Bartholomew County is extending its burn ban for another week.

The Bartholomew County Commissioners made the decision this morning to continue banning outdoor burning through at least next Monday.

Citing the consensus of area fire chiefs and emergency officials, the commissioners kept the ban in place. it was first issued next week.

Commissioners President Tony London said that the recent rain has not been enough to alleviate the overall dry and dangerous conditions. Commissioner Larry Kleinhenz warned of the dangers of winds spreading any outdoor fires leading them to burn out of control.

The ban prohibits campfires and other recreational fires, open burning of any kind with the exception of grills fueled by charcoal briquettes or propane, the burning of debris, such as timber or vegetation and the use of burn barrels for any open burning at residential structures.

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

If you take part you will have up to a 10-minute consultation with a volunteer attorney to answer general questions, to offer legal information or to receive other advice.

The walk in legal clinic for Jennings County community members in need will be Tuesday, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Jennings County Public Library.

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

Jackson County legislators say that most of their work is bipartisan with little disagreement across the aisle. But the remaining sliver of angry rhetoric is what draws headlines and attention.

Legislators spoke on Friday at the legislative breakfast organized by the Jackson County Chamber and Brownstown Ewing MainStreet.

Among those in attendance were Congresswoman Erin Houchin, State Senator Eric Koch, and State Representatives Jim Lucas, Dave Hall and Chris May, all Republicans.

Houchin said that constituents may think that the daily business in Congress is divisive. But of the 134 bills passed this year, 118 were completely bipartisan.

Houchin said that much of the anger is generated by a small percentage of the legislators on either end of the political spectrum.

Hall said that he has to get support from Democratic voters because his district also includes part of Bloomington and Monroe County. But after being in campaign mode, he found that the people in those communities are focused on solving the same problems as more conservative areas such as drug addiction and the affordability of housing.

Hall said that he has found most bills are nearly unanimous or at least bipartisan.

A fire at a homeless camp near downtown Columbus generated a large amount of smoke Sunday but no one was injured.

According to the Columbus Fire Department, firefighters were called to the area behind the Strive Center in the 1000 block of 2nd Street Sunday afternoon on reports of the smoke. They discovered some tents on fire in a homeless camp in the woods along Haw Creek.

The fire was extinguished and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

A Seymour man was arrested after he was caught shoplifting again from a Columbus store.

Columbus police say that they were called to Menards on Merchants Mile at about 6 p.m. in the evening Thursday after a report of a suspect shoplifting.

The suspect, identified as 34-year-old Daniel R. Mason of Seymour had also been a suspect in a Wednesday shoplifting incident. When officers approached Mason, they say he took off running and would not follow commands to stop. Police say that he dropped stolen items near a parked vehicle and then ran to a nearby business lot where he was taken into custody.

A search of his clothes recovered small amounts of meth and marijuana. Officers say that the also discovered that he was wanted on a warrant out to Jackson County.

Mason was first taken to Columbus Regional Hospital to be checked out, then arrested on preliminary charges including resisting law enforcement, theft with a prior conviction, for possessing the meth and marijuana and on the outstanding warrant.

The Decatur County Sheriff’s Department says that deputies will be out in force over the next week, trying to keep the roads safe during the Thanksgiving holiday.

The deputies are joining with other police agencies in the area and across the state in announcing that they are taking part in the “Plan a Sober Ride” initiative, organized by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration through the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.

During the initiative, officers will be on the roads on high alert for impaired drivers. You are encouraged to plan ahead by designating a sober driver or by using public transportation or a ride service.

Deputies are warning about the increase in the overconsumption of alcohol on the day before the Thanksgiving holiday, calling the day “Blackout Wednesday.” In 2021, 36 drivers involved in fatal crashes on that day were impaired but still on the road.

Sheriff Bill Meyerrose said that he understands people want to have a good time, but authorities want to ensure everyone makes it to their Thanksgiving table.

Federal data shows there are more motor vehicle traffic crash fatalities during holiday periods and say that is due to increased travel time, more alcohol usage, and excessive driving speed.

Earlier this week, the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department announced that it was also taking part in the campaign.

Police say that a wrong-way crash on U.S. 31 yesterday morning led to the driver’s arrest on drug charges.

According to the Columbus Police Department, witnesses reported a driver heading the wrong way in the southbound lanes of the highway near 25th Street and National Road at about 7:55 a.m. Thursday morning. Moments later, the driver crashed into trees near the intersection with Beam Road. Officers arrived and met the driver, 29-year-old Tomas Soria of Columbus, who had to climb out of the passenger door of his truck due to damage from the crash.

Soria had bloodshot eyes and left a strong scent of marijuana. Police say that Soria admitted to the officers that he had smoked marijuana about a half hour earlier. A search of his vehicle recovered marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

After field sobriety tests, Soria was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital to have his blood drawn. He was then arrested on charges of operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs and for possessing the marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Edinburgh police say that shoplifting arrests are up at the Edinburgh Premium Outlets mall.

Chief Doyne Little Jr. says that over just the past two months, Edinburgh officers have worked with mall employees and loss prevention officers to recover more than $8,230 in stolen merchandise in just four cases.

Little says that in four cases were the stores called in thefts in progress, police have arrested five people. Another five suspects are believed to have fled the state and those cases have been forwarded to the prosecutor’s office for review.

Little said that there is great teamwork between the Edinburgh officers, local stores and the stores’ loss prevention officers.

Area law enforcement officers took part in training last week on crisis intervention techniques.

According to the Columbus Police Department, 15 officers took part in the training including those from the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, Columbus Regional Health police and the city department.

The 40-hour course focused on steps that officers can take to limit use of force incidents through de-escalation techniques as well as to reduce the number of people entering the criminal justice system who are experiencing mental health problems.

Since Columbus police started the crisis intervention team in 2021, 35 officers in the department have taken part, including nine last week.

Photo: November 2023 CPD Crisis Intervention Team training class. Photo courtesy of Columbus Police Department.

A plan to improve East Fork White River through downtown Columbus comes with a just over $14 million price tag, with more than $2.4 million already raised through grants and donations.

On Monday, the Columbus Redevelopment Commission will be asked to approve funding of the remaining $11.6 million for the project. City officials were updated on the proposal costs and benefits this week.

The project would involve removing the low-head dam between the Second and Third street bridges, shoring up the riverbanks and other improvements. The city would also make the final connection of the People Trail making a complete loop around the city.

The dam itself is failing and water is scouring away at an old city dump site in the area. The plans call for $3.2 million for the general project and contingencies, $4.2 million for the east bank, $435 thousand for the west bank and $3.9 million for in-river improvements. Another $1.9 million would go to mitigation efforts and monitoring and a possible $245 thousand for other improvements.

A special joint meeting of the Columbus City Council and the city’s redevelopment commission met on Tuesday for an update on the status of the downtown riverfront development project, as well as analysis of its costs and benefits.

The costs and benefits analysis by James Lima Planning concluded that the improvements could provide up to $2 million in economic output for local businesses. That would generate between 9 and 32 jobs and bring in between $47 and $164 thousand in local and state tax revenue.

The redevelopment commission meets at 4 p.m. Monday afternoon in Columbus City Hall.

Photo: East Fork White River dam photo courtesy of columbus.in.gov