Flag Day is Wednesday, June 14th, but the State Street Area Association in Columbus will be holding a celebration this weekend.

Julie Bilz, president of the association, explains

Bilz says that the flag ceremony will be carried out by John Travis of the American Legion and two members of the Ivy Tech Student Veteran Association.

She said there will also be musical entertainment.

Bilz stresses that everyone is welcome, not just eastside residents.The center is at 421 McClure Road. The event is free..

The Yellow Trail Museum in Hope is compiling an oral history, of people’s memories growing up in the small town.

On Sunday, the museum staff will be asking people to record their memories of “What was the best thing about growing up in Hope?”

Barb Johnson, director of the museum, says that they are planning a relaxed afternoon discussing childhood memories of the town and while a recorder will be set up for those who want to contribute their memories, it is not required. She said some people may want to show up just to hear others experiences.

The session will be about 45 minutes and will start at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the museum, on the northwest corner of the Hope Town Square..

For more information, call 812-371-7969.

Saturday is a big day at the Columbus Municipal Airport. Brian Payne is the airport director.

Payne talks about the air shows.

Payne talks about the purpose of Aviation Day.

In addition, there will be a pancake breakfast, bounce houses and a car show among other activities. Payne noted that Aviation Day is free, but there will be food and beverage vendors on site, as well as opportunities to take a quick flight in various aircraft. Those trips will cost you.

For more on Aviation Day and the Columbus Municipal Airport, visit www.columbus.in.gov/airport/.

One vehicle ended up on its roof after a crash Thursday evening on State Road 46 in Columbus. Witnesses say that at around 6 p.m., a vehicle in the eastbound lanes near I-65 tried to cross westbound traffic to get to a convenience store when it was t-boned and flipped.

Traffic was still slow at the time of this story’s publishing.

Witnesses say there didn’t appear to be any serious injuries, but we are awaiting a response from authorities to verify.

The Columbus Area Arts Council has announced a pair of free concerts in the coming weeks that are targeted towards children and their families. The shows are set for June 15th and June 22nd, beginning at noon in the Donner Park Shelterhouse at 22nd and Sycamore Streets. These free shows are being co-presented with Columbus Parks and Recreation.

Noon Kids Concerts are fun, interactive performances that encourage kids and their families to participate. “CAAC’s mission is integrating art and cultural experiences into community life,” says Kathryn Armstrong, CAAC Executive Director. She adds, “Noon Kids Concerts are a great example of that mission in action. Donner Park is a hub of community life in the summertime, so it’s a great place to have performances for families! Kids are going to love these fun events.”

Noon Kids Concerts:

● THE PIRATE SHOW Thursday, June 15, Noon
Ahoy, landlubbers! Aye, Captain Paul, me hearty Matey, brings the golden age of pirates to life through tales and sea shanties. With the help of clues, the audience will discover the key to the treasure chest.

● BUM DITTY BUM Thursday, June 22, Noon
Hoosier author, teacher, and songwriter Jerry D. Maulin creates an hour of fun with stories and songs. Get ready to tap your toes and sing along!

For more on these, and other arts council events, visit www.artsincolumbus.org.

Ivy Tech is offering an opportunity for advanced manufacturing employees in Jackson County to become Certified Production Technicians through a free certification program offered by the school this fall at the Jackson County Learning Center.

Ivy Tech officials say the program will offer Manufacturing Skills Standards Council training, an industry-led training, assessment, and certification system focused on the core skills and knowledge needed by the nation’s front-line production and material handling workers.

Classes will be from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays from August 8 through December 12 at the Jackson County Learning Center in Seymour. The program is free, courtesy of a grant from Duke Energy. Without the utility company’s help, Ivy Tech says the training would cost $2,600 per person. The class size is limited to 17 people.

Ivy Tech says this is an excellent opportunity for manufacturing workers to make themselves more marketable and earn a better wage.

For more information or to register, contact Ivy Tech Workforce Alignment Program Manager Rhonda Jackson at (812) 374-5182 or rjackson125@ivytech.edu.

The Indiana Department of Transportation plans to restrict U.S. Highway 31 to a single lane near Seymour on Wednesday to allow for the installation of a Weigh In Motion scale. INDOT says that temporary traffic signals have been put in place to permit one-direction-at-a-time traffic at the 324-foot construction site approximately one-half mile north of U.S. 50.

INDOT officials say the work is part of a nearly seven-million dollar project that includes in-pavement sensing locations on Interstate 65 and State Road 7, as well as facilities on I-65 for certified scales and covered examinations just north of the Seymour exit.

The single-lane restriction on U.S. 31 is scheduled to remain in effect for up to 90 days.

Seymour Mayor Craig Luedeman’s office says that the city has received word from the Louisville and Indiana Railroad Company that the St. Louis crossing will be closed permanently on Monday. Drivers who have been traveling north from Tipton Street onto Indianapolis Avenue will have to turn west, effective Monday.

In addition, Second Street at Indianapolis Avenue in Seymour will be closed for repairs next week. The closing is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, but the work is dependent on the weather.

Jennings County authorities are saying that seat belts likely saved the lives of victims of a severe accident Wednesday afternoon.

A car driven by 37-year-old Trevor McIntosh of North Vernon was driving west at U.S. 50 and County Road 900W when his car crossed the centerline and struck an westbound car driven by 27-year-old Brian Douglas of Seymour, says Lt. Mike Mowery with the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department. That was at about 5 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.

McIntosh’s vehicle went off into a ditch where it rolled over several times before it struck a tree and then landed on its wheels. After being cut from the crashed car, McIntosh was flown by Stat Flight to Indianapolis with critical injuries.

A passenger in Douglas’ car, 27-year-old John Lawrence Jr. was also trapped in his vehicle. After he was freed, he was taken to Schneck Medical Center in Seymour with severe injuries, but they were not believed to be life-threatening, Mowery said. Douglas was treated for injuries at the scene and then released.

The accident remains under investigation.

Bartholomew Consolidated Schools will be celebrating new and returning artwork at the school district headquarters on Saturday.

The school foundation has raised funds to replace the stolen statue of a little girl playing beside the fountain and pond on Central Avenue. The original statue was stolen several years ago. The new little girl statue, Lilly, was created by Linda Peterson. It takes the spot beside the little boy, known as Frog Pond by Jo Saylors.

The district will also be celebrating the return of the the Model A sculpture, “When I Was Your Age” behind the administration building. The sculpture was originally made for Arvin and used to be located in the center of the roundabout on 13th Street.

It was moved by Faurecia to its plant after Arvin split up and closed. The sculpture was recently restored and gifted to the school district. It has been reinstalled in the park beside the school headquarters.

The celebration will be from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday.