Legal Aid is hosting a free walk-in legal clinic in Bartholomew County today.

If you take part you will have up to a 10-minute consultation with a volunteer attorney to answer general questions, to offer legal information or to receive other advice.

The walk in legal clinic for Bartholomew County community members will be from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Bartholomew County Public Library on Fifth Street.

From 3 to 4 the session will focus on general legal counsel. From 4 to 5 p.m. the clinic will focus on evictions.

Correction: The victim’s name was spelled incorrectly in a previous version of this story. It has been corrected.

A man’s body was recovered from the water under an overpass in Seymour last week.

According to Seymour Police Department, officers were called to the Burkhart Boulevard overpass on Friday after a passerby walking to work pulled the body from the water.

The victim has been identified as 37 year old Wayne R. Gribbons of North Vernon. An autopsy has been performed but the cause of death determination is still waiting on toxicology reports which are not yet available.

The debate over Bartholomew County’s animal control ordinances and enforcement continued Monday with advocates asking the county commissioners for stricter ordinances and the reinstatement of an animal control commission.

Last week, Bartholomew County Commissioners said that they would not be making those changes. But Animal protection advocates appealed to the commissioners again, saying that the county does not do enough to protect animals in danger.

However, the commissioners said that the commission was an extra, unnecessary layer of government. Commissioner President Tony London pointed out that county commissioners are elected officials and are directly responsible for the animal control department. Any animal control commission would not be accountable to voters and would not have the authority to make final decisions.

Fundamentally, the commissioners say they disagree with advocates over what is actual harm and neglect versus personal preferences in animal care. And the county will not make  efforts to further restrict the rights of county animal owners to have control over their animals.

London said the goal is to educate owners, not to issue fines or to make arrests. But in cases where there is clear abuse, officials and advocates can reach agreement and action will be taken.

The animal advocates have been consistently attending and commenting at county commissioner meetings for months, seeking stronger enforcement and advocating for particular animals.

Two people were arrested on drug-related charges after Jennings County deputies served a warrant at a home that has been deemed a common nuisance.

According to the sheriff’s department, deputies and the sheriff went to the address in Country Squire Lakes last week and while searching for the fugitive, they noticed illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia. After getting a search warrant, they discovered methamphetamine, syringes, prescription only medication and other drug paraphernalia. Authorities say that the home has been a frequent source of complaints about activities and the scene of multiple drug and warrant arrests.

Police arrested Gary Shane Lowe on preliminary charges of maintaining a common nuisance, as well as for possessing methamphetamine, a syringe and drug paraphernalia. Craig Lowe is being accused of possessing methamphetamine, a syringe and paraphernalia, violating the Indiana Legend Drug Act and visiting a common nuisance.

Photos courtesy of Jennings County Sheriff’s Department.

A road-resurfacing project on State Road 252 will be restricting traffic between Amity and Trafalgar, starting next week.

According to INDOT the work will begin on Monday and you will see flaggers while the work is ongoing. That is to allow crews to work safely during a patching and resurfacing project in Johnson County. The schedule is to work from 7 in the morning to 7 in the evening daily. That work will be about 7 and a half miles east of U.S. 31 to State Road 135. The flagging operations will move with the work zone as crews progress through the project.

The work is scheduled to last through July but the schedule is dependent on the weather.

This is part of a $2.5 million project awarded to Milestone.

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

Lanes on Interstate 65 are closing this week while crews work on the highway between the Columbus and Walesboro exits.

According to INDOT, crews will be installing corrugations on the shoulders, leading to the right lanes and shoulders being closed. The work will be going on from 9 at night through 6 in the morning.

Work is expected to be finished by Friday, 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.

The Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce will be holding its last Third House session of the year on Monday.

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.

The sessions will again be virtual through the Zoom app.

The last Third House will be Monday morning starting at 8 a.m.

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

To get the Zoom details, you can go to the Chamber website at http://www.columbusareachamber.com. If you want to submit a question to the legislators, you can email [email protected].

A driver crashed into a restaurant on Central Avenue in Columbus yesterday morning.

According to reports from the Columbus Fire Department, the incident happened at about 11 a.m. Monday morning at the Central Cafe, in the 1600 block of Central Avenue. The car crashed into the entrance of the restaurant. No one was injured but the building suffered moderate structural damage.

Firefighters say that members of the building’s maintenance staff were on site shortly after firefighters arrived on scene.

The name of the driver has not been released and the accident remains under investigation by Columbus Police Department.

Photo courtesy of Columbus Fire Department.

Nashville police say a woman having a mental health crisis started a fire on her vehicle, backed into a gas pump and then drove into a convenience store early Sunday morning.

According to police reports, the incident happened at about 3:15 a.m. Sunday at a gas station in the 200 block of South Van Buren street. A store worker said that a vehicle had crashed into the store and there was a fire. Police and Brown County deputies arrived to find burning clothing on top of the vehicle. A store worker extinguished the flames.

Nashville firefighters arrived on scene and worked to shut off utilities. Police say that damage to the store was extensive.

A deputy spoke with the woman driving the vehicle, who said she was having a mental health crisis and that she had intentionally set the fire and crashed the vehicle. She agreed to be taken to a local hospital for treatment. While in an ambulance she said that she had taken a large number of prescription pills. Her name has not yet been released.

Police say that there are multiple charges pending and the investigation is ongoing.

Photo courtesy of Nashville Police Department.

A flood warning remains in effect for East Fork White River at Seymour, with the river dropping below the moderate flood stage this morning.

The river crested Saturday at just over a foot above the 17 foot moderate flood. This morning there is still minor flooding, with the river is at 16.77 feet, a few inches below the moderate flood level. Current forecasts show the river dropping back below flood levels by late Thursday night or early Friday morning.