Michael Bowling. Photo courtesy of Indiana State Police.
Indiana State Police arrested two men on drug charges after getting a tip about drugs at a Seymour motel.
Troopers arrived at the Allstate Inn with a search warrant at about 10 p.m. Wednesday evening. A man ran away from the troopers, and allegedly tore open a baggy, trying to get rid of what police allege was methamphetamine inside. The man, 39-year-old Michael W. Bowling, was arrested a short distance away.
State police found 35-year-old Christopher M. Dubois II n the room and he was allegedly carrying syringes and other drug paraphernalia. A search of the room revealed about an ounce of methamphetamine, along with more drug paraphernalia, police report.
Bowling was arrested on charges of dealing more than 10 grams of methamphetamine, possessing the drug, along with possession of a syringe, obstruction of justice, maintaining a common nuisance, resisting law enforcement, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Christopher Dubois. Photo courtesy of Indiana State Police.
Dubois is facing charges of dealing and possessing methamphetamine, possession of syringes and visiting a common nuisance.
Bartholomew County REMC is warning about a phone scam targeting its customers.
The local power company says that someone called a customer, claiming that the bill was overdue and that power would be turned off if immediate payment wasn’t made over the phone.
REMC officials warn that you should be alert to anyone claiming to be from a utility company, demanding immediate payment over the phone. They say not to give in to the pressure and do not give out personal information or payment details. Instead simply hang up and call the power company customer service department. You can find the number on your power bill.
A leadership change has been announced at Cummins. The company announced Thursday that Chief Financial Officer Pat Ward is retiring after 31 years. Mark Smith is succeeding him. Both moves will be effective March 31st.
“Pat has had an extraordinary career at Cummins,” said Chairman and CEO Tom Linebarger. “He has worked in nearly every part of our company during his 31-year tenure. He has helped many business leaders, including me, figure out where the business needs improvement and what to focus on first. Pat has also coached and developed many of our financial leaders in the company, inspiring them to be the best that they can be.”
Toyota Industrial Equipment Manufacturing and Toyota Material Handling, USA have announced plans to integrate into a single business unit by January of next year. The new company will be called Toyota Material Handling, Inc..
The announcement was made during a company-wide meeting on Wednesday. The business will remain in Columbus and report directly to Toyota Material Handling North America. Leading TMH will be President/CEO Jeff Rufener, and Senior Vice President Tony Miller.
“Our goal is to have a stronger, more unified, corporate culture around our material handling business,” said Brett Wood, President/CEO of TMHNA. “As one company we will be more efficient and more responsive to our associates, suppliers, dealers and customers.”
Integrating TMHU and TIEM is the next step in a progression of events and actions that started in 2014 when TMHU completed a three-year relocation of its headquarters from California to Indiana.
“We successfully combined our service parts business in 2017, and as we considered other synergy opportunities, it became clear that a complete consolidation of the companies was our best next step,” said Rufener. “Integrating our teams will improve the flow of information to and from our customers, so we can deliver exactly what they need when they need it.”
David Oswaldo Cornejo; photo courtesy of Columbus Police Dept.Fernando Lopez-Mendez; photo courtesy of Columbus Police Dept.
Six people were arrested and over a pound of meth was confiscated after investigators from the Bartholomew County Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team, along with officers the Columbus Police Department, Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Police, United States Postal Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), as well as the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) served a search warrant Wednesday night at a Columbus home in the 100 block of South Mapleton Street.
Columbus Police say the search warrant was a result of an ongoing investigation into illegal narcotic sales in Columbus and Bartholomew County. During a search of the home, officers recovered 1.5 pounds of
Mirna Benitez-Paz; photo courtesy of Columbus Police Dept.Isabel Benitez-Paz; photo courtesy of Columbus Police Dept.
methamphetamine with a street value of over $30,000, along with three guns.
Arrested were::
David Oswaldo Cornejo, 41, of Columbus – Dealing in Methamphetamine (Level 2 Felony), Possession of Methamphetamine (Level 3 Felony), Maintaining a Common Nuisance (Level 6 Felony)
Fernando Lopez-Mendez, 37, of Columbus – Dealing in Methamphetamine (Level 2 Felony), Possession of Methamphetamine (Level 3 Felony), Maintaining a Common Nuisance
Mirna Benitez-Paz, 42, of Columbus – Maintaining a Common Nuisance (Level 6 Felony)
Isabel Benitez-Paz, 38, of Columbus – Maintaining a Common Nuisance (Level 6 Felony)
Michell Vasqez Benitez; photo courtesy of Columbus Police Dept.Rogelio Moreno Benitez; photo courtesy of Columbus Police Dept.
Michell Vasqez Benitez, 19, of Columbus – Visiting a Common Nuisance (Class B Misd.)
Rogelio Moreno Benitez, 19, of Columbus: Visiting a Common Nuisance (Class B Misd.)
The investigation into the sale of illegal drugs in Columbus and Bartholomew County continues.
The Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team, a combined unit of the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, the Columbus Police Department and the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office, is proactively targeting the manufacturing and abuse of dangerous drugs in Columbus and Bartholomew County.
Frederico E. Reyes; photo courtesy of Columbus Police Dept.
A Columbus man is facing drug charges after he was stopped by members of the Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team. On Tuesday evening officers from the Columbus Police Department and Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department stopped a vehicle on State Street in Columbus. A search of the vehicle reportedly uncovered a quarter-pound of methamphetamine.
Officers arrested 39-year-old Frederico E. Reyes on a preliminary charge of Possession of Methamphetamine, a Level 3 Felony.
Marty G. Peek. Photo courtesy of Columbus Police Department.
A driver creeping down Central Avenue at 2-3 mph was arrested after a 25-minute standoff with Columbus police yesterday afternoon.
34-year-old Marty G. Peek of Shoals is facing charges of resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, resisting law enforcement, obstructing traffic and reckless driving.
Lt. Matt Harris with the Columbus police reports that officers tried to pull over Peek’s vehicle but he yelled at passing cars, refused to pull over and at one point nearly struck a CPD vehicle as it passed him. Eventually Peek stopped in the 500 block of Central Avenue, but refused to get out of the vehicle.
Police used a Taser to subdue Peek and take him into custody. He was checked out at Columbus Regional Hospital before being taken to jail.
Bartholomew County deputies and state police troopers assisted with the incident.
A Saturday morning event at Yes Cinema will allow recovering addicts to explain their path to sobriety through faith.
Whitney Budd, with the Students Fund of Hope, said that through her work with students in need, she has found that many of those households have been affected by drug addiction.
Budd explains the goal of the event is to let people know that they are not alone, that others are struggling with the same issues.
Jacob Kessler, Chuck Fields and Michael Phelps will discuss their recovery. Budd said Jacob is her brother and all have ties to the town of Hope.
There will also be inspirational music, and information presented from the Alliance for Substance Abuse Progress in Bartholomew County, Sheriff Matt Myers and area recovery groups.
The You Are Not Alone Recovery event will start at 10 a.m. Saturday at Yes Cinema on Jackson Street The program is free but seats are limited. You can reserve a seat online at eventbrite.com.
Two Columbus police officers being investigated by the Indiana State Police were working part-time jobs at Columbus Regional Health. That’s according to our news gathering partners at The Republic. The officers are accused of working at the hospital while also getting paid for the same hours at CPD.
According to the paper, uniformed Columbus police and sheriff’s deputies work as security contractors at the hospital. The special arrangement has been in place since the June 2008 flood.
After allegations were brought last year, 31-year Columbus Police veteran Ron May agreed to retire and Dan Meister, at the time a lieutenant with 22 years at the department, was demoted to the rank of patrolman.
The state police are investigating whether any laws were broken by the officers.
