A Columbus man is facing drug-dealing charges after a large amount of methamphetamine was found during a traffic stop last week.

Columbus officers report that they stopped a vehicle near 11th and Pearl streets at about 8:30 Thursday evening. A passenger appeared to be shaking and nervous, according to police reports. A Columbus police dog alerted to the smell of narcotics in the vehicle and a search revealed almost 57 grams of meth and other drugs including synthetic marijuana.

The passenger, 44-year-old Finis K. Carpenter of Columbus, was arrested on preliminary charges of dealing methamphetamine as well as charges for possessing methamphetamine, a narcotic and a look-alike substance.

Photo courtesy of Columbus Police Department

This is the first day for Indiana’s new coronavirus restriction rules with limits on crowds based on a county’s color on the Indiana State Department of Health coronavirus spread tracking map.

Most counties in Indiana are orange, which means they can have 25 percent of their usual crowds. Yellow counties in Indiana can have 50 percent of their normal crowds. Social gatherings are also limited, with a total of 25 people being allowed in red counties, 50 in orange counties and 100 in yellow counties.

Blue counties are allowed to resume normal operations, but there aren’t any blue counties in Indiana right now.

Locally, Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Jackson and Jennings counties are all orange on the state advisory level map, while Johnson and Shelby counties are in the red. A county must maintain daily statistics at a lower advisory level for two weeks before it can be moved to that lower level.

Bartholomew County reported 36 new cases of the disease yesterday, Decatur 9, Jennings 5, Jackson 19, Brown 2, Johnson 30 and Shelby County had 11 new cases. There were no new deaths reported in our area yesterday.

Statewide, Indiana reported 1,750 new cases and five new deaths with a 7-day positivity rate of 8.5 percent.

Area counties are all under a travel advisory, due to the combination of rain and snow, plus below freezing temperatures overnight causing slick road conditions.

Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Jackson, Jennings, Johnson and Shelby counties are all under the yellow advisory level, the state’s lowest level of travel warning, meaning that routine travel or activities are restricted due to a hazardous condition. The Bartholomew County Emergency Operations Center has been reporting that some roads remain slick and snow-covered. You should use caution if you are driving and give yourself extra time to reach your destination.

A traffic stop turned into an arrest on felony drug charges for a Columbus man Thursday afternoon.

According to Columbus police, they stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation at just before 5 Thursday near Morningside Drive and Nolting Street. The driver, 45-year-old Brian A. Jones appeared nervous when speaking to officers, according to police reports.

Columbus police dog Argo was brought to the scene and alerted to the odor of narcotics inside the vehicle. A search allegedly revealed about 16 grams of methamphetamine and a small amount of heroin in Jones’ clothing.

He was arrested on preliminary charges for possessing the drugs.

Columbus police say that a man tried to force his way into an apartment to avoid officers and is now facing new charges for breaking in.

Officers received the call to the 1000 block of Phoenix Court at about 11:45 Thursday night and arrived to find residents trying to push the suspect out the door. The man then struggled with police before being taken into custody.

According to witnesses, the man, identified as 37-year-old Tyrrice L. Degraffenreid, knocked on their door and refused to leave. When police arrived, he allegedly forced his way into the apartment.

Police found that he was carrying drugs and drug paraphernalia. And he was wanted on an outstanding local warrant. After being checked out at Columbus Regional Hospital, Degraffenreid was arrested on preliminary charges or Resisting Law Enforcement, Residential Entry, Possession of Methamphetamine, Marijuana and Drug Paraphernalia, and giving a false Identity Statement.

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Officials are investigating after an inmate died at the Johnson County Jail yesterday.

Inmates called correctional officers for help after finding a female inmate unresponsive yesterday. CPR was attempted by both the correctional officers and medics once they arrived, but the efforts were unsuccessful. The inmate was pronounced dead at the scene.

Johnson County Coroner Michael Pruitt and the sheriff’s department are investigating.

Signups are underway for the Premium Link Bartholomew County program through the United Way of Bartholomew County. The program helps lower income residents pay for health insurance.

You may qualify for the program if your household income is less than 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines and if you have health coverage through the healthcare marketplace Silver Plan or through the state’s HIP Plus plan.

Premium Link Bartholomew County launched in 2016. Last year, the program helped 92 participants pay for their healthcare.

To sign up or to get more information, call (812) 314-2960 or email premiumlink@uwbarthco.org.

Groundhog Day festivities for the town of Hope will have a new groundhog doing the work on Tuesday.

HSJ Online, the Hope news website, is reporting that Grubby the Groundhog will be sitting this year out because of illness. Instead, a young groundhog named Hope will be taking Grubby’s place. Hope was born last spring according to the website. Like her older groundhog predecessor, Hope is a resident of Utopia Wildlife Rehabilitators and will not be released to the wild because she does not have the prey defenses needed to survive in the wild.

For the past few years, Groundhog Day festivities have been held on the Hope Town Square, organized by the Main Street of Hope group.

But this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event will be largely virtual. The only live attendees will be the staff at Utopia, Main Street of Hope members and the media. Local dignitaries will be in costume, reading proclamations and reciting Groundhog Day history.

You can watch live starting at 8:30 a.m. on February 2nd through the Utopia Wildlife Rehabilitators Facebook page.

Bartholomew Consolidated Schools will be continuing their hybrid schedule for middle school and high school students, for at least two more weeks.

The school district announced yesterday that after a review of COVID-19 stats from both inside the schools and across the community, that it will continue the hybrid schedule through at least Friday, Feb. 12th. The plan is to announce any changes on Feb. 11th, and that would affect students starting on Monday, Feb. 15th.

Under the hybrid model, at the middle and high school level, students attend part of the week in class and part in e-learning, depending on the letters of their last name. A to K students are in person Mondays and Tuesdays, while L through Z students are in person Thursdays and Fridays. Should the county drop into the red level on the Indiana State Department of Health rankings, elementary school students would follow the same model.

Additionally, the school district announced that the same virtual options that are in place for the first semester of 2021, will remain in place for the second semester.

Columbus police say a woman was stabbed multiple times in an argument early Thursday morning.

Officers were called to the 200 block of Woodlane Drive at about 2:50 yesterday morning for a reported disturbance. They found the stabbed woman and she was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital. She is expected to survive her injuries, police say.

After investigating, police arrested 37-year-old Gregory S. Taskey, who lives at the same home. He is facing a preliminary charge of battery with a deadly weapon.

The investigation is ongoing and is being handled by the Columbus Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division.