Community leaders came together last night to announce a new push for better mental health systems in Bartholomew County and Columbus.

Local leaders in government, health care, mental health and education announced plans to devote resources to address what they see as an urgent need to act on rising mental health challenges in the community. Organizers say that those challenges are creating new strains on city and county services, schools, healthcare providers and employers.

Organizations represented at Wednesday night’s event included the city of Columbus, Bartholomew County, Columbus Regional Health, Centerstone, Bartholomew Consolidated Schools and the United Way of Bartholomew County.

According to presenters, Bartholomew County and the surrounding region served by Columbus Regional Health are far behind the national average in per capita mental health providers. Last year, 40 percent of CRH inpatients in had mental health issues as either their primary or secondary diagnosis and there was a 44 percent increase in youth mental health assessments in the emergency department between 2018 and 2022.

Mark Stewart, head of the Bartholomew County United Way, said that the three year initiative would be divided into year-long phases. This year will be devoted to understanding where the community is and coming up with possible solutions. In 2024, the initiative would begin implementing strategies and in 2025 continue that work as well as finding ways to make the programs sustainable.

They are calling the new initiative Mental Health Matters in Bartholomew County and you can find more information at https://www.mhmbc.org.

Emergency officials say that we are under an enhanced risk of severe weather today with thunderstorms and strong winds possible.

Our area and most of Indiana is now under an enhanced risk of severe weather. The storms are expected to hit in multiple waves with the greatest chance of severe weather from late morning to early afternoon. Storms are expected to move across the Ohio River and out of our area by this evening.

The main threats are damaging winds, large hail, and possible tornadoes. A wind advisory is in effect from 8 to 8 today with 60 mph wind gusts possible.

Bartholomew County Emergency Management recommends that you ensure you have multiple ways to receive weather alerts. Tornado sirens are meant to be heard outdoors and you shouldn’t rely on them to alert you if you are inside. You should check to make sure you have fresh batteries in flashlights and your weather radio. And make sure to fully charge your cell phone.

A reminder that local leaders will be holding a kickoff event tonight for a new three-year initiative to address mental health in Bartholomew County and Columbus.

The keynote speaker at the event will be Dr. Marc Brackett, PhD, founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and professor in the Child Study Center at Yale University.

Also taking part in the kickoff event will local government, non-profit, healthcare and school officials.

The free event will be at 6 p.m., tonight at The Commons in downtown Columbus and you are invited to attend.

Jennings County deputies say that they stopped a woman’s suicide attempt last night.

The incident happened Monday evening in Butlerville after a woman was reported to have taken a large amount of medication in a suicide attempt and was trying to take more.

Sgt. Thomas Mellencamp arrived and saw the woman putting a large amount of prescription medicine in her mouth. After a struggle, Mellencamp and Deputy Michael Watts detained the victim and forced the medication out of her mouth. She was taken to the hospital and is receiving mental health treatment.

The sheriff’s department urges you to reach out to someone if you are having thoughts of self harm. And the department is committed to helping those in need anyway that it can.

Lightning sparked a fire in a Columbus storage shed yesterday morning.

According to the Columbus Fire Department, firefighters were called to the 3200 block of Sycamore Drive at about 9:07 yesterday morning about a fire in a storage building. They found light smoke coming from a shed in the rear yard of a home. Firefighters sprayed water into the shed and found no flames inside when they entered. They cooled burned materials inside and ventilated the building to let the smoke out.

The shed was about 50 feet from a home and the fire did not extend to any other structures. The fire was reported just after a severe thunderstorm rolled through the area. Signs at the fire indicated that lightning had hit the rear of the building and the cause of the fire was determined to be natural.

No injuries were reported and no damage estimate is available.

Photo courtesy of Columbus Fire Department.

Police say a suspected drunk driver ran into the back of a Columbus fire truck Monday night.

According to the Colubmsu Police Dpeartment reports, a passenger car ran into the back of a Columbus Fire Department truck near Central Avenue and 25th Street at about 11:10 p.m.

Police say that the driver, 23-year-old Cameron S. Barrix of Columbus had the odor of alcohol on his breath and his eyes appeared bloodshot and glassy. He failed several field sobriety tests and was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital to have his blood drawn.

He was then arrested on a preliminary charge of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.

Advocates for Children raised more than $66,000 at its weekend fundraiser, Sing!

Formerly known as Crooners for Casa, the sold-out event at The Commons Saturday drew more than 300 people. It featured five groups of karaoke singers and a performance by the Night Owl Country Band.

Advocates for Children, through its CASA program, provides advocates for abused and neglected children in the court system. Last year, the organization served 616 area children, of which 76 percent were under the age of 12.

The karaoke group from Century 21 Breedon Realtors of Denton Haight, Matthew Rust, and Carla Janikowski won the karaoke competition. Calling themselves Peter, Paul and Carla, the group performed “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” by Peter, Paul, and Mary.

You can get more information at https://www.apowerfulvoice.org.

Photo courtesy of Advocates for Children

Columbus police are announcing the promotion of three officers in their uniform division.

Bryan Voyles and Chad Moore have been promoted to sergeant and Alyson Eichel has been promoted to lieutenant.

Voyles is a 10-year veteran, assigned to second shift. He serves as an emergency driving and defensive tactics instructor, a field training officer supervisor and on the CPD Honor Guard.

Moore is a nine year veteran of the Columbus Police Department, also assigned to second shift. Moore was previously a narcotics officer and served four years in the U.S. Marines as an intelligence officer.

Eichel is a 10 year veteran of the Columbus Police Department assigned to second shift. She is a co-coordinator for the Bartholomew County Crisis Intervention Team and is also a member of the CPD Hostage Negotiations Team.

Authorities say that a drunk driver crashed into a Bartholomew County home Friday morning.

According to reports from the sheriff’s department, witnesses reported a pickup had crashed into a home in the 4300 block of North County Road 200W at about 10:21 a.m.  And they said that the driver appeared to have been drinking.

Deputies say that the truck caused significant damage to the home. No one was home at the time of the crash.

Deputies arrested 22-year-old Noah Rutan of Columbus on a preliminary charge of operating a vehicle intoxicated with endangerment.

Forecasters say our area is now under an enhanced risk of severe weather today and Wednesday.

Current weather reports suggest several waves of storms tonight into Wednesday with the main threats coming from damaging winds, large hail and possible tornados. The greatest chance of severe storms comes Wednesday.

Even outside of the thunderstorms, strong winds will be a danger with gusts of up to 50 mph expected tonight into Wednesday.

Bartholomew County Emergency Management is urging you to prepare now for bad weather.