Columbus is moving forward with changes to local fireworks ordinances that limit the hours they are allowed around the Independence Day and New Year’s holidays.

City Council voted unanimously to give its final approval to the changes last night.

The changes are being made to bring the city code into alignment with state law and to allow the traditional celebrations around the Hindu festival of Diwali.

Under the change, fireworks can not be set off after midnight on July 4th or Dec. 31st, in line with state law. It allows fireworks from 10 a.m. in the morning until midnight on the Fourth of July and New Years Eve. In the five days leading up to the Fourth of July and the five days after, fireworks are allowed from 5 p.m. in the evening until 11 p.m., or until two hours after sunset, whichever comes first.

The ordinance change allows fireworks between 6 and 10 in the evenings on the day before, the day of and the day after Diwali. Diwali falls in October or November each year.

Hino Trucks is announcing plans to produce medium- and heavy-duty trucks with Cummins engines for sale in North America. Hino is owned by Toyota and is the largest manufacturer of medium- and heavy-duty trucks in Japan.

The company is planning to use Cummins B6.7 and L9 engines in Hino’s L and XL Series models by the end of next year. Hino will begin producing Cummins powered trucks at its West Virginia and Woodstock plants in October of 2021, using engines built by Cummins at its Rocky Mount Engine Plant in North Carolina.

Hino made the announcement at the virtual NTEA Work Truck Show.
Hino also announced plans to redirect engineering and other resources to accelerate its Project Z, a development path to zero emission vehicles.

The company had previously announced plans to develop and produce a full range of Battery Electric Trucks and a Fuel Cell Electric Truck, powered by Toyota’s fuel cell system, by 2024

Columbus police arrested a man over the weekend who allegedly lied about his identity after he was discovered unconscious in a vehicle in a store parking lot.

The incident started at about 7 p.m. Sunday evening, when police were called to the Walmart on Merchant Mile about an unresponsive man inside a vehicle. Police found the man slumped over inside the vehicle.

As they talked to the man, he provided a fake name. But police discovered that he was 28-year-old William C. Brewer of Columbus who was wanted on an outstanding warrant. He was taken into custody and a search revealed a syringe in his pocket. Brewer was taken to the Bartholomew County Jail on preliminary charges for possessing the syringe and false informing, as well as the outstanding warrant.

A Bartholomew County woman was arrested yesterday, accused of embezzling more than $230,000 from her Edinburgh employer.

Central Marketing Transport contacted Indiana State Police in January of last year when they found unauthorized purchases being made by a CMT employee. A company credit card was used to buy gift cards from businesses in Bartholomew, Johnson and Marion counties over a six-year period.

State police say that 42-year-old Jennifer L. Matlock made the purchases in the company name and then used the cards to make personal purchases. Matlock had worked as a recruiter for the company from 2013 until 2020.

She was arrested without incident on four counts of theft.

Eight people have been arrested in a Jackson County sting operation aimed at preventing human trafficking and pedophilia in what they are calling Operation March Sadness.

The operation began last Tuesday, when members of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department and Covenant Rescue Group began communicating online with suspects through sex trafficking and prostitution websites, using decoy profiles for 15 to 19 year old girls. More than 7000 messages were sent and received during the operation and all suspects had intentions of having sex for money with the fake girls.

Two individuals were suspected sex traffickers who used intimidation methods in attempt to lure girls to Louisville and Indianapolis.

All those arrested came to the operation site and were immediately taken into custody after attempting to make contact with the decoy.

Six of the suspects were arrested for attempting to have sex with a child under the age of 16 . The other two arrests came after suspects showed up at the operation site expecting to pay for sex from either a 16- or 19- year old. One of those suspects came to the site to have sex with both the 16 and 19 year old and promised to pay with a controlled substance. Methamphetamine and ecstasy were found during his arrest and he is facing drug-related charges.

Those arrested and their charges included:

• Richard N. Holman Jr, 60, of Holton, child solicitation and attempted sexual misconduct with a minor.
• Jaceson A. Gahl, 19, of Indianapolis, child solicitation and attempted sexual misconduct with a minor.
• Christopher C. Wylie, 33, of Amelia, Ohio, , child solicitation and attempted sexual misconduct with a minor.
• Hector De Acruz, 39, of Indianapolis, child solicitation and attempted sexual misconduct with a minor.
• Thomas P. Roesser, 36, Flowery Branch, Georgia, dealing in methamphetamine, possession of Methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance and making an unlawful proposition.
• Quentin G. Newton, 37, of Evansville, making an unlawful proposition.
• Johnny R. Lynn, 54, of Bedford, child solicitation and attempted sexual misconduct with a minor.
• Steven C. Frey, 30, of Owensboro,  child solicitation, attempted sexual misconduct with a minor, dealing in methamphetamine.

Seymour police are looking for your help identifying and locating two people believed to be involved in a check fraud scheme at a local business.

The department released photos on social media over the weekend of the two, who are believed to not be from Jackson County and may be homeless. They have been using the name “Roger Dewitt” and “John Young” during the incidents.

.You can find photos of the suspects on our website. If you have any information you can contact the Seymour Police Department at 812-522-1234 and ask for Detective Payne.

A Jackson County deputy avoided injuries when his patrol vehicle was struck from behind while the deputy was assisting at the scene of a previous accident

According to state police, the deputy’s SUV was parked in the right lane of I-65 Northbound near Crothersville at about 6 Friday morning while a tow truck removed a wrecked commercial vehicle. That’s when the patrol vehicle was struck by a pickup, being driven by 25 year old Evan Elkins of Louisville. The pickup ended up in the median while the patrol SUV came to a stop in the right lane of the interstate.

The right lane of I-65 Northbound was closed for most of the morning for crash cleanup and investigation.

The accident remains under investigation but neither drugs nor alcohol are believed to have been a factor in the crash. No injuries were reported.

Photo courtesy of Jackson County Sheriff’s Department

The Indiana Department of Transportation plans to close lanes of Interstate 65 between Walesboro and Columbus starting tomorrow.

Starting Tuesday night, between 9 and 6 Wednesday morning, the right lane of southbound Interstate 65 will be closed while crews first work on milling the shoulder. They will then be paving the shoulder during the day between 9 and 3 in that area, Wednesday and Thursday.

Next week there will be various lane closures on the northbound and southbound lanes.

Also tomorrow, the inside left turn lane on westbound State Road 46 will close at the I-65 interchange in Columbus while crews work on guardrail repair. That is expected to be removed the following week. All other lanes should remain open during that work.

This all part of the work on a $65 million contract that will add a third travel lane between State Road 58 and State Road 46

The contract was awarded in October to Force Construction and is expected to be completed in 2023.

All the work is dependent upon weather.

Columbus City Council will be considering a change to city codes that would prohibit the sale of dogs, cats or rabbits in pet stores in the city.

Councilwoman Elaine Hilber posted about the proposed change on social media, saying that the change was being requested by Columbus Animal Care Services because the agency is running at almost full capacity with dogs and cats and is seeing a surge in the number of abandoned rabbits.

The change would mean that pet stores could not sell, barter, auction, or give away dogs, cats, and rabbits. However, those stores can work with Animal Care Services or other rescue groups to assist with those groups’ adoption efforts, provided the store has no ownership in the animals up for adoption, and is not charging the city agency or groups a fee.

Violating the ordinance would mean a fine of up to $500 for each animal involved.

Hilber said she was looking for your thoughts on the issue.

Columbus City Council meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday evening virtually. You can find a link to the video on the city website at columbus.in.gov and look for the Videos button