You will have a chance to meet the candidates for City Council and mayor tomorrow at a forum being organized by the Columbus Young Professionals.

Chrissy Bailey is a member of the Columbus Young Professionals and an organizer for the event.

Bailey said that this is the first candidate forum organized by the group.

Organizer Rachel Yancer, says that the questions at the forum will reflect the younger residents’ concerns.

She said that the group solicited questions on its Facebook page and those should delve into different areas than the traditional candidate forum.

There will also be a question chosen by the students at Foundation for Youth, she said.

Bartholomew County Clerk Jay Phelps will also be on hand to help if you need to register to vote in the election. The deadline to register is Monday and early voting starts Tuesday at the voter registration office in the county courthouse.

Most of the candidates for office have confirmed that they will participate tomorrow night, Yancer and Bailey said.

Although there are no contested races on the Democratic side for next  month’s primary, Columbus Republican voters will have several contested races in mayor including mayor and three seats on the City Council. Mayor Jim Lienhoop is being challenged by Glenn Petri for the nomination, while incumbent Dascal Bunch is running against Chris Rutan in the District 1 race for City Council. The newest council member Dave Bush, is facing Russ Poling in the District 3 Republican race, and there is a three-way race for the Republican at-large nominations, with incumbent Laurie Booher, facing Josh Burnett and John  Counceller.

In November, there will be a full slate of Democratic and Republican City Council races although no Democrats filed to run for mayor or clerk-treasurer.

The CYP forum starts at 5:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon at the Fairfield Inn & Suites off of Jonathan Moore Pike. If you can’t make it to the event, you can listen to the candidate forum live  on News Talk 1010 WCSI and 98.1 FM.

Two Jackson County residents were killed in a crash on U.S. 31 near Elizabethtown yesterday afternoon.

Indiana State Police say that 18-year-old Kelsey M. Lamaster, of Seymour, and 24-year-old Brandon M. Freeman, of Crothersville were both pronounced dead at the scene by the Bartholomew County coroner.

According to Sgt. Stephen Wheeles, the crash happened at about 2 yesterday afternoon near County Road 900S, when Lamaster’s car went off the side of the road, came back onto the road, and crossed the centerline into the path of a pickup being driven by 59-year-old Paul M. Luedeman, of Crothersville.

Freeman was a passenger in Lamaster’s vehicle, troopers say.

Luedeman suffered serious injuries and he was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital.

The highway was closed for about three hours. The crash remains under investigation.

The people of Columbus and Bartholomew County are incredibly generous. That was the message during Tuesday’s annual meeting of the United Way of Bartholomew County. Mark Stewart, president of the local United Way, addressed the nearly 300 people who poured into the Commons.

Officials say that over 8,000 volunteers were mobilized locally in 2018. In addition..

The 2018 United Way Campaign raised $4,251,334. United Way officials say that’s a Bartholomew County record and the highest per-capita giving rate in all of the state.

Stewart says that spirit of generosity lives through the 2018 Volunteer of the Year: Chuck Corbin, vice-president of Dunlap & Company.

The Live United Award was earned by Toyota Material Handling.

The Give Award went to Bartholomew County REMC.

The Advocate Award went to Chris Clulow.

Jennings County deputies arrested a North Vernon man who was eluding Scott County authorities early Monday morning in a chase that hit 105 mph.

At shortly after 4 a.m. Monday, Jennings County deputies were alerted that a vehicle was being chased by Scott County deputies on Interstate 65. The Jennings officers waited at Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge in case the vehicle headed into the area, shortly before hearing that the southern Indiana officers had lost the suspect.

When the vehicle passed deputies, they tried to pull the driver over but he took off at speeds of up to 105 mph down U.S. 50. As the chase headed into North Vernon, a city officer attempted to deploy stop sticks but that did not bring the chase to an end. The vehicle eventually pulled into a driveway near Brownstown Road and Campfield Lane.

The driver, identified as 56-year-old Dana Bailey of North Vernon allegedly refused to follow officers’ commands and after a short struggle, including police dogs Zobi and Vampir, he was taken into custody.

Bailey was first taken to St. Vincent Jennings Hospital to be treated for injuries and then turned back over to Scott County authorities.

Cummins is settling a discrimination lawsuit with a payment of more than $77,000 to a former female employee. The complaint charged that she was paid less than a male counterpart doing the same job.

That’s according to our news-gathering partners at RTV 6.

According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity commission, a salary study conducted by the company found that she was being paid less, but she still didn’t receive a pay raise.

As part of the settlement, Cummins will also have to train its employees on the Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, both of which prohibit wage discrimination based on sex.

The company denies any liability or wrongdoing in the suit.

For more information, go to theindychannel.com

An early morning traffic stop led to a drug arrest for an Edinburgh man last weekend.

Bartholomew County deputies are reporting that a vehicle was pulled over for a traffic violation at about 2:32 a.m. Saturday morning near 25th Street and Taylor Road in Columbus. The driver, 23 year old Parker Harsh of Edinburgh, was wanted on an outstanding Bartholomew County warrant for drug possession.

He was taken into custody and a search revealed narcotics inside the vehicle. He is facing new charges of possession of heroin, marijuana and drug paraphernalia and driving while suspended, along with the outstanding warrant.

Columbus based Toyota Industries North America is announcing that it has finished the acquisition of Indiana forklift company Hoist Liftruck Mfg of East Chicago.

Hoist Liftruck has a half million square-foot factory in northern Indiana and has nearly 25 years of experience manufacturing heavy-duty cushion tire and pneumatic forklifts, reach stackers, container handlers and associated equipment.

The agreement for the company was announced in February. Toyota has had and agreement with Hoist for the manufacture of large-capacity forklifts under the Toyota brand since 2015.

The name of the new company is Hoist Material Handling, Inc., and it will be managed directly by Toyota Material Handling USA in Columbus.

Update:
A Statewide Silver Alert has been canceled for a missing toddler from Madison. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department had been investigating the disappearance of a 19-month old who was believed to be in extreme danger. The alert was called off at about 6:30 a.m.

Earlier:

A Statewide Silver Alert has been declared for a missing toddler from Madison.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the disappearance of Kayden Matthew Fresh, a 19 month old white male, 2 feet 8 inches tall, 29 pounds, blond hair with blue eyes, and last seen wearing a blue, yellow, and white Paw Patrol t-shirt and blue/grey shorts.

Kayden may be in the company of Jaxx Damian Falconberry, a 28 year old white male, 5 feet 7 inches tall, 185 pounds, brown hair with hazel eyes, and driving a black 2004 Chevy Impala 4 door with Indiana plate ALV239.

Kayden is missing from Madison and was last seen on Monday April 1,  at 8 p.m. He is believed to be in extreme danger and may require medical assistance.

If you have any information on Kayden Matthew Fresh, contact the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department at 812-265-2648 or 911.

Bartholomew County officials are trying to find a way to pay for a body scanner at the jail. Jail staff have seen several attempts at bringing narcotics and other contraband into the jail, including three recent cases where inmates allegedly attempted to hide contraband in a body cavity. As it stands now, an inmate must be taken to a hospital to be checked when jail staff or a deputy believe they are hiding materials. Local inmates have also been driven to Johnson County to be put through the scanner at the jail there.

Sheriff Matt Myers says he expects it will cost approximately $180,000 to have a body scanner installed at the jail. During Monday night’s meeting of the Bartholomew County Council, he says that $50,000 could be paid for out of the jail’s commissary budget. The remaining amount will need to be found, but council members indicated a willingness to move forward when the proposal comes up at next week’s regular session.

Sheriff Myers says he hopes to have a scanner installed, with staff trained on how to use it, by this July. That is when an old section of the jail is set to be reopened as part of the community’s efforts to fight addiction.

Eastern Bartholomew Water Corp. has issued a boil advisory due to a water main break. Utility officials say affected customers are from Talberton and Pleasant View Addition to Carter Crossing Housing Addition and the Richard Addition.

Heritage Heights Mobile Home Park is not included in this advisory.

Customers should bring water to a rolling boil for at least one minute before consuming.

This advisory is in effect until Thursday, April 4th at noon.

Customers with questions should call Eastern Bartholomew Water Corp. at (812) 526-9777.