Police say a long chase yesterday morning led to the arrest of two Columbus residents who were wanted on multiple warrants.

According to Columbus Police Department reports, an officer tried to stop a vehicle near 17th and Maple streets at about 1:10 a.m. Monday morning for a traffic violation. But the driver sped away. The chase led out of the city at speeds of up to 100 mph with the driver disregarding stop lights.

The vehicle eventually struck a tire deflation device on State Road 7 in Jennings County near the Scipio fire station. The vehicle stopped on Jennings County Road 300N after about 40 minutes.

The driver, 58-year-old Chester Sidwell and a passenger, 37 year old Amber N. David were both taken into custody.

Sidwell is facing charges of resisting law enforcement with a vehicle,  driving while suspended with a prior conviction, criminal recklessness and reckless driving as well as an outstanding Bartholomew County warrant.

David was arrested on two outstanding Bartholomew County warrants.

A Johnson County woman was arrested last week in what state troopers are calling a road rage incident with a handgun.

According to state police reports, a witness said a woman driving another vehicle pointed a gun at their car at about 11 a.m. in the morning Friday while driving on Interstate 74 near the Indiana/Ohio state line. Troopers found the vehicle near Batesville and stopped the car, where a police dog alerted to the smell of drugs inside.

The search uncovered four grams of methamphetamine, five grams of marijuana, and a handgun.

50-year-old Lisa M. Hancock of Franklin was arrested on preliminary charges of possession of methamphetamine with a firearm, pointing a firearm, reckless driving, and possession ofmarijuana.

A kitchen fire in a Columbus apartment led to the evacuation of the building but caused only about $6,500 dollars in damages.

Columbus Fire Department reports that they were called to the Steinhurst Manor Apartments on Salzburg Boulevard at about 6:36 p.m. Sunday after a tenant discovered a fire in her apartment kitchen. Firefighters were on scene within about three minutes and entered the second floor apartment where they discovered heavy smoke. They quickly extinguished the fire with a water fire extinguisher.

The tenant told fire investigators that she was alerted to the fire by smoke alarms. She had recently finished cooking a meal and was eating it in the bedroom when the alarms went off. She discovered the fire on the stove top, which had already spread to the cabinets above the stove. Investigators discovered that a trash can had been put on the countertop while the tenant swept the floor, and the hot burner ignited the plastic container.

Firefighters say that they were able to contain the fire before it spread into the apartment or the building’s construction. Fire damage was isolated to the apartment kitchen with smoke damage throughout the apartment.

The couple living in the apartment will be staying with family.

Cummins is reporting a strong fourth quarter to cap off a record-setting year of revenues for the company. Revenues were 9 percent higher than 2021, not counting the revenue from Meritor.

Last year, Cummins acquired Meritor, which was formerly based in Columbus as Arvin Meritor.

The company made its quarterly and annual reports yesterday, saying that fourth quarter revenues were $7.8 billion, or $6.6 billion not counting Meritor. Fourth quarter revenue was up 13 percent compared to the year before. That came from a North American sales increase of 25 percent, and an international sales decrease of 1 percent.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization in the fourth quarter were $1.1 billion.

Looking at the entire year, revenues were $28.1 billion, or $26.2 not counting Meritor. Earnings were $3.8 billion. President and CEO Jennifer Rumsey said the company delivered record high revenues, as well as record earnings.

Year-over-year sales in North America increased 18 percent and international revenues decreased 2 percent.

The company says international revenues saw strong demand across global markets, except for a market slowdown in China and Russia, where the company suspended operations due to the Ukraine war.

You can find more information here.

An Osgood man died in a crash Monday morning in southern Decatur County.

According to the Indiana State Police, the two vehicle crash happened just after 8 a.m. on U.S. 421. 26-year-old Noah Seals was driving his car southbound near County Road 600S, and crossed the centerline into the path of a dump truck being driven by 38-year-old Patrick Stroud of Vevay. The two vehicles hit nearly head-on in the northbound lane, leaving the road.

Seals suffered fatal injuries in the crash and was pronoucned dead at the scene. Stroud suffered minor injuries. He was taken to Decatur County Hospital, treated and released.

U.S. 421 was closed for nearly four hours while the crash was investigated and cleaned up.

State Police were assisted at the scene by the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office, Decatur County EMS, Napoleon Fire Department, and the Decatur County Coroner’s Office.

What started as a traffic stop early yesterday morning ended in a shootout that sent two officers to the hospital, and left the suspect dead in Lawrence County.

Indiana State Police say it happened near the tiny town of Mitchell, about 3:15 a.m. Sunday morning. One Mitchell officer and a Lawrence County deputy stopped the suspect, 29-year-old Anthony Richmond, and the police dog found drugs. That’s when police say Richmond ran, then pulled out a gun and opened fire. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Deputy Joshua Rhoades was hit twice, and Mitchell Police Officer Christian Anderson officer was hit once. The officers returned fire. Richmond was treated at the scene by medics and pronounced dead in the ambulance.

Both officers were taken to IU Bedford and then flown to IU Methodist for further treatment. Troopers say that the officers wounds are not believed to be life-threatening.

Officer Anderson remains hospitalized in stable condition. Deputy Rhoades has been released from the hospital.

TTWN Media Networks Inc. contributed to this report.

Photo courtesy of Indiana State Police

A North Vernon man was arrested on drug-dealing charges after a narcotics investigation last week.

According to the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, a search warrant was issued for a home in Country Squire Lakes Thursday. The search uncovered about 65 grams of Methamphetamine, 2 firearms, more than $2000 dollars in cash, scales, and items used to distribute methamphetamine.

Deputies arrested 30-year-old Benjamin Creech. He is facing preliminary charges of dealing in methamphetamine, maintaining a common nuisance and for possessing meth, marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Columbus police arrested a teen after a fight involving a firearm at Columbus East High School after a basketball game.

Police say that witnesses reported that 18-year-old Mason D. Larrison pointed a gun at a vehicle’s occupant and tried to open one of the vehicle’s doors. But the driver fled the parking lot. Police talked to the witnesses near Interstate 65 and Jonathan Moore Pike at about 10:15 p.m.

Larrison was arrested at his home and a firearm was recovered. Larrison was arrested on preliminary charges of Criminal Confinement, Intimidation with a Deadly Weapon and Possession of a Firearm on School Property.

The incident remains under investigation.

The filing period closed for the upcoming municipal elections at noon Friday, with one final candidate for Columbus office.

In Columbus, there will be races for nine council seats, mayor and the new city clerk position.

Democrat Bryan Munoz filed Friday for the District 6 seat on the council, the only candidate to do so.

Primary election day in Indiana is May 2nd.

Bartholomew County deputies arrested a man allegedly carrying narcotics and a firearm last week, the second such recent arrest.

According to reports from the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, a deputy pulled over a vehicle for speeding near North U.S. 31 and West County Road 800N at about 3:09 p.m. Thursday afternoon. The driver, 37-year-old Brian Harmon of Nineveh was found to be a habitual traffic violator.

Deputies searched the vehicle and found methamphetamine, marijuana, narcotics paraphernalia and a handgun.

Harmon was arrested on preliminary charges of being a Habitual Traffic Violator, Possession of Methamphetamine – While in Possession of a Firearm, as well as for possessing the marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Sheriff Chris Lane said this was the second time in two weeks a suspect arrested with drugs also had a gun. He called it a deadly combination with devastating effects on the community. And Lane said it shows the danger “deputies can be put in while trying to take these weapons off the street.”

Photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.