Rep. Luke Messer’s proposal to help veterans impacted by the closure of ITT Tech passed the U.S. Senate Wednesday and is headed for the President’s desk to be signed into law.

Spearheaded by Messer, a Republican representing Indiana’s Sixth Congressional District, and California Democrat Rep. Mark Takano, the bipartisan proposal retroactively restores GI Bill benefits to veterans who were attending Indiana-based ITT Technical Institute and California-based Corinthian Colleges, both of which closed abruptly impacting tens of thousands of students nationwide. The congressmen say those numbers included thousands of veterans.

The Takano-Messer proposal is part of the Harry Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017, which improves and modernizes several aspects of the GI Bill. This GI Bill reform package passed the House last week, and the Senate Wednesday.

“This is a huge win for our veterans. Not only does this bill expand GI Bill benefits for our military families, it helps the thousands of veterans who unfairly lost their benefits when ITT Tech closed,” Messer said. “Our military men and women earn their GI Bill benefits serving and defending our country. It is our duty to honor that commitment, and ensure our veterans get every chance to succeed.”

The Takano-Messer proposal provides full restoration of GI Bill benefits within 90 days to students who attended ITT Tech and Corinthian Colleges, if they were not able to transfer their credits to a new institution. It also helps veterans who may be impacted by a school closure in the future.

Columbus City Council gave its first approval to a plan to save the city more than half a million dollars. The council last night approved a proposal from its financial advisors to move forward refinancing the $9 million in bonds used to build The Commons.

Finance director Jamie Brinegar explains that the savings would amount to about $53,000 annually, or about $530,000 in savings over the remaining life of the bond.

Brinegar says the city would be able to use that $53,000 a year for other projects and initiatives.

That savings includes all the fees and expenses of the refinancing.

The refinancing would allow the city to cut the interest rate in half. The existing bonds were financed at about 4 percent, but the new bonds would be at about 2 percent interest rate.

Councilman Frank Jerome wondered whether there would be larger savings if the city kept paying the same, larger annual payments it is already paying, but paid the bonds off more quickly. However Mayor Jim LIenhoop and Councilman Tim Shuffett said they would rather have the annual savings on hand now to pay for other city needs.

The city’s financial advisers suggested that paying the bonds off earlier would only save about $30,000 and it would require difficult restructuring of the bond agreements to accomplish.

Because the city is not actually eligible to call the bonds until 2019, the refinancing will require some financial shuffling to make the new arrangement work.

In other business, City Council:

• Prepared the city to start receiving funds from its partners for the estimated $30 million overpass project heading into downtown. The City Council approved a new fund last night that will allow the money to build up for the project and will ensure the money will only be used for the overpass. Brinegar said the $30 million is expected to be a high estimate and if the project comes in for less, any donors to the project will be refunded proportionately.
• Gave the necessary final approvals to allow a small parcel to be annexed into the city and rezoned so it can be incorporated into the larger Arbor Homes project off of Lowell Road and County Road 200W.

Cummins Inc. enjoyed a 12-percent increase in revenues for the second quarter of 2017, compared to the same quarter last year. Company officials say that second quarter revenues totaled $5.1 billion. They credit higher demand for trucks and construction equipment in North America and China, along with stronger sales to customers in the fields of mining and oil & gas exploration. Cummins says that revenues in North America increased 13 percent and international sales grew 11 percent due to strong demand in China and India.

Net income attributable to Cummins in the second quarter was $424 million ($2.53 per diluted share), compared to $406 million ($2.40 per diluted share) in the same quarter last year ago. Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) was $620 million, or 12.2 percent of sales, compared to $591 million or 13.1 percent of sales a year ago.

“We delivered strong revenue growth in all four operating segments in the second quarter due to improving conditions in a number of important markets where we also have leading share. Earnings increased due to solid operational performance, partially offset by higher warranty costs that resulted in second quarter EBIT that was below our expectations” said Chairman and CEO Tom Linebarger. “As a result of stronger than expected orders in truck and construction markets in North America and China, and improving demand from global mining customers we have raised our 2017 full year outlook.”

Through the end of the second quarter, the Company has returned $463 million to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchase and recently raised its quarterly cash dividend by 5.4 percent. Cummins says it plans to return 50 percent of its Operating Cash Flow to shareholders in 2017.

Based on the current forecast, Cummins expects full year 2017 revenues to be up 9 to 11 percent, higher than the prior forecast of up 4 to 7 percent.

Rumpke Recycling, along with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the Jackson County Recycling District, will unveil Rumpke’s new Medora Recycling Center during a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday.

Rumpke officials say the new Medora Recycling Center features a 5,540 square foot concrete pad with an enclosure to protect a recycling baler and collected recycling material. Recyclables will come from residential and commercial customers in the surrounding area. The new center allows for single stream recycling, where residents mix all recyclables into a single container, and a single truck collects the items. Company officials call the center “one of most innovative single stream recycling systems in rural Indiana.”

Rumpke says that the project was partially supported by an $87,425 grant from IDEM’s Recycling Market Development Program. Rumpke funded the remaining balance of the $625,000 project.

“The Medora Recycling Center will allow Rumpke to expand its curbside and business recycling programs and improve accessibility to recycling throughout southern Indiana,” said Steve Sargent, Rumpke director of recycling. “We’ve already had hundreds of residents and businesses start recycling, and that number continues to grow. This represents an excellent public-private partnership to improve recycling.”

Rumpke says that the ribbon cutting begins at 11:30 a.m. at the facility, located at 546 South County Road 870 West. A ceremony, with speakers from Rumpke, Jackson County Recycling District and IDEM, is slated to begin at 12:15 p.m.

Wednesday marks the start of as new school year for the Bartholomew Consolidated and Flat Rock-Haw Creek school corporations. Public safety officials are urging you to be prepared and aware of kids and state laws. Major Chris Lane, with the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, says you need to pay attention to school buses.

Lt. Matt Harris, with the Columbus Police Department, says that it’s important for drivers to pay attention and understand that their morning drive will be different than it’s been over the summer…

Authorities say that the only time that traffic in the opposite direction doesn’t have to stop is when the lanes are separated by a curbed or grassy median.

Both the sheriff’s department and Columbus Police say they will have officers out paying extra attention around school buses and campuses to help insure a safe start to the school year.

Columbus police arrested a man yesterday who was wanted on several warrants. That’s after they recognized him riding a bicycle.

25-year-old Tyler J. Cook was wanted on three warrants from Bartholomew County courts including one for criminal contempt, and two for failing to show up to court. Officers noticed him riding a bike near Hege and Kentucky avenues at shortly before 5 Monday afternoon.

While searching him they also allegedly discovered a glass pipe and marijuana, says Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the Columbus police.

In addition to the warrants, he is facing new charges of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Bartholomew Consolidated schools have switched to a new text alert system for emergencies and school closing information sent directly to your cell phone.

School officials say that even if you were signed up for the previous system, you still must sign up for the new program, called Blackboard. Text messages are free to sign up for, but normal messaging rates apply through your cell phone provider.

Emergency E-alerts are sent by BCSC when there will be a school closing, delay or early dismissal or if there is an emergency announcement.

You can find more information and sign up on the school website at bcsc.k12.in.us.

Today is the final day of summer break for many area students. Classes resume on Wednesday for Bartholomew Consolidated and Flat Rock-Hawcreek students.. Authorities ask that you take extra care while driving tomorrow, and be mindful that children and school buses will be active during the morning rush hour.

Jennings County and Seymour Community Schools are back in session on August. 8th.