The National Weather Service has issued a Dense Fog Advisory for our area until 9 this morning.

The agency says visibility will be cut ot one quarter to one half mile in some portions of central and southern Indiana. You could encounter some hazardous driving conditions due to low visibility.

The weather service says if you are driving you should slow down, use your low-beam headlights, and leave plenty of distance ahead of you.

The agency is also warning of the possibility of strong to severe thunderstorms in southeastern Indiana today.

According to the center in Louisville there is a marginal risk of severe weather in far southeastern Indiana early this morning and into the afternoon. Isolated tornadoes and hail are possible but the main threat is gusty, damaging winds.

The agency is also predicting heavy rainfall of up to two inches in southern Indiana with up to 1 and a half inches possible in Jackson and Jennings counties.

Columbus Police Department is accepting applications for this year’s Public Safety Academy.

The free 11-week course gives participants a look behind the scenes of public safety agencies in the city of Columbus and Bartholomew County. In previous classes, students have learned about the Columbus Police Department Bomb Squad, SWAT Team, Criminal Investigations, Narcotics/Vice Units and K-9 Division. They have also fired weapons on the police gun range and used Columbus Fire Department equipment to cut open a wrecked vehicle and put out a fire correctly with a fire extiniguisher.

The sessions begin on Thursday March 2nd from 6 to 9 p.m. in the evening. You can find a link to sign up here.

Bartholomew County Council will consider a plan to give employees a mid-budget pay bump as a way to address rising inflation and to retain employees who are falling behind.

Council member Mark Gorbett brought up the idea of a pay increase across the board for employees at this week’s council meeting. A quick poll of council sentiment found four of the seven members at least interested in pursuing the idea.

Last year, the council had several contentious discussions over employee pay centering around the accuracy, methods and conclusions of a pay study. That study found many employees needed a pay hike to bring them comparable to similar jobs in similar communities. Ultimately during budget approvals, the council could only agree on a 3.5 percent increase for employees.

Council member Matt Miller said this week he was concerned that the annual budgeting process is meaningless if the council continues to provide pay raises after the budget has been approved.

Newly elected Sheriff Chris Lane said he is reaching critical levels of staffing shortages in the county jail, with difficulty retaining employees, long overtime hours for those that do stay, and a hard time hiring new employees.

The council has set a work session next month to discuss employee pay, the possibility of hiring a human resources director and county IT needs.

Columbus firefighters say that a quick-thinking neighbor saved a home from a fire yesterday morning.

According to reports from the Columbus Fire Department, the neighbor noticed flames inside a home in the 200 block of Weid Court at about 9 a.m. Tuesday morning and called 9-1-1. The neighbor originally thought a cloud of what appeared to be dust surrounding the home was due to tree trimming and yard work in the area, but a closer look revealed flames and smoke inside.

Columbus Fire Engine Company 3 forced entry into the home to attack the fire and search for residents inside. No one was found and the fire was knocked down in about five minutes, confining the extent of the blaze to the living room.

Engine Company 3 Lt. Don Richards, said that the early discovery of the fire by a neighbor was a key in preventing additional fire damage.

The cause of the fire in under investigation. While fire damage to the home was isolated to the living room, smoke damage was present throughout the home and the home is currently uninhabitable. Damages are estimated at $50,000.

No injuries were reported.

The Indiana Department of Health will be holding an immunization clinic on Wednesday at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Columbus.

The clinic will be offering flu and COVID vaccines as well as the COVID bivalent booster vaccine. High dose flu vaccine will not be available at this clinic.

There will be no charge if you don’t have insurance.

The church is at 2651 California Street in Columbus and the clinic will be from 12 to 5 p.m. Wednesday. While no appointment is required, f you want to register you can go to ourshot.in.gov.

A Butlerville man is facing drug dealing charges after a traffic stop in Jennings County over the weekend.

According to reports from the sheriff’s department, a deputy stopped a vehicle at about 3:13 a.m. Sunday morning after seeing the driver make several traffic violations. Suspicious of illegal activity, a North Vernon police dog and handler were called to the scene and the dog, Zobi, alerted to the smell of drugs in the vehicle.

A search revealed 8.5 grams of Methamphetamine, 2 grams of Heroin, and other items associated with drug distribution. The driver, 26-year-old John Meisberger II, was arrested on preliminary charges of Dealing Methamphetamine, Possession of Methamphetamine between 5 & 10 Grams, Possession of Narcotic Drug and Possession of Marijuana.

Columbus city offices will be closed on Monday for Martin Luther King Day, however city trash and and recycling routes will be running on their normal schedule. The public works offices will be closed and will reopen on Tuesday.

For more information you can go online to columbus.in.gov/public-works or use the apps for Columbus Collects and Curbcycle.

Columbus City Utilities Office will also be closed Monday. If you have a problem with your water or sewer service, you can call the business office at 812-372-8861 and follow the prompts.

Schneck Medical Center’s chief financial officer is being recognized by a national hospital publication.

Becker’s Hospital Review named Deborah Mann one of ten “CFOs to Know” in its annual list of top performers. Mann serves as chief financial officer and as vice president of finance for the Seymour hospital.

According to an annoucement from the hospital, the list is published to recognize CFOs who have a legacy of strong leadership and are guiding their organizations through the changing landscape of healthcare delivery. According to the publication, “Rural hospitals provide access to health services for communities that may otherwise face barriers to quality care.”

Mann started at Schneck in 1994 as a staff accountant and became vice president of finance in 2014. She is a certified public accountant, holds a bachelors of science in business from Indiana University and a masters of business administration from Indiana Wesleyan University.

Bartholomew County Commissioners are looking for a contractor or contractors to mow the weeds along county roads in an effort to reduce overtime and to make up for a lack of employees.

County Commissioners yesterday agreed to seek bids for an outside party to perform the work in the county right-of-ways. Commissioners President Tony London said that the county is having a hard time finding and keeping employees to do the work in house. The county has had to dig into its overtime budget to pay for the work to get done.

London said the goal is to get the sides of county roads in better condition and safer. The work does not include state and federal highways such as State Road 46 or U.S. 31.

The bid package divides the work up by townships for smaller bids, or a bidder could take the entire county. Bid documents are available at the county highway department or by email. The bids will be opened Jan 20th.

Updated: 2 p.m.

A woman from Columbus was among the two people killed in an accident last night in southeastern Johnson County.

According to reports from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department, deputies were called to the crash on U.S. 31 north of State Road 252 at about 9:20 p.m. last night. Deputies found two vehicles involved in the collision in the northbound lanes of U.S. 31.

Both drivers, 30-year-old Olivia Irene Humes of Columbus and 42-year-old Charles Dell Cobb of Indianapolis were pronounced dead at the scene by the Johnson County Coroner’s Office. Autopsies have been scheduled for both victims.

According to witness reports, an SUV driven by Humes was driving south in the northbound lanes of U.S. 31 at about 60 mph, when it struck a delivery truck head on. Both vehicles then caught fire and the drivers were trapped in the burning wreckage.

Both the northbound and southbound lanes of the highway were closed down while the accident scene was investigated and cleaned up. The accident remains under investigation.

The sheriff’s department was aided at the scene by the Amity, Edinburgh and Bargersville fire departments and Edinburgh police department.