A Columbus woman is accused of attacking police when they caught her damaging property inside a Union Street garage Friday afternoon.

According to Columbus Police reports, officers were called to the 2100 block of Union Street at about 3:45 p.m. Friday afternoon on a report of a woman destroying property at the garage. Police report hearing screaming coming from inside and when officers tried to enter, the woman attempted to shut the door on police. Police confirmed that the woman, 31-year-old Dystiny D. Green, had a trespass warning in place for the location and she was taken into custody.

She was first taken to Columbus Regional Health to be checked out, where she allegedly battered and spit on an officer.

She was taken to the county jail on preliminary charges of criminal trespass, resisting law enforcement, intimidation, residential entry, battery on a law enforcement officer and battery by bodily waste on a law enforcement officer.

You might have noticed some police cars are being replaced by pickup trucks by area law enforcement agencies and wondered why?

Yesterday, the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department brought a request to the County Commissioners to seek bids to purchase five full-sized pickup trucks. Commissioner Tony London asked Captain Brandon Slate why the request was not for more police cars.

Slate said that the county had been buying Dodge Chargers with a V6 engine and had problems with those cars about 7 years ago. For several years after that, the department was able to purchase a police package Charger which included a V8 engine and all-wheel drive but that is no longer available.

Now, the only vehicles that meet the police needs are the pickups, which come with the bigger engine, higher towing capacity, lots of storage space for gear and four wheel drive. Plus the cost was only a few hundred dollars more than a sedan.

Slate said the trucks have cost around $27,000 each.

The Bartholomew County Commissioners agreed to seek bids for the new police vehicles.

A woman was able to use the Bartholomew County Dispatch Center’s text to 911 system to call for help Friday morning after a man broke into her home and held her against her will.

According to reports from the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, the incident was reported at about 7:51 a.m. Friday morning in the 7700 block of Mill Run in Columbus. The man, identified as 45-year-old Randy S. Colburn of Edinburgh, had a no contact order in place with the victim. He is accused of kicking in her door on Wednesday and holding her against her will since then.

Deputies arrived Friday morning and asked the woman to step outside. She told them that Colburn was still inside but had fallen asleep in a back bedroom. That’s where deputies found him and took him into custody without any further incident.

Colburn is facing charges of burglary, criminal confinement, strangulation, domestic battery, intimidation and invasion of privacy.

Seymour police are reporting that a handgun was fired during a domestic dispute Saturday afternoon.

According to police reports, the incident happened at about 1:18 p.m. Saturday afternoon, when police were called to the scene of the domestic dispute between a man and a woman in the 800 block of Pershing Street.

When police arrived, they had a brief standoff with the man, before he surrendered. Police discovered that the gun had been fired into the floor of the home during the dispute. No one was injured.

Police say that alcohol is believed to have been a factor in the incident. The man was taken into custody and police say that there was no further threat to public safety.

Charges are still pending in the case and the man’s name has not yet been released.

A woman died in a fire in North Vernon Friday night, police say.

According to North Vernon Police reports, officers and firefighters were called to the structure fire in the 500 block of West Walnut Street at about 11:50 p.m. Friday night. Police discovered the building was in flames and the main entrance was blocked by fire and heavy smoke. Two of the occupants had already exited the home when rescue workers arrived.

Officers spotted a woman trying to climb out of a bedroom window where there was already heavy smoke. Rescuers attempted to save the woman but they soon lost contact with her and could no longer see her in the smoke. She died in the fire.

The woman’s name has not yet been released. The Indiana State Fire Marshall is investigating the cause of the blaze.

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Bartholomew County judges are postponing all jury trials until at least January 21st, according to an emergency order released last week.

The judges cited the record numbers of positive COVID-19 cases reported locally and statewide last week, along with the high number of COVID patients at Columbus Regional Hospital.

The judges said that there is a legitimate concern regarding the health and welfare of the county’s citizens and the court staff. They said that jury trials require large numbers of people in one courtroom for an extended period of time.

The judges said the situation will be re-evaluated after January 21st.

A flood warning is in effect for East Fork White River at Seymour until Wednesday. Minor flooding is forecast and minor flooding is happening.

The National Weather Service in Indianapolis says that between 1 and 1.4 inches of rain fell across our area on Saturday night, leading to high river levels. The river is at 12.9 feet this morning, about 9 tenths of a foot above the minor flood stage of 12 feet. The river should peak at about 13.1 feet later today.

The river should drop out of flood stage by Tuesday afternoon and return to normal levels by Thursday.

The United Way of Bartholomew County still has volunteer opportunities open for the annual MLK Day of Service coming up on Jan. 17th.

Every year, the United Way takes part in the national MLK Day of Service, when Americans honor King through service projects that strengthen the community and empower residents. The United Way is organizing service volunteer projects for its partner agencies and to fulfill the agency’s mission.

You can find volunteer opportunities online by going to uwbarthco.org and clicking on “Volunteer.”

In addition to the MLK Day of Service projects, local organizations post their volunteer needs year-round to the site and you can check any time you are looking for a chance to volunteer in the community.

The United Way of Bartholomew County is looking for volunteers to play roles in an upcoming poverty simulation.

A poverty simulation is meant to help people understand what it might be like to be part of a low-income family trying to make it by, month-after-month. The goal is to help participants understand the realities faced by low-income residents.

While participants take on the role of families during 15-minute long weeks in the simulation, there are others taking part playing the roles of various institutions and resources in the community such as a bank, employer, utility company, pawn broker, social service agency and others.

Volunteers are needed to staff those roles as well as being a police officer and a person involved in illegal activities.

The simulation will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 11th. The deadline to apply as a volunteer is Saturday.

You can find a link for more information here.

More people are filing to run for election in Bartholomew County’s upcoming primaries.

Incumbent County Councilman Scott Bonnell filed yesterday to run for re-election as a Republican to the District 1 seat on the council. He joins Republicans Dave London and Greg Patterson who filed for the District 1 race on Wednesday. Republican Jorge Morales also filed on Wednesday to run for the District 4 race.

Incumbent Republican County Commissioner Carl Lienhoop filed on Wednesday to run for re-election to the District 2 seat on the board.

The last day to file for the major party races is noon on Friday, February 4th in the county clerk’s office. The primary election is Tuesday May 3rd.