Police in Brownstown are investigating the discovery of a dead body outside Brownstown Central Elementary School.

Brownstown Police Chief Tom Hanner says that officers were called to the school at 10:05 a.m. Tuesday. Once police arrived, they confirmed the discovery of a deceased white male on the west side of the building, at 612 South Base Road. Chief Hanner says that the scene was secured and the school was placed on a “soft” lock-down. He stresses that there was no threat to students or school staff.

Chief Hanner says that this is an active death investigation and that no further information will be released until authorities are ready. He adds that The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and Coroner’s Office is aiding in this investigation.

A Jennings County man was arrested Monday evening on a drunk-driving charge.

North Vernon Police say that officers were called to investigate the Ninth Street area on a report of someone driving a race car on the street. Shortly after 6:30 p.m., officers reported finding 30-year-old Justin Walters, of North Vernon, operating the vehicle. After Walters was stopped, police say they became suspicious about his sobriety. They say that Walters registered a blood alcohol content of .25 or greater, more than three-times the legal limit.

North Vernon police say that Walters was arrested and booked in the Jennings County Jail. Bond information wasn’t immediately available.

This week is Peace Officer Appreciation Week in Bartholomew County. The Bartholomew County Commissioners made the declaration yesterday.

Commissioners President Rick Flohr read the proclamation praising the officers in the community for the dangers they face to protect the public and thanking their families for the sacrifices they make.

Sheriff Matt Myers says you will also see the county courthouse lit in blue this week in recognition of Peace Officer Appreciation Week.

Bartholomew County REMC is warning of a scam going on in the community that claims to be coming from the utility.

According to a report from the company, the scammers are posing as REMC representatives and asking customers to provide credit card or bank account information over the phone. The scammers are claiming that the victim’s account is past due and that electricity will be shut off unless the customer pays immediately.

REMC officials say that you should never give your credit card of banking information over the phone, unless you are the one calling the utility.

North Vernon city officials are trying to figure out what to do with the community’s aging swimming pool.

The diminishing summer break for area school children, coupled with the lack of lifeguards once classes resume, has effectively reduced the pool to only being open two months out of the year, say parks officials.

Chad Speer, North Vernon’s parks director, told the City Council last night that the concrete on the bottom of the pool bottom has been degrading for years. Speer says that a liner was put in nearly 15-years ago and that its life-cycle is nearing an end. He explained that replacing the liner will cost over $100,000.

Members of the council debated various options from closing the pool altogether, to making the repairs or to repurpose the pool into a splash pad.

Councilman Brian Hatfield noted that since he has been on the council, the pool has always run at a deficit. Despite that, he says that the pool is needed, citing it as a quality-of-life issue. Hatfield says that the city council is obligated to look out for the best interest of all residents, adding that recreation and parks are part of that interest.

Councilman Trent Wisner agreed. He says that the pool has served many residents and has helped to give area youths a place to go during the summer months. However, Wisner said that he’s concerned about the costs of simply replacing the pool’s liner. He wonders if it wouldn’t be more cost-effective to remove the liner and repair the damaged concrete underneath.

Councilman Jack Kelley says that the pool is antiquated and argued, whatever the decision, the city will have to spend money to fix it, or close it permanently. He suggested that the city may want to re-purpose the pool and turn it into a splash-pad. Kelley said that such an idea might be an improvement.

No decision was made and council members said they don’t have a time frame on when they might make a final decision.

The council is in the process of considering next year’s budget. The city is budgeting nearly $78,000 dollars to operate the pool next year.

The council is scheduled to review the budget again at 5:30 p.m. Thursday with a final reading on Oct. 11th.

The first major event in a new project to focus attention on the art, architecture and design in Columbus is taking place this weekend.

The Foundations and Futures symposium will kick off Thursday with a gallery opening at the IU Center for Art and Design on Jackson Street. Following that, symposium will be held Friday and Saturday at The Commons. It is part of the new Exhibit Columbus project.

Richard McCoy, director of Landmark Columbus, explains the purpose of Exhibit Columbus.

“It is really an initiative that is meant to catalyze and to spark new ideas in Columbus about the value of good design,” McCoy said. “What I mean by that is all the great things that Columbus is internationally recognized for – architecture, art, landscape architecture and community planning.”

The initiative will also include a new design award named in honor of J. Irwin and Xenia Miller that will have 10 design teams vying for the prize.

“Architects, artist and designers that we have selected compete one-on-one to win a Miller Prize,” McCoy said. “And that Miller Prize is going to be a cash award to build a temporary installation that will be on display all next year. All 10 of those Miller Prize finalists have been selected and they will be in town in a couple of days to take part in the symposium.”

The work of the finalists will be featured in the gallery display at the IU Center for Art & Design.

“It kicks off with a free event at the IU Center for Art and Design — a gallery exhibition of those 10 Miller Prize finalists,” McCoy said. “And then it goes into a two-day symposium. And when I say ‘symposium’ it sounds boring but it is really not going to be boring.

“It is going to be an exciting time to hear from international experts and then your friends in the community and then some really famous designers that got their start in Columbus.”

This weekend’s symposium will also include high-profile participants in Columbus design history including Deborah Berke, Will Miller, Robert A. M. Stern, and Michael Van Valkenburgh.

For more information: www.exhibitcolumbus.org

Indiana State Police continue their investigation involving the death of a Jackson County woman who was initially reported as missing.

An investigation began on Sept. 18 when family of 37-year-old Nikki Reed, of Seymour, reported that they had not been able to contact her since the previous day. Family members told police that Reed had made a trip to Pennsylvania to pick up her boyfriend, 39-year-old Kevin Bell. She was last heard from on Saturday while driving back to Indiana with Bell.

Indiana State Police say that on Sept. 20, Bell made his way to the roadway, in the 8600 block of east US 50 in Jennings County. According to ISP reports, Bell told investigators that the SUV he was driving had went off the road three days earlier, traveling down an embankment and crashing into a tree, head-on. The crash purportedly killed Reed on impact. Bell reportedly told investigators that he was trapped in the vehicle and injured, causing his delay in getting help.

Sgt. Wheeles says the fact that this originated as a missing person case, along with the circumstances of the crash have ISP investigating the case “thoroughly.” He says that a part of that investigation included serving a search warrant on the vehicle. Wheeles went on to say that Bell “may have been less than truthful with statements he originally made to 9-1-1 operators, as well as to the original responding troopers.” ISP stress that this investigation is ongoing and will be turned over to the prosecutors for review for possible charges against Bell.

Wheeles says that he could not say when the investigation will be complete.

Two Columbus women were arrested on theft and fraud charges over the weekend.

Columbus Police Department Officer Justin Black says that at around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Officers Chris Clapp and John Velten responded

to a business in the 3800 Block of 25th Street claiming that a cell phone that had been stolen. Officers utilized the phone’s GPS to determine that the phone was in the area of the 2900 Block of Williamsburg Court. The officers made contact with two women, 37-year-old Amanda Brown and 29-year-old Keshia Dolan and determined that Brown had taken the victim’s cell phone without permission. Police also allege that Dolan had made three separate purchases at a nearby business from the victim’s debit card, which was inside the cell phone case.

Brown and Dolan were arrested. Brown is facing a preliminary felony

charge of Theft and Dolan is facing a preliminary felony charge of Fraud.

The new Brighter Days emergency homeless shelter is opening tonight in Columbus.

The shelter is a joint project between Love Chapel which will operate the shelter and the Columbus Township Trustee’s office which owns the building on Mapleton Street in the east Columbus neighborhood.

Columbus Township Trustee Ben Jackson said the shelter is meant only for residents of Bartholomew County who have become homeless. He said that staff will check for residency before allowing a person to spend the night. That could include documents such as drivers’ licenses or as part of the mandatory criminal background check.

The shelter has rules in place to protect the clients, such as not allowing anyone with a recent criminal history of violence to stay there. And the shelter is within 1,000 feet of Pence Street park, which means sex offenders would be violating their parole to stay there.

The 36 bed shelter will house single, adult men and women. Check in begins at 6 p.m. every night, after the free meal sites in town close for the evening. There are no cooking facilities on site, but those who spend the night will be offered a breakfast in the morning and will be be able to shower.

They will also receive social service information and assistance, Jackson said.

On Friday, supporters spent the night at the shelter as a dry run for the actual public opening and as a fundraiser.

The Columbus Riverfront Redevelopment Project is turning its attention to the crumbling dam on East Fork White River between the 2nd and 3rd street bridges downtown. And they are looking for your thoughts and to update you on the condition of the dam.

Mayor Jim Lienhoop recently explained the dam is around 90-years-old and began as a pile of rubble. Later, that rubble was encased in a concrete shell. Lienhoop says that to him that means the dam could be removed fairly easily.

Lienhoop says that the city wants to find out what would happen if the dam were to be removed, then what would need to be done to replace it, if necessary. He explains that one thing the city doesn’t want is for the water levels to go down in Mill Race Park, which is just upstream fromthe dam.

The public information session and open house will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday in the meeting room at Columbus City Hall.