A Columbus based Indiana National Guard battalion has a new leader.

The Guard held a change of command ceremony last weekend for the 1st Battalion of the 151st Infantry Regiment with Lt. Col. Ben Tooley taking command from Lt. Col. Nick Roukas, who led the battalion since 2021.

Tooley said he couldn’t be prouder to lead such a professional and selfless group of soldiers. And Roukas said the years with the Spartan Battalion were some of the best in his military career.

The Spartan Battalion supports units throughout central and southern Indiana including the Headquarters Company in Columbus and Company C, of the 2nd Battalion, 134th Infantry Regiment in Seymour, along with units in Greenfield, Indianapolis, Martinsville, Washington and Bedford.

The unit history goes back 212 years with Indiana soldiers serving in the Civil War, World War I, in the Pacific Theater in World War II and reconnaissance and intelligence gathering missions in Vietnam. The soldiers also served in more recent conflicts in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Two people were arrested in Jennings County after a stolen vehicle was found in Country Squire Lakes.

According to the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, deputies were alerted to the stolen vehicle in the area on Tuesday. While they couldn’t find it immediately, deputies later saw the vehicle pass officers and head into the main gate of the subdivision off of State Road 7.

The driver and a passenger were arrested and the driver was found to have outstanding warrants out of Florida. 24-year-old Sarah Maggard and 29-year-old Treyvon Flaville, both of Indianapolis, are facing charges of theft.

IUPUC students will be making presentations next week of their projects through the Office of Student Research.

According to the school, 13 student projects with the work of 23 students will be unveiled including work on efficient wind-turbine blades, mental health care for the Asian community, how educators can help children recovering from trauma and other topics.

This will be the 13th annual Office of Student Research exhibition. The exhibition teams receive a grant of up to $1,000 to fund their projects. Each project has a detailed plan, has been approved by review committee and a faculty advisor who helps guide the project.

The exhibition will be from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Tuesday in the Student Commons at the Columbus Learning Center on Central Avenue. The event is free and you are invited to attend.

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.

The 64th Annual Community Easter Egg Hunt is returning to Donner Park in Columbus on Saturday, starting at 10 in the morning.

The event will feature four areas for egg-hunting, organized by age with spaces for children up to the age of 8. Children should have their own bags or baskets to carry their eggs.

There will also be vehicles and equipment on display from the Bartholonew County Sheriff’s Department, Columbus Fire Department and Columbus Police.

The event is sponsored and organized by Columbus Parks and Recreation, the Meridian Kiwanis Club and News Talk 1010 WCSI and 98.1 FM.

At 11 a.m. there will be an Egg-Ceptional Easter Egg Hunt for children with sensory or mobility issues. It is organized by the Columbus Parks and Recreation, the Meridian Kiwanis Club and Indiana Country 101.5 WKKG.

Seymour police have made two arrests after shots were fired Monday night in what investigators believe was a dispute over a video game system.

According to the police department, shortly after 8 p.m. Monday night officers were called to the alley between the 700 block of South Pine and South Poplar streets on reports of shots being fired from a vehicle. Witnesses described the vehicle as a white passenger car and the driver as a white woman with blond hair. There were several passengers in the vehicle also. The vehicle left the area heading westbound on Jackson Street.

No injures or damage was reported, but police did collect fired shell casings at the scene.

After receiving a tip, police located a suspect during a traffic stop and took that person into custody. A second suspect was found at a home in Columbus. After serving a search warrant, police recovered a 9mm handgun.

20-year-old Billy J. Gorbett of Brownstown and 18-year-old Jodie L. Gorbett of Columbus were arrested on preliminary charges of intimidation and criminal recklessness with a weapon.

Columbus Police Department assisted in the investigation.

A check on the welfare of two unconscious Jennings County residents in a vehicle led to the arrest of the two on drug charges.

According to the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, deputies went to a home in Campbell Township Tuesday after two separate reports from witnesses about a suspicious vehicle with unconscious people inside. The first deputy to arrive found two people who were non-responsive and a gun on the dash of the vehicle. More deputies were called to the scene and they could see drug paraphernalia in plain view inside the vehicle.

The two were checked and did not require medical attention, but a search of the vehicle recovered the drug paraphernalia, methamphetamine and the firearm.

Robert Redmond was arrested on charges of possession of methamphetamine and paraphernalia as well as maintaining a Common Nuisance. Jennifer Jones is accused of possession of methamphetamine and paraphernalia as well as visiting a common nuisance.

Former Vice President and Columbus native Mike Pence will not appeal a federal judge’s order that he must testify in an ongoing investigation of former President Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election.

That’s according to his advisor. Pence’s decision to comply will give special counsel Jack Smith access to one of the key figures with insight into Trump’s efforts to remain in power. This comes after U.S. District Court Chief Judge James Boasberg ruled last week that immunity shouldn’t prevent Pence from testifying about conversations related to alleged illegal activity on the part of the former President.

It’s unclear exactly when the former Veep will appear before the grand jury in Washington, DC.

Story courtesy of TTWN Media Networks

A grand opening of the newest portion of the People Trail in Columbus is schedule for this morning.

The 1821 Bicentennial Trail extension runs along First Street behind the Bartholomew County Jail, Columbus City Hall and the former Republic building, all the way to the Robert N. Stewart Bridge on Second Street. It includes historical markers, mini-plazas, a gateway element and other amenities.

The extension nearly completes the People Trail loop around the city.

The grand opening is set for this morning at the intersection of 1st and Washington Streets, behind City Hall. Refreshments will begin at 8:30 a.m. with the program starting at 9 and a ribbon cutting at 9:30.

Rendering courtesy of Hitchcock Design Group

A historic theatre in Franklin is closing for at least several weeks after being damaged during the severe weather last week in Johnson County.

The Artcraft Theatre suffered damage to its structure, ticket booth, and marquee this past weekend. Theatre officials say they are still determining how long they will be closed based on the extent of the damage, but it will be at least through April 16th.

The theatre has canceled four film screenings of “The Glenn Miller Story” scheduled for Friday and Saturday. Organizers also say that they are canceling two live performances by The Glenn Miller Orchestra scheduled for April 13th.

The theatre was built in Franklin in 1922 as a silent movie theater and vaudeville house.

TTWN Media Networks contributed to this report.