A search warrant by the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics team uncovered methamphetamine and enough Fentanyl to kill thousands of people.

The Jennings County Sheriff’s Department says that at about 10:50 p.m. Tuesday, Nov.19, members of the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team (JCSO-SRT) and Narcotics Team executed a search warrant at 303 Laurel Street in North Vernon, after a drug investigation was initiated by the department’s Narcotics Team. Chief Deputy David Turner says the investigation began after police received information that 27-year-old Shey M. Richardson, of North Vernon, was involved in the distribution and sale of drugs.

Two people were found inside the residence when deputies arrived. During the course of the search, deputies located approximately 14.5 grams of suspected Fentanyl along with approximately 7 grams of Methamphetamine along with Marijuana and paraphernalia. They are identified as follows:

– Shey M. Richardson (age 27) of North Vernon, IN.
– Dillon W. Steinert (age 24) of Butlerville, IN.

Richardson is being held in the Jennings County Jail on the following charges:

Dealing a Narcotic Drug
Possession of Meth over 5 grams
Possession of Syringe
Maintaining a Common Nuisance
Possession of Paraphernalia
Obstruction of Justice

Richardson is being held on $20,055 cash bond.

A second person, 24-year-old Dillon W. Steinert of Butlerville, was wanted on four outstanding warrants, one out of Jackson Couty and three out of Jennings County. He is facing preliminary charges of:

Possession of Meth over 5 grams
Possession of Syringe
Possession of Paraphernalia
Possession of Marijuana
Visiting a Common Nuisance

Steinert is being held without bond.

Columbus City Councilman Dascal Bunch, who came up short in his re-election bid by one vote, has officially filed for a recount. Jay Phelps, the Bartholomew County Clerk, explains that the matter goes before a judge next week.

That hearing is set for Tuesday, Nov. 26th at 3 p.m. in Superior Court I before Judge Jim Worton, who will also determine the day for the recount.

Bunch, a Republican representing the city’s First District, was defeated by Democrat Jerone Wood, 260-259. Independent candidate Michael Kinder received 81 votes.

Phelps says that, by law, the recount must be completed and certified by Dec. 20th.

Bartholomew Consolidated Schools have delayed approval of a new social media usage policy for the district staff.

The school board had been scheduled to consider the expanded policy for approval at this week’s meeting, but instead will be delaying the discussion to next month. Superintendent Dr. Jim Roberts explained that changes and clarifications are being made to the proposed policy unveiled last month.

Roberts explained that those changes are in response to concerns raised after the draft policy was unveiled last month:

Technology director Nick Williams and operations director Brett Bozeman are working on making the suggested changes.

Feedback came from teachers and other staff, Roberts said.

School officials last month said that the existing policies were out of date and inadequate for current social media use.

Roberts said that the policy update would discourage the use of school district logos, graphics and other materials on private social media accounts and suggests that staff members ensure that their own opinions are not mistaken as the schools’. The proposed policy would also regulate and prohibit staff members one-on-one private social media communications with students.

The changes are not meant to limit the staff’s First Amendment rights.

School board member Jeff Caldwell expressed concerns that he policy could be interpreted as punishment, instead of a way to guide social media usage. Board member Kathy Dayhoff-Dwyer said she was concerned that the limits on social media communications could hamper coaches’ efforts to provide guidance and instill discipline in student athletes.

The city of Columbus is moving forward on a plan to better address and remove inoperable,  junk and unlicensed vehicles.

Currently, provisions on how to handle these vehicles is a zoning ordinance issue. Fred Barnett, director of code enforcement, says that means it can takes months before the Board of Zoning Appeals can hear any appeals, leading to longer periods of time when offending vehicles can remain parked. Under an ordinance that received initial approval Tuesday night, the Columbus City Council agreed to implement these rules into the municipal code. Barnett says this change will allow police to ticket the land owners where these vehicles are parked, up to $250 per offending vehicle.

Mary Ferdon, the city’s director of administration, stresses that the actual language governing inoperable and junk vehicles hasn’t changed. It is merely being moved to the municipal code in order to allow the city more options to deal with these vehicles in a timely manner.

Council voted unanimously to approve the ordinance. The second reading is set for December 3.

Legal Aid announces a Free Legal Aid Clinic on Monday, Nov. 25, at the Legal Aid Office in the Doug Otto United Way Center in Columbus. The clinic will be held from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

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 number of area organizations are coming together to help give cats good homes. Columbus Animal Care Services and Bartholomew County Humane Society, along with Animal Outreach of Shelby County, White River Humane Society, Brown County Humane Society, as well as additional rescues and shelters in the area, are partnering together to get nearly 200 adoptable cats and kittens into loving homes.

The “Kitty Palooza” multi-agency adoption event will be held on Saturday, November 23, from noon to 5 p.m. at Fair Oaks Mall. The event will be held in the former Toys ‘R Us location near Mark Pi’s China Gate.

All cats will have a reduced adoption fee of $40, which includes spaying or neutering, up-to-date shots and microchip prior to adoption.

Each individual organization will have its own application process. Those who rent are encouraged to bring renter’s agreements or contracts to indicate they are allowed pets.

Fair Oaks Mall will be going crazy for cats on Saturday.

The mall will be hosting a multi-agency cat and kitten adoption event Saturday that organizers are calling “Kitty Palooza.”

Columbus Animal Care Services, Bartholomew County Humane Society, Animal Outreach of Shelby County, White River Humane Society and Brown County Humane Society, will be working together to find permanent homes for about 200 adoptable felines.

The price to adopt a cat will be $40, which includes  spaying or neutering, getting up-to-date on shots and implanting a microchip. Each organization will have its own adoption process and application.

Kitty Palooza will be from 12 to 5 Saturday in Fair Oaks Mall at the former toy store space near the Mark Pi’s China Gate restaurant.

The deadline to sign up for home deliveries of the State Street Area Association’s Thanksgiving dinner is coming up on Wednesday.

The association will be hosting the traditional holiday meal from 12 to 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Roby and America Anderson Community Center on McClure Road. For those needing home deliveries, you can call 812-344-9551 and leave the number of meals you need, up to four. Meal deliveries will be between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday.

The association is still looking for donations of dishes including pre-cooked turkeys, boxes of mashed potatoes and stuffing, large cans of green beans, cans of whipped cream and apple or pumpkin pies. Those can be dropped off at the center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily. If you are donating a frozen turkey, organizers ask that be dropped off by Wednesday in order to be thawed in time for Saturday’s meal.

Local authorities arrested six people Monday on drug-related charges tied to a Columbus home.

The Bartholomew County Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team raided the detached garage of a home in the 2100 block of Caldwell Place Monday evening. They discovered methamphetamine, heroin, controlled substances, drug paraphernalia, and narcotics packaging material. 33-year-old Christopher D. Battin, who lives at the home, was arrested on preliminary charges of dealing in cocaine or a  narcotic drug, possession of methamphetamine, a controlled substance, heroin, marijuana and drug paraphernalia, as well as maintaining a common nuisance.

Others arrested during drug-related traffic stops tied to the investigation include 32-year-old Elizabeth A. Burton, 29-year-old Jonathan P. Blair and 57-year-old Victor N. Burton, all of Columbus; 32-year-old Christopher L. Tays of Franklin, and 31-year-old Ryan S. Hollman, of Hope.

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  Elizabeth A. Burton was arrested after the Columbus Police Department’s Intelligence Led Policing Unit stopped her vehicle near 7th Street and Central Avenue. Methamphetamine and a controlled substance were found in the vehicle and she is facing drug possession charges.

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  Tays was arrested after a traffic stop near 17th Street and Gladstone Avenue. He was wanted on two local warrants and one from another county. A Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department police dog alerted to the smell of drugs in this vehicle and officers report finding marijuana and a suboxone strip. He is facing new drug possession charges in addition to the warrant.

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  Shortly after Tays arrest, officers stopped a vehicle being driven by Blair. A police dog alerted to drugs inside and a search recovered nearly 30 grams of methamphetamine.  Blair was arrested on charges of possessing the methamphetamine and visiting a common nuisance.

• Hollman and Burton were passengers in Blair’s vehicle. They are facing charges of dealing and possessing methamphetamine and visiting a common nuisance.

The city of Columbus plans to work with Sprague Hotel Developers to come up with a downtown hotel and conference center. The Columbus Redevelopment Commission accepted the recommendation of its Hotel/Conference Center Team to start negotiations with Sprague.

Sprague, owned by Janeen Sprague and based in downtown Columbus, already locally operates Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express & Suites and Comfort Inn in Edinburgh, along with the Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites in Seymour. They also have hotels in Indianapolis, Fishers, Franklin, Greenwood and Noblesville.

Tom Vujovich, co-chair of the team, says that a hotel and conference center is a major part of the “Envision Columbus” plan. He adds that two pieces of downtown property are being considered for the project.

Which property will be utilized has yet to be negotiated.

The commission voted unanimously to accept the recommendation and proceed into the negotiation process with Sprague Hotel Developers.

The body also approved a resolution to amend a contract with Hunden Strategic Partners to to allow that group to help with negotiations on this project on behalf of the commission. They agreed to set aside $20,000 to pay for that assistance, as needed, on an hourly basis.