Former Vice President Mike Pence is blaming the Biden administration for the rising inflation across the country.

On Fox News, the Columbus native and former Indiana governor says Americans everywhere are feeling the sticker shock of Biden policies.

He criticized Biden’s order to shut down the Keystone Pipeline in the U.S. while allowing an oil pipeline to proceed between Russia and Germany.

He added that while Biden may have won the Democratic presidential nomination, Vermont senator Bernie Sanders “won the party” when it comes to Democrats’ priorities.

Seymour Police are looking for any information after gunshots were fired in the city Sunday evening.

Police say that they were called to the 700 block of Alberring Drive at about 8:44 p.m. Sunday after residents reported gunshots. Officers found three spent shell casings on nearby Sarasota Drive. No one was injured but a talk to neighbors yielded little information.

Police say they this was an isolated incident with no damage reported.

They are asking that if you have a video surveillance or doorbell recording system showing any suspicious activity that you contact the police department at 812-522-1234.

Bidding begins next week for the 24th annual Lights, Camera, Royalty Jennings County gala and auction to support Our Hospice of South Central Indiana.

Previews of the auction items will begin at 8 a.m. on Monday with silent bids starting at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 2nd and closing on Saturday, Feb. 5th at 9 p.m.

Live Auction bidding during the virtual gala takes place on February 5, between 7:15 PM and 7:45 PM.

You can take part in the event at the Our Hospice Facebook page.

Proceeds from the gala and the auction benefit the patients and families served by the Hospice’s Jennings County Office.

To register as a bidder text “OHSCI to 71760” on your smart phone and follow the link to register.

An adult and two children escaped from a home fire Tuesday in central Columbus that caused more than $135 thousand dollars in damages.

According to reports from Columbus Fire Department, two children were in the basement of a home in the 1900 block of Gilmore Street when they noticed a fire in the laundry area. They alerted an adult who evacuated them and called firefighters at about 5:42 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.

Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke and flames coming from the basement. They fought through the basement with zero visibility and in high heat to extinguish the fire in the laundry area. But as they overhauled the home, looking for fire they discovered that the flames had climbed to the second floor, spreading into a bedroom. After removing drywall, firefighters were able to fully extinguish the fire.

Investigators said the fire originated near the clothes dryer and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

No injuries were reported. The family was displaced and is receiving disaster relief support from the American Red Cross.

Photo courtesy of Columbus Fire Department.

Work should start next month on the site of a $40 million downtown Columbus apartment complex and grocery. That comes after the developer, Flaherty & Collins of Indianapolis closed on the property next to the Bartholomew County Jail yesterday.

Heather Pope, redevelopment director for the city, said that the bond sale of $9.9 million dollars was also completed yesterday to get the project rolling.

The project at the intersection of Lafayette Avenue and Second Street will bring 200 market rate apartments and a 10,000 sq. ft. urban grocery to the vacant, formerly city-owned location. Pope said that utility relocation should be starting in February with construction to start in March. Construction is expected to take about 18 months.

Pope said the city is working with Indiana Brownfields to address any environmental concerns over a leaky underground storage tank on the former car wash site. Before becoming a car wash, there was a gas station at the location. She said there will be a soil management work plan to address the concerns.

Illustration courtesy of Flaherty & Collins via Columbus and Bartholomew County Planning Department.

Cummins Chairman and CEO Tom Linebarger was one of three CEOs to speak at the White House yesterday in support of the Build Back Better Act and its climate change initiatives.

Linebarger said that the Columbus-based engine manufacturer supports the Build Back Better Act and believes it’s critical to addressing the existential threat that climate change presents. He said the company believes the Act can help drive innovation, reduce reliance on carbon and contribute to American competitiveness and job creation.

Linebarger said that he is encouraged by the tax credits for clean commercial vehicles, the charging and fueling infrastructure needed to serve them, the new hydrogen production tax credit and the investments in decarbonizing the grid and stationary power.

During the press conference, members of the media asked the president about the news that Supreme Court Justice Breyer is stepping down. The president responded by asking Linebarger if he wanted to be on the Supreme Court. Linebarger said he would have to demur on that question.

Transcript of the Build Back Better CEO Roundtable

A Canadian man was arrested last week after a child exploitation investigation that began in Westport, Indiana.

According to reports from the Drumheller Royal Canadian Mounted Police post and the Westport Police Department, Westport Town Marshall Joe Talkington began investigating incidents involving a man having sexually explicit conversations with a 16-year-old victim in Indiana earlier this month. The Mounties worked with the Decatur County Child Services and Homeland Security to identify and arrest 45-year-old Shawn Albrecht in Drumheller on Jan. 19th.

He is facing charges of making sexually explicit material available to someone under 18, luring a child, possession of child pornography and accessing child pornography. He is next scheduled to appear before Drumheller Provincial Court on Feb. 18th.

A wrong-way driver died in a crash on Interstate 74 in Decatur County yesterday morning.

According to Indiana State Police reports, a car being driven by 66-year-old Daryl W. Jackson of Greensburg was driving the wrong way on the westbound interstate lanes in rural, eastern Decatur County at about 6 Tuesday morning. He crashed head on into a vehicle being driven by 22-year-old Kaleb A.R. Buckler of Brookville.

Jackson suffered fatal injuries in the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene by the Decatur County coroner’s office.

Buckler suffered serious injuries and was flown to an Indianapolis area hospital for treatment.

Witnesses said Jackson had been driving the wrong way for about five miles before the crash. Officers were trying to catch up to his vehicle before the collision.

The crash remains under investigation and toxicology results are pending.

The Indiana Department of Health COVID Strike Team is holding a free testing and vaccination clinic starting today at the Bartholomew County 4-H Fairgrounds.

The Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccines will be available, as well as PCR COVID testing.

The clinics will be held today through Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. at the fairgrounds Family Arts Building off of County Road 200S. No appointment is necessary.

Columbus Regional Health is asking patients not to come to the Emergency Department to seek a COVID-19 test.

The hospital posted on social media yesterday, saying that the ER is very busy now and is experiencing high patient volumnes. The staff and resources in the ER need to be reserved for patients with serious medical issues, ailments and traumas.

CRH says that if you have moderate COVID-19 symptoms you should contact your physician for guidance. Many doctor’s practices offer COVID testing options.

If you have mild symptoms or are symptom free but need a test, you can go to crh.org slash virus for a listing of area testing sites.