The Columbus Police Department has a new officer. Lt. Matt Harris, department spokesman, says that Jeffrey Gilliam was officially sworn in by Mayor Jim Lienhoop during Tuesday morning’s Board of Public Works and Safety meeting. The 22-year-old Gilliam is a graduate of Jennings County High School and later attended Indiana State University where he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice. Harris says that Gilliam is a member of the Indiana National Guard and will begin his police training at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in Plainfield later this month.

Bartholomew County employees should expect a salary increase of no more than three percent in 2019, unless department heads can demonstrate a need for a larger increase.

During Monday night’s work session of the county council, the body debated preliminary figures as they provide guidance to department leaders preparing their 2019 budget requests. Council members indicated that they already know that some employees, specifically those working in public safety, will likely see larger increases. Council President Mark Gorbett mentioned that Sheriff Matt Myers will be asking for 14-percent increases for some of his staff. He says that many employees will take jobs with the county, get training and work for a short period of time before moving on to a higher-paying position elsewhere, sometimes with nearby departments. Gorbett, a former sheriff, noted that the Sheriff’s Department has been fighting the same problem for at least 20 years and added that now is the time to address it. Councilwoman Laura DeDomenic noted that the council last year had to adjust the county’s IT department salaries beyond the percentage approved for other employees in order to bring them up to closer to market value in an effort to stave-off losing staff. She noted that this is a step that leaders will need to take from time to time as highly-skilled, high-value employees enter the county’s employ.

Councilman Jorge Morales noted that the city of Columbus will be implementing new salary adjustments after a recently completed salary study and that the county would be wise to follow suit. This got the attention of Councilman Chris Ogle, who noted that while he would love to give similar raises to all employees, the county’s financial position is much different than that of the city’s.

The council will begin budget sessions in the coming months. A clearer picture of county finances, salary increases and how revenue from last year’s increase in the local income tax will need to be spent will be apparent then.

The council’s next regular session is set for Tuesday, June 12th.

The Columbus Young Professionals group is accepting nominations for its NextGen Awards, a program supported by the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce. CYP will accept nominations for the following categories until July 27th:

YP Volunteer of the Year
YP Innovator of the Year
YP Educator of the Year
Unsung Hero
NextGen Business of the Year

Nomination forms are available online at columbusyp.org/nextgen.

Finalists and category winners will be recognized at the NextGen Awards Ceremony Luncheon on Friday, September 7th at 11:30 a.m. at The Commons. Tickets for the event will go on sale later this summer.

Three North Vernon residents were arrested Saturday night. North Vernon Police say that at 10:55 p.m., 26-year-old Sheldon Vanosdol, was arrested for Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Paraphernalia, Possession of a Syringe and Operating while Suspended with a Prior Conviction. Twenty-two year-old Devin Short was arrested for Visiting a Common Nuisance and 20-year-old Kaleigh Brown was arrested for Possession of Methamphetamine. All three subjects were arrested on South State Street.

Thousands of residents in and around Columbus remain without power as of 4:30 a.m. after severe weather hit the area Thursday afternoon.

Duke Energy is reporting several scattered outages says that some costumers may be without power for hours.

Bartholomew County REMC says that 156 customers are without power.

Jackson County REMC says that nearly 1,200 customers are still in the dark.

Southeastern Indiana REMC announced that over 2,300 customers are without power. Officials say that crews had to stop work at 10:30 Thursday night for a mandatory eight-hour rest period and that work to restore service will resume this morning.

South Central Indiana REMC is reporting that six customers in Brown County and four in Monroe County remain without power.

We will update these numbers as this story develops.

Columbus Firefighters extinguished a storage shed fire Thursday morning in the 3200 block of Sycamore Drive. Capt. Mike Wilson, spokesman for the Columbus Fire Department, says that at approximately 6:34 a.m. firefighters were dispatched to a report of a tree on fire in in the back yard of a home. As firefighters responded to the scene they were informed that a storage shed was also on fire. The caller told dispatchers that flames were spreading to additional trees and that a two story apartment complex was very close to where the fire was located.

Firefighters arrived at the scene at approximately 6:40 a.m. As they approached the blaze they found that a wooden privacy fence was also on fire. This fence separates Legacy Oaks Condominiums, and the subject property. Wilson says the fire was extinguished within minutes. As firefighters continued to apply water to smoldering hot-spots, they noted damage to an additional storage structure owned by the apartment complex. Radiant heat warped vinyl siding of that building. In addition, Wilson says that a pair of trees located near the shed were charred and low hanging limbs burned away.

The shed contained a lawn mower, lawn and garden items and bicycles. Damages to property and contents at are estimated at $ 3,000. Damage to the storage facility at the condominiums is estimated at $500. No injuries were reported and a cause for the blaze has not been determined.

Hundreds of customers in and around Columbus remain without power as of midnight after severe weather hit the area. This as another line of severe storms are set to hit our area around 2 a.m.

Duke Energy says that some customers may not see power restored until after 5 p.m. on Friday.

Bartholomew County REMC says that 257 customers are without power.

Jackson County REMC says that 2,854 customers are without power.

Southeastern Indiana REMC announced that over 2,300 customers are without power.

South Central Indiana REMC is reporting that nearly 500 of its customers remain without power.

We will update these numbers and keep you up to date on severe weather all night long.

Columbus police officers arrested a man with six local warrants after he was found inside a Columbus home Wednesday evening. Lt. Matt Harris, department spokesman, says that at approximately 10:45 p.m., officers responded to a home in the 2700 block of Poplar Drive after receiving an anonymous tip about a man with several warrants being inside the home. Officers arrived and found 23-year-old Joshua K. Atkinson, of Columbus, inside the residence a short time later.

Atkinson’s warrants:

Bartholomew County Warrant: Battery with Bodily Injury
Bartholomew County Warrant: Violation of Probation
Bartholomew County Warrant: Unauthorized Entry of a Motor Vehicle
Bartholomew County Warrant: Resisting Law Enforcement
Bartholomew County Warrant: Possession of Marijuana
Bartholomew County Warrant: Battery with Bodily Injury

The Envision Columbus group will be holding a public session Wednesday night. Tracy Souza is with the Heritage Fund: The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County. Envision Columbus is a public-private partnership aimed at improving and developing downtown Columbus. A number project outlines, including an urban grocer,hotel and conference center, housing and the Crump theater were discussed. We asked some of those in attendance what they would like to see. John Dunlap lives in the city…

Dunlap says the historical significance of the Crump, along with the building’s accoustics, makes it worth saving.

Buck Ritz is a Bartholomew County resident and native…

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Beth Goodwin, a member of the Columbus Young Professionals group, lives outside of the city, but works inside Columbus…

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Goodwin also talked about the need for improved and expanded public transportation. Those who attended Wednesday night’s meeting were

given “Columbucks” to spend identifying what projects they would like to see addressed. Those results are set to be revealed at the next public meeting scheduled for June 9th.

You can get more information online at envisioncolumbus.org.

Schneck Medical Center’s 2 North inpatient medical-surgical unit received the PRISM Award. The award recognizes only those medical-surgical units that consistently demonstrate exceptional nursing practice, effective leadership, a healthy practice environment and evidence-based, positive clinical outcomes.

Schneck officials say the Seymour hospital is only the second medical-surgical unit in the state to achieve this national honor. There are less than 30 medical-surgical units nationally to have achieved this honor.

The PRISM Award stands for “Premier Recognition In the Specialty of Med-Surg.” The PRISM Award identifies sustained excellence in six categories and Schneck scored at the advanced level in all six categories which included: recruitment and retention of competent staff members, evidence-based practice, positive patient outcomes, healthy practice environment, lifelong learning of unit staff members, and effective leadership.