A new type of traffic camera will be reading the license plates of every vehicle entering Bartholomew County on Interstate 65 and U.S. 31, under a proposal approved by the County Commissioners Monday. However, the county promises not to use the devices for traffic enforcement.

Capt. Chris Roberts with the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department presented an agreement that would acquire four of the cameras at a cost of $11,000. The cameras have the ability to read license plates and quickly process those against a database to alert deputies with various pieces of information, such as the plate of a stolen vehicle, or a vehicle suspected in a child abduction or missing persons case. That information would be processed within moments and then forwarded to on-duty deputies via a computer program in their vehicle, Roberts said.

Roberts said it would be used as an investigative tool and a deputy would always be assigned to further explore the information provided. Roberts and County Commissioner Tony London stressed that the system would not be used for traffic enforcement such as automatically writing speeding tickets.

The county plans to get four of the cameras and position them to survey the north and south entrances to the county on U.S. 31 and Interstate 65. If successful, the county could add more cameras at other strategic locations, Roberts said.

The county will have a 60-day trial period with the cameras and then a full year contract.

Commissioners voted to approve the agreement with Flock Safety at their Monday meeting.

Two people were arrested on drug-related charges after a Sunday evening traffic stop in Columbus.

The Bartholomew County sheriff’s department reports that deputies stopped a vehicle with an altered license plate near 6th Street and Pleasant Grove at about 7:06 p.m. Sunday evening. The driver, 36-year-old Winston Zink of Nashville did not have a driver’s license, according to police reports.

Police dog Jari was brought to the scene and alerted to the odor of drugs inside the vehicle. A search revealed a controlled substance and a white powder.

Zink was arrested on preliminary charges of possession of methamphetamine, driving while suspended, operating a vehicle without ever receiving a license and driving a vehicle with an altered license plate.

A passenger, 49-year-old Mackcena Kirby of Columbus was arrested on a preliminary charge of possession of a controlled substance.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated.

A one-room schoolhouse from the 1890s burned down early Monday morning in eastern Bartholomew County.

Chief Dave Thompson with the Columbus Township Fire and Rescue Department said firefighters were called out at about 2:15 yesterday morning to aid Clay Township volunteers in fighting the blaze at County Roads 500E and 250N.

But when firefighters arrived on the scene they found that the building had been burning for some time and was fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters were on scene for about four hours extinguishing the burning brick building.

Thompson said the owners Anthony and Zane Harden have already made arrangements to have the ruins demolished later this week. Although largely abandoned, Thompson said the owners had installed a new roof recently to protect the building.

Thompson said there is no indication yet of what caused the fire. He said there were no utilities hooked up to the building, and nothing stored inside. He said it seemed suspicious.

Other volunteer fire departments assisting at the scene included Hope, Clifford, and Elizabethtown Thompson said.

Photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.

The Columbus city engineer’s office is reporting that the intersection of Hawcreek Boulevard and Lucas Way, south to National Road will be closed from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow.

That is in the West Everroad Park neighborhood.

Lawyer Excavation will be replacing the concrete street. The closing will allow for concrete trucks to have access, to place the new concrete and for the safety of workers, according to the city.

The only access allowed during the closure times will be for emergency vehicles, if needed.

The Town of Hope is bringing back its Old-Fashioned Independence Day celebration the Friday before the 4th of July.

This year, the Yellow Trail Museum and Main Street of Hope are partnering on July 2nd for a combined holiday celebration and the monthly car Cruise-in on the Hope Town Square. That’s according to HSJ Online, the Hope news website.

The Cruise-in will start at 5 p.m.. Old-fashioned Independence Day events will start at 6 p.m. and will include:

• 6 p.m. — Crafts, Games and Contests for kids, food booths open
• 6:15 p.m. — Crowning of Little Miss Sparkler and Mr. Firecracker
• 6:2 p.m. — Parade of Decorated Bikes/Trikes/ Strollers begins
• 6:30 p.m. — Banister Family Band plays on bandstand
• 6:45 p.m. — Register apple pies for Pie Baking Contest–cash prizes
• 6:45 p.m. — Cake Walk in Shelter house
• 7:30 p.m. — Sack Races
• 7:30 p.m. — Watermelon Eating Contest
• 7:45 p.m. — Tug of War
• 8 p.m. — Water Balloon Toss

the crowning of Little Miss Sparkler and Mr. Firecracker; a stroller, bike and tricycle parade; an apple-pie baking contest; sack races and other events on the Town Square.

There will also be a meet-and-greet for new town officials, with a little celebrity assistance. Starting at 6 p.m. that evening, there will be a booth set up on the Town Square to meet new Town Manager Frank Owens and Executive Director of Main Street of Hope, Matt Lee. They will be joined by Survivor and Amazing Race veteran Rupert Boneham, until 7 p.m. that evening.

The fireworks are scheduled to start at 10.

The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department is warning about a new traffic light at a Southern Crossing intersection.

Last week, INDOT activated the stoplight at the intersection of State Road 11 or Jonesville Road and County Road 450S near Walesboro. Previously the intersection had been a four-way stop sign.

The sheriff’s department warns that many drivers are still treating the intersection as a four-way stop, and running the red lights. Deputies warn that even if you have the green light, you should make sure there is no oncoming traffic ignoring the signals.

As of Friday, the sheriff’s department had issued two citations and made four arrests at the new signalized intersection.

The animals and staff at the Brown County Humane Society are settling in at their new location after last weekend’s move.

According to the agency, after operating for more than 30 years out of the previous facility, the society raised over $3.2 million in funding in less than three years for the new location. It has double the square footage of its last facility, which was four-thousand square-feet.

The society says the new building will better meet the needs of the animals and the community. The rural shelter had a 99 percent save rate for animals last year.

The shelter is closed through Tuesday as the staff and nearly 40 dogs and cats adjust to the new facility, at 128 South State Road 135. A grand opening and ribbon cutting will be held to celebrate the new shelter on July 17th.

Our news-gathering partners at TTWN Media Networks Inc. contributed to this report.

State Road 250 in southern Jackson County will be closing for about four months, starting next week, as crews work to replace a bridge over the Vernon Fork of the Muscatatuck River.

INDOT says that Dave O’Mara Contractors have the $1.2 million dollar contract to replace the bridge, which is west of U.S. 31 in Uniontown. The official detour will follow U.S. 31 to U.S. 50 and then to State Road 11.

The work is scheduled to start on Monday, June 21st and to last for 120 days. The schedule is dependent on the weather.

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

Thrive Alliance will be providing an online seminar on Tuesday about warning signs of Elder Abuse. Tuesday is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, meant to improve awareness of abuse and neglect of older people.

The Zoom session will feature Loretta Mize and Shelby Eggers of Thrive Alliance discussing the signs and symptoms of abuse, identifying the newest scams, strategies for intervention in elder abuse cases and local resources you can tap into.

The free online class will be at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. For more information you can contact Thrive Alliance at 812-372-6918. To register go to Event Brite.