More than two dozen animals are dead after a barn fire in Trafalgar.

According to the Trafalgar Fire Department, their firefighters were called to the barn in the 2800 block of Johnson County Road 750S at just after 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon. They discovered 70 to 80 bales of hay and straw on fire in the barn.

Several other fire departments were also called in to provide mutual aid. Edinburgh and Amity crews assisted with extinguishing and overhauling the fire.

There were no injuries, however many animals perished. Those included 22 chickens, five goats, five guineas, and three rabbits.

The fire has been ruled accidental and firefighters believe it was caused by an electrical malfunction.

Photo courtesy of Trafalgar Fire Department Facebook page

A Seymour man is facing drug-dealing charges after an investigation at a trailer park over the weekend.

According to Seymour Police Department, officers were investigating possible drug activity at a home in the Village Green Trailer Park. Officers say that they talked to the residents and smelled marijuana inside. After serving a search warrant, officers discovered more than an ounce of methamphetamine, cocaine, several firearms, marijuana, scales, baggies, and more than $40,000 in cash.

29 year old Devin Moore was arrested and is facing preliminary charges of dealing in methamphetamine and marijuana as well as for possessing the drugs and paraphernalia and for maintaining a common nuisance.

Photo: Evidence photo courtesy of Seymour Police Department.

The city of Columbus wants to hear your thoughts on the direction for the downtown.

City officials will be holding another public workshop on Thursday evening to gather your views.

The Downtown Columbus 2030 plan is meant to guide the city planners and developers in several specific areas. The plan will expand on previous efforts such as Envision Columbus, which was completed in 2018.

The efforts kicked off in November and the city has contracted with the Sasaki engineering firm from Boston and a financial firm from Chicago to take a fresh look at the city efforts to revitalize the area.

A community workshop is set for Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. at The Commons.

You can get more information at downtowncolumbus2030.com

The Landmark Columbus Foundation will receive a $100,000 gift towards the foundation’s endowment.

The foundation is announcing the gift through the Tracy L. Haddad Foundation towards a $3 million campaign goal for the architectural group.

Haddad serves as president of the Tracy L. Haddad Foundation and vice chair of the Landmark Columbus Foundation Board of Directors. She said that Columbus dares to dream in design and the Landmark Columbus Foundation “ensures those dreams have the support they need to endure, evolve, and include more people.

Landmark Columbus Foundation launched the endowment drive as a way to support its initiatives including Exhibit Columbus, Progressive Preservation and the Columbus Design Institute. The foundation’s goal is to continue to care for, celebrate, and advance the cultural heritage of Columbus and like-minded communities.

The foundation hopes to reach the $3 million goal by the time the Exhibit Columbus installations launches this summer on August 15th. The campaign has already raised $2.3 million, with support from regional foundations, individual donors, and community leaders.

Haddad’s donation will be celebrated at an event in May called High Five Day. High Five Day will include the foundation’s annual report and will be May 6th from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Upland Columbus Pump House. The event will be free and you are invited to attend.

You can get more information at landmarkcolumbusfoundation.org

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun is declaring a state of emergency for several area counties after last week’s devastating storms and flooding.

According to the governor’s office, the declaration is in effect for 30 days. He said the move allows allows the Indiana Department of Homeland Security to begin providing financial assistance to impacted communities who have eligible expenses under the State Disaster Relief Fund program.

Among the 18 counties covered in the declaration were Bartholomew and Brown counties, along with Clark, Crawford, Dearborn, Delaware, Gibson, Hamilton, Harrison, Lake, Madison, Marshall, Martin, Owen, Perry, Posey, Spencer, and Warrick counties.

Braun said in the statement that it is his hope that residents, businesses, and local governments will be able to access needed resources and assistance as they assess and recover from these devastating weather events.”

Bartholomew County officials are reminding you to make reports on any flood-related damages you have had on your property.

According to Bartholomew County Emergency Management, homes or businesses that have been damaged during the flooding that started last Wednesday, are urged to report the damage. You can file a report by calling emergency management at 812-379-1680 or by leaving a comment on the Bartholomew County Emergency Management Facebook page.

You can also file damage reports through the statewide 211 system, by calling 211 or 866-211-9966, Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to complete a damage report over the phone. You can also go online to file a report at IN 211 dot org and clicking on Damage Reporting.

Photo: State Road 11 during the weekend flooding. photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.

The Columbus City Band will be holding its spring concert on Sunday.

The concert will feature music from the big band era and the Great American Songbook. A Regional High School Art Gallery will be on display before the show starts at 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon at The Commons.

The concert is free and you are invited to attend.

The Columbus City Band is a volunteer organization that has been performing here since 1843.

The Bartholomew County Historical Society will be celebrating Chuck Taylor Day this summer, and is offering you the chance to buy custom, Columbus themed Chuck Taylor All Star shoes.

Tied in with the Historical Society’s new exhibit on the history of basketball in Bartholomew County will be Chuck Taylor Day on Saturday June 7th. The day will feature basketball themed activities, bands, a kids zone and more. It will be held around the historical society museum on Third Street in Columbus from 3 to 8 p.m. that day.

Taylor, a Bartholomew County resident, Columbus High School graduate and former basketball player, is best known for creating the Converse All Star tennis shoe.

In celebration of the inaugural Chuck Taylor Day, there will be a line of custom All-Star shoes available, featuring the Columbus Dancing C’s design by Paul Rand. The low-top shoes are available for pre order with a $100 donation to the Bartholomew County Historical Society and high-top shoes will be $110.

Orders must be placed by Tuesday, April 22nd.

You can make your order at the historical society museum on Third Street in Columbus or you can make a purchase here: https://bartholomewhistory.org

Several groups are organizing a Forestry Field Day on Saturday in Jackson County, where you will have a chance to learn more about forestry management techniques.

Organizers say that the field day will be about five miles southwest of Medora in southern Jackson County. Directional signs will be posted on major roads and highways in the area.

David Ray will lead the tour of his property, showing his oak management techniques. That will include learning more about and viewing recent prescribed burn areas, learning about forestry best management practices and enhancing habitat for wildlife. There will also be discussion of financial assistance available to help landowners manage their forests.

There will also be information about conservation programs from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Organizers caution that the tour will involve walking in a hilly forest, sometimes on rough terrain. You should wear appropriate clothing and footwear for a morning in the woods.

A free lunch will be provided.

The Forestry Field Day will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, with check ins starting at 9 a.m. and the tour beginning at 9:30 a.m.

The event is being organized by Let the Sun Shine In-Indiana and the Indiana Forestry and Woodland Owners Association.

The event is free but registration is required. You can find  more information or register here: http://www.letthesunshinein-indiana.com

Photo and map courtesy of Let the Sun Shine In-Indiana

Railroad crossings around Columbus will continue to be closed periodically as crews make repairs.

According to Legacy Excavating, the contractor for the project on the Louisville and Indiana Railroad tracks, the company will be making crossing repairs in the Columbus area.

The contractors are announcing an overnight closing just west of the intersection of 3rd and Lindsey Streets on Saturday. That will be from 9 p.m. Saturday to 9 a.m. Sunday. This closure will affect all westbound SR46 traffic and all southbound Jonesville Road traffic.

Other upcoming closures will be from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Those include:

• South Gladstone Ave  north of Kreutzer Drive will be closed on Tuesday.
• South Marr Road  east of South Gladstone Ave and south of Roadway Drive will be closed on Wednesday, April 16th

Company officials say they recognize that the closings may cause some inconvenience and seek your understanding and cooperation. They say you should plan accordingly and use an alternate route if necessary.

The work schedule is dependent on the weather.

It is expected to be another cold night across Central Indiana.

The National Weather Service has issued a freeze warning tonight, with temperatures as low as 27 predicted in some areas. The freeze warning is in effect from midnight until 9 a.m. Saturday.