This week’s top stories from the Ledger-Enquirer | March 18 - March 24

1. Former St. Francis doctor accused of sexually assaulting a patient

A New York physician who formerly worked under contract at St. Francis Hospital in Columbus was ordered held on $200,000 bond Tuesday morning on charges he sexually assaulted a female patient. Muscogee County Superior Court Judge Maureen Gottfried set the bond for Samir Yousef, a resident of Rochester, N.Y., during a hastily called hearing in a near-empty Government Center courtroom. If convicted under Georgia law, Yousef faces from 1 to 25 years in state prison and up to $100,000 fine.

2. CB&T to change its name in 2018

It won’t be Columbus Bank & Trust anymore. Synovus Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Kessel D. Stelling revealed in the recently released annual report a plan to change the name of all of the company’s 28 banks in its five-state footprint. That includes the flagship bank, CB&T, which has operated under that name since 1930. The switch to the name Synovus will take place sometime next year, company officials said.

3. Two plead not guilty to trafficking in meth; police seize $18,000 cash

Two Columbus men pleaded not guilty Wednesday to trafficking in methamphetamine during a traffic stop Monday on Interstate 185 at Williams Road in which police also seized $18,000 in cash. John Cook, 31, was charged with trafficking in meth and possession of marijuana. Tyrone Thomas, 30, was charged with trafficking in meth, possession of marijuana, driving in the improper lane and driving while license was suspended or revoked.

4. Woman reports being raped at Weracoba Park in Columbus

A woman told authorities she was raped Sunday afternoon at the Weracoba Park at 1505 Cherokee Avenue, according to a report from the Columbus Police Department. An officer was called to the Columbus Midtown Medical Center around 8 p.m. Sunday to speak with the woman about the incident. She stated that it occurred earlier that day between 5 and 5:30 p.m.

5. Former Columbus bus driver says he was fired for requesting a horn that works

Michael Barnes, a Columbus bus driver with 17 years of experience, was fired from the city’s Metra transit agency for requesting a bus with a horn that works, he said in a recent interview with the Ledger-Enquirer. Barnes said he first complained about a horn not working on a city bus to his his supervisor, a Metra safety representative, on January 14. On Jan. 20, he was assigned to a trolley that had the same problem, he said. At a meeting, Barnes’ supervisor told him that he was accepting his resignation even though he had never resigned, Barnes said.

This story was originally published March 24, 2017 at 5:43 PM with the headline "This week’s top stories from the Ledger-Enquirer | March 18 - March 24."