Drivers on Interstate 65 near Seymour will see lane closures for the next few weeks, according to Indiana Department of Transportation.

INDOT says that a new median crossover will be installed north of the Seymour exit and the inside lanes will be closed for about three weeks while that work is completed. The affected area is just north of the weigh station.

The work is scheduled to start on Monday.

INDOT asks that you slow down, use extra caution and drive without distractions in all work zones. The work schedule is dependent on the weather.

The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department is releasing the results from the Click It or Ticket campaign held around Memorial Day.

The-three week effort led to 9 seat belt citations, 43 speeding citations or warnings, 2 drug-related arrests and 3 traffic related arrests.

Sheriff Matt Myers says wearing a seat belt needs to become a habit. He says it takes very little effort and is the best way to keep you and your loved ones safe on the road.

The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute reports that more than half of the people who died in passenger vehicle crashes last year in Indiana were not wearing seatbelts. Male drivers under the age 34 were those most likely to be found not wearing a seat belt at the time of a crash.

Lightning sparked a fire Tuesday night in a field at Columbus Municipal Airport.

Columbus firefighters were called to the scene of the fire near County Road 450N and Marr Road at about 8:20 Tuesday evening after air traffic controllers noticed the blaze. The lightning had sparked a fire about 25 yards wide in a field of straw, just east of the airport runways.

Fire Station 2 at the airport sent a standard fire truck and an airport rescue firefighting crash truck that has special capabilities to combat the field fire. Capt. Mike Wilson, spokesman for the fire department, explains that the crash truck can operate off road, has a large 3000-gallon-water capacity and can pump water while moving.

The crash truck quickly reached the fire and put it out, Wilson said.

Photo courtesy of Columbus Fire Department.

A wanted man crashed into a home while trying to flee from Columbus police Tuesday night.

According to police reports, officers tried to stop an SUV in the 1100 block of Pearl Street at about 11:40 Tuesday night, but the driver raced away, running a stop sign and striking another vehicle near 8th Street and Hutchins Avenue. The driver then crashed into the front porch of a home in the 700 block of Hutchins Avenue.

Occupants of the fleeing vehicle then ran away, but police caught the driver, 38-year-old Melvin G. Foree of Columbus.

He was arrested on preliminary charges of leaving the scene of an accident, resisting law enforcement, reckless driving and driving while suspended with a prior conviction. He was also found to have an outstanding Bartholomew County warrant.

The occupants in the second vehicle were uninjured and the crash caused minor damage to the home.

Crash photo courtesy of Columbus Police Department.

The Bartholomew County Health Department will be holding a free COVID-19 vaccination clinic with the Pfizer vaccine today at Rockcreek Elementary.

That will be in the parking lot of the school on East County Road 200S from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

You can call Windrose Mobile Clinic to register at 317-680-9901.

Indiana State Police arrested a Bowling Green, Kentucky man on drug and weapon charges during a crackdown on dangerous holiday driving over the weekend.

According to police reports, a trooper stopped a vehicle on Interstate 65 just south of the Jonesville exit at about 11 a.m. Saturday morning for a traffic violation. The trooper grew suspicious and after more troopers arrived on scene, a search of the vehicle recovered 15 grams of suspected methamphetamine, 8 grams of suspected marijuana, THC gummies and fruit rollups, drug paraphernalia, prescription medications, and a 9 mm handgun.

40-year-old Stephen Richards was arrested on felony charges of Dealing over 10 grams of Methamphetamine and Dealing Methamphetamine with a handgun, as well as misdemeanor charges for possessing a controlled substance, a legend drug and drug paraphernalia.

Evidence photo courtesy of Indiana State Police.

Jennings County deputies arrested a wanted man Monday after finding him hiding in a bathroom at a Commiskey home.

According to sheriff’s department reports, deputies went to the home trying to find 36-year-old Chad Thompson, who had an outstanding warrant on charges of intimidation, pointing a firearm at another person and domestic battery in the presence of a minor.

Deputies found Thompson hiding in a basement bathroom and took him into custody without incident. But deputies also found methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia. And deputies discovered that Thompson was allegedly violating a protective order.

He was arrested on new charges for possessing the drugs and paraphernalia, as well as invasion of privacy.

Columbus will be adding almost 14 acres to the city limits under two annexations approved last night by the City Council.

The council gave its final approval to annexing 1.5 acres in the 4100 block of West County Road 25S in Columbus Township. The property is a single family home and is zoned for agricultural use. City/County Planning Director Jeff Bergman said that the owners want to hook up to city water and sewer and have no plans to develop the property. The property is essentially surrounded by other properties that are already in the city, Bergman said.

Annexation of just over 12 acres of property on County Road 300W, north of State Road 58 in the Woodside area received its first approval from the council. Bergman said that these two properties are part of a group of 10 homes that have essentially become surrounded by industrial development over the years. The owners also requested rezoning from agricultural use, to heavy industrial. The owners do not have any current plans for development or to sell the property, but asked for the zoning change for future possibilities.

Bergman asked the Council to approve requirements that if the property is redeveloped that street improvements be required before it turns to an industrial use. That would include widening the street to 12 foot lanes and adding curbs and gutters.

The Indiana State Museum and Landmark Columbus will be celebrating the museum’s Carole Wantz exhibit on Saturday with a reception for the former Columbus painter.

The museum has 30 of her paintings on display through July 25th at the museum’s Thomas A. King Bridge Gallery.

Wantz worked in a primitive style inspired by Grandma Moses and completed about 150 paintings of Columbus residents and their lives, says Richard McCoy with Landmark Columbus, who organized the exhibit.

Her art is a who’s who of prominent Columbus residents of the 70s and 80s, McCoy says.

Saturday’s reception will be from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at the Indiana State Museum in Indianapolis. There is also the chance to order jigsaw puzzles made from replicas of some of her most famous works.

The reception is free and the puzzles are $20 each.

You can get more information at landmarkcolumbusfoundation.org or on the Landmark Columbus Facebook page. You can make a reservation here.

A Columbus man has been arrested on child pornography charges.

The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department reports that a warrant was issued for 19-year-old Trenton M. Rogers on five counts of possession of child pornography, stemming from an investigation that began in April.

Deputies made contact with Rogers at about 3:54 on Friday afternoon and he was arrested without incident.