Two North Vernon residents were arrested Sunday night on drug related charges.

North Vernon Police say that at 11:18 p.m., officers stopped a vehicle in the area of South Jackson Street. They learned that the driver, 26-year-old Ethan Rose was driving with a suspended license. An investigation determined that Rose was also in possession of meth. He was arrested on preliminary charges of Driving while Suspended with a Prior Conviction, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Paraphernalia and Maintaining a Common Nuisance. His passenger, 28-year-old Kayla R. Rose, was arrested for Possession of Methamphetamine and Maintaining a Common Nuisance.

A suspect was arrested in the middle of Sand Creek after a police chase yesterday in Jennings County.

The incident started at 10:38 Sunday morning on North Base Road when a deputy tried to pull over a speeding vehicle. But rather than stopping, the driver sped up and took off. The chase went on for several miles before the fleeing driver lost control and crashed in the 6700 block of North Base Road. The vehicle was later found to be stolen.

Despite warnings, the driver tried to run away but was taken into custody with the help of a police dog. after being treated for dog bites at St. Vincent Jennings Hospital, 37-year-old Trevor Brown of Seymour was arrested on preliminary charges of resisting law enforcement, auto theft, possession of methamphetamine and controlled substances, criminal recklessness with a vehicle, reckless driving and warrants from Jennings and Johnson counties.

Two passengers were arrested on charges of visiting a common nuisance including 36-year-old Kimberly A. Garrett, and 36-year-old Heather M. Roberts, both of North Vernon.

A local woman is under arrest, accused of texting while driving drunk, wrecking her SUV. And the SUV then burst into flames, destroying the vehicle.

The incident happened at about 3:07 a.m. yesterday morning near County Road 250E. Deputies from the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department report finding a split utility pole and a Jeep Commander on its side, with smoke pouring from the engine compartment.

29-year-old Savannah Hall of Columbus then climbed out of the vehicle and admitted that she was on her way home after drinking earlier and she said she was texting before the crash.

She was arrested on a preliminary charge of operating a motor vehicle under the influence.

Several area communities are rescheduling trick-or-treating hours due to anticipated bad weather on Halloween.

The town of Hope is moving trick-or-treating to 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday evening.

North Vernon is also rescheduling its trick-or-treating to Friday starting at 5:30 p.m. City officials say that the Sweet Street event at North Vernon First Christian Church and North Vernon First Baptist Church’s trunk-and treat event will also be moving to Friday..

Columbus plans to still hold trick-or-treating on Wednesday but asks that parents take appropriate precautions to keep children safe during the event, including dressing them appropriately for the weather.

A North Vernon man is being accused of kidnapping after two people were seen fighting inside a vehicle Sunday.

North Vernon police say that they were called to the dispute at about 12:45 p.m. Sunday afternoon, along with Jennings County deputies and Indiana conservation officers. A witness said that the vehicle was swerving as two men fought inside and almost struck a parked car.

Police found the vehicle at a convenience store and saw that the victim had been injured during the fight. Police say that 32-year-old Travis D. Woods allegedly was having an argument with the victim before driving off in the vehicle, while continuing to attack the victim, striking him in the face, and refusing to stop. The victim’s phone was also damaged during the incident.

Woods is facing charges of kidnapping resulting in injury, criminal confinement resulting in injury, battery resulting in moderate bodily injury and interfering with reporting a crime.

A local woman has died, less than a week after leaping from a burning vehicle.

Our news-gathering partners at The Republic are reporting that funeral services for 22-year-old Karlee K. Hurt will be held at 10 a.m. this morning at Collins Funeral Home in Scottsburg.

On Oct. 18th, Hurt was riding in an SUV on U.S. 31 when the vehicle began smoking. As the driver slowed to stop, Hurt leapt from the vehicle while it was still moving about 30 mph according to police reports. She was critically injured and flown to IU Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, where she died on Wednesday, the newspaper reports.

The paper reports that Hurt had moved to Columbus to live with her mother and her mother’s spouse.

You can get more information at The Republic

In just over a week, area voters will be choosing from a handful of contested races on the ballot. Indiana House District 59 encompasses a large section of Bartholomew County. Voters will be deciding between Republican Ryan Lauer, Democrat Dale Nowlin and Libertarian Clyde Myers.

Lauer, 41, is an engineer in Engine Testing at Cummins. He is married to wife Blair. They have three young children with a fourth on the way. Lauer has a degree in bio-chemistry from Indiana University. Lauer previously served on the Bartholomew County Council, serving as President in 2014.

Nowlin, 61, is an educator with the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation. He serves as math chair and administrator for both Columbus North High School and Northside Middle School. Married to wife Issabelle for 42 years, they have three adult children and four grandchildren.

Myers, 41, is an information technology manager. He is married with two daughters. Myers has two degrees in the IT field.

We asked the candidates about the need for a hate-crime statute in Indiana.

Lauer says he believes such a statute is an inevitability.

Nowlin says he supports such a statute.

Myers says its important to be wary of unintended consequences.

We asked the trio about their thoughts on legalizing marijuana in Indiana.

Lauer says that that marijuana doesn’t come up much with the voters he has talked to.

Nowlin says that it’s time to consider legalizing marijuana.

Myers says marijuana shouldn’t be illegal in the first place.

We asked the candidates about their thoughts on abortion.

Lauer says that every life is precious.

Nowlin says that abortion should be safe and legal.

Myers says that abortion should be legal.

Early voting has been underway at the Bartholomew County Courthouse. Additional early voting locations open Monday at Donner Center, Flintwood Wesleyan Church and the German American Bank on Jonathan Moore Pike. Election Day is Nov. 6th.

As strong winds blew through the area, local power providers are seeing some power outages.

Duke Energy reports 38 customers without power in downtown Columbus around Central Avenue and 10th Street, including the stop light. Power is expected to be restored there by 9:15 p.m. Another 31 customers are without power near Youth Camp Road and Whitehorse Road. Power there is expected to be restored by 8:15 p.m.

Bartholomew County REMC is reporting about 33 customers without power in northwestern Jennings County’s Geneva Township and three in Bartholomew County’s Harrison Township.

Duke Energy is also reporting a handful of other area outages, including 9 customers near North Vernon, two near Seymour and  four near Nashville.

Southeastern Indiana REMC is reporting 51 customers without power in southeastern Jennings County and almost another 100 in the rest of their coverage area.

The world’s largest ethanol producer has chosen Shelbyville for its newest bio-fuel facility.

POET, LLC announced that it will build a $160 million ethanol production plant in the city. The company says that 45 full-time jobs will be created, along with 275 temporary construction jobs. Hiring for full-time positions will begin in spring of 2019.

When brought online in spring 2020, officials say the plant will produce 80 million gallons of ethanol a year. That ethanol will be the result of $110 million worth of corn purchased from farmers within a 30-mile radius. The plant will feature environmental controls that eliminate discharge of processing water.

“POET’s project provides jobs right here in Shelby County, but its indirect effects will extent well beyond that,” said Brian Asher, executive director of Shelby County Development Corp. “This boosts income for farmers, expands the tax base and circulates new dollars across the state economy.”

The site, at County Road 300 North and Tom Hession Drive, is west of Indiana Grand Racing & Casino and approximately one mile southwest of Interstate 74. Shelbyville is annexing the site.