Monthly Archives: February 2022

Columbus man dies after crash into ditch

A Columbus man died Sunday evening after his car went into a rain-filled ditch on West Tellman Road.

According to reports from the Bartholomew County Coroner’s Office, 40-year-old Fernando Cadena was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Bartholomew County deputies had been called to the 1200 block of West Tellman Road at about 5:47 p.m. on reports of a heavily damaged car in the ditch.

The coroner’s office says Cadena died from multiple traumatic injuries to the head, chest, and lower extremities.

The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the crash.

Columbus wants your thoughts on final bike and pedestrian plan

The city of Columbus would like to get your thoughts on the final draft of the city’s bicycle and pedestrian plan after nearly four years of work on the the project.

The current version of the plan dates back to 2010, and the city began developing an update in 2018. The plan outlines ways to improve the city’s bike and pedestrian network, including improving the connections, expanding the network, adding wayfinding signs and maintaining the routes. The goal is to make it more convenient, safe and comfortable for pedestrians and cyclists in the community.

The plan updating included focus group interviews, a public workshop and an online survey and mapping exercise in 2019. Last summer, the city unveiled the draft plan and asked you to help prioritize the recommended infrastructure improvements.

The Columbus Plan Commission will hold a public hearing at 4 p.m. in the afternoon on Wednesday, March 9th in the meeting room at City Hall, or streaming through the city website. You can find a link to the plan here.

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement blitz underway

Police agencies want to remind you that they are out in force, cracking down on speeding, impaired driving or anyone driving aggressively.

Indiana State Police are reporting that they stopped an SUV for a traffic violation on Interstate 65 Southbound just north of Seymour on Sunday as part of the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement blitz. The Tennessee man driving the vehicle was found to be have a blood alcohol content level of .32%, four times the legal limit. After being cleared by the hospital, he will be arrested on charges related to operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

The enforcement blitz, which started Friday, includes more than 200 state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Seymour, Brownstown, and Crothersville police departments and the Jackson and Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Departments along with Indiana State Police. It is specifically meant to focus on the weeks around St. Patrick’s Day and the NCAA Basketball Tournament and will last through Monday, March 21st.

Officers are conducting high-visibility, overtime patrols, with the extra enforcement funded through National Highway Traffic Safety Administration grants administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.

If you are driving and encounter a possible impaired or unsafe driver on the road, you should call 911.

Bartholomew County Works looking for next class through Wednesday

The deadline to sign up for the next Bartholomew County Works job readiness training workshop is coming up this week.

Bartholomew County Works is committed to helping members improve their lives, gain full-time employment and achieve economic self-sufficiency. It provides resources in areas including transportation, finances and budget setting.

The workshop itself will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  the week of March 7, in the Sarla Kalsi Conference Room, at YES Cinema. Workshop topics will include: applications, resumes, interviews, personality and skills inventories, interview attire and body language and other subjects.

The class size is limited. The deadline to apply for March’s workshop is 4 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon.

To get more information on signing up, call Lincoln-Central Neighborhood Family Center at 812-379-1630.

Hoosier Ag Today expands farm news team with local hire

C.J. Miller. Photo courtesy of Hoosier Ag Today.

Hoosier Ag Today is expanding its farm coverage with a local broadcaster.

Our news partners announced this week that they are adding C.J. Miller to the coverage team. Miller grew up on a Shelby County farm and has bachelor’s degrees in telecommunications and communication studies from Ball State University. He has worked here at White River Broadcasting stations, Network Indiana and WIBC in Indianapolis among other stations. Miller will cover farm news in both Indiana and Michigan.

Hoosier Ag Today and Michigan Ag Today now has the largest farm broadcast team in the Eastern Corn Belt. The two networks combined provide broadcast content to 100 radio stations with coverage reaching from the Ohio River to the Canadian border. Hoosier Ag Today was founded in 2006.

Interstate 65 lanes closing Tuesday for INDOT inspections

INDOT says there will be some single lane closures coming to Interstate 65 in Bartholomew County Tuesday.

The agency will be doing inspection work at mile marker 71, about three miles north of the Columbus exit between 9 a.m. in the morning and 2 p.m. in the afternoon Tuesday. You could also see shoulders of the highway closed after 2 Tuesday for additional work.

The work schedule is dependent on the weather and the inspections could be moved later into the week if necessary.

You should expect to see traffic backups going on during the work. INDOT suggests you take an alternate route if possible.

ASAP holding volunteer sessions starting next week

The Alliance for Substance Abuse Progress in Bartholomew County is looking for volunteers to fill several roles at its Hub in the Doug Otto United Way Center.

Those include front desk reception, transportation and data management.

The ASAP Hub is a recovery resource center for individuals, families, and friends affected by substance use disorders. The Hub is a centralized location to get help getting a person with an addiction into recovery.

Two volunteer information sessions are upcoming with the first on Tuesday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the evening at the Hub and the second on March 10th from 11 a.m. to noon at the facility at 1531 13th Street in Columbus.

For more information, you can call 812-418-8705.

Deputies arrest North Vernon man on child-related sex charges

Dennis Mcintosh. Photo courtesy of Jennings County Sheriff’s Department.

A North Vernon man is being accused of sex-related offenses against children following an investigation by authorities.

According to reports from the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, a warrant was issued for 68-year-old Dennis Mcintosh of North Vernon, following a lengthy investigation. He was taken into custody without incident at about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday night by deputies.

He is being held on preliminary charges including child molesting, criminal deviate conduct, incest, and sexual misconduct with a minor.

Police out searching for impaired and aggressive drivers during blitz

Starting today, you will see more police out cracking down on speeding, impaired driving or anyone driving aggressively.

The enforcement blitz will include more than 200 state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Seymour, Brownstown, and Crothersville police departments and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department along with Indiana State Police. It is specifically meant to focus on the weeks around St. Patrick’s Day and the NCAA Basketball Tournament and will last through Monday, March 21st.

Officers will be conducting high-visibility, overtime patrols, with the extra enforcement funded through National Highway Traffic Safety Administration grants administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.

According to the institute, preliminary data shows that 941 people died in fatal crashes last year in Indiana. That’s up 5% from 2020, and is a 16% increase from pre-pandemic levels in 2019. It represents the highest number of traffic fatalities in Indiana since 2005.

The leading causes of the rise in fatalities are alcohol and drug impairment, distracted driving, speeding and not wearing seat belts.

If you are driving and encounter a possible impaired or unsafe driver on the road, you should call 911.

Seymour man accused of failing to register as sex offender

Dustin Jolly. Photo courtesy of Jackson County Sheriff’s Department.

A Seymour man is facing charges after failing to register as a sex offender.

According to reports from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, 34-year-old Dustin J. Jolly is classified by the Indiana Department of Corrections as an offender against children and he is required to register with the sheriff’s office in his jurisdiction once a year.

Jolly last registered in January 2021, says Lt. Adam Nicholson who oversees the registry in Jackson County. A letter was sent out a month prior to his registration date, along with phone calls and visits to his residence but Jolly could not be found and did not register Nicholson says. After being alerted by a family member, Jolly came to the sheriff’s department Monday, where he was arrested on a preliminary charge of failing to register as a sex offender.

Sheriff Rick Meyer stresses the importance of the registry and says sex offenders found to be in violation in Jackson County will be arrested.