Columbus police recovered a stolen car and arrested a Greensburg woman Sunday evening.

According to police reports officers located the car that had been reported stolen at about 7 p.m. Sunday evening near 15th and Franklin streets. They also noticed a woman in a nearby alley who was acting suspiciously.

Officers detained the woman, 35-year-old Meghann M. King and located the keys to the stolen vehicle. A search of the vehicle uncovered narcotics and drug paraphernalia that were in bags owned by King.

She was arrested on preliminary charges of theft, as well as possession of heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

A traffic stop near downtown Columbus led to a chase through Bartholomew County early this morning according to deputies.

The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department is reporting that deputies stopped a vehicle 17th and Union Streets at about 1:15 this morning. But when a police dog alerted to the odor of drugs in the vehicle, the driver sped away. After a chase, deputies found the vehicle in a field near Jonesville. The driver, 57-year-old Richard G. Bunch of Columbus allegedly attempted to run away before being captured by police dog Argo.

He is facing preliminary charges of criminal mischief, possession of methamphetamine and paraphernalia, reckless driving, resisting law enforcement and interfering with law enforcement.

Statewide, voters are receiving mailings urging them to vote by mail and including a request form for a mail-in ballot. And while the mailings look official, and they are legitimate they may not be your fastest way to get a ballot sent to your home.

Bartholomew County Clerk Jay Phelps explains that the applications that you might be receiving will first be routed through the Indiana Secretary of State’s office, before coming back to local voting officials who will mail out your ballot. He said it is faster to request a mail-in ballot from his office or online from indianavoters.com.

Phelps said that if you were not planning to vote by mail, you can simply throw the mail-in ballot application away. The mailings are coming from organizations such as the state political parties.

You can get more information in Bartholomew County by calling the voter registration office at 812-379-1604.

Columbus city officials want to remind you that you only have a few days left to fill out your Census forms.

Robin Hilber, with the city’s community development department, says the census collection process officially ends on September 30th.

She points out that accurate census numbers are needed for federal grants and programs and low numbers will affect funding for education, senior centers, food banks, housing, and other programs. If that money doesn’t come from the federal funds, it will have to be made up through local taxes. So, in effect, filling out your census form can help keep local taxes low, she said.

According to the Census Bureau, Indiana has had a self-response rate of just under 70 percent of its households respond to the survey, while Bartholomew County is at 72.5 percent and Columbus is at just over 74 percent. Jonesville has had a self-response rate of about 69 percent, Hope at 66 percent, Edinburgh at 65 percent, Hartsville at just below 58 percent, Elizabethtown at just below 40 percent and Clifford at just below 36 percent.

The Census is called for in the U.S. Constitution as the way to decide the number of each state’s representatives in Congress.

The city of Columbus will be considering wrapping up a deal to purchase the Bartholomew County-owned parking lot between Second and Third streets downtown — possibly to used as a future hotel with a conference center and parking garage.

The Columbus Redevelopment Commission will consider the agreement with the Bartholomew County government when the commission meets today.

City leaders have proposed the land swap which would give the city the parking lot and court services building property, while the county would receive parking lots around the county jail and the former law offices behind the jail. The city’s redevelopment commission would also put $1.5 million dollars towards the design and construction of a new court services building behind the county jail. And the county would receive 100 spaces in the future parking garage for use by county employees.

The county commissioners agreed to the deal last month with the caveat that the new building be ready for occupancy when the county turns over the lot.

The Redevelopment Commission meets at 4 p.m. today at Columbus City Hall.

The Columbus City Engineer’s Office is calling today “Super Saturday” for the sheer number of community events that will be tying up traffic today around the city.

Events today include:

24th Annual Hot Rods and Rock & Roll  by 106.1 The River. Car Show: 3 to 7 p.m. Streets Closed:  Noon – 7 p.m.

• Close Washington Street from 3rd Street to 8th Street
• Close 5th, 6th & 7th Streets from Jackson to Franklin Streets
• 4th Street open for outdoor dining

The Columbus Indiana Philharmonic Indianapolis Jazz Orchestra Concert on the Library Plaza. Event 6-7:15 p.m.  Set up 3p.m., tear Down 9 p.m.

• Close 5th Street between Lafayette Avenue and Franklin Street

Bartholomew County Historical Society Open Door Tour  to visit 6 private landscapes and gardens.

Centennial Suffrage Celebration Car Parade beginning 12:30 p.m. at IUPUC parking lot and ending at Mill Race Center.

• Parade will tour a few neighborhoods and senior care facilities and last approximately one hour.

The Columbus Farmer’s Market. Market hours 9 a.m.  to 12:30 p.m.

• Behind City Hall

2020 Columbus Out of the Darkness Walk, Mill Race Park; 12  p.m. to 2 p.m.

City of Columbus Parks & Recreation

• Tournaments at Lincoln Park and Clifty Park
• Pickle Ball Tournament at Donner Park
• Last weekend of Youth Soccer

Seymour police say that two people are being accused of dealing methamphetamine, among other charges, after arrests this morning.

Seymour officers and Jackson County deputies raided a garage behind a home in the 300 block of South Broadway Street at about 7:15 a.m. this morning after information suggested meth dealing was going on there.

Authorities found more than 45 grams of methamphetamine which has an estimated street value of $4,500, more than 75 grams of marijuana which has an estimated street value of $1,000 along with $1,700.00 in cash and numerous paraphernalia items.

37-year-old Dwight Weddel and 25-year-old Keisha Canada, both of Seymour were arrested on preliminary charges of dealing in methamphetamine, along with possession of a syringe, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia.

The Seymour Chamber of Commerce is going to be hosting a public debate in October between the candidates for Indiana House District 69, which includes parts of Bartholomew, Jackson, Jennings and Jefferson counties.

According to the chamber, Incumbent Republican Jim Lucas of Seymour has agreed to debate, as has Katrina “Kat” Hardwick, an independent running for the statehouse seat. Democratic candidate Jeffery Prewitt has yet to confirm his participation.

The debate will be moderated by Dan Robison, president of the Seymour Chamber of Commerce and Arann Banks, executive director of the Jackson County Visitor Center. The questions for the debate will be submitted by various community leaders throughout Jackson County.

The debate will begin at 6 the evening of Thursday, October 15th at the Knights of Columbus hall on 2nd Street in Seymour. COVID-19 precautions will be in place. Those could include seating arrangements, face coverings and limites on attendance.

Heritage Fund – The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County will be turning a focus for the next two years  to racial equality in our community.

The Heritage Fund Board announced this week that the many protests around the country highlight the unresolved racial issues that are dividing the country. According to an announcement from the community group, Heritage Fund leadership is adding its full support to the call for change.

Heritage Fund has long championed efforts to make Bartholomew County a more welcoming community for everyone and supports projects that work towards that goal. The board also pointed out  other organizations in the community committed to reform efforts. Those include United Way of Bartholomew County, Community Education Coalition, Bartholomew County Juvenile Court, Bartholomew County NAACP, African American Pastors Alliance, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation and Columbus Regional Health.

The board unanimously approved a motion to “spend the next 24 months studying and reflecting on the issues of racial equality and equity and determining how Heritage Fund can make a positive impact on the community.”

The board will spend that time reviewing materials and exploring ways to eliminate prejudice, discrimination and systemic barriers in Bartholomew County.

The Town of Hope will be hosting a community wide cleanup day on Saturday, along with other activities around the Town Square.

Dumpsters for the community will be placed at the Hope Utilities Building at 529 Mill Street from 8 a.m. until noon. Trucks and volunteers will be available to help those who cannot get material there. The cleanup site cannot accept tires, propane tanks, large appliances, televisions, computers, paints or solvents.

There will be also be bins available in the parking lot of First Financial Bank for important documents to be shredded. At both locations, there will be containers available for food and monetary donations to help the Hope Food Pantry as well as provide items for the Community Blessing Boxes.

There will also be a community worship service at 1 p.m. in the lot on the north side of the Hope Town Square.

This year’s Hope Ride is being split up into a multi-week event and there will be music and breakfast to purchase at the Willow Leaves of Hope starting at 7:30 a.m. Saturday morning to welcome Saturday’s riders.