A Nashville Woman is behind bars after wrecking into a building and killing her passenger.
Last Sunday Night Brown County responders were called to Brown County IGA Building regarding a vehicle that crashed into the building. During the Investigation it was determined that the 2003 Chevy Trailblazer was driven by Amanda Beaver who struck the building. Beaver’s passenger Randal Duncan was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Brown County Coroners Office.
Beaver was transported to IU Health for treatment and released into the custody of police.
She is charged with reckless homicide and criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon.
Beaver remains in the Brown County Jail under a 100,000 dollar bond.

The Seymour Police Department has made an arrest after a report that a 15-year-old girl had been sexually battered

Police were informed of the incident on March 20th and began investigating. Investigators interviewed the victim on March 28th.

The suspect, 22-year-old Jalen Williams, of Seymour, was interviewed on April 18th. Williams was arrested and faces preliminary felony charges of rape, and sexual misconduct with a minor.

A Columbus man was among 32 people arrested by Johnson County authorities as part of a child solicitation sting operation last week.

According to the Johnson County Sheriff Duane Burgess, his deputies along with Franklin and Edinburgh police made the arrests from Tuesday to Thursday last week. He said the detail operated out of northern Johnson County, working in conjunction with Johnson County Prosecutor Lance Hammer.

Among those arrested was 32-year-old Herman R. Sanchez-Hernandez of Columbus, who was taken in by Edinburgh police Wednesday on preliminary charges of child solicitation and prostitution.

Arrested on Tuesday were:

• Michael Alan Tooker Jr., 32, of Indianapolis: Child Solicitation, Level 4 Felony
• William Raymond Wills, 59, of Marion: Child Solicitation, Level 4 Felony
• Drew A. Wilde, 34, of Indianapolis: Child Solicitation, Level 4 Felony/Dissemination of Harmful Matter to Juvenile x2, Level 6 Felony
• Adam Shaffer, 40, of Crawfordsville: Child Solicitation, Level 4 Felony/Possession of Marijuana, Misdemeanor
• Terry E. Rickman, 34, of Homecroft: Child Solicitation, Level 4 Felony/Dissemination of Harmful Matter, Level 6 Felony/Possession of Controlled Substance, Misdemeanor/Possession of Marijuana, Misdemeanor
• Steven Ralph Lewis, 62, of Indianapolis: Child Solicitation, Level 4 Felony/Dissemination of Harmful Matter to Juvenile, Level 6 Felony
• Christopher S. Busch, 55, of Indianapolis: Child Solicitation, Level 4 Felony
  David Frazee, 32, of Fishers: Child Solicitation, Level 4 Felony
• Frantziou Delcine, 33, of Indianapolis: Prostitution, Misdemeanor
• Benjamin Robert McCartney, 26, of Brownsburg: Child Solicitation, Level 4 Felony/Possession of Methamphetamine, Level 6 Felony/Possession of Marijuana, Misdemeanor/Possession of Paraphernalia, Misdemeanor
• Sean Atkinson, 33, of Indianapolis: Child Solicitation, Level 4 Felony

Arrested on Wednesday were:

• Matthew J. Mueller, 45, of Cicero: Child Solicitation, Level 4 Felony
  Richard J. Cummings Sr., 65, of Beech Grove: Child Solicitation, Level 4 Felony
• Rolando A. Cuahuizo, 33, of Indianapolis: Child Solicitation, Level 4 Felony
• Fred Krispen Haas, 41, of Indianapolis: Child Solicitation, Level 4 Felony/Dissemination of Harmful Matter to Juvenile, Level 6 Felony/Possession of a Controlled Substance, Level 6 Felony/Possession of a Controlled Substance, Misdemeanor/Possession of Marijuana, Misdemeanor
• Matthew D. McMahon, 37, of Fairland: Child Solicitation, Level 4 Felony
• Mekhi Dupre Lewis, 23, of Indianapolis: Child Solicitation, Level 4 Felony/Making an Unlawful Proposition, Misdemeanor
• Oluwaseyanu Akinola Afolabi, 24, of Indianapolis: Child Solicitation, Level 5 Felony/Prostitution, Misdemeanor/Possession of Marijuana, Misdemeanor
• Tyrone J. Davidson, 48, of Indianapolis: Child Solicitation, Level 4 Felony/Possession of Marijuana, Misdemeanor
• Michael Shawn Milligan, 58, of Dayton: Child Solicitation, Level 4 Felony/Dissemination of Harmful Matter to Juvenile, Level 6 Felony
• Nicolas Isiah Washington, 23, of Avon: Child Solicitation, Level 4 Felony
• Werner Najarro Casasola, 36, of Hermitage, Tennesee: Child Solicitation, Level 4 Felony/Prostitution, Misdemeanor
• Bryan Parker, 43, of Indianapolis: Child Solicitation, Level 4 Felony/Making an Unlawful Proposition, Misdemeanor

Arrested on Thursday were:

• Alexander Juarez-Aguilar, 21, of Indianapolis: Child Solicitation, Level 4 Felony/Possession of Marijuana, Misdemeanor
• Nicolai Bright, 34, of Indianapolis: Child Solicitation, Level 4 Felony/Prostitution, Misdemeanor/Possession of Marijuana, Misdemeanor
• Eustace Lorenz Ellis, 26, of Indianapolis: Child Solicitation, Level 4 Felony/Possession of Marijuana, Misdemeanor/ Possession of Paraphernalia, Misdemeanor/Synthetic Urine, Misdemeanor
• Skanioyevensky M. Bien-Aime, 21, of Brownsburg: Child Solicitaion, Level 4 Felony
• Adan Pablo Mateo, 32, of Indianapolis: Child Solicitation, Level 4 Felony/Making an Unlawful Proposition, Misdemeanor
• Sean Andrew Montgomery, 25, of Indianapolis: Child Solicitation, Level 4 Felony/Prostitution, Misdemeanor
• Martin Alvarez-Rodriguez, 35, of Indianapolis: Prostitution, Misdemeanor
• Joshua Davis Denney, 39, of Indianapolis: Child Solicitation, Level 4 Felony/Possession of Marijuana, Misdemeanor

An Indianapolis man has been formally charged with the murder of a Bartholomew County resident last weekend.

According to Bartholomew County Prosecutor Lindsey Holden-Kay, 49-year-old Anthony Carter has been charged in the death of 40-year-old Ashley E. Neville. She was found dead in a home in the 500 block of East County Road 650S on Sunday, April 16th.

Bartholomew County deputies went to the home at about 5:28 a.m. that Sunday to check on the welfare of Neville after Carter’s daughter called, saying he told the daughter that he had killed his girlfriend, Neville. Deputies couldn’t get anyone to open the door and found the windows were covered up, there was a padlock on the front door and back door was blockaded.  The property owner allowed deputies to enter but they couldn’t immediately find Neville.

Deputies received a report that there was a man hiding in the wood nearby and deputies found Carter and took him into custody.

Carter allegedly told authorities conflicting stories about a gunshot that injured Neville and that he eventually put a plastic bag with duct tape around her head and his hands over her mouth to smother her.

A search warrant was issued and Neville was found under a pile of clothing and other items on a bed.

An autopsy revealed she had been shot in the left side of her head.

Deputies said Carter then led police to the woods where the small pistol was recovered.

The Commons playground will be closing for a week, starting next weekend.

According to the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department, the regular maintenance will require closing the James A. Henderson playground from the afternoon of Sunday April 23rd with it reopening on Saturday, April 29th at 7 a.m. in the morning.

You can get more information at columbusparksandrec.com

Photo courtesy Carol M. Highsmith, from the Library of Congress collection.

Motorists should be aware and prepared for changing traffic patterns on the southwest side of Indianapolis this weekend. INDOT says traffic flow on southbound to eastbound I-465 between I-70 and I-65 on the city’s southwest side will be limited to a single lane until Monday, April 3rd, at 5 a.m.

During the double-lane restriction, the speed limit on both eastbound and westbound I-465 will be 45 mph. Motorists are encouraged to slow down, pay attention to changing conditions and drive distraction-free.

To reduce traffic volume and the number of conflict points in the construction zone, several eastbound entrance ramps onto I-465 will close during this weekend’s lane restrictions. Starting Friday at 8 p.m. the following ramps will be closed:

I-70 eastbound to I-465 southbound
S.R. 67/Kentucky Ave. to I-465 eastbound
Mann Rd. to I-465 eastbound
S.R. 37/Harding St. to I-465 eastbound

While eastbound I-465 is restricted, I-70 eastbound traffic will be detoured east to I-65 southbound at the South Split.

The U.S. 31 southbound to I-465 westbound ramp will remain closed through 2024.
All other ramps will reopen by 5 a.m. on Monday.

Motorists should expect increased congestion during the weekend due to these restrictions and are encouraged to plan ahead and find alternate routes.

Pamela Morris, Ph.D., IUPUC Communication Studies professor, is a winner of the 2023 IUPUI Women’s History Month Recognition Award in the faculty category.

These awards recognize and celebrate students, faculty and staff who have demonstrated significant leadership, achievement, advocacy, or service at the campus, community, national, and/or international level in support of gender equity, women’s empowerment, women’s history, or cultures of inclusion.

“Dr. Morris is guided by her commitment to doing the right thing the right way,” said George Towers, Ph.D., head of IUPUC’s Liberal Arts Division, who nominated Morris for the award. “She approaches every area of her faculty work – teaching, research, and service – with the goal of improving the lives of others. Advocating for gender equity is a unifying theme in her selfless service.”

Morris also received letters of support from IUPUC Assistant Vice Chancellor Lori Montalbano and Anna Carmon, IUPUC Communications Studies program director.

“I am privileged to work for an institution that values the work I do for gender equity and fairness, for democratic communication,” Morris said. “My work in the areas of anti-trafficking and legal gender equality are important to me, and I am honored to be recognized for it.”

IUPUI Women’s History Month Recognition Awards were presented on March 29. This year’s national women’s history month theme was “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.” Keynote speaker at the awards event was Associate Professor Andrea Walton, IU School of Education, Bloomington, who discussed her recently edited and released book, Women at Indiana University, 150 Years of Experience and Contributions.

Story  and Photo Courtesy of  IUPUC.

A North Vernon mother was arrested after her small child ingested THC-infused gummies.

On February 2nd , the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office, along with Jennings County EMS and the Spencer Township Fire Department, responded to a 911 call referring to an unconscious and unresponsive five-year-old girl at a home in Spencer Township.
Upon arrival, deputies found the child on the floor of the residence and immediately started gathering information from the child’s mother and assisting EMS in caring for the unresponsive child.

Due to the seriousness of the situation and the child’s unresponsiveness, a medical helicopter was requested to the helipad at Ascension St. Vincent Jennings Hospital. The child was transported by Jennings County EMS to St. Vincent Jennings and transferred by medical helicopter shortly thereafter to Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital for further treatment. Deputy John Hartman collected information at the scene from the mother and conducted additional investigations in reference to this case in conjunction with the Indiana Department of Child Services. The child regained consciousness a day after being admitted and was discharged 24 hours later.

It was later determined that the child had been exposed to a package of THC-infused gummies and was acting abnormal and lethargic the day prior to the 911 call, however, treatment was not sought out until the next day after she was found unconscious. The investigation also revealed this was the second time the child had been exposed to THC-infused products, however, the first incident went unreported.

Investigators later received an arrest warrant from the Jennings County Circuit Court for the mother, Amanda Johnson, of North Vernon, for Neglect of a Dependent Causing Serious Bodily Injury, a level 3 felony. Johnson was taken into custody without incident on March 10th.

The Jennings County Sheriff’s Office cautions parents to be careful when experimenting with THC-infused products and to keep those products out of the reach of children.

Today, Cummins Inc.announced that Mary Chandler, Vice President – Corporate Responsibility and Community Relations and CEO of the Cummins Foundation, is retiring later this spring and Jim Schacht, currently a member of the Corporate Responsibility Leadership Team, will succeed Mary and be promoted to Vice President of Cummins.
Jim Schacht held positions in the telecommunications and investment banking industries before coming to Cummins. He holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Trinity College (Hartford, CT) and an M.B.A. from Harvard University. Schacht also grew up here in Cummins’ headquarters community of Columbus.

Mary Chandler Courtesy of Cummins Inc.

Friends of Columbus Animal Care Services (FCACS) will be handing out pet food through their newly named Furry Friends Food Bank distribution on Thursday, March 16th, from 4:00pm to 5:30 pm in the new location of Columbus Municipal Airport 4770 Ray Boll Blvd. The pet food will be distributed in the parking lot in front of the plane, Charlie 119.

The purpose of the pantry is to assist local community members with keeping their pets in their home and out of area shelters. Pet food will be available from the van from 4:00-5:30 pm or until supplies last. Mixed brands of cat food will be distributed in 4.5 pound bags and dog food in 14.5 pound bags.

Please plan to stay in your vehicles and line up for the food. The food will be brought to you in your vehicle.

This program is one of several Friends of Columbus Animal Care Services initiatives designed as “alternatives to intake” at the shelter. Friends of Columbus Animal Care Services is the 501(c)(3) non-profit partner of Columbus Animal Care Services.

Please note, in the event of bad weather, we will not distribute in active thunder and lightning but will if simply raining.