Camp Atterbury officials released more details yesterday on the Afghan refugees that have been arriving at the base, hoping to clear up misconceptions and provide a clearer picture of the processes on the base during Operation Allies Welcome.

Mark Howell, spokesman for the operation, said that there are just over 66 hundred refugees on the base, and so far about 25 have been released into the country. Those were American citizens, green-card holders or spouses of residents, Howell said. He said there have been no escapees from the base.

Howell said less than 1 percent of the refugees have arrived with medical problems that required treatment at local hospitals. There are zero confirmed cases of measles at Atterbury, which he said is due to aggressive efforts to give MMR vaccines to the refugees, with just over 11,600 vaccinations so far.

There have been 13 cases of COVID-19 among the refugees. Those patients were quarantined with their families during the outbreak.

Nearly half of the refugees are children, with just over 47 percent under the age of 18.

Photo by Sgt. Dylan Bailey, U.S. Army. A 1st Calvary Division Soldier and Afghan evacuee youth play soccer last week at Camp Atterbury. 

Two Scipio residents were arrested on drug-related charges on Friday after more than 35 grams of methamphetamine was found in their vehicle.

According to Seymour police reports released yesterday, narcotics investigators found out that a vehicle containing meth for sale was headed into the city. Police found and stopped the vehicle at about 3:47 p.m. Friday afternoon on West Tipton Street.

A passenger, 35-year-old Juanita White was wanted on several outstanding warrants and was taken into custody. Police say the driver, 57-year-old Steven Robbins, allegedly struggled with officers before he was Tazed.

A search of the vehicle uncovered the methamphetamine along with about three grams of fentanyl, syringes, an unknown powder and other drug paraphernalia.

In addition to the warrants, White is now facing charges of dealing in and possessing meth, plus possessing a controlled substance, a syringe and drug paraphernalia.

Robbins is facing the same charges plus resisting law enforcement.

Eastern Bartholomew Water Company has issued a boil water advisory for some of its customers due to water main maintenance.

The affected area include County Road 500E at State Road 46 to County Road 300S and 600E, along with County Road 200S to Burnsville.

Those customers should boil their water for five minutes before using it for drinking or food preparation. The boil advisory is in effect until 4 p.m. Thursday afternoon.

Bartholomew County Health Department and Windrose Health’s mobile unit will be offering a COVID-19 Pfizer vaccination clinic for the community today and Thursday at Foundation for Youth.

The vaccinations are for those 12 and older.

The clinics will be from 4 to 6 p.m. each day at FFY, which is at 405 Hope Avenue in Columbus.

Walk-ins are welcome or you can call Windrose at 317-680-9901 to register.

Also, the National Guard will be providing COVID vaccine and testing clinics at the Bartholomew County 4-H fairgrounds Friday and Saturday.

The site at the midway area off of County Road 200S will be open from noon to 8 p.m. both days. Rapid antigen and PCR tests will be available.

You can choose either the Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The testing and vaccine are free.

The Columbus East Food Pantry will be having a community food distribution from 4:30 to 6:30 on Friday at the school.

You can drive-up for pre-bagged collections of food. There will be enough for about 200 families.

The Columbus East Food Pantry is available to the entire community and is not limited to BCSC families.

The pickup point is at door 31 in the west parking lot behind the school near the tennis courts. Vehicles should not enter the west parking lot until after 4:00 to ensure student safety during bus and parent pick-up.

The Columbus East Food Pantry is a Gleaners school-based food pantry.

A Columbus Human Rights Commission series of virtual films, lectures and seminars on topics including diversity, inclusion, and belonging continues at noon today with a virtual seminar by Sheila Suess Kennedy on redistricting, gerrymandering and voter suppression laws.

Kennedy is a a professor emerita of Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis’ Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Kennedy has previously served as the executive director of the Indiana Civil Liberties Union, a former Republican candidate for Indiana’s 11th Congressional District, and is founder of the Center for Civic Literacy at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis. She is a graduate of Stephens College for Women, Indiana University, and Indiana University Mauer School of Law in Bloomington.

The lecture series will be via Zoom and is open to the public. Lectures start at noon and will be recorded for later viewing. For more information and to register, you can go to www.hrcsparks.community.

Our Hospice of South-Central Indiana says that despite having to cancel the Labor Day weekend concert at Mill Race Park, the non-profit group still set a new record for raffle ticket sales and almost topped the 2020 record for proceeds from the fundraiser.

The fundraiser netted more than $168,000, down slightly from the 2020 $169,000 dollars of net revenue. The hospice sold 5,082 raffle tickets — a new record passing 2020’s 5,026 tickets sold. The winner of this year’s $10,000 raffle was Chelsea Berkery of Bargersville.

The hospice credited Faurecia and Columbus Regional Health for sponsoring the cancelled concert, contributing funds for the patients and families served by the hospice.

A fish fry at the American Legion Post in Columbus raised a record $8,605. The fish fry was sponsored by the Legion and Silgas.

The funds raised will go directly to the care of patients and families. That includes those in hospice care and those in palliative care, a new service started in 2019.

A Tennessee man was arrested last night after a chase through Jackson and Bartholomew counties on Interstate 65.

According to Indiana State Police reports, troopers were alerted to a vehicle driving erratically on the interstate that had just entered Jackson County from Scott County at about 6. A Jackson County deputy and State Police trooper tried to pull the vehicle over north of Seymour, but the driver refused to stop and continued fleeing into Bartholomew County.

Just south of the Walesboro exit the driver avoided a tire deflation device but soon stopped just north of the exit.

Authorities arrested the driver, 31-year-old Matthew T. Murphy of Chatannooga, Tennessee on preliminary charges of resisting law enforcement, reckless driving and driving under the influence.

Bartholomew County Animal Control was called to the scene to take custody of a dog in the vehicle. The northbound lanes were closed for about an hour while the scene was cleared.

Photo courtesy of Indiana State Police

A Seymour man is being accused of aggravated battery after an attack last week.

According to police reports, officers were called to the scene at about 11:02 p.m. Thursday night in the 200 block of North O’Brien Street and found an unconscious man on the ground who had suffered multiple injuries to his face. He was placed on life support by medics and taken to Schneck Medical Center for treatment.

Police located the original scene of the battery under a pavilion at apartments on Seventh Street, where blood was found along with alcohol containers. After interviews with witnesses, police took 33-year-old Serafin Trujillo-Bautista of Seymour into custody for questioning. Evidence was collected from his shoes, clothes and body, according to police.

He was arrested on a preliminary charge of aggravated battery.

A teen driver was arrested on drunk-driving charges Sunday night after a three vehicle crash in Columbus.

According to police reports, the accident was at about 7:20 Sunday evening near 10th street and Central Avenue. Police noticed that the third driver, 19-year-old Matthew A. Baird of Columbus, appeared intoxicated.

After several field sobriety tests, Baird allegedly refused a chemical test. At Columbus Regional Hospital, a portable breath sample revealed a blood alcohol level of .232, almost three times the legal limit.

After taking a blood sample, he was arrested on preliminary charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and being a minor in possession of alcohol.