A teen girl was flown by helicopter to an Indianapolis hospital yesterday afternoon after a traffic crash sent a vehicle into a home near Bartholomew County roads 450N and 425E.

Deputies report that the car, driven by a 16-year-old girl disregarded the stop sign at North 425E while turning at about 2 p.m. and the car was T-boned by a van. The van then crashed into a home at the intersection, damaging the building. The driver of the car was flown by Lifeline helicopter to Riley Hospital in Indianapolis after suffering head and facial injuries.

A 16-year-old girl who was a passenger was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital for treatment. The driver of the van, a 50-year-old Columbus man was treated at the scene by paramedics and released.

Police have not yet released the names of the victims and drivers.

olumbus police are looking for information about two men who allegedly robbed a pharmacy early this morning.

Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the police department, says that two men came into the store in the 2400 block of North National Road and passed a note to an employee demanding drugs. They left with the drugs and police were called at about 3:40 a.m.

Both suspects are black men. One wore a white hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans while the other had blue jean shorts and a black hooded sweatshirt with the word “Diem” on the front.

If you have any information, you should contact Detective Brian Plummer at 812-376-2626.  Tips and information can be left anonymously.

Update: As of 11:30 a.m., Trooper Stephen Wheeles reports that both southbound lanes have reopened. One person was taken to a hospital for injuries in the crash.

Indiana State Police are suggesting you take an alternate route if you are headed south on Interstate 65 near Columbus this morning.

A traffic accident south of Walesboro between a semi and a truck towing a trailer has shut down both southbound lanes. Trooper Stephen Wheeles suggests taking State Road 11 to avoid the area.

There is no word yet on injuries or how long it will take to clean up the wreck. As of 10:45 a.m., Wheeles said traffic was backed up about seven miles.

The Columbus Indiana Architectural Archives is launching a new exhibit this week — a look back at the efforts to redevelop and improve the downtown area.

Tricia Gilson, archivist and curator of the archives, explains that the exhibit will look back at the various plans and proposals for downtown, stretching from the days of Death Valley, to The Commons and Mill Race Park, and then to various retail plans morphing to the modern day efforts that led to the new Cummins office buildings downtown and a commercial focus.

“It has shifted a lot over the years,” GIlson said. “Initially it was trying to get rid of blight, having businesses downtown, retail businesses.  They were thinking about downtown as the retail nexus for the city…”

“As shopping and retail centers have spread out from downtown, people have decided that it is really, really difficult to keep downtown as this vibrant retail center and offices seem to be a better match.”

The exhibit will feature maps, plans, diagrams, photos and other artifacts from the archive’s collection, illustrating the development Gilson said.

As a relative newcomer to Columbus, Gilson said that one of the most interesting discoveries for her was the process of locating of the U.S. Post Office in downtown. She said the original plan was to build a postal sorting center near Interstate 65, but downtown business leaders talked the agency into building the architecturally significant building on Jackson Street.

“To me it is fascinating, because it shows the power of the downtown business merchants coming together for a common cause,” Gilson said.

The exhibit runs through Aug. 26th at the IU Center for Art and Design on Jackson Street. An opening reception will be held Friday from 6  to 8 p.m. at the school. Food and beverages will be available.

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The annual summer kick-off event to celebrate Columbus’ parks is Friday. April Williams, with Columbus Parks and Rec, says this event is a continuation of 2013’s “Race2Play” Initiative, put forward by the Columbus Park Foundation. That event saw improvements to four local parks and included the participation of celebrities Tony Stewart and Carter Oosterhouse, as well as other local community groups. Williams talks about the event…

Williams says that this continues with Friday’s event, set to begin at 4 p.m. at Ninth Street Park, Pence Place Park and Morningside Park. She adds that the Kiwanis will be putting on a cookout at each location and other area groups, like FFY and the Kids Commons are also expected to take part.

For more information, call Columbus Parks and Recreation.

The man recently hired to be the new Town Manager in Hope has backed out and will not be taking the job.

Diane Burton, Hope’s Clerk Treasurer says that Tom Morton informed town officials, via a letter, that he has accepted a different position. In the letter, Morton wrote that he had just recently been offered the position, which he described as “a better fit” for he and his family.

Morton, who was scheduled to begin working as Hope Town Manager today (June 1), thanked town officials and apologized for the late notice. He offered to help the town is its search for a new manager.

Hope officials have not indicated their intentions on what to do next.

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

A department spokesperson says that deputies are searching for Kenneth Cole Sidwell, who also goes by the nickname “Cole Train.”

Sidwell is described as a 30-year-old white male. Authorities say that he is five-feet, 10-inches tall and weighs 170 pounds. Sidwell has brown

hair, blue eyes and several tattoos, say officials.

The spokesperson says that Sidwell is wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant for Failure to Appear.

If you have any information regarding Sidwell’s whereabouts or activities, no matter how seemingly insignificant, you are asked to contact Captain Dave Steinkoenig at (812) 565-5940. You may also call the Sheriff Department’s Tip Line at (812) 379-1712. Authorities stress that tips and information can be left anonymously.

Bartholomew County officials say they will make a play for matching funds from the state for road projects.

The Indiana Department of Transportation announced Tuesday that the agency is accepting applications from cities, towns, and counties across the state for the funds. INDOT says the money is earmarked for local road and bridge projects through Community Crossings, the state’s local road and bridge matching grant fund.

Danny Hollander, Bartholomew County Engineer, confirmed that county officials will make a request for funding. He says that they will be asking for help with the road-overlay program, as it is the county’s biggest need at this point and the only project that is ready to go to construction. Hollander went on to say that he expects the request will total nearly one-million-dollars, but he isn’t sure if the county will receive anything.

INDOT says that the grant program came into existence this past March when Gov. Mike Pence signed the bill, which provides $186 million in state reserves for local road and bridge funding over the next two years. Officials add that the program also provides $277 million over the next four years by redirecting an additional one-and-a-half-cents of the gasoline use tax to local roads to be phased in over two years.

INDOT says that projects eligible for funding through Community Crossings include road resurfacing, bridge rehabilitation, road reconstruction, roundabouts, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance in connection with road projects. Material costs for chip sealing and crack filling operations are also eligible for funds.

State officials say that projects submitted to INDOT for funding will be evaluated based on need, traffic volume, local support, the impact on connectivity and mobility within the community, and regional economic significance.

The Bartholomew County Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team allegedly found narcotics and counterfeit bills during the service of a search warrant late last night.

The narcotics task force and the Columbus SWAT team raided the home in the 1700 block of Elm Street at just before midnight last night, says Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the Columbus Police Department. He said the warrant was based on information gathered over the past several months.

Officers allegedly found a large amount of methamphetamine and narcotics out in plain view in a bedroom, accessible by a child. The child was taken into custdoty and then released to a family member, Harris said.

24-year-old Daniel Miller was arrested on preliminary charges of dealing in meth and marijuana, maintaining a common nuisance, neglect of a dependent, possession of meth, marijuana, a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia and counterfeiting.

24-year-old April N. Hupp, is facing charges of possession of meth, marijuana and drug paraphernalia, as well as neglect of a dependent and maintaining a common nuisance.

Officers from the Indiana State Police, Columbus Police Department, and Bartholomew County Sheriffs Office assisted with this ongoing investigation. The county’s joint narcotics enforcement Team, is a combined unit of the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, the Columbus Police Department and the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office.