A change in leadership at Seymour City Hall is coming in 2020. Eight candidates are campaigning to replace outgoing Seymour Mayor Craig Luedeman. He announced in November he would not seek a fourth term. Five Republicans and three Democrats will face off in Tuesday’s primary election for a spot on the November ballot.

Republican candidates are:

– Bridey Jacobi
– Tom Joray
– Matt Nicholson
– Nathan Otte
– Matt Rowe

Democrat candidates are:

– Tyler Henkle
– James Kelly
– Rexanne Ude

Early voting continues at the Jackson County Public Library in Seymour and the Jackson County Judicial Center, located at 109 South Sugar Street in Brownstown. Voting at the library is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday and 9:30 a.m. to noon on Monday. Early voting in Brownstown is from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to noon on Monday.

Southside Elementary School locked down its facility Wednesday. The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department says that at approximately 11:40 a.m., a motorist in the area  reported seeing a suspicious person waving an object in their hand on County Road 200 South, near the fairgrounds. Upon receiving this information, Southside Elementary staff immediately secured the building and Columbus Police responded and found the individual. Southside parents were notified via school building-specific communication while law enforcement conducted a search of the individual and the area with police dogs.

“BCSC is committed to keeping our students and staff safe at all times. We are proud to be a part of community that cares about our schools and are grateful for our partnership with local law enforcement,” BCSC Communications Coordinator Josh Burnett said.

Columbus Police were unable to say if there were any arrests. We are awaiting comment from the department.

A Hartsville man was arrested Sunday, accused of threatening deputies after a traffic accident.

Bartholomew County deputies were at the scene of a crash at about 10 p.m. Sunday night in the 19000 block of East County Road 500N. A passenger had been injured and the driver, 33-year-old Michael Henson of Hartsville showed signs that he was impaired, according to police reports. Deputies say that Henson made threats to harm the officers at the scene.

He was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital to have his blood tested and then to the Bartholomew County Jail. But on the trip to the jail, he allegedly continued to threaten and resist deputies.

He is facing charges of operating a vehicle while Intoxicated with a prior conviction, intimidation and resisting law enforcement.

The injured passenger suffered a dislocated elbow in the crash.

Hope Civil War Days are returning this weekend after an almost five-year absence.

Barb Johnson, an organizer for the event with the Yellow Trail Museum explains, that the annual event fell apart after the death of Hope Star-Journal newspaper publisher Larry Simpson in 2014.

Organizing of the event has fallen to the Hope Chamber of Commerce, Main Street of Hope and the Yellow Trail Museum.

Civil War re-enactors will begin arriving Friday night and setting up camp on the Hope Town Square.

Public activities will start at 8 a.m. on Saturday and 8:30 p.m. on Sunday. Among the new activities, a member of a surgical team will give a hands-on presentation on Civil War medicine at 10:15 a.m. on Saturday, Johnson says.

Johnson said the activities should be informational and fun for adults and children.

Among the activities on Sunday, there will be a ceremony at the grave of Barton Mitchell. Mitchell was a Union Army private from Hartsville who is credited with finding a secret Confederate communication that helped turn the tide of the war.

You can get more information by contacting the Yellow Trail Museum and Visitor Center at 812-546-8020.

Courtesy of Yellow Trail Museum

Ivy Tech Community College Columbus is getting a new main campus building. School officials made the announcement yesterday on the Central Avenue campus.

Funding for the new $30 million building is included in the recently approved state budget.The new building will replace the current Poling Hall with a modern facility.

Columbus Chancellor Steven Combs said on social media that the tentative timeline is to break ground in fall 2021 and move-in during spring 2023.

Sheriff Matt Myers will be holding a community meeting in northwestern Bartholomew County at 6 p.m. the evening of May 23rd at the German Township Volunteer Fire Department station.

The sheriff says you do not need to live in German Township to attend. Any residents of Bartholomew County are encouraged to bring questions, comments or suggestions to discuss with the sheriff or members of the department’s leadership team.

A Hartsville man was arrested Sunday, accused of threatening deputies after a traffic accident.

Bartholomew County deputies were at the scene of a crash at about 10 p.m. Sunday night in the 19000 block of East County Road 500N. A passenger had been injured and the driver, 33-year-old Michael Henson of Hartsville showed signs that he was impaired, according to police reports. Deputies say that Henson made threats to harm the officers at the scene.

He was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital to have his blood tested and then to the Bartholomew County Jail. But on the trip to the jail, he allegedly continued to threaten and resist deputies.

He is facing charges of operating a vehicle while Intoxicated with a prior conviction, intimidation and resisting law enforcement.

The injured passenger suffered a dislocated elbow in the crash.

Columbus Republican voters will be choosing candidates in three City Council races in the May 7th primary election – District 1, District 3 and the at-large races.

We asked the candidates for their thoughts on the city’s riverfront development plan and the riverfront as a whole.

In District 1, incumbent Dascal Bunch is running against Chris Rutan.

In District 3, incumbent Dave Bush is running against Russell Poling.

In the At-Large race, incumbent Laurie Booher is facing a challenge from John D. Counceller and Josh Burnett.

About the candidates:

Dascal Bunch, 64, is currently in his second term representing District 1 on the Columbus City Council. He also works part-time. Bunch has two adult children, six grandchildren and a seventh on the way. He attended Ball State University. Bunch is involved with St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, specifically the church’s “Angels of Love” program.

Chris Rutan, 41, is a local property manager. He has previously run for city council, district 1, Columbus Township Trustee and the Columbus Township Advisory Board. Rutan is heavily involved with the Salvation Army.

David Bush, 34, currently serves District 3 on the Columbus City Council. He was selected by local Republican Party leaders to complete the term of former Councilman Frank Jerome, who moved out of the district. Bush is also a small business owner. He and his wife Katy are raising three children. Bush is a graduate of Columbus East and Purdue. He is involved with Turning Point and is a member of the operations board for St. Peter’s Lutheran Church.

Russell Poling, 56, is a quality manager at Cummins and a 20-year veteran of the Air Force. He and his wife Judy have two adult children and one grandchild. Poling has a degree in computer science from the the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He is a mentor with the Bartholomew County Veterans Treatment Court and serves on the Bartholomew County Plan Commission and as vice president of the Columbus City Plan Commission. Poling previously ran for this council seat in 2015.

Laurie Booher is currently serving on the Columbus City Council At-Large. She is a small business owner that employs youths and adults with special needs. Booher has three adult children and a master’s degree in physical therapy from the University of Indianapolis. Booher served as a member of the Columbus Service League, as well as on the boards of Turning Point and Riley Hospital Foundation.

John D. Counceller,72, is a local business owner. He and his wife have a blended family of seven adult children. He has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Trine University. Counceller ran unsuccessfully last year to represent Indiana House District 59.

Josh Burnett, 31, is a small business owner. He and his wife Katie are raising there young children. Burnett is a graduate of Columbus East and Cincinnati Christian University. His is a member of Columbus Young Professionals, the local Rotary Club and the board of the Bartholomew Consolidated School Foundation. This is his first run at elected office.

There are no contested primaries on the Democratic side.

Indiana State Police say that the 2018 Indiana State Police Motor Carrier Inspector of the Year Award is Michael Buckley, of Decatur County. Buckley works in the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division at the Seymour and West Harrison Weigh Stations. In 2018, Buckley accounted for:

• 793 Commercial Vehicle Inspections
• 87 Out-of-Service Violations
• Made five public appearances at events such as job fairs, carrier safety meetings, and recruit testing events
• Recovered two missing children/runaways in two separate events while working the Seymour station

Buckley, a 2016 graduate of the Indiana State Police Motor Carrier Inspector Recruit Academy, is a native of Rushville. He went to the Indiana State Police after retiring from the Rushville Fire Department where he served 32 years and retired as a Captain.

The ColumBIKE bicycle rental program is going free for the next three months, thanks to the sponsorship of SIHO Insurance Services

The not-for-profit program will be offering two-hour bike shares for free in May, June and July. Organizers say you can rent a bike at any of the eight stations around the city. You will have to enter your debit or credit card and a promo code of 417 to take advantage of the free two hours. After that you will be charged the regular $3 an hour, or you can check your bike back in and start the two hour clock again.

The bikes include a front basket for storage, automatic lights and fenders, skirt guards and chain-guards to keep clothes clean. ColumBike bicycles are specially designed to fit people of all sizes, thanks to an adjustable seat post.

For more information on ColumBIKE, click here.