Milestone Contractors and the Columbus city officials says that the following streets are now closed as part of the Rocky Ford Road project:

• Rocky Ford Road between Marilyn St. and Talley Road
• Marilyn Street at the intersection with Rocky Ford Road
• Carolina Street at the intersection with Rocky Ford Road
• Virginia Street at the intersection with Rocky Ford Road
• Elizabeth Street at the intersection with Rocky Ford Road

The city’s engineering department says that access to the Columbus Calvary Nazarene Church will continue to be provided from Taylor Road.

Work on the project will continue during the winter, weather permitting, say officials. They say that the primary focus over the winter will be the bridge construction.

The construction of this project will continue through most of 2017. Completion is expected late in that year.

When completed, this section of Rocky Ford Road will have three traffic lanes, bicycle lanes, storm sewers, curbs, a side path and a sidewalk.

A Columbus man was arrested early yesterday morning after allegedly stealing from a beer pong pot at a local bar.

Columbus police report that $57 was missing from the beer pong event. A review of security footage at the bar in the 3700 block of 25th Street allegedly showed 26-year-old Clinton J. Mings slide the money into his coat pocket, says Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the Columbus Police Department.

Mings  is also accused of taking $10 that another patron left on the bar to pay their tab.

Mings is facing two preliminary charges of theft.

Columbus police and county probation officers made two arrests yesterday after a probation sweep in the city.

Officers made a check at a home in the 2200 block of Indiana Avenue at about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and found several people inside. A woman allegedly gave police a false name, says Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the Columbus police. She was identified as 46-year-old Dawn Price, who was wanted on a Johnson County warrant. She was arrested on preliminary charges of false informing and visiting a common nuisance.

Police also found a mirror with a white residue that they identified as methamphetamine, Harris says. 22-year-old Ethan E. Spray was arrested on a probation violation and on new preliminary charges of possession of meth and maintaining a common nuisance.

A Columbus landmark will be coming back for public viewing.

“When I was Your Age,” a former Arvin Industries sculpture, featuring an antique car and driver inflating a tire with an Arvin air pump, will be returned to public display near the Bartholomew Consolidated Schools headquarters at 13th Street and Central Avenue.

The statue was originally installed in the roundabout at 13th street and Hutchens Avenue between the former Arvin headquarters and now-BCSC offices and the United Way building.

The sculpture ended up being owned by Faurecia which has restored the piece of art and had it installed at their plant in Walesboro, school officials said. However the company is donating it back to the school district so it can be displayed publicly again.

The school board voted to approve the installation of the statue near its former location at the board’s meeting Monday night. However, instead of being in the roundabout, it will be installed a few feet away, in the wooded park area behind the district headquarters. A decorative security fence will be installed around it and school officials are considering building a roof over the statue to protect it from the elements.

You can find more about the sculpture on the Columbus Area Visitors Center’s public arts page.

Columbus North High School’s “Sound of North” marching band will be marching in the inaugural parade in Washington D.C.

Bill Stultz, the band director, joined with State Rep. Milo Smith and others a few weeks ago to try to raise $125,000 to cover the expense of sending some 400 people to the event, on Jan. 20. Smith said on Wednesday night that, while the full amount hasn’t been raised, band officials felt comfortable enough to schedule the trip. That said, Smith says that the band is still accepting donations to reach it’s $125,000 goal.

Cummins Inc. has once again earned a top rating from an organization that champions human rights.

The Columbus-based diesel engine manufacturer announced on Wednesday that it has been awarded a perfect score in the 2017 Corporate Equality Index, a national bench marking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBT workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. Jon Mills, Cummins’s director of external communication, says that this marks the twelfth consecutive year that the company has been awarded that distinction.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the largest U.S. civil rights organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees. The organization says it has more than 1.5 million members and supporters.

“At Cummins, we have a long legacy of embracing the opportunities created by a diverse organization,” said Chairman and CEO Tom Linebarger. “Diversity and inclusion throughout our company allows us to attract and retain the best talent and fuels a more innovative work environment allowing Cummins to be a strong and successful company.”

The HRC’s Corporate Equality Index rated 1,043 businesses in the report, which evaluates LGBT-related policies and practices including non-discrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs, and public engagement with the LGBT community. Cummins efforts in satisfying all of the CEI’s criteria results in a 100 percent ranking and the designation as a “Best Place to Work” for LGBT Equality.

The Indiana Department of Education released 2015-16 accountability grades for public schools across the state. The grades were released Wednesday after the Indiana State Board of Education approved the placement of schools into their respective categories.

Schools in Bartholomew County did very well, with no school earning lass than a “B” grade. No area school received a failing grade, as the lowest received were “D’s” in Jackson and Jennings counties.

Below are the school district, school and letter grade received for 2015-2016:

Bartholomew Con School Corp     Clifty Creek Elem School                 B
Bartholomew Con School Corp     CSA Lincoln Campus                         A
Bartholomew Con School Corp     Mount Healthy Elementary            A
Bartholomew Con School Corp     Parkside Elementary School         B
Bartholomew Con School Corp     Richards Elementary School         A
Bartholomew Con School Corp     Rockcreek Elementary School     A
Bartholomew Con School Corp     Schmitt Elementary School          B
Bartholomew Con School Corp     Smith Elementary                             B
Bartholomew Con School Corp     CSA Fodrea Campus                         A
Bartholomew Con School Corp     Taylorsville Elementary School   B
Bartholomew Con School Corp     Central Middle School                     B
Bartholomew Con School Corp     Southside Elementary School     A
Bartholomew Con School Corp     Northside Middle School               B
Bartholomew Con School Corp     Columbus North High School      A
Bartholomew Con School Corp     Columbus East High School         B

Flat Rock-Hawcreek                           Hope Elementary School               B
Flat Rock-Hawcreek                           Hauser Jr-Sr High School               B

Brown County School Corp             Brown County High School          B
Brown County School Corp             Van Buren Elementary School    A
Brown County School Corp             Helmsburg Elementary School  B
Brown County School Corp             Sprunica Elementary School      A
Brown County School Corp             Brown County Junior High          C

Decatur County Comm Schools     South Decatur Jr-Sr High            C
Decatur County Comm Schools     South Decatur Elementary         B
Decatur County Comm Schools     North Decatur Elementary          A
Decatur County Comm Schools     North Decatur Jr-Sr High             B

Greensburg Comm Schools            Greensburg Comm H.S.                 B
Greensburg Comm Schools            Greensburg Comm Jr High          C
Greensburg Comm Schools            Greensburg Elem School              B

Medora Community Schools         Medora Jr & Sr High School          B
Medora Community Schools         Medora Elementary School          D

Seymour Comm Schools                Cortland Elementary School        A
Seymour Comm Schools                Seymour Senior High School       B
Seymour Comm Schools                Margaret R Brown Elem.                 C
Seymour Comm Schools                Seymour Middle School                 D
Seymour Comm Schools               Emerson Elementary School         B
Seymour Comm Schools               Seymour-Jackson Elementary     C
Seymour Comm Schools               Seymour-Redding Elementary     B

Brownstown Cnt Comm                Brownstown Central Middle           B
Brownstown Cnt Comm                Brownstown Central High               B
Brownstown Cnt Comm                Brownstown Elementary                 C

Jennings County Schools            Jennings County High                        B
Jennings County Schools            Sand Creek Elem. School                  B
Jennings County Schools            Scipio Elementary School                 B
Jennings County Schools            Graham Creek Elem. School            B
Jennings County Schools            Hayden Elementary School             D
Jennings County Schools            Brush Creek Elem. School                B
Jennings County Schools            Jennings County Middle.                  B
Jennings County Schools            North Vernon Elem. School             B

Edinburgh Community               Edinburgh Comm High School        B
Edinburgh Community               Edinburgh Comm Middle School    C
Edinburgh Community               East Side Elementary School           B

Greenwood Community            Greenwood Community High           A
Greenwood Community            Greenwood Middle School                 A
Greenwood Community            Greenwood Northeast Elem.            C
Greenwood Community            Westwood Elementary School         A
Greenwood Community            V O Isom Central Elem.                        C
Greenwood Community            Southwest Elem. School                     A

Nineveh-Hensley-Jackson        Indian Creek Elem. School                B
Nineveh-Hensley-Jackson        Indian Creek Intermediate                B
Nineveh-Hensley-Jackson        Indian Creek Middle School              B
Nineveh-Hensley-Jackson        Indian Creek Sr High School             B

A Columbus man went to jail twice over a 12-hour period Tuesday.

22-year-old Kendric J. Martin was first arrested at just after midnight after allegedly kicking at the front door of a home and is accused of trespassing on the property in the 700 block of Union Street, says Lt. Matt Harris.

At about 11 a.m., Martin was arrested again after allegedly stealing a cell phone in the area of Hughes Street and Indiana Avenue. Martin appeared to be under the influence of narcotics and after struggling with jail officers and hospital staff, he is facing preliminary charges including theft, battery by bodily waste, disorderly conduct and resisting law enforcement.

Jennings County deputies are looking for the public’s help solving a household burglary that included the theft of several guns.

Deputies report that Monday morning they were called to a home in Leavett Township. The elderly resident was pointing out items that had been stolen and became emotional talking about a Winchester shotgun that had been given to him by his father when the man was only 12 years old. Several other guns were taken along with a chainsaw, a jar of pennies, silver dollars and other money.

The missing guns:

• Winchester 30-30 lever action rifle
• Winchester 22 caliber lever action rifle
• Winchester Model 67 12 gauge single shot shotgun
• Winchester Model 97 12 gauge pump shotgun
• Remington Targetmaster 22 caliber bolt action rifle
• H & R 12 gauge single shot shotgun

If you have any information on the burglary, contact the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department at 812-346-5111.