Forecasters say that we could see some severe weather this afternoon and evening.

According to the National Weather Service, southeastern Indiana is under an enhanced risk of severe storms this afternoon and evening as a cold front moves through. That is expected to bring thunderstorms with strong winds and damaging hail with areas of heavy rainfall.

We could see wind gusts as high as 70 mph with 1 inch hail a few tornados possible in our area.

Emergency officials say you should use extra caution while driving because strong winds could make it hard to control vehicles, especially those with high profiles. Winds could be strong enough to knock down limbs or trees and power lines.

Also a reminder that central and southern Indiana weather radios are out of commission today. The outage is expected to last through at least Wednesday, however it could go as long as Thursday or Friday while the channels go through a mandatory system upgrade.

Emergency officials say that you should make sure you have several ways to receive emergency weather notifications while the radio system is down. In Bartholomew County, you can sign up for the Everbridge alert system. You can also use the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s or American Red Cross mobile apps, and listen to local news stations.

Update:

Attorneys for the family of a child who was sexually assaulted on a special needs school bus in Jennings County are planning to sue the school district.

Wagner Reese law firm has filed an Indiana Tort Claim Notice against the Jennings County School Corporation, saying that the 7-year-old non-verbal special education student was repeatedly sexually assaulted on a bus by a 15-year-old.

The attorneys claim that the school failed to protect the child and the assaults happened while a bus driver and monitor were both onboard. They say that video footage confirms multiple assaults.

Attorney Laura Swafford said in a statement that this was a “nightmare tragedy” that should have never happened. She said “The school system breached the trust of the family and failed in its responsibility to protect their child.”

Police say they were told about a 15-year-old student raping the younger child on April 16th. The 15-year-old was arrested the day after it happened and is being held at a juvenile detention center on a charge of rape.

Previous version:

A teenager in Jennings County is accused of raping another student on a  school bus.

Police say back on April 16th, they were told about a 15-year-old student raping a 7-year-old student on a special needs school bus.

The 15-year-old was arrested the day after it happened and is being held at a juvenile detention center. That student has already had one court hearing and they have another one coming up this week.

The Jennings County School Corporation says they are looking into all aspects of this case including the surveillance video from the bus.

Story courtesy of Network Indiana

A Bartholomew County official wants to investigate alternatives to instituting a wheel tax, rather than be forced by new legislation to create the new tax on vehicle registrations.

Bartholomew County Commissioner Larry Kleinhenz asked the county attorney yesterday to study options to the new tax, which county officials have long resisted.

Commissioners said that the state’s Community Crossings Grant program will be going through a major change under the new legislation, with counties being required to have a wheel tax in place to even be eligible for the state grants. The county has previously been eligible for up to a million dollars in grants a year, although that has increased to $1.5 million in recent grant cycles.

Changes under state legislation would empty the fund — spending the money for road improvements in Indianapolis, at railroad crossings and into a revamped Community Crossings Grant program that would require communities have a wheel tax in place, said County Commissioner Tony London

Kleinhenz said it is unfair that all gas station customers in the county pay to the state fund through a gasoline tax per gallon, without getting a share of that money back for road improvements. Kleinhenz asked the county attorney to look into opting out of those gas taxes, forgoing any state funding and instead keeping the money here. Kleinhenz said it may require a nationwide search of cases to find somewhere that has been successfully done.

Attorney James Shoaf said he was skeptical to find somewhere that idea had been successful.

The county commissioners and county council have long resisted creating the wheel tax, instead preferring to fund road projects though existing taxes. They say the wheel tax is being pushed on communities by the state.

Indiana State Police dog Oswald will be receiving a bulletproof and stab protecting vest.

According to the department, Oswald’s vest is sponsored by Vested Interest in K9s. The vest is expected to be delivered in eight to 10 weeks.

The not-for-profit group from Massachusetts provides the vests to dogs working in police and other agencies. Vested Interest in K9s has provided over 6,000 vests to K9s in all 50 states.

Oswald is a two-and-a-half-year-old German shepherd assigned to Master Trooper Jason Hankins. The team has been patrolling the Indiana State Police-Versailles District since January 2024.

Oswald’s vest was sponsored by Dillon Davidson of Double D Property Maintenance & Snow Removal in Milan and will be embroidered with “This gift of protection provided by The Davidson’s.”

The organization accepts donations and $1,060 will sponsor one vest.

You can get more information at www.vik9s.org

Photo courtesy of Indiana State Police

Ice skating won’t be available at the Hamilton Ice Arena for the next few weeks.

Columbus Parks and Recreation Department is announcing that the center will be upgrading its compressor and that means the ice will not be available today through May 19th. The meeting rooms and the community area at the facility will still be available while work is being complete.

A Columbus man has been sentenced to six years in prison after siccing his dogs on police officers serving an arrest warrant.

According to the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office, James Henry was convicted last week of battery resulting in bodily injury to a public safety official. On Thursday, he was sentenced by Judge Kelly Benjamin to serve six years in the Indiana Department of Corrections. The prosecutor’s office says that a Level 5 felony sentencing range is 1 to 6 years.

Authorities say that the incident started on August 13, when Columbus police officers attempted to serve a parole warrant on Henry at his Columbus home. Officers asked Henry’s wife to have him come out but after almost an hour of giving him orders to leave the home, officers entered the home to make the arrest.

Police say that there were several dogs in the home and as they entered they heard Henry shout “get them” to the dogs. Sgt. Brandon Decker was then bitten by one of the dogs.

Police used non-lethal devices and after a struggle with Henry he was taken into custody.

A fallen firefighter from Greensburg will be among eight Hoosiers recognized this weekend at the 44th annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

According to the organization, 70 firefighters will be honored who died in the line of duty last year along with 70 who died in previous years. Among those being recognized will be Ralph F. Meyer of the Napoleon Volunteer Fire Department. He was 72 when he died in December, after suffering a heart attack hours after fighting a structure fire in Decatur County. Meyer was the former fire chief.

The memorial weekend event is Saturday and Sunday.

You can find more information here: https://www.firehero.org

The federal Small Business Administration and State Disaster Relief Fund will be opening an office in Columbus on today to help businesses and residents suffering damage from the March 19th tornado.

The Disaster Loan Outreach Center will be at the Doug Otto United Way Center on 13th Street in Columbus in Suite G900. Monday hours will be from 9 to 5 and regular hours will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. The office will close permanently on Saturday May 10th.

The Small Business Administration offers business physical disaster loans, economic injury disaster loans and home disaster loans. The home loans go to homeowners or renters to repair or replace disaster damaged real estate and personal property including automobiles. Homeowners can apply to replace or repair their primary residence up to $500,000, while homeowners and renters are eligible to borrow up to $100,000 repair or replace personal property.

Businesses have until June 23rd to file for help with physical damage caused by the storm, or until January 22nd to file for Economic Injury.

The outreach center will have staff on hand to answer questions about the loan programs, explain the application process and help you complete your application. Walk-ins are welcome or you can schedule an appointment online at appointment.sba.gov.

St. Bartholomew Catholic School will be holding a plant sale fundraiser next month.

The annual plant sale will be on Sundays, May 4 and May 11. Organizers say around 250 plants will be for sale – including annuals, houseplants, vegetables, and hanging flower baskets.

This sale is a fundraiser for the Outdoor Learning Lab at St. Bartholomew, and helps support the Horticulture Club at the school. The lab provides lessons to students on various horticulture-related topics geared to their grade level.

The sale will start at 9 am, and close at 3:30 pm each day. It will be held near the school entrance, at 1306 27th Street in Columbus.

Cash and checks will be accepted at the sale.

IU Columbus held its Academic Honors Convocation last week, recognizing more than 40 outstanding students, along with a staff member and seven faculty members.

Caroline Sheaffer of Waldron was recognized with the Chancellor’s Scholar Award. Wendy Cartwright of Columbus received the Undergraduate Student Service-Learning Leadership Award.

Staff member Jayne Morris received the Vickie Welsh-Huston Staff Council Service Award.

Among the full-time faculty member awards:

• Laura Liu received the Outstanding Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Award
• Kevin McCracken received the Outstanding Faculty Service Award
• Julie Goodspeed-Chadwick received the Outstanding Teaching Award.

Other award winners included:

Division of Business

• Georgia Blair Miller Business Student | Jazmyn Ketchum – Columbus
• Division of Business Foundation Outstanding Student in Business | Austin Ford – Elizabethtown
• Agresta, Storms & O’Leary Outstanding Student in Accounting | Blake Nigg – Columbus
• Centra Credit Union Outstanding Student in Finance | Jean Berber Souberbielle – Columbus
• The Republic/AIM Media Indiana Outstanding Student in Marketing | Hannah Grimes – Columbus
• Outstanding Student in Innovation Management | Michal Greenlee – Hope
• Outstanding Student in Management | Kaydence Brewer – Columbus
• Outstanding Student in Supply Chain Management | Maria Garcia – Columbus

Business Scholar Awards

• Jean Berber Souberbielle – Columbus
• Kaydence Brewer – Columbus
• Karen Cima – Columbus
• Charlie Kramer – Greensburg
• Blake Nigg – Columbus
• Justin Oliphant – Seymour
• Tessa Piper – Columbus
• Stevie Sedam – Seymour
• Eric Swihart – Bloomington
• Ashley Thill – Columbus

General Studies Degree Program

• Outstanding Graduate Award | Audrey Lawson – Columbus

Division of Education

• Distinguished Teaching & Learning Performance in K-6 English Language Learner Education | Caroline Sheaffer – Columbus
• Distinguished Teaching & Learning Performance in Equity Education | Hayden Chadwell – Aurora
• Distinguished Teaching & Learning Performance in K-6 Special Education | Paxton Heyne – Seymour
• IU Columbus Indiana Association of Colleges for Teacher Education Future Educator | Julia Diebold – Franklin
• IU Columbus Indiana Association of Colleges for Teacher Education Future Educator | Maylee Barriger – Columbus

Division of Liberal Arts

• Outstanding Student in Liberal Arts | Wendy Cartwright – Columbus
• Outstanding Student in English | Kylie Brooks – Columbus
• Best English Essay | Brandi Eweka – Columbus
• Outstanding Student in Communication Studies | Jimena Leal – Seymour

Division of Nursing

• Outstanding Pre-Licensure Student in Nursing | Kaylee Hoagland – Trafalgar
• Outstanding Student in Community Health | Kelsey Wischmeier – Crothersville
• Vicki Johnson-Poynter Nurse Leadership Award | Tracey Driver – North Vernon
• Vicki Johnson-Poynter Nurse Leadership Award | Kelley Stam – Columbus

Division of Science

• Columbus Regional Health Outstanding Student in Science | Krista Blackburn – Hope
• Outstanding Student in Math | Sarah Dixon – Columbus
• Outstanding Student in Biology | Jason Clapp – Columbus
• Promising Future Psychologist | Amanda Eaton – Columbus
• Outstanding Student in Psychology | Hannah Harris – Columbus
• Jack P. Young Chemistry Award | Abby McDonald – North Vernon

Also announced were 15 grant award winners through the Office of Student Research.

• Allison Boilanger – Westport
• Kaydence Brewer – Linton
• Kelsey Buchanan – Westport
• Jacob Clapp – Columbus
• Nancy Labra Gomez – North Vernon
• Etta Greathouse – North Vernon
• Hannah Harris – Columbus
• Ana Jackson – Bloomington
• LaShawnda Kirk – Greenwood
• Shyamala Raghunathan – Columbus
• Deborah Roach – Zionsville
• Marina Soto – Seymour
• Keaton Secrest – Columbus
• Ashley Thill – Columbus
• Hope Zimmerman – Franklin

Other faculty awards:

• Jacqueline D. Franz Outstanding Part-time Faculty Teaching Award | Christopher Sims
• Indiana University Trustees Teaching Award | Pamela Morris
• Indiana University Trustees Teaching Award | Karen Garrity
• W. Coons Distinguished Service Award | Andrea Gillett

The event was Wednesday in the Custer-Nugent Lecture Hall located in the Columbus Learning Center.