Indiana’s U.S. Attorney, Josh Minkler, is explaining the laws that ensure you can vote safely, accurately and without intimidation or influence.

Minkler said recently that every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud.

According to authorities, federal law protects against intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes. It also provides that you can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass you.

Minkler says that Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Preston will be leading his office’s efforts on Election Day. She will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. She can be reached by the public at 317-452-0242 or at 317-229-2401.

The FBI will have special agents available in each field office to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. You can reach the local FBI field office at 317-595-4000.

In the case of a crime of violence or intimidation he suggest you call 911 immediately.

You can also make complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC at 800-253-3931 or find a link to a complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/

Bartholomew County Commissioners are lifting the burn ban they put in place on Friday. That comes after rains overnight and today, plus more rain expected through the week.

The burn ban limited campfires, open burning, debris burning and the use of burn barrels over the weekend.

Commissioners formally ratified the ban they put in place at this morning’s meeting, then moments later formally lifted the ban.

Bartholomew County Commissioners also extended the partial closing of county government buildings through Nov. 14th, based on last week’s decision by the governor to keep the state at Stage 5 of the Back on Track Indiana plan. The commissioners announced that county buildings would remain closed to the public except by appointment only. The lockdown was originally set to be lifted on Oct. 31st.

An IUPUC professor will be studying the support that youth activists for racial equality receive from schools, the community and other factors.

The university is announcing that Dr. Stephanie Serriere, received a research grant from the Indiana University Racial Justice Research Fund to study South Central Indiana students 8 to 18 years old who are active in the Black Lives Matter movement or other racial equity projects. After a survey, there will be interviews for some of the respondents.

Bartholomew County’s Council for Youth Development will be supporting the study, by determining relevant survey/interview items and initiating the contact with area youth activists.

Serriere’s research will help provide anti-racist frameworks for teacher preparation programs  in K-12 schools across the state. She says that the public school system serves a civic mission to prepare citizens with the skills and knowledge to participate in a diverse democracy. She said that Americans who are not properly educated about their roles as citizens are less likely to be civically engaged.

A man is in custody after a shooting in Shelby County last week. The sheriff’s department says that Michael S. Weddle was arrested at 1:35 p.m. Friday afternoon in connection with the shooting on Tuesday in the southwestern portion of the county. He is facing charges of aggravated battery and battery with a deadly weapon.

Bartholomew County deputies, Columbus Police and Indiana State Police were searching on Wednesday morning for a Bartholomew County man believed to be the victim of Tuesday’s Shelby County incident, after the victim told friends he had been shot but didn’t want to be treated for the wound. The search centered around Clifty Park and led to a lockdown at Columbus East High School.

Later Wednesday morning, authorities announced that 50-year-old Mike Ward had been found after being taken to the hospital for treatment.

Edinburgh authorities say that a man was found dead after an apartment fire early Saturday morning.

Firefighters were called to the 100 block of West Thompson Street at 4:07 Saturday morning and found an apartment building fully engulfed in flames. Six fire departments worked at the scene to extinguish the fire including Edinburgh, German Township, Amity, Franklin, Nineveh and Trafalgar departments.

A man was found dead in one of the apartments and the Johnson County Coroner’s office is still investigating, with assistance from the Indiana Fire Marshall’s Office, Edinburgh Police, Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office and the Bartholomew County Fire investigator. A resident of another apartment escaped the fire and no one was home in the third of the three units.

Photo courtesy of Edinburgh Police Department.

The Bartholomew County Commissioners have issued a countywide burn ban due to the extreme dangers of fires in the area.

The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for all of our listening area. A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior.

The Bartholomew County Commissioners proclamation:

County Burn Ban
Bartholomew County, Indiana
​
October 16, 2020
Whereas, Bartholomew County, Indiana is immediately threatened by a natural disaster- specifically county wide drought conditions, and;

Whereas, as of October 16, 2020, we find our county to be at risk of widespread fire hazards because of the ongoing drought conditions and;

Whereas, a county wide burn ban affecting certain activities is an appropriate public safety response to the fire hazards presented by the current drought conditions;

Now, therefore, we, the Bartholomew County Board of Commissioners, declare, pursuant to the provisions of IC 10-14-3-29, that a state of emergency exists in the county and that we hereby invoke and declare those portions of the Indiana Code which are applicable to the conditions and have caused the issuance of this proclamation, to be in full force and effect in the county for the exercise of all necessary emergency authority for protection of the lives and property of the people of Bartholomew County.

We also declare that, effective immediately, the following activities are prohibited in Bartholomew County:

​1.campfires and other recreational fires;
2.open burning of any kind using conventional fuel such as wood, or other ​combustible matter, with the exception of grills fueled by charcoal briquettes or ​propane;
3.​the burning of debris, such as timber or vegetation, including such debris that ​results from building construction activities; and
4.​the use of burn barrels for any open burning at residential structures.

Charcoal from permitted grills shall not be removed from the grills until the charcoal has been thoroughly extinguished.

In addition, we strongly encourage our residents to attend public displays of fireworks and limit their personal use of fireworks to those that do not leave the ground, and that they refrain from using aerial firework devices.

Reference is hereby made to all appropriate laws, statutes, ordinances and resolutions, and particularly to Section 10 14-3-29 of the Indiana Code.

All public offices and employees of Bartholomew County are hereby directed to exercise the utmost diligence in the discharge of duties required of them for the duration of the emergency and in execution of emergency laws, regulations, and directives whether state and local.

All residents are called upon and directed to comply with necessary emergency measures, to cooperate with public officials and disaster services forces in executing emergency operations plans, and to obey and comply with the lawful directions of properly identified officers.

All operating forces will direct their communications and requests for assistance and operations directly to the Emergency Operations Center.
Bartholomew County Commissioners

A home fire on the east side of Columbus displaced a family this morning.

A resident told Columbus firefighters that he had been working on a vehicle outside the home in the 200 block of Jones Street .When he went back into the home, he noticed a fire in the bedroom. He attempted to put it out with a bucket of water but it continued to burn. He grabbed the family’s two dogs and called 9-11.

Firefighters arrived at about 10:05 a.m. this morning to find black smoke coming from the front of the home. Inside, they found heavy smoke and high heat. After dousing visible flames they overhauled the interior and used ventilation fans to remove smoke from the home.

The fire remains under investigation. No injuries were reported. Damages to the home and contents were estimated at about $4,000. No working smoke alarms were found inside.

The Salvation Army is providing emergency assistance with shelter for the family.

Photo courtesy of Columbus Fire Department