The Bartholomew County Clerk’s office is once again accepting marriage license applications but by appointment only.
The clerk’s office had announced in late March that it was going to stop taking applications altogether, but would reconsider in early April.
You can begin the process on the county website at bartholomew.in.gov. You can call 812-379-1600 to schedule an appointment.
Indiana State Police say authorities are still looking for a missing North Vernon man.
52-year-old Brian K. Kirby failed to return home on March 28th and his family contacted the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department. He was last seen at a home on Primshire Court in Country Squire Lakes on the evening of March 27th.
Kirby is 5′ 9″ and 180 pounds with red hair and blue eyes. Kirby was believed to have been wearing a gray sweatshirt with “Tennessee” printed in white letters and blue jeans
Indiana State Police has provided detectives and crime scene investigators to assist Jennings County detectives in the search. The State Police Aviation Section and SCUBA Team was also called out in the search for Kirby.
Investigators have collected evidence in the investigation but the investigation is active and ongoing at this time. No arrests have been made in the disappearance of Brian Kirby at this time.
Anyone with information about the disappearance of Brian Kirby is urged to contact the Indiana State Police-Versailles Post at (812) 689-5000 or the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office at (812)346-4911
The city of Columbus is kicking off this spring’s yard waste program on April 20th.
The city garage staff say that in order to have yard waste picked up, all grass clippings, leaves and other soft materials must be in a yard-waste Toter. No woody items such as limbs can go in the yard waste Toter, but you can stack those beside your Toters curbside. You CAN put an armful of sticks or branches in your brown trash Toter each week. But no other yard waste should go in your regular trash Toter and none should go in your recycling Toter.
Your yard waste will be picked up the same day as your regular trash. It should be at the curb by 7a.m. in the morning.
For those new to the yard waste program, a dark-green Toter can be purchased at Lowe’s Home Improvement store.
For more information you can check out the city website at www.columbus.in.gov/public-works/2020/02/20/spring-sweep/ or call 812-376-2509
Indiana now has more than 8,200 total cases of COVID-19 being reported, and 350 deaths as of Monday afternoon’s update.
The Indiana Department of Health reported 8,236 cases of COVID-19 this afternoon.
Bartholomew County has 110 confirmed cases, the same as yesterday. There have been four deaths so far from the coronavirus in Bartholomew County, which remains unchanged from last week.
In other area counties, Decatur County has 129 cases and has had 10 deaths. Jennings 56 cases and no deaths, Jackson 70 cases and no deaths, Brown 12 cases and 1 death, 327 cases in Johnson and 20 deaths and 75 positive test results in Shelby County and 3 deaths.
Jennings County deputies are reporting that a man forced his way into a Country Squire Lakes home and held three teens at gunpoint.
The incident happened yesterday afternoon. The teens reported to deputies that a neighbor forced his way into the home, threatened the teens while holding them at gunpoint and then left the house.
50-year-old Aphonso E. Barnett of North Vernon was arrested on preliminary charges of burglary armed with a deadly weapon, criminal confinement with a deadly weapon, intimidation with a deadly weapon and criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon.
Columbus police say they arrested a man early this morning after he passed out while his vehicle was stopped on Rockyford Road at Sycamore Drive.
The incident happened at about 2 a.m. this morning, when they found 35-year-old Travis L. Lockard, of Columbus passed out inside a running vehicle in the roadway. Police had difficulty waking him and he had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath. Officers located two syringes as well as methamphetamine in Lockard’s clothing. They also recovered a handgun from one of Lockard’s coat pockets.
He was arrested on preliminary charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated; possession of a legend drug injection device, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia; carrying a handgun without a license and theft.
The Columbus Regional Health Foundation has set up a special fund to support hospital system employees struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Julie Abedian with the Foundation explains that hospital workers are facing two kinds of challenges now: The stress of the coronavirus epidemic and the economic hardships brought on by the epidemic.
While many people think of hospital workers as high-paid physicians and nurses, many are lower-wage workers.
The fund will help employees with one-time grants for expenses such as basic housing, transportation or childcare needs. The needs must be unusual, unexpected, and immediate or time sensitive. The funds will be available for services unique to hospital employees as opposed to other community relief efforts such as the United Way of Bartholomew County’s COVID-19 Relief Fund.
You can donate by text message to 202-858-1233, online at CRH dot org slash relief or by mail. Send a check, with note to CRH Employee Relief Fund, via USPS to Columbus Reginal Health Foundation, 2400 E. 17 th Street, Columbus, IN 47201
Indiana has nearly 8,000 total cases of COVID-19 being reported, and 343 deaths as of Sunday morning’s update.
The Indiana Department of Health reported 7,728 cases of COVID-19 yesterday.
Bartholomew County has 110 confirmed cases, up from 108 on Saturday and 83 on Friday. There have been four deaths so far from the coronavirus in Bartholomew County, which remains unchanged from last week. Local health officials say that there have been 796 tests of Bartholomew County residents, with 534 negatives and 105 results still pending.
Decatur County has 127 cases, Jennings 56, Jackson 70, Brown 12, 317 in Johnson and 71 positive test results in Shelby County.
Johnson County has had 20 deaths, 10 deaths in Decatur, two in Shelby and one in Brown. Neither Jennings nor Jackson counties have reported a death from COVID-19.
The state health department has been releasing daily updates at 10 a.m. each morning, but going forward those won’t be updated until noon.
The National Weather Service in Indianapolis has issued a wind advisory until 8 p.m. tonight.
You can expect isolated gusts of up to 55 mph this morning with 25 to 35 mph sustained west winds. The strongest wind gusts should end by 11 a.m.
You should use extra caution if you are driving, especially if you are in a high profile vehicle. And make sure to secure any items on your porch of in your yard.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with new information
Columbus police are releasing more information about an incident where a pedestrian was seriously injured Friday evening in Garden City.
Officers report the incident happened at just before 8 that night in the 700 block of Jonesville Road. 48-year-old Anthony V. Zavattieri, of Columbus attempted to run across the road after a disturbance at the convenience store in Garden City and was struck by a southbound SUV driven by 29-year-old Keesha E. Rutherford of Columbus
Zavattieri was flown by IU LIfeline helicopter to Methodist Hospital, where he remains hospitalized..
Police say that the crash remains under investigation.