State Road 258 will see lane restrictions in Jackson County starting next month and lasting into the summer as crews work to repair a bridge over the East Fork White River overflow.

According to INDOT, the bridge rehabilitation project is set to begin on April 1st and last through early July. The work schedule is dependent on the weather. The bridge is just west of East Fork White River between Seymour and Cortland. Temporary traffic signals will be put in place during the work and you will see signs soon warning of the start of the construction.

The work is part of a $1.9 million contract with Ragle Inc. that includes another bridge rehabilitation project on state Road 258, also between Cortland and Seymour. Details on that project are not yet available.

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

The Columbus City Cemetery is set for a spring cleanup on April 1st.

The cemetery is just south of Donner Park. If you have a family plot in the cemetery you are asked to pick up any items you wish to save by Monday March 31st.

The city parks department workers will remove and discard any worn or out-of-season decorations that remain on the ground during the April 1st cleanup.

The fall cleanup is set for October 1st.

For more information you can call 812-376-2599.

Jackson County authorities say an inmate has been recaptured after walking away from a work crew Wednesday.

According to the Jackson County dispatch center, Michael D. Anderson is an inmate from the Edinburgh Correctional Facility who had been on a work detail near the Vallonia Tree Nursery. He was last seen near Starve Hollow at about 12:45 p.m. Wednesday afternoon. Dispatchers announced yesterday afternoon that he had been recaptured.

Anderson is serving three years in custody for two charges of burglary.

Note: This story has been updated

The National Weather Service is confirming an EF-2 tornado hit Bartholomew County Wednesday night.

The tornado dropped to the ground near Rosstown and Interstate 65 and tracked northeast before dissipating near Hartsville. It was on the ground from 8:44 to 8:57 p.m. and travelled 13.6 miles with wind speeds of up to 112 mph, according to the weather service storm survey.

At its widest, the tornado was 350 yards across.

According to Bartholomew County Emergency Management, most of the damage in the county was consistent with a EF0 or EF1 tornado. However there were two areas that indicated the stronger EF2 damage. In both locations, well built metal farm buildings had collapsed walls and roofs. Debris at both locations thrown anywhere from a quarter to half a mile away, to the north and northeast. There were also metal high transmission towers twisted and bent.

Most county roads where the tornado crossed had several utility poles broken.

A small number of Bartholomew County customers are still without power after Wednesday’s severe weather. According to Bartholomew County REMC, there are just under 100 customers without power this morning, with the remaining outages following the path of the tornado across the county. The largest number are 41 customers without power in Columbus Township, near the intersection with State Road 46 and U.S. 31. According to estimates from the local utility, power should be restored to most of the residents later today.

Just after the storm Wednesday night, there were more than 3,000 power outages in the county.

Damage photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department drone team. Tornado track map courtesy of National Weather Service.

Authorities say that Bartholomew County appears to have escaped last night’s severe storms without anyone getting injured or killed, however trees, powerlines, barns and roofs did not escape undamaged.

Officials with Bartholomew County Emergency Management and the National Weather Service are out assessing damage today, after reports that a tornado touched down last night in the county.

Sgt. Dane Duke with the sheriff’s department explains.

Officials say that utility crews are hard at work in Bartholomew County trying to repair the power line damage from last night’s storms.

Duke said that several giant powerline towers collapsed in the area of County Road 525E, bringing down a major power line. He estimated the road will be closed for several days while crews repair the line.

Authorities urge you not to approach downed power lines, as they may still be live. You should call 911 if you have power lines down on your property or come across power lines down across the road.

Emergency officials urge you to remain out of the damaged areas in the county until first responders and utility companies can clear the downed power lines and debris.

Photo courtesy of Clay Township Volunteer Fire Department.

Note: This story has been updated

Authorities say that a tornado touched down in Bartholomew County Wednesday night, knocking down trees and powerlines, damaging homes and barns and blocking roads.

The first tornado warning in Bartholomew County was at about 8:15 p.m. last night and included Southeastern Brown, Northwestern Jackson and northeastern Lawrence Counties. That came after radar indicated rotation in the storm cloud.

At 8:40 p.m. a tornado warning was issued for central Bartholomew county with the weather service reporting a severe thunderstorm 8 miles southwest of Columbus moving northeast at 55 mph.

A tornado warning at 8:57 p.m. reported the tornado on the ground south of Columbus and warned people in east central Bartholomew County and northwestern Decatur County to take cover.

Bartholomew County Emergency Management says that the tornado appears to have passed through Jonesville, the Bartholomew County 4-H Fairgrounds, Walesboro, Ceraland and Petersville areas.

There are still many homes and businesses without power in our area.

As of this morning, Bartholomew County REMC is reporting 945 customers still without power with most in Wayne and Sand Creek townships. The largest group, of 244 customers without power is just west of Elizabethtown.

Duke Energy is reporting 74 customers without power in Bartholomew County with 72 of those near the Hartsville area.

Authorities urge you not to approach downed power lines, as they may still be live. You should call 911 if you have power lines down on your property or come across power lines down across the road.

Bartholomew County Emergency Management says that no injuries have been reported.

Emergency officials urge you to remain out of the damaged areas in the county until first responders and utility companies can clear the downed power lines and debris.

The National Weather Service was scheduled to start surveying the storm damage at 7 this morning.

Photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.

A tornado was spotted by weather watchers in Bartholomew County this evening.

According to the National Weather Service, at 8:56 p.m. a confirmed tornado was located 7 miles east of Columbus, moving northeast at 50 mph. Bartholomew County Emergency Management says that the tornado appears to have passed through Jonesville, the Bartholomew County 4-H Fairgrounds, Walesboro, Ceraland and Petersville areas.

There are many reports of power lines down, roads blocked by fallen trees, and barns blown down. Affected areas include:

• East State Road 46 with several reports of power lines down.
• A barn is reportedly down on South County Road 650E with a leaking propane tank that was blown over.
• The traffic lights are out at State Road 7 and U.S. 31.
• County Road 500S has power lines down across the road.
• State Road 11 and 550S at Wayne Park has multiple trees down with power lines in the trees and on houses.
• Roof ripped off of home on County Road West 625S.
• Trees down on County Road 100S.

As of 10 p.m. , Bartholomew County REMC was reporting 3,857 customers without power, with most of those on the eastern side of the county. Duke Energy was reporting 421 customers without power just east of Columbus and another 845 in the Westport area.

Information will be updated as it becomes available.

An exhibition of photos of Columbus landmarks has moved to Ball State University’s College of Architecture and Planning.

According to the Landmark Columbus Foundation, the American Modern exhibition features 12 large-scale photos by photographer Iwan Baan and design work by Studio Lin premiered in Columbus at the Columbus Area Visitors Center. The artwork was commissioned to offer a compelling look at the modernist design heritage in Columbus.

Richard McCoy, executive director of the Landmark Columbus Foundation, said he was thrilled the work has moved to Ball State’s College of Architecture and Planning, saying the school “is home to some of the nation’s most innovative architectural and urban planning programs.”

The artists and Columbus-native author Matt Shaw, collaborated on a book called “American Modern: Architecture, Community, Columbus, Indiana” that was released last year.

The exhibit is now open to the public at the college’s gallery in the Ball State University Architecture Building in Muncie, Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can find more information here: CAP Exhibit Gallery

Landmark Columbus Foundation’s mission is to care for, celebrate, and advance the cultural heritage of Columbus and like-minded communities.

Jackson County authorities say an inmate has walked away from a work crew near Vallonia.

According to the Jackson County dispatch center, Michael D. Brown is an inmate from the Edinburgh Correctional Facility who had been on a work detail near the Vallonia Tree Nursery. He was last seen near Starve Hollow.

Brown is described as a light skinned black male, 5 foot 8 inches tall and 184 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Dispatchers say he has several tattoos including a rose on his right hand, a royal crown on his right arm and a Chicago bulls logo on his left leg.

He was last seen wearing a yellow shirt and pants, a Carhartt style jacket and an orange hat. However, he could be just wearing long John style undergarments now.

Authorities say that if you live in the area you should lock your door. If you see the escaped prisoner you should call 911.

Force Construction is being recognized as the employee-owned company of the year in Indiana.

According to the Columbus based construction company, it was recognized recently by the Employee Stock Ownership Plan or ESOP Association’s Indiana chapter. Force says it is a 100 percent employee owned company that fosters a workplace where every employee has a stake in its success.

The association presents the annual award to celebrate organizations that foster a culture where employee-owners are empowered, educated, and invested in the company’s success.