The Bartholomew Consolidated School board has three seats up for election in the November election.
We asked the candidates to talk about their thoughts on whether our students are safe in the district’s schools.
In the District 7 race, Lacretia Ulrey is running against Nicole Wheeldon. Incumbent Jeff Caldwell is not seeking re-election to that seat.
Ulrey said:
Wheeldon said:
The Bartholomew Consolidated School board has three seats up for election in the November election.
We asked the candidates to talk about their thoughts on whether our students are safe in the district’s schools.
In the District 5 race, incumbent Pat Bryant is running against challenger Jennifer Corsi.
Bryant said:
Corsi said
The Bartholomew Consolidated School board has three seats up for election in the November election.
We asked the candidates to talk about their thoughts on whether our students are safe in the district’s schools.
In the District 3 race, incumbent James Persinger is seeking re-election to his first term on the board against challengers Todd Grimes and Mike Jamerson.
Grimes said:
Jamerson said
Persinger said
Columbus Regional Health is looking for participants for a survey of residents about their opinions, precautions and reactions to COVID-19. And they are offering a chance to win various gift cards to those who take part.
The hospital is looking for information on participant’s personal well-being, the community and CRH’s response to COVID-19 and continued care, and overall perceptions.
In addition to the grand prize winner, who will receive a $350 package of gift cards, there will also be 50 other winners of $5 gift cards to Gramz Bakery and $5 gift cards to Lucabe Coffee.
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.
Early voting for the November general election continues this week and will add hours on Saturday. In Bartholomew County, there is one early voting location at the former Carson’s store in Fair Oaks Mall.
Voting will be going on at the mall Mondays through Fridays 8 to 5 with Saturday voting on Oct. 24th and Oct. 31st also from 8 to 5. In person early voting will wrap up at noon on Nov. 2nd.
Election Day is Nov. 3rd and on that day there will be 12 vote centers around Bartholomew County, where you can cast your ballot.
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.