A Columbus man was arrested on drunk driving charges after he tested at more than twice the legal alcohol limit.

Police say that they were called to the scene of a disturbance Saturday evening and stopped a car leaving the scene in the 2800 block of 17th Street at 11:45 p.m. that night. The driver, 30-year-old Adam W. Reynolds, was allegedly slurring his words and police noticed a strong scent of alcohol on his breath.

Field sobriety tests revealed a blood alcohol level of .168 percent. He was arrested on a preliminary charge of operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol level of .15 percent or higher.

A Jackson County photographer won the “On the Farm” category in the Indiana State Department of Agriculture’s 2018 Indiana agriculture photo contest. Luke Schnitker, of Seymour, was victorious with his “Soybean Harvest” photograph.

The winning photos were chosen from hundreds of entries submitted by Hoosiers across the state.

Photos were placed into agri-tourism, conservation, faces of agriculture and on the farm categories, with two winners selected in each category, along with two winners overall.

A Hauser High School senior has passed away. Flat Rock-Hawcreek Superintendent Shawn Price announced that 18-year-old Trevor Frazee, died from cardiac arrest associated with a recent illness. The Bartholomew County Coroner’s Office is calling the death “sudden” and “unexpected.” Frazee was a senior at Hauser’s alternative program.

Two local men were arrested Friday morning on felony drug charges after a traffic stop led to their arrest. Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the Columbus Police Department, says that shortly after midnight, a truck occupied by 30-year-old Isaiah A. Perry and 27-year-old Jacob A. Burch, of Columbus, was stopped for a minor violation near 14th Street and Cottage Avenue. While speaking with Perry and Burch, the officer noted that the pair were visibly nervous. A police K9 was requested and later alerted to the odor of narcotics coming from the vehicle.

Harris says that a search of the truck resulted in the discovery of a syringe as well as drug paraphernalia and methamphetamine. Both Perry and Burch were taken into custody and transported to the Bartholomew County Jail. Upon arriving at the jail, the officers and corrections staff reported finding additional drug paraphernalia and methamphetamine that Burch attempted to conceal in his underclothes.

Burch is facing preliminary charges of Obstruction of Justice, Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Perry is facing preliminary charges of Possession of a Legend Drug Injection Device, Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Bartholomew County Sheriff Matt Myers is asking for an increase in the jail budget of over $625,000, as the department makes more room for inmates.

The sheriff made his case for a $4 million 2019 budget to the County Council yesterday during budget hearings.

The sheriff said that the jail has been operating right at its maximum over the past year, with an average daily population of 232 inmates, which is also the capacity. Myers said that when the jail population gets above about 180 inmates, there is no way to separate out inmates by the levels of crimes or by other criteria.

To get down to that level, the sheriff is planning to reopen half of the old, unused portion of the county jail. Myers said that he needs to add seven jail staff to make that happen. The County Council and Commissioners recently approved a plan expand and upgrade the security system in the jail, so that the old cell blocks can be reopened, but that work likely will not be completed until spring of next year.

The largest portion of his budget increase, almost $427,000 would be for wages and overtime.

The council budget hearings, including final deliberations are scheduled to continue this afternoon.

Authorities have made an arrest in a string of church vandalism in Bartholomew and Brown counties during the summer of 2017.

Renzo Signorino of Columbus is facing preliminary charges of burglary, theft and institutional criminal mischief according to an announcement by the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.

Churches in Brown and Bartholomew counties were vandalized, items were stolen and fires were set in the incidents. Among the churches affected were Brown County’s Way of Holiness Tabernacle Church, St. Agnes Catholic Church, Pike’s Peak Church of Christ and Bartholomew County’s Ohio Chapel United Methodist Church.

Local authorities received a tip from the Carmel Police Department and the FBI  August 19th concerning a case they were working in Carmel. Detective Will Kinman of the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department and Detective Brian Shrader of the Brown County Sheriff’s Department made the arrest yesterday.

A 17-year old juvenile is also connected to this case and charges will be pending.

Family Service, Inc celebrated its 50th anniversary Thursday at Simmons Winery. The not-for-profit group provides mental health care and other services for those in need on a sliding fee scale. Julie Miller, the agency’s executive director, says the program started as a mental health initiative.

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We asked Miller how the mission of Family Service, Inc. has changed over a half-century.

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Miller says the mission has since grown to include early childhood services and child abuse prevention efforts. Last year, more than 15,000 people were served by the agency.

Susan Kell, a former board member and director, talks about how the group has changed over the years…

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Dozens of people turned during Thursday’s event to celebrate. That included the reading of a proclamation by Mayor Jim Lienhoop.

For more on Family Service, Inc., visit familyservicebc.org.

The City of Columbus-Bartholomew County Planning Department is inviting you to the Final Draft Presentation of the Columbus Central Neighborhood Plan. The presentation will take place on September 10th at the BCSC Administration Building. The presentation will begin at 6 p.m. with an open house to follow until 8 p.m.

Development of the Columbus Central Neighborhood Plan began in early 2017. The plan focuses on the neighborhood surrounding the former Golden Casting Foundry, which for the purpose of this plan was designated as the Columbus Central Neighborhood. City officials say this area, once a significant industrial presence within the city, has experienced a significant transition over the past seven years as several former factories have been replaced with multi-family developments or re purposed as stores and restaurants. This continued change in neighborhood composition led to a number of questions about the future of the area, particularly related to whether the condition of streets and sidewalks could accommodate the new residents in the area, whether more residents could be supported in the neighborhood, and how potential conflicts between new residents and existing industrial uses could be minimized.

The presentation will summarize the final draft recommendations included in the plan. Following the presentation, attendees will have an opportunity to further review the recommendations and provide final comments.

Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, along with the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, announced Thursday that more than $10 million in federal grant funding is being awarded to 19 rural communities.

“Rural communities are the next great economic frontier for our state, and it is vital they are receiving support to keep Indiana moving forward,” Crouch said. “With these funds, local governments are able to complete various projects like improving their infrastructure, downtown revitalization and public facilities improvements.”

Area communities to receive grants include:

– The City of Greenwood: Public Facilities Program grant of $500,000 for renovation of a senior center, The Social of Greenwood. The project will renovate the roughly 6,500 square foot center to include updates to the wellness areas, multi-purpose program rooms, a food pantry and administrative spaces.

– Jackson County: Public Facilities Program grant of $225,000 for the rehabilitation of the Vallonia Community Center. The project will renovate the interior and upgrade the Joseph Jackson Hotel that was originally built in 1914.

– The City of Greensburg: Main Street Revitalization Program grant of $600,000 for downtown street improvements. This revitalization project will upgrade the southern half of Main Street between Broadway and Franklin streets and on the south side of the courthouse square.

The the 13th annual Johnson County Sheriff’s Charity Ride is Saturday. Sheriff Doug Cox says this police-escorted ride will leave the Franklin Walmart at 10:30 am. He adds that in years past, there have been upwards of 200 to 250 motorcycles involved. This may cause a brief inconvenience for other motorists. Stops include Skillman Ford in Martinsville, Fletcher Chrysler in Franklin, Mann’s Harley Davidson in Edinburgh and The Nest (formerly Johnathan Byrds) in Greenwood.

Registration is Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Cost is $40 for single rider or $60 for a rider and passenger.

Officials say the schedule is as follows:

– Leaving Franklin Walmart at 10:30 and going to Skillman Ford in Martinsville (23.2 miles)
– Leaving Skillman’s around 11:35 a.m. and going to Fletcher Chrysler in Franklin for lunch (31.8 miles)
– Leaving Fletcher’s at or around 1:30 p.m. and going to Mann’s Harley Davidson in Edinburgh/Taylorsville (21.5 miles)
– Leaving Mann’s around 2:35 p.m. and going to The Nest in Greenwood (30.9 miles)

Sheriff Cox says that riders will be having dinner at the Nest and this is where we will hand out door prizes and finish up the day.