While the drug epidemic continues to impact area families, overdose deaths are down considerably in Bartholomew County. Coroner Clayton Nolting says that, thus far, there have been 14 confirmed overdose deaths in the county. That’s down from 30 in 2017.

{12-31 CLAYTON NOLTING-3} :13.5 Q: drug categories.

He also noted that Fentanyl was a factor in two deaths, a considerable decrease from the previous year.

We asked Nolting for his thoughts on why the figures have dropped so drastically…

{12-31 CLAYTON NOLTING-2} :17.4 Q: other addictions.

Nolting adds that his office is awaiting the toxicology report in one case to determine cause of death, possibly bumping the total number of deaths to 15.

Applications are being accepted for appointment to the Seymour City Council to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Councilman-at-Large Shawn Malone, who is moving out of the city. Malone’s term runs through the end of 2019.

Applications are available at Seymour City Hall, 301-309 North Chestnut Street. City officials say that eligible candidates must have lived in Seymour City for at least a year and be qualified to vote in the city at the time of their appointment.

Candidates must submit their applications to the Mayor’s Office at Seymour City Hall no later than 4 p.m. on Friday, January 11. All applications will be public record.

The City Council will consider nominations at a special Council meeting on Monday, January 14th at 5 p.m.

Bartholomew County Republican Party leaders are meeting Saturday morning to select who will be replacing departing Columbus City Councilman Frank Jerome. Three men are vying to fill the remaining year of Jerome’s term.

Barb Hackman, party chairwoman, says that seven party precinct committee members from City Council District 3 will caucus at 10 a.m. at Republican headquarters. She adds that an eighth committee member will be unavailable.

Those being considered are:

– Russ Poling Sr., who is a member of the Columbus Plan Commission and works at Cummins Inc.;
– Jon Padfield, an assistant professor at Purdue Polytechnic Columbus and former District 30 state representative;
– David Bush, owner of Kenny Glass Inc.;

Hackman says that if a quorum is not reached on Saturday, she will have to select Jerome’s replacement.

Eight Indiana county individual income tax rates will increase with the start of the new year. Jennings County is one of them. While other counties are seeing a larger year-to-year increase, Jennings County will have one of the highest tax rates in the state at 3.15 percent. That’s an increase of nearly 25 percent over the current county income tax rate of 2.5 percent. The Indiana Department of Revenue says only one Indiana county, Pulaski in the northwest corner of the state, has a higher county income tax rate. That stands at 3.38 percent.

The increase was approved earlier this year by Jennings County Council in an effort to fund a new jail. That vote was 4-3. Leaders say that there are no specific plans in place yet to actually build a new jail facility. This merely allows the county to capture funds for the project.

Other area counties’ 2019 income tax rates are unchanged and as follows:

Bartholomew – 1.75%
Brown – 2.52%
Decatur – 2.35%
Jackson – 2.1%
Johnson – 1.0%
Shelby – 1.5%

The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office plans to add two uniformed school resource officers in county schools once classes resume at the start of the year.

Sheriff Matt Myers says that deputies perform hundreds of school security checks each year performed by various deputies. Now, he says the department will provide two full-time school resource deputies to schools in Bartholomew County.

Sheriff Myers says that Deputy Jessica Pendleton, an 11-year BCSO veteran, will work with the Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Corporation and Deputy Teancum Clark will work with the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. Deputy Clark has been with the Sheriff’s Office for five years.

The observation of Kwanzaa is underway. A celebration is being held locally, says Mary Clare Speckner with the Bartholomew County Library…

{12-27 MARY CLARE SPECKNER-2} :12.7 Q: African heritage.

Speckner says a Kwanzaa celebration is this Saturday at the library beginning at 3:30 p.m. and you are invited.

For more on this celebration, visit mybcpl.org.

North Vernon Police arrested two people on drug-related charges after investigating a Christmas night disturbance in the 500 block of Hayden Pike. Once officers arrived on the scene, at about 7:17 p.m., they requested a search warrant for the home, which was granted.

NVPD arrested 47-year-old Tina Wilson, of North Vernon, on preliminary charges of Maintaining a Common Nuisance, Possession of Paraphernalia, Possession of Cocaine, Disorderly Conduct, Legend Drug Violation and False Informing.

Officers also arrested 23-year-old Levi Eaton, of Columbus, on preliminary charges of Possession of a Controlled Substance, Disorderly Conduct, Visiting a Common Nuisance, Battery, Criminal Confinement, Possession of Paraphernalia, Possession of Marijuana and Legend Drug Violation.

An Ivy Tech Community College history professor has had his research on how World War I impacted Major League Baseball featured on a popular internet series.

College officials say that Dr. Aaron Miller, associate professor of history at Ivy Tech Columbus, shared his research with the YouTube channel “The Great War.” The channel, which has nearly one-million subscribers, featured Miller’s work extensively in its episode “Baseball Season 1918.”

In the video, the episode’s host recounts Miller’s work and adds commentary. The video has received more than 45,000 views since it was uploaded in late October.

Miller earned his doctorate in history from Miami University, where he wrote his dissertation titled “Glorious Summer, a Cultural History of 19th Century Baseball, 1861-1920.” He is currently rewriting his dissertation into a manuscript for a book.

The episode featuring Miller’s work can be viewed by searching for “The Great War” channel on YouTube and selecting the “Baseball Season 1918” episode.

One person was killed in a serious crash involving a car and a semi in Johnson County. Indiana State Police say that at approximately 7:35 a.m. Wednesday, emergency crews were called to the scene on 99 mile marker of northbound I-65. Despite life saving efforts, the driver of the car was pronounced deceased on scene.

Investigators believe a semi tractor-trailer was stopped in the northbound lanes due to a lengthy traffic back-up. They say a car struck the rear end of the semi’s trailer at a high rate of speed. The force of the impact caused the car to go underneath the back of the trailer. The driver of the semi was not injured.

The driver of the car has been identified and the next of kin has been notified, however authorities have not yet released his name.

A national organization that promotes the separation of church and state has asked Jackson County officials to remove the Nativity scene from the courthouse lawn.

“The Seymour Tribune” is reporting that an attorney for the Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a letter to Jackson County Commissioners, stating that a “concerned local citizen” contacted the organization and requested assistance. The Madison, Wisconsin-based organization is asking the county to immediately remove the lighted Nativity display from the courthouse lawn.

County officials have indicated that they will not comply with the organization’s request, noting that the display will come down after Christmas.

For more on this story, visit tribtown.com.