The United Way of Bartholomew County will be kicking off its annual fundraising drive next month, but if you want to attend the opening celebration, you can start buying tickets today.

Kyle Hendricks, spokesman for the organization says the campaign kicks off on Sept. 15th with a community wide volunteer day, followed by lunch from 11 to 1 at Amazing Joes.

Tickets are $10 in advance and are available at the United Way offices on 13th Street in Columbus, in the Doug Otto building. They will be $12 the day of the event.

Whittney Loyd, Resource Development Director for the local United Way, says that the agency helps 21 community not-for-profit organizations and 34 programs in Bartholomew County.

Although the goal for this year’s fundraising campaign has not yet been announced, it is expected to be over $4 million dollars. Loyd said there are several ways you can donate to the United Way.

For more information you can go to UWBarthCO.org.

The Bartholomew County Sheriffs’ Department is warning of a scam targeting seniors.

Deputies say that a caller using the phone number 555-555-5555 called an 82-year-old resident claiming to be the senior’s grandson who needed money because he had been in an accident. In this case, the resident did not lose any money.

Sheriff Matt Myers says that if you receive this type of call you should hang up immediately. You should not provide any personal information and definitely should not make a payment over the telephone.

If you have received one of these calls and need assistance or want to make a report, you can call the Bartholomew County Emergency Operations Center at 812-379-1689 or the sheriff’s department at 812-379 1650.

Lowell Road is open again in Bartholomew County but some minor work remains to be done.

Bartholomew County Highway Engineer Danny Hollander thanked Milestone Contractors for adjusting its schedule to finish the paving of Lowell Road last week. He says that the repaving was actually finished on Thursday, then crews spent Friday striping the road, which was reopened to traffic over the weekend.

Even though the road is open, Hollander says minor work remains, including the delivery and placement of stone on some edges of the road with a considerable drop-off. He adds that the width of Lowell Road has increased from a maximum of 20-feet to 24-feet.

Larry Kleinhenz, county commissioner, thanked county workers for doing their part to keep the cost of the project manageable. He says that most of the work, aside from the paving itself, was done in-house.

The Red Cross says that they are having critical shortages of donated blood due to the summer slump in donations. Rodney Wilson with the Red Cross says that regular donors frequently delay their donations in August due to the summer vacations and back-to-school activities.

There are several upcoming blood donation events in our area including:

From 9 to 2 Tuesday, August 15th at Developmental Services Inc. on 10th Street and from 12 to 5 Tuesday, August 15th at the North Vernon Senior Citizens Center, on Buckeye Street.

They will also be taking donations in Nashville, Wednesday August 16th from 2 to 7 at Parkview Church of the Nazarene, and again in Columbus at the La Quinta Inn from 10 to 4 on Friday, August 18th.

If you have already donated this summer, you can donate 56 days after your last donation, he says.

Anyone who donates through August 31st will receive a $5 e gift card to Target.

You can make an appointment by going online to redcrossblood.org, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

The deadline to apply for grant money through the Women’s Giving Circle of Bartholomew County is fast approaching. The program is an effort of Heritage Fund: The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County and has been providing help to women and families since 2010.

The Women’s Giving Circle focuses on self-sufficiency for women, education opportuniteis for women and youth, parental support and women in crisis.

The deadline to apply is Friday, Aug 18th. You can look for more information and application information online at heritagefundbc.org.

The Bartholomew County Council will discuss a possible contribution to the overpass project taking vehicles over the railroad tracks at State Road 11 and Jonathan Moore Pike heading into downtown Columbus.

Half of the $30 million dollar project will be paid for by the state, with the rest being paid for by local entities. Much of the local portion will be paid for out of tax increment financing districts in Columbus, including one that only includes Cummins Engine Plant on Central Avenue.

The county is considering a $2 million donation. Council members have invited Mayor Jim Lienhoop to discuss the financing for the project. Tomorrow night’s meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the county governmental office building on Third Street.

You are invited.

A Seymour driver is under arrest after a police chase last week. Seymour

Police are reporting that the incident happened Thursday morning, when an officer stopped a car near West Tipton and Poplar Streets. But as the passengers left the stopped vehicle and the officer approached the car, the driver took off, with the passenger doors still open.

The chase ended in the backyard of a home on North Lynn Street. The driver allegedly got out of his car and tried to hide before being corralled with the help of Seymour police dog Ace.

54-year-old Seymour resident Richard F. Swaney is facing preliminary charges of resisting law enforcement in a vehicle, resisting law enforcement, operating a vehicle while a habitual traffic violator for life, and reckless driving.

The Indiana Department of Transportation has announced plans to reopen State Road 58 at its newly built bridge near Waymansville at a branch of White Creek in Bartholomew County by next weekend. Officials say that the new single-span structure, located eight miles west of Interstate 65 in Jackson Township measures 41 feet in length with 35 feet of clear roadway side-to-side.

At the same time, INDOT’s contractor will begin operations for removing and replacing State Road 58’s single-span bridge over Buck Creek at County Road 1075 North in Jackson County. Officials say this requires closing State Road 58, about 4.5 miles east of State Road 258, as soon as Thursday, Aug. 10. INDOT says the hope is to reopen the road before Thanksgiving.

Drivers will continue to us the existing detour, which is.

• Westbound traffic via I-65, U.S. 50, S.R. 11 and S.R. 258
• Eastbound traffic via S.R. 258, S.R. 11 and I-65

INDOT says that this work is part of Milestone’s $1.1 million contract to repair three bridges on State Road 58.

The Seymour Police Department recently participated in Indiana’s rural demonstration project, federal highway safety funds administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. Officers working this detail are paid with grant money working overtime. The target area was 30 rural counties with the highest rate of unrestrained motorists in crashes. This project ended July 31st.

Seymour Police Captain Carl Lamb says that his department had five five officers working this campaign for a total of 36.5 hours. That resulted in the issuance of 133 warnings and citations, as well as one arrest for possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia.

Seymour Police say that city’s seat belt compliance rate is 96.4 percent, which is higher than the state average.

A Columbus man was arrested on a number of charges Thursday evening after Indiana State Police served a search warrant at a home in the 7600 block of West State Road 46. Sgt. Stephen Wheeles says that ISP’s Versailles District All Crimes Policing Unit executed the warrant at about 6 p.m., leading to the discovery of a methamphetamine lab, marijuana growing operation, other illegal drugs, numerous weapons, and improvised explosive devices.

Wheeles says that the investigation began when troopers received information of illegal drug activity taking place at the home. Troopers arrived at the scene at approximately 2 p.m. and reportedly obtained further information that ongoing drug activity was taking place. This information was used to obtain a search warrant for the residence.

While serving the warrant, Wheeles says that troopers located an operational methamphetamine lab, a marijuana growing operation, approximately an ounce of methamphetamine, five grams of heroin, 25 pounds of marijuana, 10 pounds of pseudo-ephedrine, over 75 firearms, ammunition, and eight improvised explosive devices.

The owner of the home, 59-year-old Gregory A. Traylor, was arrested on preliminary charges of Manufacturing Methamphetamine, Possession of Methamphetamine, Dealing a Narcotic Drug, Possession of a Narcotic Drug, Maintaining a Common Nuisance, Dealing Marijuana, Cultivating Marijuana, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Methamphetamine Precursors with Intent to Manufacture, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Possession of a Destructive Device.

ISP says that the investigation is ongoing and may lead to additional charges against Traylor, and others.