Two women were arrested last night after a shoplifting report at the Edinburgh outlet mall.

Sheriff Doug Cox of Johnson County reports that officers received a call at about 6:20 p.m. last night that a shoplifting suspect had fled the area in a gold Volkswagen. A deputy, who was near Franklin at the time, waited on the Interstate until he saw the car drive past and then he pulled the car over.

Two women in the vehicle said at first that they weren’t involved in the thefts but a passenger matched the description of the suspect. After being told they had been identified, they admitted that bags full of merchandise, still with the tags attached were in the back seat.

The passenger, 52-year-old Lisa York of Indianapolis was taken back to the Edinburgh Police Department where she was arrested on a charge of theft. The driver, 31-year-old Amber Meals, was found to be driving on a suspended license.

A driver who allegedly flipped a cigarette out the window right in front of a Bartholomew County Sheriff’s deputy early Saturday morning on Interstate 65 was arrested on drug charges.

Judy Jackson, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s department, said Deputy Matt Bush was patrolling on Interstate 65 near the Columbus exit at about 3 a.m. Saturday, when he noticed that the car in front of him didn’t have a working license plate light and the driver threw a lit cigarette out the window. After stopping the vehicle, Bush reported that he smelled a strong scent of marijuana inside the car.

A search of the driver, 20-year-old Douglas Skaryd of Bannister, Mich., revealed 370 grams of marijuana, a scale and plastic baggies. He was arrested on a preliminary charge of dealing marijuana.

A Columbus woman is undergoing a mental health evaluation after allegedly intentionally crashing her car into the emergency room doors at Columbus Regional Hospital yesterday afternoon.

Sgt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the Columbus police, said officers were first called to 27th and Chestnut streets at about 4:22 p.m. Sunday on a report of a black Honda intentionally crashing into a vehicle several times. Just under 20 minutes later, an off-duty officer saw the same vehicle crash into the emergency room doors at the hospital, back up and crash into the doors again.

The driver then allegedly fled on 17th Street, where Columbus police cars boxed the vehicle in and forced it to a stop, but not before the driver crashed into several of the cruisers, according to police reports.

A man inside the emergency room was injured by flying glass and while a valet driver was inside the entranceway when the driver crashed through, he was uninjured, Harris said.

Republican Lew Wilson has announced his candidacy for the office of State Representative for Indiana District 59 in the 2016 general election. He is challenging incumbent State Representative Milo Smith, who is serving his fifth term.

Wilson, the Bartholomew County Assessor, says he is running to reform “critical defects in the tax assessment and appeals process.” Wilson says that new state laws passed since 2011 have crippled the tax appeal process in a manner that hurts the county taxpayers as a whole and directly favors property tax representatives and tax lawyers. He says that these laws have cost Indiana cities and counties vital budget revenue that is needed to fund schools and to provide emergency services. Wilson argues that these laws also unfairly shift the additional tax burden to county residents. “These bills have created a revenue drain on cities and counties that will continue to burden tax payers for years to come unless they are changed,” says Wilson. He says he is running to help make those changes happen at the state level where they began.

Wilson adds that he supports the Pence administration’s efforts to eliminate conflicts of interest and ethics violations at all levels of state government. He says that he has personally seen the damage that has been done when lawmakers do not remove themselves from the legislative process when those laws have the potential to benefit them personally.

Wilson has served as the Bartholomew County Assessor for the past five years and as an Indiana Licensed Appraiser for 16 years. Wilson also serves as a legislative representative on both the Indiana County Assessors Association Board (ICAA) and the Association of Indiana Counties Board (AIC). He says that his experience gives him the understanding as to what needs to be done in order to restore balance to the property assessment and appeal processes.

A Columbus woman suffered severe injuries Thursday evening after the vehicle she was driving struck a deer.

Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department Spokesperson Judy Jackson says that Deputies responded to the crash, at 2765 W Carr Hill Road, just before 6 p.m. On arrival, Deputies found the driver, 41-year-old Amy Baker, unconscious and suffering from head injuries.

Baker’s husband, a passenger in the vehicle, reportedly told investigators that they struck a deer, causing them to run off the road, hit a mailbox and run through a tree line. The vehicle ultimately came to rest in the front yard of a home.

Deputies said the deer hit the front of the vehicle, flew over the hood and through the windshield, into the back of the car. Baker was life-lined to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. The deer was found in the rear of the vehicle.

Sheriff Matt Myers is taking this opportunity to remind you to be aware as you drive at this time of year. He says that many deer are on our roadways.

The Columbus Police Department is thanking their counterparts in the Oklahoma Highway Patrol for helping a local family in need.

Last summer, a Columbus family had their mini-van break down near Clinton, Oklahoma and found that it would take three days to get it repaired and there were no car rental places that could help them. State police took the family to a hotel, set them up with a free room, meals and tickets to a nearby water park. One trooper’s aunt let the family use an extra car while the family was stuck in town.

Local police sent the Oklahoma officers a letter commending them and uniform patches from Columbus Police Department. The letter states:

“During a time when the actions of all law enforcement officials under scrutiny, these men and support personnel have demonstrated their true values of police officers to the public. Further, the acts of kindness from the citizens and business community of Clinton, Oklahoma are a true example for all communities across the country.”

The Columbus Redevelopment Commission held a special joint meeting Thursday afternoon with the city’s Board of Aviation Commissioners to discuss the city’s plans for the proposed research & development / industrial park in Walesboro.

The city and the Aviation Board are working together to develop and sell approximately 470 acres of the former airport site. The Aviation Board currently controls use of the property.

No official action was taken during Thursday’s meeting. Airport Board Chairman Caleb Tennis says the purpose of the meeting was to share with the public the work being done by HWC Engineering to perform engineering work, as well as an economic impact analysis on the site. He adds that the meeting also was meant for HWC to provide an update on the project, to get feedback from residents and make sure that those involved were “on the same page.”

As for what happens next with the project, Tennis says that they expect final deliverables to be ready by the end of the year. Then, he says the Airport Board needs to finalize getting authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to pursue the project. Tennis says that the FAA has authority over all current, and former, airport sites across the U.S. for national security reasons. He adds that they are also awaiting an environmental analysis, site-plans and surveys before the first lots can be put up for sale.

How this project progresses will depend, to an extent, on Columbus Mayor-Elect, and current City Council member, Jim Lienhoop. He has been critical of outgoing Mayor Kristen Brown’s handling of the project. Specifically, he took issue with her decision to hire HWC Engineering. In an interview with our news-gathering partners at “The Republic,” Lienhoop said that the HWC Engineering contract wasn’t necessary at this time. He told the newspaper that work done by Ratio Architects in 2012 is “well known among those working in economic development,” seemingly implying that at least some of the work recently assigned to HWC was already done by Ratio. Mayor Brown says that is not the case, as “Ratio did no engineering” in its 2012 work.

Mayor Brown invited Councilman Lienhoop to attend Thursday’s meeting to share his objections and contribute to the discussions. Lienhoop declined, citing prior commitments. The Mayor then asked him to send in a list of concerns that he has about the process, and project, overall. Councilman Lienhoop declined that offer as well. In an email to the Mayor, Lienhoop replied, “I believe that our focus now should be how we go forward, with a view to developing the Walesboro site for the community’s best advantage.”

Schneck Medical Center announced Thursday that it has been recognized as a Top Performer on Key Quality Measures® by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations in the United States.

Stephanie L. Furlow, Schneck’s Director of Marketing & Public Relations, says the hospital was recognized as part of The Joint Commission’s 2015 annual report “America’s Hospitals: Improving Quality and Safety” for attaining and sustaining excellence in accountability measure performance for pneumonia, surgical care, and immunization. She says that Schneck is one of only 1,043 hospitals out of more than 3,300 eligible hospitals in the United States to achieve the Top Performer distinction.

Furlow says the Top Performer program recognizes hospitals for improving performance on evidence-based interventions that increase the chances of healthy outcomes for patients with certain conditions. She adds that this is the second year Schneck has been recognized as a Top Performer, as the hospital was recognized in 2014 for its performance on accountability measure data for pneumonia and surgical care.

“Delivering the right treatment in the right way at the right time is a cornerstone of high-quality healthcare. I commend the efforts of Schneck Medical Center for their excellent performance on the use of evidence-based interventions,” said Mark R. Chassin, MD, FACP, MPP, MPH, president and CEO, The Joint Commission.

“We understand what matters most to patients at Schneck is the quality, safety, and patient experience they receive. That is why we have made it a top priority to improve positive patient outcomes through evidence-based care processes,” said Warren Forgey, President and Chief Executive Officer, Schneck Medical Center. “We are proud to be named a Top Performer for the second year in a row as it recognizes the knowledge, teamwork and dedication of our entire hospital staff.”

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) says it has reopened State Road 46 bridge at Fishers Fork, on Thursday. The bridge, located east of Columbus, needed repairs and the installation of a bridge deck overlay, said officials.

INDOT Spokesman Harry Maginity says that Milestone, the state’s contractor, has fitted the bridge deck, located about a mile east of U.S. 31, with a modified latex overlay. He says that other work included coping repairs, joint replacements, guardrail installation and new pavement at the State Road 46 bridge approaches. The bridge was closed to traffic on August 31.

INDOT officials say this project will extend service life and reduce maintenance cost of the three-span, 102-foot-long structure.

Maginity says that a second State Road 46 Fishers Fork bridge, located several miles east of this location, is under contract for superstructure replacement next year.

A Columbus man is being accused of felony changes ranging from auto theft to forgery after an investigation by Columbus police.

Sgt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the police department, says officers had several reports of crimes that implicated 25-year-old Brian K. George. Police arrested George last week in connection with a local auto theft case, Harris said. While a hold was placed on George, officers in the city’s SWAT team served a search warrant on his home in the 700 block of Cottage Avenue, finding more evidence.

George is facing charges of auto theft, credit card fraud, forgery, check forgery, burglary and theft.

Sgt. Tom Foust, a police detective, said that the department tracks repeat offenders and the public’s tips helped make the case against George.