A driver has died after an accident Monday night in Jennings County.

According to the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, deputies were called to the scene of a collision between a pickup and car at about 9:10 p.m. Monday night near Brush Creek Elementary School on U.S. 50.

The driver of the car, 44-year-old Anthony Lucas of North Vernon was fatally injured in the collision.

The driver of the pickup, 41-year-old James Pittman of North Vernon appeared to be intoxicated and results of a toxicology test are still pending. However, he was arrested on a preliminary felony charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing death. Deputies say that alcohol was believed to be a factor in the crash.

Indiana State Police were called in to assist with a crash reconstruction. The highway was closed for about 4 and a half hours while the crash reconstructionists worked at the scene and the accident was cleaned up.

Chief Deputy Cody Low said the accident should be a reminder “of the devastating consequences of impaired driving and failing to wear your seatbelt..

Also assisting at the scene were the North Vernon Police Department, Jennings County medics, and Campbell Township Volunteer Fire Department,

A vehicle caught fire in a test cell at the Cummins Tech Center Monday morning, leading to the evacuation of the building.

According to the Columbus Fire Department, they were called to the 1900 block of McKinley Avenue at about 11:53 a.m. Monday morning after a gasoline powered truck inside a test cell caught fire. The truck had about 100 gallons of fuel, when it caught fire.

Technicians noticed the fire when it started and alerted the company’s emergency response team. An evacuation alarm was activated and the building cleared before firefighters arrived.

Firefighters entered the cell to find heavy smoke reducing visibility and high heat. They located the fire by the glow and were able to extinguish the flames within minutes of entering the cell.

Firefighters say the fire was confined to the testing cell and caused significant damage to the prototype vehicle.

After the fire was out, firefighters stayed on scene for more than an hour to test the air quality inside the building and make sure there were no hazardous gasses, before letting employees re-enter the center.

No one was injured. There was smoke and water damage within the test cell, but no damage estimate is available.

Photo courtesy of Columbus Fire Department

The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department continues to struggle finding new police vehicles to purchase, but they are jumping at a surprisingly good deal found locally.

County Commissioners yesterday approved the purchase of a $49,900 dollars 2024 pickup truck from Country Chevrolet already equipped with the police pursuit package. And that cost will still save the county an estimated $10,000 on the vehicle.

Deputy Andrew Whipker with the sheriff’s department said that despite having funding in the budget for the purchase of vehicles, the county, and departments across the country, are finding it impossible to find police-equipped vehicles. For example, the first of the vehicles ordered last year was actually put out on the road about a month ago.

Instead of being able to buy the police-ready vehicles, if they are lucky, they are having to buy heavy duty pickups and then retrofit them for police use at a cost of $13 to $15 thousand dollars. County Commissioner Tony London called the current market for new police vehicles a nightmare.

Whipker recommended purchasing the local vehicle immediately and said he can’t even really provide comparable quotes from other dealers, as there are none available nationwide.

Whipker said that the department has had several vehicles totaled in recent months, leading to more pressure to find new vehicles.

The new truck will count toward the number of new vehicles already approved for next year.

The commissioners approved the purchase with the funds coming from drug seizure money.

Photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.

A team from Ivy Tech Community College in Columbus won a national engineering competition.

According to the school, students Luke Lanam and Tyler Seaver finished first out of 60 teams competing in the Community College Engineering Pathways Fall Impromptu 2024 Challenge organized by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

The challenge launched in October and the winning teams were announced recently. In the competition, teams design, build, and demonstrate a device to complete a task using only common craft supplies. It is designed to test the skills and knowledge of engineering students through the practical design challenge.

Both students are from Seymour and are studying in the Ivy Tech Columbus Mechanical Engineering Technology program.

Ivy Tech Columbus offers programs in Engineering, Engineering Technology, and Mechanical Engineering Technology, including a pathway to a four-year degree through Purdue University.

You can find more information here: https://www.ivytech.edu/programs/all-academic-programs/school-of-advanced-manufacturing-engineering-applied-science/engineering/

Three area companies are still in the running for the Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s Coolest Thing Made IN Indiana contest as the field narrows to eight competitors.

Guardian Bikes from Seymour and both Hard Truth Whiskey Co. and Bear Wallow Distillery from Nashville are looking to advance in the quarter final round of the competition, with voting wrapping up tonight.

There were initially 90 products from 50 communities represented. While the companies do not have to be headquartered in Indiana, their products have to be made here. Guardians Bikes is featuring their kids bikes, while Bear Wallow Distillery is competing with its Hoosier hooch Sugar Cream Pie Moonshine and Hard Truth Whiskey Company is offering their Sweet Mash Whiskey.

The finals will wrap up December 5th with the winner announced at the 2024 Best IN Manufacturing Awards Luncheon on December 11 in Indianapolis.

You can find more information and cast your vote here: http://www.indianachamber.com/coolestthing

Thrive Alliance is announcing that it will be moving its offices effective Wednesday. The new location will be 2158 Cottage Avenue, which the non-profit group says will offer easier parking and visitor access.

Most of the Thrive alliance programs and staff will move to the new location including include Housing Partnerships.

Foster Grandparents and the First Step offices will remain at the Doug Otto United Way Center on 13th Street.

Thrive Alliance is the Indiana Agency for Aging for Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Jackson and Jennings Counties.

Three people have been arrested after a drive by shooting earlier this month in Jennings County.

According to the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, deputies were called to a home in Campbell Township on Nov. 9th after several rounds were fired into a home where six people were asleep, and also into an occupied vehicle.

Authorities were able to identify a description of a vehicle that was involved and North Vernon Police found and pulled the car over, where they arrested the driver, 18-year-old Bradley Pike of Crothersville and 18-year-old Waylon Baker of Columbus. A search also recovered two firearms believed to be involved in the shooting.

A third suspect, 18-year-old Caden Kinser was also identified and he was arrested Nov. 14th by Jennings County deputies.

According to the sheriff’s department, information on witnesses and victims in the incident are not being released.

All three are facing preliminary felony charges of Criminal Recklessness by Shooting a Firearm into an Inhabited Dwelling. More charges may be forthcoming as the investigation continues.

The sheriff’s department collaborated with the North Vernon police, forensics experts and local high tech crime units.

Two area farmers are taking on leadership roles in the soybean industry.

According to the Indiana Soybean Alliance, Greensburg farmer Mike Koehne has been elected as chairman of the Soy Transportation Coalition. The coalition includes 14 state soybean boards, the American Soybean Association and the United Soybean Board. It advocates for transportation needs to deliver cost effective, reliable and competitive service for growers.

Koehne grows soybeans and corn on his farm in rural Decatur and Franklin counties. He is a past chair of the Indiana Soybean Alliance and as an Indiana representative to the American Soybean Association.

Also according to the Alliance, Flat Rock farmer Jim Douglas was re-appointed to a second three-year term on the United Soybean Board by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack last week. Douglas was a nine-year board member of the Indiana organization and served as the Chairman.

Bartholomew Circuit Court Judge Kelly Benjamin has been admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court Bar recently.

Benjamin will now be able to appear before, and present cases to the Supreme Court as an attorney.

Benjamin said it was a humbling experience to walk into the Supreme Court to be admitted with all of the Supreme Court Justices present. She said that the 10 attorneys from Indiana who were admitted, also had a short visit with Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. She called it an amazing opportunity and honor and a culminating lifetime event. And thanked the Indiana State Bar Association or assisting with the process.

Benjamin has been an attorney for 32 years and was first elected to the Circuit Court in 2017. As Circuit Court judge she hears cases include criminal felonies, family law, civil law and probate cases. She serves as vice president of the Alliance for Substance Abuse Progress in Bartholomew County and previously headed ASAP’s intervention section.

The Bartholomew County Humane Society along with the Greensburg and Decatur County Animal Shelter are offering low-cost adoptions in December as part of the Bissell Pet Foundation’s winter Holiday Hope Empty the Shelters event.

From Dec. 1st through the 17th, Bissell is partnering with shelters nationwide to offer adoptions for a cat or a dog for $50 or less. That will cover the cost for a fully vaccinated, spayed/neutered and microchipped pet.

Bissell is partnering with 23 shelters in Indiana for the event.

The foundation was started in 2011 and the Empty The Shelters events began in 2016. The project has led to more than 300,000 pets finding homes.

The foundation says that no pet should have to be without a family to call their own during the holiday season, and while pets are a gift due to the joy they bring, the foundation does want to remind potential pet owners that adopting a pet is a long-term commitment.

The local humane society encourages you to check out the animals available for adoption on the website, and to call the Humane Society to set up an appointment. You can go online to https://www.bartholomewhumane.org