Organizers of the Old-Fashioned Independence Day celebration in Hope are looking for people who love to bake apple pies and those with cute children.
The Old-Fashioned Independence Day starts at 5 p.m. the afternoon of July 1st on the Hope Town Square, and wraps up with fireworks starting at dark, weather permitting. The event is organized by and supports the Yellow Trail Museum.
The event will include an “American As Apple Pie” baking contest. To take part you must drop off a whole, full-sized apple pie for judging at the Wesleyan Church Ladies booth on the Town Square between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. with judging starting at 6:45 p.m. The contest has adult and children’s categories and the grand prize winner can take home $25. The pies will be cut and sold with ice cream after the judging as a fundraiser.
There will also be a Little Miss Sparkler and Mr. Firecracker contest for children ages 3-10. To enter you should fill out a registration form, then decorate cans and place them around town for donations or directly seek donations from friends and family. Each penny raised will count as a vote. The winner will lead the children’s bike parade around the Town Square at 6:15 p.m. Registration forms are available at the Yellow Trail Museum, the Hope Branch Library, Willow Leaves and on the square on July 1st.
You will see more street closings next week near the roundabout on Indianapolis Road, as work continues on a sewer project in downtown Columbus.
According to city officials, Tovey-Perry Company has been working on a Columbus City Utilities sewer replacement project at the Indianapolis Road roundabout.
Starting at 7 a.m. Monday morning, the intersection of Eighth and Brown streets will be closing, along with Brown Street between Fifth Street and the roundabout, and Eighth Street between Brown and Lindsey streets.
The closure is expected to last three or four days. You should find an alternate route and avoid the area.
The Seymour Police Department is providing more details about a body found last week in a creek near Burkhart Boulevard.
According to reports from the Seymour Police Department, the body was reported to police at about 1:15 p.m. the afternoon of June 17th in a small creek on the east side of the Burkhart Boulevard bridge, between Fourth and Tipton streets.
Police say that the body appears to have been there for several days.
The man has been identified as 50-year-old James C. Gravette of Seymour. An autopsy was conducted on Wednesday. No visible signs of trauma were found. Investigators are waiting for a toxicology report before determining a cause of death.
Investigators do not believe this was a criminal incident, police say.
Bartholomew County Sheriff Matt Myers is offering safety tips for those bringing children to the Bartholomew County 4-H Fair, which starts today.
Myers says that advanced planning can help if you become separated from your child on the fairgrounds. He said to make sure that you have a current photo of your child on hand and you should know exactly what they are wearing.
He says you should explain to children where they should go if they become separated from you. He said you can tell them to find the big red and white tent where the sheriff’s department will be located, or they should know to they can ask for help from any law enforcement officer at the fairgrounds.
Other safety tips offered by the sheriff:
Take note of safety warnings, fences and exclusion zones. Keep an eye on young children who may want to get closer than may be safe.
Don’t try to cheat height or weight restrictions on rides.
Children need to sit still on rides.
Make sure children wear belts if they are provided for a ride.
The Bartholomew County 4-H Fair gets underway today at the county fairgrounds. The fair officially opens at 5 this afternoon with Republican Day at the Fair.
Tonight’s entertainment include Jeff Bodart’s Family Friendly Comedy at the David Boll Theatre, Singer Louie Green at the Farm Bureau Building and Demolition Derby at the grandstand. Those all start at 7 tonight.
INDOT says the Interstate 65 rest park ramps and ramps to U.S. 31 will be closing in the coming days as part of the road widening project on the highway.
The entrance ramp to the northbound I-65 rest area is set to close this morning, and the exit ramp from the rest area will close this evening. The rest area will be closed until the ramps reopen Friday morning.
On Friday and Saturday, the ramps from I-65 northbound to U.S. 31 and U.S. 31 to northbound I-65 will be closed starting at 8 at night and lasting until 7 in the morning both days.
Monday and Tuesday, the ramps from I-65 southbound to U.S. 31 and U.S. 31 to I-65 southbound will be closed starting at 8 at night and lasting until 7 in the morning both days.
On Wednesday, the entrance ramp to the southbound I-65 rest area will close in the morning morning, and the exit ramp from the rest area will close in the evening. The rest area will be closed until the ramps reopen Thursday morning.
The schedule is dependent on the weather.
The $65 million project to add travel lanes began last year. The added travel lanes and resurfacing is expected to be finished this fall with other work going on through next summer.
Jeffrey E Linville. Photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.
A North Vernon man was arrested and a stolen vehicle recovered last week by Bartholomew County deputies.
According to reports from the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, deputies were alerted at about 8:06 p.m. Friday that a vehicle stolen on June 7th was located in the area of East State Road 7 and U.S. 31.
Deputies stopped the vehicle near the intersection of East State Street in Columbus with the assistance of Columbus Police Department. The sheriff’s department police dog Fizko alerted to the odor of drugs in the vehicle and a search revealed methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
The driver, 59-year-old Jeffrey Linville of North Vernon was arrested on preliminary charges of theft of a vehicle, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The American Red Cross is asking for you to donate blood if you can, as it expects donations to dry up over the upcoming holiday week.
According to the agency, the Red Cross sees about a 21 percent decline in blood donations during holiday weeks, including the upcoming Independence Day holiday. The reduced blood supply makes it extremely challenging to ensure blood is available when hospitals need it.
The agency is offering a free Red Cross cotton tote bag to anyone who donates between June 30 and July 10th, while supplies last.
Upcoming area blood drives include from 10 to 3 Saturday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on Goeller Boulevard in Columbus, from 10 to 3 on Wednesday, June 29th, at Breeden Realtors on Washington Street and from 9 to 2 on Friday July 1st at Developmental Services Inc. on 10th Street.
You can schedule an appointment to give blood by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS
Officers with the Columbus Police Department’s Crisis Intervention Team delivered “Compassion Kits” to homeless individuals in the community during some of the hottest weather this week.
On Tuesday, three members of the team — Officers Cody Wooten, Jackie Recarte and Zach Romero — delivered the kits contained hygiene products, water, Gatorade, snacks, and other items. The kits were put together by volunteers working with the Foundation for Law Enforcement Chaplaincy, local churches, civic organizations, and individual donors.
Chaplain John Bundick, organizer of the Compassion Kit project, said it was amazing to see how many people purchased materials from the Amazon Wishlist, showed up to help pack the kits, and the efforts of local churches to collect items and provide funds to take care of vulnerable neighbors.
The officers also provided information about services and resources available in the community including ASAP Hub, Turning Point, Centerstone’s Recovery Engagement Center, and veteran’s resources.
Recarte said “the goal is to get people connected with resources before officers have to confront them in a crisis where there is more potential for someone to get hurt.”
Crisis Intervention Team members received training that equips law enforcement officers to engage with residents who mental wellness issues or specific barriers such as homelessness.
The police department continues to expand the number of officers who receive the training. In November, there will be a joint crisis intervention training between the department and the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.
