The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department is asking for your help locating its most-wanted fugitive this week. Judy Jackson, department spokeswoman, says that detectives are looking for 45-year-old Steven Jewell Huddleston.

He is described as a white male, standing 5’8″ tall and weighing 195 pounds. Huddleston has brown hair and brown eyes and is wanted on an outstanding warrant.

If you have any information on Huddleston’s whereabouts, you are asked to contact Capt. Dave Steinkoenig at (812) 565-5940. Authorities say that you may also call the Tip Line at (812) 379-1712 or send an email to sheriff@bartholomew.in.gov. Tips and information can be left anonymously.

The city of Columbus will have a Christmas tree at City Hall, but there won’t be an official lighting ceremony.

City officials say that there are several reasons for this change. Mary Ferdon, the city’s executive director of administration, explains that, in the past, the lighting ceremony was held after the Festival of Lights Parade. She says that this year’s parade isn’t until December 3rd and that the city wants people to enjoy the lights this weekend as a number of holiday shoppers will be out and about through Columbus.

Ferdon says that other aspects of the parade has led to the decision to not have an official tree-lighting ceremony. She notes that the parade route is different from in years past, making it difficult for people to come to City Hall following the parade. Ferdon adds that there has been a diminishing crowd for the tree-lighting ceremony in recent years.

The city says all holiday lights in the city, including the Christmas tree, will be lit-up on Friday.

The Indiana Department of Transportation’s multifaceted $8.5 million project on U.S. Highway 31 between Columbus and Seymour opens to traffic Wednesday, three weeks ahead of schedule.

“A safer, smoother U.S. 31 opens to welcome Thanksgiving travelers between Columbus and Seymour,” said INDOT Commissioner Brandye Hendrickson. “Construction begins late next year to modernize nearby I-65 as part of INDOT’s record-setting investments in its roads and bridges.”

INDOT’s contract allowed Milestone Contractors to close U.S. 31 for 240 days to build a new 382-foot bridge over Sand Creek at the Bartholomew-Jackson County line. During the closure, U.S. 31 approaches to the bridge were raised five feet and ditches were cut on all sides. In addition, a culvert was replaced north of Sand Creek and an arch structure was built south of Sand Creek at Quade Ditch.

INDOT says that slope work, seeding and minor repair operations will continue into next year.

You can take a tour of some of the most decorated homes in the Hope area, next week. The Yellow Trail Museum’s annual Christmas Homes Tour will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Dec. 2nd. Tour goers will be able to visit five decorated homes and one business on the self-guided tour.

Tickets and driving instructions are available at WILLow LeaVes of Hope, Reflections, and the Hope Visitors Center for $10 each.

The night of the tour, tickets may be purchased at the Yellow Trail Museum starting at 5:30 p.m.

For more information call 812-371-7969.

Passerby’s assisted a man who passed out while driving yesterday morning, likely due to an overdose, say Bartholomew County officials.

The incident happened at about 5:48 a.m. yesterday morning at a gas station on North U.S. 31, when witnesses saw an SUV in the driving lane of the gas station with the driver slumped over the wheel and the vehicle still in drive, says Judy Jackson, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s department.

After repeated attempts to wake the driver, the rescuers broke out the rear window and allegedly saw a syringe in the driver’s hand. The driver, 25-year-old Garrett Mack of Greenwood, regained consciousness and deputies arrived. They reportedly saw Mack moving the syringe, which was then on the ground by his foot.

Mack was first treated by Columbus Regional Hospital paramedics, and then arrested on a preliminary charge of possession or use of a legend drug injection device.

Officials in the town of Hope believe they have saved enough money on the nearly-complete water system improvement project, that they can get work done on the town’s water tower.

J.T. Doane, the town manager, told the Town Council last night that the town is due to have its water tower inspected in 2018. Before then, the town needs to treat the inside of the tank and repaint the tower, inside and out.

But the town has about $331,000 left over from a state revolving loan fund for its water system improvement project that could be put toward the water tower.

The town would have to give back about $70,000 from a state grant that has still gone unspent. The grant money couldn’t be spent for the water tower and to use if for other projects, such as installing water meters, would require spending almost all of the rest of the remaining money to qualify as matching funds.

Strand Associates estimated about a two-month window would be needed to do the work on the water tower, during which the tower would have to be emptied. David Clouse, utilities manager, said that the town would not lose any water pressure while the tower is out of commission because of the high pressure it is now enjoying from its water provider. There could be a problem if large amounts of water were needed for firefighting during the down time, Clouse said.

The nearly $3 million water system improvement project replaced about half of the town’s water lines and is complete except for a few details, the council was told last night.

The Columbus Redevelopment Commission heard from its consultant Monday night on the possible steps the city could take to ease the coming traffic delays associated with a marked increase in train traffic. John Dorenbush, a member of the Redevelopment Commission who also serves on the Railroad Community Committee, says work on the rail line to accommodate this increased traffic continues. He explains that a bridge will need to be replaced before the full impact of the increased train traffic will be felt…

The good news for drivers, says Dorenbush, is that the replacement of bridge that would allow double-stacked cars won’t be finished until late 2018. He explains that means the full impact of the increased train-traffic won’t be felt until then.

As for addressing the traffic problems that will accompany the increased train traffic, Jason O’Neal, with Policy Analytics, explained that there are two options likely to be looked favorable upon by INDOT for it to provide possible help with the project. The first one…

The other possibility…

The Redevelopment Commission took no action during Monday night’s meeting. Dorenbush noted that they were waiting on cost estimates before taking further action.

The Redevelopment Commission also approved a resolution to engage the services of TD Advertising to help the city with communicating the status of the railroad project and expected effects on vehicle traffic. Heather Pope, the city’s Redevelopment Director, explained that TD Advertising would be tasked with creating and maintaining a website that would be easily accessible be those who live and work in Columbus, keeping them appraised of developments on the railroad situation. The contract, approved unanimously, is being paid on a per-hour basis and is not to exceed $22,500 for a one-year period.

Ivy Tech Community College is hosting Express Enrollment Day events in Greensburg, North Vernon and Seymour, beginning next week. School officials say that these events provide residents the opportunity to quickly and easily enroll in college courses in their communities.

Express Enrollment Day events are scheduled foe:

• Seymour: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Nov. 29 at the Jackson County Learning Center, 323 Dupont Drive.

• Greensburg: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Dec. 1 at the Community Learning Center, 422 E. Central Ave.

• North Vernon: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Dec. 8 at the North Vernon Education & Training Center, 1200 W. O & M Ave.

Ivy Tech officials say that you should bring an unofficial high school or college transcript to help with assessment and course placement. If you have already completed some college courses, you should bring an official college transcript to have those credits evaluated.

If you are unable to attend an Express Enrollment Day event, you can complete the enrollment process at any time. To schedule an appointment, call Ivy Tech Columbus at (800) 922-4838. School officials say the deadline to register for the spring semester is Jan. 9.

Real estate experts say that it remains a seller’s market in Central Indiana, as the number of homes available for sale and mortgage rates remain low.

F.C. Tucker Company released its latest data for the 15-county region. Their reports says that October pended sales were up 4.4 percent compared to October 2015, while the average year-to-date home price also gained ground in October, increasing 2.9 percent for an average price of $187,867. The majority of October active listings included homes less than $200,000, although homes in the $200,000 to $300,000 range showed increased sales activity.

F.C. Tucker Company’s report says that as we end the near of the year, the residential real estate market shows signs of improvement. The company says that October marked the sixth straight month of increased home sales. Twelve of the 15 counties that F.C. Tucker tracks showed an improvement in sales.

In Bartholomew County, single family home sales in October of 2016 were down 3.6 percent compared to October of 2015. Brown County saw its sales drop by one-third over the same period, while Decatur County saw a 21.7 percent increase.

Active listings in Bartholomew County were up nine-percent in October compared to one-year ago. Jennings County saw a 58.1 percent increase in listings, while Brown County saw a 47.8 percent decrease during the same period.

The average sale price of homes in October of 2016, compared to October of 2015, saw a slight drop in Bartholomew County. According to F.C. Tucker’s report, the average sale price of a home in Bartholomew County dropped 1.3-percent to $194,332. Jennings County home prices say a 2.3 percent drop to $103,226 during the same period. The same report says that average home prices in Brown County were up 4.4 percent $186,815, while prices in Johnson County were up 6.1 percent to $185,039 in the same time-frame.

The deadline is today if you would like a Thanksgiving meal delivered to your home by First Christian Church and the Lincoln Central Neighborhood Family Center.

The dinner will be from 12:30 to 2 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day at the church. Bartholomew County residents who are unable to come to the church can have up to six dinners delivered. But the deadline to ask for home delivery is 4 p.m. today. You will need to call First Christian Church at 812-379-4491 to ask for delivery. The deliveries are being coordinated by Federal Express.