Two people were injured in a Friday afternoon home fire in Columbus.

According to Columbus firefighters, homeowners discovered a fire in the 700 block of California Street at about 4:05 p.m. Friday afternoon. A man at the home said he and a woman were napping when they noticed the fire near a space heater on the floor of the bedroom. He attempted to put the fire out, but burned his hands. He was later treated by medics at the scene. Both occupants escaped the fire but the woman suffered smoke inhalation and was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital for treatment.

Firefighters entered the home and extinguished the fire. They also removed a window to ventilate the space. The fire damage was confined to a bedroom and damages are estimated at about $5,000.

There were no working smoke alarms in the home, according to firefighters. If you need assistance installing smoke alarms, you can contact the fire department at (812) 376-2679.

Photo courtesy of Columbus Fire Department.

A man has been arrested after a murder in Seymour early Sunday morning.

According to Seymour police reports, officers were called to the 700 block of Miller Lane on a report of an injured person at about 6:34 a.m. Sunday morning. Police and medics were unable to save the person’s life and the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

62-year-old Daniel L. Baldwin of Seymour was arrested on a preliminary charge of murder.

Additional details have not yet been released until the victim’s family is notified.

Seymour police say that this was an isolated incident and there is no further risk to the public. The investigation is ongoing.

With harvest season arriving, Hoosiers can expect to see more slow-moving agricultural equipment on the roadways. As the roads become more crowded, Indiana State Police (ISP) troopers are asking drivers to be cautious, and share the road this autumn.

Lt. Governor Susanne Crouch encouraged drivers in a statement to slow down and be patient with tractors and combines during the harvest season.Slow Down on the Roads

ISP says the agricultural vehicles are not only wide, but can take up most of the road while traveling at speeds no greater than 25 mph. Drivers are asked to be patient to avoid any unsafe or serious accidents.

The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) says a local man has been missing for about three months and there is still not a lot of information as to his whereabouts or why he disappeared.

Andrew W. Albert, of Bartholomew County, was reported as a missing person on August 30th.

He was last seen by his family on June 22nd, in southwestern Bartholomew County.

A tent with some of his belongings was located in Hoosier National Forest, in Brown County, on July 19th.

If you have seen or had contact with Andrew Albert, call BCSO detective Will Kinman at 812-565-5926.

The Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation (BCSC) Board of Trustees will be switching to virtual meetings due to threatening behavior at past meetings.

The Board released a statement late Wednesday afternoon about its upcoming meeting on Monday, at 6:30 p.m.

The statement read, “Due to a number of unfortunate factors, the BCSC Board will conduct its next meeting and public hearing on the proposed 2022 budget, virtually. This change is driven by episodes of threatening behavior at prior meetings including, profanities, personal attacks, non-compliance to meeting protocols such as physical distancing, wearing masks, etc., and interference with the ability to conduct necessary business.”

The meeting will be live-streamed and you can view it by subscribing to the BCSC YouTube channel.

BCSC will continue to offer an opportunity for public comment for its regular meeting.

Franciscan Health Immunization Services is offering a couple of drive-thru flu clinics in Columbus in the near future.

Clinics will be held at Franciscan Physician Network Columbus Primary and Specialty Care, 123 Second St., Columbus, TODAY from 3 to 6 p.m. and again on Monday, Oct. 18th, from 3 to 6 p.m.

Multiple types of vaccines will be available including: Flu, Covid-19, and shingles.

Participants should bring their insurance cards to avoid other charges and dress appropriately to ease administration of the vaccines.

Only patients 6 months and older can be seen.

For additional dates or to ask questions, call the Franciscan Health Immunization Clinic at (317) 528-6374.

The Indiana State Department of Health said Tuesday that 3,936 Hoosiers have contracted Covid-19 and the state has now documented 937,221 cases of the disease since March 6, 2020.

According to ISDH, 81 additional deaths occurred between August 30 and September 20, and now 14,836 Hoosiers have died from COVID-19 over the last 19 months.

Bartholomew County is reporting 10,542 positive cases (up by 35 current cases) with 168 deaths (up by one).

The 53rd Hope Heritage Days will be held this weekend, starting on Friday.

The multi-day festival is Bartholomew County’s oldest and largest.

The weekend features live music all three days, vendor booths, food, a pioneer village, a Gospel sing on Friday night, “Turtleman” Ernie Brown from Animal Planet TV on Saturday and Sunday, a classic car show all day Saturday, fireworks on Saturday night at 9:30, followed by a big parade on Sunday afternoon.

During Hope Heritage Days, the small city expands from the normal 2200 residents to around 30,000 people.

For more information and the schedule for the Hope Heritage Days you can visit them on their website.

Bartholomew County Sheriff deputies have arrested a local man after a possible overdose where a search warrant was served on the residence.

A deputy was at a business establishment in Taylorsville when he saw an unconscious person behind the wheel of a vehicle.

After the deputy arrived on scene, the individual, later identified as Bradley McRae, 25, Columbus, awoke and was cleared by ambulance personnel.  Deputies detected the odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle.  Cooper and Sgt. Jason Williams retrieved the marijuana and logged it into evidence, deputies said.

Deputies spoke with the individual about “getting his life back on track” and advised him of area locations where he could seek assistance.

The next morning (September 18th), deputies were called to the same individual’s residence in reference to a possible overdose.   The Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team responded and executed a search warrant on the residence.  After McRae was cleared by Columbus Regional Hospital, he was transported to the Bartholomew County Jail on preliminary charges of dealing marijuana and several possession charges.

McRae remains in the county jail.

The Seymour Police Department says it received information, at about 2:30 AM on Tuesday, that a threat of bringing a gun to Seymour High School had been made through social media.

SPD, school administration officials, and school resource officers were immediately notified.  The information was investigated through the morning hours and authorities say they found no credibility to the threat.

The investigation is ongoing.