Columbus emergency workers and Cummins will be partnering this week in a training exercise that will bring a large number of first responders and equipment to Plant 1 on Central Avenue.

According to Columbus Fire Department, the exercise will be going on from 8 to 11 in the morning on Thursday. They will be taking part in realistic disaster scenarios, giving the company and city a chance to practice coordinated responses.

Organizers say that you should not be alarmed by the large number of rescue workers taking part. They say the exercise enhances operational readiness and fosters a spirit of cooperation and mutual support.

The city of Columbus and Bartholomew County will be offering cooling stations as temperatures heat up over the next few days.

According to Bartholomew County Emergency Management, if you need to get out of the heat you can stop at either the downtown Columbus or Hope branches of the Bartholomew County Public Library. The library on Fifth Street in Columbus will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. today through Thursday and from 9 to 6 p.m. on Friday and the branch on the Hope Town Square will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. today and Tuesday, 10 to 5 on Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.

You can also cool off at the Community Engagement Center on Second Street in Columbus from 7 to 4 today through Friday.

After 5 p.m., the Brighter Days Shelter on Mapleton Street in Columbus can be used to cool off.

The Bartholomew County 4-H fair continues today with Bartholomew County Farm Bureau Day.

The midway will open at 5 p.m. with a $2 per ride Dollar Day.

Entertainment tonight includes Fishers of Men Christian Contemporary music at the David Boll Theater starting at 6 p.m. The Three Bar J Rodeo will be the grandstand entertainment starting at 7 p.m. And there will be 4-H blacksmithing demonstrations at Building 6 this evening, also starting at 7 p.m.

You can get more information at https://bartholomewcountyfair.com

With the expected hot weather this weekend and into early next week, emergency officials are warning you to be aware of the signs of heat-related illnesses.

The most common illnesses caused by the high temperatures are heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

If someone feels faint or dizzy, has excessive sweating, cool, pale or clammy skin, a rapid weak pulse and muscle cramps, they could be suffering from Heat Exhaustion. You should get them to a cool, air-conditioned place, loosen clothing, sip cool water and take a cool shower or use cool compresses.

Heat Stroke is more serious and you should call 911 if someone is experiencing the symptoms. Those include a throbbing headache and confusion, but no sweating. Their skin could be red, hot and dry. There will be a rapid, strong pulse and a victim could lose consciousness.

You should get a heat stroke victim to a cool place and use cool cloths, ice or water externally to cool them down. You should not give liquids to drink to a victim of heat stroke.

The National Weather Service in Indianapolis has issued a heat advisory starting Saturday afternoon and lasting through Tuesday evening. It could feel like it is more than 100 degrees outside.

Graphic courtesy of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

The Freeman Army Airfield Museum at the Seymour Municipal Airport will be offering airplane rides Saturday as part of its annual fundraiser.

You can make a $25 donation from 9 to 4 to see the city from the sky. The rides are dependent on the weather and you have to be older than 5 and less than 250 pounds.

There will also be airplanes and military vehicles on display, as well as a glider. You can tour the museum buildings for free and there will be food and drinks for sale.

All proceeds will benefit the museum which is at 1035 A Avenue in Seymour. The ride day will be at the white tent across the street.

Photo courtesy of Freeman Army Airfield Museum

Indiana State Police say that there is still time to sign up your middle-school aged kids for a camp in Columbus.

Troopers will be holding a law camp in Columbus July 6th through the 10th. The camp is for 6th, 7th and 8th graders. It will give students a behind-the-scenes look at the criminal justice system. That will include field trips, demonstrations, motivational programs, and hands-on learning. The cost for the law camp is $150.

The state police are also holding a law camp in Anderson June 29th through July 2nd. Other upcoming camps include a cadet camp in Anderson next week and a career camp in Angola July 6th through the 11th.

Troopers say that each program includes well-balanced meals and comfortable sleeping facilities. Camp staff are hand-picked law enforcement personnel.

You can get more information at trooper.org or on Facebook at ISP Youth Camps

U.S. 31 will be closing in southern Jackson County for most of the rest of the year.

According to INDOT, contractors will be closing the highway near Uniontown starting on Monday, June 23rd as crews replace a bridge over Lewis Branch. That will be just north of Uniontown between East Jackson County Road 50 South and East County Road 150 South.

The project is expected to take until mid November. The work schedule is dependent on the weather. The official detour will take State Road 250 to Interstate -65 to U.S. 50 and then back to U.S. 31.

This work is part of a $2.4 million contract awarded to E&B Paving.

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

An Illinois driver has been arrested after a police chase on Interstate 65 that started near Seymour.

According to the Indiana State Police, at about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon a trooper noticed a vehicle following another too closely about a mile north of the Seymour exit. But when the trooper tried to pull the vehicle over, the driver accelerated away southbound on the interstate. Speeds reached more than 100 mph and the driver weaved dangerously through traffic, police say.

The chase continued south into Scott County and other agencies joined in to assist. A Scott County deputy used stop sticks to deflate at least one of the vehicles tires, but the driver continued getting off the highway at the Scottsburg Exit and then tried to get back onto the interstate headed northbound. That’s when the trooper used a maneuver to spin out the driver’s vehicle. The driver spun off of the ramp and flipped over into the emergency lane on northbound Interstate 65.

After being checked out by medics, police arrested the driver, 34-year-old Kyle E. Jurkovic of Joliet, Illinois. He is facing charges including Resisting Law Enforcement with a Vehicle, Reckless Driving  and Possession of Marijuana and Drug Paraphernalia.

Photo courtesy of Indiana State Police.

The Bartholomew County 4-H Fair gets underway today. The official opening will be at 5 p.m. including the opening of the midway.

Today is Friends of the Republican Party Day at the fair.

Entertainment tonight includes the Bigfoot Monster Truck Show sponsored by Full Throttle Motorsports at the grandstand starting at 7 p.m. Also at 7 p.m. High Rise will be performing 70s to 2000s rock at the David Boll Theatre, the Columbus Cloggers will be at the Farm Bureau Building and there will be the 4-H Watermelon Relay at the Horse Arena starting at 8 p.m.

The midway will be offering $30 wristbands tonight.

You can get more information at bartholomewcountyfair.com

It is going to be hot this weekend and into early next week.

The National Weather Service in Indianapolis has issued a heat advisory starting Saturday afternoon and lasting through Tuesday evening.

According to forecasters, the temperatures are going to be in the low 90s, but high humidity is going to make it feel as high as 103 in the afternoons. If you have to be outside, you should take extra precautions to avoid heat-related illnesses. They say to limit any strenuous activities to early morning or evening. You should also wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing.

Make sure you drink plenty of fluids and check in on relatives or neighbors who might be especially vulnerable.