The National Weather Service says you will see some cold temperatures overnight tonight and Wednesday.

A freeze warning is in effect from 10 p.m. tonight to 10 a.m. Wednesday morning with temperatures down to 29 expected, and a freeze watch has been issued for Wednesday night through Thursday morning with temperatures getting down to 30.

The weather service says the cold could kill crops and sensitive vegetation. You could also see damage to unprotected outdoor plumbing.

Forecasters are also expecting snow later tonight stretching from Fort Wayne to Evansville and covering most of central Indiana. Some of the snow could be heavy at times, but they don’t expect much of it to stick once it hits the ground.

The vacant Kroger store on National Road in Columbus could become a self storage facility.

The Republic newspaper is reporting this morning that the property was sold last month to Tiptonia Partners LLC out of Indianapolis. The Columbus Board of Zoning Appeals approve the property’s use for self storage last fall, according to the newspaper. A request has been made to city planners to further subdivide the property with the large parking lot being converted into two new lots.

You can read more information at therepublic.com

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated.

A 2-year-old boy died yesterday after being struck by a pickup in a Greenwood mobile home park.

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Department says that 59-year-old Christopher L. White of Greenwood, an employee of Winterbrook Mobile Home Community, was driving a company truck at about 4:39 p.m. Monday afternoon when the boy was hit. The child, Isaiah D. Bonds, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Johnson County Coroner’s office.

According to the accident report, White came to a complete stop at an intersection and never saw the boy enter the intersection over the tall hood of the truck. After he started driving again,White said he felt his truck hit something and stopped to see what it was. That’s when he discovered the boy had been struck.

Bartholomew County officials are seeking a grant in part to buy two drones for the sheriff’s department.

Shannan Cooke, director of emergency management for the county, outlined the proposal to the county commissioners yesterday. The annual Indiana homeland security grant request of just over $210,000 would provide almost $84,000 for the county to purchase two drones along with their associated camera equipment and software and also to train operators in their use.

The other $126,000 of the grant would go to purchase cameras, handheld metal detectors and a magnetometer for Columbus City Hall and the fire and police training facility at the airport, Cooke said.

Bartholomew County Commissioners approved the grant application.

Bartholomew Consolidated Schools are announcing plans for next month’s graduations that include outdoor ceremonies with plenty of room for social distancing.

The district is planning for three graduation ceremonies on May 27th and 29th. The first will be for CSA New Tech graduating seniors and will be held on the Columbus East football field starting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 27th.

Columbus East will hold its ceremonies at 9 a.m. on the morning of Saturday, May 29th, on the football field. Later that morning, at 11 a.m., Columbus North is scheduled to hold its graduation on the North football field. All of the ceremonies will be live-streamed through the district’s YouTube page.

The schools also outlined alternate times and dates in case of bad weather. In the worst case scenario, North and East could hold their ceremonies at the same time across town from each other. In case of inclement weather, the CSA graduation will be moved to Friday, May 28th at 7 p.m.  Columbus  East will have a backup time of 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 29th, or an evening time between 5 and 8 p.m.  Columbus North would switch to 4 p.m. or an evening time between 5 and 8 p.m. that day in case of inclement weather.

The district is announcing that limits on capacities will be put in place to meet COVID-19 guidelines and the exact number of tickets each graduating senior will have available will be announced closer to the date.

The district will be requiring masks, physical distancing, hand hygiene and contact tracing will be in effect.

Jennings County deputies set out to check on the welfare of residents at a home, but ended up with an arrest on drug-related charges.

According to authorities, when deputies arrived at the home in Geneva Township on Friday, they could see drug paraphernalia through an open window. After getting a search warrant, deputies found syringes, paraphernalia and what they believe to be methamphetamine.

50-year-old Gregory D. Loper of North Vernon was arrested on preliminary charges of maintaining a common nuisance along with charges for possessing the drugs, syringes and paraphernalia.

A Columbus woman was arrested on drug-dealing charges after a traffic stop early Monday morning.

Columbus police are reporting that an officer saw a vehicle make a traffic violation and pulled it over at shortly after 2 a.m. yesterday morning. The driver, 38-year-old Christy N. Walker appeared nervous and a police dog alerted to the smell of narcotics inside the vehicle. A search revealed two large plastic bags, containing smaller baggies packed with methamphetamine, according to police.

Walker was arrested on a preliminary charge of dealing in methamphetamine and for possession of drug paraphernalia.

Jackson County deputies arrested a Seymour man last week after an investigation uncovered drugs in storage units.

According to the sheriff’s department, deputies executed a search warrant after a several weeks long investigation into stolen property and narcotics. Police dogs from the department and the Seymour police alerted to the smell of narcotics inside the units. The search revealed methamphetamine, marijuana, cocaine, LSD, mushrooms and prescription medications along with drug paraphernalia.

Authorities also found more than $30,000 in stolen tools and electronics including cordless tools, air compressors, generators, and welders. Deputies suspect the items were taken as payment for drugs.

Police say 37-year-old Bobby D. Sexton of Seymour had been seen in and at the storage units and his name was on the lease. He was arrested Wednesday on charges of possession of stolen property and dealing in narcotics.

According to the sheriff’s department, the investigation is ongoing and more arrests are possible.

Indiana State Police arrested a Seymour man Friday on drug dealing charges after a traffic stop on State Road 11.

According to troopers, the driver of a car committed a traffic violation on Interstate 65 north of Seymour at about 1 p.m. Friday afternoon. The trooper followed the vehicle off of the State Road 11 exit and pulled the driver over. That’s when the trooper’s police dog alerted to the odor of narcotics inside the vehicle.

A search revealed more than 120 grams of what appeared to be crystal methamphetamine in the vehicle and being carried by the driver, 38-year-old Chad W. Bruce of Seymour. The trooper also found other paraphernalia used in the sale of drugs.

Bruce was arrested on charges of dealing methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine.

Evidence photo courtesy of Indiana State Police

Columbus police say three people were seriously injured in a crash last week on County Road 450S near 100W.

Police say that a pickup was being driven east on County Road 450S by 65-year-old Steven W. Beavers of Seymour at about 6:15 Thursday morning when he sideswiped a car and then crashed head-on into another car being driven by 39-year-old Maria Hernandez of Columbus. Beavers, Hernandez and a passenger in Hernandez’ vehicle, 36-year-old Mariela Ramos Gonzalez of Columbus were all seriously injured and were flown by separate medical helicopters to Indianapolis hospitals.

The driver of the sideswiped vehicle, 50-year-old Douglas W. Meek of Hope, was uninjured.

Crash reconstructionists from Columbus police department and the Indiana State Police continue to investigate the accident.

Columbus police were assisted at the scene by Columbus Regional Health paramedics, Columbus Fire Department, Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, IU Medical Lifeline helicopter and Saint Vincent Statflight helicopter.

Photo of IU Lifeline helicopter crew courtesy of Columbus Police Department.