Bartholomew County emergency officials have now declared a travel warning.

A warning is the highest level of local travel advisory, and travel may be restricted to emergency management workers only. During a “warning” local travel advisory, you are directed to:
(A) refrain from all travel;
(B) comply with necessary emergency measures;
(C) cooperate with public officials and disaster services forces in executing emergency operations plans; and
(D) obey and comply with the lawful directions of properly identified officers.

Brown, Decatur, Johnson, Shelby and Jennings counties are all under a travel watch, while Jackson County remains under a travel advisory.

If your event or activity has been canceled you can submit a closing or delay today, email news@1010wcsi.com. If you organization has a password for closing announcements, be sure to include that too.

You can check our our complete list of closings and delays here.

Bartholomew, Brown, Jackson, Jennings Johnson, Shelby and Decatur counties have declared yellow travel advisories due to deteriorating weather conditions.

Yellow is the lowest level of local travel advisory, and means that routine travel or activities may be restricted in areas because of a hazardous situation, and individuals should use caution or avoid those areas.

A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect until 4 a.m. Sunday. Heavy mixed precipitation is forecast with two to four inches of snow and ice accumulations expected. Winds gusting as high as 40 mph are also expected.

A winter storm warning means significant amounts of snow, sleet
And ice will make travel very hazardous or impossible.

Accumulating snow and some ice  are possible Saturday morning in our area before changing over to all snow Saturday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

The agency says that snow should end Saturday evening with 1 to 3 inches possible in our area. Bartholomew County is just south of the area of the state under a winter storm watch tomorrow.

Very cold temperatures will arrive Sunday evening with wind chills well below zero at the start of the week.

Columbus Firefighters rescued a woman from the East Fork of the White River Friday morning after she apparently jumped from the Third Street Bridge.

Columbus Police first responded to the bridge at 8:52 a.m. after receiving a call for a suspicious person leaning over the bridge. A CPD officer witnessed the woman jump from the bridge, prompting a call-out of the Columbus Fire Department and the Bartholomew County Water Rescue and Recovery Team. Police converged on the east bank of the river to maintain a visual of the woman’s location as she drifted down river. Officers reported seeing her travel over the low head dam between Second and Third streets and was continuing to move down river toward the Water Street public boat ramp.

Columbus Fire Department Engine Company 3 arrived at the boat ramp within minutes. Upon arrival, firefighters learned that the woman was able to speak, but did not appear to move her arms or legs. Wearing a water rescue suit, Firefighter Daniel Pinnow entered the water and swam out to the victim. Once secured, both were pulled from the river bank at approximately 9:01 a.m.

The condition of the woman is unknown at this time. Firefighter Pinnow was not hurt.

Columbus Police arrested a local man on drug charges during a traffic stop Thursday night. At approximately 7:20 p.m., officers stopped a vehicle for a minor violation near Eighth and Reed Streets. A short time later, the officers determined that the driver of the vehicle, 33-year-old Kristopher D. Harris, of Columbus, had a suspended driver’s license and a Johnson County warrant for his arrest. After Harris taken into custody, the officers reported finding a syringe and a digital scale in Harris’ vehicle, as well as methamphetamine in Harris’ clothing.

Harris is facing the following preliminary charges:

Possession of Methamphetamine (Level 5 Felony)
Possession of a Legend Drug Injection Device (Level 6 Felony)
Driving while Suspended (Class A Misdemeanor)
Johnson County Arrest Warrant

The 22nd annual celebration of the life of Martin Luther King Jr. will be held Monday morning at The Commons. Jamie Brinegar, Columbus’ director of finance, explains that events kick off at 7 a.m. with a breakfast and the formal program starting at 7:30 a.m. Featured speakers will be Mayor Jim Lienhoop, CBS 4 morning anchor Frank Mickens and BCSC Superintendent Jim Roberts.

Events are scheduled to wrap up at 9 a.m.

This event is free and you’re invited.

The area in and around the Hope Town Square would be spruced up, if the community gets approved for a grant from the state.

The Hope Town Council decided this week to allow Main Street of Hope to continue working toward the grant application, focused on replacing all the aging street lights in and around the square, new sidewalks, better looking benches and cigarette catchers along with new trash receptacles. The town is also looking at ways to make the paths inside the Town Square itself ADA compliant.

A major part of the grant application would focus on the streetlight replacements. Susan Thayer-Fye, head of Main Street, said that the town has more than 40 street lights around and inside the square. They were all originally installed by Duke Energy about 25 years ago, and not only do they not meet current energy saving goals, they also are so old that there are no parts for them. When a light was destroyed in a crash in front of the Yellow Trail Museum, it had to be replaced with a completely mismatched light pole from the rest in the town.

Thayer-Fye said that the Custer-Nugent Foundation recently made a $25,000 donation to the town toward the matching part of the grant. The town can apply for up to $600,000 in funds from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs by May. There is expected to be serious competition for the state grants.

Several area communities are receiving federal community development block grants through  the Indiana office of Community and Rural Affairs, the lieutenant governor’s office announced this morning.

Seymour is receiving more than half a million dollars for a streetscape project around One Chamber Square. The $590 thousand dollar grant will allow the city to improve sidewalks, curbs, lighting and electrical services. The community space will include seating and interactive features.

Decatur County was approved for about $442 thousand dollars to rehabilitate a building as a Children’s Advocacy Center that will be a kid-friendly place for child abuse investigations and victim support services.

The town of St.Paul on the Shelby/Decatur county line was awarded $600 thousand for wastewater system improvements.

The block grant program offers funds in five categories, including stormwater improvements. The Town of Hope had applied for one of those grants to work on a collapsing storm drain on the southside of the Town Square, but that application was not among those announced this morning.

The state announced $10 million in grants this morning.

Construction on the next phase of the State Street Revitalization Project in Columbus is expected to begin in the spring.

Redevelopment Director Heather Pope says the work on Phase 2B will continue the same trail design in developing the north side of Third Street from Central Avenue to California Street. From there, she says the work will go north on California Street to Fifth Street. The work include a 10-foot wide multi-use trail, pedestrian lighting, new curbs, gutters and ADA-compliant ramps. In addition, all overhead utilities will be relocated underground. Pope says this phase of the project covers approximately 1,572 feet.

The council on Tuesday voted 5-1 to approve a resolution to fund Phase 2B of the project, at a cost of $1,475,000. City Councilman Tom Dell was the lone “no” vote. Councilman Frank Miller was not in attendance.