Efforts to fight the drug abuse epidemic in Columbus and Bartholomew County will include finding places for those in recovery to live after their treatment program.

Doug Leonard, head of the Alliance for Substance Abuse Progress in Bartholomew County recently explained that recovery homes will be a priority for the group this year.

Leonard said that right now there are no such homes in the community. By late this year, ASAP hopes to have four or five recovery homes available in the community.

The homes, also known as sober homes, are meant to provide a stable place for recovering addicts to live as they re-enter the workforce and the community while maintaining their sobriety.

That need falls under larger umbrella of other types of housing that the community is lacking, Leonard said.

ASAP and other agencies have been working with a group of about 35 interested parties, including a local landlord and outside groups who wish to create such homes. The working group is using grant money to pay a consultant called Ascension Sober Homes.

You can hear more from our interview with Doug Leonard here.

A person is dead after a stabbing in Hope this morning during a family fight.

Bartholomew County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the incident around 7 a.m. today on Scott Street in Hope. Few details are yet available but deputies report that one person is dead and one was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital with what are believed to be non life-threatening injuries.

A person has been taken into custody and there is no danger to the public, according to the sheriff’s department.

The incident is being investigated by the county’s death investigation team, which includes Bartholomew County Deputies, Indiana State Police, Columbus Police, the Bartholomew County Coroner’s Office and the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office.

A damaged car in front of a Jonesville Road liquor store Monday morning led Columbus police to the arrest of a suspected drunk driver.

Officers were called to the store in the 600 block of Jonesville Road at about 9:25 a.m. Monday morning and found a vehicle with crash damage that was missing a wheel. 48-year-old Jefferson B. Turnbow of Greenwood was asleep in the vehicle.

After waking Turnbow, sobriety tests revealed a blood alcohol level of .230, nearly three times the legal limit of .08.

Turnbow was arrested on a preliminary charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated with a prior offense.

The Seymour Department of Public Works has announced the locations for Christmas tree drop-off.

“The Tribune” is reporting that the drop-off areas will be sectioned off with orange snow fencing and remain open until Jan. 17 at the following locations:

– Margaret R. Brown Elementary School
– Emerson Elementary School
– Seymour-Redding Elementary School
– Seymour-Jackson Elementary School
– Seymour Middle School
– Seymour High School
– Seymour Middle School Sixth Grade Center.

You can get more inform nation at tribtown.com.

Work on developing the Columbus riverfront between Second and Third Streets is on the agenda of Tuesday night’s Columbus City Council meeting.

The Columbus Redevelopment Commission voted last month to approve a contract with Hitchcock Design Group to continue work on the proposal at a cost not to exceed $567,300.

The proposed project is meant to improve access to and along the river, including plans to remove the low-head to improve river water quality, safety and navigation.

The current project schedule is anticipating permit approval from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources in April. Contract bidding on the more than $8 million project is expected between April and June. The project is slated to close out in January of 2022, with post-construction improvements continuing through Fall of 2023.

The Redevelopment Commission approved the contract with Hitchcock on a unanimous vote. The Columbus City Council will need to give final approval, as the price tag is over the $500,000 limit the redevelopment commission can spend without council approval.

This will be the first meeting of the new Democrat-led city council. Taking part in their first meeting on the council are Democrat Jerone Wood in the 1st District and At-Large Councilwoman Grace Kestler. Democrats have a 4-3 majority on the council.

Council meets Tuesday at 6 p.m. at City Hall. You are invited.

Toyota Forklift’s business units, Toyota Industrial Equipment Manufacturing (TIEM) and Toyota Material Handling USA (TMHU), announced plans last year to formally integrate the two companies into a single business unit. On Monday, Toyota announced the integration process is officially complete. The company’s new name is Toyota Material Handling, Inc. (TMH).

The move combines Toyota’s forklift manufacturing operations with its sales, marketing, and distribution functions. The company remains headquartered in Columbus, where the industry-leading Toyota Forklift brand has been manufactured since 1990. TMH is led by President and CEO Jeff Rufener, Senior Vice President Tony Miller and Senior Vice President Bill Finerty.

Toyota has been the No. 1 selling forklift brand since 2002.

“Toyota is more committed than ever to being a complete material handling solutions provider,” President and CEO Jeff Rufener said. “The integration of TIEM and TMHU will allow us to simplify, streamline, and strengthen the entire customer experience. Integrating our teams will improve the flow of information to and from our customers so we can deliver exactly what they need when they need it.”

“We’re already seeing results, and we’re just getting started,” Rufener said. “The results have been gratifying in terms of the attitudes of our associates, and also in the tangible improvement and efficiency in our business.

Six new troopers, including one with Columbus ties, reported to the Indiana State Police-Versailles District following their graduation from the 79th Indiana State Police Recruit Academy.

Indiana State Police say that 37 probationary troopers graduated from the academy on December 19th. Among the graduates were 23-year-old Trooper Austin Straub, a 2015 graduate of Columbus Christian High School. Straub graduated from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis in 2019 with a degree in Criminal Justice. Prior to being hired by ISP, Straub worked for Bartholomew County Community Corrections. Straub currently lives in Brown County.

ISP says these troopers have already completed over 1,000 hours of structured training in law enforcement techniques as well as hands-on and scenario-based training at the Indiana State Police Recruit Academy. The curriculum included criminal law, traffic law, emergency vehicle operations, psychology, firearms, crash investigation, self-defense, first aid and other general law enforcement training.

Upon completion of the ISP-Versailles District Field Training Program, all six probationary troopers will receive their police vehicles and begin solo patrol in the district.

The Bartholomew County Jail is closing in on starting its drug treatment program.

Sheriff’s Department officials say that the facility is taking the final steps to kick off its initial treatment program. Program coordinator Theresa Patton explains.

Patton says that screenings are going on now for female prisoners to take part in the first group.  Patton explains what the program will provide the inmates.

The first group will start with four women prisoners and add more in a staggered schedule to expand to 24 on both the men’s and women’s sides of the jail.

Jail prisoners who are admitted to the program will have 10 hour a day group treatment programs and individual counseling at no cost to the inmate. The program will run for a minimum of 90 days for each inmate and will be offered at no cost to the prisoner.

Patton said that she is working with community partners like the courts, ASAP and CRH to make a seamless transition as inmates leave the jail treatment setting.

The 23rd annual MLK Day breakfast in Columbus is set for Monday January 20th at The Commons.

The program will feature remarks from Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop and the Keynote Speaker will be Columbus East High School Vice-Principal Charles Edwards.

After the breakfast STEM activities for children will be available.

This event is sponsored by the African American Pastors Alliance. The breakfast is free and you are invited to attend. A hot buffet breakfast will be served at 7 a.m. followed by a program starting around 7:30 a.m. and concluding at 9 a.m.

A Columbus man was shot to death early Saturday morning by a homeowner in the 2000 block of Home Avenue.

38-year-old Derek Henderson of Columbus died after being shot in the head, chest and abdomen, according to Bartholomew County Coroner Clayton Nolting.

The incident began around 1 a.m. in the morning Saturday, when the homeowner was confronted inside his residence by an unknown man carrying a baseball bat. Police say the homeowner shot the intruder and when officer arrived to a report of shots being fired they found Henderson with gunshot wounds.

He was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to authorities. An autopsy was conducted Sunday, Nolting said. Toxicology results are pending. All autopsy information will be forwarded to the Bartholomew County Prosecutor.

The case was being investigated by the city/county death investigation team which includes city police, county deputies, Indiana State Police and the county prosecutor’s office. Nolting said any further information in the case will come through the county prosecutor’s office.