A pet food pantry distribution is set for Thursday afternoon at the Columbus Municipal Airport.

Friends of Columbus Animal Care Services will be holding their Furry Friends Food Bank giveaway from 4 to 5:30 p.m. or until the food runs out. The pet food will be distributed in the airport parking lot at 4770 Ray Boll Boulevard in front of the Charlie 119 cargo plane.

Cat food will be distributed in 4.5 pound bags and dog food in 14.5 pound bags. If you take part you should stay in your vehicle and the food will be brought to you.

Organizers say the purpose of the pantry is to assist community members in need to keep their pets in their homes and out of area shelters.

Friends of Columbus Animal Care Services is the non-profit partner of the city-operated animal shelter.

We could see some bad weather on Wednesday as a storm system moves through the area.

According to the Bartholomew County Emergency Operations Center, our area is right on the line between having an enhanced risk of severe weather to the north and west portions, and a slight risk to the south and east.

The main threats will be Wednesday afternoon through late evening with the possibility of damaging winds with gusts of more than 60 mph possible, large hail along with isolated flooding and tornadoes possible.

Emergency officials say that you can prepare by identifying a safe spot at home and at work, should the weather turn severe.. A basement or storm shelter is best, but an interior room, stairway or hall without a window or door to the outside is also acceptable.

Heading into the weekend, our current warm and muggy conditions are expected to turn to possibly dangerous heat. High temperatures in the mid 90s are possible and the humidity could make that feel like more than 100 degrees outside.

Bartholomew County officials are putting new procedures in place after a snafu over bids for a new county truck.

Recently the Bartholomew County Commissioners awarded a bid for a new truck for the assessor’s office to Country Chevrolet of North Vernon. However, commissioners decided Monday to scrap the contract and start over after an error was discovered in the process.

According to Commissioners President Carl Lienhoop the paperwork was read incorrectly and another bidder, Chevrolet of Columbus, actually came in with a cheaper offer. The difference was just over $179 dollars. But the final total was buried deep in the 12 pages of bid documents and was missed by the county officials.

Commissioners decided at their Monday meeting that the most fair thing to do would be to rescind the contract and seek new bids.

To prevent the problem from happening again, county officials will now require a cover page from bidders with the bottom line price listed and an estimated delivery date.

You will see traffic tie-ups on Interstate 65 heading into Indianapolis this weekend and next as crews make Safety and Efficiency improvements to the highway.

According to INDOT, the southbound lanes of Interstate 65 will be closing from 9 p.m. Friday evening through 6 a.m. Monday. That will be from the interchange with Interstate 70 in downtown Indy, to the exchange at Interstate 465. that will include all entrance ramps. Traffic will be detoured to 465 and 70 during the work. The work was originally scheduled to start last weekend, but was delayed due to the bad weather.

Work on the northbound lanes will be going on the following weekend, June 27th through June 30th.

The work schedule is dependent on the weather.

INDOT reminds you to slow down, to drive without distractions and to be alert to worker safety in all work zones.

The Jackson County United Way is expecting more children than ever in need of basic school supplies.

The group is taking donations for its annual Rock’n Ready school supply program which provides backpacks full of free supplies for children in need throughout the community.

Last school year, more than 1,400 students signed up for the program and received the school supplies and organizers say that there is already an increase in applicants this year.

The United Way hopes to raise $25,000 for the program this year. Each backpack costs about $25 to fill. Organizers say that the free school supplies allow families to spend money on other essentials such as clothes and lunch money.

The United Way is looking for those who want to help out in any way, ranging from purchasing supplies, making monetary donations, hosting a collection site, holding a supply drive at your business or workplace, or sponsoring the program.

Among the most needed supplies are composition Notebooks, Paper 2-Pocket Folders and Crayola products including 10-ct. Markers, 24-ct. Crayons and 12-ct. Colored Pencils and more.

You can find a link with more information including drop off locations and more needed supplies here: https://www.jacsy.org/rocknready

The National Association of School Resource Officers is recognizing Columbus police and Bartholomew County sheriffs department school resource officers as a model agency.

The group announced yesterday that the Bartholomew Consolidated and Flat Rock-Hawcreek school resources officers have been chosen for the recognition. The team is made up of sworn Columbus Police Department officers and Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department deputies.

The association said that the consolidated team is “a unique collaboration between two independent law enforcement agencies serving in partnership to serve and protect” (local schools.)

A new trail of historic markers celebrating the history of African American businesses in downtown Columbus will have a celebration on Thursday, Juneteenth.

The Black Heritage Trail includes 10 bronze marker signs on the downtown sidewalks in a walking tour. Paulette Roberts has been documenting the history of black business owners in downtown Columbus. She said all but one of the heritage trail sites is on Washington Street.

Roberts has been working on the history project for more than 20 years and giving tours of those sites.  Her work has led to the installation of the sidewalk placards documenting what businesses used to be located where.

Roberts explains:

Roberts talks about her research

Funding for the project came from grants from the African American Foundation of Bartholomew County, the Benjamin R. (Mickey) King Endowed Fund and Heritage Fund with the assistance of the Landmark Columbus Foundation.

Opening festivities will be from 5 to 7 p.m.. Thursday at the Sixth Street Arts Alley with a ribbon cutting at 5:30.

There will also be food from Stunna’s Meal Prep and Jack Rabbits, music by DJ Smooth G and drinks form Lemonade Bros and Elev8.

You can RSVP for Thursday’s event here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-heritage-trail-ribbon-cutting-celebration-tickets-1378002615919

Photo courtesy of Landmark Columbus Foundation

Heritage Fund: Bartholomew County’s Community Foundation has a new leader.

The organization announced this morning that the new president and CEO will be Edie Blakeslee. Blakeslee most recently served as vice president of grantmaking and community leadership at the Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina and consulting work. She is a native of Buffalo, N.Y. and previously worked to support students at The Citadel military school.

Blakeslee’s appointment to the Columbus role is effective yesterday after a unanimous vote of Heritage Fund’s board of directors.

Current Heritage Fund leader Tracy Souza recently announced her retirement after 14 years with the organization. That announcement was followed by a national search for a new leader, led by Campbell & Company, with the participation of Heritage Fund board members and several community leaders.

Heritage Fund began in 1976 as a community foundation charged with accepting gifts and managing charitable funds in the community. It has $111 million in assets. It mission is to inspire generosity, gather and grow community leaders, and to ensure that Bartholomew County is an exceptional place to live, learn, work and play.

Two people were arrested on felony charges last week after a family fight in North Vernon.

North Vernon police announced on Friday that officers were called last Monday afternoon to a home on West Hayden Pike on a report of a fight between family members. Police found several people who had been involved in a physical conflict and determine a domestic battery had taken place.

Robert Brooks and Autumn Hood were both taken into custody and arrested on felony charges of domestic battery.

A Jennings County man was found guilty recently on felony child molesting charges.

According to the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, 70 year old Paul D. Collett was found guilty earlier this month. He was originally arrested in August of 2024 after a four month long investigation found evidence Collett had molested a female child in his family over a six year period. The prosecutor’s office says that the investigation involved the Jennings County School Corporation, the Department of Child Services, the Children’s Advocacy Center, and investigators from the sheriff’s office.

Since his arrest, Collett has been held in the Jennings County Jail, according to the sheriff’s department.

In a statement, Jennings County Prosecutor Brian Belding praised the victim for her courage in coming forward saying “We hope her inspiring example will encourage other victims of sexual abuse to come forward and seek the support they deserve.” Belding also praised the cooperation between the agencies that led to the conviction.

Chief Deputy Cody Low of the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office said the office “will continue to aggressively pursue those who prey upon the children of our community.”

The guilty verdict came after a three day jury trial in Jennings Circuit Court that started June 2nd. A sentencing hearing date has not yet been set.