Wednesday marked the start of the filing period in Columbus for those who want to run for mayor, clerk-treasurer or city Council.
Six Republican candidates, including five incumbents, filed on the first day. They are: Mayor Jim Lienhoop, Clerk-Treasurer Luann Welmer, District 1 Councilman Dascal Bunch, District 4 Councilman Frank Miller and District 5 Councilman Tim Shuffett. Newcomer Josh Burnett has filed to run for Council At-Large.
Candidates have until noon Feb. 8th to file. That is done at the Voter Registration Office in the Bartholomew County Courthouse. Candidates must be a resident for at least one year before November’s general election. They must also be registered to vote and have no felonies.
You can keep up with candidate filings through the county’s website, at bartholomew.in.gov.
A North Vernon man is behind bars on burglary charges. Just after 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jennings County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a reported Burglary of a garage on Townsend Place. While speaking to the property owner, deputies received another dispatch of an alarm coming from another home on Atkinson Circle. Once at that scene, police found 26-year-old Brian W. Hooten inside of a vehicle that was parked in the garage.
Hooten is facing two preliminary counts of Burglary. He is being held on a $2,055 bond.
Emily Lewellen; photo courtesy of Indiana Historical Society
Brown County High School teacher Emily Lewellen has been selected as one of 18 educators from across America selected to participate in “Memorializing the Fallen,” a teacher professional development program from National History Day.
Sponsored by the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission and the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, the program is designed to take Lewellen and other educators on a journey to rediscover the history of World War I and invigorate its teaching in classrooms across the nation.
“World War I is oftentimes glossed over as simply a stepping stone to WWII,” said Lewellen. “With that glossing over comes the brushing aside of important stories that would help students connect with the past. Through the Memorializing the Fallen program, I will learn firsthand the stories of the men and women who fought and died in the trenches and battles of WWI, allowing me to humanize this history for my students. I am incredibly excited to learn this impactful history and apply it in my classroom, as well as in my community.”
Throughout the Memorializing the Fallen program, teachers will attend virtual lectures, participate in discussions and research a service member who never returned home. Lewellen’s service member is Private Ray Griffin of Brown County, Indiana. Griffin was a member of the 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Division.
In June 2019, Lewellen and the other educators will venture to Europe, making stops at Somme American Cemetery, St. Mihiel American Cemetery, Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Oise-Aisne American Cemetery, where Pvt. Griffin is buried. They will visit battle sites and monuments, and on the final day of the program, teachers will attend the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles at the Palace of Versailles.
The Indiana Historical Society says that each activity will support the development of the final products the teachers will create: a lesson plan and a “Silent Hero” profile. The teachers also will develop in-depth lesson plans to focus on the legacy of the conflict. Both the lesson plan and the fallen hero profile are slated to be released during the 2019-2020 academic year.
The Indiana Sheriff’s Association will be awarding college scholarships to qualified high school seniors or college students who are pursuing a degree in criminal justice studies. There will be approximately 40 scholarships of $750 awarded to qualifying students throughout the state.
The Indiana Sheriff’s Association Scholarship Fund was established for the purpose of receiving, investing and dispensing funds to provide college scholarships to qualified students who are committed to pursuing an education and career in the law enforcement field. “Our hope is that recipients will come back to their communities as the next generation of law enforcement,” said Bartholomew County Sheriff Matt Myers.
To qualify for a scholarship, the applicant must be an Indiana resident, be a current member of the association or a dependent child or grandchild of a current member of the association, attend an Indiana college or university, major in a law enforcement field and enroll as a full-time student.
The scholarship application can be downloaded from the Indiana Sheriffs’ Association website at indianasheriffs.org.
Applications must be completed and received by ISA no later than April 1.
Bartholomew County Jail inmates will be allowed special visitors later this month. Jail officials say that those who visit Bartholomew County Jail inmates must be at least 18-years-old. However, no age restriction visits are allowed on numerous special occasions throughout the year.
No age restriction visits will next be held January 22-24.
If you would like to visit an inmate, you are encouraged to dress conservatively and wear nothing that promotes gangs, drugs and weapons. Clothing must also be free of profanity and obscenities. You must also bring a state-issued photo ID.
A report of a disturbance led to five arrests at a North Vernon apartment. Just before 8 p.m. Tuesday, police there were called to 156 West Walnut Street. After an investigation, officers obtained a search warrant. A Madison man, 31-year-old James McAuliff IV, was renting the apartment. He was arrested for Maintaining a Common Nuisance and Possession of Methamphetamine.
Also arrested were:
Frank Bailey, 19, North Vernon – Outstanding warrant for Possession of Cocaine;
Breaunna Mayes, 22, North Vernon – Visiting a Common Nuisance;
James Wheeler, 19, Seymour – Visiting a Common Nuisance;
Junara Bailey, 43, North Vernon – Visiting a Common Nuisance;
North Vernon Police arrested two people on drug charges. At 4:13 p.m. Tuesday, officers responded to a report of drug activity in the parking lot of a sports bar in the 300 block of Hoosier Street.
Police dog Zobi was summoned to the scene and alerted to the odor of drugs inside the vehicle. Officers reported finding drug paraphernalia and a small amount of meth in the possession of the driver, 27-year-old Michael Davis–Taylor, of North Vernon. He is facing preliminary charges of Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Paraphernalia.
A passenger, 37-year-old Jeffery A. Bower, also of North Vernon, was arrested for an active arrest warrant. He was wanted in Jennings County on charges of Failing to Appear for Possession of Methamphetamine, Public Intoxication, Possession of a Device Used to Trick a Drug Screen and Possession of Paraphernalia.
Indiana State Police are investigating the Columbus Police Department, after two officers were accused of claiming they were at work for the city, while actually working a second job.
Lt Matt Harris explains:
Harris said that the accusations were made in September. An internal investigation was started then and the situation was referred to troopers in November. It will be up to the state police to determine if any laws or internal policies were violated by the officers, Harris says.
31-year-veteran Ron May agreed to retire and Dan Meister, at the time a lieutenant with 22 years at the department, has been demoted to the rank of patrolman. He has been assigned to non law-enforcement activities while the investigation continues.
Harris said he had no information on when the Indiana State Police investigation might wrap up.
Efforts to combat the local drug epidemic continue. The Bartholomew County Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to appropriate a federal grant for the coming Adult Drug Treatment Court. The body took action freeing up $124,063 for the court. Brad Barnes, director of Bartholomew County Court Services, explains that the federal grant is reimbursable…
Benjamin says the hope is for the court to be up and running no later than April 1st. She says that she expects the court to be able to handle around 25 caseloads at a time once it is established.
Those who want to run for municipal office can begin filing on Wednesday. Bartholomew County Clerk Jay Phelps says potential candidates can file their paperwork when the Voter Registration Office in the courthouse opens at 8 a.m.
You have about a month to decide if you’d like to be a candidate…
Phelps says there are candidacy requirements. Candidates must be a registered voters and have no felonies. In addition…
Candidates can file at the Voter Registration Office inside the Bartholomew County Courthouse.
