A fire at the Driftside Trailer Park early Thursday morning brought out firefighters from the German Township Fire Department, as well as Clifford and Edinburgh. Matt Lynch, Deputy Chief of the German Township Volunteer Fire Department, says firefighters were called to the trailer park, at 13500 North US 31, just before 5 a.m. He says that a passerby noticed fire on the front porch and called 911 while also trying to alert those inside the home. Lynch says that the woman was able to wake the two males and one female inside. A Bartholomew County dispatcher was also able to talk to one of the residents and confirm that everyone was out of the trailer.

Lynch says that Edinburgh Fire Engine 41 arrived on the scene and knocked down the fire with a single hand line. Crews continued to extinguish hot spots and also check the house for any fire that could have extended into the walls. The fire was marked complexly extinguished at 5:20 a.m.

Investigators say the fire started next to the front deck. They say there was a five-gallon bucket of used motor oil that was on the porch, a lawn mower under the porch along with two bikes and a tall plastic trash can were all in the area of the fire. Lynch says that both bikes had the front tires melted away, the lawn mower sustained heavy damage and the trash and bucket of oil were completely consumed by the fire. The skirt around the mobile home had melted, however fire crews kept the fire from extending under the home.

The Bartholomew County Fire Inspector says the fire was accidental. He noted that it was likely started by discarded smoking materials in the trash can, which had smoldered overnight.

Fire officials say this incident should serve as a reminder about the importance of having working smoke detectors in your home. You are also reminded to make sure that your smoking materials are completely extinguished before discarding, preferably into a metal trashcan with non-flammable materials.

The cities of Greensburg and Madison are finalists for the state of Indiana’s Stellar Communities awards. Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch made the announcement this morning.

The Stellar Communities program was started in 2011, and it provides resources to make community improvements.

Communities are chosen in two categories, Division 1 for cities of 6 to 50 thousand residents and Division 2 for towns with less than 6,000 people. Both Greensburg and Madison are in Division 1 along with the city of Vincennes, the other finalist.

Division 2 finalists include Churubusco, Culver and Union City.

Our most recent local winner was North Vernon which has used Stellar Community funds to improve the downtown area.

Stellar Community efforts focus on building human capital, supporting existing businesses, creating a spirit of entrepreneurship, redeveloping commercial property and infrastructure, preserving natural and cultural amenities, and improving the health and well-being of residents, which fosters the creation of a vital destination.

According to the lieutenant governor’s office, finalist communities each will receive a planning grant to either create or build upon existing local Strategic Investment Plans, detailing projects, partnerships, and proposed sources of funding.

Site visits will then be conducted by the Stellar Team which is comprised of representatives from the partnering agencies who follow a standard agenda and set of questions. Later this summer, one community from each division will be named a 2017 Stellar Communities Designee.

The Columbus Area Arts Council has a new look to its logo and a new website along with a tighter focus on providing arts events in the community.

The new logo is blue with a white background and instead of letters offers shapes. The new branding was unveiled during the council’s annual meeting this week.

Executive Director Kathryn Armstrong explains the design of the logo:

The new focus will concentrate on smaller, more popular events, while cutting back on several larger, more staff-intensive projects. The Arts Council had already announced that it was backing out of the annual Rock the Park concert and was ending the Biggest Block Party Ever fundraiser.

Armstrong said the Arts Council also needs to do a better job explaining all the things it is involved in, such as the downtown Columbus arts district and the main grant organization for this region of the state.

The arts council also launched its new website, along with a mobile friendly design. Armstrong talks about the importance of that change.

You can take a look at the new site at artsincolumbus.org

Columbus has been ranked as a prime area in the U.S. for teachers to live and work. That’s according to the third Annual “Best Cities for K-12 Teachers” report by consumer research website, GoodCall.com. Columbus ranked 90th on the list of 689 cities nationwide.

The report covers nine metrics: job availability, comparative salary, cost of living, amenities, high school graduation rate, college education rate, unemployment, crime rate and restaurants & bars. Data sources included the U.S. Census Bureau, Indeed.com, FBI Crime Data, and Sperling’s Bestplaces. “Cities at the top of our list give teachers the best chance to find jobs that are professionally fulfilling and financially viable
because they are thriving cities where people value education highly,” says Claire Etheridge, Data Analyst for Goodcall.com. She adds, “Teachers who are looking to start a new job in these cities also benefit from the low crime rates and varied restaurant and entertainment options.”

Bentonville, AR topped this year’s list.

A Hope woman was arrested early Wednesday morning on numerous drug charges after officers observed her riding her bicycle with an equipment violation. Officer Alyson Rech, Columbus Police Department spokeswoman, says that Officer Skylar Berry stopped a woman near Pennsylvania Street and 19th Street at 4:40 a.m. after he saw her riding a bike without a working front light. Officers learned that the woman, 35-year-old Lacey N. Hoeltke, had an active Bartholomew County warrant, leading to her being taken into custody. While officers were searching Hoeltke’s backpack, they allegedly found a spoon and a digital scale, both containing methamphetamine residue. In addition, police say that also found a grinder, three smoking devices and a clear plastic bag, all containing marijuana residue, in Hoeltke’s bag. Police say they also found a small plastic bag containing methamphetamine, a small plastic bag with marijuana and three syringes in Hoeltke’s backpack.

Hoeltke was arrested on the warrant, along with preliminary charges of Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of a Legend Drug Injection Device, Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Paraphernalia.

Bartholomew County deputies are searching for 36-year-old Sarah R. Meyer as their most-wanted fugitive this week.

Meyer is wanted on two outstanding warrants. She is five feet tall, 120 pounds with blonde hair, blue eyes and a butterfly tattoo on her neck.

If you have any information on Meyer, you can contact Capt. Dave Steinkoenig, at 812-565-5940  or you can call the sheriff’s department tip line at 812-379-1712.

Memorial Day services will be held at the Bartholomew County Memorial for Veterans on the courthouse lawn at 11 a.m. Monday morning.

The event will feature a speech by John C. Walter, a World War II B-17 bomber pilot who flew 35 missions over Germany. There will also be patriotic music, the laying of wreaths and a rifle volley. News Talk 1010 WCSI’s own John Foster will be the master of ceremonies. The event will also feature vocalist Pam Robertson Bolton, retired Col. Richard Yeaton as chaplain and taps played by the Rev. William Weaver.

For information you can call Foster at (812) 372-4448 or (812) 374-9467.

Garland Brook Cemetery in Columbus will be holding its annual Memorial Day weekend butterfly release on Saturday.

Amanda Klei, the general manager at Garland Brook, explains that the 10 a.m. butterfly release is a way to help those suffering the loss of a loved one.

“It is a ceremony for anyone to come out and to honor those who have passed on,” she said.

It will allow visitors to remember them in a supportive environment surrounded by others also dealing with loss, she said.

She explains how the butterfly release works.

Klei says the release will be held in the Bell Tower Gardens.

The Indiana Department of Transportation will be limiting travel lanes on Interstate 65 tonight between Whiteland and Franklin.

They will be shutting down the left two lanes in both the northbound and southbound direction starting at 8 p.m. tonight. That will last until 6 a.m. when they will reopen one of the lanes.

Crews will be paving the shoulders in that area.

Columbus police say that a wanted man was arrested after allegedly giving police a fake name.

Officers were called to a hotel on Jonathan Moore Pike at about 9 a.m. Tuesday morning on a report of a suspicious man walking in the area. The man originally gave police a fake name, but he was identified as 27-year-old Nathan F. Ingram, who was wanted on three Bartholomew County warrants, according to police reports.

While searching him before taking him to jail, police allegedly found a syringe and a glass smoking pipe in his pants pockets. In addition to the warrants, he was arrested on preliminary charges of possession of a legend drug injection device and paraphernalia.