Brandon Gray; photo courtesy of Columbus Police Dept.
A local man was arrested Wednesday night after a scuffle with officers. Columbus Police noticed a man in the 300 block of Fourth Street at about 6:20 p.m. who was a suspect in a battery that happened on Tuesday. Authorities say the man, 37-year-old Brandon Gray of Columbus, initially gave them a fake name.
Police figured out who he was and placed him in handcuffs. Gray allegedly broke away and charged at another officer. He was taken to the ground and after a brief struggle with the officers, Gray was placed under arrest. Three officers received minor cuts and scrapes during the incident.
Gray was taken to Columbus Regional Health for medical clearance before being jailed on preliminary charges of Domestic Battery, Strangulation, Battery on a Public Safety Official, Resisting Law Enforcement, Theft and False Identity Statement.
New pay ranges for Columbus city employees have received initial approval. The council passed the first reading of the updated salary ordinance, which establishes minimum, midpoint and maximum pay levels.
The ordinance came about after Mayor Jim Lienhoop took office. He cited the need to make the city an attractive place to work in order to recruit and retain the best talent available. To that end, the city took part in a salary study that looked at the duties of city employees, their compensation and how they compare to other Indiana cities of similar sizes. The council approved the pay ranges in July, but the body needed to consider an updated version. Changes include a one-percent increase to the midpoint pay levels, which also affected those jobs’ minimum and maximum pay. Part-time employees will see a three-percent raise. A separate ordinance will see elected city officials receive a three-percent increase for 2019.
The immediate goal, say city officials, is to get public safety employees to their midpoint within two years. All other city employees will have a path to reach their midpoints within three years. However, any increases will be based on employee performance.
The council voted unanimously to approve the measure. The body will consider the ordinance on second reading at its meeting on Sept. 18th.
The city of Columbus will observe the 17th year anniversary of the September 11 attacks with a remembrance ceremony on Tuesday at City Hall. The ceremony will begin at 8:40 a.m.
A moment of silence will be observed to correspond with the attacks, beginning at 8:46 a.m., the time the first plane, American Airlines Flight 11, struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center. The ceremony will include an emergency responder radio dispatch to honor the first responders and citizens that lost their lives following the attacks at the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and the passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93 that crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Members of the Columbus Fire and Police Department Color Guard will take part in the ceremony, and brief comments will be made by City officials. CSA Central Middle School students will place American Flags on the lawn of City Hall to commemorate the lives lost on that day.
Tuesday’s ceremony is scheduled to last about 30 minutes. You are invited.
The Alliance for a Healthier Indiana is holding an event on Tuesday aimed at helping you and your family be healthier. Beth Morris is director of Community Health Partnerships. She explains that the consortium is comprised of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, Indiana Hospital Association and Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield, among others. She says that some health metrics in Indiana aren’t as good as they could be.
The consortium will hold a town hall meeting at the Columbus Learning Center on Tuesday morning. You can get breakfast at 7:30 a.m. and the program begins at 8 a.m. It is scheduled to last until 11:30 a.m.
The Columbus Food Co-op is down to two choices for its members to make — either a smaller store space or bankruptcy.
Co-op Board member Jennifer Corsi explains:
The co-op wants to open a small, community-owned grocery on Central Avenue that would feature healthy food, much of it purchased from area farmers. But the co-op board has recently determined that there is not enough money to open a larger store in the 8,400 square foot space they are renting, Corsi says.
The smaller 3,000 square foot store would allow the co-op to start operations with a $730,000 fund instead of the original $2.1 million dollar estimate, she says. There have been several changes made to trim the cost down, while still providing the functions needed in a store.
But if the smaller store option is chosen, the co-op still needs to raise money to make that happen. Members will be asked what level of additional support they can make.
Should the membership decide to go the bankruptcy route, the board would hire an attorney to look into the options and to determine how the assets are divided among the members.
A series of meetings, a mailing and a Facebook campaign have generated replies from only a handful of the co-op’s more than 1,100 member families.
There will be a final meeting on Tuesday night for co-op members to voice their thoughts on the upcoming decision. That will start at 6 p.m. at the storefront space at 1580 Central Ave
A program meant to tackle drug addiction in Bartholomew County is a step closer to reality after the Columbus City Council voted Tuesday night to support funding it. Bartholomew courts officials are asking for just over $240,000 to fund what they are calling REALM, or the Recovery Enables a Life for Men program. The court-ordered drug treatment program is patterned after a similar program for women called WRAP that the county already has been using. Mary Ferdon, director of administration for the city of Columbus, talks about how we got to this point…
Gaskill explains that men in the criminal justice system who meet certain criteria will be given an opportunity to take part in REALM. He says the program lasts 12 months. The first four to six months will be an “intensive in-treatment” program where attendees will be confined to a section of the jail facility. The remaining six to eight months will encompass daily reporting and electronic monitoring to make sure that these men don’t re-engage in criminal activity.
The Substance Abuse Public Funding Board is recommending a 50/50 split between the city and county to cover the costs, which will cover the last three months of this year and all of 2019. The city council voted unanimously to approve the funding on first reading. They will have the second reading on Sept. 18th. The Bartholomew County Council is expected to consider the proposal when it meets next week.
Robert Cooper; photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Dept.
The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department is welcoming its newest deputy. Thirty-eight year-old Robert A. Cooper was sworn-in by Sheriff Matt Myers on Tuesday afternoon.
Deputy Cooper is a native of Franklin. He recently retired from the U.S. Army after 20 years of service.
“Deputy Cooper will be responsible for the enforcement of state and local laws relating to public safety and welfare. He must exercise independent judgment in dealing with dangerous or unusual situations and he will often work under stressful, high-risk conditions,” said Sheriff Myers.
Stephanie Saylor; photo courtesy of Columbus Police Dept.
A local woman was arrested on drug charges Monday after officers received a report of several people refusing to leave a Columbus home. Officers responded to the home in the 500 block of Pence Street at 7:20 p.m. and determined that one of the people inside, 34-year-old Stephanie M. Saylor, of Columbus, had an active arrest warrant. Officers reported finding Saylor hiding under a mattress inside the residence and she was placed under arrest. The officers also located a zippered bag that Saylor had with her that allegedly contained several syringes, a digital scale, and methamphetamine.
Saylor was arrested on preliminary charges of Possession of a Legend Drug Injection Device, Possession of Methamphetamine and the warrant out of Jackson County.
Rodrigo Tellez-Aguirre; photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Dept.
Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested an Indianapolis man over the weekend for drunk driving. At about 6:45 a.m. Sunday, deputies responded to the area of State Road 58/Seymour Road for a one vehicle accident. Upon arrival, authorities found
On arrival, Deputy Pendleton located a blue SUV in a ditch on the west side of the road. The driver, 27-year-old Rodrigo Tellez-Aguirre, allegedly told Deputies that he had been drinking alcohol, failed to stop at a stop sign and traveled across the road into a ditch.
Tellez-Aguirre was arrested on preliminary charges of Operating a Motor Vehicle while Intoxicated and Operating a Motor Vehicle without ever Receiving a Driver’s License.
While at the jail, Correction’s Officer Noah Moore located a clear sandwich baggie containing marijuana in Tellez-Aguirre’s possession. That led to an additional charge of Possession of Marijuana.
Ricky Mathews Jr.; photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Dept.
A wanted area man was arrested after receiving help from the public. Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Deputies received information regarding the whereabouts of 39-year-old Ricky Mathews Jr., of North Vernon. Authorities say they found him at an address in the 200 block of Greenwood Place in North Vernon where Mathews was arrested without incident.
Mathews is being held in the Bartholomew County Jail without bond.
