Columbus firefighters, police and Vectren were dealing with a gas leak at a regulator station this morning off of Indianapolis Road.

Capt. Mike Wilson with the fire department says the call came in at 3:28 a.m. this morning for the 5100 block of Indianapolis Road between Lowell Road and U.S. 31. Vectren had the gas under control by about 6:08 a.m. this morning. The road reopened at about 6:15 a.m.

There was a temporary disruption to Milestone Contractors due to the leak at the regulator station, but that has now been repaired, Wilson said.

Wilson says there were no evacuations.

Update: The Amber Alert has been canceled.

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The Allen County Sheriff’s Department has declared an Amber Alert. The victim, Mary Kryder, was last seen at 6 p.m. Wednesday evening in Fort Wayne and is believed to be in extreme danger.

She is a 1-year-old biracial girl, 3 feet  tall, 30 pounds, blonde hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a teal shirt and black sparkly pants.

The suspect, Ikeca Betzner, is a 27-year-old biracial female, 5 feet 2 inches tall, 133 pounds with brown curly hair, and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a blue jean jacket with gray sleeves and faded blue yoga pants.
The suspect’s vehicle is a silver 2013 Hyundai Elantra with Indiana Autism Awareness plate DD 69 37.

If you have any information on this incident, contact the Allen County Sheriff’s Department at 260-449-3000 or call 911.

Fairlawn Preschool is recognizing a significant milestone this weekend. Diane Doup is with the Lincoln Central Neighborhood Family Center. She says that the preschool is celebrating 50 years and thousands of students served.

Saturday’s festivities include an open house, light refreshments and outdoor activities for children from noon to 3 p.m. at the preschool. A Celebration Service will be held on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in the sanctuary at the church.

Organizers say that preschool alumni and their families, previous staff members and anyone affiliated with the preschool are invited to attend both events. You are also encouraged to bring photos, stories and mementos.

For more information, visit fairlawnpc.com.

Columbus City Cemetery, located south of Donner Park, is scheduled for clean-up on October 8th. Those who have family plots in the City Cemetery are asked to pick up any items that they wish to save by Sunday, October 7th. Parks Department personnel will remove and discard worn and out-of-season decorations that remain on the ground after October 8th.

The next clean-up is scheduled for April 1, 2019.

An Elizabethtown man was arrested Tuesday afternoon after he was spotted on property owned by the Louisville and Indiana Railroad. The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department says that 56-year-old Tony Evan Gibson was found at the railroad tracks in the 1600 block of Jonesville Road with a wheelbarrow loaded with railroad spikes and scrap metal.

Authorities say that Gibson’s pickup truck was parked on railroad property and the bed was loaded with scrap metal. Gibson reportedly told deputies that he did not have permission to take the items. A search of Gibson’s truck allegedly revealed drug paraphernalia.

Gibson was arrested on preliminary charges of Theft, Criminal Trespass and Possession of Paraphernalia. He remains behind bars on $12,500 bond.

The second Exhibit Columbus symposium gets underway today with events at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields.

Today’s events include a tour of the archives from the Miller House and Garden, which are held by the museum. Those items to be displayed include original design drawings and floor plans of the Columbus home, designed by Eero Saarinen. A reception will be at the museum starting at 5 p.m. today.

The symposium alternates years with the design and architectural installations that dominated downtown Columbus last year. Richard McCoy, with Landmark Columbus, says that the symposium will allow the participants in next year’s installations to get to know the city.

McCoy said that this will be a good time for any interested residents to make suggestions for the designers to consider.

Last year’s Miller Prize winners were chosen in a competition, but that is changing this year, McCoy says.

The Exhibit Columbus activities will move to downtown Columbus tomorrow.

The Alliance for Substance Abuse Progress and Columbus Regional Health are hosting a workshop on opioid abuse relapses from 5:30 to 7  p.m. Sept. 27th at Mill Race Center.

Dr. Teddy Saddoris will lead the presentation. The goal is to help limit the frequency of relapses. It will help identify triggers and cravings that could hamper recovery and also talk about how to cope with stressful situations.

The session is intended for those already in recovery from a substance abuse disorder, their parents, friends and others who care about them.

The workshop is free.

The Columbus SWAT team was called out Tuesday afternoon after a man with a gun allegedly got into a fight with a family member on Aspen Lane. But the man ultimately got away before police secured the area.

The incident started at about 2:30 p.m. in the 1000 block of Aspen Lane, when the family member escaped the home and called police, saying that the suspect was still inside. Both the SWAT team and negotiators were called to the scene.

After a tense few hours, police reached the suspect by phone and confirmed that he was no longer in the house and had left before officers arrived.

Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the police department, says that there are no criminal charges pending against the man and the incident remains under investigation.

North Vernon is one step closer to having a new pool for the city park. The city council voted 4-1 to award the contract to Dave O’Mara Contractors. Seven companies submitted bids to the city, but the apparent low-bidder, Maxwell Construction, quickly withdrew its bid due to an accounting error. That opened the door for Dave O’Mara to win the bid.

The winning base bid was $3,343,000. If all amenities are factored in and approved, the total could go as high as $3,492,000. City council members say the bid is a little higher than what they were anticipating. However, parks department staff say that contractor representatives have indicated to look into opportunities where costs can be reduced without impacting function and user comfort. Council members could not address the scope of any potential savings, as the contractor would not discuss those possibilities without first receiving the contract.

A timeline for establishing the entire scope and cost of the work has not yet been established.

A woman acting suspiciously in a store parking lot ended up under arrest on drug charges last night in Columbus.

Columbus police are reporting that they were called to Whitfield Drive last night at about 9:10 p.m. and found 44-year-old Kimberly R. Kirk of Paris Crossing, who had an outstanding Bartholomew County warrant.

After being arrested, a search of her purse allegedly revealed syringes, methamphetamine and cocaine. She was arrested on drug possession charges along with the outstanding warrant.