Bartholomew Consolidated School students will end the school year at home, and earlier than originally expected.

Instead of attending through May 28th as originally scheduled in the school calendar, class will end earlier for most students after a decision last night by the school board. Dr. Jim Roberts, BCSC superintendent explains that they school year’s e-Learning will end on May 21st for most students.

Some high school students will be in class on May 22nd, taking advanced placement tests Roberts said.

Students statewide are required to complete 180 days of instruction in a normal school year. But with the move to online classes, the governor also reduced the number of days to 160. Roberts said that BCSC students will actually exceed that by several days.

The BCSC board met by Zoom conference Monday night.

Indiana now has 8,527 total cases of COVID-19 being reported, and has had 387 deaths as of Tuesday afternoon’s update.

The Indiana State Department of Health reported that Bartholomew County has 110 confirmed cases, unchanged from Sunday. There have been four deaths so far from the coronavirus in Bartholomew County, which remains unchanged from last week. Bartholomew County has had 839 tests done, of which 567 were negative and 111 are still awaiting results.

In other area counties, Decatur County has 153 cases and has had 10 deaths. Jennings 58 cases and no deaths, Jackson 70 cases and no deaths, Brown 13 cases and 1 death, 329 cases in Johnson and 21 deaths and 77 positive test results in Shelby County and 3 deaths.

A victim was seriously injured in a crash in northwestern Bartholomew County yesterday afternoon.

The German Township Volunteer Fire Department reports being called out to County Road 550N and U.S. 31 at about 5:15 p.m. Monday afternoon on a three-vehicle crash where one person had been ejected from a vehicle.

One of the victims was unconscious and seriously injured. That person was transported by IU Lifeline Helicopter to an Indianapolis hospital trauma center.

Two other victims were taken to Columbus Regional Hospital and three victims were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

Edinburgh Fire Department, Bartholomew County deputies and Columbus Regional Hospital medics also worked at the scene of the crash.

German Township Deputy Chief Jacob Goodin stressed the importance of wearing a seatbelt. He said that injuries are much more severe when someone is not wearing a seatbelt. A few seconds spent fastening your seatbelt can save your life and prevent serious injury.

For more information, visit German Township Fire Department on Facebook.

Jennings County deputies are reporting that a man forced his way into a Country Squire Lakes home and held three teens at gunpoint.

The incident happened yesterday afternoon. The teens reported to deputies that a neighbor forced his way into the home, threatened the teens while holding them at gunpoint and then left the house.

50-year-old Aphonso E. Barnett of North Vernon was arrested on preliminary charges of burglary armed with a deadly weapon, criminal confinement with a deadly weapon, intimidation with a deadly weapon and criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon.

Columbus police say they arrested a man early this morning after he passed out while his vehicle was stopped on Rockyford Road at Sycamore Drive.

The incident happened at about 2 a.m. this morning, when they found 35-year-old Travis L. Lockard, of Columbus passed out inside a running vehicle in the roadway. Police had difficulty waking him and he had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath. Officers located two syringes as well as methamphetamine in Lockard’s clothing. They also recovered a handgun from one of Lockard’s coat pockets.

He was arrested on preliminary charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated; possession of a legend drug injection device, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia; carrying a handgun without a license and theft.