This week’s top stories from the Ledger-Enquirer | July 22 — July 28

1. Eating chicken costs Columbus motorist $214.75 in distracted driving case: James Dixon was shaking his head Thursday afternoon as he left Columbus Recorder’s Court after being found guilty of distracted driving and paying $214.75 in fines and court costs. Columbus Police have begun a crackdown on distracted driving that started June 1 during a sting along Bradley Park Drive during which 96 motorists were cited, according to police.

2. Soldier dies after shooting near River Road and Veterans Parkway: A soldier has died after he was shot near the intersection of Veterans Parkway and River Road, authorities said. Donald Matthews, 26, was pronounced dead of multiple gunshot wounds in the emergency room at Midtown Medical Center, Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan said. His body will be transported to the crime lab in Decatur for an autopsy.

3. TSYS stock hits another all-time high amid speculation of buyout: On the eve of its second-quarter earnings release, shares of TSYS stock again enjoyed a high they haven’t experienced before. The global credit-card and payment processor, headquartered in downtown Columbus, saw its stock touch $62.62 in early trading Monday on the New York Stock Exchange. The company held onto much of that gain, finishing the day up 83 cents per share at $62.40. The 52-week low is $46.22 per share.

4. Bobby Howard resigns as Cartersville High School baseball coach: About a month after taking the head baseball coach position at Cartersville High School, Bobby Howard resigned Thursday morning, he confirmed to the Ledger-Enquirer. “They are great people and they made a great offer, but the retirement/investment piece could not be worked out,” Howard said.

5. Columbus police: Fired employee stole more than $14,000 in copper from company: A man stole more than $14,000 worth of copper wire from the GFA Compressors Inc. after he was terminated from the company in 2016, according to testimony Monday morning in Columbus Recorder’s Court. Bradford Lee Hutchens, 39, pleaded not guilty to 18 counts of burglary. He was ordered held in the Muscogee County Jail under bonds totaling $90,000.

This story was originally published July 29, 2017 at 4:38 PM with the headline "This week’s top stories from the Ledger-Enquirer | July 22 — July 28."