Columbus Police Chief Jon Rohde updated the public on the state of the department at the mayor’s State of the City address last night at Fair Oaks Mall.

He said that an increasingly professional atmosphere in the department is leading to better recruitment and better outcomes for the community.

Rohde cited the department’s accreditation by a national licensing group as a sign of the improving professionalism and outlined other efforts.

Mayor Jim Lienhoop explained the difficulties the police had  recruiting and training new  officers.

Rohde said several changes are helping improve recruitment efforts, including higher pay, a more flexible take-home vehicle program and looser grooming standards that meet more modern expectations.

Columbus police also provided the evening’s entertainment, showing the video the department made last year with JAB Media Group for the nationwide police lip-sync challenge.

More than 250 people turned out for Thursday night’s event.

Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop delivered his State of the City address last night from inside the former Carson’s store at the Fair Oaks Mall.

The focus of much of the speech was on the way the city of Columbus uses partnerships to tackle problems in the community.

Lienhoop discussed last year’s purchase of the mall after recognizing the need for an indoor sports complex.

The city will still need to determine the future of Donner Center once park offices are moved to the mall property.

He cited the mall project as a cooperative effort between the city, Columbus Regional Health and Heritage Fund: The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County.

The touched on the proposed downtown riverfront project saying that the project is needed, not just to provide recreation downtown, but it is essential to take care of the deadly low-head dam and the ongoing erosion that threatens the former city dump and Superfund site.

He says that, for reasons no one can explain, the dam wasn’t constructed properly, leading to the erosion…

He also updated the crowd on the railroad overpass project on the west side of Columbus, saying that the project is “on track.”

The mayor stressed that the earliest the project can begin is the third quarter of this year with a completion date of fourth quarter of next year.

He cited the railroad overpass as a partnership between the city, Bartholomew County, the Indiana Department of Transportation and Cummins Inc.

The mayor said that the best way to tackle these challenging issues is to always look to the future, and to look for partners.

The mayor’s complete 2018 State of the City speech is available here:

The Columbus Museum of Art and Design is offering a new grant program to promote art and design projects in Columbus. The goal is to continue building the city’s legacy of innovative design.

This represents a change in direction for the museum, which used to have a physical space in the old Commons. CMAD has created a more focused approach to be a funder for art, rather than a direct creator or curator. The group plans to repeat the grant awards twice yearly to ensure new art experiences are regularly available to the residents of Columbus.

The first round of grant funding will offer $7,500 and could be given to one grant recipient or split up between several projects. The winners will be chosen for short-term projects, to be completed in a year or less, and that will benefit a broad range of the Columbus community.

The deadline to apply is April 30th. You can find an application at cmadart.org/grants.

A passenger is facing drug charges after police stopped a truck in Columbus Wednesday night.

Columbus police say that they stopped a vehicle for a minor traffic violation in the 800 block of Chestnut Street shortly after 8 p.m. Wednesday night. A Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department police dog alerted to the odor of narcotics inside the vehicle and during a search of the truck, officers found heroin, methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia. That was in the back seat, where passenger 42-year-old Michael D. Riedeman of Columbus was sitting.

He was arrested on preliminary charges of possessing heroin, methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and a syringe.

Fans of Indiana basketball can learn more about Hoosier Hysteria tonight at an event at the Columbus Learning Center.

Bethany Messersmith, director of the Ivy Tech library explains that the event will feature a panel discussion with Republic Sports Editor Ted Schultz, and two standout women’s basketball players with local ties — Courtney Larson, a former Columbus North standout and player for Miami University, and Allison White, a Northside Middle School teacher and former Indiana basketball all star.

Schultz will be talking about the origins of class basketball in Indiana high schools, while Larson and White will talk about their experiences on court and their place in history.

Each speaker will talk for 15 minutes, followed by a 15 minute Q&A from the audience.

Flavored popcorn snacks will be provided by local business Popportunity.

The event starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Columbus Learning Center and it is being organized by the Ivy Tech university library

The Indiana Department of Transportation spent Wednesday pre-treating highways in preparation for the potential of one to three inches of snow expected to impact southeast Indiana beginning Thursday afternoon through Friday morning.

INDOT says that drivers will be on patrol across the region beginning about 2 p.m. Thursday to plow snow and treat roads with salt until conditions improve.

Motorists should remember to slow down when driving in winter weather conditions. Leave early, expect delays, and allow more time to reach your destination. INDOT also urges you to watch out for their yellow trucks and to give plow truck drivers plenty of room to complete their routes.

Indiana State Police are releasing more details about a Wednesday morning crash involving a school bus and a trash truck in Dearborn County. Shortly before 8 a.m., ISP responded to the scene on State Road 350 near Mount Sinai Road that sent around 20 people to area hospitals with injuries.

The initial investigation by the Indiana State Police-Versailles Crash Reconstruction Team indicated that the trash truck, operated by 38-year-old Brian J. Rumpke, of Cincinnati, was parked on the edge of the eastbound lane while Rumpke was picking up trash from a home. A South Dearborn School Corporation school bus, driven by 64-year-old Raymond W. Nies, of Moores Hill, was traveling eastbound on State Road 350, when it collided with the rear of the trash truck. ISP says both vehicles came to rest in the eastbound lane of State Road 350.
Rumpke, who was standing outside of his vehicle, was struck by debris and sustained non-life threatening injuries. Nies sustained serious injuries. Both were transported to High Point Health in Dearborn County, Indiana. Nies was later transferred to University of Cincinnati Hospital for further treatment.

Authorities say there were 22 students, between grades six and 11 on the school bus at the time of the crash. Seventeen students were transported by ambulance to High Point Health for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. A 13-year-old boy was initially entrapped in the bus. He was later freed from the wreckage. He was transported to High Point Health before being transferred to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

The four remaining students were transferred to a different bus and were transported to South Dearborn Middle School and High School. At least one of those students was later transported to High Point Health by a family member for evaluation of minor injuries.

Both Nies and Rumpke submitted to blood draws while at High Point Health although alcohol and drugs are not suspected to be factors at this time.

State Road 350 was closed in the area for approximately four hours for crash investigation and cleanup.

Authorities in Jennings County are looking for those responsible for dumping dead dogs in Columbia Township.

On Tuesday, detectives from the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office met with Jennings County Animal Control Officers at the scene on County Road 740 East, just south of County Road 1000 North. Authorities say the dogs were found by a concerned citizen driving through the area on the afternoon of Feb. 28th. According to the witness, they had drove through the area earlier in the day and did not see any animals. When the citizen drove through later they saw numerous dead dogs a short distance from the roadway.

The dogs are described as:

– (1) mature female brindle & white Pit bull
– (1) mature female Beagle mix which had recently given birth
– (1) mature brown female Boxer
– (7) 4-5 month old puppies (approximate)
– (2) puppies 1-2 weeks old (approximate)

Authorities say a necropsy is scheduled to determine the cause of death for the animals.

Anybody with information on this case is urged to call the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office Tip Line at (812) 346-0342 or Jennings County Central Dispatch at (812) 346-4911. Tips and information can be left anonymously.

Area sheriffs are warning of a phone scam preying on community residents.

Sheriff Rick Meyer in Jackson County says that scammers are calling people, telling them they have won a large amount of money. But they want you to pay fake taxes on the non-existent winnings.

Meyer says the callers are trying to convince victims to a store and to purchase gift cards to cover the fake amount, and then send the scammers the information to steal the money off the gift card.

Authorities say that legitimate organizations and companies will never ask or demand that you make a payment using gift cards or cash cards. Meyer says to remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Columbus police say they made two arrests of suspected drunk driving charges last night.

A Columbus man is facing felony drunk driving charges after an incident last night.

Police stopped a vehicle for driving erratically in the 800 block of East County Road 450S, near the Bartholomew County landfill at about 6 p.m. last night. The driver 29-year-old Dustin J. Thompson was allegedly slurring his speech and a breath test revealed a blood alcohol level of .261, more than three times the legal limit, according to Columbus police.

He is facing charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated with a previous conviction, a Level 6 felony.

Just over an hour later, Columbus police were called to the roundabout at Indianapolis Road and Lindsey Street after a crash there.

One of the drivers, 56-year-old Tracey J. Owen of Columbus appeared intoxicated to police and failed several field sobriety tests. She was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital to have her blood tested but refused. A warrant was issued, her blood was drawn and she was taken to jail on a misdemeanor charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.