A special ceremony on tap Friday morning at the Atterbury Bakalar Air Museum in Columbus. Nick Firestone explains that they will be adding a name to the Gallant Men Wall.
Firestone explains that the Gallant Men Wall is meant to celebrate military members from Bartholomew County who have performed service beyond the call of duty.
Friday’s event will be emceed by White River Broadcasting’s own John Foster. You are invited.
A Seymour man is facing a child molesting charge after an alleged incident that occurred in rural Jackson County.
Indiana State Police say that on Sunday evening, the Seymour Police Department began investigating an alleged child molestation case. The investigation was referred to the Indiana State Police due to the alleged crime taking place outside of Seymour city limits.
Investigators believe that 30-year-old Reynaldo E. Reyes-Perdomo took a 13-year old girl to a rural location near State Road 11 and I-65 in northern Jackson County and engaged in sexual contact with her. A second incident was reported to have occurred on a different date at a Seymour residence involving the same victim.
Reyes-Perdomo was arrested on a level one felony count of Child Molesting.
In just under two weeks, area voters will be choosing from a handful of contested races on the ballot. Indiana Senate District 41 includes portions of Bartholomew and Johnson counties. Voters will be deciding between incumbent Republican Greg Walker and Democrat Ross Thomas. Both men live in Columbus.
Republican incumbent State Sen. Greg Walker was born and raised in Columbus. He attended Indiana University and earned a degree in finance, later working toward his masters in business administration. He and his wife Allison have four children. He has worked in taxation and finance, and as a revenue agent for the state of Indiana. He now does business consulting and concentrates on the state senate.
He has held the senate seat for 12 years and that was his first run for office.
Democrat Ross Thomas, grew up in Jennings County and holds a degree in political economy from Tulane and a law degree from Indiana University. He has a law office in Indianapolis and lives in Columbus with his wife Amy and their three children. He serves on the board of the local Little League Babe Ruth League and this is his first run for office.
We asked the candidates what the need for hate-crime legislation in Indiana.
Walker says that Indiana gets a bad rap.
Thomas says having a comprehensive hate-crimes statute just makes good economic sense.
We asked the candidates about the state’s role in assuring counties have proper funding for their roads.
Walker says that in the past few years Indiana has made strides in better funding infrastructure
Thomas says that the state capped property taxes, which also capped community’s ability to self-fund road repairs..
We also asked the candidates about their thoughts on potentially legalizing marijuana.
Walker says its difficult for the state to decriminalize weed while the federal government still deems it illegal.
Thomas says its not right to keep marijuana from those who need it.
Early voting is going on now at the Bartholomew County Courthouse voter registration office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. The general election is Nov. 6th.
A Seymour man was arrested Tuesday morning for allegedly carrying a handgun without a license. The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department says that just before 4 a.m., deputies stopped a vehicle driven by 23-year-old Oman Fajardo Bautista near the 5500 block of South County Road 250 East.
When deputies made contact with Bautista, they observed an un-holstered, loaded handgun on the driver’s side floorboard. He was arrested on a preliminary charge of Carrying a Handgun without a License. The two passengers in Bautista’s vehicle were released.
Bautista has since been released.
A Jennings County man was arrested early Tuesday morning on drug charges. North Vernon Police say that just before 1 a.m., officers stopped a vehicle for an equipment violation. During the traffic stop, officers began to suspect that the driver, 24-year-old William B. Michaels III, of North Vernon, was involved in drug activity.
A drug recognition evaluation was performed on Michaels and police determined that he was driving under the influence of a controlled substance. Authorities say that a subsequent investigation and search revealed that Michaels was in possession of marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms, digital scales and other items of drug paraphernalia.
Michaels was arrested on preliminary charges of:
1. Possession of a Controlled Substance – Level 6 Felony
2. Maintaining a Common Nuisance – Class A Misdemeanor
3. Possession of Paraphernalia – Class A Misdemeanor
4. Operating a Vehicle while Intoxicated – Class A misdemeanor
5. Possession of Marijuana – Class B misdemeanor
Michaels is being held on $1,055 cash bond. His vehicle was impounded.
Time is running out for Bartholomew County students to submit a poster for Crime Prevention Month. The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department is inviting students in grades K-12 to create a poster on a sheet of paper, 8.5 x 11 inches. Students can use pen, pencil, colored pencil, crayon, paint or felt pen. No computer generated submissions will be accepted.
Entries should be dropped off at the Bartholomew County Jail front desk, at 543 Second Street in Columbus, by 5 p.m. on October 31st. Students should include their name, school, grade and telephone number on the back of the poster.
Three winners will be selected on or before November 5th. The winning posters will be displayed in jail’s administrative offices. Winners and “honorable mentions” will have their photo, name, other information and their posters posted on the Sheriff’s Facebook page.
A local man was arrested on drug charges over the weekend after an alleged overdose. At approximately 10:20 p.m. Friday, Columbus Police were called to a home in the 1000 block of Eighth Street ion a report of an unresponsive man. Officers administered Narcan and revived the man, 43-year-old Timothy S. Gilley, of Columbus. While attending to Gilley, the officers noticed drugs inside Gilley’s bedroom. They applied for, and received, a warrant to search the home for additional drugs. That search reportedly led to the discovery of 19 syringes, marijuana, methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia inside the home.
Gilley was arrested and transported to Columbus Regional Health for treatment. He is facing preliminary charges of Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of a Syringe and Maintaining a Common Nuisance.
A Brown County woman has been charged in the death of her seven-month old daughter. Indiana State Police and the Indiana Department of Child Services recently concluded a six-month investigation with the arrest of 20-year-old Anna Prewitt-Byers, of Nashville.
Both agencies were contacted on April 18th of this year by IU Health Bloomington once a child was brought in for injuries that ultimately included massive hemorrhaging, abrasions, diffuse cerebral edema causing herniation, severe hemorrhages in retina, perioptic nerve soft tissue hemorrhage, left chin contusions, cerebellar hemorrhages, base of the brain hemorrhaging and blunt trauma injury to her chest.
The investigation led investigators to believe that Prewitt-Byers was responsible for the injuries that led to her daughter’s death. An arrest warrant for the woman was issued by the Monroe County Circuit Court on Wednesday of this week. Prewitt-Byers was arrested the same day. She is facing charges of Aggravated Battery and Battery Resulting in Death of a Person Less than 14-years old.
Legal Aid has announced a Free Legal Aid Clinic on Monday, October 22, at the Legal Aid Office in the United Way Center in Columbus. The clinic will be held from 3pm – 5pm and are for low-income residents. They are held each month in Bartholomew County.
The Legal Aid Clinic and Pro Bono Program utilizes local volunteer attorneys, offering free legal consultations to low-income individuals for the provision of legal advice and assistance in furtherance of equal access to justice within our community whom might not otherwise be able to afford the counsel of an attorney.
Individuals coming to the Legal Aid Clinic can expect to receive a 10 minute consultation to answer general questions, offer legal information, or to receive other limited pro se assistance or advice, in person, on a first come, first serve basis. There is no need to register in advance.
A Columbus man was arrested on multiple charges after a Thursday foot chase. Just after 3:30 p.m., deputies noticed 22-year-old Ricky Omar Keith Reed walking in the area of First and John Street in Taylorsville. When they tried to stop him, Reed allegedly took off. That led to deputies releasing police dog Diesel. Reed then stopped and reportedly dropped a red straw and a cigarette pack containing methamphetamine. While searching Reed, authorities reported finding a syringe.
Reed was arrested on preliminary charges of:
– Possession of Methamphetamine
– Possession of Legend Drug Injection Devices
– Possession of Paraphernalia
– Bartholomew County Warrant
– Resisting Law Enforcement.
Reed remains behind bars in lieu of $132,500 bond.