COLUMBUS, Ind. - On September 8, 2025, Daniel S. Houchens was charged with Dealing in Methamphetamine (Level 4 felony).
He was arrested during Operation Cold Front, which was a closely coordinated operation between the Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team (JNET), Bartholomew County Sheriff - Sheriff Chris Lane, Columbus Police Department, and Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office.
Operation Cold Front also resulted in the arrest of eight other individuals for dealing drugs and narcotic-related offenses.
On December 15, 2025, Houchens entered a guilty plea to Dealing in Meth (Level 4 felony). Following a hearing on March 11, Judge James Worton of the Bartholomew Superior Court 1 sentenced Houchens to nine years to be served in the Indiana Department of Correction.
The sentencing range for a Level 4 felony is from two to 12 years, with an advisory sentence of six years.
COLUMBUS, Ind. - The Columbus Fire Department (CFD) responded to a detached garage fire at 1900 block of Indiana Avenue early Wednesday morning, March 18. The blaze also caused damage to two adjacent homes.
BROWNSTOWN, Ind. - Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) contractor E&B Paving, Inc. is scheduled to begin a bridge deck overlay project west of Brownstown on U.S. 50 near the East Fork White River on or after Monday, March 30.
NORTH VERNON, Ind. - Jennings County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) Deputy Tyler Campbell and K9 Hurley successfully obtained their therapy certification on Tuesday, March 17.