A Jackson County inmate is back behind bars, after an escape Friday night.

Sheriff Rick Meyer announced Saturday night that 39-year-old Daniel A. Coomer was recaptured by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI.

Coomer escaped at 8:38 p.m. Friday night after he was taken by jail staff into the outdoor recreation area with other inmates and discovered a door to the outside was unlocked.

At about 11 Friday night, authorities received a report about a home break in and they believe Coomer broke in and stole clothes. Police dogs were brought in including those from the Seymour and Columbus police and the Jennings and Washington county sheriff’s departments.

The sheriff says details of the recapture of Coomer will be released soon.

Coomer was originally being held on preliminary charges of Impersonation of a public servant, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of paraphernalia, Auto theft, OWI, OWI endangerment and a Floyd County Circuit Court warrant.

Sixth District Representative Greg Pence has put forth an amendment to expand high-speed internet access.

The Columbus Republican is touting his recent bill targeting broadband improvements to rural areas. Pence says these improvements aren’t just for entertainment needs. He explains that more and more farm equipment can connect to the internet. In addition, Pence says that there’s a number of rural schools in the district that still don’t have access to quality high-speed internet.

Pence says that nearly a third of residents in the Southeastern Indiana Regional Planning Commission’s nine-county area lack 25/3 access. 25/3 means internet service of at least 25 megabits per second download speed and three megabits per second upload speed.

Pence’s amendment passed 425-6 and provides $75 million in grant funding to address the broadband needs of rural communities.

The House of Representatives is currently on break from Washington D.C. They return Sept. 9th.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has issued an Air Quality Action Day and is forecasting high ozone levels for Saturday, August 3 for the following areas:

• Central Indiana – Marion, Bartholomew, Boone, Brown, Delaware, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Madison, Monroe, Morgan and Shelby
• North Central Indiana – St. Joseph, Elkhart
• Northwest Indiana – Lake, Porter, LaPorte

IDEM encourages everyone to help reduce ozone by making simple changes to their daily habits. You can:

• Walk, bike, carpool or use public transportation
• Avoid using the drive-through and combine errands into one trip
• Avoid refueling your vehicle or using gasoline-powered lawn equipment until after 7 p.m.
• Turn off your engine when idling for more than 30 seconds
• Conserve energy by turning off lights or setting the air conditioner to 75 degrees or above

Anyone sensitive to changes in air quality may be affected when ozone levels are high. Children, the elderly and anyone with heart or lung conditions should reduce or avoid exertion and heavy work outdoors.

To learn more about ozone or sign up for air quality forecasts, visit SmogWatch.IN.gov.

Schneck Medical Center Hospice is hosting GriefShare, a 13-week free program open to anyone who is coping with a loss. Topics will include:

– Living with Grief
– The Journey of Grief
– The Effects of Grief
– Your Family & Grief
– Uniqueness of Grief

GriefShare seminars feature video sessions and discussion and other resources.

“In our fast-paced society, I believe it is imperative for us to take time to grieve” said Stephen Barrett, Schneck Hospice Chaplain. “Being with others that have had similar experiences can be extremely healing. This program is designed to be a place of hope and healing for those whose lives have been broken.”

The GriefShare Group, hosted by Barrett, will meet every Thursday, for 13 weeks starting August 29th from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The program will be held at The Point, located at 311 Myers Street.

GriefShare is a free program for adults and children 14 years and older. Registration is not required. Childcare is available upon request.

For more information, call 812-523-4879.

Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office and Columbus Police Department are joining about 230 law-enforcement agencies across Indiana and thousands nationwide in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over mobilization. From mid-August through Labor Day, police will be working overtime to arrest impaired drivers. Expect to see increased sobriety checkpoints, roving patrols and saturation patrols.

Overtime patrols are supported with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration funds distributed by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.

Battalion Chief Mark Ziegler has been promoted to Deputy Chief of Fire Department Operations for the Columbus Fire Department. Ziegler, a 22-year veteran of the department, has been promoted through the ranks serving as Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain and Battalion Chief. Ziegler is a Columbus East High School graduate and holds a Master’s Degree in Communications from Easter Michigan University. Ziegler was promoted to the Deputy Chief position previously held by Andy Lay, who was appointed as Chief of Fire by Mayor Jim Lienhoop.

Ziegler is a state certified Hazardous Materials Technician, Rope Rescue Technician, Emergency Medical Technician and Aircraft Rescue Firefighter certified. Chief Lay says, “Deputy Chief Ziegler is an excellent addition to our department’s administration. Mark’s experience as a company officer and incident commander has given him a deep understanding of department operations and leadership. We are pleased to have Mark join our Executive Board of Chiefs.”

The African American Fund of Bartholomew County will be hosting a new multimedia display in The Commons which starts Sunday and lasts through the end of the month.

Tom Harmon, a founding member of the local African American Fund, explains that “Giving Back: The Soul of Philanthropy Reframed and Exhibited”  celebrates African American philanthropic contributions to our community. An opening reception will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday at The Commons.

For the first week in The Commons, the Columbus exhibit will be accompanied by a national traveling exhibit.

The Soul of Philanthropy exhibit features photos and multimedia displays of about 50 local African Americans.

Harmon said that the impact of organizations including African-American churches is also featured.

After the local exhibit finishes its run at The Commons, it will move to several other local locations before finding a permanent home at the Madam C.J. Walker Theatre Center in Indianapolis.

August is Black Philanthropy Month. More information on the national exhibit is available at thesoulofphilanthropy.com.

A Franklin man is behind bars on numerous charges after a two month investigation led by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Indiana State Police say that 26-year-old Tyler Bartnovsky was arrested Thursday after investigators served a search warrant at his home. The investigation began after law enforcement received a tip about Bartnovsky’s alleged activities. Based on information discovered during the investigation and subsequent search warrant, Bartnovsky was arrested on the following preliminary charges:

– 25 Counts of Possession of Child Pornograpny (Level 6 Felony)
– 1 Count of Child Solicitation (Level 4 Felony)
– 1 Count of Sexual Misconduct with a Minor (Level 4 Felony)

The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force consists of several central Indiana Police Agencies. This particular case was led by a detective from the Martinsville Police Department with the assistance of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the Franklin Police Department, the Noblesville Police Department, the Brownsburg Police Department and the Indiana State Police.

Tips about crimes against children, including child pornography, child solicitation, human trafficking, or mistreatment of children can be submitted anonymously at missingkids.org.

The fight against addiction continues locally.

A search is underway for an addiction coordinator for the Bartholomew County Jail. Chief Deputy Major Chris Lane with the sheriff’s department says a lot of work has gone into creating this position.

Lane explains that whoever is hired for this position will need to be able to hit the ground running and help develop plans to help those inmates who want treatment.

The position will be funded equally by the city and the county.

Plans are to open additional space in the jail so that those receiving treatment can be segregated from other inmates. Officials say that once the hire is made, inmate treatment should begin next year.