The first wave of mail-in ballots will be going out today to the 4,000 Bartholomew County voters who have requested them.

Bartholomew County Clerk Jay Phelps explains:

Phelps explains that the absentee voting board has convened early so that the ballots are ready to go out today. He said the voter registration office has also been working closely with the local post office to make sure that everything should run smoothly.

Your mail-in ballot will arrive in a thick manila envelope with an orange signature box on the front. In addition to instructions, it will contain a scantron sheet that must be marked with your voting choices by filling in the appropriate bubbles on the sheet. There will also be a note explaining that if you vote straight-party ticket, your vote will not be tallied for the at-large or school board races. To vote in those races you must directly choose your candidates, Phelps said.

Perhaps most importantly is the signature spot on the front of the envelope. Phelps said without signing that, your vote will not be counted on election day.

Phelps said that the deadline to request an application to vote by mail is October 22nd and you can do that either through the Bartholomew County voter registration office or online through indianavoters.com. The ballot has to be back in the voter registration office by noon on Election Day, whether you mail it back in or drop it off in person at the office in the courthouse, Phelps said.

The deadline to register to vote in the November election, is coming up on Oct. 5th.

A North Vernon contracting company has agreed to pay the U.S. government $4.25 million  to settle a complaint about road materials.

The U.S. Attorney’s office in Indianapolis announced a civil settlement Thursday with Dave O’Mara Contractor Inc. over the company allegedly misrepresenting that it was mixing steel slag into its asphalt mix, when it actually wasn’t. According to the government, without the required steel slag it gave the false impression that the roads the contractor paved contained enough binder to ensure that they would not prematurely deteriorate.

The asphalt was used in projects throughout central and southern Indiana, funded in part by the Federal Highway Administration.

Andrea M. Kropf, with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Inspector General office, said that the settlement sends a message that “putting the safety of the traveling public at risk for personal gain is an unacceptable way of conducting business.”

U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler said that risking “the safety of the motoring public for the sake of saving money cannot be tolerated.”

The settlement followed a multi-year investigation by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Inspector General office, in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s office and the U.S. Department of Justice. INDOT also assisted the United States in its investigation.

The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.

A legal complaint has been filed challenging the residency of the sitting president of the Bartholomew County Council.

Bartholomew County Democrats issued a statement Thursday saying that they are seeking a declaratory judgment from Bartholomew County Superior Court as to whether Republican Councilman Matthew Miller is eligible to serve on the County Council and to remain as a candidate on the ballot in November.

The challenge grew from a complaint by some of Miller’s neighbors saying that he does not live at the home he claims as his legal residence on County Road 550E. Instead, he is accused of actually living in Jennings County.

The complaint was filed by Democratic Party Chairman Steve Schoettmer, and Democratic County Council candidates Claudette Schroer, Olisa Humes and Tiffany Bosley.

Miller advanced in the Republican primary in June to run for re-election one of the three at-large seats on the council.

The complainants said that they were seeking the judgment because the Bartholomew County Election Board has not taken action to investigate the matter.

Miller could not be reached Thursday night for comment.

Columbus police are looking for leads in the robbery of a pharmacy Thursday morning.

The robbery happened at the Walgreens on Beam Road at about 5:10 a.m. Thursday morning. A man entered the store and told workers he had a firearm. He then fled the store with an undisclosed amount of cash, police say.

The white man is described as having a slender build and was wearing a blue mask, flannel shirt, gray sweatpants and dark shoes. You can find photos of the suspect on our website.

The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department is assisting the Columbus Police Detectives Division with the investigation.

If you have any information, you are urged to contact the Columbus Police Department at 812-376-2600. Tips and information can be submitted anonymously.

INDOT says that asphalt patching is scheduled to begin on Interstate 65 between Edinburgh and Franklin on Friday.

The work was originally scheduled to happen last month but was canceled due to the weather.

Work is planned over six weekends, with single-lane closures starting at 8 p.m. each Friday night through 6 a.m. each Monday morning.

This Friday night, crews are set to begin patching near State Road 252 and move north toward Franklin. This will continue for the first three weekends. Crews will then move to the southbound lanes in early October.

INDOT asks that you slow down, use extra caution and drive without distractions in all work zones. All work is dependent on the weather.

Exhibit Columbus will be kicking off their biennial symposium next week, but because of COVID-19 things will look different from previous in-person gatherings in the city itself. Anne Surak, director of Exhibit Columbus explains that the symposium will be going virtual and will be spread out over almost two months of bi-weekly virtual seminars.

Exhibit Columbus alternates a year with a symposium, and a year with the installations at the site of various city architecture and design landmarks.

The virtual symposium will have two conversation events a week, every two weeks through the end of October, for a total of eight conversations. Surak said the symposium will have a theme of “New Middles: What is the Future of the Middle City?”

Each week will focus on a particular topic and will feature a Tuesday and Thursday conversation, with the Thursday conversations focused specifically on Columbus.

The first week will be focused on Futures & Technologies. The first conversation, is from 2 to 3 p.m. on Tuesday and will be with futurists discussing how strategic foresight and storytelling influence design.

The first Columbus-centered event will be Thursday, Sept. 17th from noon to 1 p.m. It will be with Miller Prize recipients Jennifer Newsom and Tom Carruthers, along with Columbus Chamber of Commerce President Cindy Frey and a representative from Cummins.

You can get more information or sign up at ExhibitColumbus.org. Participation in the conversations is free.

Many of those who organize the annual Hope Heritage Days festival are stepping down, and hoping that new group of organizers will rise up to take their places.

HSJ Online, the Hope news website, is reporting this morning that a large part of the Heritage of Hope Board, along with those who organize the festival are stepping down. Among those who have deiced to leave are Michael Dean, CEO of Heritage of Hope, Randy Sims, Chuck Caldwell, Michele Clark, Mary Bragg, Tina Dean and Tonja Sims.

Dean told the news site that all had originally intended for this to be their last year working on the large annual festival in the small northeastern Bartholomew County town. Dean said that all those stepping down are willing to help new members transition into leadership roles, but as of yet, no new organizers have stepped forward.

The annual festival is normally held the last weekend in September, but has been canceled this year due to the pandemic. That led to added disappointment for those looking forward to passing the torch on to a new generation, Dean said.

You can read more here.

Three people were injured in Jennings County Sunday when a golf cart struck a van.

According to the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, deputies were called to the intersection of County Roads 700W and 300N in Geneva Township at about 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon. According to investigators, the golf cart was traveling northbound, failed to stop at the intersection and struck an eastbound van.

A juvenile on the golf cart was flown by Stat-Flight helicopter to IU Riley Hospital and a man on the cart was flown to IU Methodist Hospital, both with critical injuries. A second man on the golf cart was taken to St. Vincent Jennings Hospital.

The names of the victims have not yet been released and the accident remains under investigation.

Bartholomew Health Department and Windrose Health Network are partnering to offer free COVID-19 testing starting today at the health department.

Dates and times may vary with evening and Saturday appointments available. Testing will be available to all members of the public regardless of symptoms. Children as young as 2 can be tested with parental consent.

Dr. Brian Niedbalski, the Bartholomew County Health officer, urges anyone to get tested who has symptoms of COVID-19 or who have had close contact with someone who tested positive.

The tests will be given at the health department’s nursing division, at 2765 Foxpointe Drive Suite B. Windrose Health Network will begin testing later this month at its facilities in Edinburgh and in Hope.

This testing is being made possible through a grant from the Indiana Department of Health. All the testing supplies and equipment, including test kits, personal protective equipment, sanitizer and the platform for registration and data management, are provided through the grant. The grant continues through June 30th and is renewable.

You can get more information by calling 812-379-1555 and hitting option 1.

Walk-ins will be welcome during testing times, but to avoid waiting in line, individuals are encouraged to register for an appointment by visiting scheduling.coronavirus.in.gov or by calling the testing site location. You will need proof of Indiana residency such as a state-issued ID, work ID or utility bill.