An Indianapolis man has died after a crash in southern Decatur County.

According to Indiana State Police, two vehicles crashed head-on on U.S. 421 in southern Decatur County at about 7 a.m. in the morning Wednesday. A car driven by 47-year-old Joseph L. Arthur of Indianapolis crossed the centerline near the Decatur/Ripley County line into the path of a northbound semi, causing the semi to burst into flames. Arthur was pronounced dead of the scene by the Decatur County Coroner’s office.

The driver of the semi, 55-year-old Michael S. Olsen of Charlotte, Michigan was able to escape the burning truck, suffering minor injuries.

Crash reconstructionists were called to the scene and troopers say that initial evidence suggested that speed likely played a role in the crash. The remains under investigation.

U.S. 421 was closed in both directions for about five hours while the crash was investigated and the scene was cleaned up.

Two of the four semi-finalists for the Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s Coolest Thing Made IN Indiana contest are from our area and voting is underway.

The kid’s bicycle from Guardian Bikes in Seymour and Hard Truth Whiskey Co. from Nashville with its Sweet Mash Whiskey have made it to the semi-final round. Hard Truth is paired off with the fresh roasted coffee from Country Roads Coffee, in Albion, while Guardian Bikes is competing against the handcrafted harps from Harpsicle Harps in Rising Sun.

Hard Truth distillery made it to the finals last year also, finishing as the runner up.

The competition is limited to products made here in Indiana, although the company does not have to be headquartered here.

The winner is determined by online voting and the semi-final round is open for your votes until Monday evening. Awards will be presented at the 2024 Best IN Manufacturing Awards Luncheon on December 11 at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in Indianapolis.

You can vote here: https://www.indianachamber.com/coolest-thing-made-in-indiana-tournament/

Bartholomew County Treasurer Barb Hackman has been chosen for a leadership role in the association representing county government officials in Indiana.

The Association of Indiana Counties has announced that Hackman has starter her time as first vice president of the organization.

Hackman has served in several elected positions in Bartholomew County including Columbus Township Assessor and County Auditor before being elected as Treasurer. She also served as the matron in the Bartholomew County jail and as head of the local Republican Party.

She previously served on the Association board of directors when she held the county auditor’s position.

The Association of Indiana Counties is a nonprofit group established in 1957 that lobbies the Indiana General Assembly on behalf of counties. The group also provides assistance and training to county officials and employees as well as a liaison between the counties, state and federal agencies.

Centra is making it easy to help children in need this holiday season through donations to local organizations.

Centra Foundation and Centra Credit Union suggest that instead of buying gifts, you can make a donation to purchase gifts for children in need on Bartholomew County through Columbus Fireman’s Cheer Fund or the Turning Point Holiday store at a Centra location or via Paypal. Donations will be accepted at Centra locations and online through PayPal now through December 14.

Centra will also be matching donations made on Giving Tuesday, at twenty-five cents on the dollar, up to a total Centra contribution of $5,000.

Centra Director of Community Involvement Jenni Carr said that last year the program raised more than $60,000 to help families in need.

Donations collected at Centra locations will support the local organizations in that community.

Members who donate online can leave a note indicating which community organization they’d like to support. A list of the supported organization can be found at Centra.org.

The Indiana Senate is now accepting applications for next year’s Senate Page Program.

Students in grades six through 12 can tour Indiana’s Statehouse, listen to debates and help staff with age-appropriate tasks. Students also have the opportunity to meet with their state senator in the all-day program. Serving as a page is considered an excused absence from school.

The 2025 Senate Page Program begins in January and runs through early April. Pages are scheduled for Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. They begin their day at 8:30 a.m. and are dismissed at 3:30 p.m. Groups serve together on Wednesdays.

You find a link to more information and to apply here: https://www.indianasenaterepublicans.com

Indiana Statehouse photo courtesy of iga.in.gov

The chance of accumulating snow heading into Thanksgiving Day has diminished across most of our area.

A rain and snowy mix is expected to start tonight, but less than an inch of accumulation is expected. You could still see some slippery spots on the roads tomorrow, especially on untreated roads and overpasses.

On Friday, we should see the coldest temperatures so far this season, with temperatures in the 30s and wind bringing the wind chill down to the teens. The National Weather Service says that as you head back to school and work on Monday morning, we could see wind chills down to the single digits across our area.

Emergency officials say that if you have to be on the road this holiday weekend, you should pack additional warm clothes or blankets and a vehicle emergency kit.

Local government offices will be closed Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday.

In Columbus, trash and recycling collection will be delayed by one day with Thursday collections happening on Friday, and Friday collections on Saturday.

In Seymour, normal Thursday trash routes will run today. Normal Friday routes will be delayed until Monday.

Columbus City Utilities offices will be closed. If you have a problem with your water or sewer service, you can call the offices at 812-372-8861 to report an emergency.

A bill proposed by Congresswoman Erin Houchin to lock in the dates to apply for student financial aid has passed the U.S. House and Senate and is headed to the president’s desk.

According to the congresswoman’s office, the FAFSA Deadline Act passed the House with a vote of 381 to 1. This legislation will ensure the Free Application for Federal Student Aid is available by October 1 each year. Under the existing law, the U.S. Department of Education could hold off until January 1st before releasing the form that allows students and their families to apply for most types of financial aid for college.

Houchin said she was proud “to lead this effort to ensure students have the tools they need to access higher education without unnecessary obstacles.”

The bill has passed by unanimous consent in the Senate.

Houchin represents Indiana House District 9 which includes Brown, Jackson, Jennings, Decatur and southern Bartholomew Counties as well as the rest of southeastern Indiana.

Authorities are investigating after rocks and baseballs were thrown from an Interstate 65 overpass onto vehicles driving underneath, the second such incident in recent weeks.

According to the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department, the most recent incident happened at about 6:45 p.m. Monday evening near the overpass at County Roads 250S and 600E. A tractor-trailer driver reported the debris hit his vehicle causing damage.

Deputies found more than 100 baseballs and softballs scattered along the interstate and in the surrounding area. Some were still in their plastic packaging and containers were also found discarded nearby.

A similar incident happed at about 9:15 p.m. at night on Nov. 9th, where a deputy discovered a large number of baseballs on the roadway.

The debris had to be removed from the roadway for driver safety.

Johnson County Sheriff Duane E. Burgess said that the incidents endangered the lives of motorists and caused property damage. He said the department is “committed to identifying those responsible and ensuring that these acts do not continue.” Extra patrols will be assigned to the area to protect the public and to find those responsible.

If you have any information about these incidents, you should contact the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. You can call Analyst Watson 317-346-4652 or Detective Bartlett at 317-346-4767.

A mix of rain and snow remains possible Wednesday night and heading into your holiday travel.

According to the Bartholomew County Emergency Operations Center, our area remains in a narrow band of snow which could start Wednesday evening and into Thanksgiving Day. Rain tomorrow could change to snow as temperatures fall and there could be come minor accumulation of snow.

On Friday, we should see the coldest temperatures so far this season, with temperatures in the 20s and wind bringing the wind chill down to the single digits.

Emergency officials say that if you have to be on the road this holiday weekend, you should pack additional warm clothes or blankets and a vehicle emergency kit.