The deadline is approaching for families of junior high students to apply for Indiana’s 21st Century Scholarship program.
The scholarship provides eligible students up to four years of undergraduate tuition at public colleges or universities in Indiana. Families must meet certain income eligibility guidelines. Students must also earn an overall high school grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale and graduate with at least a Core 40 diploma.
Those heading into seventh and eighth grade can apply now but students are no longer eligible once they enter high school.
Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop says that a blessing of good weather and the hard work of Milestone Contractors means we will soon be driving on the overpass heading into downtown Columbus.
Lienhoop says that Jonathan Moore Pike heading east into downtown Columbus is down to a single lane for about two weeks as crews begin to connect State Road 46 to the new overpass.
Heading west, two lanes remain open on Jonathan Moore Pike/State Road 46. Lienhoop says that once the east bound lanes finish connecting, the old east bound lanes will be removed so the westbound connections can be built.
Work is also continuing on the Third Street bridge deck overlay, and you will see lanes closed there into early July. INDOT says that May’s rains caused some delays on that portion of the project.
The closure of State Road 11 between Jonathan Moore Pike/ State Road 46 and Garden City is expected to be lifted by the Fourth of July weekend. That has been closed since the first of June while crews reconstructed pavement and did storm sewer work in the area.
All the work is supposed to wrap up by Christmas, Lienhoop said.
Applications are now open for families who will need help with school supplies in the coming school year in Bartholomew County.
Diane Doup with Lincoln Central Neigbhorhood Family Center explains to participate in the Bartholomew County School Supply Assistance Program, children must be registered in a Bartholomew County school in kindergarten through 12th grade to be eligible for assistance. That includes BCSC, Flat Rock-Hawcreek and private schools in the county.
Last year, about 2,000 students received free basic school supplies through this program. All supplies are provided through community contributions.
To register your children for assistance call (812) 375-2216 or 812-375-9370 for help in Spanish. Priority will be given to families who register by July 17th.
Doup said organizers want to stress that the supplies will still be needed for whatever form classes take in the new school year. And with the large number of layoff and the high unemployment rate, there is likely going to be a lot of need this year.
Tax-deductible cash, check or money order donations can be made payable and sent to BCSSAP, 1531 13th Street, Suite 1100, Columbus, IN 47201
The 2020 Bartholomew County School Supply Assistance Program members are: Advocates for Children, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation, Centra Credit Union, Columbus Regional Health, Columbus Sunrise Rotary, Community Center of Hope, Cummins, Inc., Flat-Rock Hawcreek School Corporation, Lincoln-Central Neighborhood Family Center, Su Casa, and United Way of Bartholomew County.
Legal Aid will be holding a phone-in legal clinic for low income residents of Bartholomew, Shelby, Decatur, Jennings and Jackson counties on Tuesday.
Although the phone clinic will be from 3 to 5:30 pm, you must first call and register for an appointment between noon and 1:30 p.m. that afternoon.
The Legal Aid Phone Clinic offers brief consultations with a volunteer attorney to answer general questions, to offer legal information or advice.
You can register for the clinic at 812-378-0358 and a volunteer attorney will return the call. But those taking part must be available to take the return call during the available time.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has declared an Ozone Action Day in our area today.
The affected area includes Bartholomew, Brown, Johnson and Shelby counties.
During an Ozone Action Day, a combination of high temperatures, light winds and other factors combine to produce conditions where ozone levels exceed federal standards. Anyone sensitive to changes in air quality may find it hard to breathe when ozone levels are high. Children, the elderly and anyone with heart or lung conditions should reduce or avoid exertion and heavy work outdoors. If you have to be outside, drink plenty of water and take frequent breaks.
IDEM recommends that you take actions to lower ozone levels, including walking, biking, carpooling or using public transportation; avoid going through drive-throughs, if your vehicle is going to be idling for more than 30 seconds, shut it off; and combine your errands into one trip; avoid refueling your vehicle or using gas-powered lawn equipment until after 7 tonight.
Jonathan Moore Pike heading east into downtown Columbus is down to a single lane for about two weeks as crews begin to connect State Road 46 to the new overpass.
Heading west, two lanes remain open on Jonathan Moore Pike/State Road 46.
Work is also continuing on the Third Street bridge deck overlay, and you will see lanes closed into early July. INDOT says that May’s rains caused some delays on that portion of the project.
The closure of State Road 11 between Jonathan Moore Pike/ State Road 46 and Garden City is expected to be lifted by the Fourth of July weekend. That has been closed since the first of June while crews reconstructed pavement and did storm sewer work in the area.
INDOT says you should be alert for traffic changes around the new overpass. When you are in a construction zone, you should slow down, use extra caution and make sure to drive without distractions.
Seymour police say they now have a suspect in a series of trailer thefts at a city business, some dating back almost 10 years.
Main Trailer Sales on Commerce Drive reported a horse trailer worth about $81,000 was stolen from their property in November of 2010. Other trailers were stolen from the business in August of 2011 and January of 2014.
A tip in January of this year, led police to a Borden home, where they recovered a dump trailer stolen in 2014. A tip also led local investigators to search for a trailer at a racetrack in Louisiana, where they recovered the trailer ne stolen in 2011. The vehicle identification number had been obscured on that trailer.
Last week, a tip led police to a home in Dora, Alabama. Deputies with the Jefferson County Alabama Sheriff’s Office recovered the 2009 Elite Horse Trailer from a person who said they had traded a $40,000.00 horse for the trailer about eight or nine years ago.
Police said this week that they are eyeing a suspect in the case, who is also suspected of stealing another trailer from the company. The case remains under investigation.
Shawn M. Kuhlman. Photo courtesy of Jennings County Sheriff’s Department.
Jennings County deputies arrested a wanted man last night, but say he was only taken into custody after being bitten by a police dog.
Detectives and deputies located 24-year-old Shawn M. Kuhlman , who was wanted on several warrants for dealing methamphetamine, at a home in Geneva Township at about 10:45 p.m. last night.
Sgt. Cody Low and his police dog Axel saw Kuhlman fleeing from the back of the home. After Kuhlman allegedly ignored commands to surrender and continued to run away, Axel was let loose and grabbed Kuhlman. He was taken to a local hospital to be treated for dog bites.
In addition to the outstanding warrants, Kuhlman is now facing a new charge of resisting law enforcement.
Indiana State Police are asking for the public’s help finding a driver who caused a fatal accident on Interstate 65 near Edinburgh last night.
Investigators say a white Chevrolet Cobalt with either Illinois or Kentucky license plates was driving recklessly at just after 8 p.m. in the southbound lanes of the interstate about a mile north of the Edinburgh State Road 252 exit. That included speeding, weaving in and out of traffic, braking suddenly and giving hand gestures to other drivers
The driver allegedly pulled in front of a pick-up truck and suddenly braked. The pick-up’s driver, 72-year-old Mark Raub of Nashville, then swerved to the right to avoid colliding with the Cobalt, and was struck by a semi. The pickup then crashed into a guard rail and flipped over.
Police say that Samaritans pulled Raub from the wreckage and tried to perform CPR, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the semi was not injured.
Anyone with a dash camera who was driving in the area between Indianapolis and Columbus and saw the white Cobalt with Illinois or Kentucky license plates should contact the Indiana State Police 317-899-8577.
Bartholomew County and surrounding counties have added three more deaths from COVID-19.
According to the most recent update from the Indiana State Department of Health, there are 40,786 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Indiana, an increase of 440 cases since Monday’s update.
There have been 2,265 deaths in Indiana as of Tuesday afternoon’s update, an increase of 14 since Monday.
Bartholomew County has had 558 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and has had 42 deaths, an increase of one since yesterday. Johnson County has had 115 deaths, an increase of one, and Shelby County added a death from the disease, bringing the county to 23 total.
