as new preliminary charge of Resisting Law Enforcement.

A large tire fire at a Garden City scrapyard sent up a huge plume of smoke south of Columbus Friday afternoon. Three volunteer fire departments battled the blaze.

Chief Dave Thompson with Columbus Township Fire and Rescue says that a cutting torch being used to dismantle cars at Garden City Iron and Metal sparked the blaze in the tire pile. Firefighters from his department, along with others from Harrison and Wayne Townships used water and foam to extinguish the fire.

Thompson says that crews spent about an hour battling the fire. No one was injured and no damage estimate are available.

The city of Columbus and Columbus Regional Health now own the Fair Oaks Mall property. The city partnered with CRH and Heritage Fund: The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County to offer to purchase the more than 35 acre site for $5.9 million in December.

The city council created the non-profit group, Fair Oaks Community Development Corporation to handle the transaction and to manage of the site. On Friday, the Fair Oaks Community Development Corporation Finance and Facilities committees held a joint meeting at the mall. Mary Ferdon, the city’s director of administration, explains…

Brad Davis, chair of the Finance Committee, says that some action has already been taken. That includes the retention of Veritas Realty as property manager and Securitas being retained for security. As for mall tenants, Davis says that the mall added one new tenant in January.

Ferdon says the work of these committees in ongoing.

A third committee, called a Design Committee, has yet to be formed. That body will be charged with coming up with a plan on how to proceed with the property. City officials have long said that hopes for the site include an indoor sports complex and a CRH-run clinic of some kind.

Committee members met Friday in anticipation of the full board’s meeting at the mall on Monday. That’s set for 1:30 p.m. in the former J. Nicole store. You’re invited.

Lower water levels and a break from the record low temperatures allowed emergency personnel to search the Big Blue River again today for a potential drowning victim.

First responders from Indiana Conservation Officers, Johnson County Dive Team, Shelby County Water Rescue Team and Franklin Fire Department conducted a complete search of the river from the dam to approximately 200 yards downstream. There were over twenty personnel in the water, using poles and their hands and feet to search the bottom of the river. They were searching for the body of a white male who reportedly went over the dam at the Big Blue River near Edinburgh on the afternoon of Jan. 24th. A witness reported that the man had blond hair, thin build and was wearing a red shirt and blue jeans.

Conservation officials say that agencies will always be on the lookout. However, unless there is significant information about the identity of the potential victim, there are no further plans to have a coordinated search of the river.

Bartholomew County Sheriff Matt Myers wants schools to be safer. He joined Porter County Sheriff Dave Reynolds, who also the Legislative Chairman of the Indiana Sheriff’s Association, to support his testimony for Indiana House Bill 1225.

HB 1225 provides that school corporations, with their county sheriff, may apply for a grant from the Indiana Secured School Fund to provide for the initial set up costs for an active event warning system. When installed, Myers says the system would notify all law enforcement of a dangerous situation.

Sheriff Myers says he supports this bill because it serves as another way to secure the safety of children. In addition, he says the bill will provide law enforcement in our communities with quicker response times to incidents. Myers explains that on-duty and off-duty law enforcement officers would immediately be notified in case of an Active Assailant incident, even notify officers who may be in another county. It also allows every officer to know every other officer who is on scene.

That’s not to say that Sheriff Myers is completely happy with the proposal. “What I don’t support about this particular bill is the fact that schools will need to apply for grants overseen by the State to install the Automated Immediate Notification System in schools. I believe these systems should be mandated by the State and funded by the State.”

A Columbus man was arrested for inappropriate contact with a child. The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department says that detectives began an investigation several months ago when a 14-year-old girl alleged that she had been a victim of sexual misconduct with 22-year-old Brandon Scott Wade.

Wade was arrested Thursday afternoon. He’s facing a preliminary charge of Sexual Misconduct with a Minor. Wade has since been released on bond.

This month’s First Fridays for Families event is tonight at the Commons. Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band will be performing at 6 p.m.

Katherine Armstrong with the Columbus Arts Arts Council says Mayor Jim Lienhoop will kick off the evening…

First Fridays for Families is a family entertainment series that introduces young audiences to a wide variety of performing arts in a fun, informal setting. This signature event series is free to attend thanks to the sponsorship of Old National Bank and the City of Columbus. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

For more information, visit artsincolumbus.org.

A local man was arrested after Columbus Police recovered methamphetamine along with several stolen items inside a garage on Wednesday night. Shortly after 11 p.m., officers responded to the 1700 block of Elm Street to determine if items stolen from a vehicle earlier in the day were inside a garage behind the home.

Officers later spoke with 24-year-old Aaron M.C. Christian, of Columbus who lives in the garage. He reportedly told police that a stolen computer was inside. Christian refused to allow officers inside the garage and a search warrant was eventually obtained. While searching the garage, officers reportedly found the meth, as well as a backpack and shoes that were stolen from a vehicle earlier in the day. Christian was taken into custody and officers reported finding counterfeit money in his clothing.

Christian is facing preliminary charges of Theft, Possession of Methamphetamine and Counterfeiting/Forgery.

Three Jennings County residents wanted by police were captured in Kentucky. Chief Deputy David Turner with the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department says that authorities received a tip about the whereabouts of the wanted trio. On Wednesday, the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the Kentucky State Police, found the three staying in an apartment in Milton, Kentucky.

Arrested were:

Darrell G. Brazee (age 55)
Possession of Methamphetamine- Level 6 Felony
Maintaining a Common Nuisance- Level 6 Felony
Possession of Paraphernalia- Class B Misdemeanor
Bond set at $62.000

Pamela J. Brazee (age 52)
Failure to appear for Possession of Methamphetamine- Level 6 Felony
Possession of Paraphernalia- Class C Misdemeanor
Bond set at $25,500

Tosha B. Brazee (age 23)
Failure to appear for the original offense of Attempted Fraud- Level 6 Felony
Bond set at $738

The three were transported to the Carroll County, Kentucky jail and are awaiting extradition back to Jennings County.