Bartholomew County Sheriff Matt Myers is under contract for another year. The county council voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve the contract, negotiated between the county commissioners and Myers’ attorney, Jeff Beck.

The contract calls for a 2.5 percent salary increase for the Sheriff, effective in January. Since there is a state-mandated minimum pay for county sheriffs, there is language to allow local officials to make necessary upward adjustments. Any additional increase would come in the middle of the year when the state sets pay for county judges and prosecutors. By law, the sheriff must be paid no less than 80 percent of what the prosecutor earns. Myers pay next year had been budgeted for just under $119 thousand dollars.

A sticking point that still needs to be resolved relates to Sheriff Myers’ pension. At issue is a clause in the sheriff’s department retirement plan that says a deputy must be employed for eight years and a month before being eligible for retirement benefits. Sheriffs are limited by term limits to only serve eight years in office.

At last month’s work session, the sheriff said that clause was meant to dissuade outsiders, like himself, from running for sheriff. At that same session, county council members said they had no interest in changing the wording, preventing the sheriff from accruing retirement benefits while in office.

Neither side addressed the impasse Tuesday night, agreeing that this is an issue that needs to be discussed and resolved.

The Columbus Police Department is now accepting applications for the position of police officer. Officials say that applicants must be at least 21 years of age and less than 36 years of age when hired. Prospective applicants must have a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent and complete all aspects of the hiring process and training program. College graduates, military veterans, and persons with law enforcement experience are strongly encouraged to apply.

Applications can be downloaded online at columbus.in.gov/police/info-documents/sworn-officer-application-2/ or picked up inside the Personnel Office in Columbus City Hall. Applications will also be available in the Columbus Human Rights Office.

A department press release says the 2019 salary range for a Patrol Officer is $51,428- $62,128. Officers are assigned a “take home” patrol car with usage in Bartholomew and adjoining counties and work 8.5 hour shifts with two weekends off per month. Officers also receive vacation time and paid holidays, shift differential pay (5% for 2nd shift and 10% for 3rd shift), college credit allowance up to $2,850.00, military incentive pay up to $1424.00, clothing allowance of $900 per year, specialty unit pay up to $3000.00 per year. PERF retirement is available after 20 years of service.

Applications will be accepted until February 17, 2019. The first step of the testing process, a written test, will be offered on Saturday, March 2, 2019.

Indiana State Police are investigating a three vehicle crash in Bartholomew County that injured a pedestrian. That incident took place at about 7:15 p.m. Monday on State Road 7 near US 31, closing that area for two hours.

Authorities say the initial investigation indicates that a car driven by 22-year-old Austin Rice, of Columbus, was traveling north on State Road 7 just south of US 31 when the vehicle suffered a mechanical issue. The vehicle came to a stop off the edge of the roadway. A pickup truck driven by 31-year-old Michael Williams, of North Vernon, arrived on scene to assist Rice. Ashley Sowerby, age 19, Columbus, also arrived in a different vehicle.

State Police say that a car being driven by 27-year-old Randy Robinson, of Columbus, was traveling northbound on State Road 7, approaching the other vehicles. They say Robinson was unable to slow down to avoid the slowed traffic. Robinson’s vehicle struck Sowerby, who was standing next to the roadway. Robinson’s vehicle then sideswiped a car driven by 22-year-old Stefan Dehaven, of Elizabethtown, before striking the rear of Williams’ vehicle.

Sowerby was transported by ambulance to Columbus Regional Health for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. She has since been treated and released. A passenger in Dehaven’s vehicle was also treated for minor injuries at CRH.

Robinson was transported to CRH for minor injuries. Authorities say he submitted to a blood test for intoxication. The results are pending.

The investigation is ongoing.

A Columbus man was arrested last night after a short standoff with the police SWAT team.

The incident started at about 8:25 p.m. when Columbus officers were called to the 1900 block of Vinewood Drive after a man with a gun allegedly threatened another person in the home. That started a standoff with the suspect, and the SWAT team and crisis negotiators were called in.

Police talked 36-year-old Austin J. Corrazzin into surrendering shortly afterwards, according to police reports. He was arrested on preliminary charges of intimidation with a deadly weapon, criminal confinement and interference with the reporting of a crime.

Bartholomew Consolidated School officials say an incident at Central Middle School this morning led to police being called to the campus.

The school system texted through their community alert system at about 10:45 a.m. this morning that the incident leading to the police call was between a special needs student and a teacher. Other students were held in their rooms while Columbus police assisted in handling the situation.

The Wayside Inn homeless shelter in North Vernon is set to receive an infusion of cash after last night’s City Council meeting.

Officials with the small shelter at 304 Hoosier St. approached the city with a request for $5,000 in aid from the city for 2019. Shelter officials say the money would go towards utility costs.

Council members expressed support for Wayside Inn, citing the work staff does for those in need. However, they noted that next year’s city budget had already been submitted. Councilwoman Connie Rayburn offered a compromise: $2,500 with a follow-up in six months. That measure was approved unanimously.

Wayside provides up to 14 days of emergency housing for men, woman and families. The shelter prioritizes Jennings County residents.

Bartholomew Consolidated Schools saw some large spikes in the costs for substitute teachers and utility prices this year, leading officials to ask the school board for an additional $690,000 appropriation last night.

Chad Phillips, assistant superintendent for finance, explains why the district asks for an additional appropriation at the end of the year.

The additional costs for substitute teachers comes from a small increase in substitute teacher pay and a higher than expected need for those fill-ins. He said that because BCSC now has a younger base of teachers, more than anticipated were on maternity leave this year, which led to the need for more substitutes.

Phillips says that the money for the appropriation will be covered by increasing revenues from interest on school accounts and from higher-than-anticipated enrollment, which leads to more state funds.

He said there will be no impact on taxes.

The Student’s Fund of Hope will be holding a Soups with Santa event at 4 p.m. Friday afternoon at Hauser auditorium to help a girl needing brain surgery and senior residents of the community.

The event will have a free will donation soup dinner along with other festivities. Organizer Whitney Budd explains.

Families will be able to get a free family photo with Santa Claus, done by a professional photographer. There will also be a Santa letter writing table, gingerbread decorating and a drive to help some Miller’s Merry Manor residents.

Budd said the Hope-area retirement home has some residents without families or who are in need. She said participants can bring a shoebox full of personal care items that will be given as gifts to the residents. There will be a gift-wrapping station on Friday to decorate the boxes.

Items needed by the seniors include:  tissues, shampoo, body wash, fleece blankets, slipper socks and small stuffed animals.

The Students Fund of Hope was established earlier this year to help the families in need at Hope Elementary and Hauser Jr./Sr. High schools. Some of the proceeds from Friday’s event will go to help the family of Azlyn Whittington, a Hope Elementary 2nd grader who needs brain surgery. She is the daughter of Rhett Whittington and Ramber Rice.

All of the the activities are free but donations will be accepted to help the cause.

If you plan on traveling Interstate 65 late Saturday night, expect delays locally. The Indiana Department of Transportation says that from 11 p.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday, drivers can expect the delays between U.S. Highway 50 at Seymour and State Road 58 at the Walesboro exit in Bartholomew County.

INDOT officials say that Bartholomew County REMC has scheduled crews to retire two overhead primary electrical supply conductors. Weather permitting, the operation will completely close I-65, in both directions, for short intervals. Up to five “rolling roadblocks” may be used to slow I-65 traffic to 10 miles per hour between mile markers 52.68 and 62.48. Officials say these roadblocks will void lanes of traffic for approximately 20 minutes each at utility worksites.

The retired conductors are being replaced with an underground electrical supply line.

North Vernon Police arrested a woman Sunday afternoon after receiving reports of a shot fired in the 200 block of Park Avenue. When police arrived, they determined that a verbal disagreement has escalated, resulting in the arrest of 49-year-old Marla Hankins, of North Vernon.

Hankins is facing preliminary charges of Intimidation while Armed with a Deadly Weapon, Criminal Recklessness with a Deadly Weapon and Possession of Paraphernalia.

No one was hurt.