Bartholomew County has already received more than 1,200 responses in a survey of the county’s rural broadband needs.

Tony London, incoming county commissioner and head of the county’s new rural broadband initiative told the commissioners yesterday that the number of participants in the Purdue-created survey in its first week online here has already dwarfed responses in other area communities.

Tami Hines, the county recorder, asked how rural residents without internet service could take the online-only survey. London said that many residents without home internet do have access through their phones. However, if there is anyone who wants to participate but have no way to access the survey, London said he would be happy to enter their information over the phone. He can be contacted through the County Commissioners office at 812-379-1515. You can find a link to the survey on our website. The survey continues through the end of December.

You can take the survey here.

Counties in Indiana’s Sixth Congressional District will be getting a share of $169 million in funding for rural broadband from the FCC, according to Columbus Congressman Greg Pence.

Pence said local communities including Bartholomew, Decatur, Jennings and Shelby counties will see some of the funding from a program to provide access to reliable and affordable high-speed Internet service. Pence stressed that the need is especially great now with the disruptions caused by COVID-19 forcing many Hoosiers to work and attend school from home.

The FCC announced on Monday that the the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction would bring internet to 5.2 million unserved homes and businesses. Indiana has 11 bidders with FCC support of $169 million to provide service to almost 153,000 locations in the state.

Indiana is reporting 6,678 new positive COVID-19 cases of COVID-19 as of yesterday’s update from the Indiana State Department of Health, but some of those tests date back to late November.

The state is also reporting 34 deaths and a 7-day positivity rate of 13.6 percent. That’s the highest positivity rate since April.

Bartholomew County had 60 new cases to report, with a 7-day positivity rate of 12.9 percent. Decatur had 53 new cases, Jennings 41, Jackson 60, Brown 10, Johnson 207 and Shelby 54. Johnson County had two new deaths from the disease and Shelby had one.

Jackson County continues to be red on the state’s color-coded COVID-19 spread map, showing a severe spread of the disease. Bartholomew and other surrounding counties remain orange, showing serious spread of the disease.

Jennings County authorities say a resident shot a man who invaded his home  Friday evening.

The homeowner called 911 at about 7:15 p.m. Friday night to report the incident in northwestern Jennings County. The man who was shot drove himself to the Elizabethtown Fire Department where he told rescue workers that he had a gunshot wound. After being treated at the scene by law enforcement and police, he was flown to an Indianapolis hospital by medical helicopter and was last reported to be in critical condition.

Deputies report that the victim entered the home and got into a fight with the homeowner, who pulled the firearm and shot the intruder.

No names have been released and the incident remains under investigation.

A Pennsylvania man is being accused of kidnapping a 13-year-old Jackson County girl, taking her back across the country and sexually assaulting her.

The Lancaster County Pennsylvania District Attorney’s office reported on Friday that 38-year-old Andrew E. Howland of Lancaster City was arrested last week after a multi-agency investigation led them to a hotel room where the girl was rescued and he was arrested.

The investigation found that Howland had been communicating the girl online, and outlined his plan to bring her to Pennsylvania to sexually assault her. Howland is accused of kidnapping the girl at about 1 a.m. Tuesday morning and then drove through several states before returning to several hotels with her in the Lancaster area.

Howland is facing felony charges of kidnapping, unlawful contact with a minor, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, interference with custody of children, and misdemeanor counts of indecent assault and corruption of minors.

The Lancaster County Children’s Alliance and Lancaster County Children and Youth Agency assisted the girl and she is in the custody of social services.

Lancaster County District Attorney’s office announcement

Photo courtesy of West Hempfield Township Police Department.

Seymour police recovered a stolen handgun and made a drug arrest during an investigation Thursday.

According to police reports, officers had a tip about the location of a stolen gun and a wanted man in the 200 block of East 13th Street. Officers noticed a car in the driveway and in plain view inside was the allegedly stolen weapon.

Police had the vehicle towed back to police headquarters and after getting a search warrant, they recovered the weapon which had been reported stolen in November.

At the home, officers found 20-year-old Tyler Burke of Seymour who was wanted on an outstanding warrant. With a second search warrant, officers discovered two handguns, marijuana and drug paraphernalia in the home. He was arrested on charges of possession of a handgun without a permit, theft and possession of marijuana, along with the outstanding warrant.

A juvenile at the home was also arrested on a charge of obstruction of justice, but was released to a grandparent. Police say the investigation is ongoing.

Today was the third highest day so far for positive COVID-19 cases in Indiana.

The state reported 8,003 new positive COVID-19 cases but some of those date back to Oct. 26th. The previous single day high was yesterday with 8,457.

The state is also reporting 84 deaths and a 7-day positivity rate of 11.7 percent.

Bartholomew County had 114 new cases to report, with a 7-day positivity rate of just over 10 percent. Decatur had 44 new cases, Jennings 34, Jackson 54, Brown 4, Johnson 247 and Shelby 68. Jennings had two new deaths to report while Bartholomew, Shelby and Johnson counties each added a single death.

Jackson County continues to be red on the state’s color-coded COVID-19 spread map, showing a severe spread of the disease. Bartholomew and other surrounding counties remain orange, showing serious spread of COVID-19.

Columbus Regional Health is announcing that the CRH Wellness Center is being closed for the rest of December, with the hope to reopen on January 4th.

The hospital announced that with the spread of COVID-19 at an all-time high, that it would close the center and suspend ongoing classes to try to limit the spread of the disease. The center leadership and fitness instructors are encouraging residents to continue to take part in solo exercise plans or by including household members in group fitness activities.

CRH says the decision to close was made to keep Wellness Center customers as safe as possible.

The Bartholomew County Health Department and the Indiana Immunization Coalition will be holding a walk-in flu vaccination clinic on Saturday at the Bartholomew County 4-H Fairgrounds Community Building.

The clinic will be for those older than six months. Private insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare will be accepted as well as those with no insurance. Masks are required.

The clinic will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the fairgrounds on Bartholomew County Road 200S. You can get more information at 317-628-7116.