Legal Aid is holding a Free Legal Aid Phone Clinic from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Legal Aid offers the clinics for low-income residents of its eight-county district including Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Jackson, Jennings and Johnson counties..
If you take part you will have a brief consultation with a volunteer attorney to answer general questions, to offer legal information or to receive other advice over the phone.
To take part, you must first register between noon and 2 p.m. Tuesday by calling 812-378-0358.
Our Hospice of South Central Indiana is reporting that the recent 25th annual Jennings County Gala set a new fundraising record for the agency.
According to Our Hospice, the event last weekend netted a record $70,800. One of the annual highlights is the Gala queen contes, with Jennings County High School students competing for the honor based on their fundraising. This year’s winner is Stella Millspaugh who raised $12,375. The nine contestants combined brought in $35,225.
The event also recognized previous gala queens with seven of the previous winners in attendance.
Money raised at the gala funds support and care to the patients and families served by the Jennings County Our Hospice team.
Our Hospice, founded in 1980, opened a branch office in Jennings County in 1991. Our Hospice of South Central Indiana is not-for-profit, community-based hospice providing care in 16 counties with offices in Columbus, North Vernon and Greensburg.
Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop has scheduled his final State of the City address, set for March 6th at The Commons.
The mayor has previously said the idea of the annual speech is to give people a better idea of where their tax dollars are going.
The last two years have seen virtual state of the city addresses due to concerns over the pandemic. This will be the first return to a live event since 2019. In previous years, the State of the City speeches have been held at various locations including Donner Center, the former Fair Oaks Mall, the Columbus Learning Center and others.
The March 6th event will begin with a welcome reception at 5 p.m., with a chance to meet the mayor, City Council members and city staff. The program will begin at 5:45 p.m.
The Bartholomew County court system is planning a fourth problem solving court, this time aimed at those suffering with mental health problems.
Bartholomew County Superior Court 1 Judge James Worton has filed a letter of intent with the Indiana Office of Court Services, saying that he hopes to have the specialized Court up and running by July.
Worton, who presides over all mental health commitments in Bartholomew County, said, that the regular justice system “is simply not equipped to adequately deal with defendants suffering with severe mental illness.” The said the courts need more tools to increase safety for citizens and to ensure mentally ill defendants receive the accountability, treatment and supervision they need so that they can live their lives outside of the justice system.
The county already has three problem solving courts, with Worton presiding over the Veteran’s Treatment Court, Judge Kelly Benjamin over the Drug Recovery Court and Magistrate Brittney Newland over the Family Recovery Court.
Problem solving courts partner with mental health providers, substance abuse treatment providers, prosecutors, defense attorneys, probation, and other relevant agencies to handle certain cases involving qualified criminal defendants charged with certain lower level crimes.
An Indianapolis man is under arrest, accused of armed robbery of a Columbus area business.
According to the Columbus Police Department, officers were called to the Moose Lodge at 330 Eighth Street at about 12:38 p.m. yesterday afternoon on reports of a robbery that had just happened. Witnesses said that a man robbed the lodge at gunpoint and then ran from the scene.
Moments after the robbery, police arrived and found 35-year old Robert C. Christopher running from the scene. They chased after him and took him into custody in the 1000 block of Franklin Street. He allegedly had a gun on him and an undisclosed amount of cash.
Christopher was taken to jail on preliminary charges of armed robbery, resisting law enforcement, interfering with the reporting of a crime, criminal confinement, and intimidation with a deadly weapon.
Former Vice President Mike Pence, a Columbus native, is being subpoenaed by the special counsel overseeing investigations into former President Trump.
Reports say the subpoena requests documents and testimony related to Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his role in the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The subpoena comes from Jack Smith, who was appointed to oversee the investigation into Trump’s potential mishandling of classified documents in November.
In recent months, Pence has criticized the former President for his actions on January 6th.
A wind advisory remains in effect for our area, with wind gusts of up to 55 mph possible but the worst of the winds appear to be over.
The National Weather Service is warning of southeast winds of 25 to 35 mph and gusts of up to 55 mph. Forecasters say the winds could blow down trees and power lines.
Shannon Cooke, director of emergency management for Bartholomew County says that the greatest danger appears to be past, but there is still a chance of dangerous straight line winds.
So far, the county has largely seen minor damages today, with some trees being knocked down by the winds including one on Interstate 65 near the Walesboro exit. Witnesses say that the new construction at the former gas station site at the corner of 11th and Washington Streets in downtown Columbus was blown down by the winds.
Cooke said similar winds knocked down a building under construction in the Walesboro area about a decade ago.
You should use extra caution if you are driving, especially if you are in a high-profile vehicle, Cooke said.
The wind advisory is in effect until 7 p.m. this evening.
A Shelbyville man is facing drug related charges after a traffic stop Tuesday evening on Interstate 74.
According to reports from the Indiana State Police, a trooper was patrolling the interstate near Shelby County Road 700W at about 6 last evening when he noticed a pickup following another vehicle too closely. The trooper pulled the vehicle over and as he talked to the driver and a passenger, he became suspicious of drug activity. A Shelby County Sheriff’s Department deputy and her police dog were called to the scene and the dog alerted to the smell of narcotics inside the truck.
Police found three small bags of methamphetamine, pills and drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle. The driver, 49-year-old Eric Alexander of Shelbyville is facing preliminary charges of dealing methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving on a suspended license.
An IUPUC professor and student were recognized recently with Indiana University’s Building Bridges Award.
Kevin Jones, associate professor of management in the Division of Business, and student Yamileth Martinez, received the award at IU’s recent Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration and third annual Social Justice Conference.
The Building Bridges Award recognizes individuals and organizations who capture King’s vision, spirit, and leadership. One student and one community member, including faculty, staff or local organizations were recognized from each IU campus and IU’s School of Medicine.
According to the school, Jones has dedicated himself in service to Dr. King’s legacy, including leading a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) faculty council subcommittee, and leading and contributing to multiple diversity initiatives and social justice programming.
Yamileth Martinez. Photo courtesy of IUPUC
Martinez, is a senior in the School of Education. Her honors project examines how undocumented immigrants are perceived. She is pursuing an Office of Student Research project to understand further how discrimination against national origin, language, and citizenship status are perpetuated.
As part of the award, IUPUC received a $500 grant for the Latino-American Organization of Volunteers in Education (LOVE) for continued outreach and work in the community.
A Columbus home suffered more than $100,000 in damages but a resident escaped without injuries following a fire yesterday afternoon in Forest Park Estates.
According to the Columbus Fire Department, firefighters were called to the 1000 block of Junco Drive at about 5:46 p.m. Wednesday afternoon after a resident reported a fire in a second-story bedroom.
A thick cloud black smoke was visible in the area and firefighters discovered heavy fire damage on the second floor. After knocking down the flames and searching the home, firefighters confirmed that no one else was home. Fire crews removed parts of the ceiling and walls to ensure no fire had spread to the attic. They also helped the family by removing personal items from the home.
Firefighters are investigating the cause of the fire. The family was displaced from the home and the Salvation Army is providing them with assistance.
