The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department welcomed its newest deputy this week, 23-year-old Dayan Smith.
Smith is a graduate of Greenwood High School and Anderson University.
He previously worked at the Columbus, Georgia police department on DUI and family violence cases.
Smith said that he was looking for a smaller department closer to family.
Photo: Sheriff Matt Myers swears in new deputy, Dayan Smith on June 1st. Photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.
The Bartholomew County Health Department and Windrose Health’s Mobile Clinic are holding a COVID-19 vaccination clinic today, at Hauser High School in Hope.
The clinic will be giving shots of the Pfizer vaccine. It will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. today in the front parking lot at the school on State Road 9. Registration preferred but walk-ins are welcome. The health department says there will be a free gift for those who get vaccinated.
To register for the clinic, call Windrose at 317-680-9901.
There are several other Bartholomew County clinics slated this month including:
Pfizer vaccine
June 17th 9 a.m. to noon at the McDonald’s parking lot, 11995 N. U.S. 31, Edinburgh. Call Windrose at 317-680-9901 to register
June 17th 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Driftside Home Community Clubhouse, 13540 U.S. 31, Edinburgh. Call Windrose at 317-680-9901 to register
June 28th 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Bartholomew County Fairgrounds Sheriff’s tent. Call the Bartholomew County Healthy Department at 812-379-1555, option 1 to register
Johnson & Johnson vaccine
June 10th 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Mill St Deli, 102 Mill St, Elizabethtown. Call the Bartholomew County Health Department at 812-379-1555, option 1 to register
June 18th 9 to 11 a.m. Heartsville Sweets, 100 S Jackson St, Hartsville. Call the Bartholomew County Health Department at 812-379-1555, option 1 to register
June 19th 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. White Diamond Lavender Farm, 9415 E. County Road 800N, Hope. Call the Bartholomew County Health Department at 812-379-1555, option 1 to register.
United Way of Bartholomew County and Centra Credit Union will be holding an information session for first-time homebuyers this evening at Columbus North High School.
The 90-minute session will include an overview of the home buying process, credit reports, debt and budgeting, down payments, the pre-approval process and getting out of debt.
The information will be provided by a home buyer counselor and a credit counselor from Centra Credit Union.
The session will start at 6:30 p.m. Thursday evening and pre-registration is not required. Refreshments will be provided by Bankin’ Baby BBQ.
Seymour police have arrested a 20-year-old man on charges of molesting a 13-year-old girl after a six-week long investigation.
According to police reports, the investigation began on April 14th, when police received information about 20-year-old Tyler J. Fisher, of Seymour, allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with the girl.
After interviews were conducted, a Jackson Circuit Court Warrant for child molesting was issued for Fisher. On Tuesday, Seymour officers were called to the 600 block of Centennial Street in Seymour and found Fisher hiding in a bedroom.
He was taken into custody on a charge of child molesting and police say that in an interview he confessed to the crime.
INDOT says contractors will be closing a State Road 135 bridge near Vallonia in Jackson County starting Monday through mid August.
The bridge over Half Mike Creek will be resurfaced by Dave O’Mara Contractors. The work is expected to take up to 75 days. The official detour is to take State Road 235 and U.S. 50 around the roadwork.
INDOT asks that you slow down, use extra caution and drive without distractions in all work zones. The schedule is dependent on the weather.
Columbus firefighters fought a fire in a bedroom at a home on the north side of the city Tuesday afternoon.
The owner of the property in the 2000 block of Iroquois Trail called for help after she found smoke in the home at about 1:38 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. Firefighters found heavy smoke inside but no fire, until they opened a bedroom door and found the room ablaze. The fire was quickly knocked down and firefighters say the damage was mostly confined to the closed bedroom.
Damages were estimated at about $5,000.
Photo courtesy of Columbus Fire Department.
A flaming trash truck dumped its load in the AMC Theatres parking lot yesterday afternoon, according to Columbus firefighters.
The incident was reported at about 2:40 p.m. on Creekview Drive, where firefighters found a Rumpke truck that was still on fire after dropping the burning load of trash into the vacant parking lot. Firefighters climbed onto the truck and extinguished the fire in the truck’s compactor before putting out the flaming trash outside.
The driver said that they noticed smoke coming from inside the truck about a mile down the road and looked for an empty spot to drop the load, settling on the theater parking lot.
The Columbus Department of Public Works assisted on the scene with a front-end loader.
Damage to the truck is believed to be minor.
Photo courtesy of Columbus Fire Department
The Bartholomew County Council took another step to lure business development to the northwest corner of the county, in an area being called the county’s northern gateway.
The Greater Columbus Economic Development Corporation asked the council to start the process to declare the area an economic revitalization area, which if approved would allow the council to offer tax abatements on new development in the area. The boundaries of the new area would be from roughly County Road 900N at the north end to
Larae Drive on the south and would encompass areas on either side of U.S. 31 around the intersection with Interstate 65.
Jason Hester, president of the development agency, said that having the ability to give tax abatements would be another tool to encourage businesses to relocate to Bartholomew County or to expand existing operations. Under a tax abatement, property taxes are phased in, normally over 10 years, on new equipment and building improvements, instead of being due all at once.
He estimated that if the area is ever fully developed, it could add almost 2,500 new jobs and $320 million in project development over the next 20 years.
The Council gave its initial approval for the new revitalization area. Before giving final approval, the council would have to hold a public hearing, which is tentatively set for June 29th, with final approval coming in July.
Six people were arrested on drug-related charges on Saturday after Jennings County deputies were called to a dispute in Geneva Township.
Deputies were called to the fight at about 5:40 p.m. Saturday afternoon and with the assistance of the Jackson- Jennings Community Corrections Department, authorities seized more than 65 grams of methamphetamine, scales, paraphernalia and packaging materials use for the sale and distribution of narcotics.
Deputies arrested 50-year-old Frederick A. Bailey, 41-year-old Willowdale A. Anderson, 38-year-old Michelle Helmling, 50-year-old Stephen A. Mowery, 32-year-old Kyle D. Allison and 37-year-old Alesia M. Barnes, all of North Vernon
Additionally, three children were removed from the home by the Indiana Department of Child Services.
Charges included:
Fredrick A Bailey (Bond doubled due to being on house arrest)
Willowdale A. Anderson
Michelle Helmling (Bond doubled due to being on probation)
Stephen Allen Mowery
Kyle D. Allison
Alesia M. Barnes
Photos courtesy of Jennings County Sheriff’s Department
Updated:
A 19-year-old Columbus man is being accused of murder after a stabbing early this morning in Quail Run Apartments.
The Columbus Police Department reports that officers were called to a unit in the 1000 block of Robert Drive at just before 6 a.m. this morning and found a adult man who had suffered multiple stab wounds. He was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital, where he soon died from his injuries.
Bartholomew County Coroner Clayton Nolting told the Republic newspaper that the victim was 19-year-old Eric Cavanaugh who died of multiple sharp force injuries to his back and chest, believed to have been inflicted by a chef’s knife.
An investigation led police to arrest 19-year-old Daniel J. Denny on a preliminary charge of murder. He remains in the Bartholomew County Jail on a 48-hour hold, and the investigation is ongoing, police say.
Earlier:
The Columbus Police Department is investigating a fatal stabbing that happened at the Quail Run Apartments earlier this morning.
CPD detectives have a suspect in custody at this time. There is no additional threat to public safety.
More information will be released soon and this story will be updated.