A volunteer fire department deputy chief is being charged with drunk driving after a crash on the way to a fire.

According to the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, deputies were called to the crash of an Elizabethtown Volunteer Fire Department pickup truck in the 12000 block of East Legal Tender Road, with the driver still inside at about 8:32 p.m. Sunday night. Witnesses said the vehicle was running with lights and sirens activated when it left the road and rolled over.

The driver, 67-year-old Thomas Nienaber of Elizabethtown was rescued from the overturned vehicle by firefighters on the scene.

Deputies say that Nienaber was on his way to a structure fire on South County Road 750E.

Recognizing signs of alcohol use, deputies took Nienaber to Columbus Regional Health to have his blood tested. After that he was arrested on a charge of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.

Information on the incident has been forwarded to the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office for further review, according to the sheriff’s department.

Photos courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.

Ivy Tech is planning another major fundraising drive next month in support of Ivy Tech Day.

According to the Columbus campus, Ivy Tech Day will be celebrated on April 8th and you are encouraged to donate during the 24-hour fundraising event. Money raised that day will be dedicated to student success, scholarships, and transformative programs.

Last year, Ivy Tech Columbus raised more than $13,000 on Ivy Tech Day. Statewide the annual day of giving raised more than $400,000 for students across the college system.

According to the school, more than 10,000 students are enrolled in the Ivy Tech Columbus area which includes Bartholomew, Decatur, Jackson, Jennings, Johnson and Shelby counties.

Ivy Tech contributes nearly $4 billion annually to Indiana’s economy. Over 80% of graduates remain in the state.

Ivy Tech was founded on March 15, 1963. This is the third year for the annual day of giving.

Donations can be made at ivytech.edu/giveday starting at midnight on April 8.

The United Way of Bartholomew County is announcing its upcoming annual meeting which will celebrate the agency’s anti-poverty campaign.

The United Way has set a goal to lift 1,000 families out of poverty in 2,000 days and to make sure that homelessness here is rare, brief and non-recurring.

Magen Pillar, spokeswoman for the United Way explains that the meeting will be a celebration of the progress the community has made:

United Way will also be recognizing businesses, nonprofit organizations, and community members during the annual meeting.

The annual meeting will be 11:30 a.m. in the morning on May 21st at the Commons.

The event is free and lunch will be provided but you are asked to register. You can register here: https://www.classy.org/event/2025-united-way-annual-meeting/e667652.

There will be a statewide test of the tornado warning system tomorrow.

According to state and local emergency officials, the Indiana Broadcasters Association and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security will be testing the system Tuesday morning as part of Indiana Severe Weather Preparedness Week.

You can expect to hear tornado sirens blaring and the Emergency Alert System sounding at about 10:15 a.m. Tuesday morning.

The test is done to ensure the system is working properly in the event of an actual tornado.

Severe Weather Preparedness Week runs through Saturday. The National Weather Service in Indianapolis says that Indiana averages more than 20 tornadoes each year, along with hundreds of severe thunderstorms that produce damaging winds, large hail, and flash flooding.

In the case of severe or inclement weather conditions tomorrow, the test will be rescheduled for Wednesday.

Four people were arrested in Greenwood after authorities discovered a narcotics laboratory in a home and business.

According to the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department, deputies served a search warrant at a home in the 900 block of Stone Road Thursday and discovered illegal narcotics. But they also discovered a laboratory, deputies say.

The Indiana State Police and the federal DEA were called in to assist in identifying the laboratory and what they were producing. They concluded that the lab was set up to manufacture LSD which they said was very toxic. Deputies say it took a number of people to clean up the lab

The home has also been listed as a non profit business called Truth Initiative Limited.

Police arrested four people who live at the address.

47 year old Clint Walker is being accused of possessing precursors with an intent to manufacture and for possessing a narcotic, as well as maintaining a common nuisance.

71-year-old Randy Lee Walker and 69 year old Cathleen Walker are facing charges of maintaining a common nuisance and possession of marijuana.

44-year-old Crystal Roseberry is also facing a charge of maintaining a common nuisance.

The sheriff’s department says that the information has been turned over to the prosecutor’s office for review and for formal charges.

Deputies say that the investigation is still ongoing.

The sheriff’s department says the search is part of the agency’s efforts to combat illegal drug activity. They say that if you have information on illegal activity, you can contact the sheriff’s department tip line at 317-346-4654.

Photos courtesy of Johnson County Sheriff’s Department.

Eastside Elementary School in Edinburgh was evacuated earlier today after a threat to the school had to be investigated.

According to the Edinburgh Police Department, there was an active threat at the elementary school and officers from several agencies responded to the scene. Students and faculty were loaded onto buses and taken to Edinburgh High School. Several searches were made of the elementary school but no threats were found.

Police and firefighters also went to the high school to check on the students and staff. The high school was searched and no threats were found there either, police say.

Students were released at the high school at 11 a.m. this morning.

Police say that a basketball sectional game scheduled for tonight at the high school will continue as planned.

The investigation into the threats is ongoing. If you have any information on the incident, you can call police dispatchers at 317-346-6336 or Deputy Chief Shawn Kelsay at 812-526-3501.

The Jackson County Chamber held its annual awards dinner last night at Pewter Hall in Brownstown. Among the awards were new inductees to the business hall of fame in three size categories.

The small business inducted was Heart’s Desire Gift Shop, the medium sized business was Christensen Family Funeral Home and the large business was BSM Groups.

The Spirit of the Chamber award went to Guardian Bikes and the young professional of the year was Emily Engelking, engagement director at the Jackson County United Way.

The Jackson County Visitors Center also gave out its inaugural hospitality awards. Dana Christian at Rails was chosen for the Heart of Hospitality Award and Sprague Hotel Developers for Community Impact. The Small Town Hospitality Excellence Award went to Seth and Tonya Pacey.

Other awards included:

• Teacher of the Year Elementary: Ashley Spicer at Crothersville Elementary
• Teacher of the Year Middle: Erin Bauer at Seymour Middle School
• Teacher of the Year High School: Kevin Gwin at Brownstown Central and Jerell Hubbard at Seymour High School
• Chamber committee member of the year: Tiffiny Mansfield.

This was the 94th year for annual chamber awards ceremony.

Landmark Columbus Foundation is announcing a grant to assess the historic and architectural clubhouse building at Otter Creek Golf Course.

The organization announced yesterday that has secured $90,000 of the $180,000 needed for a Progressive Preservation Planning Grant to assess and revitalize the aging building. Architectural firm TenBerke from New York has been contracted to study the functionality and assess the possibilities for the building.

The clubhouse was designed by architect Harry Weese in 1964.

The course was originally gifted to the city of Columbus in 1964 by Cummins executive J. Irwin Miller and Cummins, and served as a destination golfing experience for the Midwest. But the course and club house needed substantial improvements and city officials made the decision to sell the facility.

It was bought in 2022 by the local Architerra group headed by Bob Haddad Jr.

Landmark Columbus announced that the assessment would be completed this spring.

You can get more information at landmarkcolumbusfoundation.org

Photo of Otter Creek Golf Course courtesy of columbus.in.us

There will a new highway widening project on interstate 65 in southeastern Indiana starting later this year.

According to INDOT, construction is anticipated to begin in late summer for the Safer Drive 65 project. The project will be adding an extra travel lane and reconstructing pavement in Scott and Clark counties in both the northbound and southbound lanes. State officials say the improvements will enhance safety and improve mobility in the area.

E&B Paving, Inc. and Milestone Contractors will be the design-build contractors for the project. The project is expected to be finished by the winter of 2027. You can get more information at SaferDrive65.com

The Jackson County United Way will be hosting community conversations starting next month where people are encouraged to get together to chat about the community where they live.

According to the agency, the conversations will be held twice month between April and December. Organizers say that the goal is to create a safe space where people can talk about their aspirations, their concerns, and how they want their community to move forward. The results of the conversations will be compiled and released in a report in 2026 that will help guide the direction of the United Way.

The first session is set from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on April 9th and it will be held in the Seymour City Council chambers at 301-309 North Chestnut Street. A second session will be April 23rd from 5:30 to 7 at First Financial Bank on Tipton Street. Dinner will be provided.

You can  register or get more information at www.jacsy.org/communityconversations or call 812-522-5450 ext. 6.