An Elizabethtown man was arrested on drug-related charges after trying to walk away from a traffic stop, police say.

According to Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department reports, deputies began to pull over a vehicle at about 7:36 p.m. Saturday evening near Shady Lane and U.S. 31. The driver stopped in front of a Shady Lane residence. When the deputy turned on his emergency lights, a passenger began walking away.

The passenger, 25-year-old Triston Barlow was wanted on several outstanding Bartholomew County warrants. A search revealed Barlow was carrying 12.4 grams of fentanyl, 2 grams of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. A police dog alerted to drugs in the vehicle. A search uncovered paraphernalia, white powder, narcotics packaging material and a sale ledger.

In addition to the warrants, Barlow is facing new charges of dealing in a narcotic drug, as well as for possessing the drugs and paraphernalia.

R&L Carriers of Ohio is planning a $30 million investment in a new shipping terminal in the Edinburgh area.

Bartholomew County Commissioners gave their approval for a company tax abatement request yesterday.

Jason Hester, with the Greater Columbus Economic Development Corp. presented the request from the company yesterday. He said the project would involve construction of a 90,000 square foot cross-dock terminal, five-bay maintenance shop, offices and a fuel island. He said the 71-acre property is along U.S. 31 in the Meadowlawn Industrial Park and the company already bought it at a cost of $3.2 million.

Hester said the facility would create 79 full time jobs, with average wages of $53,000 a year.

Under state rules, the commissioners have to sign off on tax abatements, agreeing that the abatement will not be a financial burden on a tax increment financing district, and that the company’s estimates are reasonable, Hester said.

The company is requesting a 10-year abatement on real property and a 5-year abatement on personal property. Under a tax abatement, property taxes are phased in over the life of the abatement rather than being increased immediately.

The County Council is expected to hear the abatement request when it meets next week.

A combined virtual and in-person Walk to End Alzheimer’s raised more than $68,000 thousand dollars over the weekend in Columbus, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

The event included more than 250 participants, including those who were present at the Bartholomew County 4-H Fairgrounds and those who watched the opening ceremonies virtually and then walked at home.

The money raised goes to support the care, support and research programs of the association. This year’s local goal was $75,000. Fundraising will continue through the end of the year, and even if you didn’t participate you can still donate to the Walk at act.alz.org/Columbus.

In Indiana alone, there are more than 110,000 people living with the disease and 215,000 caregivers.

Photo courtesy of Alzheimer’s Association.

A Columbus man was arrested last week after a short standoff with police.

According to Columbus police reports, officers received information that a man had poured gasoline on another person and pointed a gun at a victim in the 200 block of Pence Street.

Police arrived at shortly before 3 p.m. Friday and found 29-year-old Martin L. Keels in the backyard of the residence but he went back inside. Hearing that Keels might still be armed, police called for the SWAT team. But Keels left the home before the SWAT team arrived. He was subdued by a Taser and arrested.

He is facing charges of domestic battery and intimidation, as well as two outstanding Jennings County warrants.

A Seymour man is being accused of ingesting methamphetamine during a traffic stop with Bartholomew County deputies.

According to reports from the sheriff’s department, deputies received information about a possibly impaired driver on State Road 7 at about 3:22 a.m. Sunday morning. Police found the vehicle and tried to stop it near Marr Road and State street. But while the driver slowed, he eventually came to a stop in a parking lot.

A deputy spoke to the driver, identified as 44-year-old Christopher J. Taskey and noticed what appeared to be methamphetamine that Taskey was carrying. But Taskey then ingested the suspected drugs.

He was taken into custody and then to Columbus Regional Health to be checked out before being arrested on preliminary charges of obstruction of justice and resisting law enforcement.

A Shelbyville man is being accused of giving authorities false information that caused police to waste time searching for an injured driver who didn’t exist.

According to reports from the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, deputies were called to the area of County Roads 700N and 425E near Hope about a vehicle crash at about 5 on Sunday morning.

Deputies found a vehicle with serious front-end damage, that had crashed into and broken a Bartholomew County REMC power pole just west of the intersection.

No one was in the vehicle, however deputies received information that 24-year-old Joshua W. Marsh of Shelbyville was at a nearby residence. Marsh told deputies that he had been a passenger in the vehicle and had no idea where the driver was.

Authorities made an extensive search of the area, including bring in the Columbus Fire Department to use the agency’s drone to look for the driver who was believed to be injured.

However, Marsh eventually admitted that he had been the driver. He was arrested on preliminary charges of false informing and operating a vehicle while under the influence.

Road and bridge work on Interstate 65 will be tying up traffic north and south of Bartholomew County for the next few weeks.

You could run into some bridge work if you are traveling through southeastern Indiana on Interstate 65 over the next few weeks.

INDOT says that crews will be doing bridge repairs and maintenance on bridges in Clark, Scott and Jackson counties.

The work is scheduled to start today and will include bridges up to State Road 250 at Uniontown, in southern Jackson County.

The work is expected to be completed by mid-October, weather permitting.

There will be overnight lane closures on I-65 in Shelby and Johnson counties starting tonight.

INDOT says that lanes will be closed from 6 at night until 6 in the morning, starting today and lasting until mid-November, weather permitting. The work will be done on Mondays through Thursdays as crews patch and rehabilitate pavement between State Road 252 north of Edinburgh and State Road 44 at Franklin.

Work will begin in the southbound lanes of I-65, then move to the northbound.

INDOT reminds you to slow down, to use extra caution, and to drive without distractions in and near construction zones. The schedule is dependent on the weather.

INDOT reminds you to slow down, to use extra caution, and to drive without distractions in and near construction zones.

A death investigation is underway in Shelby County.

A body was found Sunday afternoon in woods in the 29-hundred-block of Old Franklin Road in Shelbyville. Police have not yet said if foul play is suspected.

Story courtesy of TTWN Media Networks Inc. 

The Bartholomew County Health Department will be offering a drive-thru flu clinic from 10 to 4 Tuesday at the Bartholomew County 4-H Fairgrounds.

According to the agency, everyone six months old or older should get a flu vaccine.

The health department will be charging $20 for Quadrivalent, and $55 for high dose for ages 65 and older or for FluBlok for those who are immunocompromised. Most insurances can be billed for flu vaccines. If you are uninsured or your insurance does not pay for flu vaccines, you are eligible to receive a free vaccine.

Children under the age of 18 must have a parent or guardian present.

You can get more information at 812-379-1555, option 1.

Xenia Simons Miller is among this year’s inductees into the Columbus North Bulldog Hall of Fame.

Miller, a major Columbus philanthropist and wife of Cummins executive J. Irwin Miller, was a class of 1934 graduate. She will be inducted along with:

• Opera singer Jane Dutton, class of 1984.
• World War II test pilot Jeanne Lewellen Norbeck, Class of 1929.
• Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Jerry Records, class of 1956.
• Choral conductor and professor at Butler University, Eric Stark, class of 1984.
• Kay Nichols Stepp, class of 1963, the first woman to serve as president and CEO of an electric utility in the U.S.

The induction ceremony, which would normally be held on homecoming weekend, has been suspended again this year due to COVID-19 concerns.

Columbus North High School. Photo courtesy of BCSC.