There will be an open house this afternoon at the new District 6 offices in Columbus for Republican Congressman Greg Pence.

The open house will be from 2 to 4 p.m. today at the offices on First Street behind the Bartholomew County Jail.

The Congressman, a Columbus native and brother of Vice President Mike Pence, won election last fall and took office in January. He announced at the time that he plans to continue to live in his Columbus home and that he would be opening a district office here in the city. Pence explained in a December interview:

The address is 555 1st Street, in Suite B.

The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department and Columbus Police Department are planning patrols for aggressive drivers.

Authorities say with spring just around the corner, Hoosier drivers are tempted to increase their speeds and take more risks behind the wheel.

Local authorities and about 230 law-enforcement agencies across Indiana are warning drivers of increased patrols this March for aggressive driving violations. Overtime traffic enforcement is funded through National Highway Traffic Safety Administration grants administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.

“The rules of the road are not only the law, they are designed to help everyone reach their destination safely and efficiently,” said Sheriff Matt Myers. “By warning drivers of aggressive driving enforcement, our aim is to make prevent unsafe driving and save lives.”

Statistics show that young drivers, particularly young men, are more likely to be engaging in unsafe driving behaviors before a crash.

Columbus police say a man driving without a license twice this morning was also found to be carrying a handgun without a permit.

Police stopped a vehicle at about 4:05 this morning and cited 44.year-old Kipper L. Doran for driving without a license. He was ordered not to drive until he got the license sorted out. But Doran allegedly found driving the vehicle again near Second Street and Central Avenue and cited a second time.

As officers prepared to tow Doran’s truck, a loaded handgun was found in the back seat of the vehicle — a gun Doran did not have a permit to possess. He was arrested on a preliminary charge of possession of a hand gun without a license.

A woman has been hospitalized and a North Vernon man is behind bars after an alleged hit-and-run Thursday morning.

At 7:49 a.m., North Vernon Police were dispatched to a personal injury accident on College Street. Officers were advised that a female pedestrian had been struck by a vehicle and that the driver had fled the scene.

Officers arrived quickly and found the 26-year-old woman. Her injuries were treated by EMS while officers began searching for the suspect’s vehicle. The unidentified woman was flown by helicopter to St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis. Her condition has not been made available.

During the investigation, officers were able to locate the suspect vehicle on West Walnut Street. Officers were also able to locate the driver, 21-year-old Stephen A. Vaughan. Vaughan was interviewed by police and taken to the St. Vincent Jennings Hospital for a blood draw before being booked on a preliminary charge of Leaving the Scene of a Personal Injury Accident, a Level 6 Felony. His bond is currently set at $1,055.

The Student’s Fund of Hope is holding a “try-on” event for donated prom outfits from 3 to 8 p.m. today at Willow Leaves of Hope on the north side of the Hope Town Square.

The group is trying to provide prom outfits for every student in need with its Hope for Prom program. Whitney Budd, an organizer for the event, says that they have more than 200 donated prom dresses on hand.

Budd says that the support from the community has been amazing.

Because they have received so many outfits, the group is opening the giveaway up to neighboring high schools also, not just Hauser students.

There is also limited amounts of apparel for the boys, Budd said..

The Student’s Fund of Hope was started last fall to help families who had been taken to small claims court over unpaid lunch fees.

Three people were arrested last night, after a Columbus store reported hundreds of dollars in clothing had been stolen.

The theft was reported at the Rural King store on North National Road at about 8:45 p.m. and police stopped a suspect vehicle near Beech Tree and Park Lane drives. Officers noticed that two of the passengers in the vehicle were wearing new clothes and boots with the store tags still attached.

The arrested the passengers, 42-year-old Troy Logan and 42-year-old James C. Isaac, both of Indianapolis on charges of theft.

The driver, 32-year-old Ashley Smoot of Greenwood was wanted on a Johnson County warrant and Logan was also wanted on an Indiana Parole warrant.

A developer working on renovating the former Faith Victory Church in Columbus could qualify for a tax abatement after the City Council gave initial approval to label the site an economic development target area.

Rick Sprague, the owner of the property, says that he plans to offer market-rate apartments at the site in the 1700 block of Home Avenue. He says that hundreds of thousands of dollars in rehabilitation and improvements in the nearly century-old building are needed before any potential renters could move in.

Council members were enthusiastic about the development, noting the need for housing in the area. A second reading is set for the council’s March 5th meeting. If the council gives final approval, Sprague will be able to apply for the accompanying tax abatements.

The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department has three Georgia residents in custody pending further investigation and the possibility of forthcoming additional charges.

Two men, identified as: Askari Greer, 27, of Atlanta, and Jacobey Nelson, 23, of Forest Park, Georgia, are behind bars and facing a charge of Theft. However, detectives believe the pair may have falsely identified themselves. A female, identified as Tamecia James, 23, of Atlanta, is also facing a charge of Theft.

Authorities say this is an ongoing, multi-agency investigation that involves additional counties and may involve additional states. BCSO detectives believe these suspects may have committed multiple thefts and may have other charges and they are now checking with other counties and states.

Currently, the suspects are being held in the Bartholomew County Jail on a 48-hour hold without bond. The investigation is ongoing. “We believe that other thefts may have occurred in other counties or even in other states so Detectives have their work cut out for them over the next couple of days as they gather additional information,” says Sheriff Matt Myers.

Otter Creek Golf Course will be getting some repairs and updates. The Columbus City Council approved a resolution to allow the city to act as guarantor for a loan of $175,000 not to exceed 10 years. Jamie Brinegar, the city’s director of finance, explains that the course is owned by the city.

He explains that the course is run by a management board that handles day-to-day operations.

Brinegar noted that the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system are original to the 1960s clubhouse. All are slated to be replaced. In addition, the course is set to see work on drainage and bank stabilization.

Council voted 5-0 to approve. Councilwomen Elaine Wagner and Laurie Booher were absent.

Jackson County authorities rescued four people who spent the night outside in floodwaters in the northwestern part of the county.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department says that five people were in an SUV driving at about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday when the vehicle became stuck in floodwaters in the 10000 block of North County Road 1190 West, just north of Robertson Cemetery. As floodwater made its way into the vehicle, all five got out of the SUV and sat on the roof. The group had no cellphone coverage and limited battery power on their phones. After a short time, one of the men left to search for help.

He showed up at a home about 1.5 miles south of the vehicle shortly before 8:15 a.m. Wednesday. The man told authorities that he had been searching for help since 6:30 p.m. the previous day.

Authorities converged on the submerged vehicle to find no one at the scene. The Sheriff’s Department used a drone to make sure there was no one in or around the SUV. A short time later, a 911 call came in from one of the missing women. She advised that the four people in her group burnt purses and other items throughout the night to stay warm. At around 7 a.m. Wednesday, the group left the SUV and walked north as flood waters were rising.

Emergency officials were able to locate the woman’s cell signal, placing her a quarter-mile north of the officers’ location. The missing four were rescued moments later. All five were taken to Schneck Medical Center for symptoms of Hypothermia. All were later released.