North Vernon’s new City Council members continue their work adjusting to their roles in city leadership. The body meets Monday evening and part of its unfinished business is their appointment to the city’s Tourism Board. That appointment is expected to be finalized Monday night.

The council will also continue discussions on possibly creating a Golf Course Board. North Vernon recently took over ownership of St. Anne’s Golf Course, located on the city’s east side. A disagreement between St. Anne’s members and the city’s Director of Golf, Robin Brown, came to a head during a city council meeting in early January. After the council resolved that issue, council members opined that a golf course board might be better suited to deal directly with course issues. The city council could finalize the setup of the board, as well as nominate members, Monday night.

New Business for the council is scheduled to include an update on the city’s “Stellar Communities” project aimed at beautifying downtown North Vernon. There is also expected to be an update on the city’s agreement with renewable energy company Windstream Technologies, among other business.

Monday night’s meeting begins at 6 p.m. inside the Carnegie Government Center.

Correction: This story has been edited to clarify the situation concerning the incident.

Columbus Police completed a report this week on what is being called a “glitter-bomb” that was sent to Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop’s office.

Columbus Police Department Spokesman Lt. Matt Harris says that when the package was opened, it appeared to have been spring loaded with glitter and blew out into the mayor’s office. Harris says that no one was hurt and stresses that there were no explosive elements inside the package. He adds that the parcel was sent through the U.S. Mail.

The episode is being described as an “inconvenience” by those familiar with what happened. City Hall personnel simply swept up the debris from the recently-replaced carpets.

The ballots are set for the May 3, primary election in Bartholomew County. Filing closed at noon today.

In local races:

• Scott C. Andrews will face Kelly S. Benjamin in the Republican primary for Bartholomew Circuit Court judge.
• Clayton R. Nolting will face Ronald W. Shadley in the Republican primary for county coroner. Paula K. Rothrock has also filed as Democrat.
• E.R. Gray has no opponent in the race for county surveyor in the primary or the general election.
• Larry S. Kleinhenz, Jorge R. “George” Morales and Susan Thayer Fye have filed to run as Republicans for the First District seat on the County Commissioners. No Democrats filed for that race.
• Rick Flohr is unopposed for the Republican nomination for District 3 County Commissioner and Brad Woodcock is unopposed as the Democratic nominee.
• Five candidates filed as Republicans for the three at-large seats on the County Council: William F. “Bill” Lentz, Michael Lovelace, Matt Miller, Evelyn Strietelmeier Pence and James “Jim” Reed. Three Democrats have also filed; Gabrielle “Gaby” Cheek, Pam Clark and Lynne L. Fleming.
• Three Republicans and three Democrats filed for the three seats on the Hartsville Town Council. Republicans are Michael W. “Mike” Crull, Rex L. Dora and Steven Rucker. Democrats are Lisa L. Hayes, Mark IMel and Jeremy Kimball.
• No Republican nor Democrat filed to run for Hartsville clerk-treasurer.
• In Hope Town Council Ward 1, the only candidate is Edward Johnson, a Democrat. Democrats Nellie Meek and Greg Sims filed for the Ward 2 seat. Ohmer Miller filed as Republican for the Ward 3 seat.
• Diane Burton filed as an independent for Hope clerk-treasurer.

The city of Columbus has announced that it will no longer have an official city spokesperson in the department of community development and will rework the job position to focus on programs for the city.

Mayor Jim Lienhoop’s administration announced today that Robin Hilber has been hired to work in the community development department as programs coordinator for the city.

The position is being reworked from its role under Mayor Kristen Brown, where the person in the job frequently acted as spokesman for the city.

Hilber has been working at Cummins, Inc. where she served as a Compliance Engineer in Purchasing Functional Excellence. Previously, she served as project manager for the Community Education Coalition.

Hilber will be responsible for coordinating and managing community development programs throughout the City of Columbus including the tax abatement application and compliance processes, oversight and compliance of local, state and federal grants, and downtown and neighborhood programs.

Melina Fox, town manager for the town of Hope, has resigned her position.

Fox said that she turned in a resignation letter last month that went into effect today. Fox cited concerns about her pay not matching what was promised when she started with the town, nor did she receive the 2 percent raise to that higher pay level that she had expected.

In her resignation letter, she cited an e-mail she sent in November.:

“I took this position for $50,000.  However, $5000 of it went toward the website development and implementation.  Since the website was completed in March 2015, my request for 2016 is $50,000 plus the 2% increase.  The Town of Hope is not paying any health care benefits for me.  I also have no mileage reimbursement, etc for meetings.  Hope you feel that my request is reasonable. ”

She said the Town Council did not act during an executive session last month to rectify the situation.

Fox began working with the town in 2014 and was tasked with managing day-to-day operations, raising the town’s profile, improving its image and finding grant money.

Columbus police are looking for your help solving a robbery at a pharmacy yesterday afternoon.

Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the department, says that a man went into the CVS Pharmacy on West State Road 46 and presented a note, saying he had a gun. The man then jumped over the pharmacy counter and took prescription medications.

Harris said the amount stolen is not being disclosed.

The suspect is described as a black man, 19 to 30 years old. He was last seen wearing a dark jacket/sweatshirt, dark pants, a dark stocking cap, and white tennis shoes.

If you have any information on this robbery, you should contact Columbus Police Detective, Brian Plummer, at 812-376-2524. Tips and information can be left anonymously.

The passing of former Indiana Governor Edgar Whitcomb is being felt all across the state, especially in Jennings County, where the Governor was from.

Mark Holwager, former Jennings County Republican Party Chairman, says that Whitcomb was a “great man” who exemplified the tenacity of the World War II generation. He called the former Governor “a treasure …. that we’ll never be able to replace.” When asked about Whitcomb’s legacy, Holwager noted the many accomplishments of the man, including his service in the war, his time as a POW, his return to Indiana, his education and professional accomplishments. Holwager noted that Whitcomb had an accomplished life well before being elected Governor in 1968.

Holwager added that Whitcomb was proud of his Jennings County roots, noting that the Governor loved to come back to the area to visit. He said that, up until the last couple of years, Whitcomb made regular trips to Jennings County. “There’s no doubt in my mind that he loved Jennings County,” said Holwager.

Holwager was part of a group that was instrumental in getting a monument for Whitcomb installed in the Governor’s hometown of Hayden. Holwager says the monument was erected in 2014 and is inside the Hayden Museum.

An Ivy Tech Community College staff member has been honored by the Jennings County Chamber of Commerce for her service and contributions to her community.

Columbus campus Spokesman Chris Schilling says that LeAna Matern,

Assistant Director of Resource Development & Alumni Relations, was named the Jennings County Young Professional of the Year on Thursday, January 28, at the Chamber’s Annual Dinner. Schilling says that Matern is the second young professional to receive the annual honor.

“LeAna is extremely well-deserving of recognition as our Young Professional of the Year,” said Marie Shepherd, Executive Director of the Jennings County Chamber of Commerce. “As a lifelong resident of Jennings County, she has generously given back to her community through countless compassionate efforts that have benefited her fellow residents and our entire region. We are proud to have her as a dedicated young professional in our community and deeply thank her for all of her selfless and sincere service.”

The Young Professional of the Year is selected based on commitment to community, volunteerism and civic engagement, social engagement with other young professionals, and impact at their place of work.

Schilling says that Matern’s community involvement includes being a member of the Jennings County Young Professionals, secretary of the Jennings County Youth Foundation, serving on the Jennings County Community Foundation Asset Development Committee and other organizations.

Schilling says that Matern joined Ivy Tech Community College in 2011 as a Resource Development Assistant. She advanced to the Assistant Director of Resource Development and Alumni Relations position in 2012, where her responsibilities include alumni relations, event planning, scholarship management, and working with donors and students.

Former Indiana Gov. Edgar D. Whitcomb, a Jennings County native, has died.

Whitcomb, who was 98, was originally from Hayden. He served as governor from 1968 to 1973 as a Republican.

According to Whitcomb’s biography on the state website, he was born Nov. 6, 1917 and attended Indiana University until the breakout of World War II. After the war he completed his law degree and worked as an attorney in North Vernon, Seymour and Indianapolis. He served as in the Indiana Senate from 1951-1944. He ran for Congress in 1954 and for the Senate in 1964, both unsuccessfully. After serving as Indiana secretary of state, he was elected governor.

Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., released a statement marking the former governor’s passing:

““Gov. Whitcomb rose from a small community in Jennings County to serve Hoosiers in the highest ranks of our state government. A remarkable man who lived an amazing life, Governor Whitcomb was an author, an adventurer, a sailor, a war hero, a committed public servant and, above all else, a Hoosier. His impact on our state will be felt by generations to come, and I join with all Hoosiers in mourning the passing of a true Indiana legend.”

Gov. Mike Pence is directing flags at state facilities statewide be flown at half-staff to honor  Whitcomb. Pence also asks businesses and residents to lower their flags to half-staff to honor Governor Whitcomb for his service to Indiana and the nation.

Flags should be flown at half-staff for seven days from his passing, through Thursday, Feb. 11.

This weekend will be the 18th annual Empty Bowls fundraiser, to raise money for the hungry in Columbus and Bartholomew County.

The event will feature more than 200 artisan-made bowls that you can take home for $25 and that will come filled with soup, with a side of bread and a drink. You can also buy the meal without the hand-crafted bowl for $12.

Entertainment will be by Cathy Morris and there will be an ongoing demonstration of a pottery wheel.

Tickets are available at Viewpoint Books or at the door.  The fundraiser is from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Central Middle School and proceeds benefit local food pantries.

Empty Bowls on Facebook.