The incident Thursday that resulted in a section of I-65 being closed is being attributed to a tire fire. Judy Jackson, spokeswoman for the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, says that deputies arrived to the 77-mile marker of the southbound interstate just after 11 a.m. She says the tractor and trailer, driven by Robin D. Kutruff, were destroyed before being extinguished at the scene.

Both lanes of I65 were closed for almost an hour. One lane remained closed for several hours.

Kutruff was not hurt.

Bartholomew County Sheriff Matthew A. Myers announced the appointment of two additional DARE Deputies on Thursday. They are Deputy Nick Martoccia and Deputy Andrew Whipker. The pair join current DARE Deputy Jessica Pendleton.

Deputy Martoccia began his career with the Sheriff’s Office as a Merit Deputy in 2009. He is a graduate of Columbus East High School and holds an Associate’s Degree in Law Enforcement from Vincennes University.

Deputy Whipker began his career with the Sheriff’s Office as a Merit Deputy in 2015. Prior to his service with BCSO, Whipker served as a Probation Officer with the Greenwood, IN Probation Department. He is a graduate of Columbus East High School and holds a Criminal Justice degree from IUPUC.

Deputy Pendleton began her career with the Sheriff’s Office as a Reserve Deputy before becoming a Merit Deputy in 2009. In 2011, she was BCSO’s K-9 Officer and, in 2015, she became the Sheriff’s DARE Officer.

Sheriff Myers says that in addition to their DARE duties, Deputies Pendleton, Martoccia and Whipker will continue to perform a variety of law enforcement duties including those of responding to calls for service.

Sheriff Matthew A. Myers says it is important to get more deputies into county schools. He noted: “Our DARE deputies perform a variety of duties. In addition to their duties in law enforcement, they will instruct Bartholomew County students and other youth in the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program and coordinate program activities with local school administrators, teachers, parents and peers.”

The Columbus Police Department is inviting you to take part in Saturday’s “Public Safety Family Fun Day.” Lt. Matt Harris, department spokesman, says the event will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Lowes parking lot located at 3500 10th Street.

Officials say this family friendly event, which is in collaboration with “National Night Out”, will feature Columbus police officers and firefighters as well as other public safety personnel. Those in attendance will be able to ask questions and interact with public safety personnel and see equipment such as police cars and fire trucks up close.

Several local businesses and not for profit groups are also scheduled to have information tables set up at the event.

The Democratic Party is about love. That’s the message from Jeannine Lake, who is facing Republican Greg Pence in November for the Sixth District Congressional seat being vacated by Luke Messer. Lake took aim at Trump Administration policies, including those on the southern border…

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Lake questioned President Trump’s psyche…

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Lake says that these mid-term elections are crucial for the country.

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Lake repeatedly took aim at President Trump, earning raucous applause from local Democrats.

Lake was the guest speaker at Tuesday night’s quarterly dinner of the Bartholomew County Democratic Party. She says that she knows her fight is an uphill one, but it’s one she believes she will win.

An arrest warrant service ended with the arrests of two Jackson County residents. Sgt. Andrew Richmond, spokesman for the North Vernon Police Department, says that at about 7 a.m. Tuesday, officers received information about a possible location of a wanted person. He says that Officer Lucas Newsom and Detective Ivory Sandefur followed up on information that 34-year-old Brian Willman, of Seymour, was in an apartment in the 500 block of Brownstown Road.

Authorities say that Willman was found in the apartment. While taking Willman into custody, officers observed drug paraphernalia in plain view in the room he was in. A search of the room allegedly uncovered 1.5 grams of methamphetamine, eight methamphetamine smoking pipes and a set of digital scales among other drug paraphernalia.

Willman was arrested along with another occupant of the room, 27-year-old Kayleana Tungate, also of Seymour. Along with Willman’s outstanding warrant, the pair are facing preliminary charges of Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Paraphernalia.

Five people were arrested early Tuesday morning after North Vernon Police responded to a report of possible drug activity in the area of Sixth Street and Summit Street. Sgt. Andrew Richmond, department spokesman, says that at approximately 4 a.m., officers arrived on the scene and detained three people in the initial investigation.

Richmond says that officers discovered drug paraphernalia and drugs among the trio. Arrested were:

Stacey R. Carrigg, 31, of Butlerville,
1. Possession of a controlled substance level 6 felony
2. Possession of a syringe level 6 felony

Jessie D. Russell, 23, of North Vernon,
1. Possession of paraphernalia A misdemeanor

Amberley R. Day, 29, of North Vernon
1. Dealing in a controlled substance level 5 felony
2. Possession of a syringe level 6 felony
3. Trafficking with an inmate level 6 felony
4. Obstruction of justice level 6 felony
5. Possession of paraphernalia A misdemeanor
6. Resisting law enforcement A misdemeanor

Authorities say that Day had concealed drug material that she attempted to consume when she reached the jail, leading to additional charges.

Sgt. Richmond says the investigation obtained information regarding an address in the 400 block of Sixth Street. A search warrant was granted which led to the arrests of two more people. During the search, officers reportedly found a large quantity of drug paraphernalia, prescription pills not in prescribed containers, a small amount of methamphetamine and five pre-packaged containers of suspected heroin. Arrested were:

Jeffery A. Bower, 36, of North Vernon
1. Dealing in a controlled substance level 5 felony
2. Maintaining a common nuisance level 6 felony
3. Possession of paraphernalia A misdemeanor

Calin Thomas, 31, of North Vernon
1. Dealing in a controlled substance level 5 felony
2. Maintaining a common nuisance level 6 felony
3. Possession of paraphernalia A misdemeanor

Work continues on a development for a new pool complex in North Vernon. Officials with HWC Engineering says that plans for the project, estimated to cost three-million dollars, should be ready in the next couple of weeks.

If the proposal comes in at under the estimated price tag, the site along State Road 7 and Franklin Street would include a pool, splash pad toy structure, a play area for toddlers, water slides, lazy river and water walk. The proposal also includes a new bath house and park office. Once the final proposal goes before city council, the next step is the bidding process. That’s expected in early September.

North Vernon officials decided in late spring to not open the existing pool this summer due to damage to the pool’s liner and the floor underneath.

YES Cinema and the Lincoln-Central Neighborhood Family Center are inviting you to take part in a special event. Linda Allman is Events Coordinator for YES Cinema…

She says that for one day only, the YES Cinema Cafe will be open.

Allman says that the cafe will be open Wednesday, August 15th from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with some of your favorite dishes. All money raised goes toward the LCNFC Angels of Love Christmas Assistance Program, which serves over 700 children every year.

For more information, visit lcnfc.org.

Southwestern Bartholomew Water Corporation is receiving a federal loan to upgrade its services. Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett on Monday announced a historic commitment by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to upgrade and rebuild rural water infrastructure. The announced focused on three Indiana projects totaling $17.4 million.

Federal officials say $2,305,000 loan will go to work to improve water pressure, which is high in some areas and low in others. These upgrades are also will provide additional storage capacity and allow for anticipated growth.

The USDA is providing the funding through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program. It can be used to finance drinking water, stormwater drainage and waste disposal systems for rural communities with 10,000 or fewer residents.

Southwestern Bartholomew Water Corporation supplies water to the majority of west central Bartholomew County and the far eastern portion of Brown County.

The Columbus Police Department is showing off its lip-syncing skills with a new video. And it is getting help with a surprise appearance by NASCAR legend and Columbus resident Tony Stewart.

Lt. Matt Harris explains…

Harris adds that officers had some help from a pretty big name.

Harris stresses that no taxpayer money was spent on the video, which took 10 hours over two days to make.

Stewart is in the opening scene of the video, as officers chase his truck down a country road to the tune of Sammy Hagar’s “I Can’t Drive 55.” Harris stresses that no taxpayer money was spent on the video, which took 10 hours over two days to make.

The video was released yesterday on Facebook and You Tube and as of this morning, it has already been viewed 1.2 million times and shared more than 50 thousand.

You can link to the video here: http://bit.ly/2LEOBWW.