North Vernon Police arrested two people on drug charges. At 4:13 p.m. Tuesday, officers responded to a report of drug activity in the parking lot of a sports bar in the 300 block of Hoosier Street.

Police dog Zobi was summoned to the scene and alerted to the odor of drugs inside the vehicle. Officers reported finding drug paraphernalia and a small amount of meth in the possession of the driver, 27-year-old Michael Davis–Taylor, of North Vernon. He is facing preliminary charges of Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Paraphernalia.

A passenger, 37-year-old Jeffery A. Bower, also of North Vernon, was arrested for an active arrest warrant. He was wanted in Jennings County on charges of Failing to Appear for Possession of Methamphetamine, Public Intoxication, Possession of a Device Used to Trick a Drug Screen and Possession of Paraphernalia.

Efforts to combat the local drug epidemic continue. The Bartholomew County Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to appropriate a federal grant for the coming Adult Drug Treatment Court. The body took action freeing up $124,063 for the court. Brad Barnes, director of Bartholomew County Court Services, explains that the federal grant is reimbursable…

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Barnes says that the federal grant will cover salaries and benefits for a case manager and public defender.

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This is the first of a four-year grant.

Judge Kelly Benjamin gives an update on the status of the court.

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Benjamin says the hope is for the court to be up and running no later than April 1st. She says that she expects the court to be able to handle around 25 caseloads at a time once it is established.

Those who want to run for municipal office can begin filing on Wednesday. Bartholomew County Clerk Jay Phelps says potential candidates can file their paperwork when the Voter Registration Office in the courthouse opens at 8 a.m.

You have about a month to decide if you’d like to be a candidate…

Phelps says there are candidacy requirements. Candidates must be a registered voters and have no felonies. In addition…

Candidates can file at the Voter Registration Office inside the Bartholomew County Courthouse.

A Seymour grandmother and grandson are dead after a suspected murder/suicide. The Seymour Police Department says that just before 5 p.m. Monday, dispatchers received a 911 call from 68-year-old Wanda Huber. Authorities say that Huber made sure that police had her correct address, noting that a murder had just occurred. There was no further contact during the call.

When police arrived at the home, at 1705 South Walnut, they reported finding Huber’s body. She apparently died from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. Officers also found an injured teen in the home. He also suffered a gunshot wound to the head. The teen was flown to University Hospital in Louisville, where he passed away late Monday night.

Seymour Police say an autopsy on Huber was carried out Tuesday morning in Seymour. Those results are pending. An autopsy of the boy is pending in Louisville. Authorities say the investigation is ongoing, but they are currently treating it as a murder-suicide.

Three teenagers are facing charges related to a string of arson cases in the area of Paris Crossing and Montgomery Township.

On Friday, the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department and investigators from the Indiana State Fire Marshall’s Office served a search warrant at a home in Montgomery Township. During the course of the investigation, authorities say three suspects were identified as being involved with stealing property, then setting the fires.

Taylor S. Corya and Tristan McDonald, both age 18, are facing preliminary charges of Arson, Burglary and Theft. A 17-year-old boy was also arrested at a different location in Montgomery Township. He was transported to the Bartholomew County Youth Services Center and is also charged with Arson and Burglary.

A Columbus teen is fighting for his life after a Sunday night crash in Bartholomew County. At approximately 6:30 p.m., deputies responded to the two-vehicle crash at the intersection of E CR100 S and S CR650 E. The driver, 19-year-old Philip Artis, was flown to IU Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. Artis’s condition is unknown at this time. The driver of the second vehicle, 33-year-old Aaron Klene, of North Vernon, was not hurt.

A witness told deputies that Artis was driving southbound on 650 E when he failed to stop at the intersection of 650 E and 100 S. The witness also reported that Klene tried to avoid the collision, but was unable to do so.

A Columbus man was arrested Thursday morning after allegedly making threats with a gun at a local business. At about 5:50 a.m., Columbus police were called to PMG, at 1751 Arcadia Drive, in regards to a man with an orange bandanna covering his face who was causing a disturbance and making threats with the weapon. Officers arrived moments later and found 40-year-old Keith P. Wilder outside of the facility. When officers conducted a search of the area, they reportedly found a gun wrapped in an orange bandanna. Wilder is not an employee of the business.

Wilder was arrested on preliminary charges of Intimidation with a Deadly Weapon and Carrying a Handgun without a Permit. He remains behind bars on a 48-hour hold as the investigation continues.

The 2018 overdose death tally for Bartholomew County is in and figures are much improved over 2017. County Coroner Clayton Nolting says that in the past week, there has been one new overdose death, while a second death was confirmed.

Nolting notes that there have been 16 confirmed overdose deaths in Bartholomew County in 2018. That’s down from 30 in 2017. He adds that Fentanyl was a factor in two deaths in 2018, a considerable decrease from the previous year. Nolting credits programs like ASAP and other outreach efforts for the drop in deaths.

The Columbus Fire Department is accepting applications for full-time firefighter. Department officials say that applicants must have an Indiana Emergency Medical Technician Certification by the application deadline date. Previously, CFD did not require applicants to hold an emergency medical technician certification at their time of hire, but did require that the certification be obtained during the firefighters first year of service with the department.

Fire Chief Mike Compton said that this new applicant requirement will be a benefit to the community and wells as the fire department. He adds that the department is also considering including additional minimum requirements for future hiring processes. Compton says additional requirements may be required for future hires, adding that the city wants the best firefighters possible.

Applications are available to download at columbus.in.gov/fire/. There is a $5 fee for applications obtained for the Columbus Fire Department administrative office, located at 1101 Jackson Street. Completed applications may be mailed or delivered to the administrative office before 4 p.m. on March 31st.

It’s New Year’s Eve. Law enforcement agencies are urging you to celebrate responsibly. Chris Lane is Chief Deputy for the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.

If you plan on drinking, don’t drive.

Lane says deputies will be joining other law enforcement officers across the nation in an effort to stop drunk and impaired driving…

If you spot what you believe to be an impaired driver, Lane urges you to call 911.