Columbus city workers are mourning the loss of of one of their own. The city announced that a Columbus City Utilities employee, Brandon S. Hendershot, was killed when the dump truck he was driving was hit by a Louisville & Indiana train Wednesday afternoon near Indianapolis and Long roads. That is at the Shelby Materials plant.

The city says that Hendershot was a water distribution laborer who had worked for the city since last September.

Mayor Jim Lienhoop said “our hearts go out to everyone who has been a part of Brandon’s life. My wife, Pam, and I both offer our sincere prayers and support to Brandon’s family.”

The accident happened at about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday and a Lifeline helicopter was called to the scene. Traffic was tied up for several hours.

Two men were arrested in Columbus Monday afternoon on drug charges after fleeing from a traffic stop.

Columbus police say that a city officer and Bartholomew County deputy pulled over a vehicle at 11th at Chestnut streets at about 3:30 Monday afternoon because the vehicle had an expired license plate and cracked windshield. A police dog alerted to the smell of drugs inside the vehicle and the driver allegedly sped away and officers began chasing the vehicle.

The driver, identified as 39-year-old Matthew B. Herron of Columbus ignored several stop signs and traffic signals and drove into oncoming traffic, before eventually stopping in the 8100 block of 25th Street. A search revealed methamphetamine and counterfeit money, police report.

Herron is facing charges of possession of methamphetamine, resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, reckless driving, reckless driving in a construction zone, criminal recklessness and counterfeiting

A passenger, 30-year-old Timothy A. Mose, of Crawfordsville, is being accused of possession of methamphetamine

According to the most recent update from the Indiana State Department of Health, there are 35,712 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Indiana, an increase of 511 cases since Tuesday’s report.

There have been 2,032 deaths in Indiana as of this afternoon’s update, an increase of 10 deaths from the previous numbers.

Bartholomew County has 522 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and has had 38 deaths.

In other area counties, Decatur County has had 230 cases and 31 deaths, Jennings 131 cases and 4 deaths, Jackson 394 cases and 2 deaths, Brown 33 cases and 1 death, Johnson 1,120 cases and 110 deaths, and Shelby 398 cases and 22 deaths.

People from Seymour and the surrounding areas gathered Monday and Tuesday to hold an organized, peaceful, protest against the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis.

The death that has shocked and captivated the nation over the past few weeks.

The protest was held as a combined effort between the Seymour Police Department and local organizers who sought to not only show their support for the Black Lives Matter protest movement, but to also show the local communities that peaceful protests are possible and not all protests end in violence or destruction.

Mercedes Seniours, one of the original organizers for the protest explains why she believes the peaceful protest was necessary.

Chelsie Davis, one of the protest’s organizers had this to say about working with the police who approached them about helping out their planned protest.

Seymour police officer Jeremy Helmsing had nothing but praise for the protestors and event.

Even though the event was planned and held peacefully, there were still threats and counter-protestors against the event.

Chelsie Davis,  had this to say about a pedestrian who disagreed with their protest:

Despite protests that have turned violent and destructive over the past week, Protest Organizer Kaitlyn Lowry hoped that their positive demonstration showed local areas that protestors working with police for the greater good is possible.

The protests were held at the Seymour Farmer’s market located downtown Seymour on North Walnut Street on Monday and Tuesday.

— By Bryan Watson, for White River Broadcasting