Monthly Archives: August 2020

Seymour driver seriously injured in head-on crash

Photo courtesy of Indiana State Police.

A Seymour man was seriously hurt in a Thursday afternoon crash between an SUV and a pickup pulling a trailer.

Photo courtesy of Indiana State Police

Sgt. Stephen Wheeles with the Indiana State Police says that 72-year-old Albert “Ernie” Ball of Seymour was flown to St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis after the crash at about 2 p.m. on Jackson County Road 760 East.

Ball was driving the SUV northbound when his vehicle crossed into the southbound lanes where it hit head-on with a pickup driven by 66-year-old David M. Weghorst of Columbus. Ball was trapped in his vehicle and had to be freed by rescue workers before being flown to the hospital by St. Vincent Stat-Flight Medical Helicopter.

Weghorst suffered minor injuries and was taken to Schneck Medical Center where he was treated and released.

Wheeles said the investigation is ongoing.

Firefighters call off 9-11 ceremony in face of pandemic

The Columbus Fire Department is announcing the cancelation of this year’s 9/11 remembrance ceremony, originally set for Columbus City Hall.

Fire Chief Andy Lay said that efforts to reduce Covid-19 exposure risks to community members and local public safety officers led to the cancellation. He said it was difficult decision to cancel the event, but believes it was the right call to protect public health and safety.

As an alternative, the Columbus Fire Department will produce a remembrance video tribute that will be shared on the fire department’s social media pages and the City of Columbus website, to be posted on Sept. 11th.

This is the 19th anniversary of the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Firefighters hope to be able to hold an in-person event next year for the 20th anniversary.

Columbus man headed to federal prison on gun charge

U.S. Department of Justice seal

A Columbus man is heading to federal prison for 41 months after being convicted of charges including illegal firearms dealing.

The U.S. Attorney’s office in Indianapolis announced this week that 58-year-old William Beard sold or transferred more than 320 unlicensed firearms. Over the course of four years between 2013 and 2017, Beard sold guns at locations including gun or trade shows and not once conducted a background check or completed the required ATF paperwork, required of a federal firearms licensee, according to the U.S. Attorney Josh J. Minkler.

Beard was convicted of Unlicensed Firearms Dealing and Falsification of Records in Bankruptcy. Authorities say when Beard filed for bankruptcy, he failed to disclose his income from selling and trading firearms, and did not include the information that he had been indicted in federal court.

Authorities say that 23 of the weapons Beard sold have been recovered from crime scenes including armed robberies and warrant searches for drugs.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

First Christian to receive grant for tower repairs

First Christian Church in Columbus will receive a half million dollar grant to repair its iconic downtown clock tower.

First Christian Church. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, photograph by Carol M. Highsmith

Congressman Greg Pence made the announcement yesterday saying that the church would receive the grant from the National Park Service’s Save America’s Treasures program. The money will go towards efforts to repair the structural integrity of the tower.

Built in 1942 and designed by Eliel Saarinen, the church was the first of many Columbus modern architectural landmarks. The building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2001.

Columbus police arrested wanted man after bicycle chase

Scott B. Burton. Photo courtesy of Columbus Police Department.

Columbus police say that a man who was wanted on outstanding warrants tried to flee from them on a bicycle Wednesday morning.

According to police reports, at about 11:15 Wednesday morning, an officer noticed 46-year-old Scott B. Burton of Elizabethtown riding a bike in the 1100 block of Washington Street. After confirming that he was wanted on a felony warrant, officers tried to stop him but he rode off on the bike ans officers lost sight of him after a short chase.
A police dog was brought to the scene and police dog Argo helped find Burton hiding in the backyard of a home in the 1100 block of Franklin Street.
He was arrested on a warrant from Johnson County, a warrant from Bartholomew County and a new charge of resisting law enforcement.

Our Hospice hosting fish fry Friday at Legion post

Poster courtesy of Our Hospice of South Central Indiana

Our Hospice of South Central Indiana will be holding a fund-raising fish fry at the Columbus American Legion Post on 25th street from 11 to 8 Friday. The meal will include fish, baked beans, coleslaw and a beverage there is a limit of four meals per vehicle.

Donations will be accepted to benefit Our Hospice.

The hospice hopes to raise $120,000 from events and raffle ticket sales surrounding the Labor Day weekend virtual concert.

The actual show will feature Yacht Rock Revue, a band playing smooth songs from the 70s and 80s. The concert will start at 7 p.m. in the evening on Saturday Sept. 5th and will stream live on the hospice Facebook page.

You can get more information at ourhospice.org.

Vice President makes case for Trump-Pence 2020 ticket at convention

 

Vice President Mike Pence, of Columbus, during his speech at the Republican National Convention, Aug. 26th, 2020

Columbus native Vice President Mike Pence was the keynote speaker at last night’s Republican National Convention. Speaking from Fort McHenry, site of the writing of the Star-Spangled Banner, Pence said that he joined the ticket with President Trump four years ago because he believed the president had the ability to Make America Great Again. He formally accepted the nomination to run as vice president again.

Pence pointed out that his 87-year-old mother, Nancy, was in the audience.

Pence said he and the president came by very different routes to their partnership, but he said he has learned about the president in their four years together.

Pence said that the president has taken the fight to radical Islamic terrorists. He said the president took down what he called the ISIS Caliphate without the loss of one American solder. In one of the biggest applause lines of his speech:

Pence said he and the president built the world’s greatest economy in their first three years.

Pence said former Vice President Joe Biden claimed there is no miracle coming to cure the pandemic. Pence disagreed.

Second Lady Karen Pence speaks at the RNC, Aug. 26th, 2020

Earlier in the evening, Second Lady Karen Pence spoke before the convention. She said the President and Vice President are fully behind military families.

Pence said military spouses experience frequent moves and job changes but still exhibit pride, strength, and determination to be part of something bigger than themselves.

She also discussed her initiative to help military spouses and veterans with PTSD, through a form of art therapy.

Holcomb extends mask mandate, Stage 4.5 for 30 days

Updated Aug. 27th

Gov. Eric Holcomb is extending the statewide mask mandate for at least 30 more days and keeping the state at Back on Track Stage 4.5, he announced Wednesday afternoon.

Local governments may impose more restrictive guidelines.

The governor said that the state continues to monitor and respond to these four guiding principles:

  • The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients statewide has decreased for 14 days
  • The state retains its surge capacity for critical care beds and ventilators
  • The state retains its ability to test all Hoosiers who are COVID-19 symptomatic as well as health care workers, first responders, and frontline employees
  • Health officials have systems in place to contact all individuals who test positive for COVID-19 and expand contact tracing
A sample map for tracking COVID-19.

The governor also announced that the state is updating its color-coded county positivity map to  score counties as blue, yellow, orange or red, more easily allowing local officials to determine the best course of action. The map will go live on the Indiana State Department of Health COVID-19 dashboard next week and be updated weekly.

Scoring does not trigger a state requirement of any action, but provides local information and recommendations. Holcomb said the scoring is based on:

  • Number of new cases in the past week per 100,000 residents
  • Percent positivity as determined by the number of positive tests divided by the total number of tests administered
  • The change in percent positivity from the previous week

The new system is designed to help local and school officials understand and respond to the level of community spread in their county. The map will be available on the ISDH coronavirus dashboard next week.

The Governor also signed an executive order extending the public health emergency an additional 30 days.

BCSC parents vent concerns about COVID-19 plans

Parents and community members urged Bartholomew Consolidated School board members to keep the physical schools open for classes, but also expressed concerns about how eLearning was being handled, the lack of social distancing in classrooms and the resources available to teachers.

At Monday night’s school board meeting, nine members of the public signed up to speak to the board and to air their concerns.

Barb Wills, a parent of five, said that four of her children opted for in-person classes, with one taking the Bridge eLearning option. She said she was encouraged by the plans for masks and the COVID-19 indicators.

Austin Hover, a parent of two children in BCSC schools, said that it was unrealistic to expect children to wear masks and social distancing is impossible in places such as the lunch room. Plus he said that he thought students should not be subject to rules the community isn’t following. However, he also said that his children need to be in school and not eLearning.

Tracy Kiser, a BCSC parent, said she represented Show Your Work Transparency Now, a group demanding more transparency from the school district on the COVID-19 metrics reporting and decision making. She praised the district for presenting more data on the spread in the schools, however she said more information is needed. Especially on how the metrics will inform decisions on whether to keep schools open and what those thresholds are.

Three arrested on drug charges after North Vernon traffic stop

Photo courtesy of North Vernon Police Department

North Vernon police say a broken taillight last night led to the arrest of three people on drug trafficking charges.

An officer was working traffic patrol near State Road 3 and Madison Avenue at about 10 last night, when he noticed the vehicle with only one working taillight. After pulling the vehicle over, the officer discovered the driver, 33-year old Sarah O. Brazzell of Mitchell, had a suspended license.

The Jennings County Sheriff’s Department’s police dog Axel was brought to the scene and alerted to the smell of narcotics in the vehicle. A search revealed individually wrapped baggies of methamphetamine in the vehicle totaling about 6 and a quarter ounces, along with drug paraphernalia.

Brazell and passengers 30-year-old Ryan D. Pierce of Mitchell and 38-year-old Bradly M. Randall of Batesville are facing charges of dealing in and possessing methamphetamine, possessing a hypodermic needle and visiting or maintaining a common nuisance. Brazzel is also being charged with driving while suspended.