Bartholomew County deputies are looking for a person of interest in the death of a woman found yesterday morning in Waynesville.

Investigators believe 19-year-old Bobby Neil Truitt II was the last person to see the woman alive.

Deputies were called to the scene of the suspected death in the 2700 block of South East Street in Waynesville at about 6:30 a.m. Monday morning. They found a dead woman with suspicious injuries. Deputies secured the scene and called in the city-county-state joint death investigation team.

The incident remains under investigation and the victim’s name has not yet been released.

The Republic newspaper is reporting this morning that the victim’s vehicle was missing from the scene and has since been recovered in Indianapolis.

Authorities are seeking any information on Truitt, no matter how seemingly insignificant.  Anyone with information regarding Truitt’s whereabouts is asked to contact: Detective Will Kinman at 812-565-5926.

The Bartholomew County Death Investigation team includes Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, Columbus Police Department, Indiana State Police, Bartholomew County Coroner’s Office and the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office.

Correction: Due to a source error, Chance Goodwin’s name was incorrect in a previous version of this story.

North Vernon police say a man stabbed another to death in self defense after an altercation at a gas station Monday morning.

Investigators say that 25 year old Chance Goodwin of North Vernon pulled into a gas station on North State Street at about 12:45 yesterday morning. A passenger in his vehicle, 23 year old Luis Silva from Florida demanded money from Goodwin and when Goodwin refused, Silva allegedly confronted Goodwin. Both men got out of the vehicle, where Silva again confronted Goodwin. Goodwin told police that he feared for his safety and stabbed Silva one time with a knife.

Both men then separated, with Silva running across State Street before collapsing near the City Park. Goodwin then left the gas station, police say.

Detectives spent nearly 20 hours collecting evidence related at the scene and pieced together the details from witness statements and video from a nearby business that recorded the event. Goodwin came to the police station of his own accord to talk to investigators.

Jennings County Prosecutor Brian Belding found there was insufficient evidence, at this time, to contradict Goodwin’s claim of self-defense. He said that should new information develop the case may be reevaluated.

The Bartholomew County Death Investigation Team has been called in after a dead woman was found in Waynesville this morning.

Deputies were called to the scene of the suspected death at South East Street in Waynesville at about 6:30 a.m. this morning. They found a woman with suspicious injuries. Deputies secured the scene and called in the joint team.

Sheriff Matt Myers says that Indiana State Police and Bartholomew County Coroner Clayton Nolting have been working at the scene.

The incident remains under investigation and further information will be released at a later time.

“The death investigation team is working aggressively to pursue further information and once that information is gathered, we will share it with the public,” Myers said.

The Bartholomew County Death Investigation team includes Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, Columbus Police Department, Indiana State Police, Bartholomew County Coroner’s Office and the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office.

A new motorcycle rider died in an accident during a training course over the weekend, according to Columbus police.

The training course was being conducted at Columbus Municipal Airport at about 12:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, when 66-year-old Carol McMurray of Indianapolis lost control of her new bike and crashed into a storage container. She was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital where she later died.

Police say the accident remains under investigation.

North Vernon police are investigating after a body was found early this morning near the City Park.

Police say a passerby called officers about a person lying in the grass behind a nearby business at about 12:45 a.m. this morning. Police discovered that the person had died. Their identity has not yet been released, as police work to notify the next of kin.

Police say this is an active investigation and more information will be released as it becomes available.

Update 11:30 a.m.

North Vernon police say that they are seeking the public’s help in the investigation. They have released a photo of a vehicle that they believe may have been involved in the death.

If you have any information you can call 812-346-2345 for the non-emergency dispatchers or 812-346-1466 for the NVPD front office.

In person early voting will start in just over a week for the November election.

Bartholomew County Clerk Jay Phelps explains that the deadline to register to vote is coming up on Monday, Oct. 5th and the county’s single early voting location will open on Tuesday Oct. 6th.

Unlike previous years, with multiple early voting locations, voters will only be able to cast ballots at Fair Oaks Mall in the former Carson’s store.

Phelps said that early voting will be going on at the mall Mondays through Fridays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with Saturday voting on Oct. 24th and Oct. 31st also from 8 to 5. In person early voting will wrap up at noon on Nov. 2nd.

Phelps said that poll workers will be sanitizing the machines, as well as other common surfaces such as the digital poll books and tables between each use and all workers will be masked.

Neither the courthouse, nor Donner Center, will be used for early voting this cycle.

Election Day is Nov. 3rd and on that day there will be 12 vote centers around Bartholomew County, where you can cast your ballot.

Columbus police say that a suspected drunk driver got his vehicle stuck in gravel at a construction zone early this morning.

According to police reports, Columbus officers found the crash at about 4 this morning at Taylor Road and 31st Street. The driver, 30-year-old Trevor A. Jessup appeared to drive past several “road closed” signs before striking a culvert and getting stuck in the gravel.

Jessup appeared to be unsteady on his feet and slurring his words, according to police reports. He failed several field sobriety tests and was arrested on a preliminary charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

A Seymour woman died in a crash Thursday on North U.S. 31 in Jackson County.

36-year-old Brianne N. Fluhr was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash by the Jackson County deputy coroner.

Jackson County sheriff’s deputies say the crash happened at about 1:50 p.m. Thursday afternoon in the 5700 block of North U.S. 31, near the intersection with County Avenue. The initial investigation indicates that Fluhr was driving on County Avenue and tried to cross the  highway onto County Road 560N, pulling into the path of a car driven by 26-year-old Loren A. Smith of Seymour.

After being struck, Fluhr’s vehicle rolled several times before landing upside down.

Smith was treated at the scene and later in the evening was transported by medics to IU Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis with a back injury.

The accident is still under investigation.

There will not be a Hope Heritage Days this weekend, but the town is still going to feature events around the Town Square on Saturday.

There will be a return of the Studebaker car show from last year’s Heritage Days. While all cars are welcome, Studebakers will be featured. The car show will be from 10 to 2 and will include awards for grand champion and reserve grand champion Studebaker entries. The Night Owl Country Band will be performing from 10 to 2.

The Yellow Trail Museum will also be hosting a celebration of 100 years of Women’s Suffrage on Saturday from 10 to 3. Visitors will be able to make sashes supporting “Votes for Women.” The museum is encouraging girls to bring their American Girl dolls and sashes will also be made for the dolls. The event will include a women’s suffrage rally at noon on the north side of the Hope Town Square and a march around the square.

Several of the usual Hope Heritage Days food booths will be selling food on Saturday including the Hauser FFA which will be selling food at the Hauser Ag facility at the school from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Exhibit Columbus 2020 Symposium is heading into its second week of events with a focus on Resiliency and Climate Adaptation.

The first session next will be at 2 Tuesday afternoon and will feature a discussion of landscape architecture and research as a response to climate crises with designer Iñaki Alday and landscape architect Kate Orff, moderated by Iker Gil.

Thursday will be a Columbus Conversation at noon featuring Miller Prize recipients Belinda Tato and Jose Luis Vallejo of Ecosistema Urbano along with Rachel Kavathe, Heather Pope, Jason Larrison, and Randy Royer talking about ecological initiatives in our community.

All of this year’s Symposium conversations are happening virtually and they will be going every other week through the last week of October.  You are encouraged to take part and the conversations are all free.

You can find more information or sign up for the conversations at ExhibitColumbus.org.