A bill from Bartholomew County’s newest legislator is heading to the governor’s desk for signature.

State Rep. Jennifer Meltzer, a Shelbyville Republican, created legislation to begin screening for an animal tranquilizer in overdose deaths. Meltzer said xylazine, also known as the street drug “tranq,” is used as a veterinary sedative for livestock. But it has also been linked to a growing number of overdose deaths.

She said the substance is being mixed with drugs like fentanyl and other opiates. But xylazine is not an opioid, so lifesaving medications such as Narcan are less effective. The Drug Enforcement Agency reports that xylazine-positive overdose deaths in the Midwest increased by more than 500% from 2020 to 2021.

Undder her legislation coroners would test for any trace of xylazine in drug overdose deaths. She said this extra step would provide the state with data that could be used to form an action plan.

This is Meltzer’s first bill. The freshman legislator’s district includes northeastern Bartholomew County.

Photo: Indiana State Capitol. Creative Commons photo license. 

The National Weather Service is forecasting a chance for some severe weather coming up later this week.

Severe storms with damaging winds are possible Friday night. The highest chances for severe storms will be across the western portions of southern Indiana with the odds diminishing closer to I-65. Damaging winds would be the primary threat with these storms.

You can expect windy conditions Friday night into Saturday. Wind gusts or more than 40 mph are likely.

Jennings County deputies report that two men were arrested recently on domestic battery charges, both after separate incidents with 911 hang-up calls.

Last Wednedsay, a deputy responded to a 911 hang-up call in Geneva Township. That led to the arrest of James D. Arnold on a felony charge of domestic battery with a prior offense.

Again on Saturday, deputies investigated a 911 hang-up call in Geneva Township. That investigation led to the arrest of Martin Ramirez on a preliminary charge of domestic battery.

Photos courtesy of Jennings County Sheriff’s Department.

Authorities are identifying the victim in a car crash Tuesday morning on State Road 11 near the Bartholomew County 4-H Fairgrounds.

According to the Columbus Police Department, 69-year-old Ronald D. Rudicel, of Scipio, died in the crash at about 11:09 a.m. Tuesday morning in the 1400 block of State Road 11.

Police say that Rudicel was traveling south on the highway when his car drifted left of the centerline, crashing into a vehicle being driven by 46-year-old Christal D. Downing of Columbus. Rudicel was not wearing a seatbelt and suffered fatal injuries. Downing was taken to Columbus Regional hospital for treatment of her injuries, which were not believed to be life-threatening.

The crash closed State Road 11 for about 2 1/2 hours during the investigation and cleanup.

A federal judge has ruled that former Vice President, Indiana Governor  and Columbus native Mike Pence must testify before a grand jury on conversations he had with former President Trump leading up to the January 6th Capitol Riot.

The judge, however, said Pence can still decline answering questions related to his own actions on January 6th while serving as President of the Senate for certification of the 2020 presidential election. Pence did certify the 2020 election results that day, a decision he has often said was the right one.

Pence can still appeal the ruling.

Special Counsel Jack Smith subpoenaed Pence as part of the investigation into efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the election.

Story courtesy of Network Indiana and TTWN Media Networks Inc.

The Tooley-Calvin farm in Bartholomew County is being recognized with a Hoosier Homestead Centennial Award for more than 100 years in operation.

State Sen. Greg Walker and State Rep. Jennifer Meltzer made the announcement yesterd

Farms owned and maintained by the same family for 100 years or more can qualify for centennial, sesquicentennial or bicentennial Hoosier Homestead awards. Hoosier Homestead farms must consist of more than 20 acres or produce more than $1,000 of agricultural products per year

Awards ceremonies are held in the spring and summer each year commemorating the achievements of farm families across the state. More than 5,800 farms received the designation as Hoosier Homesteads since the awards started in 1976.

Photo courtesy of Indiana State Department of Agriculture.

Applications are now open for grants to organizations helping the elderly through the Voelz, Reed, & Mount Foundation

Heritage Fund: The Bartholomew County Community Foundation says that the grant applications are open to nonprofit organizations in Bartholomew, Jackson, Jennings and Decatur counties that serve aging adults. The grants will go to support projects and programs that have a positive impact on the lives of senior citizens and their families and will range from $500 to $1,000 each.

Voelz, Reed, & Mount are attorneys specializing in estate and elder law in Columbus and Central Indiana. The local law firm partnered with Heritage Fund last year to establish a business foundation to give back to the communities where they do business.

The deadline for organizations to apply is April 28th and the awards will be announced on May 15th. You can get more information at https://www.heritagefundbc.org/grants.

The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department is announcing four promotions.

According to the department, Capt. David Steinkoenig is retiring to take a job in the private sector. Steinkoenig most recently served as jail commander.

Replacing Steinkoenig as Jail Commander will be Justin Arnholt who is being promoted to Captain. Arnholt was hired at the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office in 1997 as a corrections officer after graduating from Columbus North High School. He was promoted to merit deputy in 2003, and graduated the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy. Arnholt  was promoted to patrol sergeant in 2017. He was then promoted to lieutenant in January.

Jason Williams will be promoted to lieutenant within the Uniform Division.  Williams started his law enforcement career in 1999 as a corrections officer at the Bartholomew County Jail. Williams served as a deputy marshal  for the Hope Police Department from 2000 to 2003. Williams was then hired as a merit deputy by the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office in 2003. He graduated from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in 2004. Williams has previously served as field training officer, detective and sergeant.  Williams graduated from Leadership Bartholomew County in 2018 and is a certified ILEA instructor focusing on use of force training.

Dustin Newland is being promoted to sergeant within the uniform Division.  Newland graduated the Indiana University Police Academy in 2016  and was hired at the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office in 2017. Newland was been a field training officer and  assigned to the Intelligence Led Policing Unit. He is also a member of the Bartholomew County Water Rescue Team as well as an accident reconstructionist.

Dane Duke has been promoted to sergeant within the Uniform Division. His duties will center around being the public information officer. Duke graduated from the Indiana University Police Academy in 2014 and he was hired at the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office that year. He has been a field training officer and detective., a member of the SWAT Team, a diver with the water rescue team and an honor guard member.

Rescue workers were on the scene of a fatal two-vehicle crash on State Road 11 in Bartholomew County yesterday morning.

Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the Columbus Police Department, confirmed that there was a fatality but few details are yet available about the incident. The crash happened near Spear Street south of the Bartholomew County 4-H Faigrounds. IU Lifeline helicopter was on scene.

Police say that the road was closed for several hours during the crash cleanup and investigation.

State Road 46 in Decatur County will be closing next week for about six months as crews work to replace a bridge over Sand Creek.

According to INDOT, crews will be replacing the bridge between Base Road and County Road 200E in Greensburg starting on Monday. Access will be maintained to local businesses. The state detour will take traffic from State Road 3, to Interstate 74 to State Road 229.

The work is expected to last through September but the schedule is dependent on the weather.

INDOT urges you to slow down, to use extra caution and to drive without distractions in all work zones.