The Town of Hope and Main Street of Hope are announcing a community cleanup day coming up next month. The event will be held from 8 a.m.  to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 15th with dumpsters located at the Hope Utilities Garage at 529 Mill Street.

They will be taking trash, cardboard, glass, plastic and tires. However they can no longer take televisions or computers.

The Bartholomew County Solid Waste Management District recycling trailer will be on site for recycling items. Volunteers from the Hope Police Department will also be on hand to help with the work.

If you have any questions, you can call Hope Town Hall at 812-546-0423.

The deadline is coming up on Friday, if you want to submit a grant application through the Women’s Giving Circle of Bartholomew County.

The fund, set up under Heritage Fund: The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County, provides grants meant to have a positive impact on women and families. The grants should focus on self-sufficiency for women, education opportunities for women and youth, parental support, women in crisis or empowering women.

The deadline to enter is noon on Friday. You can get more information online at www.heritagefundbc.org/giving-circle/.

Some North Vernon residents could find themselves in civil court if they don’t pay their overdue trash bills.

During Monday night’s meeting of the City Council, city utility officials asked for guidance on how to proceed with customers who are refusing to pay their trash bills. Staff say that the vast majority of non-payers are in the recently annexed area between Highway 7 and State Road 3.

Shawn Gerkin, city clerk-treasurer, says that arrears accounts have exceeded $2,000.

City Attorney Larry Greathouse explained that the city’s options are limited, as it can’t place liens for non-payment of trash services. However, he explained that by filing against the late account owners in small claims court, liens could be placed for non-payment.

The City Council instructed Greathouse to work with utilities staff to begin the small claims cases.

A shooting range in southern Bartholomew County is on hold for at least six months.

Watson Chambers Defense Institute had filed a conditional use request for the agricultural properties off of the 15000 block of South Jonesville Road. That would have allowed the company to operate commercial shooting ranges for handguns and rifles.

However, dozens of neighbors and opponents turned out last night to protest the application. They packed the council chambers at Columbus City Hall shoulder-to-shoulder, spilled over into the hallway and into a neighboring conference room set up with a video feed of the proceedings.

In documents filed with the planning department, neighbors and others said they were concerned about the safety of the range, citing a lack of 20-foot tall earthen backstops, 8-foot-tall side berms and other structures recommended by the National Rifle Association.

But Bartholomew County Board of Zoning Appeals Chairman Roger Glick said that the shooting school had withdrawn its rezoning request. That request can not be refiled for six months and the company cannot use the property for the shooting range in the mean time, according to code enforcement officer Bill Klakamp.

Because of the withdrawal, the county BZA did not take any testimony from the applicants or the public.

The city-county planning department staff had recommended a continuance of the proposal before last night’s meeting, as they felt they had not received information needed to make a recommendation.

Facebook ads for the company have advertised a mile-long range for precision rifle shooting.

Update:

A search has been canceled for a missing Columbus woman.

The Bartholomew County Emergency Operations Center sent an alert over the Everbridge system at about 2 a.m. this morning, saying a woman in a wheelchair was missing in the east Columbus area. Police say she has since returned home safely.

Earlier:

The Bartholomew County Emergency Operations Center announced this morning that Columbus police are looking for a missing woman.

Columbus Police are searching for 56-year-old, Linda Eisenmenger. She is a white woman in a wheelchair —  5 feet 4 inches tall and 120 pounds with white hair and brown eyes. She was last seen yesterday around 5 p.m. at 504 Pence St. in Columbus.

If you have any information on her whereabouts, you should call 911.

The alert was sent over the Everbridge system at about 2:15 a.m. this morning.

Families in Jackson County are mourning the death of four teens in a car crash over the weekend.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department says that around 11 p.m. Saturday, an SUV driven by 37-year-old Cara Selby was westbound on State Road 258 in Cortland when it broke down about a block from her home. Authorities say that the family was having a slumber party and the kids taking part came out to push the vehicle to the house. While the teens were doing this, they were struck from behind by a second SUV driven by 24-year-old Elizabeth Watson, of Seymour. The Sheriff’s Department says that eight children were struck:

– 14-year-old Nevaeh Law of Brownstown was pronounced dead at the scene;
– 14-year-old Jenna Helton of Seymour was pronounced dead at the scene;
– 15-year-old Brittany Watson of Brownstown was pronounced dead at the scene;
– 16-year-old Martin Martinez of Seymour was flown to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. He died upon arrival;
– 15-year-old Victoria Valdivia of Seymour was injured and flown to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis;
– 14-year-old Courtney Arthur was injured and flown to Riley Children’s Hospital;
– 15-year-old Allerika Henline of Brownstown was injured and flown to Nortons of Louisville;
– 15-year-old Victoria Burchard of Medora was treated at Schneck Medical Center and released;
– 12-year-old Starlit Watson of Brownstown was a passenger in Selby’s vehicle. She was treated at Schneck Medical Center and released;

Jackson County officials say the investigation is ongoing. They ask anyone who witnessed the crash or has information about it to call the Sheriff’s Department at (812) 358-2141.

A Columbus man died after being struck by a vehicle driven by his wife early yesterday morning.

34-year-old Justin L. Smith was unconscious when police arrived on the scene at State and South Beatty streets shortly before 3 a.m. Monday morning. He later died at Columbus Regional Hospital.

Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the Columbus Police Department, says investigators determined that the victim’s wife, 34-year-old Angela D. Smith, of Columbus, was driving the vehicle. There is no word yet on how the accident unfolded.

Harris said the investigation is ongoing and Columbus Police are asking anyone with information to call the department at 812-376-2600. Tips and information can be left anonymously.

Indiana State Police troopers are planning a sobriety checkpoint in Jennings County this weekend. The agency announced that they will have the checkpoint at an undisclosed location Friday and Saturday.

If you find yourself in line at the checkpoint, troopers say that you should have your license and registration ready to present to the troopers. Assuming you have not been drinking you should only be stopped briefly.

Police will be looking for drivers who are alcohol or drug impaired. If you see such a driver, you can call 911 and make sure to report the description of the vehicle, where you saw it and which way it was headed. Reports can be made anonymously.

A Hauser student’s death last week was caused by an acute heart related issue, according to the Bartholomew County Coroner’s office.

An autopsy was performed Friday in the death of 18 year old Trevor “T.J.” Frazee. Frazee was brought to the emergency room by ambulance after a 911 call at 11:55 a.m. Thursday. That was after the teen complained of difficulty breathing. He died at the hospital, according to Coroner Clayton Nolting.

Services for the Hauser senior will be at 11 a.m. tomorrow at Norman Funeral Home in Hope. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today and from 10 a.m. until the services tomorrow at the funeral home.