Tykin Stewart. Photo courtesy of Columbus Police Department.
Two people are under arrest on marijuana-related charges after a traffic stop Tuesday night in Columbus.
Columbus police stopped a vehicle near 17th and Washington streets at about 8:15 Tuesday night for a minor traffic violation, but the officer noticed the smell of marijuana inside the car. A police dog was brought to the scene and alerted to the odor of narcotics inside the vehicle.
A search revealed a loaded handgun under the seat of the driver, 26-year-old Tykin J. Stewart of Columbus; several bags of marijuana being carried by a passenger, 21-year-old Peyton M. Carey of Angola; and a large bag of marijuana inside the engine compartment. That’s according to police reports.
Peyton Carey. Photo courtesy of Columbus Police Department.
Stewart is facing preliminary charges of dealing marijuana with a prior conviction, possession of marijuana and carrying a handgun without a license. Carey is being accused of possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
You will be seeing a break in the Interstate 65 construction zone between Columbus and Seymour next week.
INDOT says that they are planning to open newly paved concrete lanes, eliminating use of the southbound median crossover located north of the State Road 58/Walesboro Exit.. That is going to happen next Friday, Dec. 7. Weather permitting, southbound traffic will remain on the southbound side of I-65.
According to INDOT, the new winter traffic configuration on I-65 that will remain in effect throughout the winter includes:
The asphalt section between State Road 46 ramps at Columbus and mile marker 64.5 near the Walesboro exit will remain in normal configuration — two 12-foot lanes southbound and northbound with 4-foot inside shoulders and 8-foot outside shoulders.
Mile marker 64.5 to 61.2 at Smalls Creek bridge will have two 11-foot lanes southbound and northbound with 2-foot shoulders.
Mile marker 61.2 to 56.0 just north of State Road 11 will have two 11-foot lanes southbound and northbound with 4-foot inside shoulders and 8-foot outside shoulders.
Mile marker 56.0 to 53.3 at White River bridge will have two 11-foot lanes southbound and northbound with 2-foot shoulders.
Mile marker 53.5 to 50 at U.S. 50/Seymour will have two 11-foot lanes southbound and northbound with 4-foot inside shoulders and 8-foot outside shoulders.
Prior to normalizing the traffic, concrete barrier wall sections must be relocated.
You will still see orange barrels that will keep you from driving in the new third travel lanes while various work continues throughout most of the I-65 construction zone this winter.
This is all part of the $143 million dollar ongoing Next Level road project between Columbus and Seymour. The 3-year I-65 project will create a 6-lane concrete roadway between U.S. 50 and State Road 58. There will also be pavement repairs and asphalt resurfacing on the existing 4-lane section between State Road 58 and State Road 46 and bridge work at 27 difference structure sites along the 17-mile route.
Christopher George. Photo courtesy of Columbus Police Department.
Columbus police are accusing a suspect of stealing packages off of the doorstep of a home.
A homeowner in the 800 block of 15th Street was at work at about 2 yesterday afternoon, but saw a man take the packages through a home security video system. She sent the video to police who searched the area and found 32-year-old Christopher J. George of Columbus in the 1400 block of Pearl Street.
George was arrested on a preliminary misdemeanor charge of theft.
Bartholomew County’s Purdue Cooperative Extension office wants to show you the services it provides to the community.
The agency will be holding an extension showcase from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. tomorrow at its offices 783 S. Marr Road. The agency offers information on subjects ranging from agriculture and horticulture, to nutrition and money management, along with youth development.
If you are having trouble paying your heating bills, Human Services, Inc. in Bartholomew County is now accepting applications for this winter’s Energy Assistance Program.
The program is income based and funds are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. A family of three can’t have gross earnings or more than $3,195 a month, while a family of four is limited to $3,803 dollars. The agency says that even households that have their utilities included in the rent may also be eligible.
Jeremy Jones. Photo courtesy of Columbus Fire Department.
A recent Columbus police officer, is now a firefighter.
Former officer Jeremy Jones was sworn in as a firefighter yesterday by Mayor Jim Lienhoop.
He previously served three years on the police department as a patrol officer. He was also the handler for police dog, Max. Max is retiring early and has gone to Shelby County to live with his previous handler.
Prior to his role in the Columbus department, Jones served for five years in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida police department.
According to the fire department, Jones will complete a basic Emergency Medical Technician course and State of Indiana Firefighter certification course.. After that, he will receive a shift schedule and station assignment.
Long-time Columbus businessman Ken DeLap has died. DeLap died Friday at Our Hospice of South Central Indiana. He was 90.
DeLap was a civil engineer by training, and was one of the co-founders of Southern Indiana Engineering Company in 1953. The company was later renamed SIECO and has since become part of Strand Engineering.
He was a contributor to many community causes, including First Lutheran Church, Our Hospice and the Columbus Regional Hospital Foundation.
He is survived by his second wife, Melinda, children, step-children and grandchildren. His first wife, Phyllis, died in 2011.
Visitation will be Thursday from 4 to 8 at Myers-Reed Funeral Home and before the 11 a.m. service Friday at First Lutheran Church.
Memorial donations may be made to First Lutheran Church or Our Hospice of South-Central Indiana.
Photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.
Icy roads led to a crash that injured a driver and shut down Southern Crossing in Bartholomew County Monday night.
Bartholomew County deputies say that 20-year-old Austin Smith of Columbus was driving his pickup on Southern Crossing at about 6:47 p.m. Monday when he lost control, crossing into the other lane of traffic. A car driven the opposite direction by 25-year-old Arron Lee of Columbus struck the pickup, pushing the truck into the guardrail where it rolled ever.
Smith was uninjured and Lee was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital for treatment. The road was closed for about an hour and a half while the crash was cleaned up and the highway department treated the roadway.
North Vernon officials have given approval to proceed on the project for a new city pool and water park. Dave O’Mara was awarded the project in September, but the $3,334,000 price tag was more than the city wants to spend.
City Council voted Monday night to approve the Notice to Proceed, after approving an initial change order to the project. Officials say these changes, which include reductions in landscaping and the pool deck area, will lower construction costs by over 166-thousand dollars. A future change order, impacting interior finishes for the project, is expected to cut another $7,750 in costs. If all goes as anticipated, the project is expected to cost about $3.176 million.
This new facility is slated to replace the existing pool at the city park. North Vernon officials decided not to open the pool last summer due to damages to the liner and floor.
The Christmas season in Columbus kicks off on Saturday with the opening of the Christmas Village at The Commons and the Festival of Lights parade.
The Christmas Village will include family activities such as games, crafts and a model train display presented by the Columbus Area Railroad Club. That will run from 2 to 5 p.m. at The Commons.
The Festival of Lights Parade in downtown Columbus starts at 6 p.m. Saturday evening. You will see a lot of street closures in the downtown area Saturday afternoon with parade setup starting at 1:30 p.m. Streets will be closing between 2nd and 8th streets, north to south, and from Washington to Lindsey, east to west.
