One area town will receive a share of more than $1 million in grants announced yesterday by Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs.

The town of St. Paul on the Decatur and Shelby County line will receive a $50,000 comprehensive planning grant. The grants are meant to help communities identify needs in the areas of land use, government capacity, public services, placemaking, economic development, housing, transportation, agriculture, natural resources and historic resources.

Versailles also received a $50,000 planning grant.

Beckwith said that “Empowering communities produces private-sector growth and secures an even brighter future for Indiana.”

The money comes from Community Development Block Grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development administered through the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs.

Hoosier soldiers who took part in an incident while deployed to Kosovo two years ago received a combat patch recognition this week at Camp Atterbury.

According to the Indiana National Guard, more than 300 Guardsmen from the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team were recognized for their actions on May 29, 2023. During the incident violent protestors trapped Kosovo Police and the soldiers from the 76th along with soldiers from the Kosovo Force and police riot control units were sent in to rescue the officers and disperse the crowd. However a violent group fought back with grenades, firearms, improvised explosives and other projectiles. At least 56 explosive devices were detonated and 93 people were injured including seven U.S. soldiers.

A ceremony recognizing the Hoosiers with the combat patch was held Wednesday at Camp Atterbury. The soldiers will now wear the combat patch on their right shoulders recognizing their service in hostile conditions.

Eight brigade soldiers earned the Combat Action Badge for their heroism during the riots for carrying soldiers to safety.

The Yellow Trail Museum will be hosting the Hope Old-Fashioned Independence Day festivities on the Hope Town Square tomorrow.

Activities start at 5:30 p.m. and will include crafts, pioneer games, contests, the crowning of Miss and Mr. Firecracker, a bike, trike and wagon parade, music and fireworks. The Bannister Family Band will be performing at the bandstand from 7 to 9:30 p.m.

The museum will be offering ice cream floats all evening for $1.

The fireworks are scheduled to start at 10 p.m. You should bring your own chair or blanket.

Indiana State Police dog Oswald has received a bulletproof and stab protecting vest.

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.”

According to the Versailles State Police post, Oswald’s vest is provided by Vested Interest in K9s. 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.

The organization accepts donations and $1,050 will sponsor one vest.

You can get more information at www.vik9s.org

Photo provided by Indiana State Police

This extremely hot weather is sticking with us for at least a while longer. A heat advisory remains in effect for our area through 8 p.m. Friday night.

The National Weather Service in Indianapolis says that the high humidity is going to continue and by this afternoon the heat index will make it feel like 100 degrees out there.

If you have to be outside, you should take extra precautions to avoid heat-related illnesses. They say to limit any strenuous activities to early morning or evening. You should also wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing.

Make sure you drink plenty of fluids and check in on relatives or neighbors who might be especially vulnerable to the heat.

Nationwide, the heat dome is starting to relax its grip on parts of the central and eastern U.S. Forecasters say temperatures will start to fall today in the Northeast, where places like New York and New England have seen record temperatures. The mid-Atlantic and Southeast will have to deal with some heat through Friday, but with much lower highs before temps drop more during the weekend.

The Bartholomew County 4-H Fair continues today with Bartholomew County Commissioners Day at the fair.

Entertainment tonight starting at 7 p.m. will include Timothy Smith with a classic rock show at the David Boll Theater, Green Timbe Music featuring Louis and Teresa Green at the Farm Bureau Building and the Heartland Auto Racing Tour Hart Micro series at the grandstand. The working chute contest sponsored by the Bartholomew County FFA Alumni will be at the pavilion starting at 8

The midway will open at 5 p.m. with buy one get one wristbands for $30.

You can get more information at bartholomewcountyfair.com

Police say that a serious violent predator is back in jail less than a month after being released from custody.

According to the Columbus Police Department, 36-year-old Michael O. Kent was released from jail June 2nd after being held on charges from October of 2022 of violating the sex offender registry requirements and unlawful entry by a serious sex offender.

Police say that before his arrest they had received multiple reports of him acting suspiciously and approaching women. After he was released, police receive another similar complaint.

The Columbus Police intelligence unit began surveillance of Kent and found that he was living in the 800 block of Fourth Street, which is within 1,000 feet of a school. He had also failed to report for the registry with the sex offender coordinator.

On Tuesday, Kent was arrested on new felony charges of failing to register as a serious violent predator and violations of the sex offender residency registry.

Another resident at the address, 54-year-old Vicky Burton, was arrested on a preliminary misdemeanor charge of assisting a criminal.

Note: This story has been updated

A woman and child were killed in an accident with a tractor Monday in rural Jackson County.

According to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, rescue workers were called to an accident in Redding Township at about 7:40 p.m. Monday evening. They found a 68-year-old woman and 4-year-old boy who had been struck by a farm tractor and gravely injured.

The boy was taken to Schneck Medical Center in Seymour where he was pronounced dead. The woman was flown by medical helicopter to a Louisville hospital were she succumbed to her injuries early this morning.

No names have been released of those involved.

Sheriff Rick Meyer said that deputies “heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to the family and all involved.”

The accident remains under investigation. Jackson County medics, Redding Volunteer Fire Department and Seymour Fire Department also responded to the call.

The local Daughters of the American Revolution is announcing that the society has awarded its prestigious Creedon award to Columbus East graduate Alex Wenzler.

The award is through the organization’s Good Citizen Scholarship program which recognizes activities outside of school and sports. Wenzler, who graduated this year, was chosen from more than 80 candidates statewide for the award. Wenzler participated in three varsity sports, National Honor Society and Key Club and is also active in Big Brothers/Big Sisters. But the award especially recognized Wenzler for his work as a volunteer firefighter.

Wenzler was nominated by his teachers as being “dedicated, responsible, trustworthy, courageous, and honorable.” His essay was selected by the local Joseph Hart chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution to represent the area at the state level.

Wenzler plans to major in criminal justice and become a police officer.

Photo courtesy of the Joseph Hart Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Several local organizations are receiving a share of just over $925 thousand dollars in grants awarded by the Indiana Commerce Office.

Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce received a $40,000 award for its Catalyst Academy: Incubator & Fund. Catalyst Academy is a an online education platform where participants can take a self-directed learning course and receive coaching to make a pitch for funding.

Jackson County Chamber also received a $40,000 award for its SPARK Shop Connections program. SPARK Jackson County will host recurring events centered around small businesses in the community. Once the SPARK Shop co-working studio opens, the funds will be used to engage and attract entrepreneurs and innovators to the space.

The grants came through the state’s Community Collaboration Fund and went to 28 community-led projects focused on entrepreneurial education, connection and acceleration across Indiana. The office announced $925,107 in grant awards this morning. The grants require matching funds.