The Washington Monthly magazine has a story on its website today, talking about possible dangers to Columbus caused by the trade policies of the new Trump Administration.

The liberal political website headlines the story “Trump’s Trade Policies Could Crush Mike Pence’s Hometown.”

It cites a study from the Brookings Institution, released in January, that shows that Columbus is on track to be the city hit the hardest in the country by any trade war triggered by the administration’s efforts to rework trade deals and impose punitive tariffs.

The study cited the large amount of export business that Columbus has, especially considering the size of the city. According to the study nearly 51 percent of our economic activity comes from exports.

The site interviewed Democratic City Councilman Tom Dell and Erin Hawkins marketing director for the Columbus Area Visitors Center. It also looked at the Cummins political action committee, which gave nearly $30,000 to Hillary Clinton and only $1,117 dollars to Trump’s campaign.

You can look for more information here.

Columbus police arrested a wanted woman on drug charges and warrants after recognizing her inside a vehicle.

An officer saw 39-year-old Angela K. Spencer of Columbus inside the vehicle at shortly before midnight Monday night and confirmed that she was wanted on three Bartholomew County warrants. The officer stopped the vehicle and she was arrested without incident, says Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the Columbus Police Department.

He said that she also allegedly found to be carrying methamphetamine and a glass drug pipe in her purse. She was arrested on preliminary charges for possessing meth and drug paraphernalia, as well as the warrants.

The Bartholomew County Coroner’s office says that a soldier training at Camp Atterbury died last Friday from natural causes.

Deputy Coroner Jay Frederick said that an autopsy shows the death was caused by a heart attack.

Camp Atterbury officials reported that 43-year-old Capt. Brian A. Stillman was participating in the base’s land navigation training when he collapsed and died at about 12:30 Friday afternoon.

Stillman was from Norton, Ohio and was a 19-year-member of the Ohio National Guard. He leaves behind a wife and two children.

Congressional Republicans continue their push to repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it with something that gives Americans more choice, personal control and is less expensive. Congressman Luke Messer represents Indiana’s Sixth Congressional District…

Messer says that people shouldn’t be too concerned with figures released by the Congressional Budget Office…

Messer says that report also offers positive highlights…

The Congressman says that people are suffering under Obamacare after being forced from private insurers…

Columbus Museum of Art & Design invites you to its second installment of “Art Lunch Open House.” This edition will focus on the exhibition “OMNI,” a juried group exhibition of contemporary necklaces and brooches. Museum staff say that this open house will feature two artists from the exhibition, Zachary Mellman-Carsey and Joshua Kosker. Mellman-Carsey will demonstrate his methodology and discuss his practice as a jeweler utilizing 3D print technology. Kosker will have a pop-up display of an interactive piece from a series called [re]embody. OMNI is currently being shown on the second floor of The Commons in the display cases.

This Art Lunch Open House is scheduled for Wednesday, March 29 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the second floor of the Commons. The open house is free and open to everyone.

Organizers explain that the Art Lunch Open House is a series through which “artists and designers demonstrate and discuss their work and practice.” A free lunch is provided on a first come first serve basis.

For more on this event, click http://bit.ly/2mXjHLY.

Core sampling along Interstate 65, between U.S. Highway 50 and State Road 58 in Bartholomew and Jackson counties, has been rescheduled for Friday night. The Indiana Department of Transportation says that Milestone Constructors had originally planned to extract cores of pavement samples last week, but those plans were delayed due to bad weather.

INDOT is urging drivers to be alert and to watch for coring crews and equipment along northbound I-65. Officials explain that the work will occur along the outside shoulder of the northbound lanes of the interstate between Seymour and the Walesboro exit. The work is now scheduled to take place from 9 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday. INDOT adds that the northbound right lane of I-65 will be closed while this work is underway.

The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department says that there is a program to help pay for the lifelong medical and care expenses for police dogs after they retire from service.

According to the sheriff’s department Facebook page, after the dogs leave police service they are no longer covered by local governments. Instead, the former police dog’s handlers can spend up to $20,000 out of their own pocket caring for the animals. Most dogs retire when they are about 10, but still live with their handlers until they die at about the age of 15.

The department is pointing people who want to help to Project K-9 Hero. The program provides up to $3,000 a year for the care, medical needs and eventual expense when the dog dies. There are about 15 dogs on the program now.

The sheriff’s department has two police dogs now, Bolt and Diesel.

For more information on Project K-9 Hero or to donate, click here.

North Vernon officials are eying a $3.8 million expansion to the city’s sewer system.

A public hearing was held during Monday night’s City Council meeting to further explain the project and answer questions from taxpayers.

Richard Morin, an engineer who is coordinating the project with the city, explains that the project is needed to extend sewer service north to an area that was annexed in February of 2015. That area runs along the U.S. 50 bypass at State Road 7.

Morin explained that the area is currently served by residential septic systems and that many soil samples from the area reveal that 90 percent are susceptible to contamination.

The proposal calls for the project to be funded by the Indiana Revolving Loan Program. Residents in the area would be responsible for paying to connect their homes to the sewer system, along with rendering their septic systems inoperable. Morin says that the expansion is expected to cost current utilities customers about $72 per year.

If the project is approved for loan funding, city officials hope to begin work early next year.

Camp Atterbury officials are reporting that a soldier died last week during training there.

A base spokesman says that 43-year-old Capt. Brian A. Stillman was participating in the base’s land navigation training when he collapsed and died at about 12:30 p.m. Friday afternoon.

Stillman was from Norton, Ohio and was a 19-year-member of the Ohio National Guard. He was operations officer for the 2nd Battalion, 174th Air Defense Artillery Brigade. He is survived by his wife and two children.

Officials say the cause of death is still under investigation.

Hope police say that burglars attempted to remove the safe from the town’s Dollar General store early Sunday morning by trying to pull it out of the store with a truck and a log rope. When that didn’t work, they came back the next night armed with two tow straps and a log chain.

Town Marshal Matt Tallent said that he kept a reserve officer on duty Sunday night to watch the store. He says that the would-be thieves tried again shortly after 3 a.m. Monday. Officer Skyler Hollin reported seeing a silver pickup truck pull into the store parking lot and back up to the emergency exit door. Three men, wearing face masks, then got out of the truck and again entered the building. Marshal Tallent says that the trio attempted to tie a rope and chain to the safe but were interrupted by Officer Hollin.

Authorities say the men evaded capture by driving through the grass as Officer Hollin blocked the exit of the store. A short chase followed west on County Road 600 North and onto county Road 500/525 East. Tallent says two of the suspects jumped out of the vehicle on County Road 525 East and ran west into a farmer’s field as the vehicle continued north. Officer Hollin gave a short foot chase but lost sight of the suspects.

Tallent says that Bartholomew County and Columbus Police Department K-9’s came out to help. After tracking the suspects for over an hour, the track was lost.

The tow rope and chain were recovered for evidence from the Dollar Store, as was a two-wheel dolly. The investigation is on-going. If you have any information you can call the Hope Police Department at (812) 546-6402. Tips and information can be left anonymously.