Bartholomew County emergency officials say that they are receiving some calls and complaints about what some residents see as an increasing number of alerts sent out over the county’s Everbridge alert system.

The automated system through the county’s dispatch center lets you sign up for weather alerts and other warnings that will be sent to your home or business phone, cell phone, text message and/or e-mail.

Shannan Hinton, the emergency management director for the county, explains that part of the slew of recent alerts has been due to flood warnings on multiple rivers or streams in the area — as we have seen over the past few days.

She said there has also been a problem with different types of alerts coming one after another, as happened last Friday. Officials believe they have that problem fixed.

But it is also possible that people are getting alerts on different devices because they are not acknowledging receipt of the first message.

Emergency management officials will be at the fairgrounds tonight for the Bartholomew County 4-H fair to sign you up for the Everbridge alert system. Or you can go to the county website at bartholomew.in.gov

Greensburg Police arrested a registered sex offender Thursday on allegations he had been attempting to contact children via social media. WRTV Channel 6 says that 45-year-old James Browning, of Greensburg, had allegedly been attempting to contact girls through a social media app.

Channel 6 is reporting that Browning is a registered offender against children who was convicted on two counts of Child Seduction in February of 2010 and two separate counts of Child Molesting in November of 2010. According to the report, Browning was required to register on the Indiana Sex Offender Registry following his release in March of 2013.

The television station cited Greensburg Police, who told them that they caught Browning after a detective posed as a juvenile.

For more on this story, visit theindychannel.com.

The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department is asking for your help locating its most-wanted fugitive. Judy Jackson, department spokeswoman, says that deputies are looking for 22-year-old James Michael Purdue. She explains that Purdue is wanted on an outstanding felony warrant.

Purdue is a white man, standing 5’10” and weighing 181 pounds. He has brown hair, brown eyes and tattoos on his arm and neck.

If you have any information on Purdue’s whereabouts, you are asked to contact the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office at (812) 379-1740. You may also use the department’s Tip Line at (812) 379-1712 or send an email to sheriff@bartholomew.in.gov. Information can be left anonymously.

Columbus police will be having a motorcycle ride on Saturday to raise money for anti drug abuse education for area children.

Lt Matt Harris, spokesman for the police department explains that the first annual Blue Line Ride will be an 85-mile motorcycle ride.

It will start at Mann’s Harley Davidson with registration at 9 and kickstands up at 11.

Tickets are $20 for a single rider or $30 for a rider and passenger. The price includes raffle ticket for a chance to win a $350 gift card courtesy of Mann’s Harley Davidson and a post-ride meal provided by Texas Roadhouse.

The police-led ride will meander through several area counties, Harri says.

Proceeds will benefit the Columbus DARE program.

Harris says that the city police spend about $15,000 a year on the DARE program, money raised from donations and fundraisers.

Cummins has announced the election of two new members to its Board of Directors: Karen Quintos and Rich Freeland.

Quintos is the company’s Chief Customer Officer. Cummins says that she is responsible for setting a total customer experience strategy. As part of this role, Quintos also leads Diversity and Inclusion, Corporate Responsibility and Entrepreneurship strategy and programs.

“Karen Quintos is a terrific addition to our Board of Directors as Cummins enters a new era of growth and success,” said Tom Linebarger, Chairman and CEO, Cummins Inc. “Quintos’ experience in customer service and supply chain will be an asset to us in our continued efforts to deliver world-class sales and support to our customers and create a more effective and efficient global supply chain.”

Freeland is President and Chief Operating Officer for Cummins, overseeing the Company’s daily operations. Freeland joined Cummins in 1979, holding various roles with the Company.

“Rich has a deep understanding of our markets and customers and adding him to our Board at this pivotal time better positions Cummins for success,” said Linebarger. “He has a proven track record of delivering financial results for Cummins, while bringing solutions to our customers that fuel their success. I am thrilled Rich has been elected to the Cummins Board of Directors.”

State Rep. Milo Smith, a Columbus Republican, was recently named vice chair of the Interim Study Committee on Elections. Smith says the committee will examine assigned topics, gather testimonies and recommend potential legislation.

“As vice chair of the elections committee, I will join fellow legislators in looking at how policy changes affected voting in Indiana from 2000 through 2016 in terms of voter participation and election results,” Smith said. “Working on potential legislation in this study committee throughout the summer and fall months gives lawmakers more time to explore specific issues and recommend potential legislation.”

Smith was also assigned to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Commission, the Military Base Planning Council and the Distressed Unit Appeal Board.

The Indiana Department of Transportation’s work to repair, refurbish and replace bridge locations on State Road 135 and State Road 58 in Brown and Jackson Counties continues. State officials want you to be aware of highway closings and re-openings.

On Thursday, July 13th, State Road 135 will reopen 7.6 miles north of State Road 58, just east of Christianburg Road in Brown County. INDOT says that an arch culvert carrying a branch of Hamilton Creek has been replaced.

INDOT says this will allow crews to make repairs and overlay the bridge deck at State Road 135’s three-span structure over Hamilton Creek, just west of Christianburg Road in Brown County. That will result in a 60-day closure to begin on or after July 18. The bridge is located about 9.5 miles north of State Road 58.

State Road 58 at a bridge site three miles west of State Road 135 in Jackson County is closed until mid-October. The single-span structure over Bee Creek is being removed and replaced.

State Road 135 is closed near Railroad Road in Brown County while crews refurbish bridges at Little Beanblossom Creek, located 1.7 miles north of State Road 45, and at a branch of Moser Creek, about 1.5 miles north State Road 45. INDOT officials say that this closure is expected to be lifted in about 30 days.

Once this section of State Road 135 reopens, INDOT says that the north-south highway will close for 45 days for repairs and deck replacement at a single-span arch bridge over Bear Creek, located about 1.25 miles south of State Road 252 at Morgantown.

INDOT says that these projects are part of a $3.5 million investment in bridge infrastructure improvements in Brown, Jackson and Morgan counties.

A 76-year-old Jackson County man died in a two-vehicle crash on Tuesday. “The Tribune” in Seymour says the crash happened shortly after noon on U.S. 50 just west of Brownstown. The newspaper says that Lonnie Delph, of Brownstown, was pronounced dead at the scene of the wreck on U.S. 50, just east of the bridge over the East Fork White River.

According to the report, Delph was driving west on U.S. 50 when an east-bound box truck driven by 54-year-old Scott Ortlieb, of Seymour, crossed the center-line. The paper cites the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department in saying that Delph’s vehicle rolled at least twice before coming to rest off the north side of U.S. 50. The box truck also wound up going off of the north side of the road and into floodwaters from the river.

The report says that Ortlieb was taken to Schneck Medical Center for evaluation. His condition has not been updated.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

For more on this story, visit tribtown.com.

Correction: Lt. Matt Harris was misidentified in a previous version of this story.

A man wanted on multiple warrants was arrested after he walked, and then ran from Columbus police on Tuesday.

Officers saw 31-year-old Jose O. Vera, of Columbus, in the 9000 block of Wexford Court at about 5:25 p.m. and recognized that he was wanted on several outstanding warrants.

Officers tried to stop Vera and at first he kept walking away, refusing to stop and then ran around the apartment building to get away, but he was quickly caught, says Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the Columbus police.

In addition to warrants, for auto theft, resisting law enforcement, driving while suspended, forgery and conversion, Vera is also now facing a preliminary charge of resisting law enforcement.

Correction: Lt. Matt Harris was misidentified in a previous version of this story.

A burglary suspect was arrested Tuesday night after a homeowner reported seeing him walking in an alley with some of her stolen property.

Just before 9:30 p.m., Columbus police officers were called to a report of a fight in progress in the 1500 block of Chestnut Street. Officers found several people fighting in the alley. The officers detained one of the men involved in the fight, 24-year-old Brandon A. Kincheloe, of Columbus, says Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the city police.

Officer discovered that Kincheloe was carrying property that was allegedly taken during the burglary, Harris said. He was also allegedly carrying marijuana and a large smoking pipe.

He is facing preliminary charges of burglary, theft, battery, disorderly conduct and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia