Bartholomew County has a new deputy. Sheriff Matt Myers swore in Colten Fowler in a ceremony Monday morning.

Fowler is a graduate of Columbus North High School. He received a bachelor’s degree in political science from Wabash College and a master’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati.

Fowler is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran.

Fowler has been working as a corrections officer in the Bartholomew County Jail since March 2019. He will now go to work in the sheriffs department’s road division.

Columbus police say giving a fake name to officers didn’t stop a wanted man from getting arrested last night.

Officers noticed two people inside a vehicle behind a Reo Street home at about 10 last night. One of the two allegedly gave a fake name to officers, but police discovered he was actually 45-year-old Bruce A. Galbraith of Columbus who was wanted on warrants out of Bartholomew and Owen counties.

He was arrested without incident but is facing new charges of false informing.

You will be able to walk-in to the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles branches starting again next week. The agency announced that it would be accepting limited numbers of appointments on June 15th.

The majority of branches will return to a five day per week schedule serving Hoosiers Tuesday through Saturday. Staff who work directly with customers will be required to wear masks and customers visiting a branch are also encouraged to wear a mask.

Once reopened, Hoosiers will be able to complete all normal branch transactions except for driving skills tests. The timeline for restarting those tests is still being finalized and will be announced in the next few weeks.

The state is encouraging Hoosiers to complete BMV transactions online whenever possible. You can also visit a BMV Connect kiosk, call the contact center, or return renewal through the mail using preprinted forms.

According to the most recent update from the Indiana State Department of Health, there are 37,623 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Indiana, an increase of 244 cases since Sunday’s update.

There have been 2,135 deaths in Indiana as of Monday afternoon’s update, an increase of 14 since yesterday.

Bartholomew County has 536 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and has had 40 deaths.

In other area counties, Decatur County has had 234 cases and 32 deaths, Jennings 133 cases and 4 deaths, Jackson 404 cases and 2 deaths, Brown 34 cases and 1 death, Johnson 1,139 cases and 114 deaths and Shelby 401 cases and 22 deaths.

Farmers, business owners, not-for-profit groups and industries have until June 15th to file their personal property returns with the county assessor, according to Ginny Whipple, the Bartholomew County assessor.

Business personal property is the value of all property besides real estate that is used in your business or organization including equipment, Whipple said.

Exemptions from personal property taxes are available for those taxpayers whose business personal property is less than $40,000, however, all of the required forms must be completed and turned in to be eligible. Those failing to file the appropriate forms may invoke a penalty.

Due to restrictions from the COVID-19 illness, forms can be emailed to Ginny.Whipple@bartholomew.in.gov, mailed to 440 Third St. Suite 201, Columbus IN 47201 or taxpayers can call the office at 812-379-1505

Real estate appeals for the 2020 pay 2021 tax cycle must also be filed by June 15.

About 400 National Guard troops are back in Indiana at Camp Atterbury after being called up to provide security in Washington D.C. during recent protests and rioting.

Soldiers returned home Sunday after supporting local law enforcement and crisis management efforts, including manning traffic control points, providing security and escorting emergency personnel.

Adjutant General Dale Lyles says the Indiana National Guard deployed to protect life, preserve critical infrastructure and ensure people’s Constitutional rights.

Service members will complete a COVID-19 screening before leaving Camp Atterbury. At a minimum, this screening will consist of an assessment of exposure history, a temperature check, and a check for COVID-19 signs and symptoms.

Toyota Material Handling, based in Columbus, says it is addressing the new environmental safety realities facing its customers.

With National Forklift Safety Day coming up Tuesday, the company reports it is implementing measures across its dealer locations to ensure customer service is uninterrupted while keeping personal health in mind.

For example, Southern States Toyotalift in Tampa, Florida,has been equipping associates with tools to disinfect the units before and after servicing them. The company says it is maintaining CDC guidelines to ensure the safety of employees and technicians.

At the same site, associates are required to wash their hands thoroughly every 60 minutes for at least 20 seconds with soap and water and maintain six feet of social distancing between all personnel.

Across its locations, Toyota dealers have been offering new services to customers’ fleets including after-hours service, outdoor parking lot service, as well as digital condition reporting.