A wanted Columbus man was arrested by police after trying to escape on a moped.

According to reports from the Columbus Police Department, officers noticed 25-year-old Sage S. Banks on the moped near 25th Street and Jordan Drive at just before 5 p.m. Monday afternoon. Recognizing that Banks was wanted on an outstanding Bartholomew County warrant for possession of methamphetamine, police tried to pull him over.

But Banks instead tried to escape, cutting across parking lots, driving the wrong way on U.S. 31 and disregarding traffic signals. Police say Banks abandoned the moped near U.S. 31 and 10th Street where he was taken into custody after a short struggle.

In addition to the warrant, Banks is facing new charges of resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, resisting law enforcement and reckless driving.

An Indianapolis man was arrested in Jackson County Monday after cocaine was found in his vehicle.

According to Indiana State Police reports, a trooper stopped a vehicle for multiple traffic infractions at about 1 p.m. in the southbound lanes of Interstate 65, just north of the Seymour exit. The trooper reportedly noticed signs of illegal activity and could smell marijuana inside the vehicle.

A search uncovered a plastic bag containing about a pound of suspected cocaine, along with marijuana and pills. The estimated street value of the drugs was $15,000. Troopers also found more than $600 in cash.

The driver, 27-year-old Rasheed E. Musheer was arrested on preliminary charges of dealing in and possessing cocaine as well as possession of marijuana.

Brown County dispatchers will have the ability to live-stream video with callers, starting next week.

The sheriff’s department announced on social media that it will be implementing the Prepared Live software on Monday. It will allow the dispatch center to receive multimedia, video feeds and accurate location data from cell phones in real time.

The department says that participation in a video call is completely voluntary, you must consent to the call and the software does not give the department access to data stored on the phone. However, the call is recorded and video could be used as evidence.

You can get more information about the program at www.prepared911.com.

State Road 58 in Jackson County will be closing Monday as crews work to replace drainage structures on the highway over the next several months.

The work was originally set to start in May, but has been delayed due to utility conflicts.

The first closure will be at an unnamed tributary of Salt Creek, about 13.4 miles east of State Road 446, between County Roads 550W and 650W in Jackson County starting Monday.

The work will move to Lawrence County in August. Then return in mid-September to Jackson County, where State Road 58 will be closed just under 10 miles east of State Road 446 between Pike Road and Jackson County Road 980 W.

The highway will be closed for about 30 days at each location. The official detour follows State Road 446, U.S. 50 and State Road 135. Access will be maintained for local residents but thru traffic should use an alternate route.

INDOT reminds you to slow down, to drive without distractions and to be alert to worker safety in all work zones.

The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana has been chosen to head up a committee looking at issues surrounding law enforcement and high technology. Zachary A. Myers will be chair of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Subcommittee for the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee.

The advisory committee and its subcommittees represent the views of federal prosecutors across the country and advise the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management affecting U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.

Prior to being appointed to the Indiana role, Myers worked as a federal prosecutor focused on technology-facilitated crime, including serving as Cybercrime Counsel, Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property prosecutor, and National Security Cyber Specialist.

Myers said the country faces unprecedented threats from cybercriminals, citing ransomware, breaches of sensitive data, transnational fraud schemes, and technology-facilitated exploitation of children.

Columbus Fire Department is announcing the retirement of a lieutenant and the promotion of a firefighter to take his place.

According to the department, Lt. Bryan Brown has retired after 27 years with the department, with his last day Sunday. Brown began with the department in 1995 and earned his paramedic certification. He was promoted to lieutenant in 2015, and his last assignment was as the C-shift lieutenant at Fire Station 5.

Firefighter Daniel Acree has been promoted to the rank of lieutenant and will take over from Brown as the C-shift lieutenant at Fire Station 5. He joined the department in 2008 and has earned his paramedic certification and hazardous materials technician certification.

The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department will be adding drones to help with the investigation of crash sites and crime scenes.

Bartholomew County Commissioners approved the department’s request for the equipment at their meeting yesterday morning.

Capt. Brandon Slate with the sheriff’s department explained that the equipment will allow for accurate digital recreation of the scenes and include 3D capabilities. Once a scene is mapped, the software will allow a user to move around inside the virtual scene, taking measurements and viewing the scene from multiple angles. Users will even be able to recreate the actual motion of a crash in the software.

The sheriff’s department requested approval for four drones and their accessories, software, training and FAA authorization which allows the department to fly the drones. The department also requested a surveying and measurement equipment package to work with the drones.

Slate said the equipment will be more accurate than the existing manual methods and will allow the work to be done more quickly.

The drone package cost was just over $76,000 and will be paid for through a homeland security grant. The surveying package was just over $74,000 and will be paid for through crash report fees and drug seizure money.

Seymour residents woke up Saturday to find a bullet on the floor of their apartment.

According to Seymour Police Department reports, residents heard yelling and a loud bang at about 3:11 in the morning Saturday on Marley Lane. When they woke up at about 6:30 a.m. Saturday morning they found the bullet on the bedroom floor and a hole in the wall of their closet.

Investigators said the bullet was a .22 caliber round and investigators developed a possible suspect.

On Monday, police arrested 30-year-old Gregory S. Allman of Seymour, initially on a charge of invasion of privacy. After a search warrant was served on Allman’s residence on Windhorst Court, ammunition and drugs were were found.

He is facing new charges of criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, possession of marijuana and of drug paraphernalia.

A fire in a detached garage caused about $1,000 in damages on the north side of Columbus Sunday night.

According to reports from the Columbus Fire Department, firefighters were called to the 4700 block of Breckenridge Drive at about 11:08 p.m. Sunday night after a homeowner heard a smoke alarm in the detached garage. The homeowner discovered smoldering insulation in the attic and called 911.

Firefighters discovered that the breaker for the garage had tripped and that there was smoldering in the insulation and charring in three sections of OSB board. Firefighters moved property from the garage and then collected the boards and insulation, which they soaked in water.

Investigators discovered a heavily damaged electrical connection in the attic with several extension cords plugged in. They believe that the cords were over-powered, causing intense heat which melted the connection. That led to the smoldering in the insulation.

The cause of the fire was ruled accidental and no injuries were reported.

Firefighters want to remind you that extension cords should only be used for temporary power. Long-term use can cause them to break down and possibly lead to a fire.

More extension cord safety tips:

• Extension cords should never be placed under a rug where foot traffic could damage the insulation of the cord.
• Always follow the manufactures recommendations for appropriate extension cord use.
• Ensure that the cord gauge is appropriate for its intended use.
• Not all extension cords are the same in terms of the amperage and wattage that they are intended to carry.

Photos courtesy of Columbus Fire Department.

A weekend state police chase through two counties at speeds of more than 100 mph ended in Columbus.

According to reports from the Indiana State Police, a trooper saw a vehicle driving more than 100 mph heading north near the Seymour exit on Interstate 65 at about 8:45 Sunday morning. The vehicle’s license plate was hidden by a mechanical curtain device. The trooper turned on their emergency lights and tried to pull the vehicle over, but the driver took off. Another trooper joined the chase in southern Bartholomew County.

The driver left the interstate at the Walesboro exit, went through Southern Crossing and then up U.S. 31. to Columbus, where Columbus police helped end the chase at National Road and 25th Street.

The driver, 21-year-old Jacob G. Wroblewski, of Hales Corner, Wisconsin was arrested on preliminary charges of resisting law enforcement in a vehicle and Reckless Driving. Troopers say Wroblewski may face additional charges and citations related to the incident.