Monthly Archives: May 2018

Power companies work to restore electricity after storms

The blast of bad weather in our area has left customers without power and trees and powerlines down throughout the community.

Duke Energy is reporting nearly 6,300 customers are without power in Bartholomew and Brown counties, while Bartholomew County REMC is reporting another 500. Crews will be working to restore power as soon as possible.

If you are a Duke Energy customer and are still without power, you can call 1-800-343-3525.

Authorities searching for 14-year-old runaway girl

Photo courtesy of Seymour Police Department

Seymour police and Bartholomew County deputies are trying to find a 14-year-old girl reported as a runaway. The departments report that Karen Fernandez Euxeda was last seen at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 800 block of North Blish Street in Seymour.

Photo courtesy of Seymour Police Department

She is 5 feet tall and 100 pounds, police said. Bartholomew County Sheriff Matt Myers says she has friends who may reside at Hilltop Mobile Home Park in Bartholomew County. It is also believed that she may be in the company of a 35-year-old Hispanic male living in the Candlelight Mobile Home Park area.

Other juveniles have told police that she may have cut her hair, as a disguise, Myers said.

Anyone with information should call the Seymour Police Department at 812-522-1234 or the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department at 812-565-5926

Wanted Columbus man arrested at Poplar Drive home

Joshua Atkinson; photo courtesy of Columbus Police Dept.

Columbus police officers arrested a man with six local warrants after he was found inside a Columbus home Wednesday evening. Lt. Matt Harris, department spokesman, says that at approximately 10:45 p.m., officers responded to a home in the 2700 block of Poplar Drive after receiving an anonymous tip about a man with several warrants being inside the home. Officers arrived and found 23-year-old Joshua K. Atkinson, of Columbus, inside the residence a short time later.

Atkinson’s warrants:

Bartholomew County Warrant: Battery with Bodily Injury
Bartholomew County Warrant: Violation of Probation
Bartholomew County Warrant: Unauthorized Entry of a Motor Vehicle
Bartholomew County Warrant: Resisting Law Enforcement
Bartholomew County Warrant: Possession of Marijuana
Bartholomew County Warrant: Battery with Bodily Injury

Feedback continues with ‘Envision Columbus’ initiative

David Rubin with Land Collective gives presentation during Wednesday night’s Envision Columbus session

The Envision Columbus group will be holding a public session Wednesday night. Tracy Souza is with the Heritage Fund: The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County. Envision Columbus is a public-private partnership aimed at improving and developing downtown Columbus. A number project outlines, including an urban grocer,hotel and conference center, housing and the Crump theater were discussed. We asked some of those in attendance what they would like to see. John Dunlap lives in the city…

Dunlap says the historical significance of the Crump, along with the building’s accoustics, makes it worth saving.

Buck Ritz is a Bartholomew County resident and native…

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Beth Goodwin, a member of the Columbus Young Professionals group, lives outside of the city, but works inside Columbus…

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Goodwin also talked about the need for improved and expanded public transportation. Those who attended Wednesday night’s meeting were

Attendees look over proposals for downtown Columbus

given “Columbucks” to spend identifying what projects they would like to see addressed. Those results are set to be revealed at the next public meeting scheduled for June 9th.

You can get more information online at envisioncolumbus.org.

Schneck receives PRISM Award

Schneck Medical Center’s 2 North inpatient medical-surgical unit received the PRISM Award. The award recognizes only those medical-surgical units that consistently demonstrate exceptional nursing practice, effective leadership, a healthy practice environment and evidence-based, positive clinical outcomes.

Schneck officials say the Seymour hospital is only the second medical-surgical unit in the state to achieve this national honor. There are less than 30 medical-surgical units nationally to have achieved this honor.

The PRISM Award stands for “Premier Recognition In the Specialty of Med-Surg.” The PRISM Award identifies sustained excellence in six categories and Schneck scored at the advanced level in all six categories which included: recruitment and retention of competent staff members, evidence-based practice, positive patient outcomes, healthy practice environment, lifelong learning of unit staff members, and effective leadership.

Overdue fines at Bartholomew County Library to end

Overdue fines at the Bartholomew County Public Library will become a thing of the past, starting on June 15th. At their May 14 meeting, the Bartholomew County Public Library Board adopted a new circulation policy that states in part, “BCPL recognizes that overdue fines are a barrier to users in our community. In an effort to reduce that barrier, we do not assess overdue fines for items that are late.”

”While overdue fines were always meant to be an incentive to encourage patrons to bring their books back, the research indicates that they simply do not. Instead, fines just serve to deter people from returning items for fear of retribution or they lack the ability to pay,” explains Jason Hatton, Library Director.

Library officials say that overdue notices will still be sent via email or US Mail. Lost and damaged items remain the responsibility of the library user. Patrons will not be able to checkout new items if they have any lost items on their account. Items will automatically get set to lost 21 days after they are due. The library will still use the service of a collection agency when an item is 45 days overdue. When an account is submitted to collections, the library will add a $10 fee.

VIMCare receives award for Tobacco Quitline referrals

Columbus Regional Health has announced that VIMCare Clinic received an award from Anthem, Inc. for making the most patient referrals to the Indiana Tobacco Quitline in the first quarter of 2018.

The Indiana Tobacco Quitline is a free phone-based counseling service that helps Indiana smokers quit and provides support and resources for family and friends who want to help others quit smoking. Quitline can be reached at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669).

Anthem, Inc. recognizes provider partners who work to actively help their patient population locate the resources to help them quit tobacco dependence and remain successful. In the first quarter of 2018, VIMCare Clinic made nearly 70 referrals to the Quitline.

SW Bartholomew Water extends boil water advisory

The Southwestern Bartholomew Water Corporation has extended a boil water advisory for a number of there customers. These areas include:

County Road 550 West – from CR 300S to CR 450S, including Deaver Roadand Baldwin Addition;
County Road 275 South;
Arian Trail;
Crossing Lane;
Sommerset Meadows;
State Road 58 to CR 525S
County Road 400 West – from CR 250S to CR 550S.

This advisory is now in effect through 4 p.m. Friday.

Brown County man faces child porn charges

Patrick J. Becraft; photo courtesy of Indiana State Police

A Brown County man is facing child pornography charges after a Tuesday arrest. Sgt. Curt Durnil with the Indiana State Police say that members of the ISP Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, Cyber Crimes Unit and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force executed a search warrant at a home in rural Brown County. He explains that the search warrant was executed following the initiation of an investigation into possession of child pornography video files.

Authorities arrested 28-year-old Patrick J. Becraft, of 5722 West State Road 46, on 10 counts of Child Exploitation (Level 5 Felony) and 10 counts of Possession of Child Pornography (Level 6 felony).