A Nineveh man is dead, shot by police in Bartholomew County after a multi-county chase and exchanging shots with officers.

Indiana State Police say that 30-year-old Martin L. Douglas Jr. was shot and killed at about 5:30 p.m. yesterday afternoon after a more than five hour standoff with police in a cornfield near County Road 300W and Deaver Road.

The incident started at about 11:40 a.m. Wednesday morning with Brown County authorities warning neighboring departments to be on the lookout for Douglas who was believed to be driving his pickup eastbound into Bartholomew County with the intent to harm acquaintances. He was believed to be armed and despondent, according to police reports.

A Columbus police officer came across the vehicle near County Roads 450S and 300W and Douglas refused to stop for police. He continued to flee on rural roads before crossing over into Jackson County. Other agencies joined in the chase, including Indiana State Police and the Bartholomew and Jackson county sheriff’s departments.

When the chase continued back into Bartholomew County, police deflated his tires near County Road 300W and State Road 58. Douglas stopped in the road. That’s when he fired about 15 shots at police with an AR-15 style rifle, hitting at least three vehicles including two from Columbus Police and one from the state police. Authorities returned fire, but he took off again before stopping in the final cornfield, according to troopers.

The vehicle was surrounded by authorities and they called in the Columbus and Indiana State Police SWAT teams.

Eventually, Douglas got out of the vehicle and pulled a second rifle from the bed of the truck. That’s when state police SWAT officers fired and he was killed.

No officers were injured, according to police reports.

Photo courtesy of Indiana State Police.

An Indiana state trooper is on leave after a drunk driving arrest in Johnson County.

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Department is reporting that a deputy noticed an SUV speeding and crossing the centerline at about 12:34 a.m. yesterday morning in the White River Township area. The deputy pulled the vehicle voter and while talking to the driver, 37-year-old Marcus Tow of Martinsville, the deputy smelled alcohol.

Tow failed several field sobriety tests and refused a certified chemical test, according to police reports. A search warrant was obtained and his blood was collected. Toxicology results are still pending.

He was arrested on a preliminary charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and taken to the Johnson County Jail.

Tow told deputies that he worked for the Indiana State Police. His police powers have been suspended pending the outcome of the case.

The case has been forwarded to the Johnson County Prosecutor’s office.

Ivy Tech Community College is announcing plans to move back to in-person learning for the fall semester but also to retain options for remote learning.

College officials say that is due to improving COVID-19 numbers across the state. The college has already started ramping up in-person classes. The next spring session begins on March 22 and Ivy Tech expects about 25 percent of the courses statewide will be be offered in-person. Summer courses begin June 7 with the number of face-to-face courses set to increase further.

The college will also continue to provide students with course options such as online and flexible delivery modes. That will include a course delivery method called Learn Anywhere that the college expanded during the pandemic. According to the school, students who enroll in a Learn Anywhere course choose face-to-face, virtual, or online learning formats for each class session based on their needs on a given day.
The first fall session at Ivy Tech starts Wednesday, August 18.

Cummins is announcing a new natural gas powertrain available for heavy-duty uses.

The Columbus-based engine manufacturer made the announcement this week with Cummins Westport. The companies said that the new powertrain combines the near zero emissions ISX12N engine with the Endurant HD N transmission from Eaton Cummins Automated Transmission Technologies.

The powertrain can operate on 100 percent compressed natural gas, liquid natural gas or renewable natural gas. It will produce 400 horsepower and 1,450 foot pounds of torque. It will operate with net greenhouse gas emissions at or below zero, according to the company.

The target market is heavy duty regional haul fleets that want to reduce emissions and increase sustainability.

Everyone with high risk health conditions is now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in Indiana.

The Indiana State Department of Health yesterday added eligibility for people with higher risk for the disease due to serious health concerns. That includes everything from diabetes to HIV to lung and immune system worries.  The move follows recommendations from the CDC.

There is no word yet on how many people that will add to Indiana’s vaccine waiting list.

If you meet the criteria for the vaccine, you can sign up online at ourshot.in.gov or call 211.

You could see rolling roadblocks on Interstate 65 just south of Columbus on Wednesday and Friday.

Indiana Department of Transportation says that traffic will be slowed in the southbound lanes for five to 10 minutes at a time between 8 a.m.  and 3 p.m. Wednesday and Friday while equipment and stone is delivered for the Deaver Road bridge replacement project.

INDOT suggests that you use extra caution in the area and watch for slowed traffic. You will see electronic message boards and queue trucks at the site to alert motorists.

Indiana added 5 deaths from COVID-19 in Monday’s update from the Indiana State Department of Health, one of the lowest tallies since the start of the pandemic in March of last year. None of those deaths were in Bartholomew County or surrounding counties.

Since the start of the pandemic a year ago, Indiana has recorded 12 thousand 315 deaths from COVID-19

Bartholomew reported 2 new cases of COVID-19, Shelby and Jennings counties each had 1, and Johnson had 12 newly reported cases. Decatur, Jackson and Brown counties had no new cases to report.

INDOT says that the right lane of northbound Interstate 65 will be closed at the U.S. 31 overpass near Taylorsville in Bartholomew County today, Wednesday and Thursday.

That will be so crews can do patching work. The lane will be closed from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day, weather permitting.

INDOT says that drivers should slow down in work zones and use caution where crews are present.

Four people have been arrested as part of a multi-agency sweep for those wanted on warrants in Jennings County.

The Jennings County Sheriff’s Department is reporting that it worked with the Indiana State Police and North Vernon police in the wave of arrests that started with an investigation into three people wanted on warrants.

Deputies report that 49-year-old Michael D. Brown was arrested by deputies and troopers a week ago at a Seymour home on a Jefferson County warrant for failing to register as a sex offender.

As part of the investigation, on Thursday, 20-year-old Breanna Howell was arrested in North Vernon for possession of a syringe. Further investigation led the agencies to a North Vernon home. Police found 47-year-old Melissa Brown hiding in a wall and 25-year-old Shawn Kuhlman hiding under a dresser. Both were wanted on warrants.

Brown is facing new charges of escape and resisting law enforcement. In addition to two outstanding felony warrants, Kuhlman is also being accused of battery on a law enforcement officer, escape, trafficking with an inmate, resisting law enforcement as well as possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

Deputies say that the investigation continues.