A traffic stop last week in Jennings County led to the arrest of a sexual offender on several charges.

According to the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, a reserve deputy pulled over a vehicle on County Road 75E at about 2:16 p.m. Friday after noticing a traffic violation. The driver identified himself as 48-year-old William Bowling of North Vernon and the deputy discovered that Bowling was a registered sexually violent predator who had never received a driver’s license. And the deputy found that Bowling was not in compliance with the terms of the sex offender registry.

As search of the vehicle also uncovered methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Bowling was arrested and is facing charges including for failing to register, for operating a motor vehicle without ever receiving an license and for possessing the drugs and paraphernalia.

Sheriff Kenny Freeman warned sex offenders that if deputies discover they are in violation of the registry “in any way at all, you will go directly to the Jennings County Jail.”

The Columbus Department of Public Works is asking for your patience as crews continue to collect leaves.

The city says that there have been many calls from residents concerned their leaves have yet to be collected, but it is normal for the collection crews to fall behind during the peak of the season due to the volume of leaves. Crews will continue to work until dusk each day to collect as much as they can.

The city says that it will get to your leaves as soon as possible. You can get more information on the progress through the city’s social media and website.

A young teen is in critical condition after a shooting in Greenwood over the weekend. Police were called to a home around 1 a.m. Sunday morning on reports of an attempted suicide after a 13-year-old boy was shot.

But the investigation found five other juveniles were at the home when the teen was shot, and had been playing with a gun when a 13-year-old boy pointed the gun and fired it at the victim. The other teens fled while the suspected shooter called 911. Police say the suspected shooter is being held on a preliminary charge of attempted murder.

The incident remains under investigation.

Story courtesy of TTWN Media Networks and Network Indiana

Local government offices will be closed today due to the Veterans Day holiday.

Despite that, the Columbus Department of Public Works says that trash and recycling routes will be running on their normal schedule.

You can get more information on the city of Columbus web page at columbus dot IN dot gov by clicking on public works, or on the Curbcycle or Columbus Collects apps.

Columbus City Utilities offices will also be closed today. If you have a problem with your water or sewer service, please call 812-372-8861 and follow the prompts.

The Columbus/Bartholomew Recycling Center, Bartholomew County Solid Waste Management District Offices, and the Commercial Cardboard Program will also be closed for the holiday. The Bartholomew County Landfill will be open normal hours, 7:30 am to 4:30 p.m.

The Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce and the IU Columbus Division of Business will be holding their annual Economic Outlook Panel and Luncheon on Wednesday.

The event brings in experts from IU faculty and the Kelley School of Business to forecast the 2025 economic conditions.

Dr. Steven Mohler from IU Columbus explains:

Proceeds from the Columbus event support scholarships for business students at IU Columbus. Individual tickets are $40

The event will be from 11:30 a.m to 1 p.m. at The Commons. You can buy tickets or get more information at columbus area chamber dot com.

It is Veterans Day today and Bartholomew County will be holding its traditional recognition of those who have served at ceremonies downtown this morning.

Zack Ellison, an organizer of the annual event explains:

Ellison says that the featured speaker will be retired National Guard Lt. Colonel Kent Anderson.

The ceremonies will be held at the Bartholomew County Memorial for Veterans on the courthouse lawn starting at 11. The rain location will be at Columbus City Hall.

Ellison said that it will be about a 40 minute service. The event no longer includes the reading of the names of veterans who have recently passed away. Instead, that recognition is reserved for Memorial Day services, Ellison said.

You can listen to the service here:

Photograph from the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.

Our area’s workforce development board has been chosen to provide services to help seniors find employment, the only such board in the country to receive the funding for seniors.

According to the Southeast Indiana Workforce Investment Board, the U.S. Department of Labor recently announced the award of just over $1 million in funding through the Senior Community Service Employment Program to the local board to provide training and career services to low-income, older individuals who are seeking to enter or re-enter the workforce.

The Indiana board was one of 19 national nonprofit organizations awarded this funding. The local program will serve only areas throughout Indiana. The hope is that the Labor Department will eventually expand this program model throughout Indiana and beyond.

According to Kurt Kegerreis, Executive Director of  the local board, it “has long demonstrated the importance of advocacy on behalf of under-served populations,” said . “By awarding this grant to a Workforce Development Board, the United States Department of Labor  is allowing (us) to demonstrate how the program might operate with true integration of the services provided by (the senior program) with those already available at WorkOne career centers.”

Area counties served by the board include Bartholomew, Decatur, Jackson and Jennings along with Dearborn, Franklin, Jefferson, Ohio, Ripley, and Switzerland counties

Correction: A previous version of this story had the date of the accident incorrect.

Seymour police have made an arrest after an elderly pedestrian was struck by a hit-and-run driver and later died.

The incident started on Saturday, Nov. 2nd when a pedestrian was struck in the 200 block of South Chestnut at about 7:10 a.m. in the morning. The pedestrian was identified as 87-year-old Ronald Jarvis of Seymour. He was unresponsive at the scene and was flown to IU Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis for treatment.

Witnesses said that the driver of the vehicle did not stop, instead driving away down Tipton Street. Later that evening, police found the suspect vehicle at a home on South Chestnut Street and after receiving a search warrant, took the vehicle into evidence. The suspected driver was also taken into custody, but did not answer any questions.

Police continued to investigate the incident and follow up on leads.

On Tuesday, Jarvis died of his injuries and a search warrant was issued to search the vehicle, which was conducted on Wednesday. Several pieces of evidence were collected and on Friday, police served a search warrant at a Chestnut Street home and arrested 54-year-old Omar S. Donald of Seymour on charges of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death or catastrophic injury and driving while suspended.

During the search officers also found drugs and paraphernalia, including up to 10 grams of methamphetamine along with marijuana. Donald is also being charged with dealing in methamphetamine within 500 feet of a school, possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, maintaining a common nuisance  and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police say the cases are still under investigation.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita says he is looking into what he calls labor trafficking in several cities, including Seymour.

Rokita announced Friday that he is investigating organizations that facilitate the influx of what he called illegal aliens and “legal migrants” into cities and towns. He cited health and safety concerns in the communities and concerns brought by residents and elected officials as the reasons for the civil investigations.

Rokita said he was sending civil investigative demands to organizations in Seymour, Logansport and Evansville. In Seymour, he was targeting documents from the Jackson County Industrial Development Corporation as well as Cass County Health Department, Logansport Community School Corp., Berry Global Group Inc., Tent Partnership for Refugees and God is Good.

Rokita said he is investigating coordinated efforts among international and local nonprofit “refugee resettlement” organizations and employers to bring large numbers of migrants to Indiana communities.

Among the concerns he cited were overcrowding in housing facilities with multiple families and individuals sharing space in structures intended to be single-family dwellings and about potential labor trafficking.

He said he is “creatively trying to use every tool in the law to stop the Left’s intentional destruction of Indiana.” He cited the authority under Indiana’s Deceptive Consumer Sales Act and indecent nuisance statute.

The Jackson County Chamber will be holding its annual Christmas at the Crossroads celebration on December 6th.

The celebration at Crossroads Park will include a Tree Lighting Ceremony, the arrival of Santa along with Santa’s reindeer and elf, live Performances, vendors, food and drinks.

The event is family friendly and is meant to bring the community together in the spirit of Christmas. Activities will be available for all ages.

It will be from 6 to 8 p.m. on December 6th. The event is free and you are invited to attend.

For more information, you can go to www.jacksoncochamber.com or call 812-522-3681.