Brown County authorities are looking for three runaway teens. The sheriff’s department posted on social media that they are searching for  a 15-year-old boy Briar Sweeny, a 14 year-old boy David Brandenburg, and a 15 year-old girl Hailey Haywood.

All three were last seen leaving the Speedway gas station on South Van Buren Street in Nashville at about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. Witnesses told deputies that the three juveniles left in a black SUV or passenger car, possibly a Ford, with a broken rear window.

Sweeny is about 5 and a half feet tall, 123 lbs, and has blonde hair and blue eyes. Brandenburg is about 6 feet tall, 170 lbs, and has brown hair and brown eyes. Haywood stands about 5 8, 110 pounds with blond hair and brown eyes.

If you have any information on their whereabouts you can contact the Brown County Sheriff’s Office at 812-988-6655 or the Nashville Police Department at 812-988-0341.

Caldwell Place in Columbus was closed down for several hours yesterday, after a backhoe hit a gas line.

Columbus firefighters report that they were called to the scene at about 10:13 a.m. yesterday after a crew from American Utilities breached the two inch gas line while working in the 2400 block of the street. Vectren arrived to repair the line and the street was reopened a few hours later.

Capt. Mike Wilson with the Columbus Fire Department said local homes and businesses were alerted to the leak, but no one had to be evacuated and no one was injured. Vectren told the fire department that the gas line had been marked before work began in the area.

The Columbus Food Co-Op is giving up on plans for a community-owned grocery store. The co-op’s board of directors met Monday to decide between two choices: opening a smaller store, or declaring bankruptcy. The board voted 5-4 to end the project.

According to a report released to members and investors, the cost to open a store on Central Avenue would have been about $585,000. But the co-op, after several years of fundraising and membership drives, has about $220,000 in cash on hand including pledges.

The board members will be discussing next steps with an attorney, including how to divvy up the remaining funds between member-owners and investors.

For the entire report, go to the co-op website here.

Jennings County Council members are still considering between building a brand new jail or upgrading the existing facility. That was their message during a public hearing Tuesday night in Vernon.

According to engineering estimates, the cost to update and expand the current facilities is $22 million. Construction costs for a new jail are estimated at $28 million. Both options will have additional costs of several million dollars. As for the new jail option, a site still would need to be selected.

County leaders would also have to figure out how to pay for a new jail. There are three options, all of them include the institution of a new public safety tax and less money for cities and towns.

Brian Hatfield, North Vernon City Council president, told the County Council that the city wants to partner and to help find a solution to the jail issue. He also urged County Council members to avoid taking any action that would hit local finances. Hatfield says that North Vernon is counting on that money to help pay for new firefighters, a new pool complex and more.

County taxpayers in attendance were split. Those in favor of a new jail spoke about the need to spend wisely now to avoid future, and more expensive, problems. Those against the proposal spoke about the need for more fiscal responsibility and less burdens on the taxpayer. Others argued that the county should do more to be proactive in addressing the root of crime locally — drugs.

Sheriff Gary Driver estimates that 50 percent of his jail population is there due to drug-related crime. However, he says that other inmates are in for crimes like theft and burglary and that many of those crimes may have had a drug component as well.

The County Council took no action, but invited residents to address the issue further at their next meeting on Oct. 2.

A search continues for the identity of a young woman who died by the side of Interstate 65 Monday night in Bartholomew County.

Bartholomew County Coroner Clayton Nolting says an autopsy yesterday determined that the unidentified woman died of blunt force trauma to the chest and abdomen.

Authorities are releasing photos of the woman’s tattoos, in the hopes that someone will help to identify her.

Columbus police say the woman is Hispanic with a lip piercing. She appears to be between 20 and 30 years old. She was found wearing a maroon colored sweatshirt, tan pants and black tennis shoes.

Lt. Matt Harris with the Columbus police says officers were called to the northbound lanes of the highway near the Walesboro exit, at about 8:45 p.m. Monday night on a report of a deceased woman on the shoulder of the road. She was found a short time later.

Anyone who was traveling in the area between 8 and 8:45 p.m. on Monday evening and saw either a vehicle parked on or near the interstate or the woman walking in the area is urged to contact the Columbus Police Department at 812-376-2600. Tips and information can be left anonymously.

Bartholomew County Sheriff Matt Myers has announced a number of promotions at the jail that took effect this week. They are:

Lieutenant Tyler Stillabower has been promoted to Captain (Deputy Jail Commander).
Sergeant Kaleigh Morey has been promoted to Lieutenant (Jail Operations)
Shift Sergeant Tim Burdine has been promoted to Transport Supervisor
Shift Sergeant Steven Reed has been promoted to Field Training Supervisor
Officer Donald Tooley has been promoted to Shift Sergeant
Officer Johnny York has been promoted to Shift Sergeant.

“Although our Correctional employees are civilian, not merit employees, they represent one of the most important components of our criminal justice system.” “It is their responsibility to ensure the safety and welfare of our inmates,” said Sheriff Myers.

“These officers have the experience they need for their new positions and I am pleased that they have accepted the opportunity to expand their leadership skills,” said Jail Commander Major John Martoccia.

Sheriff Myers says his goal is to have civilian employees overseeing all operations within the jail within the next few years.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has issued an Air Quality Action Day and is forecasting high ozone levels for our area on Wednesday. This includes central, southeast and southwest portions of Indiana, including our entire listening area.

IDEM encourages everyone to help reduce ozone by making simple changes to their daily habits. They include:
• Walk, bike, carpool or use public transportation
• Avoid using the drive-through and combine errands into one trip
• Avoid refueling your vehicle or using gasoline-powered lawn equipment until after 7 p.m.
• Turn off your engine when idling for more than 30 seconds
• Conserve energy by turning off lights or setting the air conditioner to 75 degrees or above

Anyone sensitive to changes in air quality may be affected when ozone levels are high. Children, the elderly and anyone with heart or lung conditions should reduce or avoid exertion and heavy work outdoors. If you have to be outside, drink plenty of water and take frequent breaks.

A North Vernon man involved in a hit-and-run over the weekend has died. Authorities say that 24-year-old Davon Lee Shine passed away on Monday. He was found shortly after 4:30 Sunday morning along US 50 near Hayden.

Sgt. Jeff Jones with the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department says that investigators are still looking for the driver. Whoever it was is believed to have driving a Toyota that was traveling eastbound on US 50. The Toyota may have noticeable front end damage.

If you have any information about this case, you are asked to call Sgt. Jones at (812) 346-5111 or Indiana State Police Trooper Matt Holley at (812) 689-5000.

Authorities are looking for information about a man who was found dead in a Jennings County lake last night.

The man remains unidentified, a cause of death is unknown and an autopsy is scheduled today in Seymour.

Indiana State Police are reporting that they were called to Forest Grove Lane in Country Squire Lakes at about 7:30 p.m. Monday night, after the body was found.

Anyone with the identity of the victim or any other information should contact Detective Jason Duncan, of the Indiana State Police-Versailles Post at (812) 689-5000.

Indiana State Police are being assisted by the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana Conservation Officers, and Jennings County Coroner’s Office.

Columbus city officials will continue to press for quiet zones at railroad intersections throughout the city.

That would require the increasing train traffic through the city to mute their horns as they pass through Columbus, but it would also require safety improvements at each of the four intersections, at an estimated cost of $250,000 each, says Dave Hayward, the city engineer.

While the price is steep, the quiet zones would become more important for the city if the plans to increase the train traffic through the city to more than 20 trips a day move forward. Hayward said that the city has about $800,000 earmarked from federal transportation dollars for the quiet zone project, which would require a 20 percent match from city funds.

Heather Pope, director of the Columbus Redevelopment Commission, said that this would be the first quiet zone requested from the Louisville & Indiana railroad.

The Columbus Redevelopment Commission agreed to switch contractors for the ongoing negotiations, moving from a former Louisville and Indiana company president to an organization called CTC. The redevelopment commission agreed to pay the new $41,700 contract.