Monthly Archives: October 2021

State troopers offer safety tips for trick-or-treating

Indiana State Police are offering safety tips this Halloween. Trooper stress that the most important thing this holiday is health and safety while trick-or-treating and getting everyone home safely.

Among the safety suggestions from state police:

  • You should make sure that your children have a flashlight, glow stick, or reflective material on their costumes, so they can be seen clearly during the low light hours.
  • Children should always be accompanied by an adult when trick-or-treating. You should have a plan if groups get separated including having a charged cellphone and ask an adult for help.
  • You should always walk on the sidewalk and not in the roadways. Also make sure to look in both directions before crossing the road.
  • Children should never enter the house of a stranger.
  • All treats should be inspected by an adult before they are eaten.

State police are asking all motorists to slow down and drive with caution in area neighborhoods this weekend. Keep an eye out to protect the safety of children who might not be paying attention.

Red Cross seeing 10-year blood shortage; Donors needed

The Red Cross says that a serious shortage of blood and platelets continues and urges you to make an appointment to donate soon.

According to the agency, the current blood supply is the lowest the Red Cross has seen this time of year in more than a decade. At least 10,000 more donations are needed each week in the coming weeks to meet patient needs. The upcoming holiday season always presents seasonal challenges to blood collection.

Upcoming local Red Cross blood drive locations include:

  • Nov. 3rd from 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Parkview Church of the Nazarene, 1750 East State Road 46, in Nashville.
  • Nov. 9th from 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Bartholomew County Library, 536 5th Street in Columbus
  • Nov. 13th from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 4850 W. Goeller Road in Columbus
  • Nov. 15th from 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 240 Poplar St., North Vernon
  • Nov. 19th from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Developmental Services Inc., 2920 10th Street, Columbus
  • Nov. 19th from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Hauser High School, 9423 N. State Rd 9, Hope
  • Nov. 23rd from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m., Jennings County High School, 800 West Walnut Street in North Vernon.

Seymour makes rain changes to bypass celebration

Because of expected rain, Seymour is changing up a Sunday event to celebrate the new Burkhart Boulevard railroad overpass.

City officials say you can come anytime between noon and 3 p.m. to walk, jog, run or ride a bike on the 2-mile stretch of road beginning at the roundabout. The planned parking area will be changing. It now will be along the dead end road leading west from the roundabout on South O’Brien Street near Silgan Plastics.

The Fraternal Order of Police will be grilling hot dogs near the 1-mile mark of the route and will have bottled water, Halloween candy and a limited amount of cookies from Laura Jo’s Cookies available.

The bypass will open to vehicles after a ribbon cutting at 9 a.m. Monday morning.

Indiana Guard continues deployment to aid Afghan refugees

Weeks after the arrival of Afghan evacuees at Camp Atterbury, the Indiana National Guard continues its work there in support of Operation Allies Welcome.

According to reports from the Guard, about 150 members are working in a variety of roles, including warehouse operations, administrative support, and facility maintenance for the active duty service members and federal workers who are managing the operation.

“Camp Atterbury has spearheaded a whole of government effort that encompasses the best of our Hoosier values,” said Col. Michael Grundman, Camp Atterbury commander, in a press release. “Indiana National Guardsman in conjunction with state agencies and individual volunteers from all walks of life continue to perform beyond my expectations.

“They have truly put their heart and soul into supporting our Afghan guests as well as our active duty partners involved with Operation Allies Welcome.”

The Indiana National Guard is also working to help collect donations for the Afghan nationals. This includes nine armory locations for donation drop-off, staffed by Guard members for the collection of donations. Guard members are also transporting those donations to Camp Atterbury.

The Indiana Guard Reserve has nearly 80 volunteers helping with sorting, packaging, and distribution of donations.

Photo credit: Pfc. Jordan Corfman, an Infantryman with 2nd Battalion, 7th U.S. Cavalry Regiment, Bravo Company, plays thumb war with an Afghan child while supporting Operation Allies Welcome at Camp Atterbury, Ind., Oct. 25, 2021.  U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Trinity Carter / 14th Public Affairs Detachment

Lawmaker: School boards should be partisan elections

A local lawmaker wants candidates for school board to have to declare their political party.

State Rep. Jim Lucas, a Seymour Republican, said this week said voters need to know where school board candidates stand on the issues, and he thinks having them run as a Republican or Democrat will help.

Lucas says voters often don’t know the politics of the people running for school board until it’s too late. Lucas says there is already plenty of politics on local school boards, he says having candidates declare a party would just bring those politics out into the open.

Story courtesy of TTWN Media Networks Inc.

Jennings deputies aid Scott County in drug bust

A partnership between Jennings and Scott counties led to the arrest of four people on drug-related charges this week in the town of Underwood.

According to Scott County Sheriff’s Department reports, the emergency response teams from the Jennings and Scott county departments were involved in serving a search warrant and arrest warrants at a home on U.S. 31 in Underwood Tuesday night, based on tips about drug activity at the home. The search uncovered 24 grams of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and about $1,000 in cash.

Authorities arrested 56-year-old Richard Bramer of Scottsburg and 32-year-old Vinnie Ferguson of Henryville on preliminary charges of dealing methamphetamine.

Deputies also noticed two people leaving the home before the warrants were served. After being stopped, they were also arrested on charges including possession of methamphetamine and paraphernalia.

Reports: Columbus East grad killed in Indy shooting

A Columbus East High School graduate was the victim of a shooting in Indianapolis this week, according to reports from The Republic newspaper.

The paper says 22 year old Luke R. Poindexter died in the Sunday shooting at an apartment complex. Poindexter was working for a delivery service. When police arrived on the scene of the shooting, Poindexter’s car was running and the trunk was open. Reports say Poindexter was shot multiple times and was unarmed.

He was a 2018 graduate of Columbus East according to the newspaper.

You can find more information at therepublic.com

Local communities offer Halloween activities; Trick-or-treating hours

Several local communities are announcing their trick-or-treating hours for Halloween:

In Columbus, trick or treat hours will be from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Hope will have trick-or-treating on Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m.

In Seymour, trick or treating will be from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday.

Edinburgh trick or treating will be from 5 to 7 p.m. on Sunday and Prince’s Lake will be from 5 to 8 p.m. that night. The rest of Johnson County and its cities and towns will be from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday.

North Vernon’s Sweet Street at Stellar Plaza and Madison Ave and city trick-or-treating will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 31st.

If you want to share treats with trick-or-treaters you should leave your outside lights on.

Other Halloween activities include:

  • The town of Hope will be hosting Goodies, Goblins and Ghost Stories on the Town Square from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday.

    The event will feature a campfire where visitors can make s’mores and a pumpkin painting station with free pumpkins supplied by Bush’s Market. WILLow LeaVes of Hope will be providing hot chocolate and caramel corn to participants. And Main Street of Hope will be organizing Halloween-themed games for all ages.
    This year’s event will not have hayrides, but will instead have hay bales on the square where storytellers will be spinning spooky tales.
    The event is free and you are invited to attend.

  • Anderson Community Center on McClure Road  will be holding a Trunk-or-Treat at the center on Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m.
  • 9th Street Park Neighborhood Watch will be holding a “Spook The Park” event at the park at 9th and Wilson Streets from 2 to 6 on Saturday.
    Activities will include a community cookout, giveaways of groceries and household items, a St. Franciscan Alliance Vaccine clinic and martial arts demonstration. Candy and food coupons will be given away by area restaurants.
  • Lincoln-Central Neighborhood Family Center will be having trick-or-treating at their Sycamore Street location from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Motorcycle crash leads to two arrests in Jennings County

Zachary Hamblen. Photo courtesy of Jennings County Sheriff’s Department.

Two people were arrested after a motorcycle chase and crash in Jennings County.

According to reports from the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, the incident started at about 12:30 a.m. in the morning on Saturday when a deputy tried to stop a motorcycle without a license plate on State Road 7. Instead of stopping, the driver took off on the highway at speeds of up to 100 mph. Deputies called off the chase at Country Squire Lakes because of concerns for public safety.

A short while later, a motorcycle accident was reported at the intersection of Country Manor and Country Squire Boulevard. But the two men on the cycle asked witnesses not to call the police. When deputies arrived there was no motorcycle to be found. But 22 year old Zachary T. Hamblen of Vallonia was lying on the ground. Hamblen told police that he had wrecked his bicycle and that his mother had already come to pick up the bike.

Kaleb Root. Photo courtesy of Jennings County Sheriff’s Department.

However, witnesses said that the motorcycle passenger had pushed the cycle away from the scene. Deputies soon found it about 100 yards away hidden in the grass. They also found 21-year-old Kaleb Root of North Vernon hiding behind a tree. A nearby jacket was found along with 3 and a half grams of heroin and fentanyl.

Root was arrested on charges of obstructing of justice and assisting a criminal.

Hamblen was taken to the hospital for treatment of his injuries and faces preliminary charges of resisting law enforcement by fleeing in a vehicle and possession of a narcotic drug.