A fire destroyed a home on California Street in downtown Columbus Monday morning.

According to the Columbus Fire Department, firefighters from the city and Columbus Township Fire and Rescue Department were called to the 900 block of California Street at about 10 Monday morning. They found heavy fire inside the single story rental home. Inside firefighters encountered extreme heat to the point that their water was having little effect on putting the fire out. As it became apparent that the fire had spread into more rooms and into the home’s attic, firefighters were ordered to retreat from inside and work on the fire from the exterior.

After a portion of the roof collapsed, firefighters were able to direct water inside from above the home and get the fire under control.

A neighboring home suffered minor damage to its siding caused by the extreme radiant heat.

No one was at home at the time of the fire. Two dogs were in the back yard and were uninjured. They were taken in by Columbus Animal Care Services.

The home is considered a total loss with damages estimated at $50,000.

Firefighters worked at the scene for more than four hours. Seven fire units responded to the scene with 22 firefighters.

Under a new automatic mutual aid agreement that went into effect Aug. 1st, the city and township now both respond to structure fires in the community. This was the first time the new agreement has been used and fire department officials say the additional manpower and equipment on the scene helped get the job done as efficiently and safely as possible.

Also assisting at the scene were Columbus Police Department, Columbus Regional Health Ambulance Service, Duke Energy, CenterPoint Energy, Columbus City Utilities and the Bartholomew County Emergency Operations Dispatch Center.

Photo courtesy of Columbus Fire Department

This year’s winners of the Jack Cramer Ideals of Athletic Competition Award are Nathan Frasier and the late Karen McCaa.

The Columbus Parks and Recreation Department announced the award winners yesterday. The awards are in memory of Jack Cramer, a former local athlete who died ih 1978 at the age of 33. They are presented annually to a man and women for their role as athletes, coaches or sports organizers in the community.

They will be recognized at a ceremony on September 7th in the Cal Brand Meeting Room at Columbus City Hall starting at 5 p.m. You are invited attend.

Indiana State Police have activated an Amber Alert as authorities search for three children taken from Indianapolis.

The victims are Dylan and Daiton Dempsey and Dalilah Sanders. They were last seen at 10 this morning in Indianapolis and are believed to be in extreme danger.

Police are looking for the suspect, 39-year-old Kevin Lemar Dempsey. He is 6 feet 1 inch tall, 165 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He is believed to be driving a red 2014 Ford Mustang Convertible with Indiana license plates KEVIN 5.

Dylan Dempsey is an 8-year-old black male, 4 feet 2 inches tall, 55 pounds, black hair with brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a white Champion T-shirt with gray basketball shorts.

Daiton Dempsey, is a 4 year old Black male, 3 feet 11 inches tall, 42 pounds, black hair with brown eyes, and last seen wearing a graphic T-shirt,

Dalilah Sanders, a 3 year old Black female, 2 feet 10 inches tall, 30 pounds, black hair with brown eyes, and last seen wearing a long-sleeve black shirt.

If you have any information on this incident, contact the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department at 317-327-6541 or 911.

Suspicious activity at a Columbus home led to the arrest of three wanted people over the weekend.

According to the Columbus Police Department, officers noticed a vehicle pull up behind a home in the 1700 block of Union Street. Police say that three peopel got out and one ran into the home. Police recognized him as 27-year-old Tyrael C. Washington and found that he was wanted on several outstanding Shelby County warrants.

He was arrested shortly after that without incident.

Police also found two other wanted people at the home and arrested them on outstanding warrants also. 42-year-old Duane R. Edwards was wanted on an Orange County warrant and 23-year-old Christina C. Wilson was wanted out of Bartholomew County.

Bartholomew County Roads 400S and 850W are closing today for tree removal.

According to the county highway department, the road will be completely closed to all traffic between the county line and Bellsville Road from 8 to 4 today and Tuesday. :

You should avoid the area if you can.

Former Vice President Mike Pence says he’s ready to take on his former boss in the first Republican presidential debate.

While in Iowa campaigning, the Columbus native told The Hill newspaper that he’s “been preparing for this debate my whole life,” saying he’s spent his life in the conservative movement. It’s still unclear if Pence will actually be sharing the stage with former President Trump, who has yet to say whether he’ll participate in the debate in Milwaukee on August 23rd.

Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press, Pence says his former boss got bad advice from “a group of crackpot lawyers” about the vice president’s role in counting electoral votes. Pence suggested the lawyers were simply telling the former president what he wanted to hear. Pence also blamed Chief of Staff Mark Meadows for allowing those lawyers in the Oval Office, adding they shouldn’t have even been allowed on the White House grounds.

Story courtesy of TTWN Media Networks

A Butlerville man has died after a weekend motorcycle accident in Jennings County.

According to the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, deputies were called to the single-vehicle motorcycle accident on County Road 775E in Columbuia Township at about 3:50 p.m. Saturday afternoon. They found 57-year-old Joseph Simmons unresponsive at the scene and he was pronounced dead by the county coroner’s office.

Investigators say that he was driving northbound and left the side of the road, causing the cycle to roll several times and throwing Simmons off.

Deputies were also assisted at the scene by the Westport Volunteer Fire Department and Jennings County medics.

The accident remains under investigation.

A Columbus man is under arrest, accused of planning to meet a 13-year-old girl for sex.

According to the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, deputies received information that 48-year-old Matthew Covert was making plans on Saturday to meet who he believed to be an underage girl at a North Vernon business. Deputies say that he made his presence in the store known to the would-be victim and attempted to alter his appearance. However, police recognized him from a recent photograph he provides.

Deputies say that he tried to run away, but surrendered to police when they announced themselves.

He is facing a preliminary felony charge of child solicitation.

Columbus Regional Health is making plans to move its main hospital to the west side of the city. But hospital officials say the plans are in the beginning stages and the move will come years down the road.

Last week, the Columbus Plan Commission recommended adoption of a new part of the city’s master plan, incorporating an outline for 690 acres the hospital owns on the west side of the city. To be called the City View District, the property is between Interstate 65 and State Road 11 and south of Jonathan Moore Pike and has previously been known as Garden City Farms.

A prominent portion of the property, overlooking the Robert N. Stewart Bridge and East Fork White River, is penciled in for a new hospital, according to planners. Kelsey DeClue, spokesman for CRH, explains:

Hospital officials say that the current 17th Street location is landlocked and in danger of flooding again, as it did during the 2008 disaster. And the aging building was not designed for modern technology and infrastructure.

The proposed district plan also includes residential neighborhoods, commercial centers, a research & development campus, open spaces, green corridors, and room for other amenities.

After being approved by the Columbus Plan Commission last week, the plan will go to Columbus City Council for final adoption.

Photo courtesy of Columbus/Bartholomew County Planning Department.

The City of Columbus is announcing that city offices will be closed part of the day on Friday, Aug. 18th.

City employees will be having a luncheon from 10:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

Members of City Council have also been invited to attend and while a quorum of the members may be present, no official business will be conducted.