The deadline to sign up for home deliveries of the State Street Area Association’s Thanksgiving dinner is coming up on Wednesday.

The association will be hosting the traditional holiday meal from 12 to 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Roby and America Anderson Community Center on McClure Road. For those needing home deliveries, you can call 812-344-9551 and leave the number of meals you need, up to four. Meal deliveries will be between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday.

The association is still looking for donations of dishes including pre-cooked turkeys, boxes of mashed potatoes and stuffing, large cans of green beans, cans of whipped cream and apple or pumpkin pies. Those can be dropped off at the center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily. If you are donating a frozen turkey, organizers ask that be dropped off by Wednesday in order to be thawed in time for Saturday’s meal.

Local authorities arrested six people Monday on drug-related charges tied to a Columbus home.

The Bartholomew County Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team raided the detached garage of a home in the 2100 block of Caldwell Place Monday evening. They discovered methamphetamine, heroin, controlled substances, drug paraphernalia, and narcotics packaging material. 33-year-old Christopher D. Battin, who lives at the home, was arrested on preliminary charges of dealing in cocaine or a  narcotic drug, possession of methamphetamine, a controlled substance, heroin, marijuana and drug paraphernalia, as well as maintaining a common nuisance.

Others arrested during drug-related traffic stops tied to the investigation include 32-year-old Elizabeth A. Burton, 29-year-old Jonathan P. Blair and 57-year-old Victor N. Burton, all of Columbus; 32-year-old Christopher L. Tays of Franklin, and 31-year-old Ryan S. Hollman, of Hope.

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  Elizabeth A. Burton was arrested after the Columbus Police Department’s Intelligence Led Policing Unit stopped her vehicle near 7th Street and Central Avenue. Methamphetamine and a controlled substance were found in the vehicle and she is facing drug possession charges.

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  Tays was arrested after a traffic stop near 17th Street and Gladstone Avenue. He was wanted on two local warrants and one from another county. A Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department police dog alerted to the smell of drugs in this vehicle and officers report finding marijuana and a suboxone strip. He is facing new drug possession charges in addition to the warrant.

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  Shortly after Tays arrest, officers stopped a vehicle being driven by Blair. A police dog alerted to drugs inside and a search recovered nearly 30 grams of methamphetamine.  Blair was arrested on charges of possessing the methamphetamine and visiting a common nuisance.

• Hollman and Burton were passengers in Blair’s vehicle. They are facing charges of dealing and possessing methamphetamine and visiting a common nuisance.

The city of Columbus plans to work with Sprague Hotel Developers to come up with a downtown hotel and conference center. The Columbus Redevelopment Commission accepted the recommendation of its Hotel/Conference Center Team to start negotiations with Sprague.

Sprague, owned by Janeen Sprague and based in downtown Columbus, already locally operates Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express & Suites and Comfort Inn in Edinburgh, along with the Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites in Seymour. They also have hotels in Indianapolis, Fishers, Franklin, Greenwood and Noblesville.

Tom Vujovich, co-chair of the team, says that a hotel and conference center is a major part of the “Envision Columbus” plan. He adds that two pieces of downtown property are being considered for the project.

Which property will be utilized has yet to be negotiated.

The commission voted unanimously to accept the recommendation and proceed into the negotiation process with Sprague Hotel Developers.

The body also approved a resolution to amend a contract with Hunden Strategic Partners to to allow that group to help with negotiations on this project on behalf of the commission. They agreed to set aside $20,000 to pay for that assistance, as needed, on an hourly basis.

A reminder that Bartholomew Consolidated Schools are closed Tuesday, Nov. 19 so that staff can attend the “Red for Ed” event at the Indiana Statehouse.

Thousands of teachers from across Indiana are expected to flood the Capitol for the rally. Reports are that more than 130 school districts are calling off classes.

BCSC will make this day up on March 10th.

Other area school districts also closed for the day are:

– Edinburgh Community Schools
– Jennings County Schools
– Decatur County Community Schools

The Bartholomew County Highway Department says that Blessing Road will be closed to all traffic, from State Road 11 to Roosevelt Drive, for repairs, beginning Tuesday, Nov. 19th. That stretch of road is slated to reopen sometime on Tuesday, Nov. 26th.

If you are looking for more traffic information, download the WAZE app for your smartphone and join the WCSI Traffic team powered by Crew Car Wash. You can find updated traffic information on our website, on-air and on the app.

The Yellow Trail Museum in Hope will be hosting the community’s annual Christmas of Yesteryear on the Hope Town Square, Friday evening.

Activities will include a bake sale, crafts, cookie decorating and strolling carolers. A live Nativity will be staged at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. There will be a wagon ride where participants can interact with reenactors of historical Hope Christmas festivities and Santa Claus will make an appearance at the Sweet Chiropractic Clinic.

There will also be business promotions and many town businesses will stay open late for the festival.

Christmas of Yesteryear in Hope runs from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Friday.

The North Vernon Police Department records division is closing for most of the week for staff training.

The department reports that the office will closing during the day Tuesday and will remain closed through Thursday.

Any reports needed will have to be picked up on Friday. Friday hours will be from 7:30 to 11 a.m. in the morning and from 1 to 4 p.m. in the afternoon.

If you need assistance from an officer during the down time, you can call the Jennings County Dispatch Center at 812-346-2345.

A Columbus man is under arrest on battery charges after a domestic dispute Saturday.

Bartholomew County deputies were called to the fight at about 7 p.m. on Saturday evening in the 6500 block of Tyler Too, and a witness told police that the suspect, 28-year-old Miguel A. Martinez-Maltos, was running toward his home.

Deputies caught Martinez-Maltos and he had to be taken to Columbus Regional Hospital to be checked for injuries before being arrested on preliminary charges of battery, battery with serious bodily injury and domestic battery, along with resisting law enforcement.

A Columbus woman is accused of fleeing from police at speeds of up to 100 mph while driving a stolen car.

A Columbus officer tried to stop a vehicle driving without headlights at about 2:25 a.m Sunday morning near Fifth and Washington streets. But instead of stopping, the driver took off, blowing through several stop signs and heading the wrong way down 10th Street for several blocks.

As the chase left the city and headed down U.S. 31, officers joined the pursuit from Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Police, Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and Seymour Police Department.

Police say the driver went over three sets of tire deflation devices before finally being stopped on U.S. 50 near Seymour after striking a curb. 33-year-old Whitney K. Watkins was arrested on preliminary charges of resisting law enforcement in a vehicle, theft of a motor vehicle and reckless driving.

Columbus police arrested a mom who is accused of driving under the influence with her toddler in the car.

The incident started at about 3:20 a.m. Friday morning when police saw a vehicle driving left of the centerline on 25th Street, nearly striking the curb. After a traffic stop, police reportedly noticed a strong odor of marijuana inside the vehicle. The driver, 19-year-old Lilly E. Hall failed several field sobriety tests.

A search revealed marijuana in the car and in a diaper bag, along with a THC vape pen in the center console. After a blood test at Columbus Regional Hospital, she was arrested on preliminary charges of driving while intoxicated with a minor present, along with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

The 13-month-old was turned over to a family member after the Department of Child Services was called in, according to police reports.