Most of our area counties remain under a travel advisory this morning, due to freezing temperatures overnight causing slick road conditions on some of the already wet roadways.

Bartholomew, Jackson, Jennings, Johnson and Shelby counties are all under the yellow advisory level, the state’s lowest level of travel limits, meaning that routine travel or activities are restricted due to a hazardous condition and you should use caution or avoid those areas.

Brown County remains at the higher orange watch level, which means conditions are threatening to public safety. Only essential travel, such as to and from work or in emergency situations, is recommended, and emergency action plans should be implemented by businesses, schools, government agencies, and other organizations.

The National Weather Service in Indianapolis is reporting an area of light snow and freezing rain will be passing through our area this morning. Any accumulation is expected to be very light, however there will be enough to cause slick spots on roads and bridges.

The Brown County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a murder after a man’s body was found wrapped in plastic in an area home.

Sheriff Scott Southerland told the Brown County Democrat newspaper that deputies received a call Monday asking officers to check a home in the 7000 block of Hicks Road. The caller said they heard that someone may have been killed in the home on Saturday.

Deputies went to the home and, in one of the bedrooms, found a man’s body wrapped in plastic.

An investigation led to the arrests of 54-year-old Michael Hazelgrove of Brown County and 36-year-old Alicia Bustle of Stanford, Ky. on Monday. Hazelgrove was arrested at the home and Bustle was arrested a few miles down the road in another residence the newspaper reports.

Bustle and Hazelgrove are facing preliminary charges of murder, obstruction of justice and assisting a criminal according to the newspaper. Bustle is also facing a charge of conversion.

An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon to identify the body and determine the cause of death.

You can read more at The Brown County Democrat newspaper

An Indiana State Police trooper is being recognized for his heroism rescuing a teen from a burning vehicle.

The Versailles post is reporting that Sgt. Jared Black was honored with the Indiana State Police Lifesaving Award Monday for his efforts at the scene of a crash in August in rural Ripley County.

According to state police, Black arrived on the scene to find a 17-year-old trapped in the burning vehicle. Black broke out the sunroof of the vehicle and helped the victim get to safety.

Photo: Capt. Anthony Scott, Maj. Michael Eslinger, Sgt. Jared Black, Lt. Paul Adams. Photo courtesy of Indiana State Police

A 30-mile long police chase that started in Jackson County Monday ended up with a car crashing into the rear of a semi and a Crawfordsville man in jail.

Indiana State Police are reporting that they stopped a vehicle headed southbound on Interstate 65 in northern Jackson County at about 1 yesterday. But after speaking briefly with the trooper, the driver took off. More troopers joined the chase and despite having two tires flattened with a tire-deflation device just south of Seymour, the driver continued on into Scott County, where more tire-deflation devices were used. The vehicle eventually crashed into the rear of a semi-trailer near the Scottsburg exit.

After struggling with police and medics, the driver 30-year-old Mitchell W. Jones was taken to Schneck Medical Center to be checked out before being arrested on charges including battery by bodily waste, battery against a public safety official, resisting law enforcement and operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

Photo courtesy of Indiana State Police.

Jackson County REMC is making plans to begin providing high speed internet to some Bartholomew County customers, according to county commissioners.

County Commissioner Tony London said that the REMC plan and other announcements will soon be unveiled after confidentiality agreements were lifted last week on bidders who offered to provide high speed internet to rural parts of the state under a federal bidding process.

London has been heading up the county’s efforts to improve internet access in remote parts of the county. He said that Jackson County REMC is definitely going to be building out service in the southeastern part of Bartholomew County. He said that work is expected to start early next year for a small part of the county.

A company called Charter won one of the auctions and they will be providing broadband internet in the southwestern part of the county. And at least two more companies are considering providing service in the northeastern and northwestern corners of the county. But commissioners stressed that the actual plans are not yet concrete and there are as of yet no dates for digging to start.

Following yesterday’s regular county commissioners meeting, the commissioners were meeting to discuss ways to lower any obstacles that companies might face in bringing broadband services to the county, said Commissioners President Larry Kleinhenz. Kleinhenz said the goal is to make the bidders want to come to Bartholomew County first, rather than waiting years to build services here.

Between state and federal funds, about $250 million dollars in new money is being allocated to improve rural broadband in Indiana, London said.

Two people were injured Monday morning after a crash on rural 25th Street east of Columbus.

Bartholomew County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the 8300 block of 25th Street at about 5:20 yesterday morning to find two vehicles with heavy front-end damage.

The driver of a van, 66-year-old Wayne L. Fields of Hartsville was flown by helicopter to a trauma center in Indianapolis. The driver of a car, 25-year-old Lane M. Luhn of North Vernon was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital by CRH paramedics.

The accident remains under investigation. Indiana State Police, Clay Township and Columbus Township volunteer firefighters also assisted at the scene.

Bartholomew and Brown counties are under a travel watch this morning after the overnight blast of snow.

Under a watch, only essential travel such as to and from work or in emergency situations is recommended. Emergency action plans should be implemented by businesses, schools government agencies and other organizations. Bartholomew County Emergency Management says that crews are out working to clear the roadways, but many remain slick and snow-covered.

If you have to be driving, you should allow extra time when you are travelling and leave extra distance between you and the vehicle in front of you.

Jackson and Jennings counties remain under a travel advisory, the lowest level of travel advisory under the state system.

6:30 a.m. update

Bartholomew County Sheriffs deputies are on the scene of a serious vehicle crash on State Road 46/25th Street at County Road 500E.

Bartholomew County Emergency Operations Center says the road is closed in the 8300 block of 25th Street and is expected to be closed for an extended period. You should avoid the area if you can.

Photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.

The National Weather Service in Indianapolis has issued a winter weather advisory for our area starting at 4 p.m. this afternoon and running through 7 a.m. Tuesday morning.

The agency is forecasting up to two inches of snow with the heaviest snowfall late this evening. With the already cold ground, you can expect that the snow will stick and roads will get slippery. Which will mean a challenging drive into work tomorrow morning. The affected area includes Bartholomew, Decatur, Jackson and Jennings counties.

Bartholomew, Brown, Jennings and Monroe counties remain under the yellow advisory level, the state’s lowest level of travel warning, meaning that routine travel or activities are restricted due to a hazardous condition. The Bartholomew County Emergency Operations Center says that some roads that were clear yesterday have likely refrozen overnight, leading to possibly hazardous condition.

The America and Roby Anderson Community Center on McClure Road will be opening to the public as a place to get warm during the severe cold weather expected this week.

Columbus City Councilman and center board member Tom Dell says that the facility will be open today, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. as a warming center.

The center is at 421 McClure Road.