Bartholomew County Sheriff Matt Myers swore in 14 new Bartholomew County Jail Correction Officers on Tuesday morning.

The corrections staff is responsible for ensuring that statutory requirements from the state are met for all inmates. Some of the duties include booking inmates in and out, passing meals, supervising/giving out  medications, and performing security detail.

The Columbus Police Department and the Bartholomew County Coroner’s office are still investigating the discovery of a dead body found on Wednesday afternoon.

The unidentified person was found near the People Trail on Marr Road, in the Rocky Ford Road area.

Authorities say that the body is a male and that he was most likely in his 20s or 30s.

The investigation is still ongoing and authorities are not releasing any more details at this time.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources has announced that Hoosiers in 76 counties across Indiana, including Bartholomew, may resume feeding birds.

DNR recommended the statewide moratorium on bird feeding June 25th to slow the spread of a still-undetermined illness killing birds across the state.

Hoosiers were asked to remove feeders, clean birdbaths and submitted more than 3,400 reports of sick or dead birds into the state.

DNR officials recommend seed and suet feeders should be cleaned at least once every two weeks by scrubbing feeders with soap and water, followed by a short soak in a 10% bleach solution.

The Columbus Police Department and the Bartholomew County Coroner’s office are investigating the discovery of a dead body found near the People Trail on Marr Road near Rocky Ford Road Wednesday afternoon.

A death investigation is being conducted and no further details are being released at this time.

Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Corp. is sticking by its original COVID-19 preparedness plan adopted in July which allows students to attend in-person classes with or without a mask.

In July, the school district announced masks will be optional for both students and staff in most situations at Hauser High School and Hope Elementary schools. However, adults and children are required to wear the masks on school buses, due to a current federal mandate.

Superintendent Shawn Price said that there would be no changes at this time to the policy and that they will continue to monitor the district numbers and make adjustments to the plan if necessary.

Authorities with the Columbus Police Department took a 17-year-old juvenile into custody shortly before noon Wednesday after he reportedly made threats which resulted in Columbus East High School taking lockdown procedures for a couple of hours as a precaution.

CPD school resource officers were made aware of a supposed, non-specific social media threat of violence involving a gun on Wednesday morning and began an investigation with the assistance of police detectives.

During the investigation, law enforcement determined that the alleged threat was directed towards a person who is not a student, so the lock-out procedures were lifted at the school.

Investigators located the suspect at a Columbus residence shortly before noon and the boy was taken into custody.

The juvenile was transported to the Bartholomew County Youth Services Center where he was held on the charge of intimidation.

The Indiana State Department of Health reported 2,234 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. In total, the state has confirmed 788,468 cases of the virus since the beginning of March, 2020.

The State Department of Health also reported an increase of 27 deaths since last Friday. A total of 13,661 Hoosiers have died from COVID-19

According to our news gathering partners at The Republic, COVID-19 hospitalizations at Columbus Regional Hospital have soared over the past two weeks – including the number of patients requiring intensive care — reaching their highest levels since this past winter due to the spread of the delta variant.

On Monday, there were 18 people hospitalized with COVID-19 at Columbus Regional – up from four hospitalizations two weeks ago and the highest since Feb. 5.

The Columbus Visitors Center reminds you that the 2021 Exhibit Columbus opens on Saturday, August 21st.

It is an entire day of free events that will allow you to get to know the curators, designers, architects, and artists through a series of conversations at First Christian Church and the Mill Race Park Amphitheater.

The first weekend is the only chance during the show’s three-month run to see it all along with the architects, artists, and designers who created the installations.

There will be introductions and conversations by the curators, tours, and live music in Mill Race Park.

Visit the events page on the Exhibit Columbus website to view a full list of events and register. All Opening Day events for the 2021 Exhibit Columbus are free and open to everyone.

Two people were busted on drug charges after they led Columbus Police Department officers on a vehicle pursuit Monday evening.

CPD tried to stop a car, driven by Amber David, of Columbus, near 11th and Chestnut Street.

However, she did not pull over and reportedly sped away, disregarding a nearby stop sign. After a quick pursuit, David did pull over and police conducted a high-risk traffic stop taking both the driver and her passenger, Chester Sidwell, also of Columbus, into custody.

CPD discovered that her license was suspended, and allegedly located meth, synthetic marijuana, and other drug-related items in her car

Meth was also found in Sidwell’s clothing.

Both were booked into Bartholomew County Jail and face drug possession charges along with resisting law enforcement.

A Bartholomew County man was arrested Friday afternoon on several felony charges in conjunction with a narcotics investigation.

Officers were sent to McClure Road after the report of an overdose. A search warrant for the residence was obtained and during the investigation, law enforcement says it established probable cause to arrest Michael Ames of Columbus, on drug charges.

Police later located Ames riding a bicycle near 7th and Cherry Streets. Officers attempted to stop him, however, he allegedly began fleeing on his bike. While attempting to evade CPD, Ames supposedly began discarding items he had in his clothing. He eventually lost control of his bike, crashed, and was taken into custody.

Ames is facing several drug charges including: dealing meth, possession of meth, and resisting law enforcement.