In the Bartholomew Consolidated School Board races, Todd Grimes has won the District 3 seat with almost 60 percent of the vote, compared to 25 percent for Mike Jamerson and just under 16 percent for incumbent James Persinger.

Todd Grimes reacts to the victory:

Incumbent Pat Bryant has won re-election in the District 5 race over Jennifer Corsi, 54 to 46 percent.

Bryant thanked his supporters:

And Nicole Wheeldon has won the District 7 race over Lacretia Ulery with 63 to 37 percent.

Wheeldon talked about what she thinks made the difference in the race:

Bartholomew County voters have set an all-time record for ballots cast, according to Bartholomew County Clerk Jay Phelps.

Voters cast 36,673 votes, passing the 2016 record turnout of 33,198 voters.

The vast majority of this year’s votes were cast before Election Day, with 20,867 in-person early votes and 6,700 mail-in absentee votes. In person voting Tuesday ended with 9,100 voters. That is a voter turnout of just under 69 percent.

With all the votes tallied, Bartholomew County Republicans have won all the contested races across the county.

Incumbent Republican State Rep. Ryan Lauer defeated his Democratic opponent Dale Nowlin 60 to 40 percent in the race for District 59. State Rep. Jim Lucas, also a Republican, has won District 69 with 70 percent of the vote over Democrat Jefferey Prewitt with 17 percent, and independent Katrina “Kat” Hardwick with 13 percent. That district includes portions of Bartholomew, Jackson, Jennings and Jefferson counties.

In the Bartholomew County Council at-large races, all three Republican incumbents have won re-election. Bill Lentz is the top vote getter with 22.5 percent, followed by Evelyn Pence with just under 21 percent and Matt Miller with 20.6 percent of the vote. Democrats Tiffany Bosley and Claudette Schroer have about 12 percent and Olisa Humes has about 11.5 percent of the vote.

Bill Lentz talked last night about the win:

Matt Miller talked about his thoughts watching the results come in:

In Hope, incumbent Democratic Town Councilwoman Nellie Meek has lost to Republican challenger John Walstad 63-37 percent.

Several Bartholomew County races went uncontested last night and will continue to be held by Republicans. That included long-time County Commissioner Larry Kleinhenz and political newcomer Tony London winning their races. Former Columbus Police Chief Jon Rohde will serve as Bartholomew Superior Court 2 Judge after having no Democratic opponent yesterday. County Coroner Clayton Nolting and Surveyor E.R. Gray also won re-election last night without an opponent.

Columbus Republican Congressman Greg Pence has won re-election to the Sixth Congressional District seat with nearly 72 percent of the vote over Democrat Jeanine Lee Lake with 24.8 percent. Libertarian Tom Ferkinoff drew 3.6 percent of the vote in that race.

Updated 8:35 p.m.

With all the votes tallied, Bartholomew County Republicans are leading in all the contested races across the county.

Incumbent Republican State Rep. Ryan Lauer defeated his Democratic opponent Dale Nowlin 60 to 40 percent in the race for District 59. State Rep. Jim Lucas, also a Republican, has won the Bartholomew County portion of District 69 with 74 percent of the vote over Democrat Jefferey Prewitt with 19 percent, and independent Katrina “Kat” Hardwick with just over 7 percent.

In the Bartholomew County Council at-large races, all three Republican incumbents have won re-election. Bill Lentz is the top vote getter with 22.5 percent, followed by Evelyn Pence with just under 21 percent and Matt Miller with 20.6 percent of the vote. Democrats Tiffany Bosley and Claudette Schroer have about 12 percent and Olisa Humes has about 11.5 percent of the vote.

In the Bartholomew Consolidated School Board races, Todd Grimes has won the District 3 seat with almost 60 percent of the vote, compared to 25 percent for Mike Jamerson and just under 16 percent for incumbent James Persinger.

Incumbent Pat Bryant has won re-election in the District 5 race over Jennifer Corsi, 54 to 46 percent. And Nicole Wheeldon has won the District 7 race over Lacretia Ulery with 63 to 37 percent.

In  Hope, incumbent Democratic Town Councilwoman Nellie Meek has lost to Republican challenger John Walstad 63-37 percent.

Jennings County High School is moving to virtual learning for the next two weeks due to positive COVID-19 cases.

The district announced that starting today through at least Monday, Nov. 16th, all students will be learning from home and will receive their coursework through Google Classroom. ALL Jennings County High School extracurricular and athletic events, practices, contests, and performances are postponed during the closure.

Students are to quarantine at home during the closure. If you must go out in public, be certain to follow social distancing guidelines and to wear a mask.

The high shool will be distributing food to students in need and those details will soon be announced.

You will have a chance to get rid of unwanted medications, get tested for COVID-19 and get a free flu shot on Wednesday at the America and Robie Anderson Community Center on McClure Road in Columbus.

Health Communities, the Alliance for Substance Abuse Progress, the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department and the Indiana Attorney General’s office will be holding the drug-take back event from 11:30 to 2 Wednesday at the center.

The program is meant for medications in pill or patch forms that are expired, unused, and unwanted. They will be properly disposed of without threat to the environment. Liquids and needles, new or used, will not be accepted for disposal.

According to the State Police, studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.

This service is free and anonymous with no questions asked.

You can also pick up a home drug disposal kit, provided by ASAP. These kits can be used to collect and neutralize liquid medications that cannot be taken at the center.

Free flu shots will be available at the center from 1 to 2 p.m. Wednesday, and free COVID-19 tests are available from 1 to 3 p.m.

Columbus police say that a suspect spit blood in an officer’s face while he was being arrested for being drunk and disorderly in a store.

Officers were called to the Circle K gas station on 25th Street at about 2:10 Sunday morning on a report of an intoxicated man causing problems in the store. 37-year-old Jesus G. Cruz Santiago of Columbus allegedly was uncooperative with police and as he was taken into custody he spit the blood on the officer.

Santiago was first checked out at Columbus Regional Hospital and the arrested on preliminary charges of battery by bodily fluid on a law enforcement officers and public intoxication.

Seymour police shot and killed a man Sunday after he fled from a shoplifting incident.

According to the Indiana State Police, officers were called to the Walmart store on East Tipton Street at about 8:30 last night on a theft report. They found a man matching the suspect’s description and who was carrying stolen merchandise. He ran from police across Tipton Street and into a ditch.

State police say officers determined the man had a handgun and two Seymour officers fired at the man. Despite medical attention at the scene, he died after being taken to Schneck Medical Center.

Seymour Police Department requested the assistance of the state troopers to investigate the incident.

Neither the victim nor the officers have yet been identified. An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday.

Record-setting early voting ended yesterday, and all that’s left is the Election Day in-person turnout today.

Polling locations across the state are going to be open from 6 to 6 Tuesday as voters across Indiana makes choices in races ranging from president and governor, down to local school boards.

A month of early voting wrapped up at noon Monday. Bartholomew County Clerk Jay Phelps reports that nearly 21,000 voters cast ballots at the Fair Oaks Mall early voting site with another 6,675 early votes through the mail. That total of 27,518 early votes means more than half of the county’s registered voters have already cast their ballots. The Secretary of State’s Office yesterday said 1.8 million people in the state voted before Election Day.

In Bartholomew County, voters will have several choices to make include three at-large seats on the County Council. Incumbent Republicans Bill Lentz, Matt Miller, and Evelyn Pence are running against Democrats Tiffany Bosley, Olisa Humes and Claudette Schroer.

There are also three contested school board races on the ballot with a three-way race for District 3, with incumbent James Persinger facing challengers Todd Grimes and Mike Jamerson. In District 5, incumbent Pat Bryant is running against challenger Jennifer Corsi, and in District 7, Lacretia Ulrey is running against Nicole Wheeldon. Incumbent Jeff Caldwell is not seeking re-election to that seat.

In statehouse races, Republican Rep. Ryan Lauer is being challenged by Democrat Dale Nowlin for District 59  covering most of Columbus and Bartholomew County. Republican Rep. Jim Lucas is facing independent Katrina “Kat” Hardwick and Democrat Jeffery Prewitt for District 69 which includes very southern Bartholomew County as well as parts of Jackson, Jennings and Jefferson counties.

Republican State Sen. Eric Koch is facing Columbus Democrat Cindie Wirth for the District 44 seat which includes western Bartholomew County. Republican State Rep. Sean Eberhart is running unopposed for his District 57 seat, which includes northeastern Bartholomew County.

In Hope, Democratic Town Council member Nellie Meek is running her first re-election campaign against Republican challenger John Walstead.

Several Bartholomew County races are going uncontested this election, including two seats on the County Commissioners, which will still be held by Republicans Larry Kleinhenz and Tony London. Former Columbus Police Chief Jon Rohde is running unopposed for Judge of Bartholomew Superior Court and Clayton Nolting will win re-election as County Coroner with no opponent.

On Tuesday, voting will be from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at one of 12 vote centers around Bartholomew County. Those will be located at:

1. Flintwood Wesleyan Church, 5300 25th St, Columbus
2. St. John’s Masonic Lodge, 4131  Rocky Ford Road, Columbus
3. Fair Oaks Mall, 2104 25th St., Columbus
4. Donner Center, 739 22nd St., Columbus
5. River of Living Water Christian Church, 51 N. Brooks St., Columbus
6. Terrace Lake Church, 4260 W. County Road 200S, Columbus
7. Westside Community Church, 124 Tipton Lakes Blvd, Columbus
8. Elizabethtown Fire Station, 10203 E. Legal Tender Road, Elizabethtown
9. Hope Moravian Church, 202 Main Street, Hope.
10. Clifford Fire Station, 7850 N. Depot St., Clifford
11. German Township Fire Station, 9428 Main St., Taylorsville.
12. Ogilville United Methodist Church, 11910 S. East State Road 58, Ogilville.

Correction: Due to a reporting error, Evelyn Pence’s husband, Dr. Ben Pence was incorrectly identified in earlier versions of this story. We apologize for the error.

Six candidates are running for the three at-large seats on the Bartholomew County Council — three Democrats, and three Republicans.

Incumbent Republicans Bill Lentz, Matt Miller and Evelyn Pence are running against Democratic challengers Tiffany Bosley, Olisa Humes and Claudette Schroer.

We talked to the candidates recently about various issues. Pence is originally from Bartholomew County and is retired from Cummins. She attended IUPUI and graduated from the National School of Aeronautics. She is married to Dr. Ben Pence and is finishing her 40th year on County Council.

Our interview with Pence: