Bartholomew County sheriff deputies arrested a driver who is accused of crossing the center line and sideswiping a vehicle with his pickup truck in the area of 9935 W. County Road 450S.

Deputy Matt Bush said the driver of the pickup truck, Adam Cody, 30, 2927 Ninth St., appeared to be under the influence and smelled of alcohol, deputies said.

Bush learned that Cody’s truck had sideswiped a sports utility vehicle driven by a 46-year-old woman, Sherry Joy, who was traveling with her 3-year-old granddaughter, about 8:54 p.m. Sunday, deputies said. The two were not injured, deputies said.

Cody was arrested on a preliminary charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and was released from the Bartholomew County Jail on $2,500 bond.

Columbus police arrested a Columbus man after a hit-and-run crash was reported at Eighth and Brown streets.

Mariano Alarcon-Rodriguez, 37, 6796 Bonesteel Drive, is being held at the Bartholomew County Jail in lieu of $20,000 bond, jail officials said.

Following the accident about 4:10 p.m. Saturday, he was arrested on preliminary charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated with a previous conviction within five years, operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol level greater than 0.15 percent, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in injury and operating a vehicle without ever obtaining a license, said Sgt. Matt Harris, Columbus Police Department spokesman.

The driver of the other vehicle involved in the hit-and-run suffered minor injuries, Harris said.

The vehicle that Alarcon-Rodriguez was driving, a 2006 Volkswagen Jetta, was located by an Indiana State Police excise officer and a Bartholomew County sheriff’s deputy in the 6700 block of Bonesteel Drive, Harris said. The Jetta had heavy front-end damage, Harris said.

When Columbus police arrived, officers noted Alarcon-Rodriguez had slurred speech and his eyes were bloodshot and glassy, Harris said. He told officers he had consumed six beers, Harris said.

After Alarcon-Rodriguez failed several field sobriety tests, he was taken to the Columbus Police Department for a certified breath test, which registered at 0.239 percent, nearly three times the legal limit, Harris said.

Columbus police arrested a local man on multiple charges after a traffic stop near Eighth and Franklin streets.

William J. Leonard, 27, 1170 Garden St., was stopped by Officer John Searle at about 4:30 p.m. Sunday after he saw Leonard disregard a stop sign, said Sgt. Matt Harris, Columbus Police spokesman.

Searle determined Leonard had two warrants out for his arrest, for failure to appear on a court order and failure to appear on violation of probation and initial hearing for battery, Harris said.

Searle’s service dog Max indicated an odor of narcotics was coming from the vehicle, Harris said.

Officers located a small nylon pouch in the glove compartment that contained a syringe, digital scale and other drug paraphernalia, Harris said. A small amount of methamphetamine was later located in Leonard’s pants pocket, Harris said.

In addition to the warrants, Leonard was arrested on preliminary charges of possession of a legend drug injection device, violation of the legend drug act and reckless possession of drug paraphernalia, Harris said.

Leonard is being held in the Bartholomew County Jail without bond, jail officials said.

CSA Lincoln sponsors fundraiser

Second-grade students from Columbus Signature Academy — Lincoln campus could soon be knocking on your door as part of an effort to raise money to fight childhood cancer.

On Sept. 11, second grade teachers at CSA — Lincoln sent letters home with students to hand out to members of the public asking for $1 donations to support the American Childhood Cancer Organization, which the letter describes as the largest grassroots childhood cancer organization in the country.

If students receive at least $1 in donations, they will be allowed to wear pajamas to school on Oct. 16 as part of their “PJammin for Kids with Cancer” event. All proceeds will go toward the American Childhood Cancer Organization.

Residents can also donate pajamas of any size for either gender for children at Riley Hospital for Children.

Those donations will be in honor of Abbie, the daughter of CSA – Lincoln teacher Rhonda Brill. Abbie died of cancer.

All donations are due to by Oct. 14. Donations can be given directly to students, or brought to the school at 750 Fifth St., Columbus.

Checks should be made payable to the American Childhood Cancer Organization. All donations are 100 percent tax deductible.

For more information, contact Lori Ihle Kean at [email protected].

Course registration for Ivy Tech’s spring 2015 term began Sept. 15, even though classes do not begin until Jan. 11.

A fair number of students registered for courses opening day, but unfortunately, far too many students will wait until much closer to the start of the term to register. The reasons for waiting vary, but a delay in course registration could be a predictor of students’ academic persistence and completion.

Does the timing of when a student registers for a course really matter?

Anecdotal evidence from professors and advisers indicates students’ registration date matters.

The later students register the least likely they are to be prepared to start the course, or to successfully complete the course. There is evidence far beyond the observations of advisers and professors, though. Research confirms there is a correlation to when students register and their course persistence and completion.

My doctoral research examined students’ registration dates and how those enrollment patterns correlated to persistence and completion in a gatekeeper course. Considering the registration period of two weeks prior to the start of term as being late registration, of the 751 students in the study sample, 20 percent registered late.

Fifty-three percent of these students did not complete or successfully pass the course. Comparatively, 59 percent of the students who registered early persisted and successfully completed the course.

This doctoral research is one of several studies conducted on the phenomenon of students’ late course registration date and its correlation to their course persistence and completion. There are many variables associated with students’ academic persistence and success, or lack thereof.

Students face many obstacles during their academic journey, some of which cannot be controlled. However, students can change their course registration habits, which in turn could lead to better academic preparedness and success.

What are some differences between an early registering student and a late registering student?

Last spring Jane decided to register for classes the Friday afternoon before the term began. Many of the classes Jane wanted to take were already full, and those that were available did not fit her work and social schedule. Jane also filed financial aid documents late, so she was still waiting on funds to purchase textbooks. Jane arrived to her classes on time, but a week into the semester she still did not have textbooks; therefore, she did not complete assignments. Jane finally purchased textbooks during week four, but she was so behind trying to complete missed and current assignments that she became discouraged. Jane was not caught up with reading by mid-term exams and this was reflected in failings grade earned. Overwhelmed, Jane withdraws from her courses a week later.

John registered for classes a couple weeks after the registration period opened. The same day he made sure financial aid documents were in order and he visited with an academic adviser to review the remaining courses needed to earn an associate degree. Several weeks prior to the start of the term John purchased textbooks and read the first couple of chapters. He participated in lively classroom discussions and completed all assignments on time. At the end of the term John had successfully completed all of his courses and was already registered for the next semester.

There are many Janes and Johns registering for classes each semester. However, since the evidence suggests students’ early course registration date is predictive of increased persistence and completion, students should be registering earlier rather than later, like John. For many students, course registration habits can be predictive of their eventual course completion and success.