Two Ohio residents were arrested recently in Shelby County, after an investigation into the sale of drugs in Bartholomew County.

According to the Columbus Police Department, the Bartholomew County Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team received information that 30-year-old Denzel Parish of Dayton, Ohio had been traveling to Indiana to deliver drugs including to Columbus. Investigators say that Parish has a criminal history involving firearms, violence, and drugs.

In early September, police developed information that Parish would be returning to Shelby County to distribute drugs. Bartholomew County authorities coordinated with Shelby County Drug Task Force, Shelby County Sheriff’s , Shelbyville Police and the Edinburgh Police departments to find and take Parish into custody.

Shelby County authorities discovered baggies of suspected fentanyl, cocaine and Xanax that were packaged for sale.

Police also arrested 30-year-old Justice J. Dungey,  from Dayton, Ohio who was allegedly assisting Parish.

Both are facing felony charges of dealing narcotics and cocaine.

The Bartholomew County Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team is a combined unit of the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, the Columbus Police Department and the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office targeting the manufacturing and abuse of dangerous drugs in the community.

Photos courtesy of Columbus Police Department.

A wanted Columbus man was arrested over the weekend after trying to run from police.

According to the Columbus Police Department, the Bartholomew County Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team and Columbus intelligence led policing unit have been investigating 45-year-old Todd Bergeron of Columbus for about a year and a half. Last week, police noticed Bergeron make several traffic violations while riding a bike in the 1400 block of Lafayette Avenue. Police attempted to stop him but he fled from officers and eventually got away. But he also discarded a a backpack containing fentanyl, drug paraphernalia and his ID card.

A warrant was issued for his arrest and police found him in the 3100 block of North National Road at about 12:40 a.m. Saturday morning. After he ran, he was caught in the 2700 block of Central Avenue. Police say that he was carrying fentanyl, methamphetamine and prescription pills.

He was arrested on new charges of resisting law enforcement, possession of a narcotic drug and possession of methamphetamine, as well as the warrant for resisting law enforcement, and for possessing the drugs found in the discarded backpack.

Two employees of Toyota Material Handling are being recognized with the 2023 Women in Supply Chain Awards.

According to the company, Lea Ann King and Kim Douglass received the award from Supply & Demand Chain Executive magazine. It recognizes women whose accomplishments, mentorship and actions set a positive example for women in the supply chain network.

King, Toyota’s vice president of legal and general counsel, founded the Toyota Women’s Impact Network and serves on the board of the Industrial Truck Association.

Douglass, an Assembly Team Leader at Toyota, was the first woman to medal in the Toyota Material Handling Group’s Global Skill Competition, earning the gold in the 2022 competition. She also serves as an ambassador for the Toyota Women’s Impact Network.

Bartholomew County government will have a representative on the board of directors of Centerstone, the mental health care provider, to advocate for more services and value for the community.

County officials including members of the County Commissioners and County Council have expressed frustrations in the past over the money the state requires the county pays to Centerstone, and the services that are being offered in exchange. Commissioners said the county pays about $800,000 a year to the agency.

Commissioners appointed Commissioners President Tony London to serve the three-year term on the board yesterday. He said that not every county gets to place a representative on the board, which meets every other month. The board position is the result of new legislation that allows counties to get a seat on the board, he said.

Commissioner Larry Kleinhenz stressed that the goal of the county is not to investigate the provider, but rather to advocate to get the most services possible for those suffering with mental illness in the community.

London said that his nomination still must be approved by the Centerstone board at its October meeting.

Doug Leonard, former Columbus Regional Hospital executive, also currently serves on the Centerstone board.

Legal Aid is hosting a free walk-in legal clinic for Jennings County residents tomorrow.

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. The walk-in clinic will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Jennings County Public Library

From 3 to 4 p.m. the session will focus on general legal counsel. From 4 to 5 p.m. the clinic will focus on evictions.

The Friends of the Muscatatuck River Society are planning a river cleanup on Saturday, Oct. 7th.

The 20th annual Fall River “Shady” Sweep is held in memory of the society’s founder, Dan Shade.

Registration starts at 8 a.m. in the morning at the Vernon Commons off of Jackson Street near the water access point.

Volunteers will be walking along the banks of the Muscatatuck collecting trash, or you can paddle the river, but you must provide your own watercraft.

Children must be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult. You are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather and for outdoor work.

The cleanup will finish at noon at the Jennings County Highway Garage on State Road 3 near the fairgrounds, where you can dispose of your collected trash. A free lunch will be provided at the New Bethel Methodist food stand on the fairgrounds, courtesy of local business donations.

If you have any questions you can get more information from Troy Jackson at 812-592-0481.

Bartholomew County’s largest outdoor event is taking place this weekend in the northeastern corner of the county.

The 55th annual Hope Heritage Days festival is happening in and around the community’s Town Square Friday through Sunday.

The entertainment lineup will include Hotwired and Wild Bill and the Bruisers on Friday night, and Jennifer Mlott along with a Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley tribute show Saturday night. Cotton Patch will perform at noon on Sunday at the bandstand.

There are vendor booths around the Town Square throughout the weekend and the community’s not-for-profit groups will be selling food on the square in what is many group’s largest annual fundraiser. There is also a pioneer village and old-time games, a classic car show Saturday afternoon and a pie baking contest. Fireworks will be 9:30 p.m. Saturday night, weather permitting.

Sunday’s activities will include the annual parade starting at 2:30 p.m. The grand marshal will be June Gilliland.

You can get more information at the Hope Heritage Days Facebook page

Organizers of the annual free Labor Day weekend concert at Mill Race Park say that this year’s efforts brought in more money than hoped.

According to Our Hospice of South Central Indiana, the concert generated $123,000 for the non-profit group. The goal for the event, the largest annual fundraiser for the organization, was to raise $120,000. Although the concert is free, the hospice raises money through raffle ticket sales, sales of cookies and T-shirts, and through sponsorships.

There were just over 4,800 raffle tickets sold for the event at $10 each, as well as $3,435 sold in the drive-through cookie, raffle and T-shirt sale events.

This year’s sponsors included FORVIA Faurecia, Columbus Regional Health, Dunlap General & Mechanical Contractors and My TruAdvantage, SIHO.

Julie Davis, event and volunteer services manager for Our Hospice, said the funds go directly to the care of patients and families.

The first in a series of community conversations with the recipients of this year’s J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller Prizes will be happening tomorrow afternoon, according to organizers of Exhibit Columbus.

Richard McCoy with Landmark Columbus Foundation, explains.

The first conversation will feature Tatiana Bilbao, the head of the studio that created the blue “Designed by the Public” installation on the plaza of the Cleo Rogers Memorial Library. She will be meeting with the public with a reception on the plaza starting at 5 p.m. Tuesday, followed by the community conversation from 5:30 to 7 p.m. across the street at First Christian Church. The talk will also include Bartholomew County Public Library Director Jason Hatton and Jennifer Dunlop Fletcher, curator of Architecture and Design at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art .

Exhibit Columbus features 13 installations around the downtown area which are on display through November 26th

Registration for Tuesday’s conversation is free and you are invited to attend. You can register and find a schedule of all the conversations here: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/202223-exhibit-columbus-events-1251969

A Seymour man has been arrested, accused of possessing child pornography.

According to Indiana State Police, an investigation began in July when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children forwarded a cybertip on to troopers. Detectives determined that a person at a home on Peak Avenue in Seymour possessed child pornography.

A search of the home on Wednesday led to the discovery of several fake government identification cards. The suspect, identified as 21-year-old Samuel Diego-Nicolas was not at the home, but was soon located at a second Seymour home. Police discovered evidence of child pornography when he was detained.

He is facing charges for possessing the child pornography and for possessing the false government identification.