The North Vernon Police Department is saying “goodbye” to someone Chief James Webster called “extremely dedicated.”

Chief Webster informed the City Council, during its meeting Monday night, that a longtime reserve officer’s resignation took effect that same day. He said that Reserve Officer Ted Westerman retired after 23 years of service.

Webster noted that such longevity with one department is practically unheard of in what he called “the modern age” of reserve officers, which he dates to 1990. Normally, said Webster, a department can expect an individual reserve officer to stick around for just a few years. Aside from Westerman, the Chief says that the North Vernon Police Department has gone through 50 to 60 reserve officers since 1990.

Webster says that the department will be holding a celebration of Westerman’s service in the near future.

Three more Bartholomew County events and projects have been added to the official state list of Indiana Bicentennial legacy projects.

Lynn Lucas, who is heading up the local bicentennial efforts, said the state committee has approved adding Mill Race Center, the BCSC educational program “Populating Hoosier-land” and the Columbus Area Visitors Center’s presentation asking whether the word “Hoosier” originated in Hope.

That brings the total of local legacy projects to 24, Lucas said. There are still local events being considered and there is still time to submit an event for the legacy designation. If you are interested you can e-mail Lucas at llucas@columbus.in.us.

Columbus police arrested two people Saturday afternoon after stopping a suspicious vehicle on Washington Street.

Officers from the city’s community oriented policing unit stopped the vehicle in the 1100 block of Washington Street and talked to a passenger, 32-year-old Derek A. Green, who had his hands concealed underneath him and who had part of an orange pill on his leg, said Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the Columbus Police Department. After Green got out of the vehicle, officers allegedly found a small bag of methamphetamine and a digital scale.

Green was arrested on preliminary charges of possession of methamphetamine, a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.

The driver, 32-year-old Jessica A. Wenger was arrested on a outstanding Bartholomew county warrant.

North Vernon firefighters will be taking on more of a role in medical emergencies.

The city council approved the purchase of a $10,000 bag of emergency medical equipment last night.

Mike Cole, the city’s fire chief, asked the North Vernon City Council on Monday night to release money from the city’s Cumulative Cap Fund for the purchase of equipment

Currently, North Vernon residents are served by a county-wide ambulance service. Under the new service for the city, the fire department would take on the primary role, while the county service will be a backup. The city owns no ambulances, so calls will be responded to in a fire truck, says Cole. He went on to say that by the time this new service is ready to go live, the city is expected to have one first-responder, one EMT and three paramedics.

The city council approved the request. Cole says that the money will be used to purchase an Advanced Life-Support bag, which he explains contains numerous tools and instruments to aid paramedics in providing life-saving care. The money will also be used buy a cardiac monitor.

Cole says that once the equipment is delivered, he will have a meeting with state officials on June 24 to request a waiver that would allow the city to operate with fewer than the recommended number of first-responders, EMTs and paramedics. He told the council that preliminary discussions have indicated that getting this waiver will not be an issue.

Assuming that is the case, Cole says that the new city-only service will begin operations on June 26. He adds that the work will be split among three shifts.

New regulations on where large confined feeding operation farms can be located in Bartholomew County will be going into effect. The County Commissioners approved the new rules yesterday after almost a two year process of hearings and a split set of recommendations from a committee that looked into the issue.

The new rules will make it harder to build a confined feeding operation near a school, church or home lot. Jeff Bergman with the city county planning department explains the major changes:

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Ultimately, the commissioners adopted the rules recommended by the majority of that committee.But the new rules did not go far enough for those who wanted larger setbacks and who were concerned about health effects from the feeding operations.

Although the commissioners talked about rejecting the new rules, and defaulting to the previous 100 foot limits, they ultimately agreed to tighten the rules. A confined feeding operation will still be a conditional use and require approvals and hearings before it can proceed.

A large and sometimes angry crowd showed up last night to protest a change to the definitions used by Bartholomew Consolidated Schools in protected classes within the school district’s policies. At issue was the addition of the words “gender identity” to a set of classes that already included sexual orientation and transgender status.

School officials portrayed the change as a minor addition to a set of rules first implemented almost three years ago. But many of those in opposition said it opened the door to boys deciding to pretend to identify as female, so they could get into girls bathrooms and showers.

Chales Doup spoke against the changes:

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Steve Jasper said he was in favor of the change:

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Most of the members of the public that spoke were opposed to the changes, and most focused on the idea of males gaining access to female restrooms and showers. Maurice King suggested that those upset take the issue to the voting booth next election:

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Dr. John Quick, the school superintendent, said that in incidents of students with gender identity issues, the school would work with the parents to come to a solution for each individual student. Those solutions are confidential but he said there are cases where students born as boys are using female facilities.

After about an hour and a half of sometimes heated concerns, and a few statements in support of the change, the board agreed to approve the changes, which include more than 200 pages of policy updates.

Three new officers have joined the Columbus Police Department. Lt. Matt Harris, CPD spokesman, says that the trio were sworn in by Mayor

Jim Lienhoop during a recent Board of Public Works and Safety meeting. Harris says that each of the new officers will attend training classes over the next two weeks at the Columbus Police Department before beginning their training on the street with a field training officer.

John T. Morphew is a 29-year-old native of Columbus and a graduate of Columbus North High School, says Harris. He says that Morphew graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice. Morphew previously worked for the Bloomington Police Department.

Danielle N. Stigers is a 22-year-old native of Sidney, Illinois, says Harris. He adds that Stigers graduated from Indiana University with a

Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, Sociology and Spanish. She

previously worked for the Indiana University Police Department.

Matthew T. Prendergast is a 22-year-old native of Highland, Indiana, says Harris, who adds that Prendergast also graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice. Prendergast previously worked for the Indiana University Police Department.

The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department is asking for your help in locating its most-wanted fugitive.

Judy Jackson, Sheriff’s Department spokesperson, says that deputies are looking for Shawn P. McGuire, II. He is described as a 27-year-old

white man, six-feet tall and weighing 143 pounds. McGuire has blonde hair, blue eyes and a tattoo on his right arm reading “Alexus Ann.”

Authorities say that McGuire is wanted on a warrant for Failure to Appear on original charges of Conversion and Driving While Suspended.

Jackson asks that if you have any information regarding McGuire’s whereabouts, no matter how seemingly insignificant, please contact Captain Dave Steinkoenig at (812) 565-5940. You can also call the Sheriff’s Department’s Tip Line at (812) 379-1217. Authorities stress that any tips or information can be left anonymously.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department rescued two Seymour men who were stranded on a sandbar in the White River.

A Sheriff’s Department spokesperson says that at 12:49 a.m. on Monday, deputies were called to the Reddington area to search for the men, 36-year-old Jeremy Howard and 19-year-old Devin Ball. Authorities say that the men were in a boat when the engine stopped working. They reportedly lost their oars, causing them to come to rest on a sandbar, just south of the Jackson / Bartholomew County line.

Two deputies walked nearly a half-mile to find the men. Once rescued, all four men were forced to walk a stretch in the heavily wooded area until they could be reached by the Sheriff Department’s utility terrain vehicle.

No injuries were reported.

Student veterans at Ivy Tech Community College in Columbus held a flag-folding ceremony Friday at the campus, in front of Poling Hall.

Chris Schilling, spokesman for the school, said that students Rob Critney and Sean McCord folded the flag while the adviser for the Student Veterans Organization described the meaning of each of the 13 folds. Both men are Gulf War veterans.

Schilling said the flag was provided by LaVeena Rebber, an Ivy Tech worker and it had been draped over the casket of her father, Clarence East, at his funeral. He was a U.S. Army veteran. She asked the veterans’ group to refold the flag properly to fit it into a display case.

Taps was played as the flag was presented to Rebber.