The Atterbury-Mascatatuck Community Day is Saturday. Capt. Jessica Cates is with Camp Atterbury…
Later that afternoon, Cates says that you can watch a live-fire exercise…
Cates says that this is the second year for the event. Last year, Cates says some 500 to 600 people showed up. They are hoping for many more this time around…
Saturdays’ event runs until 3 p.m.
The Columbus Economic Development Commission held its annual meeting on Monday. Jason Hester, president of the commission, said that a couple of milestones were celebrated…
The group also announced new branding for the organization…
Hester, president of the commission, said that IU President Dr. Michael McRobbie gave the keynote address…
Hester says that the announcement is awaiting final approval from the Indiana Higher Education Commission. He says that there is no word on when that approval might come.
The next phase of the Rocky Ford Road Project will begin Wednesday. Milestone Contractors LP will begin the construction and plans to close Rocky Ford Road from Taylor Road to Talley Road on Wednesday at 9 a.m. The road will be closed to thru traffic and a detour route has been posted, said the Columbus City Engineer’s Office.
Officials say that the road will be closed to all traffic between Talley Road and Virginia Street. Milestone will immediately begin constructing underground storm sewers and water mains in the area. Later this fall, they will begin replacing the bridge over Sloan Branch. This section is expected to re-open early next year.
The section between Taylor Road and Carolina Street will be closed to through traffic but will remain open to residents along the road.
Construction of the Rocky Ford improvements began early this year with the relocation of utility lines. With that work now nearly complete, the contractor can begin the street construction.
Rocky Ford Road is a major east-west thoroughfare across the northern section of the city. The city previously improved two other sections of Rocky Ford Road from Central Avenue to Taylor Road. The improvements to this section from Taylor Road to Talley Road will include: one lane in each direction, a two-way left turn lane, bicycle lanes, sidewalks along both sides of the street, the installation of storm sewer and the replacement of the bridge over Sloan Branch.
The project is expected to be completed late in 2017.
The much-delayed replacement of a small drainage structure under State Road 11 at Dudleytown in Jackson County will be completed this weekend, if favorable weather holds up. The Indiana Department of Transportation plans to close State Road 11 from 6 p.m. Friday through 9 a.m. Monday, August 29.
Harry Maginity, INDOT spokesman, says that drivers will be detoured around the closure, located north of State Road 250 in Jackson County via State Road 250, Interstate 65 and U.S. Highway 50. He says that Temple & Temple, the state’s contractor for this $137,008 project, plans to remove the existing drainage pipe and replace it with a larger arched pipe measuring 73 X 55 inches, extending 36 feet in length.
Maginity says that the project will require a single-lane restriction early next week while contracted crews lay asphalt pavement and place rip rap. INDOT says that all restrictions will be lifted before Labor Day weekend.
The city of North Vernon may be out $1.4 million dollars with little chance of recovery. That’s the message from City Attorney Larry Greathouse, who gave his opinion of Windstream Technologies’ business and financial standing during Monday night’s city council meeting.
Greathouse was tasked by the council to look into the alternative energy company after company founder and CEO Dan Bates talked to the council July 25th. When Windstream Technologies opened its plant there in 2011, it received a 10-year, $1.4 million loan from the city, through its Redevelopment Commission and Tax-Increment Financing funds. Since the loan was issued, repayments to the city have been irregular. Shawn Gerkin, North Vernon Clerk-Treasurer, says that the money the city has received has essentially been enough to cover the interest payments, leaving the $1.4 million balance largely intact. Part of the loan agreement includes a scheduled balloon-payment of several hundred-thousand-dollars, which was due August 1st.
When Bates addressed the council last month, he explained that the balloon-payment was part of the problem in getting Windstream’s financial house in order. He said that he is working with a law-firm out of Raleigh, NC to restructure the company. Bates said that the payment, along with the company’s stock price, is making it difficult to attract investors. Bates said that, while investors like the products being manufactured by Windstream, they get “spooked” when they learn about the company’s financial situation. He added that the immediate goal is to restructure and make Windstream “look presentable” to investors.
The due-date for the balloon payment has come and gone and Greathouse told the council that he isn’t nearly as optimistic as Bates is. “Windstream is bankrupt,” said Bates. He added that, for all intents and purposes, the company has little in the way of assets and “in no position” to attract new investors.
Brian Hatfield, who represents District 4 on the city council, asked Greathouse what could be done. The answer is “not much.” Greathouse said that he wouldn’t recommend that the city file a lawsuit, due to Windstream’s lack of assets. He called any judgement that the city might receive as “totally uncollectable.” In addition, said Greathouse, a lawsuit would hurt the company’s attempt to become presentable to the Securities and Exchange Commission. He recommended that the council “wait and see” what happens. The council agreed and took no action.
The Johnson County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a burglary in Edinburgh.
Sheriff Doug Cox says that just at 7:30 a.m. on Monday, deputies responded to a call from K&L Machining in the 6900 block of South U.S.
31. Authorities say that security camera footage shows one man breaking a window and gaining entry in to the building, then opening a door to let another man in. Sheriff’s officials say that the first suspect was brandishing a pistol as the pair walked around the building.
The business owners reportedly told police that an older-model computer was taken, along with a small amount of cash. Authorities say the burglary is believed to have occurred between 11:15 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 a.m. on Monday.
If you have any information about this case, or the identities of the burglars, Sheriff Cox asks you to contact the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department Tip-Line at (812) 346-4654.
The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department is asking for your help in finding its most-wanted suspect this week.
Judy Jackson, the department’s spokeswoman, says that deputies are trying to locate 47-year-old Russell L. Sutton. He is described as a white
male, five-feet, seven-inches tall and weighing 165 pounds. Authorities say that Sutton has brown hair, blue eyes and multiple tattoos. Jackson says he is wanted on an outstanding warrant.
If you have any information on Sutton’s whereabouts, please call Capt. Dave Steinkoenig at (812) 565-5940. You may also call the Sheriff’s Department Tip Line at (812) 379-1712 or by email at sheriff@bartholomew.in.gov. Jackson says that tips and information can be left anonymously.
An Indianapolis man is accused of breaking a protective order and holding a Columbus woman prisoner with a knife at her throat yesterday morning.
The woman reported that she had also been choked unconscious.
Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the Columbus police, says that officers were called to the 500 block of 16th Street at about 2:10 a.m. Monday. The suspect, 21-year-old Shane D. Johns, was found at a nearby park and arrested on preliminary charges of domestic battery with a previous conviction; invasion of privacy with a previous conviction, strangulation, intimidation with a deadly weapon, criminal confinement and three Bartholomew County warrants.
A North Vernon man is being accused of robbing a change machine at a laundromat.
North Vernon police report that they were called to an alarm at a laundry on North State Street at just before 4 this morning. They saw a man leaving the building who then allegedly ran away from officers. 41-year-old Micah Manning was found hiding under a pickup truck. Burglary tools were found in the laundry with the damaged change machine. The laundry owner estimated that between $30 and $50 had been taken from the machine and some of that change was allegedly found on Manning by police.
Manning was arrested on preliminary charges of burglary, theft, resisting law enforcement, possession of paraphernalia, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct and also on two outstanding warrants for failing to appear in court.
The Columbus Indiana Philharmonic is coming off a successful and profitable year, where the local orchestra saw the donation of a grand piano by Enkei America and the donation of its long-time office building by the Haddad family.
The orchestra gave its annual report yesterday.
In February, the orchestra announced that Enkei had donated the world-class Shigeru Kawai grand piano.
Music director and conductor David Bowden said there will be a special concert coming Sept. 17th that will be attended by the president of Enkei, Junichi Suzuki, and the president of the Kawai piano corporation, Hirotaka Kawai, to honor the donation of the instrument. He said the two are friends from grammar school:
Bowden said the orchestra is firing on all cylinders. The orchestra showed a profit of $7,000 based on revenue of $817,000 and expenses of $810,000.