The Bartholomew County Highway Department says that work overlaying Marr Road continues Tuesday. A department spokeswoman says that Milestone Contractors will finish overlaying Marr Road from Sawin Drive / County Road 300 North to just north of County Road 450 North. The work is scheduled to last through Thursday. You should avoid the area.

A Columbus woman was arrested Saturday afternoon on drug charges. Judy Jackson, spokeswoman for the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, says that at approximately 4:22 p.m., Deputy Sergeant Kris Weisner initiated a traffic stop in the area of County Road 150 West and Paula Drive in Columbus on a vehicle without working tail lights. After making contact with the driver, 25-year-old Megan E. Moore, Sgt. Weisner observed indicators of drug use inside her vehicle. Jackson says that K9 Bolt was deployed and alerted to narcotics.

Moore was arrested on preliminary charges of:

Possession of a Controlled Substance;
Possession of Marijuana; and,
Operating a Motor Vehicle while Intoxicated/Drugs

She has since been released.

North Vernon Police arrested a Decatur County man Sunday afternoon after responding to a report of a reckless driver in the 2400 block of North State Road 3.

At 1:11 p.m., officers pulled over a vehicle driven by 40-year-old Melissa Bensheimer, of Greensburg. After an investigation, Bensheimer was arrested on preliminary charges of Possession of a Hypodermic Needle, Possession of a Legend Drug, Possession of a Controlled Substance and Public Intoxication.

North Vernon Police arrested three teenagers Sunday morning on drug and alcohol charges. Officers pulled over a vehicle at 12:25 a.m. in the area of North State Street and Main Street for speeding.

Officers arrested 19-year-old Anis L. Nkrumah and 18-year-old Heaven S. Thompson, both of Columbus, and 19-year-old Calista H. Skirvin, of Hope, for Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Paraphernalia and Possession of Alcohol by Minors.

A change in state law that allows counties to retain a portion of local income taxes to dedicate to their jails will likely be taken advantage of by the Bartholomew County Council.

The change, allows counties take up to 0.2 percent of the LIT and apply it towards jail needs. If the county council approves the maximum amount, the change will take effect in 2019 and is expected to allow the county to keep an estimated $2.7 million per year. This would reduce the distribution to other taxing units in the county, with the city of Columbus taking the biggest hit of approximately $2.4 million per year.

Mary Ferdon, Columbus’ director of administration, offered the following statement on Friday afternoon:

“Over the past 2.5 years, Mayor Lienhoop and city officials have been fortunate to partner with Bartholomew County officials on a wide variety of issues including law enforcement, code enforcement, Dispatch and emergency services, ambulance services, the overpass and relate railroad issues, and the substance abuse crisis.

The need for funding for the County jail facility is real and counties all over Indiana are dealing with similar issues around overcrowding and opioid related problems.

Our goal is to work with Bartholomew County officials on how redistribution of these Local Income Tax (LIT) funds can be done which both addresses the need of the jail, while still allowing the city of Columbus and Bartholomew County to move forward on projects which use LIT dollars – many of which benefit residents throughout the community , not just city residents.”

A woman who was involved in a near-drowning incident on Lutheran Lake Friday afternoon has been flown to an Indianapolis hospital. Our news-gathering partners at “The Republic” are reporting that the unidentified woman was rescued by her husband and a passing boater shortly after 3:30 p.m.

An Indiana Department of Natural Resources spokeswoman told the newspaper that the woman and her husband were using inflatable rafts in a swimming area at the lake when the woman fell off her raft and began struggling in the water.

The report says that Southwest Volunteer Fire Department firefighters arrived and gave first aid to the woman before she was flown to St. Vincent Hospital.

For more on this story, visit therepublic.com.

The West Nile Virus has been found in Bartholomew County. The county health department announced Friday that they have collected mosquitoes that tested positive for the virus. Officials say they will be concentrating their mosquito control efforts in the areas where West Nile was found.

There have been no human cases reported, but you should still take efforts to protect yourself. Authorities say that you should take extra precautions when mosquitoes are most active, between dawn and dusk. That includes using an insect repellent containing DEET and covering as much of your skin as possible. Other steps you should take include removing standing water from your property and fixing any malfunctioning septic systems.

Health officials say that most people who get infected with the West Nile Virus will have no symptoms, or very mild ones. A few may get more severe symptoms, like high fever, headache, stiff neck, muscle weakness and confusion. Those most susceptible to disease are those over the age of 50 and those with weakened immune systems.

The Bartholomew County 4-H Fair kicks off Friday afternoon. Maddie Steinwedel, this year’s fair queen, talks about what you can expect…

Midway rides are provided by Burton Brothers Amusements. Along with the midway, Steinwedle mentions the different activities and sites you’ll see throughout the fair…

Steinwedel talks about what got her interested in 4-H and the fair…

Steinwedel adds that 4-H has been a huge part of her youth…

This year’s fair runs through Saturday, July 14th. For more on this year’s fair, including a schedule of events and activities, visit bartholomewcountyfair.com.

Indiana Conservation Officers, along with multiple other local law enforcement agencies, apprehended a suspect after he jumped into the White River at Rockford Dam in Seymour early Wednesday afternoon.

While performing routine license checks in the area of the dam, Conservation Officer Blake Everhart made contact with 29-year-old Gregory A. Smith, of Seymour. After determining that Smith had outstanding warrant for a parole violation, Everhart tried to arrest Smith. Authorities say that Smith jumped into the White River in an attempt to escape.

ICO Cpl. Nathan Berry responded with an airboat to help in the search for Smith, along with responders from other agencies. After nearly three hours, Smith was located and allegedly fought with officers while on the riverbank. Authorities say that Smith jumped into the river again after a second foot pursuit with conservation officers and was eventually taken into custody by ICO Everhart and Cpl. Berry.

Smith was arrested on new charges of Resisting Law Enforcement and is awaiting extradition on the outstanding parole warrant.

Eastern Bartholomew Water Corporation has issued a boil advisory for Richards Addition in Taylorsville. Customers should bring any water that is to be consumed or used for cooking purposes to a rolling boil for at least three minutes, then let cool before consuming. This advisory is in effect until noon on Saturday.