Jennings County authorities are urging truck drivers to make sure that their loads are properly secured and their vehicles kept up on their maintenance.

According to the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, a semi spilled its load of fertilizer on the west-side roundabout recently. The investigation revealed that the structural supports for the truck’s cargo box were severely rusted and that was a primary contributing factor in the spill.

Chief Deputy Jeff Jones said that regular vehicle checks and proper load securing are crucial to safety on the road. He suggested that simple steps like checking your tire pressure, securing your cargo, regular vehicle and trailer inspections and following local road and safety regulations will help top prevent accidents and to keep highway safe.

Photo courtesy of Jennings County Sheriff’s Department.

Area legislators are looking forward to next year’s legislative session.

Organization Day for the 2024 session was held last Tuesday. Columbus State Representative Ryan Lauer explains that day’s activities:

State Senator Greg Walker said that he is looking forward to working on issues affecting Hoosiers, after they were discussed during committee hearings in the interim between the legislative sessions.

Organization Day is the annual first roll call for state lawmakers. The legislature officially reconvenes in January and must conclude by March 14th.

The day also gives legislators a chance to meet informally before the session work begins. Shelbyville Republican Jennifer Meltzer:

Meltzer’s district includes northeastern Bartholomew County.

Walker said that local legislators want to hear from you if you have concerns, questions or comments. You can call your legislators at 800-382-9467.

You only have through this weekend to check out the installations that are part of Exhibit Columbus in the downtown area.

The city has 13 installations, including the four J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller Prize Recipients, seven University Design Research Fellows, the High School Design Team, and Communication Design.

Sites featured in this year’s installations include the Bartholomew County Public Library, The Commons, Mill Race Center, Mill Race Park, Ovation Plaza, Cummins Parking Garage, Cummins Headquarters office building, Hotel Indigo and the Columbus Area Visitors Center.

The Landmark Columbus Foundation oversees the annual Exhibit Columbus events in the city. Exhibit Columbus, launched in 2016, has two-year cycles with a symposium hosted one year, and the installation of exhibits at landmarks around the city the next year. The theme for this year’s installations is Public by Design.

The Exhibit Columbus displays are set to conclude after Sunday.

You can find out more about the installations and events at https://www.exhibitcolumbus.org

Dr. Eric Fish, the president and CEO of Schneck Medical Center has been chosen for the American Hospital Association’s Regional Policy Board.

The American Hospital Association is a not-for-profit organization of health care provider organizations and individuals committed to health improvement in their communities. According to the hospital, the nine policy boards give input on public policy issues unique to their regions. Fish will serve on the Region 5 policy board.

The boards meet three times a year to give guidance to the hospital association’s board of trustees.

Fish has previously served as Medical Director of Schneck Obstetrics & Gynecology, President of the Schneck Medical Staff, Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer, and most recently, executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

Legal Aid is hosting a free walk-in legal clinic for Bartholomew County residents on Tuesday.

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 pm Tuesday at the Bartholomew 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.

Centerstone is looking for your thoughts on the services it provides locally.

According to the city of Columbus, Centerstone is currently working on gathering information to improve services and create a Community Needs Assessment. The needs assessment is part of the requirements for the numerous grants the agency receives funding services and programs for clients.

They have an online survey you can take to provide feedback on community programs. Organizers say the survey results will influence the company’s initiatives and and how the mental health agency serves the community. The survey is estimated to take 10 to 15 minutes and if you participate, you will receive a $5 gift card.

You can find  the survey here: https://redcap.link/communityneedsassessment

The Yellow Trail Museum will be kicking off the holiday season with Christmas of Yesteryear, from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1st on the Hope Town Square.

There will be a bake sale and Christmas crafts at the museum on the northwestern corner of the Town Square starting at 5. Santa will be arriving at the museum at 5:15 p.m.

Re-enactors will portray historical figures at WiLLow LeaVes restaurant from 6 to 7 p.m. And there will be a live nativity at the shelterhouse on the Town Square from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

An Illinois jury has found that a Seymour egg producer, among other companies, worked together to limit the supply of eggs and to raise prices.

Manufacturers including Kraft Foods and The Kellogg Company first filed this lawsuit 12 years ago. One company named in the lawsuit is Rose Acre Farms based in Seymour.

The trial uncovered that egg suppliers were using various tactics, such as exporting eggs and intentionally reducing their chicken flocks, to impact egg accessibility in the United States.

Damages will be decided next week.

Story courtesy of TTWN Media Networks Inc.

A plane crash Wednesday afternoon in Shelby County left two people dead.

According to the Indiana State Police, rescue workers were called to the 6300 block of North County Road 325W for the plane crash at about 4:50 p.m. Wednesday. They found the burning wreckage of the small aircraft in the middle of a corn field in the Fairland area. After knocking down the fire they discovered the remains of one man and later that evening found another body of a man in the wreckage. Authorities say it is not clear yet if that was all of the passengers in the plane.

The Federal Aviation Administration will be handling the circumstances of the crash.

Indiana State Police were assisted at the scene by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, Shelby County medics and the county coroner’s office.

Indiana State Police are offering some driving safety tips as millions travel for the Thanksgiving holiday.

According to the Sellersburg post, increased travel over the 2022 Thanksgiving travel period had a tragic impact on Hoosiers. Between the Wednesday before Thanksgiving to the Sunday after, authorities investigated more than 2,300 crashes. 381 of those were listed as injury crashes, and seven crashes resulted in 10 fatalities.

Troopers are urging you to be safe this holiday weekend. They say you should not text while driving or drive distracted. You should drive sober and unimpaired and obey the posted speed limits. Let faster traffic pass you on the left, and if you are driving slower, keep to the right lane.

You should also give yourself extra travel time and keep a safe distance from the vehicles ahead.

And be careful of bridges and overpasses if it gets cold. Any roadway that is not directly in contact with the ground can freeze quickly. Morning frost can leave icy patches on the road and shaded areas might remain icy, ever after other parts of the road have dried.

Authorities say that if you are driving and encounter a possible impaired or unsafe driver on the road, you should call 911.