Bartholomew County News

COLUMBUS, Ind. - U.S. Rep. Jefferson Shreve visited NexusPark and the Circle K Fieldhouse this week, meeting with Columbus Parks and Recreation Director Nikki Murphy and NexusPark Fieldhouse Manager Martavius Mims to learn more about the community’s growing sports, recreation, and tourism hub.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - Columbus Animal Care Services is partnering with ChampionZone Virtual Golf and Patriot Café in Edinburgh to host "Pars for Pets," a virtual golf tournament scramble benefiting the adoption medical fund of Columbus Animal Care Services.

REDDINGTON, Ind. - A Reddington woman who was reported missing to the Jackson County Sheriff's Department at 4:50 a.m. on Friday was found safe early Friday afternoon.

EDINBURGH, Ind. - Edinburgh Fire and Rescue recently announced that Scott Russell has joined the Department as its newest paramedic.

SHELBYVILLE, Ind. - River Valley Legal Aid and Pro Bono Indiana announce a free legal walk-in Clinic on Wednesday, July 15, at the Blue River Community Foundation. The clinic will be held from 3 to 5 p.m.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - The Columbus Area Chamber Foundation continues to offer "Catalyst 100," a new initiative designed to strengthen at least 100 small businesses across Bartholomew County in 500 days.

COLUMBUS, Ind. – The 2026 Jack Cramer Ideals of Athletic Competition Award Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, July 29, at 5:30 p.m. in the Jim Lienhoop Meeting Room A at NexusPark, on 25th Street in Columbus.

COLUMBUS, Ind. -  The Columbus Indiana Philharmonic (CIP) has announced the lineup for its Fall 2026 series of Cabaret at the Commons. Tickets for the three-show series are now available. 

STORY, Ind. - Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) crews plan to begin chip seal operations on State Road 135 in Brown County on or after Monday, July 13.

BATESVILLE, Ind. - The Indiana State Police (ISP)-Versailles Post investigated a two-vehicle crash in eastern Ripley County on Monday, July 6, at 5:30 p.m., that claimed the life of a Decatur County motorcyclist.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - The Bartholomew County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) has announced the official certification of Deputy Robert Cooper and his K-9 partner, Hondo.

INDIANAPOLIS - The National Weather Service in Indianapolis is forecasting the potential for strong to severe thunderstorms across south-central Indiana on Thursday evening, July 9, into early Friday morning, July 10.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - At a sentencing hearing on July 1, Judge James Worton of the Bartholomew County Superior Court 1 ordered Joshua McKinsey, of Columbus, to serve seven years in the Indiana Department of Correction. He had pleaded guilty on June 1.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - The Columbus Police Department (CPD) announced on Tuesday that for the next two weeks, police officers and local first responders will be at Columbus North High School conducting "active shooter" training.

EDINBURGH, Ind. - The Town of Edinburgh recently passed Ordinance 2026-6 and the corresponding Fee Schedule for Utility Task Vehicles (UTV). The ordinance will be valid as of July 17.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - Leadership Bartholomew County (LBC) facilitator Amanda Cox has announced that applications for the 2026–2027 Leadership Bartholomew County Class are now available.   

COLUMBUS, Ind. - Centra Credit Union recently announced that it has been recognized on the Forbes list of America’s Best-In-State Credit Unions for 2026.

INDIANAPOLIS - The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says that hunters can now apply for reserved hunts online. The reserved hunts include private and public land hunts.

RIPLEY COUNTY, Ind. - The Indiana State Police (ISP) and emergency personnel responded to a property damage crash involving an overturned semi on eastbound I-74 near the 151-mile marker in Ripley County at around 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 7.

SUNMAN, Ind. - The Indiana State Police (ISP)-Versailles Post investigated a two-vehicle fatal accident on State Road 46 in northern Dearborn County on Friday, July 3.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - The online application for the 2027 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, administered by Heritage Fund and Independent Colleges of Indiana, is now available.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - As part of the 250th celebration of America's birthday, the City of Columbus held a hot dog eating contest downtown on July 4 during "Celebrate 250 Day."

COLUMBUS, Ind. - A Bartholomew County man was recently sentenced to six years for posting a bomb threat to his Facebook page on January 26, 2025.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - Mill Race Theatre Company (MRTC) brings "The SpongeBob Musical" to the stage Thursday through Sunday, July 16–19, at the Columbus East High School Auditorium.

NASHVILLE, Ind. - The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will hold a public information meeting on Thursday, July 16, for the proposed Mountain Tea State Forest access improvement project in Brown County.

COLUMBUS, Ind. – River Valley Legal Aid Pro Bono Indiana announces a free Legal Phone Clinic for residents of their eight-county district this Tuesday, July 7, from 3 to 5:30 p.m.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - QMIX 107.3 once again welcomes the community to AirPark Columbus, the evening before Independence Day for the 36th edition of QMIX Musical Fireworks on Friday, July 3.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - The final two days of the weeklong "Celebrate 250" Festival, presented by the City of Columbus and commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States, are today, Friday, July 3, and tomorrow, Saturday, July 4.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - City of Columbus and Bartholomew County officials announce that all of their offices will be closed this Friday, July 3, to commemorate the Independence Day holiday. County offices will reopen Monday, July 6, while City offices remain closed that day and reopen on Tuesday, July 7.

EDINBURGH, Ind. - The annual Edinburgh Firecracker Festival will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States of America this Saturday, July 4, in downtown Edinburgh.

The Bartholomew County Prosecutor's Office has announced that after a four-day jury trial and just over three hours of deliberation, a Bartholomew County jury found Brent Clayburn guilty of Attempted Murder and Criminal Confinement with a Deadly Weapon.

COLUMBUS, Ind. -  Centra Credit Union recently supported four local nonprofits in the Bartholomew County area with $2,000 in donations as part of the Centra Foundation’s "Pay It Forward" campaign. 

SOUTH-CENTRAL, Ind. - The National Weather Service (NWS) in Indianapolis has extended the "Extreme Heat Warning" for most of central and southern Indiana for another 24 hours. It will now expire on Friday at 8 p.m.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - Columbus Police Department (CPD) Public Information Officer Lt. Skylar Berry says the agency has prepared for the "All-American Festival on Central" celebration on Friday, July 3. Special traffic patterns will be in effect, and motorists should be aware of them.   

COLUMBUS, Ind. - Columbus City Councilor Grace Kestler officially announced her candidacy for Mayor of Columbus in the 2027 Election on Tuesday evening. She launched her campaign centered on inclusivity with a vision to build upon Columbus' strengths while preparing the community for the opportunities and challenges of the future.   

COLUMBUS, Ind. - The weeklong "Celebrate 250" Festival, presented by the City of Columbus and commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States, continues through Saturday, July 4. 

COLUMBUS, Ind. – Columbus Regional Health (CRH) welcomes Andrew “Andy” Guz, MHA, for his first day as its next President and Chief Executive Officer on Wednesday, July 1.

SOUTH-CENTRAL, Ind. - South-Central Indiana has been upgraded from a Heat Advisory to an Extreme Heat Warning. The Warning is issued for all south-central Indiana Counties from Noon Tuesday through Thursday at 8 p.m.

STATE OF INDIANA - The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) offers numerous opportunities around the state to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday, with four July 4 fireworks displays leading the way.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - Bartholomew County Emergency Management (BCEM) says the National Weather Service forecasts excessive heat and humidity for the rest of the week. The extreme temperatures are predicted to reach the mid-90s, with heat index values exceeding 100 degrees, posing a serious threat to health and safety, particularly for vulnerable populations.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) congratulates Lt. Gary Knoef on graduating from the FBI National Academy in the 298th session at the FBI Training Academy in Quantico, Virginia. It is the same facility where the FBI trains its new special agents and intelligence analysts.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - The Columbus Police Department, Columbus Fire Department, and the City of Columbus want residents to be aware of when you can light personal fireworks over the long Independence Day holiday week.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - Bartholomew Circuit Court Judge Kelly Benjamin sentenced Tyler Roberts last week for crimes he was convicted of earlier this year. Roberts will spend five years in the Indiana Department of Corrections for Domestic Battery (level 5 Felony) and 2.5 years for Intimidation (level 6 Felony).

SOUTH-CENTRAL, Ind. - The National Weather Service in Indianapolis has announced that a Heat Advisory is in effect for a large portion of the Hoosier State from noon on Monday, June 29, through Thursday, July 2, at 8 p.m.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - The City of Columbus is partnering with Red Arch Community Events, Inc., to present "Celebrate 250," a weeklong festival marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. 

COLUMBUS, Ind. - The City of Columbus has installed 21 commemorative banners along Washington Street in downtown Columbus honoring Revolutionary War soldiers buried in Bartholomew County.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - The Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation celebrated the "Catalyst Academy Demo Day" on Thursday evening, June 25, at Helen Haddad Hall, awarding $40,000 in startup funding to eight entrepreneurs who completed the six-month business incubator program.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - The Friends of Columbus Animal Care Services (FCACS) is encouraging potential participants to sign up for this year’s "Moonlight Loop" evening bike before the price increase on July 1.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - The Bartholomew County Prosecutor's Office handed down a five-year sentence last week to Timothy Munn, of Columbus, for felony offenses that occurred in late 2024.

SOUTH-CENTRAL, Ind. - The National Weather Service (NWS) in Indianapolis has issued a Flood Watch for Bartholomew, Jackson, Jennings, Brown, and Decatur Counties in south-central Indiana through Saturday afternoon.   

JACKSON COUNTY, Ind. - The Indiana State Police (ISP) -Versailles Post responded to an accident on northbound I-65, near the 44-mile marker between Crothersville and Seymour, on Friday morning, June 26.

EDINBURGH, Ind. - The annual Edinburgh Firecracker Festival will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States of America on Saturday, July 4, in downtown Edinburgh.

COLUMBUS, Ind. (UPDATE: 6/25) - Columbus Police Department (CPD) detectives continue to investigate the death of a 39-year-old Seymour man that occurred at Mill Race Park on Wednesday, June 24.

HOPE, Ind. – The Town of Hope has announced that the "Old Fashioned Independence Day" event has been greatly scaled down due to the forecasted rain and threat of severe thunderstorms on Friday, June 26.

SOUTH-CENTRAL, Ind. - The National Weather Service (NWS) in Indianapolis says that south-central Indiana will see an increasing chance for showers and thunderstorms this weekend. The biggest concern is from late Thursday night into Friday, when widespread, heavier rainfall may lead to flooding. 

COLUMBUS, Ind. - The 2026 Bartholomew County 4-H Fair at the fairgrounds on State Road 11 will conclude its nine-day run this Saturday, June 27.

HOPE, Ind. - The Town of Hope has announced that its new sidewalk loop is finished. The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) was in Hope last week to help open the new two-mile sidewalk loop.   

COLUMBUS, Ind. - The investigation continues following a shooting that killed a local man on Monday, June 22. More details were released on Tuesday.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - The Uncommon Cause turns 50 this year, and the Columbus Area Arts Council (CAAC) is celebrating by throwing a "Monster Ball" party this Friday, June 26, from 7 to 11 p.m.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - The City of Columbus is partnering with Red Arch Community Events, Inc., next week, to present "Celebrate 250," a weeklong festival marking the 250th anniversary of the United States.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - UPDATE: 9:40 AM: Water has receded from roadways. No closures due to high water or downed lines at this time.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - A squad of Indiana State Police (ISP) troopers targeted Bartholomew County to focus on safe operation of motor vehicles and criminal interdiction on area roadways on Friday evening, June 19.