The Columbus Municipal Airport is announcing that tomorrow’s wing-walker act during Aviation Day has been canceled due to an illness, but there are two acts that will replace it.

Dave Dacy Airshows announced Thursday that “unfortunately, earlier this week Dave had a medical issue arise, and after consulting with doctors, and drawing from his 40+ year 100% Safety Record as a Professional Airshow Pilot, in the interest of safety and good operating practices, regrettably, will be unable to perform.”

The free airshow will still take place at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. but with two new participants:

Michael Kennedy of Lebanon, Tenn., will bring his historic Vultee BT-13 to Columbus as part of the Airshow. The BT-13 served as America’s basic trainer during World War II and taught thousands of military pilots to fly throughout the 1930’s and 1940’s. Michael will showcase many of the same maneuvers taught over seventy years ago.
Click for more information

The second new act is a Shorts MK1 Tucano flown by Lee Leet of Louisville, Ky. Leet will fly the two-seat military turboprop aircraft used for basic training by the Royal Air Force and many other countries around the world. The flight demonstration will showcase the speed of this very successful military turboprop aircraft. Click for more information.

The show will still include aerobatic acts Mike Vaknin in a 400 horse power Extra 300L and Billy Werth in his bi-wing Pitts S2C.

The airport staff are also warning for you to be alert to the high heat expected for tomorrow — up to 95 degrees. There will be shade available in the hangars and a cooling station in the basement of the aviation terminal. Staff suggests that you  stay hydrated throughout the day and bring chairs or blankets to rest while watching the air shows.

Aviation Day will be from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. For more information, you can check their Facebook page.

A Columbus man was arrested early Friday morning after allegedly battering his girlfriend.

Judy Jackson, Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson, says that Deputies Matt Bush and Nate Nichols were sent

to investigate a disturbance in the 600 block of Collier Street at 4:40 a.m. When they got there, they reported finding a woman, who was at the home of a neighbor, with visible signs of injuries to her head.

The alleged victim reportedly told deputies that her boyfriend, Timothy K. David, 45, had kicked her, causing her to hit her head on a door. Following an alleged second attack, the woman left the home, called 9-1-1 and went to a neighbor’s home for help.

Deputies say that they were able to find David and place him under arrest on preliminary charges of Domestic Battery. Jackson says that, as of the publishing of this story, David remains in jail on $5,000 bond. Authorities say that the alleged victim was checked at the scene by paramedics, but she refused treatment.

Sheriff Matthew A. Myers says that this incident unfortunately highlights what can happen with abusive partners. “If you are in an abusive relationship, emotionally or physically, help is available,” said the Sheriff. He encourages victims of domestic violence to “Call the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office at (812) 379-1689, or Turning Point at (800) 221-6311.” Turning Point is a domestic violence shelter in Columbus that offers secure, emergency shelter for victims of domestic violence and their families.

Wischmeier Nursery is closing after 31 years. That’s according to a post on the company’s Facebook page.

Jerry Wischmeier, co-owner of Wischmeier Nursery, announced that the greenhouse and nursery on Jonesville Road would be closing in early July and a clearance sale of the company’s plants and merchandise has already begun.

Jerry Wischmeier said that his father and company founder John Wischmeier wanted to retire and Jerry was looking forward to pursuing other interests and opportunities.

For more information

The Smoke on the Square BBQ festival, being held today and tomorrow in Hope, has turned into the biggest amateur barbecue event in the state, with 25 teams confirmed and more possible. That’s according to Jeff Yarnell, organizer for the event.

Yarnell said he and two friends are trying to organize a network of small, backyard barbecues. Most of those events only last a couple of years, while the Hope event has continued to grow. He said they would like to share some of their tips for success:

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The group is organizing the Southern Indiana BBQ Series as a way for operators of the small shows to network and promote their events.

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Smoke on the Square kicks off at 5 p.m. today on the Hope Town Square with music, entertainment and food to purchase and starts again tomorrow at 11 a.m. with the barbecue contest. The People’s Choice Award tasting will start at 3 p.m.

Meals range from $4 for a kids hot dog meal all the way to $9 for a beef brisket dinner. The People’s Choice Award tasting is $6 to try at least 12 teams barbecue.

The event is a fundraiser for the Hope Community Center.

A Metamora man was killed while working in northern Indiana on a mowing crew yesterday morning.

Conservation officers from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources report that 55-year-old Charles D. Sizemore was mowing grass with a 15-foot mower on Interstate 65 north of the Crown Point exit at about 11:15 a.m. when he lost consciousness for unknown reasons. His tractor/mower went up an embankment then back down, hitting a guard rail. Sizemore was wearing a seatbelt but his face hit the steering wheel.

Sizemore was taken to South Lake Methodist Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Sizemore was part of a crew that was sub-contracted by the Indiana Department of Transportation for mowing roads in northwest Indiana.

Today marks 100 days until the Indiana Bicentennial Torch Relay passes through Bartholomew County, on Sunday Sept. 18th.

According to the state of Indiana, the torch will enter Bartholomew County on State Road 46 coming from Decatur County stopping by Hartsville for celebration events.

It will then head through the northern part of the county stopping by Simmons Winery on County Road 450N for Hope-area celebrations before wending its way through Columbus to a party on the library plaza on Fifth Street.

The scheduled route (PDF link)

Lynn Lucas, the local bicentennial event organizer, said that the library plaza events will include informational booths, food, children’s activities and a performance by the Tim Grimm Family Band. The festivities kick off at 2 p.m. and the Grimms take the stage at 6 p.m.

The torch will be carried on foot and by vehicle by 32 local torchbearers. Lucas said that organizers are still in the process of confirming with the selected torchbearers and hope to have a list available soon.

Lucas said that organizers are finding unique vehicle to make the trip through Bartholomew County. So far vehicles being considered include the Columbus Fire Department’s 1917 Stutz fire engine,  an antique Coca-Cola bottling truck and an antique car owned by the Harvey family.

The torch relay will start in Corydon on September 9th and end on October 15th in Indianapolis. The torch is being carried six days a week making its way through all 92 Indiana counties.

The Columbus Indiana Architectural Archives hosted a forum Thursday evening focusing on it’s exhibit, called “Redeveloping Downtown: Columbus’ Modern Urban Form,” which is on display at the Indiana University Center for Art + Design on Jackson Street.

The forum was largely a conversation between two people who had a big impact on the recent redevelopment of downtown, Glenn Gareis and Tom Vujovich, with questions from the audience. While a principal at Development Concepts, Inc. (2004–2010), Gareis worked with the Vision 20/20 Committee and was the author of the Strategic Development Plan for downtown Columbus. Gareis is now the president of GMG Architects, LLC. During that time Vujovich was the president of the Redevelopment Commission and a member of the Vision 20/20 Committee.

The display covers the evolution of Columbus from the 1930s to present day. Included, is a timeline that shows certain projects as they evolved through the administration of every Columbus Mayor. A number of photos accompany the exhibit, further illustrating the evolution of the downtown area.

Approximately three-dozen people showed up to hear the discussion asnd ask questions. Attendees included Mayor Jim Lienhoop and the First Lady, City Councilman Frank Jerome, members of the Arts Council and others.

The exhibit is scheduled to remain on display through August 26. You can get more information at www.artsincolumbus.org.

Time is running out to nominate someone for the 2016 Jack Cramer Ideals of Athletic Competition Award. The award is sponsored by the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department in memory of Jack Cramer, a former local athlete who died at the age of 33 in 1978.

Mark Jones, Director of Columbus Parks and Rec., says that this award is presented annually to a male and female senior high to adult-aged athlete, coach or sports organizer. He explains that all nominees must live or work in Bartholomew County. Last year’s winners were Ali Patberg in the female category and William “Bill” Stewart in the male category.

Information and nomination forms are available at the Donner Center. The deadline to submit nominations is Wednesday.

North Vernon police are warning parents about the danger of look-alike toy guns, after a realistic looking pellet gun was found at the pool yesterday.

According to police reports, the toy gun was unsecured and wrapped inside a towel. Police suggest that if your children use Airsoft guns you should take time to talk with them about safe handling and how to react if an officer approaches them. Police say that they get many calls about guns and they take them all seriously. They suggest that anyone carrying a realistic looking toy gun should be very careful to listen to officer’s commands.

They also suggested that if your child is going to play with pellet guns and needs to transport the gun, that they do so inside of a bag or case

Bartholomew County employees will likely see their insurance premiums go up again next year. County officials are expecting to require employees to pay 5 percent more toward the total cost of their health care to balance next year’s budget.

County Commissioner President Rick Flohr said that the claims are running lower this year due to higher premiums the county instituted last year for its workers.

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But county officials believe that county employees as a whole will need to add about $30,000 to their pool of contributions next year, bringing the employee totals to about $630,000.

Flohr estimates that on average, employees will see their premiums go up less than $4 a paycheck, or about $86 for the year.

The county government picks up more than $4 million of the employee health care costs.