Fans of Indiana basketball can learn more about Hoosier Hysteria tonight at an event at the Columbus Learning Center.

Bethany Messersmith, director of the Ivy Tech library explains that the event will feature a panel discussion with Republic Sports Editor Ted Schultz, and two standout women’s basketball players with local ties — Courtney Larson, a former Columbus North standout and player for Miami University, and Allison White, a Northside Middle School teacher and former Indiana basketball all star.

Schultz will be talking about the origins of class basketball in Indiana high schools, while Larson and White will talk about their experiences on court and their place in history.

Each speaker will talk for 15 minutes, followed by a 15 minute Q&A from the audience.

Flavored popcorn snacks will be provided by local business Popportunity.

The event starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Columbus Learning Center and it is being organized by the Ivy Tech university library

The Indiana Department of Transportation spent Wednesday pre-treating highways in preparation for the potential of one to three inches of snow expected to impact southeast Indiana beginning Thursday afternoon through Friday morning.

INDOT says that drivers will be on patrol across the region beginning about 2 p.m. Thursday to plow snow and treat roads with salt until conditions improve.

Motorists should remember to slow down when driving in winter weather conditions. Leave early, expect delays, and allow more time to reach your destination. INDOT also urges you to watch out for their yellow trucks and to give plow truck drivers plenty of room to complete their routes.

Indiana State Police are releasing more details about a Wednesday morning crash involving a school bus and a trash truck in Dearborn County. Shortly before 8 a.m., ISP responded to the scene on State Road 350 near Mount Sinai Road that sent around 20 people to area hospitals with injuries.

The initial investigation by the Indiana State Police-Versailles Crash Reconstruction Team indicated that the trash truck, operated by 38-year-old Brian J. Rumpke, of Cincinnati, was parked on the edge of the eastbound lane while Rumpke was picking up trash from a home. A South Dearborn School Corporation school bus, driven by 64-year-old Raymond W. Nies, of Moores Hill, was traveling eastbound on State Road 350, when it collided with the rear of the trash truck. ISP says both vehicles came to rest in the eastbound lane of State Road 350.
Rumpke, who was standing outside of his vehicle, was struck by debris and sustained non-life threatening injuries. Nies sustained serious injuries. Both were transported to High Point Health in Dearborn County, Indiana. Nies was later transferred to University of Cincinnati Hospital for further treatment.

Authorities say there were 22 students, between grades six and 11 on the school bus at the time of the crash. Seventeen students were transported by ambulance to High Point Health for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. A 13-year-old boy was initially entrapped in the bus. He was later freed from the wreckage. He was transported to High Point Health before being transferred to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

The four remaining students were transferred to a different bus and were transported to South Dearborn Middle School and High School. At least one of those students was later transported to High Point Health by a family member for evaluation of minor injuries.

Both Nies and Rumpke submitted to blood draws while at High Point Health although alcohol and drugs are not suspected to be factors at this time.

State Road 350 was closed in the area for approximately four hours for crash investigation and cleanup.

Authorities in Jennings County are looking for those responsible for dumping dead dogs in Columbia Township.

On Tuesday, detectives from the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office met with Jennings County Animal Control Officers at the scene on County Road 740 East, just south of County Road 1000 North. Authorities say the dogs were found by a concerned citizen driving through the area on the afternoon of Feb. 28th. According to the witness, they had drove through the area earlier in the day and did not see any animals. When the citizen drove through later they saw numerous dead dogs a short distance from the roadway.

The dogs are described as:

– (1) mature female brindle & white Pit bull
– (1) mature female Beagle mix which had recently given birth
– (1) mature brown female Boxer
– (7) 4-5 month old puppies (approximate)
– (2) puppies 1-2 weeks old (approximate)

Authorities say a necropsy is scheduled to determine the cause of death for the animals.

Anybody with information on this case is urged to call the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office Tip Line at (812) 346-0342 or Jennings County Central Dispatch at (812) 346-4911. Tips and information can be left anonymously.

Area sheriffs are warning of a phone scam preying on community residents.

Sheriff Rick Meyer in Jackson County says that scammers are calling people, telling them they have won a large amount of money. But they want you to pay fake taxes on the non-existent winnings.

Meyer says the callers are trying to convince victims to a store and to purchase gift cards to cover the fake amount, and then send the scammers the information to steal the money off the gift card.

Authorities say that legitimate organizations and companies will never ask or demand that you make a payment using gift cards or cash cards. Meyer says to remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Columbus police say they made two arrests of suspected drunk driving charges last night.

A Columbus man is facing felony drunk driving charges after an incident last night.

Police stopped a vehicle for driving erratically in the 800 block of East County Road 450S, near the Bartholomew County landfill at about 6 p.m. last night. The driver 29-year-old Dustin J. Thompson was allegedly slurring his speech and a breath test revealed a blood alcohol level of .261, more than three times the legal limit, according to Columbus police.

He is facing charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated with a previous conviction, a Level 6 felony.

Just over an hour later, Columbus police were called to the roundabout at Indianapolis Road and Lindsey Street after a crash there.

One of the drivers, 56-year-old Tracey J. Owen of Columbus appeared intoxicated to police and failed several field sobriety tests. She was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital to have her blood tested but refused. A warrant was issued, her blood was drawn and she was taken to jail on a misdemeanor charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop will be giving his State of the City Address on Thursday at Fair Oaks Mall.

He’s expected to talk about issues facing the city and ongoing projects, including the mall property, the State Street revitalization project and the railroad overpass project on the west side of town.

A reception is set for 5:30 p.m. at the mall. Mayor Lienhoop is scheduled to give his address at 6 p.m.

If you can’t make it to the mall, you can listen to the State of the City Speech live on News Talk 1010 WCSI and 98.1 FM.

The Columbus Human Rights Commission is now accepting nominations for the William R. Laws Human Rights Award.

The award is given annual to a person, a group or a community organization that haw made a significant contribution in the area of human equality in Columbus.

Nominations for the Laws Award must be submitted to the Human Rights Commission offices in City Hall by 5 p.m. on Friday, March 29th.

The Commission will accept nominations via mail, personal delivery, or e-mail. A form is available at the offices or on the city website.

The State Street Area Association will be hosting two community forums where you can meet the candidates for Columbus City Council and the mayor’s race.

The first event will be March 14th at the Roby and America Anderson Community Center on McClure Road and it will feature the candidates for mayor and the City Council at-large races. There will be a separate forum on March 21st at the center to meet all of the candidates for the five district seats on the City Council.

Both of the events start at 6 p.m. in the evening.

Indiana State Police are taking the lead in a Johnson County investigation involving an unidentified elected county official.

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Department says that at 11:57 p.m. Monday, dispatchers received a 911 call from the 500 block of West State Road 252 in Trafalgar, reporting a domestic disturbance. The woman involved had gone to her neighbor’s house after the disturbance and reportedly would not give her name to dispatchers. Johnson County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the scene and began speaking with the woman. Once deputies realized that allegations were being made against a local elected official, they immediately called the administrative staff at the Sheriff’s Office and told them what was occurring.

Johnson County Sheriff Duane Burgess directed deputies at the scene to turn the case over to Indiana State Police. ISP quickly responded to the scene. Sheriff’s Deputies remained on the scene to assist, however officials stress that ISP took over all aspects of the investigation and remain in charge of it.

No arrests were reported and Indiana State Police have not identified the official allegedly involved.