The new Tuskegee Airmen tribute is open to the public at Freeman Municipal Airport in Seymour.

Saturday, the airport dedicated the memorial to the first African American soldiers to join the United States Army Air Corps in World War Two. In 1945, an incident involving dozens of Black officers being arrested was the catalyst that led to the full integration of the U.S. armed forces. This weekend, two bronze statues were unveiled at the local airport – one of a Tuskegee Airman and the other of a uniformed officer representing the discrimination they faced.

Story courtesy of our news-gathering partners at TTWN Media Networks Inc.

A Columbus man is being accused of drunk driving after crashing into a home last week.

According to Columbus Police Department reports, a van crashed into a home in the 300 block of Hege Avenue at about 10:30 p.m. Thursday night, causing the porch roof to collapse onto the vehicle.

Police say that the driver, 50-year-old Robert R. Kettler Jr. had slurred speech and his eyes were bloodshot and glassy. He failed several field sobriety tests and registered a blood alcohol level of .224 percent, nearly three times the legal limit.

A child was at home asleep at the time of the crash, but neither the child nor Kettler were injured.

He was arrested on preliminary charges of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence with a prior conviction, with endangerment and with a blood-alcohol level of .15% or greater.

You will see lane closures on Interstate 65 in Shelby and Johnson counties starting this week.

INDOT says that contractors will be patching from about State Road 252 to the Franklin exit starting as early as Tuesday. You will see single lanes closed in both directions from 8 to 3, Mondays through Thursdays.

The work is expected to wrap up in mid-November. The work schedule is dependent on the weather.

INDOT reminds you to slow down, to use caution and to be alert to worker’s safety in all construction zones.

First Financial Bank is running a food drive starting this week in recognition of World Food Day.

The food drive will be going on at all of the bank’s financial centers including those in Columbus, Taylorsville and Hope. Nonperishable food items can be dropped off at those or other First Financial Bank offices during normal working hours Tuesday through October 21st.

After the food drive wraps up, donations will be given to a food bank chosen by local bank associates.

Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer Roddell McCullough said First Financial and the bank’s associates are eager “to help our neighbors who do not have enough to eat.”

World Food Day is Oct. 16th and is meant to promote awareness and action for those who suffer from hunger.

Election Day is just over four weeks away, but there are some important dates coming up.

If you haven’t yet registered to vote for the November election, or if you need to change or update your registration, the deadline is tomorrow.

Shari Lentz, the Bartholomew County clerk, explains:

You can register to vote at the county clerk’s office, or go online to indianavoters.com.

In Bartholomew County, early voting starts Wednesday at Nexus Park, the former Fair Oaks Mall.

You can vote there Mondays through Friday 8 a.m. through 5 p.m. Saturday voting starts on October 29th and continues on November 5th, from 8 to 3 either at the former mall or at the governmental office building on Third Street.

Early voting ends at noon on Monday, Nov. 7th. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8th.

If you want to vote absentee by mail, your application must be in the county voter registration office in the courthouse by October 27th. You need to have those ballots back to the voter registration office by 6 p.m. on Election Day.

Cummins will provide the electrolyzer to generate hydrogen at Niagara Falls, Ontario.

The Columbus based engine manufacturer and Atura Power made the announcement today that Cummins would be the provider of the electrolyzer for the Niagara Hydrogen Center. this will be the first 20-megawatt green hydrogen facility in Ontario.

Powered by hydroelectricity, the electrolyzer system will split water into oxygen and “green” hydrogen. The hydrogen will then be provided to industrial customers for immediate consumption and will be transported and blended into the fuel stream at Atura Power’s Halton Hills Generating Station, creating cleaner electricity for Ontario.

Design work is underway, with plans to bring the Niagara Hydrogen Centre online in early 2024.

Cummins company officials said this will be the company’s second 20 megawatt electrolyzer installation in Canada.

Photo courtesy of Cummins.

You can read more about the project here.

INDOT says that crews will be closing a section of State Road 135 in Brown County for a few days starting next week.

Crews will be replacing a quadruple drainage pipe south of State Road 46. The work is expected to start on Tuesday with the road remaining closed through Thursday. The final repaving and patching is expected to be finished by Saturday. The work schedule is dependent on the weather.

The work was originally scheduled for early August but had to be delayed.

INDOT reminds you to slow down, to use caution and to be alert to worker’s safety in all construction zones.

The city of Seymour and Thrive Alliance are announcing a new $1.72 million dollar project to bring affordable housing to seniors in the city’s downtown.

The Hukill Flats project will construct 12 one-bedroom apartments in the second floor of an office building on Third Street. The lower floor is currently occupied by a kidney care facility and hair salon.

Funding for the project will come from the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority through the HOME Investment Partnership Program.

The project was initially proposed by Thrive Alliance Housing Services. The nonprofit organization serves as Indiana’s Agency on Aging for Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Jackson and Jennings counties.

Mark Lindenlaub, executive director of Thrive Alliance said the agency is the general contractor and will be subcontracting a majority of the work.

Plans for the project consist of apartments clustered around a common gathering space and common laundry area.

The common gathering space will serve as a community dining area for those residents participating in the nutrition programs offered by Thrive Alliance services.

Each unit will include various features that are designed to allow people to age in place and continue to live independently in a safe, comfortable environment.

The Bartholomew County Highway Department will be closing several roads over the next few days, due to paving projects.

Bartholomew County Road 700E from 450N to 600N will be closed today.

On Monday and Tuesday, County Road 700 North will be closed from 350E to 600E.

And Lake Road will close from State Road 58 to the Brown County line on Wednesday and Thursday.

The work will be done from 7 to 5 each day. The work schedule is dependent on the weather.

A Seymour police officer was injured yesterday by a driver trying to flee with her baby from the scene of a domestic disturbance call.

According to reports from the Seymour Police Department, officers were called to the 700 block of East Fourth Street yesterday about the disturbance. During their investigation, 21-year-old Rachel Blake of Seymour wanted to leave, taking her 9-month-old child with her. But an officer noticed that her car seat was incorrectly installed and offered to help fix it.

However Blake thought police were going to take her child, police say. So she got into her car with the baby in her arms and backed up, striking Officer Sam Hughes. Hughes was knocked to the ground. Blake then fled from the area, before crashing on U.S. 31.

The baby suffered minor injuries in the crash and was taken to Schneck Medical Center for treatment.

Officer Hughes was taken to Schneck’s emergency room where he was treated and released.

Blake is facing charges of criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, battery on a police officer, leaving the scene of an injury accident, resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, and neglect of a dependent.