A Columbus firefighter is suspended after a crash last week led to accusations of drunk driving, and leaving the scene of an accident with injuries.

According to the Columbus Fire department, 35-year-old firefighter Nicholas T. Tuttle has been placed on administrative leave while a March 15th incident is being reviewed by the Fire Department Administration. Recommendations from that review will be forwarded to the Columbus Board of Public Works and Safety for possible disciplinary action.

Tuttle was not on duty at the time of the crash and was not operating a fire department vehicle.

According to the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, deputies were called to the scene of a hit-and-run accident involving a bicyclist at about 2:48 p.m. the afternoon of March 15th. The victim was lying next to the road and suffering from possible internal injuries. He said he was travelling north on County Road 1150E near East County Road 500N when he was struck by a pickup truck. The truck then left the scene headed west.

The victim was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital for treatment.

About an hour later, a deputy found Tuttle’s vehicle, which matched the suspect’s description, near State Street and McKinley Avenue. It was missing its passenger side mirror as well and showed black scuff marks on the fender. Deputies pulled Tuttle over and he denied any knowledge of a crash, but the broken vehicle parts left behind at the crash scene and the damage to his truck matched.

Two children were also found to be in his vehicle. They were released to their mother

A field sobriety rest revealed a blood alcohol level of .11 percent. Tuttle was arrested on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated with endangerment and leaving the scene of an accident causing moderate to severe bodily injury,

Tuttle was later released.

A medical provider of pop-up clinics for free medical care is looking for volunteers including medical professionals to help with an upcoming event in Nashville.

Remote Area Medical is a provider of free dental, vision and medical care and is looking for professionals and support staff for an upcoming June clinic in Nashville. Free dental, vision and medical services will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Services include dental cleanings, fillings extractions and x-rays, eye exams, eye health screenings, eyeglass prescriptions and glasses made on site, women’s health exams and general medical exams.

Founded in 1985, Remote Area Medical is a not-for-profit organization that provides services to those in need who do not have access to, or cannot afford medical care.

The clinic will be June 3rd and 4th at Brown County Middle School on School House Lane. In addition to medical volunteers, support staff is needed to set up on Friday, June 2nd and to take the clinic down on Sunday, June 4th. Assistance will also be needed with overnight assistance with parking and greeting patients, as well as those with interpreter skills to help patients with paperwork. You do not have to have a medical background to help with support functions.

You can get more information at www.ramusa.org or by calling 865-579-1530.

Seymour is activating a new system that will stop traffic signals on some busy streets when emergency vehicles approach the intersections.

According to an announcement from the city, the emergency traffic light preemption system will be in place along U.S. 50 or Tipton Street, and at two other intersections. When an emergency vehicle approaches a traffic light, the light will turn green for the emergency vehicle and red for other traffic.

Fire Chief Brad Lucas says the system will improve safety by reducing crashes between emergency vehicles and other drivers, as well as reduce response times in the city.

The city says indicator lights have also been installed at intersections along U.S. 50, at Broadway and Second streets and at Ewing and Sixth streets. Those will show a white light when an emergency vehicle is coming up behind you. If you see the constant white light you should move out of the way the best you can. If you see the flashing white light, you should stop until the emergency vehicles come through.

The preemption system will first be used with fire trucks, but other emergency vehicles will be added soon.

The Bartholomew County Historical Society is looking for aspiring actors to help with an upcoming event at the old city cemetery, playing the roles of famous residents of the past.

The society is holding Talking Tombstones on May 4th at the city cemetery south of Donner Park. The society needs local actors to take on the roles of those notables buried in the cemetery.

The event will be a fundraiser for the society and ticket sales will start soon.

For more information you can call the historical society at 812-372-3541.

The Columbus Area Visitors Center is looking for applicants for the next round of its Support Grant Program.

According to the center, grants are intended to develop events such as festivals which generate out-of-county visitor spending in Bartholomew County.

The next cycle of applications, are due on or before April 15th. Awards will be announced by May 15th.

New applicants are required to take part in an program orientation with the visitors center. That will take place on March 28th.

You can find a link to the grant application can be found here:  https://columbus.in.us/grants-info/. For more information you can call 812-378-2622

Columbus has been named as a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation, the city announced recently

The award recognizes communities for effective urban forest management. To qualify, cities must meet four requirements including maintaining a tree board or department, having a tree care ordinance, dedicating an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita, and hosting an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.

The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters.

More information on the program is available at https://www.arborday.org/programs/treeCityUSA/index.cfm.

The National Weather Service says our area is in danger of flooding from expected heavy rain later today and going into the weekend.

A flood watch goes into effect tonight for south central Indiana including Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Jackson, Jennings, Johnson and Shelby counties.

Forecasters say between 2 and 4 inches of rain is expected between tonight and Saturday morning. Locally higher amounts are possible and thunderstorms are expected. The greatest concerns for heavy rain will be tonight and Friday night.

You can expect excessive runoff to cause flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. Creeks and streams may rise out of their banks and extensive street flooding is possible. Authorities urge you not to drive onto flooded roadways.

The flood watch is in effect from 8 p.m. Thursday until 8 a.m. Saturday morning.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation is celebrating 40 years of service in the region.

The organization’s Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky sector opened in 1983 and has granted over 19,000 wishes for terminally ill children throughout that time. Make-A-Wish says it will grant its 20,000th wish this summer and is asking for help.

More information about how to help can be found at https://wish.org/oki/ways-help-us.

Story courtesy of TTWN Media Networks

The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department says that sign ups are opening soon for this summer’s Sheriff’s Department Youth Academy.

The academy is scheduled for June 6th through the 9th and will be held at Ceraland. There will be academy classes for 8 to 12 year olds for $50 and for 6 to 7 year olds for $25.

Registration will open on April 1st on the Ceraland website at https://www.ceraland.org

Two Indianapolis residents are facing drug related charges after a narcotics investigation in Columbus.

According to the Columbus Police Department, officers stopped a vehicle near National Road and Hawcreek Boulevard at about 12:30 p.m. Monday afternoon. A police dog alerted to the smell of narcotics in the vehicle and a a search revealed marijuana, digital scales, numerous plastic bags, Suboxone pills and counterfeit money.

35-year-old Dante R. Gooch, and 32 year old Kylia D. Turner, were taken into custody. Police say that Turner refused a body search at the jail and a search warrant was issued. She was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital for the search, which discovered nearly an ounce of hidden heroin.

Gooch is facing charges of Dealing in a Narcotic Drug, Possession of a Narcotic Drug, a Controlled Substance and Marijuana, Operating a vehicle Without ever Receiving a License and an outstanding Bartholomew County Warrant.

Turner is being accused of Dealing in a Narcotic Drug, Obstruction of Justice, Counterfeiting and for Possession of a Narcotic Drug, a Controlled Substance and Marijuana.

The investigation included the Columbus Intelligence Led Policing Unit and the Bartholomew County Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team.