Heritage Fund is launching a new campaign that will match donations 2 to 1 to help build the fund’s grant-making ability.

The Bartholomew County community foundation says the Love Where you Live Campaign seeks to raise $100,000 for the long-term benefit of the community through the Community Fund. Lilly Endowment will be matching donations $2 for every $1 donated – tripling the impact to the donations.

Heritage Fund organizers say the Community Fund donations are invested and annual returns allow Heritage Fund to make grants to address community needs.

Donations can be made in person at the Heritage Fund office, by mail or online at heritagefundbc.org. For more information, you can contact Kristin Munn, HFBC director of development, at 812-376-7772.

The Columbus Police Department was recently the target of an open records complaint by the former mayor. Both the state public access counselor and the judge ruled against the city.

We asked the candidates for Columbus City Council in next week’s election if there a problem with transparency in the police department or across city government?

The race in City Council District 1 pits incumbent Republican Dascal Bunch against Democrat Jerone Wood and independent Michael Kinder.

Bunch said that he sees the problem as being one where different officers fill out paperwork differently. That has been corrected.

Wood said that he thinks the city needs to do a better job showing the public how it is being transparent.

Kinder said he thinks the city should be following the laws on what can be shared.

Elaine Wagner, the incumbent Democrat in City Council District 2 is running for re-election against Republican Jim Hartsook.

Wagner says the dispute took too long to settle and it cost too much. .

Hartsook said the city needs an electronic retention policy for its records.

In City Council District 3, incumbent Republican Dave Bush is facing Democrat Katea Ravega.

Bush said the city takes care to follow all the laws on open meetings and records.

Ravega said that as a health care attorney she has filed many open records requests and they can be hard for agencies to process.

Frank Miller, the incumbent Republican in City Council District 4 is running for re-election against Democrat  Michael Schoumacher.

Miller said in the recent case, the city police were still in the investigative phase, where records are not yet public.

Schoumacher said the city has a perception problem with transparency that he would like to address

In City Council District 5, incumbent Republican Tim Shuffett is facing Ross Thomas, a Democrat.

Shuffett said that city is doing more than most communities to ensure transparency.

Thomas said that as an attorney, the first response should be to follow the law and to err on the side of being open..

In the four-way race for the two at-large seats on the council, incumbent Republican Laurie Booher and Democrat Tom Dell are running against Republican Josh Burnett and Democrat Grace Kestler.

Booher said she believes in the value of being open to the public.

Dell said that police thought they were following proper procedures.

Burnett said that personal issues should not be part of the open records decision making

Kestler said the city needs to better communicate with the public.

A wanted man had to be chased down twice by a Jennings County police dog before deputies could arrest him.

Deputies report that they tried to serve an arrest warrant on 32-year-old Thomas Burton, of North Vernon, at a home on Kensington Square Sunday evening. But deputies say Burton fled out the back of the home.

Deputies cordoned off the area and found him hiding nearby. Police say Burton failed to comply with their commands and ran away again. Sgt. Cody Low and his K9 partner, Axel, were waiting nearby and the dog subdued Burton.

As deputies attempted to take Burton into custody, he make it to his feet and tried to run away again. Axel grabbed Burton again and deputies were then able to make the arrest.

Burton was first taken to St. Vincent Jennings Hospital to be treated for injuries and then to the Jennings County Jail, where jail staff found he was carrying methamphetamine.

In addition to the outstanding warrant, Burton is now facing preliminary charges of resisting law enforcement and possession of methamphetamine.

Two people are facing drug-dealing and other related charges after shots were fired at a Columbus apartment complex last week.

Officers evacuated nearby apartments after reports of shots being fired in the 2400 block of Charlestown Place at 1:10 Thursday morning. Columbus police say they found bullet holes in two  apartments.

Police say that 24-year-old Papa M. Sylla, a resident at one of the apartments, told them that he was at home when two men in ski masks tried to push their way inside. Shortly afterwards, several shots were fired into his apartment door, but no one was hit by gunfire.

Two others in the apartment, 25-year-old Alhadj Diaw and 21-year-old Kedisha Brown were coaxed outside and police searched the apartment, where they discovered hundreds of THC vape cartridges, approximately two pounds of marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms, as well as over $13,000.00 in cash.

Sylla and Diaw are facing charges of dealing in and possessing marijuana, maintaining a common nuisance and possession of a controlled substance.  Brown is being accused of visiting a common nuisance.

It is just over a week away from Election Day.  You can still vote early in Bartholomew County, including new opportunities at a satellite voting center opening today.

Early voting continues this week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays at the voter registration office in the Bartholomew County courthouse. A satellite voting center is opening at Donner Center from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on weekdays this week.

Both locations will be open on Saturday Nov. 2nd from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Columbus voters will be deciding races for all the seats on Columbus City Council, as all of the incumbent council members are opposed this election. Mayor Jim Lienhoop and Clerk-Treasurer Luann Welmer, both Republicans, are running unopposed this year at the top of the ballot.

Early voting wraps up next Monday at noon at the county courthouse.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5th. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. We’ll have live election coverage when polls close right here on News Talk 1010 WCSI and 98-1 FM.

A Friday afternoon fire at a home on Hinman Street in Columbus caused $55,000 in damage, according to firefighters.

Neighbors noticed smoke and flames coming out of the first floor of the two-story home at just before 5 p.m. Friday afternoon. Firefighters found heavy flames when they arrived and they could not verify whether anyone was inside the burning building. They headed inside to search for possibly entrapped victims, but found no one was living there says Capt. Mike Wilson with the department.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. No injuries were reported.

City leaders in Columbus have announced that trick or treat hours locally will be from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Halloween.

Residents wishing to share treats with trick-or-treaters should leave their outside lights on.

Drivers should use caution when driving during these times. There will be increased pedestrian traffic. Do NOT drive distracted.

Downtown Trick or Treating is set for Monday evening in Seymour. The Seymour Main Street organization says that business owners will be setup handing out candy. In addition, The Seymour Tribune will have a selfie station set up at One Chamber Square, with a costume parade to follow at the Post Office, located at 321 North Chestnut Street.

Residential trick-or-treating in Seymour will be held Halloween night from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The Bartholomew County Highway Department wants you to be aware of a pair of projects set to begin in the coming days.

Country Club Road will be closed to all traffic beginning Monday, Oct. 28th, from 7:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. for asphalt overlay. Officials say that crews will be paving the full width of the road, making vehicular traffic impossible.

County officials add that County Road 525 West, from State Road 46 to Goeller Road, will be closed from 7:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29, for pipe replacement.

Both projects are dependent on the weather. You are asked to avoid these areas.

If you are looking for more traffic information, download the WAZE app for your smartphone and join the WCSI Traffic team powered by Crew Car Wash. You can find updated traffic information on our website, on-air and on the app.

A Columbus family lost their home last night when their camper burst into flames and the fire spread to their house.

The incident started when the residents were woken by a popping sound coming from the camper early this morning and found that it was burning. They tried to put out the fire with a portable extinguisher, but it continued to grow, leaping to the home itself in the 3800 block of Greenbriar Drive. Firefighters were called at about 12:48 a.m. this morning.

When crews arrived the fire had already made it into the attic space of the home and caused a partial collapse of the roof. Firefighters fought the blaze from outside and tried to protect neighboring homes says Capt. Mike Wilson. One of the neighbors had its vinyl siding melted away by the blaze.

Homeowner John Stetter told investigators that he, his wife, and two of their  three children were at home at the time of the fire. He said the camper was being charged from the home with an extension cord. The family had owned the camper since March.

The home and the camper were a total loss and damages are estimated at more than $250,000, Wilson said. The cause of the fire is undetermined. The family is being assisted by Salvation Army and American Red Cross.