The ramps to and from Interstate 65 that cross under the arch bridge at Columbus will be closed for the next several days.

According to the Bartholomew County Emergency Management Department, the ramps will be closed between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. today, Tuesday and Wednesday. With the ramps under the bridge closed, you can only get onto northbound Interstate 65 from westbound State Road 46 and you can only get onto southbound Interstate 65 from eastbound State Road 46. The only open off ramps from the Interstate will be to eastbound State Road 46 from from northbound I-65 and to westbound 46 from southbound I-65.

Authorities say that you should avoid the area if you can and expect traffic to be backed up.

According to INDOT, crews are working to provide additional support to the bridge. Work on the bridge improvements are expected to be completed by the end of July. That will include removing the temporary structures under the bridge and returning the traffic flow to its original configuration.

Photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Emergency Management.

A reminder that Columbus police, firefighters and other emergency workers will be holding a Family Fun day tomorrow.

The City of Columbus Public Safety Family Fun Day will be from 5 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday in the Columbus Lowes parking lot. That is at 3500 10th Street.

The event is in collaboration with “National Night Out.”

You will be able to ask questions, interact with the personnel, and see equipment such as police cars and fire trucks up close.

Lanes and ramps on Interstate 65 in Jackson County will be closing this week as crews patch the bridge at U.S. 50 in Seymour.

According to INDOT, the northbound lanes will be restricted starting today with daytime lane closures from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Wednesday. The eastbound ramp from U.S. 50 to Interstate 65 and the northbound ramp from I-65 to U.S. 50 will also be closed during the work.

The work schedule is dependent on the weather.

INDOT asks that you slow down, drive without distractions and be alert to worker safety in all work zones.

Two major Bartholomew County roads will be closing this week for roadwork.

According to the County Highway Department, rural 25th Street will be closing Tuesday from near the Columbus city limits near Booher Addition east to the junction with State Road 9 and State Road 46. If possible, the road will have one lane open, and you can expect very long delays with flagmen on scene. That work will be going on through at least Wednesday.

Also on Tuesday, contractors will be paving the full width of County Road 800S from County Road 250W to the dead end.

You should avoid these areas if you can. The work schedule is dependent on the weather.

YES Cinema will be holding a special screening of a film this week featuring an actress from Columbus.

The film “The Mistress” features Columbus native Chasten Harmon. Harmon is the daughter of Tom and Mary Harmon and graduated from Columbus East High School. She went on to earn a bachelors degree from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and a masters from the Yale School of Drama. Harmon performed on stage before her 2016 film debut. She had her first regular TV series role on the USA Network drama “Damnation” and was featured in the ABC series “The Fix.”

“The Mistress” is a supernatural thriller and will be screened at YES Cinema in downtown Columbus on Saturday, July 29th at 10:01 a.m. in the morning. Admission will be $5 per person. You can purchase tickets or get more information at https://www.yescinema.org  or by calling 812-378-0377.

The Jennings County SWAT team arrested two suspects after a raid on a home in Vernon Township last week.

According to the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, deputies went to the home to serve felony arrest warrants at about 6:30 a.m. Friday morning. When police went inside they saw signs of illegal drug use in plain view. After a search warrant was issued they found methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and several firearms.

33-year-old Charles L. Perry was arrested on preliminary charges for possessing the drugs and for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon as well as for a warrant out of Jefferson County for non support of a dependent.

61-year-old Richard C. Smith was arrested for possessing methamphetamine and on a warrant for failing to appear in court.

Deputies say more charges against Perry have been requested.

Photo courtesy of Jennings County Sheriff’s Department

Former Vice President and Columbus native Mike Pence says the Department of Justice has lost the confidence of the American people.

Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union, the 2024 Republican White House hopeful added that he thinks another indictment against his former boss would “only contribute to that sense.”

Pence said judgment about Trump’s conduct on January 6th “be left to the American people in the upcoming primaries.”

Pence’s remarks come after former President Trump announced last week that he received a letter informing him he’s a subject in the DOJ probe into efforts to stay in power after losing the 2020 election. Pence vowed to clean house at the Justice Department if he’s elected.

Story courtesy of TTWN Media Networks.

Columbus and Bartholomew County businesses already have plans in place so far this year for more than $51.3 million in expansions and to add 65 new jobs, more than all of 2022 combined.

Jason Hester, head of the the Greater Columbus Economic Development Corp. updated the Columbus City Council on the agency’s efforts this week.

Hester said that in the past year the corporation has received 147 inquiries from businesses interested in relocating to the community. Most are looking at existing buildings on more than 20 acres, with just over a third hoping to find sites of more than 100 acres. Those inquiries turned into 20 actual site visits and one company locating to the county — Sentry Biopharma Services.

Hester said that the community is currently actively recruiting companies in the fields of engineering and R&D services, next gen mobility, pharmaceutical manufacturing and food and beverage manufacturing.

Looking back at the past 10 years of efforts by the agency, Hester said the community has seen $915 million in capital investments and more than 15 hundred jobs created with an average wage of $23.13 an hour.

The city is the largest funder of the not for profit corporation, providing $107,000 of the nearly half million dollar budget. Hester pointed out that the city funding for the corporation is not a grant, but rather a fee for services rendered in recruiting new businesses to the community.

Seymour police are looking for your help finding a stolen vehicle.

According to the police department, a pickup truck was stolen at about 3 a.m. in the morning on Wednesday from the 800 block of Raymond Drive. The truck is a red 2010 Ford F-150, with license plate number TK315NRG. Police say that it is missing the rear passenger side fender flare.

Police have released a video and photo of the truck.

If you have any information about the missing vehicle you can Seymour Police Department Dispatchers at at 812-522-1234 and refer to case #23-S07628.

Hoosiers who have been approved for disaster assistance from the late-March tornadoes through the U.S. Small Business Administration still have time to increase their loan amounts to help minimize future damages.

According to the agency, Indiana residents and businesses approved for disaster loans due to severe storms, straight-line winds and tornadoes on March 31 and April 1st, have two years from the date of their loan approval to request an increase to prevent or minimize damages from similar disasters in the future. Mitigation funds from the SBA are a way for survivors to rebuild stronger and to pay for improvements that protect life and property.

Businesses and homeowners may be eligible for a loan increase up to 20 percent of their physical damages, as verified by the agency, to cover the cost of mitigation improvements.

Examples of mitigation improvements may include hurricane-rated garage doors, hurricane shutters, or pressure-rated windows. Also, mitigation can be used to install a safe room or storm shelter built to Federal Emergency Management Agency guidelines.

For more information you can call 800-659-2955 or visit sba.gov/mitigation.