Columbus police say a North Vernon woman was arrested last week after a large amount of methamphetamine was recovered during a traffic stop.

Police report that they stopped a vehicle at just before 1 a.m. on Thursday morning in the 2400 block of North National Road after noticing a minor traffic violation. When speaking with police, the driver 52-year-old Cathy E. Ford appeared nervous, according to reports. A police dog alerted to the odor of drugs in the vehicle and a search revealed more than 72 grams of methamphetamine, as well as drug paraphernalia, two syringes and small plastic bags containing white residue.

Ford was arrested on preliminary charges of dealing in and possessing methamphetamine, plus possession of the syringes, and drug paraphernalia.

Evidence photo courtesy of Columbus Police Department.

Legal Aid is holding a Free Legal Aid Phone Clinic from 3 to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Legal Aid offers the clinics for low-income residents of its eight-county district which includes Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Jackson, Jennings, Johnson, Rush, and Shelby Counties.

If you take part you will have a brief consultation with a volunteer attorney to answer general questions, to offer legal information or to receive other advice over the phone.

To take part, you must first register between noon and 2 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon by calling 812-378-0358.

The Columbus Redevelopment Commission will be considering a contract for the design of the 1821 Trail along First Street, when it meets this afternoon.

The trail would close part of the gap in the People Trail that keeps it from fully encircling the city, by building a new trail between Water Street and Lafayette Avenue. In keeping with the bicentennial theme of “Common Ground” the city wants to include art and architectural elements exploring the community’s history.

The Commission will be considering a proposal from Hitchcock Design Group out of Indianapolis to do the preliminary design work at cost of about $80 thousand dollars including $79,700 in fixed fees and up to $2 thousand dollars in reimbursable expenses such as printing, mileage and courier costs.

The first phase of the design would be finished by about May 28th.

The council meets at 4 p.m. today virtually and from City Hall. You can get more information or watch the proceedings at columbus.in.gov.

Bartholomew County Sheriff Matt Myers is warning that it is not just a prank to vandalize a mailbox. It is a federal crime.

According to the sheriff, mailboxes are federal property and it is a crime to vandalize them or to deface or destroy any mail deposited in them. Those vandalizing a mailbox could face a $250,000 fine or imprisonment for up to three years.

The sheriff says you can help protect your neighborhood by reporting any vandalism or suspicious activity. You can call 812-379-1650 or the sheriff’s tip line at 812-379-1712. Tips can be left anonymously.

INDOT says that contractors will be closing State Road 11 in southern Bartholomew County for about a month starting next Monday while two structures are replaced on the highway.

Crews from Milestone Contractors will be replacing the two bridges over unnamed tributaries of Thompson Slough just south of County Road 850S and just north of 800S.

The official detour route will be to take State Road 46 to Interstate 65.

INDOT urges you to slow down, to use caution and to drive without distractions in and near all work zones. The schedule is dependent on the weather.

The Community Education Coalition is making plans to work with the Cummins Foundation on a landscape design project for the colleges at the Columbus Municipal Airport.

The AirPark Columbus College Campus will see a new green space next year, when the old Polling Hall is removed as part of the Ivy Tech Community College new building project. The education coalition says the change give an opportunity to reimagine the entire southwest corner of the campus.

The Cummins Foundation Architecture Program recommends architects and provides funds for the design portion of the architect fees for selected public projects to encourage architectural excellence in Bartholomew County.

The program has recommended four landscape architecture and design firms for consideration for the campus project including Reed Hilderbrand from Cambridge, Massachusetts, GGN from Seattle, Washington, Merritt Chase from Indianapolis and Studio Zewde from Harlem in New York City.

So far, more than 50 architecture and design projects have been sponsored by the Cummins Foundation in the community. The program has sponsored three architecture projects on the AirPark Campus: the Columbus Learning Center in 2004, the Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence in 2009, and the new Ivy Tech building set to open in summer of 2022.

The AirPark Columbus College Campus includes Ivy Tech Community College, Purdue Polytechnic Columbus, and Indiana University Purdue University Columbus. The Community Education Coalition is also a partner on the campus.

The Jackson County prosecutor has concluded that Seymour police have no criminal liability after shooting and killing a man in November.

The incident happened on Nov. 1st, starting at about 8:27 in the evening, when officers were contacted by Seymour Wal-Mart employees about a man pushing a shopping cart out of the store without paying for about $700 in goods.

Police found 43-year-old Jason S. Cline with the stolen merchandise near a gas station on Tipton Street and he ran away when police approached, fleeing into a ditch in front of a fast food restaurant. Officer Cody Teltow struggled with Cline, according to the report, and when Officer Blake McCrary arrived to assist Teltow, Cline allegedly pulled out a pistol and threatened Officer Teltow.

Both officers opened fire, striking Cline. He was given medical aid at the scene, then taken to Schneck Medical Center where he died.

According to the prosecutor’s report, the handgun pulled by Cline had recently been stolen. Cline faced a lengthy prison term because he was a serious violent felon in possession of a firearm.

Prosecutor Jeffrey Chalfant concluded that McCrary and Teltow were justified in using deadly force to defend themselves given the threat posed by  Cline.

Two North Vernon residents were arrested on drug-related charges after a traffic stop Tuesday.

Jennings County deputies stopped a vehicle in the CVS parking lot at about 3 p.m. Tuesday afternoon for a driving violation.

An investigation led to the arrest of the driver, 25-year-old Tosha Brazee and a passenger, 28-year-old Brian Loos on preliminary charges for possessing methamphetamine, narcotic drugs, a syringe and drug paraphernalia. The driver is also being accused of operating a vehicle without ever receiving a license.

The newest Columbus police officer, Matthew Anderson, was sworn in this week.

Anderson is originally from Lexington, Kentucky and he graduated from Georgetown College with bachelors degree in Communications and Media Studies. He has been working as an officer in Colorado Springs, Colorado for the past six years. Among other awards, he was twice honored with the department’s Medal of Valor.

Anderson will begin his orientation and in service training at the police department in preparation of starting the department’s field training program later this spring.

Bartholomew County is back in the blue. According to the state’s color coded map of COVID-19 spread, Bartholomew County’s advisory level has now been improved to the blue level, showing minor spread of the disease.

Bartholomew County has an infection rate of 51 cases per 100,000 population and has a 7-day positivity rating of 3.81 percent. In yesterday’s report, Bartholomew County had eight new cases of COVID-19 and one new death from the disease.

It was the only area county to have a death from COVID-19 reported yesterday.

Statewide there were 919 new cases of the disease and 16 new deaths. The statewide 7-day positivity rate is 2.2 percent.

The only area county not showing a blue advisory level, is Jennings County which remains yellow, showing moderate spread of the disease.