Bartholomew County residents will be able to receive remote assistance with their mental health needs under a new service approved by the county commissioners Monday.

Cheryl Buffo, with the Bartholomew County Mental Health Matters coalition, presented the proposal to the commissioners, saying that the remote service would be free and available to anyone in the county who needs it. The platform called CredibleMind is billed as a one-stop shop for personalized mental wellbeing.

She said CredibleMind is an evidence based online mental health platform that allows users to take 5-minute long surveys to assess mental health concerns and then based on that information provide personalized services. The service will be available via apps or on a computer. The program operates through the University of California Berkeley. She cautioned that people frequently turn to unvetted and unverified online services to address their mental health challenges.

The service would also allow the county to track demographic information such as the age or sex of the person being helped, Buffo said. In the case of Fishers, which already is using the system, it has been found that it being used most by teen girls with anxiety and eating disorders, she said.

The program can be completely anonymous or a user can login and maintain their information, such as to provide information to healthcare providers.

The county commissioners agreed to a contract for $8,910 plus a $2,000 implementation fee to be paid out of jail commissary funds.

The Bartholomew County Humane Society is raising money this month to take care of senior animals, through the Jackie (Kleine) Watts Memorial Fund.

Watts died in March 2017 trying to rescue an elderly dog from flood waters on Flat Rock River.

The fund provides for senior dog medical needs including blood tests and x-rays, heartworm testing and treatment, eye and skin problems and heart problems.

The goal is $12,000 to help take care of senior dogs, which are those that are older than seven years.

You can get more information or make a donation: https://www.bartholomewhumane.org

Legal Aid is holding a Free Legal Aid Phone Clinic today.

The clinics are meant for low-income residents of Legal Aid’s eight-county district to receive legal advice and assistance.

If you take part you will have a brief consultation with a volunteer attorney to answer general questions, to offer legal information or to receive other advice over the phone. The clinic will be from from 3 to 5:30 p.m.

To take part, you must first register between noon and 2 p.m. by calling 812-378-0358.

An early morning traffic stop in downtown Columbus yesterday led to the arrest of two people on drug-related charges.

According to the Columbus Police Department, officers stopped a vehicle that was missing a license plate at about 12:20 a.m. Monday morning near Central Avenue and 7th Street. The driver, 33-year-old Devin C. Kinman of Columbus had an expired drivers license and was wanted on an outstanding warrant.

When he was searched, police found methamphetamine in his clothes. A search of the vehicle recovered ¾ of a pound of marijuana, along with meth and drug paraphernalia. That was on the passenger side in the floorboard, where 24-year-old Emma L. Sipes of Trafalgar was sitting.

Both were taken into custody. Kinman was arrested on preliminary charges of possession of meth with a prior conviction, as well as possession of a synthetic drug and drug paraphernalia, along with driving while suspended, with a prior conviction.

Sipes is being accused of dealing in marijuana as well as for possessing meth and drug paraphernalia.

The Bartholomew County Health Department will be offering free screenings for tuberculosis Thursday at Lincoln Central Neighborhood Family Center.

County officials are offering the tests due to a rise in the number of cases in the community. They will be available to anyone 18 and older and they will be free. If you do have insurance, you should bring your insurance card.

Everyone who takes part will have choice of a hygiene kit or movie pass at YES Cinema.

The clinic will be from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday at the center which is at 1039 Sycamore Street in Columbus.

The Hospital Foundation of Decatur County raised just over $377 thousand dollars last year and distributed more than $225 thousand dollars to support hospital programs.

The foundation recently held its annual meeting and updated the community on its efforts. According to Hospital Foundation Director Mandy Jo Lohrum. The foundation provided grants and supported programs over the past year, including donations toward a remembrance garden fund. The ribbon cutting for the garden will be held soon.

The hospital also disbursed almost $257 thousand dollars toward the Rehab Capital Campaign.

The Hospital Foundation of Decatur County was founded in 1992 to provide additional financial support for the healthcare initiatives of Decatur County Memorial Hospital.

You can get more information or make donations at dcmh.net/foundation.

A Seymour woman was arrested last week after drugs were discovered during a traffic stop in North Vernon.

According to the North Vernon Police Department, officers stopped a vehicle for an equipment violation on Locust Grove Drive at 12:29 a.m. Thursday morning. A police dog alerted to the smell of narcotics in the vehicle. A search revealed drug paraphernalia and methamphetamine.

A passenger, 18 year old Kloweigh L. Cox of Seymour admitted to owning the materials. After being taken to the Jennings County Jail, she was found to be carrying more meth. She is facing charges for possessing the drugs and paraphernalia as well as trafficking with an inmate.

A Bartholomew County effort to dig deeper into the causes of suicides and drug overdoses is getting a boost from a $66.000 dollar grant.

According to Charlotte Barton Coombs, executive director of Family Service Inc., the community created the Suicide and Overdose Fatality Review team in 2021. The team which includes emergency responders, non-profit agencies and other organizations reviews fatalities to try to learn what steps could have been taken to avoid the outcome and points in the person’s timeline where intervention could have happened.

The team has been approved for the grant through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

The grant is initially approved for six months and then could be reauthorized for another two years.

Bartholomew County was one of only 12 communities in the state to receive such a grant.

A local legislator’s bill to help vulnerable children find permanent homes is heading to the governor’s desk.

According to the office of State Rep. Ryan Lauer, a Columbus Republican, the bill would broaden the categories under which a neglected or abused child’s safety and welfare would override a drive to reunite families. Under existing law, the Indiana Department of Child Services prioritizes family reunifications except for a narrow group of situations such as a parent who has been convicted of murder, battery or neglect.

Lauer said that the exceptions list currently does not include parents who are registered as a sex or violent offender or who sexually abused their children.

Lauer said the bill would allow courts to bypass reunification in extreme cases so that the child can be moved to a safe and permanent home more quickly.

In addition to exceptions for violent or sexual offenders, and for those who sexually abused their children, the bill would also allow exceptions if the child has already been the subject of repeated cases where a child is in need of services.

The bill has been approved by the state Senate and now needs the governor’s signature.

Heritage Fund: The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County is announcing that nominations are now open for two annual awards to honor a community hero and community leadership project.

Last year was the first annual awards established by the estate of Donald W. & Catherine G. Jurgemeyer. The couple were long-time Columbus residents with Donald Jurgemeyer, an attorney in the community for 29 years, serving as legal counsel for the community foundation in its early years. Catherine Jurgemeyer served as president of the Bartholomew Consolidated School Foundation and chaired the American Bar Auxiliary and the Indiana Lawyers Auxiliary.

The Jurgemeyer Community Hero Award recognizes those who have performed life-saving measures, come to the aid of another or contributed to the safety, security and resiliency of our community. The nominee must be either a professional or volunteer serving in Bartholomew County as a lawenforcement official, firefighter, first responder or in the medical or healthcare field. It comes with a $5,000 award.

The Jurgemeyer Community Leadership Project of the Year Award will recognize a project in the community that exemplifies the Columbus community leadership values. Nominees will be nonprofit organizations, volunteer groups, government entities, coalitions or businesses serving Bartholomew County. A $10,000 award will be presented.

The deadline for nominations is April 19th. You can get more information at heritagefundbc.org