Columbus Regional Health is celebrating its 100th case and one-year anniversary of its Robotic and Cone Beam CT guided bronchoscopy program using the Ion Robotic platform.

The hospital says that the interventional program at CRH uses the two advanced technologies together for lung biopsies. It is able to locate potentially cancerous lung lesions and nodules, less than size of a dime within the lungs with 98 percent accuracy. Allowign for earlier cancer detection, provides patients with treatment options earlier and greatly increases survival rates.

The program is the only one of its kind in Indiana with the ability to use the technologies.

The rate of lung cancer in southcentral Indiana remains nearly double the national average according to the hospital.

For more information visit www.crh.org/lung

A Columbus man is facing charges, accused of head-butting a police officer during a scuffle over the weekend.

According to Columbus Police Department, officers were called to the 1400 block of Pearl Street at about 3:45 p.m. on reports of two men fighting.

Officers found one man holding a nearly empty bottle of vodka, slurring his words and acting as if he was intoxicated. They took 33-year-old Dustin W. Arp into custody, but as an officer tried to put him into a patrol car, Arp allegedly attacked the officer.

After being taken to Columbus Regional Health to be checked out, Arp was arrested on preliminary charges of battery on a Law Enforcement Officer, resisting Law Enforcement, disorderly Conduct and public Intoxication.

A wanted man was arrested Friday afternoon in Columbus and is facing new drug-related charges.

According to reports from the Columbus Police Department, police went to a home in the 4600 block of West Ridge Drive at about 5:30 p.m. Friday afternoon to serve an arrest warrant on 40-year-old Justin Bowles. They found him and took him into custody without any incident. But when they searched him before taking him to jail, they found a bag containing several pills in his clothes.

He is facing new preliminary charges of possession of legend drug and of a controlled substance, as well as the original warrant for a probation violation.

The Columbus Police Intelligence Led Policing Unit and Bartholomew County Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team assisted with the investigation.

Cummins has won a major contract with the Department of Defense to provide generator sets and power plants for the department.

The the Columbus-based engine manufacturer made the announcement yesterday, that it was one of two companies chosen to develop, manufacture, test, and produce generator sets in both the 500 kilowatt skid and Power Plants configurations. These will be for the defense department’s Large Tactical Power System project.

The project is working to provide more mobile, reliable, and logistically supportable tactical electric power sources for 21st century digitized forces. Two contractors will deliver four power plant configurations for testing.

Cummins has been developing and producing Advanced Medium Mobile Power Sources and Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resources, since 2013.

1 p.m. update.

Bartholomew County Clerk Shari Lentz said that as of earlier this afternoon, just under 5,900 people had cast their ballots. All of the vote centers are reporting heavy turnout, with St Johns Masonic Lodge, Flintwood Wesleyan Church, Nexus Park and Terrace Lake Church experiencing the heaviest.

You can find a complete list of polling locations below.

Original story:

The polls are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Indiana today for the midterm elections.

Hoosiers are deciding who will represent them in the U.S. House, the state House and Senate, all the way down to township advisory boards.

One U.S. Senate seat is up for grabs and the Indiana secretary of state, treasurer, and auditor are all being elected today.

While there are many contested races on today’s ballot in Bartholomew County, some local Republicans have already won their races.

Among those with no challengers in today’s election are Circuit Court Judge Kelly Benjamin, Prosecutor Lindsey Holden-Kay, Sheriff Chris Lane and Assessor Ginny Whipple. Holden-Kay and Lane are both running for the first time, with previous prosecutor Bill Nash and Sheriff Matt Myers leaving office.

The rest of the countywide elected offices, all four district seats on the Bartholomew County Council, two seats on the Hope Town Council, four seats on the Bartholomew Consolidated School Board and one of the three seats on the Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Board are contested today.

You can vote at any of the 13 voting centers in Bartholomew County. You can find a complete list of polling locations below.

While the midterm elections are today, speculation about the next presidential election is already ramping up.

Former Vice President and Columbus native Mike Pence is among those reportedly considering a run for the White House in 2024 and he’s going to sit down with ABC News for an interview. It’ll air next Monday.

Pence could be on a collision course with his old boss, Donald Trump. The former President is teasing a big announcement that he says is coming next week. While campaigning for Republicans in Ohio on Monday, Trump noted he’ll deliver the news at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on November 15th.

Our news-gathering partners at TTWN Media Networks Inc. contributed to this article.

A Columbus man is being accused of making up false allegations against his neighbor, who happens to be a trooper with the Indiana State Police.

According to state police reports, 38-year-old Alan Parker of Columbus made allegations that he was being harassed and poisoned by his neighbor. He said the neighbor gave him a poisonous substance, turned off his internet service and electricity, looked at him through the window and used power tools at night to harass him.

State police investigated and say that the allegations against the neighbor, a 19-year-veteran with the department were unfounded. Further, they say the original accusations were made while Parker was intoxicated.

The details of the investigation were turned over to the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s office and Parker is facing a misdemeanor charge of making a false report against a police officer.

Johnson County authorities arrested 20 men, including one from Columbus, in a three-day child sex sting operation, where police posed online as children.

Johnson County Sheriff Duane Burgess said that this is the fourth child sex sting operation in the past two years and it landed nearly twice as many suspects as any of the previous operations, dating back to December of 2020.

Burgess said the operation involved sheriff’s department deputies and Franklin police and ran from Tuesday through Thursday last week. Law enforcement also worked closely with the Johnson County prosecutor’s office to make sure that the sting followed the letter of the law, Burgess said.

Men traveled as far as from Washington State and Alabama for the prospect of illegal acts with a child.

Burgess said that parents should be diligent in knowing what their children are doing and who they are speaking with on the internet. He said the number of online apps and what can be discussed on them is alarming. And almost everyone carries a smartphone which makes it so easy to access these sites.

Among those arrested was 37-year-old Christopher Greg Wilson of Columbus who is facing a felony charge of child solicitation.

Also arrested:

• Max Joseph Miller, 25, Indianapolis: Child Solicitation
• James T. Miller, 28, Indianapolis: Child Solicitation
• Nicholas T. Hubbard, 23, Indianapolis: Child Solicitation.
• Mark Alan Adams, 59, Cross Plains: Child Solicitation, Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor; Making an Unlawful Proposition.
• Helly Cananl Sang, 21, Indianapolis, Child Solicitation Level
• Ryan Alan Browning, 34, Harts, West Virginia:  Child Solicitation and Possession of Child Pornography.
• Zacariah Ray Hart, 43, Indianapolis: Child Solicitation and Possession of a Syringe.
• Brallan Campos-Acevedo, 22, Indianapolis: Child Solicitation  and Making unlawful proposition.
• Eric N. Johnson, 38, Noblesville: Child Solicitation and Dissemination of Harmful Matter to a Minor.
• Philip Michael Buhrke, 26, Indianapolis: Child Solicitation and Dissemination of Harmful Matter to a Minor.
• Calvin Michael Farris, 37, Richland, Washington: Child Solicitation and Dissemination of Harmful Matter to a Minor.
• Jonathan D. Morales, 31, Indianapolis: Child Solicitation and Driving While Suspended With A Prior.
• Jered S. Morgan, 22, Monrovia. Child Solicitation.
• Thiang Za Lian, 21, Indianapolis: Child Solicitation and Making an Unlawful Proposition.
• Jeffery Dylan Alford, 26, Greenwood: Child Solicitation, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Paraphernalia.
• Samuel Ernestro Severino Cabrera, 24, Indianapolis: Child Solicitation and Making an Unlawful Proposition
• Jonathan Tyler Evans, 36, Pisgah, Alabama: Child Solicitation, Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Deliver, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Paraphernalia.
• Za Thio, 36, Indianapolis. Child Solicitation and Making an Unlawful Proposition.
• Jeffrey A. Hance, 64, Mooresville: Child Solicitation, Criminal Mischief, Resisting Law Enforcement using a vehicle, Prostitution A- Misdemeanor

You still have a little time to vote early in Bartholomew County. Early voting continues at Nexus Park, the former Fair Oaks Mall, off of 25th Street in Columbus until noon today.

There are signs up and greeters to direct you to the location inside the mall’s former Petals and Vines store.

All Indiana BMV offices will be open extended hours today and tomorow to process ID cards needed to vote. Branches will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. today and
and from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tuesday. All locations will remain open through the lunch hour.

Branches will prioritize processing transactions that include new, amended, renewed, or replacement identification cards, learner permits, driver’s licenses, and CDLs that do not require testing. Customers are required to provide all required documentation to complete a transaction

Branches will resume regular business hours on Wednesday.

Bartholomew County voters will have a nearly full slate of candidates on their ballots tomorrow, with contested races ranging from the state capitol to school boards and local townships.

Countywide races in Bartholomew County include incumbent Republican County Commissioner Carl Lienhoop against Democrat Chris Sims, Auditor incumbent Republican Pia O’Conner against Democrat Sharon Persley, Clerk incumbent Republican Shari Lentz against Democrat Quisha Jackson, Recorder Tami Hines, a Republican against Jacob Lashley, a Democrat.

There is a three-way race for Bartholomew County Treasurer with incumbent Republican Barb Hackman facing Democrat Jessica Hendry and independent Tom Heller.

Representing Bartholomew County as the statehouse, incumbent Republican State Sen. Greg Walker is facing Democrat Bryan Munoz in District 41 and State Representative Ryan Lauer, a Republican, is being challenged by Democrat Ross Thomas in District 59. In northeastern Bartholomew County, Republican Jennifer Meltzer faces Mimi Pruett for the open District 73 seat and in southern Bartholomew County, Seymour Republican incumbent Jim Lucas is running against Democrat Chad Harmon for Indiana House District 69.

There are also contested races for Bartholomew County Council seats, and school board seats.

Polls are open from 6 to 6 tomorrow at the 13 voting centers in Bartholomew County.

An Indiana National Guard task force led by a Columbus resident has now taken over operations in Kosovo.

According to reports from the National Guard, Kosovo Force transferred authority between the outgoing team from the Virginia Army National Guard, to the Indiana Army National Guard’s 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, headquartered in Lawrence during a ceremony at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, last week.

The 300 troops ae under the command of Col. Chris Mabis of Columbus and departed from Camp Atterbury early last month. They are operating as Task Force Nighthawk.

Mabis said that the team has spent nearly a year preparing for the mission and thanked the outgoing soldiers and commander for helping the Hoosiers prepare.

Mabis said that the force will ensure a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all people, in all communities in Kosovo.

Photo: Indiana National Guard Col. Chris Mabis, 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team commander, speaks to soldiers, families and friends in attendance for the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team departure ceremony at Camp Atterbury near Edinburgh, Friday, Sept. 30th. Indiana National Guard photo by Sgt. Jonah Alvarez

Heritage Fund – The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County is launching its 2022 Love Where you Live campaign, encouraging donations to fund community initiatives and projects through its Community Fund.

The not-for-profit is encouraging businesses and individuals to make donations to the campaign. Heritage Fund awards more than $650,000 in community grants each year from the Community Fund. The grants are used to fund not-for-profit groups and through them, the residents they serve.

Each year Heritage Fund unveils new art for their campaign, created by a local artist. This year’s artist Amy Harden, a Hope graphics designer. She described Bartholomew County as “a community with small city charm and big city opportunity” and focused her work on the balance between a community of art and architecture, farming and agriculture.

If you contribute to the campaign you can receive a poster, decal or notebook featuring Harden’s 2022 campaign design. You are also asked to post on social media with comments about why you love where you live.

You can make donations in person or by mail to Heritage Fund at 538 Franklin St., Columbus, IN 47201 or through the website at heritagefundbc.org. For more information, call 812-376-7772.

Photo: Amy Harden of Hope designed the 2022 Love Where You Live campaign logo. Photo courtesy of Heritage Fund.