The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Columbus will be donating 10 tons of food to Love Chapel this week.

The semi-truck sized donation of 20,000 pounds of food will be arriving Wednesday, according to organizers. Youth and members from the church will be assisting volunteers at Love Chapel to unload the food from the truck.

Bishop Jack Bartnett, with the church, said economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has only increased the need to follow Jesus’s admonition to help fight food insecurity. He said church members follow Jesus Christ and his message to love our neighbor as ourselves.

The National Weather Service in Indianapolis is warning that we will likely see storms, damaging winds, and flooding across the state early this week.

Meteorologist Joe Skowronek with the National Weather Service told Network Indiana that most of the state will have highs in the 80s and 90s, along with isolated storms across Indiana.

There will be the chance for heavy rain and strong winds, but not much of a chance of hail, he said.

The biggest danger early in the week will be flooding, he said.

Indiana State Police are being outfitted with body cameras and in-car cameras.

The agency reports that the work to equip the 800 body worn cameras began in early June and will last through late August. The equipment will work in tandem with the in-car cameras and will include an online router in the vehicle to allow connectivity. Eventually, the cameras will go to all troopers and sergeants assigned to patrol duties, to Capitol Police and to some Special Operations units.

As of Thursday, 230 cameras had been deployed.

The project is estimated to cost about $15 million dollars over five years.

The Bartholomew County Health Department and Windrose Health’s mobile unit will be offering a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Columbus East High School on July 27th.

The clinic will be giving doses of the Pfizer vaccine to those 12 years old or older. It will take place in the parking lot near Illinois Avenue from 4 to 7 p.m.

There will be free gifts for those who get vaccinated.

Walk-ins are welcome but you can also register by calling Windrose Health at 317-680-9901.

Columbus City Utilities will be having a phone outage tomorrow due to scheduled maintenance on the phone system.

That will be from 9 a.m. to about 1 p.m. Saturday.

If you need to report a water or sewer emergency during the down time, you should call (812) 657-1153.

Saturday is the fifth annual DARE Blue Line Ride, organized by Columbus Police Department to benefit the Columbus/Bartholomew County DARE Program.

Lt Matt Harris spokesman for the Columbus police Department explains:

Harris explains that the 85-mile police-escorted motorcycle ride will start from Mann’s Harley Davidson at 11 a.m. There will be a stop at the historic Story Inn at the halfway point and the ride will end at Donner Park.

The ride will stop at the historic Story Inn at the half way point and the ride will conclude in Columbus with a meal catered by Big JT’s BBQ.

The cost is $25 for a solo rider and $35 for rider/passenger. That also includes a raffle ticket for a chance to win a gift card courtesy of Mann’s Harley Davidson.

The event is scheduled rain or shine. All bikes are welcome.

Photo courtesy of Columbus Police Department

Bartholomew Consolidated Schools are leaning toward having masks be optional when school starts again.

The school district released details of its draft plans for the new school year on Thursday.

Superintendent Dr. Jim Roberts said the district staff is recommending that the use of face coverings be optional for all staff members and students. However, they are highly encouraged for those at risk or who are not vaccinated.

Masks will be required on school buses, at least through Sept. 13th when the federal mandate for masks expires. After that, mask use on buses will also be optional.

As of July 1st, the use of face coverings in schools are no longer required in Indiana and local school boards are now responsible for whatever measures and restrictions are deemed necessary.

Among other measures being proposed by BCSC, the draft plan calls for encouraging physical distancing of 3 feet in classrooms. However contact tracing will be conducted for those who are within six feet of each other. And the use of hallway lockers is being discouraged to minimize large group gatherings.

The draft plan will be presented to the school board at its Monday, July 19th meeting. That meeting will start at 6:30 in the Administration Building on Central Avenue and can be watched on YouTube.

The school district is looking for your thoughts on the draft reopening plan.

BCSC statement on reopening plans

More details on reopening plans (Google Doc)

To send feedback on reopening plan (Google Doc)

The American Red Cross will be taking blood donations from 10 to 3 Friday at the Toyota Recreational Center gym on Inwood Drive.

Donors of all blood types – especially type O and those giving platelets – are being urged to make an appointment to give now to help ensure hospitals have the blood supplies they need.

You can schedule an appointment to give blood by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS

Six people were arrested on drug-related charges after Jennings County deputies served arrest warrants on a woman in Butlerville Tuesday night.

According to police reports, the deputies went to the home to arrest 24-year-old Emily Brooks of North Vernon on arrest warrants from Jennings and Jackson County courts. When police arrived they found Brooks standing in the driveway and she was taken into custody without incident.

But deputies could see five people openly using methamphetamine at the back of the home. A search uncovered methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia and a gun that had been reported stolen out of Knox County.

Police arrested 38-year-old Thomas Smallwood II and 52-year-old Allen Ritchie, both of Butlerville, 34-year-old Willie Spears of Vernon, 24-year-old Angela Viles of Seymour and 18-year-old Trinity Bennett of Holton on a variety of charges.

Charges include:

• Brooks:  Jennings County Circuit Court Arrest Warrant x2, Jackson County Arrest Warrant, Possession of Syringe .
• Smallwood: Possession of Stolen Firearm, Possession of Methamphetamine, Maintaining a Common Nuisance, Possession of Paraphernalia, Possession of Marijuana
• Spears: Possession of Methamphetamine, Maintaining a Common Nuisance, Possession of Paraphernalia, Possession of Marijuana.
• Viles: Possession of Methamphetamine, Maintaining a Common Nuisance, Possession of Paraphernalia, Possession of Marijuana .
• Ritchie: Possession of Methamphetamine, Maintaining a Common Nuisance, Possession of Paraphernalia, Possession of Marijuana.
• Bennett: Possession of Methamphetamine, Maintaining a Common Nuisance, Possession of Paraphernalia, Possession of Marijuana.

Photos courtesy of Jennings County Sheriff’s Department.

Ivy Tech Community College will host a new student registration fair July 12th and 13th at its Columbus and Franklin campuses.

Staff will be on hand to help anyone learn about how to enroll, get their financial aid questions answered, and find out how to receive free textbooks and other cost savings.

The new student registration fair will be held from noon to 8 p.m. on both days. You don’t need an appointment and you can stop by campus at any time during the fair hours.

Classes start August 18th. Ivy Tech is offering several types of classes including face-to-face on campus classes, online classes, virtual classes and blended classes.