A wanted Columbus man is accused of barging into a home to avoid police Friday afternoon.

The incident started at about 3:30 p.m. when Columbus officers noticed 25 year old Scotty W. Garland III riding a bicycle in the 1400 block of Chestnut Street. Garland was wanted on two outstanding warrants and when police attempted to talk to him, he allegedly broke through the front door of a nearby home to escape.

After he fled that residence, he was seen again in the 1600 block of Orinoco Avenue and arrested.

In addition to the two outstanding warrants, Garland is facing preliminary charges of residential entry and resisting law enforcement.

Columbus police say a man accused of drunk driving Friday afternoon crashed into a city-owned vehicle and then allegedly bit a passerby who tried to detain him.

The crash happened at 22nd Street and Cottage Avenue at about 12:20  p.m. that afternoon when an SUV struck the city-owned vehicle and then rolled onto its side.

The driver, 24-year-old Tre X. Vires was detained by a witness who Vires allegedly tried to punch and later bit during a struggle before officers arrived.

Officers found a beer bottle near Vires’ vehicle and noted that his breath smelled of alcohol. He was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital to have his blood tested, then arrested and taken to jail on preliminary charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and battery.

Two people in the city owned medical transport vehicle were slightly injured in the crash.

The Columbus Regional Health Foundation is making its biggest donation to the hospital yet, providing $2 million dollars for a drug treatment center.

Ellen Brunner director of gift planning for the CRH Foundation and the hospital, explains the decision to make such a large grant.

Brunner says the large grant comes both from money donated specifically for drug abatement efforts, and from unrestricted gifts made by donors. This money is not coming from an endowment.

Cheryl Buffo with community partnerships at CRH explains what the grant will allow the hospital to do.

The outpatient center will be on Midway Street and is expected to open by July, according to hospital officials. It will be an evidence-based outpatient treatment program and CRH is consulting with Ascension Recovery Services. CRH will operate the facility, which will serve patients from Bartholomew County and surrounding areas.

The town of Hope wants you to give your thoughts on improvements around the Town Square.

The town plans to soon apply for state grant funds to make improvements including replacing all of the street lights in and around the square, along with new accessible trails throughout the park and better looking benches, trash cans and cigarette butt receptacles.

But to gain the grant, town officials say they will need the help of residents and visitors who show their support for the town project. You can find the survey here or you can pick up physical copies at the  Hope Town Hall, Community Center of Hope or the Hope Branch of the Bartholomew County Public Library.

The Columbus Police Department is investigating a battery that was reported outside the Bartholomew County Library earlier in the week.

Lt. Matt Harris says that even though some people on social media have said the incident was a rape, the police department is investigating the incident as battery. He adds that detectives are still working out the details of the case.

Harris says that the department’s designation is not meant to discredit the alleged victim. He stresses that more investigative work needs done.

The police department is not releasing any details about the incident until their investigation is complete.

The City of Columbus-Bartholomew County Planning Department is inviting you to give your thoughts about bicycle and pedestrian travel in Columbus during a public workshop scheduled for Thursday, June 20th. The public workshop will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Columbus City Hall.

The City of Columbus Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Update will identify opportunities to expand the community’s bicycle and pedestrian network and will include strategies to improve the city’s system of trails, bicycle lanes, sidewalks and other bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. The plan will serve as an update to the City’s first Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, which was adopted in 2010.

A second public workshop is slated for later this year.

Schneck Medical Center announced the opening of the Schneck Professional Building. It is a five-floor, 80,000-square-foot facility offering Infectious Disease specialists, Neurosurgery, Pain Center, Primary Care, Surgical Associates, Surgical Weight Loss, and a Vein Center.

“As our communities continue to grow, it is critical that Schneck also grows to serve the needs of our patients. The Schneck Professional Building is evidence of that commitment,” said Warren Forgey, President/CEO, Schneck Medical Center. “Our goal is to make healthcare streamlined and comprehensive – while at the same time easy to access.”

Neurosurgery, Bariatrics, Surgical Associates, Pain Center, and the Vein Center will open on Level 5 on Monday, June 3. Later in the summer, Infectious Disease and a third Schneck Primary Care location will open on Level 4. Levels 1, 2, and 3 will be built out as needed for growth in providers. Once all levels are occupied, the building can accommodate 40 to 50 providers and contain 120 to 150 exam rooms.

“Mary Schneck, who 108 years ago had the vision of building a community hospital, would be pleased to see how much we have grown from a 17-bed hospital to a healthcare delivery system with nine affiliated locations in four counties and, one of the most respected health institutions in the nation,” added Forgey. “We are excited to share the opening of the new Schneck Professional Building with the community and to begin a new chapter in Schneck’s history.”

Columbus Regional Health’s Cancer Center is donating automatic sunscreen dispenser stands to three area public parks and recreation spots in Bartholomew County.

CRH officials say the motion-sensor dispensers release individual portions of SPF 50 broad-spectrum sunscreen and include an application mirror and information about the importance of sun safety. The free-standing dispenser units will be available at Donner Aquatic Center, Lincoln Park ball diamonds and Ceraland Park and free for public use.

Indiana State Police are investigating an incident at the Jennings County Jail. ISP took on the investigation at the request of the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office after a female inmate tried to ingest methamphetamine, which caused her to suffer a medical emergency.

ISP detectives say the incident began at about 9 p.m. on the evening of May 29th, when Angela Kay Bennett, 43, Butlerville, was arrested on a warrant out of Bartholomew County. Bennett was transported to the jail where she was being processed by the jail staff. During the book-in process, Bennett allegedly took a concealed baggie containing suspected methamphetamine tried to swallow it.

Authorities say that as a result of her attempting to swallow the bag, Bennett began suffering a medical emergency. She was transported to St. Vincent-Jennings Hospital before being transported to an Indianapolis hospital for further treatment.

Bennett’s condition has not been released.

The investigation is ongoing.

Cummins Inc. and Isuzu Motors Limited announced that both companies have entered into the Isuzu Cummins Powertrain Partnership agreement. The agreement announced Friday formalizes a business structure for the two companies to evaluate and carry out opportunities to jointly develop and bring new diesel and diesel-based powertrains to global markets.

“As Cummins celebrates 100 years of innovation, we continue to look for opportunities to build global relationships with companies that share our values and our focus on innovation,” said Tom Linebarger, Chairman and CEO of Cummins. “This partnership is a terrific opportunity for both companies to leverage our respective strengths and create new opportunities to grow and broaden the product portfolio we bring to customers,” added Linebarger.