The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has declared an Air Quality Action Day for Wednesday. They say continuing high temperatures and humidity could lead to ozone levels that make it hard for some people to breathe.

With extreme heat expected into the weekend, emergency officials are warning about the dangers of heat-related illnesses.

Experts say that this weather can quickly lead to heat exhaustion or even heat stroke.

If a victim feels faint or dizzy, has excessive sweating, cool, pale or clammy skin, a rapid weak pulse and muscle cramps, they could be suffering from Heat Exhaustion. You should get them to a cool, air-conditioned place, have them drink water if they are conscious and take a cool shower or use cool compresses.

Heat Stroke is more serious and you should call 911 if someone is experiencing the symptoms. Those include a throbbing headache and confusion, but no sweating. Their skin could be red, hot and dry. There will be a rapid, strong pulse and a victim could lose consciousness. You should get a heat stroke victim to a cool place and use cool clothes or a bath to cool them down. You should not give liquids to a victim of heat stroke.

Forecasters with the National Weather Service are offering safety tips including

• When possible, reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening.
• Wear light weight and loose fitting clothing when possible and drink plenty of water.
• Recognize that temperatures inside a vehicle can be significantly higher than outside, even with windows open. Make sure not to leave children or animals in the vehicle as they can be quickly overcome by the heat.
• To reduce risk during outdoor work, the occupational safety and health administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments.

Bartholomew County prosecutors and law enforcement are formalizing their participation in the state and national task forces working to stop crimes against children happening over the Internet.

The County Commissioners ratified the agreements between the sheriff’s department, prosecutor’s office and Columbus police yesterday outlining the cooperation by establishing a local Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and joining the state task force.

Under the agreement, any investigations referred by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children will be investigated by the task force. They will also assist other agencies investigating those crimes here, including executing search warrants, interviewing suspects or witnesses and offering the use of equipment and the expertise of technicians.

Jay Frederick, investigator with the prosecutor’s office, explained that the departments have always investigated crimes against children, but the problem of crimes using the Internet is increasing at an exponential rate. He likened the agreement to other formalized partnerships such as the Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team and the Intelligence Led Policing Unit, which allow the organizations to work together, sharing resources and personnel.

He said that the agreement will also open up the opportunities to receive funding. The task force has already lined up a $6,600 grant from the state for computer equipment and training, although they had applied to receive nearly $22,000.

Commissioners President Larry Kleinhenz called this a worthy project, pointing out that the Internet puts the county front and center for these sorts of crimes.

A cooling station will be opened at Donner Center as the heat indexes this week climb to near 100 degrees.

According to the city of Columbus, Donner Center on 22nd Street will be open and staffed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  through Friday so that people can get out of the heat. Animals will also be allowed to cool off and there will be crates available so they can stay at the center. Animals will not be allowed to run free in the center, except for service animals.

Cooling stations are a facility where individuals, who do not have air conditioning, can come in to cool down and continue on their way. Food, showers, and areas for sleep are not available.

The city asks that you respect the rules of the facility and other individuals in the facility.

The National Weather Service says hot and humid conditions are expected across our area through the weekend. Daily high temperatures will be in the low to mid 90s but it will feel like 100 during the afternoon hours. You should take extra precautions if you will be spending time outside during the peak heat of the day.

A Columbus firefighter is retiring after 27 years with the force.

According to the Columbus Fire Department, Lieutenant Jim Miller joined the department in 1997. He is retiring as the B-Battalion lieutenant at Fire Station No. 5. Miller has volunteered with the Columbus Firemen’s Cheer Fund and was chairman of the charity for several years. He has also been union officer for the local and a member of the Columbus Fire Department Color Guard.

His official retirement date is today.

Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge will be hosting an event celebrating pollinators on July 6th at the refuge east of Seymour on U.S. 50.

Organizers say that there will be pollinator themed activities for children, face painting, pollinator programs along with information about gardening and on conserving pollinators. Free starts of pollinator plants will also be given away.

The event is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be a butterfly Identification stroll around the Visitors Center at 11 a.m. and a program on creating pollinator habitats at the center starting at 12:30 p.m.

The event is free and you are invited to attend. For more information you can call 812-522-4352 x 12.

Photo courtesy of Donna Stanley with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

A Columbus police officer is being credited with saving two people from East Fork White River Saturday afternoon.

According to the Columbus Police Department, rescue workers were called to Mill Race Park at about 1:42 p.m. on Saturday because of a woman in the water calling for help. Officer Andrew Plank was the first to arrive on the scene and found a woman and a child in the water clinging to a fallen tree. The woman said she couldn’t hold on much longer.

Police say Plank did not hesitate to remove his body armor and gear and dive into he water to their rescue. He first assisted the child, who was an 8-year-old, swimming her to shore as she held onto his back. He then went back to rescue the mother, 34-year-old Charity Weis of Idaville.

Witnesses said two children had been playing on a sandbar in the area but got caught in the current. The mother went into the water to rescue the girl and she also became trapped.

Medics checked out the mother and child on the scene.

Authorities urge anyone going into moving water to use a personal flotation device. They say that a surprisingly strong current can endanger even good swimmers.

Indiana State Police are expressing their frustration with a common equipment failure which has sidelined dozens of their newest police vehicles.

According to the agency, a defective oil cooler has taken 39 of the vehicles out of the field, or about 18 percent of the more than 200 Dodge Durangos they have received so far. In May alone, 15 of the SUVs had to be taken off the road with each taking a month or two to get repaired.

Superintendent Doug Carter said he has spoken with Chrysler but was not given a timeline to resolve the matter. That comes in the midst of a $25.8 million contract with Chrysler. Carter said that the department has used Dodge vehicles for more than a decade and a half, and are now transitioning from Dodge Chargers to the Durangos.

A new study shows several area highways are among the deadliest in Indiana.

The deadliest on the list is State Road 37, which has an average of 8.4 fatalities each year . That 110-mile route passes through Bloomington and Martinsville, and western Greenwood.

The list is compiled from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s reporting system by The Barber Law Firm in Dallas.

According to the firm’s analysis, State Road 3 and State Road 135 are third and fourth highest on the list. State Road 3, which passes through Jennings and Decatur counties including North Vernon and Greensburg, has 5.6 fatalities per year. State Road 135, which passes locally through Jackson, Brown and Johnson counties has 4.2 average fatalities per year.

Also making the list, the second most deadly is State Road 67, which runs from Vincennes through Muncie and has 7.4 average fatalities per year, while fifth deadliest is State Road 62 in southern Indiana which has 4.0 fatalities per year.

The deadliest highway in the U.S. is State Road 99 in California which averages more than 89 fatalities per year.

Study results can be found here:  https://www.thebarberlawfirm.com/

According to the American Red Cross in Indiana there are several upcoming opportunities to give blood.

You can donated blood today, from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m., at the Johnson County Public Library on State Street in Franklin, on Tuesday from 1 to 6 p.m. at the Johnson County Library White River Branch, on Library Blvd in Greenwood, on Wednesday from 10 to 4 p.m. at The Commons in downtown Columbus and on Thursday from 1 to 6 p.m. at the Bartholomew County Public Library.

You can schedule an appointment to give blood by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS

More than 140 people took part in a forum last week to address homelessness in Bartholomew County.

According to the United Way of Bartholomew County, the event drew 142 people and helped the agency gather information in several areas. The agency has launched an initiative to make sure that is homelessness here is rare, brief and non-recurring.

Organizers said that they clearly heard the call for immediate action to address the basic and shelter needs of all community members. The forum identified several key barriers that those in need face.

They also said that the forum stressed the need for love and respect for those who are homeless. And for the importance of the use of language in addressing homelessness to promote dignity and respect for everyone.

You can find a link to more information on the initiative here: https://www.uwbarthco.org/united-way-homelessness-initiative.html.