A plane crashed near the Indy South Greenwood Airport on Sunday, causing minor injuries to those onboard.

According to the Greenwood Fire Department, the incident happened shortly after noon. A small plane lost power while beginning its flight north from a runway. The pilot had to perform an immediate landing in the grass near the Indiana State Police hangar.

Two people in the planer were taken to a trauma center for treatment of minor injuries. They are expected to fully recover.

The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating.

Story courtesy of Network Indiana and TTWN Media Networks.

Nominations are open for this year’s Jack Cramer Ideals of Athletic Competition Award, according to the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department.

The awards are presented annually to a local male and a female athlete, coach or sports organizer. All nominees must live or work in Bartholomew County and be a senior in high school or older.

The 2024 award winners were Sarah Frasier and Steve Souder.

The award is in honor of Cramer, a former local athlete who died in 1978 at the age of 33.

You can find information and nomination forms at Nexus Park or at https://columbusparksandrec.com The deadline to enter is June 18th.

Johnson County authorities say that a father angry at the county’s juvenile court system, crashed his truck through the front of the youth service center there yesterday.

According to the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department, a pickup with the words “Fathers Matter” scrawled across the tailgate crashed into the secured entryway at about 11:40 a.m. Sunday morning. Police say that employees were working in the area and juveniles are being held at the facility and they could have been killed or injured when the vehicle crashed through the entryway and front vestibule.

39 year old Jacob Dhondt was arrested almost immediately by officers on scene. Deputies say that in the initial interview with Dhondt, he said he was sending a message to the judges and judicial system. Authorities say he said he was angry at the Johnson County court system because he hasn’t been able to see his son in a year.

Dhondt is facing felony charges including Intimidation, Criminal Recklessness and Criminal Mischief. He was also wanted on a Shelby County warrant for dealing methamphetamine.

Sheriff Duane Burgess said this was an act of intimidation and an attack on the staff and justice system. He said “This was a targeted, intentional act that put the lives of innocent people — people simply doing their jobs — directly in harm’s way.”

State Road 7 will be closing on Wednesday in Jefferson County while crews repair a washed out section of the roadway.

According to INDOT, the work will be going on from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday on the highway near Hanging Rock Hill, with the work schedule dependent on the weather. Crews will be cleaning ditches and repairing damage from recent storms.

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

The city of Columbus is making plans for the 40th annual Ethnic Expo.

The downtown event will be held October 10th and 11th from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. both days in the area behind and around Columbus City Hall.

Although the festival started in 1984, making last year technically the 40th year, the 2020 event was canceled due to COVID.

The festival celebrates the city’s diversity and rich cultural traditions. It features live performances of international music, dancing, authentic cuisine and bazaar market vendors, along with free children’s activities.

First Financial Bank will be the presenting sponsor again this year.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and the Bartholomew County community’s Mental Health Matters coalition is organizing a full slate of activities.

On Saturday morning, there will be a free viewing of the family movie “Inside Out 2” at Yes Cinema. Organizers say that the film opens the door to meaningful conversations about emotions and mental wellness. The film will start at 9:30 a.m. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. The event is sponsored by Foundation for Youth and you can find a link to RSVP at https://www.foundationforyouth.com/prevention-initiatives

Also on Saturday there will be a Foster and Kinship Care Appreciation Day at Donner Park on 22nd Street in Columbus. You will be able to connect with service providers, have lunch, play games and win prizes while you find out more about local resources and build relationships. The event will be from noon to 2 p.m. and is being organized by Beloved Bags. Beloved Bags is a non profit that provides bags for children who are separated from unstable or dangerous living conditions, so that they don’t have to carry their belongings in garbage bags.

You can find a full schedule of this month’s events at the Bartholomew County Mental Health Matters website at https://www.mhmbc.org/mentalhealthmonth

A Columbus man has been arrested on voyeurism charges after allegedly trying to film in the women’s locker room at a local fitness center.

According to the Columbus Police Department, an 8-year-old girl saw someone holding a cell phone under the stall as she was showering at Total Fitness on Middle Road Thursday evening. Employees then found 24-year-old Tanner Vandeman inside a women’s shower stall. Employees and bystanders held onto Vandeman until officers arrived. Police discovered Vandeman had recording equipment on him and found that he had been convicted of voyeurism in the past.

He was arrested on a felony charge of voyeurism and several electronic devices were confiscated by investigators. The investigation is ongoing and more charges are possible.

Family Service of Bartholomew County is announcing that Sue Lamborn has been chosen as the new executive director of the organization.

Lamborn most recently served as outreach and community relations manager at Thrive Alliance. Previously she was at organizations including Koala, Behavioral Healthcare Columbus, and
Quinco. Lamborn also previously served as director of independence at Human Services, Inc.

Family Service of Bartholomew County is a nonprofit agency dedicated to improving the
mental wellness of the community. It employs Licensed Clinical Social Workers and Licensed Mental Health Counselors and focuses on two key service areas: Clinical Services and Prevention Services.

Clinical Services supports individuals experiencing mental health crises through therapy, life coaching, counseling, support groups, and targeted services.

Prevention Services provides education and outreach covering child abuse, suicide awareness, internet safety, substance use, human trafficking, and exploitation prevention

Family Services offers programs in English and in Spanish.

Lamborn has been in the Columbus community since 1993 along with her husband of 35 years.

For more information about Family Service of Bartholomew County and its programs, you can go to https://familyservicebc.org

The city of Columbus is announcing the expansion of a program to support home ownership for low to moderate income families.

The Columbus Housing Improvement Program (CHIP) 2.0 expands an existing city program for lower income households, to include help for residents whose income is between 80 and 120 percent of the Area Median Income. The program provides financial help to make essential home improvements. Those improvements can include:

• Roof repairs or replacements
• HVAC system repairs or replacements,
• ADA modifications
• Water heater replacements and
• Radon testing and mitigation

The city is providing up to $500,000 to the program and the maximum award will be up to $20,000. Funding will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis until all allocated funds have been exhausted.

To take part you must be a Columbus city resident, own your home, have home insurance, not live in a flood plain and agree to live in the home for a minimum of two years after making the improvements.

Applications are now open for the CHIP 2.0 program. You can find a link for more information here: https://www.columbus.in.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/CHIP-2024-application-pkge.pdf

Ivy Tech Community College Columbus campus will be celebrating the graduation of more than 1,300 students from its service area today.

This will be the 55th commencement ceremony for the school.

The school will also be awarding more than 1,900 credentials including associate degrees, technical certificates, and certificates.

Graduating student Tanvi Dandawate will give the student address. Dandawate is earning an associates degree in business administration.

An honorary associate of science degree will be presented to Kathy Oren. Oren retired as president and CEO of the Community Education Coalition and is a former member of the Ivy Tech Columbus Campus Board of Trustees.

The commencement will be begin at 6 p.m. Friday evening in the Columbus North High School Gymnasium.

If you can’t make it you can watch the commencement live on the Ivy Tech Columbus Facebook page.