Two people were arrested Sunday night after a traffic stop on Interstate 65 in Bartholomew County uncovered drugs and a stolen gun in their vehicle.

According to the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, a deputy stopped a vehicle on Interstate 65 at about 11:22 p.m. Sunday night after noticing the license plate light was out. The driver, 41-year-old Justin Walls of Muncie allegedly admitted to having a methamphetamine pipe in the vehicle.

A search uncovered methamphetamine, a pipe and a handgun which had been reported stolen in Muncie. Authorities also discovered that Walls is a convicted felon with a domestic battery conviction, which means he can’t possess a firearm.

A passenger, 35-year-old Hailey Antrim of Muncie was also found to be carrying methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

Walls was arrested on charges of being a felon in Possession of a Firearm, theft of a stolen firearm, possession of a firearm by a domestic batterer, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while suspended.

Antrim is being accused of possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

Bartholomew County Sheriff Chris Lane says that the combination of a felon in possession of a firearm and narcotics presents a danger to the community. And he said that getting stolen firearms off the street is a priority for law enforcement nationally and locally.

Evidence photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.

Heavy rain expected later today and tomorrow is leading to flooding concerns in central and southern Indiana.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for our area, starting late tonight and through Friday.

The agency says 2 to 3 inches of rain are forecast for the region, with locally higher amounts possible. That much rain could cause excessive runoff leading to flooding of rivers, creeks and streams and other low-lying and flood prone locations.

State police say that a Nineveh man driving a stolen vehicle got into a shootout with a trooper Monday morning in Southport.

According to Indiana State Police reports, troopers were trying to find 36-year-old Christopher Crouch, who was wanted on several outstanding warrants at about 10:08 a.m. Monday morning. That search led them to a hotel in Southport. As a trooper entered the hotel, he saw Crouch enter a hallway, and then run away.

Police say that Crouch got into a vehicle, and after a short pursuit he drove over a curb, down an embankment and into a pond off of Southport Crossing Drive. He then ran south and as troopers pursued him, they saw he had a gun in his hand. Police ordered him to drop the weapon but shots were exchanged, according to reports.

Troopers gave medical aid to Crouch, who had been shot, until paramedics arrived. He was taken to an area hospital and is in stable condition. No officers were injured.

Police say that the car Crouch was driving had been reported stolen from Terre Haute earlier this month.

Photo courtesy of Indiana State Police

Applications are now open for the Kim Quilleon Varnell Memorial Scholarship through the Schneck Guild in Syemour.

The Guild awards up to three $1,000 scholarships annually to past Junior Volunteers at Schneck Medical Center who are graduating high school seniors. They must be enrolled in college planning a career in the healthcare field.

The deadline for applications is March 31st.

You can find an application online at www.schneckmed.org/volunteers

Jennings County authorities are touting the sensitive nose of their newest police dog.

According to the sheriff’s department, police dog Dino and his handler Deputy John Amis graduated from K-9 school in October. Since then, Dino has been responsible for the seizure of 170 grams of Methamphetamine, 8 grams of Heroin, and 6 Grams of Fentanyl.

Yesterday, deputies stopped a vehicle at about 1:40 a.m. in the morning on State Road 7 for traffic infractions. Dino alerted to the odor of drugs in the vehicle and a search recovered 24 grams of Methamphetamine along with Drug Paraphernalia.

At about 7 p.m. last night, deputies stopped a vehicle on Scott Street and Dino was brought to the scene, where the dog alerted to the odor of drugs in the vehicle. A search recovered 13 grams of methamphetamine.

Both stops resulted in arrests, deputies say.

Photo of Jennings County Sheriff’s Department dog Dino courtesy of department.

Decatur County officials are reminding the public that they are looking for leads in the three-year-old case of a missing woman from Hope.

The sheriff’s department announced last month that they were adding additional investigators to the search for Donna Mitchell who went missing in February 2020 after leaving a Hartsville store. The sheriff’s department said it is actively pursuing any new or old leads and asked for the public’s help to find Mitchell and close the case.

This week, the sheriff’s department says that their request has stirred up a great deal of local conversation. But if you have any information, no matter how small you think it might be, you should call the sheriff’s department at 812-663-8125 to make sure it reaches investigators.

Former Vice President Mike Pence, a Columbus native, is making visits to several states that are important keys to the presidential race including Michigan today, South Carolina tomorrow and New Hampshire later this month. But he has yet to make an announcement if he will seek the nomination.

Pence will speak this afternoon at Hillsdale College in Michigan. Pence will be discussing the role of faith in public life. His appearance is part of the Drummond Lecture Series on the Hillsdale College campus.

Tomorrow, Pence will be in South Carolina. He’s participating in a law enforcement roundtable in North Charleston on Thursday afternoon. After the roundtable, Pence will be taking part in a “fireside chat” and book signing at Bob Jones University in Greenville.

Later this month, Pence is heading to New Hampshire. A dinner and book signing is set for March 16th. A ticket costs 50-dollars for the dinner, and the 150-dollar VIP reception includes a picture with Pence and also an autographed book.

Pence has said he’ll make a decision this spring on whether he’ll seek the GOP nomination in the 2024 race for the White House.

Story courtesy of TTWN Media Networks Inc

Indiana’s Commission on Higher Education will be holding a meeting in Columbus this week, focused on the decreasing college attendance trend in the state.

Charlee Beasor and Allison Kuehr, with the commission, will discuss research findings on one factor believed to be keeping Indiana students from attending higher education — the lack of perceived value.

Beasor is the associate commissioner for marketing and communications. Kuehr manages communications and media relations strategy for the commission. The two are leading a campaign to promote the value of education and training beyond high school.

Marsha VanNahmen, assistant director for the Center for Teaching and Learning at IUPUC said higher rates of higher education has a dramatic impact on the local economy. “…But education beyond high school also impacts the quality of life for individuals and families, including health outcomes,” she said

The event is open to the public and you are invited. It is hosted by IUPUC and Columbus AirPark College Campus partners.

The meeting will be at the Lecture Hall in the Columbus Learning Center on Central Avenue from 11 to 12:30 Friday.