Monthly Archives: July 2016

Interstate driver arrested after fleeing deputies

James W. Long
James W. Long

Bartholomew County Sheriff’s deputies tried to pull over a van last night on Interstate 65, but the driver refused to stop, according to police reports.

After receiving a call about an erratic driver, a deputy noticed the van weaving into the breakdown lane and the back into traffic around 9:50 last night. After a short chase, and the help of Edinburgh police and Indiana State Police, the vehicle was stopped.

The driver, 52-year-old James W. Long of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, was arrested on a preliminary charge of fleeing law enforcement in a vehicle.

Real World Testing provides funds for Diesel dog

Real World Testing helped Bartholomew County emergency dispatcher Dylan Prather raise money to buy a second police dog for the Bartholomew County Sheriff's Department by donating $18,000.  Pictured are Dean Howard, April Gray and  Jason Burton with Real World Testing and Prather in the back row.
Real World Testing helped Bartholomew County emergency dispatcher Dylan Prather raise money to buy a second police dog for the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department by donating $18,000. Pictured are Dean Howard, April Gray and Jason Burton with Real World Testing and Prather in the back row.

Bartholomew County sheriff’s deputies will be getting a new police dog to be named Diesel, thanks to the efforts of a dispatcher and a diesel engine testing facility.

Bartholomew County Emergency Operations Center Dispatcher Dylan Prather and workers from Real World Testing presented the sheriff’s department with an over-sized check for $18,000 this morning.

When Prather was a senior in high school, he raised money for the police department to buy a dog as his senior project. Several weeks ago, he announced to County Council his intention to do the same for the sheriff’s department.

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April Gray, operations manager for the Columbus company, said that she had known Prather since he was a child and when she and others heard about his efforts to raise the money they decided to make the donation to cover the entire amount.

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The dog will be named Diesel in recognition of the engines the company tests.

Sheriff Matt Myers said that stopping illegal drugs is one of the department’s biggest priorities.

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Myers said he planned to seek a new police dog during the upcoming budget negotiations, but didn’t expect it would get approved.

Deputy Matt Bush will leave for training with the new dog in September.

Chase on bicycle leads to warrant arrests

Daniel Hardin
Daniel Hardin

A Columbus man is under arrest after allegedly trying to flee from police on a bicycle early this morning.

Police report that two men were seen riding bicycles at about 1:45 a.m. Friday near 21st and Pennsylvania streets and police thought they looked suspicious. When an officer approached, one of the men stopped, but the second bicyclist began cutting through yards to avoid contact with police.

Officers called in a police dog and 39-year-old Daniel S. Hardin was found hiding behind a home on Pennsylvania Street. Hardin was found to have two outstanding Bartholomew County warrants and police report that during a search they found marijuana and drug paraphernalia on him.

In addition to the warrants and possession charges, he is facing a preliminary charge of resisting law enforcement. .

Arrests made in Shelby County drug busts

A five-month investigation by the Shelby County Drug Task Force, with the assistance of the Rushville Police Department, Shelbyville Police Department, Shelbyville SWAT, and the Shelby County Prosecutor’s Office resulted in several drug arrests.

Major Louie Koch, spoesman with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, says that search warrants were executed recently at the Photo Jul 25 21 38 08homes of Trevor Wilkins and Dylan Hildebrand. Koch says those searches resulted in the seizure of six long guns, three handguns, $41,061.92 in cash, over 100 grams of a Controlled Substance, a large amount of a controlled substance in liquid form, methamphetamine, under 10 pounds of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, a money counter, two vacuum bag sealers and a large gun safe.

Those arrested were:

Trevor Thomas Wilkins, 20 of Shelbyville; Facing charges of:
Dealing a Schedule I Controlled Substance, Level 2, Level 4, and Level 5 Felonies
Dealing Marijuana, Level 6 Felony and two Class “A” Misdemeanors
Possession of a Controlled Substance, Level 6 Felony
Maintaining a Common Nuisance, Level 6 Felony
Corrupt Business Influence, Level 5 felony
Possession of Paraphernalia, Class “C” Misdemeanor

Dylan “D hill” E. Hildebrand, 22, of Fairland; Facing charges of:
Dealing a Schedule I Controlled Substance, Level 2 Felony
Corrupt Business Influence, Level 5 felony
Maintaining a Common Nuisance, Level 6 Felony
Possession of Paraphernalia, Class “C” Misdemeanor

Shane Matthew Quick, 21, of Fairland; Facing charge of:
Visiting a Common Nuisance, Class “A” Misdemeanor

Kaylee Michelle Hildebrand, 23, of Greenwood; Facing charge of:
Visiting a Common Nuisance, Class “A” Misdemeanor

Only a few Hope farmers market events remain

You’ve got a few more opportunities to take part in the farmers’ markets in Hope. Brittany Young says that, during July, they held the events every Friday. Three events remain…

New Hope Town Manager JT Doane says that event like these are great for the town and its residents…

Young talks about how you can take part…

If you would like to take part in the “Cruise-In,” officials say that you can simply show-up with your car. These events are scheduled to run from 5 to 8 p.m.

Columbus Police invite you to take part in ‘Family Fun Day’

The Columbus Police Department is inviting you to take part in one of the department’s biggest events of the year. Lt. Matt Harris, CPD spokesman, says that the annual National Night Out is set for Saturday evening. Harris says that this year’s event is taking place earlier in the year than past events…

Harris talks about what the event is all about…

Myers says that there will be demonstrations on heat-stroke awareness, as well as help with your child’s car seat…

There is no cost to participate.

Columbus looking for more input on transportation plans

The Columbus Area Metropolitan Planning Organization held an open house Wednesday evening to talk to residents about potential improvements to the long-range transportation plan.

Resident Charlie Wells was one of just over a dozen people who turned out for the discussion.

“They have got to do something about the bus transportation from Columbus down to Walesboro, so people can hold a job,” Wells said. “.There are a lot of people who don’t have transportation. They lose their jobs, they get in trouble, they become transient people. I can tell you that by being a public defender for more than 15 years, that is a number one priority. I saw that as a big, big need, a long time ago.”

Wells said that the planning staff is doing a good job at getting the information in front of residents.

“The problem is that you have so many things here, it takes a lot of things to digest,” Wells said. “I am glad they are taking people around individually and showing them all of the information.”

Some of the options discussed include new and improved bus routes, road repairs, roundabouts and more. Wells, a former public defender, says the big issue needing immediate attention, is bus service to factories in Walesboro.

City Councilman Tom Dell was among those in the audience, listening to the presentation. He says that these open houses are a valuable tool.

“It gives us a plan to evaluate our investment in some of that infrastructure, whether it is reinforcing the road and the transportation that we have now, or looking to adding to that,” Dell said. “I think it gives us more information than we had before.”

Dell says that it is still too early to make a decision on what aspects of the plan need the most, and immediate attention.

Jeff Bergman, the city-county planning director, is hopeful that a similar event next week will draw more interest. He said the meeting will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at Columbus City Hall.

“It is open house format,” Bergman said. ‘We would encourage people to drop by on their lunch hour and give us some input on their transportation priorities.”

First deadline nears for late-night bike ride

An early deadline is coming up soon to register for an August bike ride that helps the animals held in the Columbus Animal Care Services Shelter.

Nicohl Birdwell-Goodin, manager of the city shelter, that the Moonlight Loop bicycle ride benefits the shelter’s adoption medical fund, which provides for vaccinations, spaying and other services to encourage adoptions.

“It is paid for by fines and fees and donations,” Birdwell-Goodin said. “…As we are working harder to get our save rate higher, the additional expenses of sending the animals to other shelters, or transports, we need additonal fees.”

The 19-mile ride will start at the library plaza on Aug. 20th at 9 p.m.

“Unlike some bike rides where you can start whenever you want, we want to keep everybody together because it is police-led — since it is darker, we want to keep safety first in mind,” she said. ” There is one stop up at the learning center. That is usally about 10 p.m. when that happens. Everybody stops and there are restroom facliities and snacks and such. Then it winds back to the plaza.”

The first deadline to buy a ticket at a reduced price is Sunday. Tickets are $25 until then, and go up to $30 Monday until the day before the event. Tickets on site will be $35. You can get more information by calling Columbus Animal Care Services at 812-376-2505.

Police seek information on missing woman

Olmstead photo croppedColumbus police are searching for a missing woman who has become infamous for leaping in front of vehicles and asking for rides.

Lt. Matt Harris with the Columbus Police Department said that police are trying to find 33-year-old Nicolle R. Olmstead.

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Olmstead is a white woman with reddish brown hair. She is about 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs about 150 pounds. Harris said she was last seen near the intersection of 8th and California streets. If you have any information you can call Detective LaShawn Tyler at 812-376-2661.

Man accused of trying to rundown opponent with car

A North Vernon man was arrested Tuesday morning after authorities say that he tried to run over another man with his car.

North Vernon Police report that just before 10 a.m., officers arrested 21-year-old Terrell Hall after he allegedly ran over several mailboxes while trying to run-down an unidentified man after the pair allegedly had a fight on South Gum Street.

Hall is facing preliminary charges of battery, criminal recklessness, reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident.