Columbus firefighters will be working with Columbus Regional Health to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to homebound residents.

The Columbus Fire Department announced yesterday that it would be providing the vaccines to those unable to travel to one of Bartholomew County’s vaccination sites. On Monday, firefighters provided four doses to residents who have registered through the Homebound Hoosiers program

Columbus Fire Chief Andy Lay said it is rewarding to be able to provide the vaccination to those who are unable to leave their homes. He said the fire department is providing a service to some of the community’s most at-risk members.

If you need to schedule a vaccine at home, you can register with the local Agency on Aging by calling 866-644-6407. The District 11 agency serves Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Jackson and Jennings counties.

We are in for some windy weather later today.

The National Weather Service in Indianapolis has issued a wind advisory for parts of our area including Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Jackson and Jennings counties starting at 11 tonight and lasting through 9 Friday morning.

You can expect southwest winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts of up to 55 mph. That will be enough to blow around unsecured objects and you can expect to see tree limbs knocked down and a few power outages.

The Women’s Giving Circle of Bartholomew County is establishing a Women Rising Leadership Grant program to help women be better represented in leadership positions throughout the community.

Women’s Giving Circle, a program of Heritage Fund – The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County, conducted a study of leadership roles in the community both on local non-profits and government boards. The study found that women, especially women of color, are underrepresented in local leadership.

The program will offer grants to women passionate about community leadership to help them obtain leadership training or provide the training to others. The grants, of up to $500, can be used to pay for items such as tuition, registration fees, books, materials, other resources, child care and travel expenses.

For more information and application materials, you can visit heritagefundbc.org/giving-circle.

Bartholomew County deputies arrested a Columbus man on a variety of drug-related charges after a traffic stop Monday night.

According to police reports, deputies pulled over 26-year-old Donald Kapetanios of Columbus at about 11:33 Monday evening. Kapetanios did not have a driver license and police dog, Jari, alerted to the odor of narcotics in the vehicle.

A search revealed what authorities believe was methamphetamine, a syringe, marijuana and drug-related paraphernalia. Kapetanios was arrested on preliminary charges for possessing those items as well as operating a vehicle without ever receiving a license.

Indiana’s mask mandate and limits on crowds will end in two weeks. Governor Eric Holcomb yesterday said he is rolling back the state’s coronavirus restrictions on April 6th. Local restrictions can stay in place, but the governor says Indiana’s statewide mask mandate will become a mask advisory.

Governor Holcomb says Indiana’s coronavirus numbers, both positive cases and hospitalizations, have fallen dramatically as vaccination numbers continue to grow.

COVID-19 vaccine eligibility in Indiana will be expanding to everyone 16 and older. Holcomb says that change will take place March 31st. This comes as the state expects a large increase in the amount of vaccine doses they’re receiving. Mass vaccination clinics will be scheduled for April, and a large employer vaccination program will be launched to try to get more shots in Hoosier arms.

Story and audio courtesy of our news-gathering partners at TTWN Media Networks Inc. and Network Indiana

Columbus firefighters rescued two animals from precarious positions this week.

According to reports, Columbus Fire Department was called to rescue a juvenile beaver who was trapped in a six-foot-deep dry drain at Tipton Lakes. Firefighters were called to the scene near Goeller Road and Heron Drive at about 8 Monday night. They found that the beaver appeared healthy and not in distress, it just had no way to get itself free.

Firefighters entered the drain with a small box and were able to safely trap and remove the beaver. The entire rescue took about 15 minutes.

Yesterday morning, firefighters were called to Central Middle School after school officials noticed a cat clinging to the exterior wall of the school, about 40 feet above the ground.

Recognizing that the cat was about two feet from the roof, firefighters went to the top and found the cat clinging to a vine-covered lattice. After donning fall protection gear and gloves, and making sure a tarp was in place to catch the cat should it fall, a firefighter and school resource officer grabbed the cat, carried it to the ground and then released it. That rescue took about 19 minutes.

A North Vernon woman is facing drug dealing charges after a traffic stop Monday revealed a large amount of methamphetamine in her vehicle.

North Vernon police are reporting that an officer noticed a vehicle fail to signal for a turn at Franklin and North State streets. The officer pulled the vehicle over and reported the smell of raw marijuana coming from inside the vehicle.

A search of the vehicle found about six ounces of marijuana, THC edibles, THC vape cartridges, about 21 grams of methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia, according to police reports.

The driver, 43-year-old Kelly Cravens of North Vernon, was arrested on charges including dealing in methamphetamine and marijuana, and for possessing the drugs and paraphernalia.

Evidence photo courtesy of North Vernon Police Department.

Bartholomew County Commissioners are opposing a proposed state law that they say would block local officials from review of alternative energy projects in their communities and stifle the voices of project opponents.

The commissioners agreed this week to sign a letter expressing their support of retaining local control over land use decisions for solar and wind energy projects. County Attorney Grant Tucker explained that the proposed law would essentially eliminate local review of those projects. House Bill 1381 has already passed the Indiana House and is going to be considered by the Senate.

Commissioner Tony London said he is opposed to the bill because it takes away local authority, autonomy and agency over the decisions on where to build wind and solar farms in the state. He said it takes away residents ability to speak up themselves in opposition to a project, instead restricting comments to those who can afford to hire attorneys to represent them at the state level regulatory decision-making. He said the proposed law would require a minimum of 25 people represented by attorneys to have standing at the state level.

Commissioner Larry Kleinhenz said he sees the bill as a push to make it easier and cheaper for alternative energy companies to push their projects through. He said he is in favor of impact fees that would require companies to pay their adjoining neighbors for the damage they cause to property values.

The Association of Indiana Counties and Indiana Association of County Commissioners recommended counties oppose the proposed legislation.

A suspected drunk driver, who already had one conviction on his record, decided to make a run from Bartholomew County deputies Sunday afternoon — twice.

The incident started at about 1:30 Sunday afternoon when deputies were called to a report of a possible drunk driver headed eastbound on State Street. Authorities caught up with the vehicle on State Road 46 near County Road 600E.

The driver stopped but then ran away. After being taken into custody shortly afterwards, the man, identified as 24-year old Andres Peterson-Ortize of Columbus, tried to run away again.

He was arrested on preliminary charges of operating a motor vehicle under the influence with a prior conviction, resisting law enforcement and driving while suspended.

Bartholomew County Commissioners are moving forward with a plan to improve railroad crossing safety at several major rural intersections in the county.

The commissioners approved an agreement Monday with the railroad and INDOT to install flashing lights and crossing arms at the three crossings at County Roads 650N, 800N and 950S also known as Jackson Street in Jonesville. Along with already existing agreements for Speasr Street and 550N, improvements should be completed at all five intersections by the end of the summer.

County Engineer Danny Hollander said that the improvements have been in the works for several years and have been waiting for federal funding. Hollander said that all the county railroad intersections with more than 400 vehicles a day in traffic are in the process of being upgraded.

Each crossing will cost about a quarter of a million dollars to upgrade, of which 10 percent would come from the county — or about $24,000 in local dollars each — and the rest from federal dollars. The railroad has agreed to pay the local match for the Spears Street and Road 550N improvements.

Hollander said the equipment and materials to improve the crossings are already being staged at each location.

Commissioner Larry Kleinhenz pointed out that there have been several fatalities at county railroad crossings and the county has been pushing for improvements for about 10 years.