North Vernon authorities are taking part in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back day on Saturday.

According to North Vernon police, you can drop off old, expired, unused or unwanted medications from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday at the EMA building behind the North Vernon Fire Department on North Madison Avenue. It is the white building with garages next to Walmart. The event is being organized by The Indiana Board of Pharmacy, Jennings County Health Department and the North Vernon police and fire departments.

Indiana State Police posts are also taking part in the takeback event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

According to the DEA, the Takeback Day is for liquid and pill medications. Vaping pens without batteries and vaping cartridges will also be taken. Needles, new or used, will not be accepted for disposal. This service is free and anonymous with no questions asked.

You can look for more area locations to drop off your medications at https://www.dea.gov/takebackday

Bartholomew County Commissioners are moving ahead with new rules about how processed human waste can be used on local farm fields.

The commissioners gave their first approval on a new ordinance banning outside bio-solids from being shipped in from other communities. But two residents in the business say that the proposed rule is unworkable and possibly violates state and federal statutes.

Last month, county commissioners asked the county attorney to draft the ordinance, over concerns that the outside materials could be dangerous or harmful without the proper processing and quality controls.

Evan and Jim Daily spoke out against the proposed rule, saying that the materials are safe and highly regulated. They also pointed out that because laws require that local materials must be mixed with outside materials before being used on fields, that the ordinance would actually make it harder to dispose of and dispense locally processed waste. Evan Daily has applied for an IDEM permit to process bio solids in Bartholomew County.

Commissioners approved the ordinance on first reading, but said that the ordinance can still be modified before it is approved a second and final time.

Ivy Tech is looking for your donations today on Ivy Tech Day.

The Ivy Tech Foundation is organizing this as a statewide day of giving to help support students pursuing higher education. The school says that Columbus Mayor Mary Ferdon has ordered the Robert N. Stewart Bridge be turned green in recognition of Ivy Tech Day.

Columbus Chancellor Stephen Combs is offering to gift an arcade cabinet to the campus if 200 individual donations are made to the school today.

This is the second year for the initiative which is part of the Foundation’s 5-year, $285 million campaign. Last year’s fund drive generated 2,032 gifts with more than $243,000 raised.

Ivy Tech was founded in 1963. The school now has 19 campuses and more than 190,000 students.

Just after midnight the school began accepting donations toward its goal of breaking down barriers to higher education. You can make a donation online at ivytech.edu/giveday .

An Indiana State Police trooper was recognized recently for risking his own life to save a suicidal woman in Johnson County last year.

According to Indiana State Police, the incident happened in August, when Sgt. Bill Spalding arrived to help a woman who was standing on an Interstate 65 overpass in Greenwood. She told police she was suicidal.

Spalding tried to talk her down for more than 25 minutes but eventually she laid on the ledge and began lowering herself over the edge before releasing her grip. Spalding leapt to rescue her, extending himself over the wall and grabbing her arms while risking his own safety. Despite her struggling, he held on until other officers could assist him to pull her to safety.

He was awarded the Silver Star by the department last week.

A man walking along a road  in Jennings County was killed Friday afternoon after being struck by a vehicle.

According to the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, Ross Miller was killed after an accident while walking on State Road 7 at about 4:44 p.m. Friday afternoon.

Deputies say that Miller was walking southbound along the highway, when he attempted to cross the road and was struck by an SUV driven by Bonnie Bryant of Scipio. Several military medics were on hand to provide aid and Jennings County medics and deputies also provided assistance, until he could be taken to from the accident scene. Police say he later succumbed to the injuries caused in the crash.

Bryant was taken to the hospital by medics to be checked out.

Police say that neither alcohol nor drugs are believed to have been a factor in the crash.

Early voting continues this week ahead of the May 7th primary election, with the addition of voting places on Saturday in Bartholomew County.

You can vote early from 8 to 5 on weekdays at Donner Center. There will be early voting this Saturday and May 4th. You can vote on those Saturdays at Donner Center and at the Bartholomew County Governmental office Building on Third Street from 8 to 3.

Unlike recent elections, there will be no early voting this election at Nexus Park or at the Bartholomew County Courthouse.

Early voting wraps up at noon on May 6th with election day from 6 to 6 on Tuesday, May 7th at 14 voting centers around Bartholomew County.

Bartholomew County Republican voters will be making choices in the race for County Commissioner District 1 and in the at-large seats for the Bartholomew County Council. In the commissioners races, long-time County Commissioner Larry Kleinhenz has a challenge from Rick Miller in the Republican primary.

None of the three current at-large members of the County Council filed for re-election. Four new Republicans did file for the County Council seats: Michael R. Bell, Kim Bennett, John Prohaska and Marcus D. Speer.

The Bartholomew County Soil and Water Conservation District will be holding its 13th annual tree giveaway on Friday at the Bartholomew County Fairgrounds in celebration of Arbor Day.

There will be 1,200 trees to be given away including red pine, persimmon, cherrybark oak, redbud and buttonbush. They will be available on a first come first served basis and there is a limit of five trees per person.

The event will be accepting donations to help Turning Point Domestic Violence Services. The shelter’s top needs are tissues, toothbrush covers and trash bags. There are also constant needs for personal hygiene supplies, journals and pens, twin or full sized blankets and sheets, bath towels, baby monitors, baby wipes and diapers, collapsible laundry baskets and laundry detergent pods.

The event will start at 5 p.m. at the fairgrounds off of County Road 200S and Jonesville Road.

You can get more information by calling 812-378-1280.

You are going to see parts of Marr Road closed this week as contractors work on the Columbus street between 25th Street and Brent Cross.

According to the city engineer’s office, crews will be patching in the area today and tomorrow. The road will be restricted to one lane in those areas and flaggers will be in place to direct traffic.

On Wednesday, Marr Road will be closed from about 9 to 2 as crews cut into the roadway to install new infrastructure to manage storm water.

Also, INDOT has lane restrictions north of 25th Street on US 31 during an overlay project on the bridge deck there.

The city’s work is being done by Milestone Contractors and funding for the work is part of the city’s Community Crossings Matching Grant with the state.

You are urged to seek alternate routes, to slow down and use caution in work zones and don’t drive while distracted.

The final medical practices to move into the Columbus Regional Health portion of Nexus Park will be reopening today.

According to the hospital, Columbus Pediatrics and Imaging Services are making their moves to the former Fair Oaks Mall and are both set to open today.

Patients are receiving information on visiting the new office locations and will also receive reminders for any upcoming appointments that take place at the new location.

Nexus Park on 25th Street is a joint project between the city of Columbus and CRH as a center for health, wellness and recreation. Columbus Regional Health is putting more than $54 million dollars into its side of the project and moving more than 15 offices from around the city to the facility.

If you are coming to the CRH portion of Nexus Park as a patient or a visitor, you should enter the facility through Entrance 3, which is on the southwest side of the facility. Pregnant mothers and their support partners attending appointments at OBGYN Associates, may use Entrance 4 on the north side of the facility.

For more information, visit www.crh.org/nexuspark.

The Bartholomew County Solid Waste Management District will be celebrating Earth Day Friday with events at the Bartholomew County and Columbus Recycling Center on Mapleton.

Earth Day events will be happening from 8 to 3 on April 26th.

There will be an amnesty day to get rid of hard-to-dispose-of waste. You can turn in up to two refrigerant containing appliances, up to two propane tanks, up to four tires from personal vehicles, with the rims removed. All of those are at no cost.

If you need to get rid of an old television set or monitor, you can also drop those off but they will cost $20 each.

There will be educational displays including the Bartholomew County Public Library Book Express, the Bartholomew County RC Flyers, Sans Souci and the Columbus Department of Public Works.

Bartholomew County residents can pick up a free pickup load of mulch or compost from 8 to 12. Purdue Extension 4-H Education will be organizing children’s activities from 8 to 3 including creating a Reuse craft. There will be residential document-shredding from 9 to 11 a.m..

There will also be plant swap and a tree giveaway. Toyota Material Handling is sponsoring the tree event and there will be Norway Spruce and Persimmon trees given away.

You can get more information at bcswmd.com.