Columbus based Developmental Services Inc is merging with Bona Vista, from Kokomo, the agencies announced this week.

Together the two organizations will provide services and support to children and adults with disabilities in over 60 Indiana counties. Both agencies provide supported living, group homes, job placement, children’s services, and supported employment.

All clients and employees will be retained after the merger.

Officials with the agencies say that the merger is strategic and is not being driven by financial constraints.

Bona Vista began in Kokomo and Peru in 1958 and DSI began in 1975.

The merger should be finalized on July 1st.

A man arrested in a SWAT team standoff last week after a domestic violence incident, is now facing drug charges.

Bartholomew County deputies report finding about 123 grams of methamphetamine at a home owned by 59-year-old David Bevis of Columbus, during the investigation into last week’s standoff.

According to police reports, Bevis was arrested on May 5th in the 3900 block of County Road South 550W after a victim was hit with a shotgun several times. Bevis allegedly threatened to kill his wife, police and everyone in the home, as well as wanting to commit “suicide by cop.” Negotiators and the SWAT team were called in and after more than an hour of negotiation, he left the home and surrendered.

Yesterday, a warrant was issued for possession of methamphetamine and possession of more than 28 grams of methamphetamine.

Bevis remains in the Bartholomew County Jail.

A North Vernon man is being accused of murder after a body was found yesterday afternoon on West Walnut Street.

North Vernon police say that they received a report of a possible dead body in the 100 block at about 1 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. Officers found the body in the residence and determined that 45 year old William “Billy” Smith was a person of interest in the investigation. Police warned the public not to make contact with Smith if they saw him, but instead to call authorities.

At about 6 p.m. Tuesday night, North Vernon officers and Jennings County deputies began searching for Smith on West O&M Avenue after receiving a report on his location. Smith began running through back yards and was caught by police.

He was taken to the jail on a preliminary charge of murder and is being held without bond.

A federal grant will allow Columbus Fire Department to provide free training for local, state and regional firefighters next month.

The department was awarded a $71,000 grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide a command and tactics training workshop for up to 250 firefighters. It will also fund a three-day train-the- trainer workshop for 15 members of the Columbus Fire Department.

The two-day workshop, Mastering Fireground Command- Calm the Chaos!, will be presented by Battalion Chief Anthony Kastros of the Sacramento Metro Fire District. The two-day workshop will be held June 7-8 in the Nugent-Custer Performance Hall at The Commons  and is open to any volunteer or career firefighter.

The training will cover incident command, modern fire behavior, tactics, safety, accountability, building construction and preplanning.

Firefighters who want to attend, or who want more information, can call Columbus Fire Department at 812-376-2679.

A Flatrock man was arrested on three outstanding warrants after store security called police about a man switching labels on merchandise.

Columbus Police Department officers were called to the Whitfield Drive Walmart store at 5:55 p.m. Monday evening about possible shoplifting.

Police spoke with 31-year-old Jordan L. Caldwell and found he was wanted on the three Bartholomew County warrants. A search as he was taken into custody also discovered he was carrying methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

In addition to the outstanding warrants he is facing new possession charges.

A 21-year-old Austin man has died after his vehicle was struck by a train near Crothersville Monday evening.

Dawson A. Vest was pronounced dead by the Jefferson County, Kentucky coroner’s office shortly after 1 a.m. this morning, according to Indiana State Police.

Troopers say that the accident happened near the Jackson and Scott county line at about 6:30 p.m. Monday when Vest drove his car into the path of a northbound CSX train on Jackson County Road 775S, just west of U.S. 31. The train hit the car in the driver’s side, rolling the vehicle and ejecting Vest from the wreckage.

He was flown by PHI Medical Helicopter to a Louisville hospital.

Troopers say that the crossing included warning signs and stop signs. The road was closed for about three hours while the wreckage was cleaned up.

Photo courtesy of Indiana State Police.

Exhibit Columbus will be having a virtual event next week to meet this year’s Photography Fellows.

The Photography Fellows have been documenting parts of Columbus, the Heartland, and the Mississippi watershed and will be presenting their work throughout the downtown Columbus area during this summer’s exhibition. At the virtual event they will be talking about the work they’ve been developing over the past year.

Virginia Hanusik is from New Orleans and has had her work featured in The New Yorker, Domus, Places Journal, NPR, The Atlantic, MAS Context, and Oxford American.

David Schalliol is from Minneapolis and his writing and photography has appeared in publications such as Social Science Research, MAS Context, and The New York Times. He has had exhibitions at the Chicago Architectural Biennial, the Belfast Photo Festival and at the Museum of Contemporary Photography.

The online reception will be from 4 to 5:15 in the afternoon on May 17th. You can sign up for the event through Event Brite and get more information at exhibitcolumbus.org.

The United Way of Bartholomew County is still looking for volunteers to take part in the annual Day of Caring coming up on May 21st.

Day of Caring is a day-long event where community members and businesses help with projects to benefit local not for profit groups and to complete projects to help residents in need.

Magen Pillar with the United Way explains:

Last year’s event had to be canceled due to COVID-19. This year’s Day of Caring will include precautions to maintain volunteers’ health and safety during the pandemic. Indoor projects will be limited to a maximum of six to eight volunteers per shift, determined by facility size. Outdoor projects will be limited to a maximum of 20 volunteers per shift, based on the size of the outdoor space. Masks will be required and social distancing maintained.

Volunteers of all ages and skill levels are welcome to participate. Projects will include planting flowers, mulching and painting, along with organizing and sorting donations.

Volunteers can sign up for the Day of Caring through the link at uwbarthco.galaxydigital.com.

The functions at Seymour City Hall will be shifting across the street while the building undergoes an emergency $1.55 million dollar renovation project.

City officials say that offices are moving this week and should be open to the public starting Monday in the former Reedy Financial building at 211 N. Chestnut Street, which is across the street of Seymour City Hall.

In March, the city hall’s HVAC system stopped working when a chiller failed, causing a leak that damaged the interior of city hall. Since then, there has been no heating or cooling in the building. Repairs will be made during the renovation, including multiple smaller heating and cooling units that service various areas of the building. There will also be new LED lighting, floor and wall coverings and improvements for accessibility and security.

The city’s clerk-treasurer’s office and the Jackson County Industrial Development Corp. will not be moving. However Seymour Housing Authority, Seymour Main Street and Leadership Jackson County will be moving with the city government offices.

The move could last up to six months.

A chain reaction crash Friday night tied up traffic on U.S. 31 for about three and a half hours, according to Bartholomew County deputies.

Deputies were called to the scene of a crash involving four vehicles at U.S. 31 and County Road 100S at about 6:04 p.m. in the evening. But five minutes later, an SUV skidded trying to stop for the already snarled traffic and was struck from behind by a semi, which pushed the SUV into a car already stopped for the previous crash.

Columbus Regional Health paramedics treated one vehicle occupant at the scene, with two people suffering minor injuries.

The highway was closed until about 9:35 p.m.  in the evening.

Photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.