Forecasters say that a significant winter storm is likely to blow through Indiana starting Tuesday night and Wednesday.

The National Weather Service says the storm has the potential for significant snow accumulations, the worst so far this winter.

You can expect the storm to snarl travel and you should make alternate plans if you were planning to travel through mid-week.

A winter storm watch has been issued for just north of our area. Forecasters are estimating 3 to 6 inches of snow in Columbus.

Although most of this weekend’s snow is gone already, the weather service says you could see some spots of black ice out there this morning, causing some slick conditions until things warm up mid-morning.

The deadline is today for nominations for this year’s Edna V. Folger Outstanding Teacher Award.

Full-time elementary or secondary school teachers or educators working in a public, private, or parochial school in Bartholomew County are eligible.

The award is sponsored by the Community Education Coalition and the IUPUC Center for Teaching and Learning. Traditionally, the award is presented at the Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting.

You can find nomination forms at the IUPUC Center for Teaching and Learning, the Bartholomew Consolidated administrative offices and in the main offices of schools in the county.

You can download a nomination form here.

A Brown County documentary on drug addiction will be getting a national audience. Producers of the Addicts Wake, an Indiana-produced documentary film, say a shorter version will be available for broadcast on public-television stations nationwide.

The film was produced by Glory Girl Productions based in Brown County and directed by Indianapolis resident Michael Husain. Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield has sponsored community screenings of the film throughout Indiana.

The three-year deal will make the film available for broadcast on any of the 341 public-television member stations across the country.

Lisa Hall, president of Glory Girl Productions, said at an airing last night at the Brown County Playhouse that the public-television adaptation will debut in August through September, in time for National Overdose Month and National Recovery Month.

The Herschel B. and Ethel L. Whitney Endowment Fund, along with combined matching funds from Anthem and the State of Indiana, has underwritten a 45-minute adaptation of the original film to be shown in Indiana classrooms.

You can get more information at theaddictswake.com

Image courtesy of Glory Girl Productions

The Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce will again be holding its Third House sessions during this legislative session. Third House is a chance for you to hear from your local legislators on issues before the state legislature and to question them on your concerns.

Cindy Frey, president of the local chamber, explains:

The sessions will again be virtual through the Zoom app.

The first Third House will be Monday, January 23rd at 8 a.m. There will also be sessions February 6th, March 6th and April 3rd.

Third House sessions are free and you are invited to attend.

To get the Zoom details, you can go to the Chamber website at www.columbusareachamber.com. If you want to submit a question to the legislators, you can email asmith@columbusareachambercom .

IUPUC is announcing that its nursing simulation center is being reaccredited, making it one of only 100 labs worldwide to receive full accredidation.

According to the school, the center features a skills lab with eight patient care rooms, a clinical exam room, realistic adult and pediatric manikins and more.

The Simulation in Healthcare accreditation is a peer-reviewed, customized evaluation of healthcare simulation programs. It examines assessment, research, teaching/education, and systems integration. IUPUC’s accreditation in the area of Teaching/Education is in place through 2027.

You can get a link for more information  at iupuc.edu/about/simulation-center.

Indiana State Police are investigating after a body with gunshot wounds was found in a vehicle just north of the Franklin exit on Interstate 65 yesterday morning.

The Johnson County Coroner’s office has identified the victim as 23-year-old Derrick Allen Janney of Indianapolis. The coroner’s office says that his injuries were consistent with gunshot wounds but the manner of death has not yet been determined. An autopsy is scheduled for today.

According to state police reports, the Janney’s body was found on Interstate 65 southbound at the 91.3 mile marker. State police are not yet ruling the incident as a homicide.

The right lane of the interstate was blocked during the morning rush hour while the scene was investigated, causing significant backups and delays.

Indiana State Police stopped a suspected drunk driver going more than 100 mph in Jackson County yesterday morning, all with a child in the car.

According to police reports, a trooper stopped the vehicle going 109 mph at about 10 Thursday morning on Interstate 65 in northern Jackson County, near the Bartholomew County line.

Troopers say that the driver of the car, 36-year=old Anthony A. Reed, of Huntsville, Alabama, showed signs of intoxication.

Reed was taken to the Seymour Police Department where a breath test showed a blood alcohol level of .24 percent, three times the legal limit. He was arrested on preliminary charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated with a prior conviction, operating a vehicle while intoxicated with a child under the age of 18, and operating with a BAC of .15% or greater.

A female passenger and the child were released at the scene.

A pet food pantry distribution is set for this afternoon at the Columbus Municipal Airport.

Friends of Columbus Animal Care Services will be holding their Furry Friends Food Bank giveaway from 4 to 5:30 p.m. this afternoon. The pet food will be distributed in the airport parking lot at 4770 Ray Boll Boulevard.

The purpose of the pantry is to assist local community members in need keep their pets in their home and out of area shelters. If you take part you should stay in your vehicle and the food will be brought to you.

Friends of Columbus Animal Care Services is the non-profit partner of the city-operated Columbus Animal Care Services.

A Jennings County conservation officer has been chosen as the officer of the year for DNR District 9.

The agency announced today that Zach Walker had been selected for the honor for the district which covers Jennings, Decatur, Dearborn, Fayette, Franklin, Jefferson, Ohio, Ripley, Rush, Switzerland, and Union counties.

Walker has been a conservation officer since 2009, previously serving in Henry County.

Walker serves as a K-9 handler, field training officer, airboat operator, background and boat accident investigator, breath test operator, and member of the cave rescue team in addition to being a regular conservation officer.

The district award puts Walker in the running for the Pitzer Award. The award is presented annually to the top overall conservation officer in the state, selected from all 10 districts.

The Pitzer Award is named after Conservation Officer James D. Pitzer, who was fatally shot while investigating illegal hunting activity in 1961, in Jay County.

Park Theatre Civic Centre in North Vernon will be hosting a concert Saturday by Back 2 Mac, a tribute show honoring Fleetwood Mac.

The show will include a special tribute to the late Christine McVie who was a songwriter, keyboardist and vocalist with Fleetwood Mac.

The Park Theatre opened in 1916 with shows ranging from vaudeville acts to silent films but closed in the 1960s. A not for profit group was formed in the 1990s to renovate the venue as a civic center.

The show will be at 7:30 Saturday at the theater. Tickets are $20 and are available in advance at the Park Theatre box office or at the door Saturday night. For more information, call 812-346-0330.