The Indiana High School Athletic Association is providing life-saving defibrillators to schools across the state as part of a new grant program, including several local schools.

The association announced today that 24 schools would be receiving the automated external defibrillators including Jennings County and Shelbyville High Schools. The grant is providing one device to each of the schools, and all member schools can acquire the devices at discounted rates with access to instructions on the operation, maintenance, and care of the AEDs.

Dr. Phil Eskew, Chair of the IHSAA Foundation Board of Directors and Professor Emeritus at the IU School of Medicine, says the availability could save the life of a student-athlete at an athletic event, as well as other children or adults. He said the grants will provide the ability for schools to improve
response time when seconds count.

This is the first year of the IHSAA Foundation’s AED Grant is made possible through partnerships with the NFHS Foundation and CPR Institute of Indiana, along with the efforts of the Indianapolis Colts.

A donation by the local Experimental Aircraft Association will fund the start of a new drone program for the Columbus Police Department.

According to the department, the association donated $2000 to help established the drone program. The goal is to get Columbus police certified with the Federal Aviation Administration, which will allow the department to start training and certifying officers as drone pilots. The department plans to use drones in natural disasters and critical incidents, such as finding missing or endangered people.

The funding came to the association through a Duke Energy grant. A Duke spokeswoman said that the power company “appreciates everything that our first responders do on the frontlines in responding to emergencies every day.”

Photo courtesy of Columbus Police Department.

A Franklin man was arrested Wednesday in a series of raids in Johnson and Marion counties aimed at breaking up a drug-dealing ring.

According to the U.S. Attorneys’ Office for the southern District of Indiana, 33-year-old Colton K. Shorkey was among 10 others arrested and facing charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. 16 agencies executed search warrants at 11 locations in Central Indiana Wednesday morning, with authorities recovering eight firearms, fentanyl, methamphetamine and marijuana.

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team assisted the DEA serving one of the search warrants at a home on Churchill Street in Franklin at about 6 a.m. Wednesday morning.

Shorkey is being accused of serving as a dealer and distributor in the drug ring.

A police dog purchased for Indiana conservation officers by Jennings and Jackson County authorities was able to find a hidden gun that was used in a crime nearly a week earlier.

According to the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, Jaycie, a flat coated retriever, was purchased by the Jackson and Jennings County prosecutors offices and the Jennings sheriff’s department. She completed K9 school with her handler officer Zack Walker in May and has completed nearly 200 trainings and deployments in about a dozen counties. Those deployments have included tracking felons and lost people, recovering evidence and in wildlife detection. ‘

Deputies say that on Monday, Jaycie was able to find a gun that had been hidden outside after a crime more than five days earlier and after Sunday’s rains. The sheriff says that other attempts to locate the firearm had failed. He praised the canine team for keeping the community safe and finding evidence of a serious crime.

Photo courtesy of Jennings County Sheriff’s Department

The state will be helping in the funding of more than 170 affordable housing units in Columbus through tax credits and tax exempt bonds.

The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority and Lt. Gov. Susanne Crouch announced yesterday that two local projects had been approved under the latest round of funding.

A proposed affordable housing complex at the site of the former Columbus Health and Rehabilitation center site on Midway Street will receive a $1.3 million tax credit on the expected $21.5 million dollar project.

The project by Thrive Alliance is to be called Haw Creek Meadows, and would be aimed at seniors and working families. Thrive Alliance’s Housing Partnerships program would construct the new housing on the just over 7 and a half acre property that now contains a dilapidated, unused building. The agency plans to add 64 units in a four-story building initially with another similar building possible.

In July, Columbus City Council approved a tax abatement that would save the agency about $1.8 million in property taxes over the next 10 years. Thrive Alliance was also approved in July for a $4.6 million grant from the city’s tax increment financing funds to help with the costs.

The state also announced the approval of $15.2 million in tax exempt bonds and $1.38 million in tax credits for an affordable housing project on 14th Street in Columbus to be called the Flats on 14th. That project would bring 110 affordable housing units and is being developed by TWG Development LLC. The total project cost is estimated at $29.1 million dollars.

Overall the state awarded $32 million in tax credits and $66 million in tax exempt bonds for 21 developments around the state. The funds come from federal and state tax credits, as well as the bond financing to provide incentives for private developers to build or rehabilitate affordable housing around the state.

Haw Creek Meadows locator map courtesy of City of Columbus

Low-income Bartholomew County residents will have a chance for free legal advice Tuesday.

River Valley Legal Aid will be offering a walk-in legal clinic on Tuesday. If you take part you will have a brief consultation with a volunteer attorney to answer general questions, to offer legal information or to receive other advice.

The walk-in clinic will be from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Bartholomew County Public Library on Fifth Street.

From 3 to 4 p.m. the session will focus on general legal advice on civil matters such as family law, guardianship powers of attorney, protective orders, simple wills and small estates. From 4 to 5 p.m. the clinic will focus on evictions.

Indiana Congresswoman Erin Houchin has been elected to be secretary of the House Republican Conference. According to her office, that will make her the second highest ranking woman among House Republicans, saying that the position will amplify her vision and priorities to the highest levels of House leadership.

Houchin said she is honored by the trust her colleagues placed in her and she looks forward to working alongside them and President Trump in the 119th Congress.

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

Eastern Bartholomew Water Corporation has issued a boil water advisory for some customers after water outages yesterday.

According to the water company, a boil water advisory is in effect for the area including Base Road between County Road 300E and 275E including 50N, 50N between US 31 and Knollwood Drive along with Cattle Drive and Bull Run. The boil water advisory will be in effect until 4 p.m. Friday afternoon.

Under a boil water advisory, you should bring water to a full boil for three to five minutes before drinking it or using it in food preparation.

If you have any questions you can call the utility at 812-526-9777.

The town of Hope will be celebrating its annual Christmas of Yesteryear early in December.

According to the Yellow Trail Museum and Hope Area Visitor’s Center, the event on Friday Dec. 6th on and around the Town Square will feature Santa and Mrs. Claus, the icing of Christmas cookies, kids Christmas crafts, a bake sale and a live nativity scene. Willow Leaves of Hope will be hosting a historic Christmas play and there will be roving Christmas carolers from the Hope Moravian Church in historic attire.

The event will be rain or shine from 5 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 6th.

The National Weather Service in Indianapolis is forecasting the first snow storm of the winter, although it should be a mild one. A winter weather advisory goes into effect from 4 this afternoon until 10 p.m. tonight.

According to forecasters, one to three inches of snow across parts of our area and we could see wind gusts of up to 40 mph. The snow is expected to start around 2, turning to rain and snow showers overnight.

Because of the warm surface and road conditions, we should see accumulations only on grassy or elevated surfaces, but there could be some isolated slick spots on roads. That means you could see some slippery spots as you head home this afternoon and evening.

Forecasters say that you should slow down and use extra caution if you have to be out on the road.