Two more Columbus police officers are now certified to teach the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program in local schools.

According to the Columbus Police Department, Zach Romero and Ethan Boutwell have completed the two week training program held in Fishers this summer. Both are two-year veterans of Columbus Police Department assigned to the police department’s patrol division.

The officers will teach a one hour class each week focusing on educating sixth grade students about the dangers of drugs and the importance of making good decisions, police say.

Romero and Boutwell will join seven other Columbus officers that currently teach DARE in local schools. The 32nd year of DARE classes in Columbus schools are set to start next week.

West Nile virus has been found in Bartholomew County mosquitos.

According to the Bartholomew County Health Department, a pool of mosquitoes collected south of Columbus on Aug. 4th showed signs of the virus in an analysis by the Indiana Department of Health Laboratory. The Health Department says that West Nile’s appearance is expected late in summer and early fall before cold weather stops the mosquitoes growth cycle.

Mosquitoes transmit disease by biting humans and animals and infecting them. The mosquitoes lay eggs in standing water and if it doesn’t dry in a week, mosquito larvae begin to breed. To stop mosquito growth you should make sure your property is free of standing water. That includes old tires, abandoned pools, clogged gutters, flower pot bases, open water barrels and sewage.

You can contact the Health Department to investigate standing water in your neighborhood and for possible treatment.

The Health Department continues with fogging treatments around populated areas and where large public events are being held.

To protect yourself when you are outside use an insect repellant containing D.E.E.T. or other active ingredient, and wear long sleeves and pants when out in the evening.

If you have any questions you can contact the Environmental Health Division of the Bartholomew County Health Department at 812-379-1550.

Graphic courtesy of U.S. Centers for Disease Control

Stepped up security measures will be in place this weekend, when former Vice President and Columbus native Mike Pence visits Jackson, Mississippi for the Mississippi Book Festival.

Pence is scheduled to be the featured speaker at a special session at the State Capitol to discuss his new book “So Help Me, God.” Organizers of the event say Pence will join former Mississippi Congressman Gregg Harper for a round table discussion about the book. They also say Pence, who is running for president, is not planning to conduct any campaign events during his visit.

Capitol Police Chief Bo Luckey says there will be a higher than usual police presence during Pence’s visit.

Story courtesy of TTWN Media Networks

Bartholomew County recycling organizers are pulling back on a plan to require that you sort your recyclables at at a weekend convenience station.

According to the Bartholomew County Solid Waste Management District, the rules will be reverting back to the previous system at the Petersville convenience site, where cardboard is separated but plastics/metals/glass/paper will be commingled.

You should make sure all items are clean, loose and dry.

The county’s convenience stations are open in Petersville, on rural 25th Street and in Harrison Township from 8 to 3 on Saturdays.

You can get more information on thew web at bcswmd.com

Police are warning about a scam in the area with phone callers trying to get your personal information by pretending to be with the federal or state government or a local police agency.

According to the Nashville Police Department, people are getting called by someone who identifies themselves as being with the department of homeland security. The caller claims to be calling on behalf of the Nashville Police chief and threatening the victim with fines or jail time. The scammers are spoofing the identity of the Nashville department on caller ID and even giving a legitimate police department number where you can supposedly call them back.

However, the Nashville police say that they will never call and ask for personal information over the phone. They say that if you don’t know for sure that the person on the other end of the line is an officer is OK to say no and to not provide your personal information.

If you have any questions you can call the Nashville Police Department at 812-988-5533 or your own community police agency.

Some customers of Eastern Bartholomew Water Corp. in Hartsville are under a boil water advisory. That comes after a Eastern Bartholomew water main was damaged in the area causing a water outage.

Affected customers on West North and North West streets are under a boil water advisory until noon on Thursday.

Under a boil water advisory, you should bring water to a full boil for three to five minutes before drinking it or using it in food preparation.

If you have any questions you can call the water company at 812-526-9777.

The first hydrogen-powered passenger train in North America is being powered by a Cummins system.

Accelera, the zero-emissions business segment of Cummins, is announcing that the train, called the Coradia iLint, is being tested this summer by Alston in Quebec, Canada.

The project is using Accelera fuel cells in conjunction with green hydrogen produced by an Accelera electrolyzer. Mounted to the roof of the train, the fuel cells convert hydrogen into electricity, which powers the train. The green hydrogen is produced by an Accelera electrolyzer, operated in Quebec by project partner Harnois Énergies.

The train is operating with passengers on board this summer on the railway of Train de Charlevoix, a line crossing the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of the Charlevoix region.

Alison Trueblood, General Manager of Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Technologies at Accelera said the technology is “driving innovation – providing zero-emission solutions for the urban mobility challenges” facing cities today.

Jennings County authorities are looking for new leads in an old case. They hope to solve a hit-and-run accident that killed a North Vernon man on State Road 3 in September of 2021.

According to the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, the body of Joseph T. Gill was found alongside State Road 3 near the Decatur County line on Sept. 30th, 2021. Investigators concluded that Gill had been walking south on the road in the dark early that morning when he was struck and killed by a vehicle heading the same direction.

Investigators canvased the scene, conducted interviews, analyzed nearby surveillance camera footage and scrutinized electronics data from the area. However, no vehicle or driver has been identified.

The Jennings County Sheriff’s Office is asking for anyone with information come forward and assist in bringing closure to this tragic incident. Specifically, they are looking for anyone who saw anything unusual that morning or who may have information about the vehicle or its driver.

They say that any piece of information, no matter how small, could be crucial in solving this case and bringing justice to Gill and his grieving family. If you have any information you can call the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office at 812-346-8642.

The deadline is coming up Wednesday if you are interested in a job readiness training workshop being organized by Lincoln Central Neighborhood Family Center in Columbus.

The next session of Bartholomew County Works will start next Monday and run through Friday, August 25th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day at Yes Cinema in downtown Columbus. An orientation session will be held on Thursday from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

If you want more information on the Job Readiness Training Workshop or to sign up, you can call 812-378-2638 or email [email protected]. The deadline is 4 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.

Kidscommons, the downtown Columbus children’s museum has a new leader.

According to the museum, interim director Whitney Hartwell has been named as the full-time executive director. She has been serving in the role since January when previous director Ben Wagner stepped down after nine years.

Hartwell previously served as associate director of the museum and has been with the facility since joining the staff in 2017.

Under Hartwell’s guidance, the museum has joined the national program, Museums for All. Families receiving food assistance can get free or reduced price admission to more than 1,000 museums across the country. At kidscommons, those who qualify receive admission for $3 per person for up to four people. kidscommons is also offering a 50 discount on special events for those families.

The museum is developing a new first-floor exhibit that explores agriculture and the food economy. Families will learn about growing fruits and vegetables and then see how they are sold at a farmer’s market.

Hartwell said the new exhibit will incorporate pretend play, which kids love and is great for their brain development. She said the exhibit will be important because of the role that agriculture plays in the culture and economy of southern Indiana. The museum is working with local architect Louis Joyner on the design.

You can get more information at kidscommons.org.