Former Vice President and Columbus native Mike Pence is scheduled to make his first public address since leaving office.
Pence will be the keynote speaker for a dinner held by the Palmetto Family Council. That’s a conservative Christian non-profit who is expecting up to 600 ticketed guests at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center in South Carolina. The speech will be April 29th.
Story courtesy of our news-gathering partners at TTWN Media Networks Inc.
Jackson County authorities say that an anti-narcotics blitz last week led to several felony arrests and 48 grams of methamphetamine being taken off of the street.
Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and Seymour Police say that the blitz unfolded Friday in the community. Officers targeted areas where drug activity was believed to be present, with both agencies working together and sharing information.
The most serious charges were made against 41-year-old Natosha Streetman of Scottsburg who is accused of dealing in methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia and maintaining a common nuisance.
25-year-old Hailey Martin, 19-year-old Raven Kerkhof and 22-year-old Jordan Ackert were also arrested on various possession related charges.
If you want to report illegal drug activity, you can contact the Seymour Police Department at 812-522-1234, or the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department at 812-358-2141. Callers may remain anonymous.
A Bartholomew County family farm was one of two in the state to receive the bicentennial Hoosier Homestead Award in a recent ceremony with Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch.
To be named a Hoosier Homestead, farms must be owned by the same family for more than 100 consecutive years, and consist of 20 acres or more, or produce more than $1,000 in agricultural products per year.
The Weinantz farm in Bartholomew County was recognized for being established in 1820.
Other area families recognized at the ceremony included the Pittman family farm in Brown County, established in 1867 and the Shelton family farm in Shelby County which started in 1864. Those farms both received the sesquicentennial award.
North Vernon police are investigating a surge in thefts of catalytic converters from vehicles in the community.
Police say that the thefts have been happening at businesses on State Roads 3 and 7 and that they are likely being targeted because vehicles are parked in out of sight or dark areas.
Police say that you can help reduce the thefts by parking in well-lit areas and by being on the lookout for people crawling under vehicles armed with hand-held saws.
If you have any information on the thefts. you can talk to North Vernon police at 812-346-1466 or 812-346-2345.
A garage fire sparked by discarded ashes from a fire pit caused an estimated $10,000 in damages Sunday in Columbus.
Columbus firefighters report that they were called to the 1000 block of Countryside Lane at about 3:56 p.m. Sunday afternoon on a reported structure fire. When they arrived they found heavy flames on the exterior of an attached garage. Firefighters used a hose to knock down the flames and then searched for hidden fires including in the attic space. After removing siding, insulation and drywall in the garage they found several small pockets of fire still smoldering.
The homeowners said that they had dumped what they believed were cold ashes into a plastic trash toter, which eventually ignited and the fire spread to the garage’s wooden siding. Investigators ruled that the fire was accidental.
The fire department urges you to dispose of ashes into a non combustible container that you keep stored away from any flammable materials. It can take 12 to 24 hours for ashes and hot coals to completely cool. You should always soak coals in water before you get rid of them.
Photos courtesy of Columbus Fire Department.
Another suspected drunk driver was arrested in a Columbus drive-through fast food restaurant lane, the fourth in the past few weeks.
Columbus police were called to the McDonald’s restaurant on North National Road at about 1:50 a.m. Sunday morning after witnesses saw a driver crash into another car in the drive-through. The driver, 30-year-old Ramon Hernandez Cruz tried to drive off as police arrived. After stopping his vehicle officers noticed several empty beer cans inside the truck.
He blew a .156 percent on a field sobriety test and was arrested on a preliminary charge of driving while under the influence with a blood alcohol content of .15 percent or greater.
In the past few weeks, alleged drunk drivers were arrested after falling asleep in the drive through lanes at that McDonalds, White Castle and the Jonathan Moore Pike Taco Bell.
A wanted Freetown man was arrested Friday after running from Columbus police officers.
Police were called to the 100 block of Indiana Court about a suspicious person wearing dark clothing at about 3:25 p.m. Friday. When police arrived, a man ran away, jumping several fences in yards before hiding underneath a vehicle in the 100 block of Woodlane Drive.
Police found him and identified him as 23-year-old Donovan A. Martin who was wanted on an outstanding Bartholomew County warrant. After he was arrested, authorities allegedly found he was carrying drug paraphernalia.
In addition to the original warrant, he is facing new charges for possessing the drug paraphernalia and for resisting law enforcement.
Indiana added 11 deaths from COVID-19 in Sunday’s update from the Indiana State Department of Health, one of the lowest tallies since last July. None of those deaths were in Bartholomew County or surrounding counties.
Bartholomew reported 8 new cases of COVID-19, Shelby 2, Jennings 2, Jackson 5 and Johnson had 19 newly reported cases. Decatur and Brown counties had no new cases to report.
Bartholomew, Shelby and Jackson counties remain yellow on the state’s color-coded advisory level map, showing a moderate spread of the disease. Brown, Johnson, Decatur and Jennings counties are all in the blue, showing minor spread of the disease.
Bartholomew County first responders will be getting more hand sanitizer after a donation from St. John’s Masonic Lodge.
The lodge recently donated 15 cases of the sanitizer to the Bartholomew County Emergency Management Department, the county sheriff’s department and Columbus Township Fire and Rescue Department.
Shannan Cooke, head of the emergency management office, said that her department has been coordinating personal protective equipment supplies with local responders throughout the pandemic. She also thanked the lodge for their dedication to the safety of local first responders.
Photo courtesy of Bartholomew County EMA. St. John’s Masonic Lodge members Dirk Rader, Rocky Myers and Matt Ackers present 15 cases of hand sanitizers to local emergency officials recently, including Emergency Management Director Shannan Cooke, Natalie Ferrenburg, Sheriff Matt Myers, Chief Deputy Maj. Chris Lane and Columbus Township Fire and Rescue Chief Dave Thompson.
INDOT plans to close State Road 250 in Jackson County on Tuesday for a culvert replacement project. That will be just east of State Road 39 and should last from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting.
The road will be closed to all traffic and INDOT suggests that you take an alternate route.