Early voting continues ahead of Tuesday’s primary. Jay Phelps, Bartholomew County Clerk, says that as of late Thursday afternoon, nearly 800 early absentee ballots have been cast. That’s down considerably from the last election.

You can still cast an early ballot.

For Election Day on Tuesday, the following vote center locations will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.:

Flintwood Wesleyan Church

St. John’s Masonic Lodge on Rocky Ford Rd

Grace Lutheran Church on Central Ave.

Donner Center

Bible Church of Columbus on Tenth Street

The Commons

German American Bank on W. Jonathan Moore Pike

Terrace Lake Church

Phelps says determining Tuesday night’s primary winners shouldn’t take long once the polls close.

We’ll have live election coverage once polls close Tuesday night at 6 p.m. on News Talk 1010 WCSI and 98.1 FM.

Bartholomew County Sheriff Matt Myers has been complaining loudly recently about safety concerns relating to the crosswalk in front of the jail. Those long-awaited improvements are on the way.

On Thursday, Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop’s office confirmed that the Indiana Department of Transportation has an active project to install a pedestrian signal at the crosswalk. City officials say that INDOT plans to install an overhead HAWK (High-Intensity Activated crossWalK) signal, similar to the signals on Lindsey Street at Fifth Street and on Washington Street at 17th Street.

The project is scheduled for bid letting on July 10th. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Another phone scam has been discovered locally. The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department says that the calling number is displayed as coming from its office. The scammer tells the person that they have missed jury duty and therefore must provide some type of financial compensation or risk being arrested. At least one of the callers was advised to take money to a local grocery store.

Authorities stress that no one from the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office will call demanding money from anyone who missed jury duty. If you receive such a call demanding money, hang up. Do not give any personal information.

A report of a suspicious person near Sycamore Street in downtown Columbus led to a woman’s arrest on drug-related charges.

Columbus police say that a witness saw a woman acting suspiciously near a home in the 1000 block of Sycamore at about 10:30 yesterday morning. Officers spoke with the woman who identified herself as 23-year-old Hanna D. Hatton of Columbus, who had an outstanding arrest warrant.

She was taken into custody without incident, but a search revealed she was carrying marijuana, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. She was arrested on the warrant and on new charges for possessing the drugs and drug paraphernalia.

Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office and Columbus Police Department are announcing upcoming “Click It or Ticket” patrols looking for drivers who are not wearing seatbelts.

They will be joining law-enforcement agencies across the nation in the effort to increase enforcement of seat-belt laws. The agencies will be making highly visible patrols and watching for unrestrained passengers. They say the effort will include cars and trucks, children and adults, front seat and back, and during the day and night.

Click It or Ticket will run through the Memorial Day holiday and the start of the summer travel season. The overtime hours for the police patrols are paid for from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration funds administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.

According to the Institute, Indiana law requires the driver and all passengers to buckle up. Children under 8 must be properly restrained in a child car seat or booster seat.

Columbus Republican voters will be choosing candidates in three City Council races in the May 7th primary election – District 1, District 3 and the at-large races.

We asked the candidates for their thoughts on the city’s partnering with other local governments for projects affecting the larger community.

In District 1, incumbent Dascal Bunch is running against Chris Rutan.

In District 3, incumbent Dave Bush is running against Russell Poling.

In the At-Large race, incumbent Laurie Booher is facing a challenge from John D. Counceller and Josh Burnett.

About the candidates:

Dascal Bunch, 64, is currently in his second term representing District 1 on the Columbus City Council. He also works part-time. Bunch has two adult childre, six grandchildren and a seventh on the way. He attended Ball State University. Bunch is involved with St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, specifically the church’s “Angels of Love” program.

Chris Rutan, 41, is a local property manager. He has previously run for city council, district 1, Columbus Townsip Trustee and the Columbus Township Advisory Board. Rutan is heavily involved with the Salvation Army.

David Bush, 34, currently serves District 3 on the Columbus City Council. He was selected by local Republican Party leaders to complete the term of former Councilman Frank Jerome, who moved out of the district. Bush is also a small business owner. He and his wife Katy are raising three children. Bush is a graduate of Columbus East and Purdue. He is involved with Turning Point and is a member of the operations board for St. Peter’s Lutheran Church.

Russell Poling, 56, is a quality manager at Cummins and a 20-year veteran of the Air Force. He and his wife Judy have two adult children and one grandchild. Poling has a degree in computer science from the the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He is a mentor with the Bartholomew County Veterans Treatment Court and serves on the Bartholomew County Plan Commission and as vice president of the Columbus City Plan Commission. Poling previously ran for this council seat in 2015.

Laurie Booher is currently serving on the Columbus City Council At-Large. She is a small business owner that employs youths and adults with special needs. Booher has three adult children and a master’s degree in physical therapy from the Universtity of Indianapolis. Booher served as a member of the Columbus Service League, as well as on the boards of Turning Point and Riley Hospital Foundation.

John D. Counceller,72, is a local business owner. He and his wife have a blended family of seven adult children. He has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Trine University. Counceller ran unsucessfully last year to represent Indiana House District 59.

Josh Burnett, 31, is a small busines owner. He and his wife Katie are raising there young children. Burnett is a graduate of Columbus East and Cincinnatti Christian University. His is a member of Columbus Young Professionals, the local Rotary Club and the board of the Bartholomew Consolidated School Foundation. This is his first run at elected office.

There are no contested primaries on the Democratic side.

A change in leadership at Seymour City Hall is coming in 2020. Eight candidates are campaigning to replace outgoing Seymour Mayor Craig Luedeman. He announced in November he would not seek a fourth term. Five Republicans and three Democrats will face off in Tuesday’s primary election for a spot on the November ballot.

Republican candidates are:

– Bridey Jacobi
– Tom Joray
– Matt Nicholson
– Nathan Otte
– Matt Rowe

Democrat candidates are:

– Tyler Henkle
– James Kelly
– Rexanne Ude

Early voting continues at the Jackson County Public Library in Seymour and the Jackson County Judicial Center, located at 109 South Sugar Street in Brownstown. Voting at the library is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday and 9:30 a.m. to noon on Monday. Early voting in Brownstown is from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to noon on Monday.

Southside Elementary School locked down its facility Wednesday. The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department says that at approximately 11:40 a.m., a motorist in the area  reported seeing a suspicious person waving an object in their hand on County Road 200 South, near the fairgrounds. Upon receiving this information, Southside Elementary staff immediately secured the building and Columbus Police responded and found the individual. Southside parents were notified via school building-specific communication while law enforcement conducted a search of the individual and the area with police dogs.

“BCSC is committed to keeping our students and staff safe at all times. We are proud to be a part of community that cares about our schools and are grateful for our partnership with local law enforcement,” BCSC Communications Coordinator Josh Burnett said.

Columbus Police were unable to say if there were any arrests. We are awaiting comment from the department.

A Hartsville man was arrested Sunday, accused of threatening deputies after a traffic accident.

Bartholomew County deputies were at the scene of a crash at about 10 p.m. Sunday night in the 19000 block of East County Road 500N. A passenger had been injured and the driver, 33-year-old Michael Henson of Hartsville showed signs that he was impaired, according to police reports. Deputies say that Henson made threats to harm the officers at the scene.

He was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital to have his blood tested and then to the Bartholomew County Jail. But on the trip to the jail, he allegedly continued to threaten and resist deputies.

He is facing charges of operating a vehicle while Intoxicated with a prior conviction, intimidation and resisting law enforcement.

The injured passenger suffered a dislocated elbow in the crash.

Hope Civil War Days are returning this weekend after an almost five-year absence.

Barb Johnson, an organizer for the event with the Yellow Trail Museum explains, that the annual event fell apart after the death of Hope Star-Journal newspaper publisher Larry Simpson in 2014.

Organizing of the event has fallen to the Hope Chamber of Commerce, Main Street of Hope and the Yellow Trail Museum.

Civil War re-enactors will begin arriving Friday night and setting up camp on the Hope Town Square.

Public activities will start at 8 a.m. on Saturday and 8:30 p.m. on Sunday. Among the new activities, a member of a surgical team will give a hands-on presentation on Civil War medicine at 10:15 a.m. on Saturday, Johnson says.

Johnson said the activities should be informational and fun for adults and children.

Among the activities on Sunday, there will be a ceremony at the grave of Barton Mitchell. Mitchell was a Union Army private from Hartsville who is credited with finding a secret Confederate communication that helped turn the tide of the war.

You can get more information by contacting the Yellow Trail Museum and Visitor Center at 812-546-8020.

Courtesy of Yellow Trail Museum