A Franklin man is facing felony charges for allegedly impersonating a member of the U.S. Marshal’s Service. WRTV Channel 6 is reporting that authorities believe that 63-year-old Darrell Heady, a private investigator, has committed the crime on two separate occasions.

According to the report, Greenwood Police received a call in early February from a woman who said a man she believed to be impersonating law enforcement had pulled her over and threatened to arrest her. She said the man had been tailgating her and driving erratically, and then flashed a badge at her.

The report goes on to say that police had received a report of a previous incident involving Heady last November in which he had allegedly threatened to pepper-spray an off-duty Johnson County sheriff’s deputy. On that occasion, Heady also allegedly flashed a badge and said he was with the U.S. Marshal’s Service.

WRTV is reporting that the Johnson County Prosecutors Office has filed felony charges against Heady of Criminal Confinement and Impersonating a Law Enforcement Officer.

For more on this story, visit theindychannel.com.

A Hope man was arrested early Thursday morning on drug charges. Judy Jackson, Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman, says that at 12:21 a.m., Deputy Dane Duke responded to a welfare check call in the 700 block of Jonesville Road. Upon arrival, Duke found 40-year-old Shawn Scott Sanford sleeping in his vehicle. While checking Sanford’s information, the deputy learned that Sanford was wanted on a warrant out of Jennings County.

Once Sanford was taken into custody, Deputy Duke reported finding several syringes and a digital scale in Sanford’s vehicle. In addition, police allegedly found plastic bag with a crystal substance, believed to be methamphetamine and a plastic bag containing what is believed to be marijuana in Sanford’s possession.

Sanford was arrested on the warrant, along with preliminary charges of:

Possession of methamphetamine,
Possession of a legend drug injection device,
Trafficking with an inmate,
Possession of marijuana,
Possession of paraphernalia, and

Sanford is being held without bond.

A man wanted on five warrants was arrested by Columbus police after he ran from officers early this morning.

Officers noticed 39-year-old Michael E. Baxley Jr. on the street near State Street and Marr Road and confirmed that Baxley had the outstanding warrants. When Baxley noticed the officer, he allegedly took off running.

Officer Branch Schrader and his police dog Argo found Baxley hiding underneath a large bush. While searching Baxley, they allegedly found two syringes in his backpack. In addition to the warrants, he is facing preliminary charges of possession of a legend drug injection device and resisting law enforcement.

Bartholomew County deputies arrested a man allegedly carrying an unlicensed handgun after finding a vehicle sitting at a dead end early Thursday morning.

Deputies report that Matthew W. Robertson of Franklin was a passenger in the vehicle, which was found sitting on North Spring Hill Lane at 3:36 a.m. yesterday morning. The driver said the vehicle was having mechanical problems.

While talking to the driver, a deputy noticed that Robertson kept dropping his right hand after being ordered to keep his hands where they could be seen. Suspecting he might have a weapon, deputies asked Robertson to get out ot the vehicle and found the gun under him, according to police reports.

He is facing a preliminary charge of carrying a handgun without a license.

Nancy Ann Brown Poynter was named the 2017 John Rumple Democrat of the Year at last week’s annual Bartholomew County Democratic Party dinner at Donner Center.

Brown Poynter was honored for her achievements having served as the youngest and first female Bartholomew County treasurer and Columbus mayor.

In presenting the award, Democratic Outreach Chair Bob Pitman cited her willingness to return from retirement to serve as Bartholomew County Democrat’s interim chairwoman for the past 18 months.

The Rumple Award is named in honor of John Rumple, who served as Democratic Party Chair from 1985-89 and was the Indiana State Candidate for Attorney General in 1988.

Rain or shine, tonight’s Salute! concert will be on the Bartholomew County Courthouse lawn, near the Veterans Memorial. The Columbus Indiana Philharmonic made that call yesterday.

Conductor and Music Director David Bowden says he is a big fan of soloist Sylvia McNair, who is performing this evening.

Bowden says he is looking forward to McNair’s performance of “I’ll be Seeing You”…

Part of the evening includes standards that take place at every Salute! concert, Bowden says.

Bowden explains that the evening is about recognizing American military veterans…

Tonight’s event is free. It starts at 7 p.m. and you should bring your own lawn chairs.

For more information, visit thecip.org.

State environmental authorities are investigating a chemical spill that caused a fish kill near the Shelby/Bartholomew County line.

A farmer was transporting a trailer of nitrogen fertilizer and ran off the road while attempting to let a vehicle pass on the narrow county road Wednesday afternoon, according to conservation officers with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. That was on Shelby County Road 1200 South, east of State Road 9.

Conservation officers say part of the fertilizer went into a tributary of Little Tough Creek in Flat Rock. DNR and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management took steps to contain the chemical, but a small fish kill occurred.

One person was seriously injured in a crash on Interstate 65 yesterday afternoon near Columbus that tied up traffic for hours.

Indiana State Police say that 50-year-old Wendy Crowder of Veedersburg, Ind. was seriously hurt when her SUV was struck by a semi driven by John G. Olson of South Milwaukee, Wis. near the Walesboro exit at about 1:30 p.m. Thursday. Police say they don’t know why, but Olson’s semi crossed the centerline into the southbound lanes of the highway striking Crowder’s vehicle before going back into the median.

Crowder was flown to IU Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. Olson was uninjured.

Olson’s trailer contained a load of potatoes that shifted during the crash. Traffic was slowed in both directions for nearly six hours while crews worked to offload the potatoes before removing the vehicle from the median.

The investigation is ongoing.

Local Republicans were hoping to get confirmation during Thursday night’s Bartholomew County Lincoln Day Dinner that Rep. Luke Messer would be running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Democrat Joe Donnelly. Unfortunately for them, they’ll have to wait a little longer.

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Addressing local Republicans, Messer says that Donnelly votes too often in the interests of the national Democratic Party.

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Messer went on to say that comments made by Donnelly after his vote to confirm Gorsuch revealed where the Senator’s allegiance truly lies.

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Messer thanked his family, and local Republicans, for their support throughout his political career.

Traffic is moving very slow on southbound I-65 near the 58 mile marker in Bartholomew County. Indiana State Police say that crews are unloading a semi that is stuck in the median of the interstate. The plan is to allow some traffic to pass before stopping it and resuming unloading work. It is expected to be a few hours before the southbound lanes are completely cleared. You should avoid the area if at all possible.