You might see military vehicles and soldiers around Columbus Regional Hospital today.

The CRH Emergency Department is participating in a training exercise with the military called Guardian Response. It is a simulated disaster drill being operated by the Army’s Muscatatuck Urban Training Center in Jennings County. The goal is to help the Army practice and evaluate its ability to treat, triage, and transport patients from a simulated disaster area to a civilian medical center.

The hospital staff will also be learning about how to transport and triage patients into emergency care from military vehicles in this simulated mass casualty event.

During the exercise, military personnel will be transporting actors portraying patients as well as mannequins. These exercises are only simulations and will not affect actual patient care.

The exercise is going on from 9 to noon today.

Photo courtesy of https://www.army.mil

A North Vernon gun dealer will spend four years in federal prison for selling firearms without a license.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, 52-year-old David J. Mull sold hundreds of firearms illegally, without obtaining a proper dealing license. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives sent him a cease-and-desist letter in 2016, but rather than quit, he continued to run his unlicensed gun business, authorities say.

They say he avoided detection by buying weapons from private sellers at gun shows across the country for resale. Federal firearms licenses holders are required to generate multiple sales reports when someone buys more than one gun within a five-day period. Private sellers have no such obligation to keep or maintain records.

Between 2019 and 2023, Mull sold over 500 firearms to a main customer in New York City, in exchange for about $350,000. That main customer then moved the weapons from New York to Mexico.

Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana John E. Childress, said diverting firearms from legal markets in the U.S. to illegal markets in Mexico fuels cartel violence and the drug trade. He said the violence crosses borders and devastate communities.

Mull also operated an online gun sales system, selling more than 800 weapons across the country.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case.

The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney II after Mull pled guilty to unlicensed dealing in firearms. After the four years in prison, Mull will be required to spend two years under supervised release.

A plane crashed near the Indy South Greenwood Airport on Sunday, causing minor injuries to those onboard.

According to the Greenwood Fire Department, the incident happened shortly after noon. A small plane lost power while beginning its flight north from a runway. The pilot had to perform an immediate landing in the grass near the Indiana State Police hangar.

Two people in the planer were taken to a trauma center for treatment of minor injuries. They are expected to fully recover.

The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating.

Story courtesy of Network Indiana and TTWN Media Networks.

Nominations are open for this year’s Jack Cramer Ideals of Athletic Competition Award, according to the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department.

The awards are presented annually to a local male and a female athlete, coach or sports organizer. All nominees must live or work in Bartholomew County and be a senior in high school or older.

The 2024 award winners were Sarah Frasier and Steve Souder.

The award is in honor of Cramer, a former local athlete who died in 1978 at the age of 33.

You can find information and nomination forms at Nexus Park or at https://columbusparksandrec.com The deadline to enter is June 18th.

Johnson County authorities say that a father angry at the county’s juvenile court system, crashed his truck through the front of the youth service center there yesterday.

According to the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department, a pickup with the words “Fathers Matter” scrawled across the tailgate crashed into the secured entryway at about 11:40 a.m. Sunday morning. Police say that employees were working in the area and juveniles are being held at the facility and they could have been killed or injured when the vehicle crashed through the entryway and front vestibule.

39 year old Jacob Dhondt was arrested almost immediately by officers on scene. Deputies say that in the initial interview with Dhondt, he said he was sending a message to the judges and judicial system. Authorities say he said he was angry at the Johnson County court system because he hasn’t been able to see his son in a year.

Dhondt is facing felony charges including Intimidation, Criminal Recklessness and Criminal Mischief. He was also wanted on a Shelby County warrant for dealing methamphetamine.

Sheriff Duane Burgess said this was an act of intimidation and an attack on the staff and justice system. He said “This was a targeted, intentional act that put the lives of innocent people — people simply doing their jobs — directly in harm’s way.”

State Road 7 will be closing on Wednesday in Jefferson County while crews repair a washed out section of the roadway.

According to INDOT, the work will be going on from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday on the highway near Hanging Rock Hill, with the work schedule dependent on the weather. Crews will be cleaning ditches and repairing damage from recent storms.

INDOT reminds you to slow down, to drive without distractions and to use extra caution for worker safety in all work zones.

The city of Columbus is making plans for the 40th annual Ethnic Expo.

The downtown event will be held October 10th and 11th from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. both days in the area behind and around Columbus City Hall.

Although the festival started in 1984, making last year technically the 40th year, the 2020 event was canceled due to COVID.

The festival celebrates the city’s diversity and rich cultural traditions. It features live performances of international music, dancing, authentic cuisine and bazaar market vendors, along with free children’s activities.

First Financial Bank will be the presenting sponsor again this year.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and the Bartholomew County community’s Mental Health Matters coalition is organizing a full slate of activities.

On Saturday morning, there will be a free viewing of the family movie “Inside Out 2” at Yes Cinema. Organizers say that the film opens the door to meaningful conversations about emotions and mental wellness. The film will start at 9:30 a.m. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. The event is sponsored by Foundation for Youth and you can find a link to RSVP at https://www.foundationforyouth.com/prevention-initiatives

Also on Saturday there will be a Foster and Kinship Care Appreciation Day at Donner Park on 22nd Street in Columbus. You will be able to connect with service providers, have lunch, play games and win prizes while you find out more about local resources and build relationships. The event will be from noon to 2 p.m. and is being organized by Beloved Bags. Beloved Bags is a non profit that provides bags for children who are separated from unstable or dangerous living conditions, so that they don’t have to carry their belongings in garbage bags.

You can find a full schedule of this month’s events at the Bartholomew County Mental Health Matters website at https://www.mhmbc.org/mentalhealthmonth

A Columbus man has been arrested on voyeurism charges after allegedly trying to film in the women’s locker room at a local fitness center.

According to the Columbus Police Department, an 8-year-old girl saw someone holding a cell phone under the stall as she was showering at Total Fitness on Middle Road Thursday evening. Employees then found 24-year-old Tanner Vandeman inside a women’s shower stall. Employees and bystanders held onto Vandeman until officers arrived. Police discovered Vandeman had recording equipment on him and found that he had been convicted of voyeurism in the past.

He was arrested on a felony charge of voyeurism and several electronic devices were confiscated by investigators. The investigation is ongoing and more charges are possible.

Family Service of Bartholomew County is announcing that Sue Lamborn has been chosen as the new executive director of the organization.

Lamborn most recently served as outreach and community relations manager at Thrive Alliance. Previously she was at organizations including Koala, Behavioral Healthcare Columbus, and
Quinco. Lamborn also previously served as director of independence at Human Services, Inc.

Family Service of Bartholomew County is a nonprofit agency dedicated to improving the
mental wellness of the community. It employs Licensed Clinical Social Workers and Licensed Mental Health Counselors and focuses on two key service areas: Clinical Services and Prevention Services.

Clinical Services supports individuals experiencing mental health crises through therapy, life coaching, counseling, support groups, and targeted services.

Prevention Services provides education and outreach covering child abuse, suicide awareness, internet safety, substance use, human trafficking, and exploitation prevention

Family Services offers programs in English and in Spanish.

Lamborn has been in the Columbus community since 1993 along with her husband of 35 years.

For more information about Family Service of Bartholomew County and its programs, you can go to https://familyservicebc.org