Heritage Fund: Bartholomew County’s Community Foundation has a new leader.

The organization announced this morning that the new president and CEO will be Edie Blakeslee. Blakeslee most recently served as vice president of grantmaking and community leadership at the Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina and consulting work. She is a native of Buffalo, N.Y. and previously worked to support students at The Citadel military school.

Blakeslee’s appointment to the Columbus role is effective yesterday after a unanimous vote of Heritage Fund’s board of directors.

Current Heritage Fund leader Tracy Souza recently announced her retirement after 14 years with the organization. That announcement was followed by a national search for a new leader, led by Campbell & Company, with the participation of Heritage Fund board members and several community leaders.

Heritage Fund began in 1976 as a community foundation charged with accepting gifts and managing charitable funds in the community. It has $111 million in assets. It mission is to inspire generosity, gather and grow community leaders, and to ensure that Bartholomew County is an exceptional place to live, learn, work and play.

Two people were arrested on felony charges last week after a family fight in North Vernon.

North Vernon police announced on Friday that officers were called last Monday afternoon to a home on West Hayden Pike on a report of a fight between family members. Police found several people who had been involved in a physical conflict and determine a domestic battery had taken place.

Robert Brooks and Autumn Hood were both taken into custody and arrested on felony charges of domestic battery.

A Jennings County man was found guilty recently on felony child molesting charges.

According to the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, 70 year old Paul D. Collett was found guilty earlier this month. He was originally arrested in August of 2024 after a four month long investigation found evidence Collett had molested a female child in his family over a six year period. The prosecutor’s office says that the investigation involved the Jennings County School Corporation, the Department of Child Services, the Children’s Advocacy Center, and investigators from the sheriff’s office.

Since his arrest, Collett has been held in the Jennings County Jail, according to the sheriff’s department.

In a statement, Jennings County Prosecutor Brian Belding praised the victim for her courage in coming forward saying “We hope her inspiring example will encourage other victims of sexual abuse to come forward and seek the support they deserve.” Belding also praised the cooperation between the agencies that led to the conviction.

Chief Deputy Cody Low of the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office said the office “will continue to aggressively pursue those who prey upon the children of our community.”

The guilty verdict came after a three day jury trial in Jennings Circuit Court that started June 2nd. A sentencing hearing date has not yet been set.

Former Vice President Mike Pence says the U.S. needs to have Israel’s back as conflicts with Iran continue.

The Columbus native appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union”, and urged the U.S. to be ready to take decisive action.

His comments come as Israel and Iran exchanged deadly airstrikes for a third day. At least ten people were killed after an unknown number of Iranian missiles broke through the Israeli air defense system. Iran says more than 200 people have been killed so far by Israeli attacks since Friday.

Story courtesy of TTWN Media Networks

Photo of Pence visit to Israel in 2024 courtesy of The Republican Jewish Coalition

Landmark Columbus Foundation is holding a design camp this week for third to sixth graders.

Campers are working alongside Exhibit Columbus J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller Prize recipients Charlie Vinz of Adaptive Operations and Nina Cooke John of Studio Cooke John. Campers are working on activities that will add to Exhibit Columbus installations to be installed at downtown locations later this summer. They will also be taking part in hands-on, creative projects to learn new skills, collaborate with peers, and discover how design shapes the world around them, organizers say.

The camp is a partnership with Foundation for Youth and Columbus Youth Camp.

You can find more information on Columbus Youth Camp’s specialty camps this summer at https://www.foundationforyouth.com/cyc

Photo from 2023 design camp courtesy of Landmark Columbus Foundation and Hadley Fruits.

National Weather Service special weather statement

The National Weather Service is warning of the possibility of “cold air funnels” today, which differ from and are caused by different weather conditions than tornadoes.

According to the forecasters, funnel clouds generally develop and occur in conjunction with conditions that produce severe thunderstorms.

Entirely different conditions are expected across Central Indiana today. There is little potential for severe thunderstorms.

Research studies of funnel cloud occurrences indicate that a different type of funnel cloud forms when weather conditions are similar to those of today. these are called cold air funnels and
are not as violent as those associated with severe storms.

Cold air funnels are associated with thunderstorms or showers that form in deep, cold core, large-scale low pressure systems. These funnel clouds are smooth and narrow. The parent storm or
shower is not particularly tall or intense. These funnel clouds normally protrude a few hundred feet downward from the parent clouds, rotate or spin like a top, and last only a few minutes
before dissipating.

In rare cases when their circulations does reach the ground, cold air funnels cause only minor damage. More reports of small funnel clouds are possible over Central Indiana today. Warnings will be
issued if any of them touch the ground.

The United Way of Bartholomew County and the Bartholomew County Food Insecurity Coalition are looking for your help to feed the hungry in the community.

According to the United Way, food pantries across Bartholomew County are reporting a sharp rise in requests for help from residents. Relief organizations report a growing number of families in need and one in five children in the county lives in poverty.

Throughout June, the United Way is holding a Community Food Drive is a way for local residents support their neighbors facing hunger. They are asking for you to make food or monetary donations this month to support Love Chapel, the Salvation Army, and Community Center of Hope.

Food donations can be dropped off at United Way offices at 1304 Hutchins Avenue in Columbus, throughout June. Monetary donations can be made online here: https://giving.classy.org/campaign/693095/donate. You can find more information online at www.uwbarthco.org and clicking on Community Food Drive.

YES Cinema will be hosting a rock-and-roll luncheon on Wednesday to raise funds for the Lincoln Central Neighborhood Family Center’s Angels of Love program.

Angels of Love is Lincoln Central’s Christmas assistance program.

The luncheon will be from 11 to 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Sarla Kalsi Conference Center in Yes Cinema at Fourth and Jackson Streets in downtown Columbus.

The $12 lunch will include a burger or Coney dog, fries or onion rings and a drink.

The cinema will be hosting future fund-fundraising lunches in July, August and September:

• July 16 —T he Kalsi Sizzling Summer BBQ
• August 20 — New York’s Famous Deli: Kalsi on the Green
• September 17 — The Four Jacks Soup and Salad Extravaganza.

For more information, contact LCNFC at 812-379-1630 or email [email protected].

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is issuing an advisory legal opinion affirming the ability of law enforcement to arrest and detain those driving without a license.

Rokita points out that the opinion means that those here illegally are at risk of being arrested on the roadway, because they are not allowed to have a legal driver’s license. And when they are taken to county jails, federal authorities will be notified and the person can be picked up, if the federal authorities choose to.

The clarification was requested by the Jackson County Prosecutor Jeff Chalfant, Rokita said.

Rokita said that unlike most other driving offenses, those accused can’t simply be cited, agree to appear in court and then be released at the scene. Rokita said that Indiana state statute ensure that those who have never been licensed can be detained and brought before a court promptly. That includes both legal residents and those without a legal status.

He said that illegal immigrants may possess out-of-state licenses but those are not valid in Indiana.

Rokita said this is a critical public safety issue with concerns about illegal immigration and safety on Indiana’s roads.

The attorney general’s office issues advisory opinions to provide public officials with correct interpretations of laws, to help officials in decision making and to protect public officials from legal liability and lawsuits.

U.S. 31 will soon be closing in southern Jackson County for most of the rest of the year.

According to INDOT, contractors will be closing the highway near Uniontown starting on Monday, June 23rd as crews replace a bridge over Lewis Branch. That will be just north of Uniontown between East Jackson County Road 50 South and East County Road 150 South.

The project is expected to take until mid November. The work schedule is dependent on the weather. The official detour will take State Road 250 to Interstate -65 to U.S. 50 and then back to U.S. 31.

This work is part of a $2.4 million contract awarded to E&B Paving.

INDOT reminds you to slow down, to drive without distractions and to be alert to worker safety in all work zones.