The Bartholomew County REMC says that some 500 customers in, and around, Elizabethtown were without power at some point on Saturday after two separate crashes knocked down power line poles.

Marty Lasure, REMC spokesperson, says that the first crash took out a pole at 16400 East County Road 400 South in Bartholomew County. She says that accident, which occurred Saturday morning, caused nearly 300 REMC members in Elizabethtown to lose power. Lasure says that later that afternoon, another vehicle crash destroyed a pole at 750 North County Road 1000 West in Jennings county. She says that caused more than 200 REMC members in, and around, Elizabethtown to lose electricity.

Lasure says that a broken pole can take up to three hours to fix.

A number of Nashville residents and businesses are dealing with water issues after a water main break at Hawthorne and Willow Streets. Nashville Utilities says that a Boil Order has been issued for the following areas:

51 State Road 46 East to 551 State Road 46 East;
30 Hawthorne Drive to 200 Hawthorne Drive;
51 East Chestnut Street to 55 East Chestnut Street;
51 West Chestnut Street to 75 West Chestnut Street;
72 West Willow Street to 107 West Willow Street

A spokesperson with the utility says that residents and businesses in these affected areas should boil all cooking and drinking water prior to consumption. The order is scheduled to expire at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

If you are a customer of Nashville Utilities and have questions about this order, or your water service in general, you should call their office at (812) 988-5526.

The threat of rain has moved this evening’s “JCB Neighborfest” indoors.

A representative with the Columbus Area Arts Council says that the event will now be held inside the Commons, beginning at 5:30 p.m. with the blues act, “Fistful of Bacon.” You are encouraged to take part.

The Jennings County Sheriff’s Department is reporting that a jack-knifed semi has closed State Road 7 just north of Scipio. Authorities say the crash took place just north of County Road 600 West (Grammar Road) and south of County Road 750 North.

As of 9:35 p.m., a wrecker is in route, said local dispatch. They add the closure could last for several hours due to the angle of the jack-knifed semi. Authorities say it is going to take a considerable amount of work to remove the vehicle and get the road reopened.

You are encouraged to avoid the area.

A plan is now in place for a paving project on a section of U.S. 31 in Bartholomew and Jackson Counties.

Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) Spokesman Harry Maginity said officials met with its prime contractor, along with utility company representatives, Thursday morning at INDOT Seymour District offices to coordinate activities for launching the $8.4 million project. Along with the paving work, the contract also includes bridge work and construction of a new roundabout, said Maginity. He added that construction signs will be put in place next week and clearing operations will begin the following week.

Maginity says that Milestone is charged with repairing and resurfacing U.S. 31 from the pavement break south of Base Road near Columbus and the pavement break south of U.S. 50 near Seymour. He explains that the contract calls for replacing the three-span bridge over Sand Creek, along with and two drainage structures. He adds that roundabout construction at U.S. 31/C.R. 400 South in Bartholomew County is also a part of this project.

Maginity says that there will be a 240-day closure of U.S. 31 for the bridge replacement at Sand Creek, about seven-miles south of State Road 7 at the Bartholomew/Jackson county line. He says that the new bridge will be a 382-foot concrete bulb-T beam structure. Maginity says that the contractor anticipates beginning demolition work in early April.

Maginity says the state’s contract requires all 2016 bridge work to be completed by November 30. He adds that the new roundabout, set to be placed about 1.6 miles south of State Road 7, will be constructed in 2017.

The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Watch for our listening area until 9 p.m. This includes: Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Jackson, Jennings, Johnson, and Shelby Counties.

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BREAKING: We are receiving calls that emergency personnel are responding to a motorcycle crash on U.S. 31 in Taylorsville near the Family Dollar store. No word as to which lanes of traffic are affected, so you may want to avoid the area for the time being.

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