Columbus will have its first Pride Festival on Saturday to celebrate the LGBTQ community in the city.

The event will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fourth Street in downtown Columbus.

The event will feature informational booths, vendors, food and entertainment. It is meant to celebrate Columbus as a welcoming and diverse community.

The festival is being organized by Erin Bailey, a senior at Columbus Signature Academy New Tech High School as her senior project. The event is being billed as the first Pride Celebration in Vice President Mike Pence’s hometown.

Three candidates are vying for Bartholomew County Sheriff in the Republican primary. We asked the candidates whether the county should reopen the old section of the jail.

Incumbent Sheriff Matt Myers said the old section is going to have to be reopened.

Retired deputy Rob Kittle said that is a last resort, and an expensive one.

Retired State Trooper Tami Watson said it is necessary and inevitable.

The primary election is coming up on May 8th and early voting is underway now. No Democrats have yet filed for the sheriff’s race.

Ivy Tech Community College is inviting you to shop at Ivy Republic, an “upscale garage sale” that offers gently used professional attire, casual clothing, and other items at a low cost.

A two-day event, Ivy Republic will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 18th and 19th in Poling Hall Student Commons on the Ivy Tech Columbus campus. All are welcome.

Chris Schilling, Ivy Tech Columbus’ director of marketing, explains that Ivy Republic provides “clothing that works for you.” Gently used professional and casual clothing and accessories are donated by Ivy Tech faculty and staff and sold for only $1 per item. All funds raised provide scholarships each year for Ivy Tech students. This spring, Schilling says that Ivy Republic will be awarding four $500 scholarships.

“Ivy Republic helps Ivy Tech students and community members find the professional clothing they need as they start or advance their careers,” said Nina Loesch, Ivy Tech Assistant Director of Financial Aid and chairwoman of the Ivy Republic Committee.

Ivy Republic is held twice each year, once in the fall and once in the spring. This event also features a silent auction with prizes that can be bid on by students, staff, faculty, and the public. Proceeds from the silent auction also contribute to the student scholarships.

The Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge will celebrate Earth Day on Saturday with a Volunteer Work Day/Refuge Cleanup. Donna Stanley, park ranger, says that everyone who enjoys the outdoors is invited to come out and help improve Muscatatuck.

The event is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at the Refuge Visitor Center. Stanley says that work will be available for volunteers of all ages and abilities. She says that work will include trash pick-up, work on the Visitor Center Nature Discovery Area and wildflower areas, and invasive species removal.

For more information contact Muscatatuck@fws.gov or call (812) 522-4352, extension 12.

A local man was arrested earlier this morning after he attempted to flee from Columbus Police. Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the department, says that at approximately 12:40 a.m., Officers Reid Thayer and Lukas Nibarger observed a car with a flat tire and broken rear window traveling on Lafayette Avenue. When the officers attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver 56-year-old James R. Charles, of Columbus, sped into a parking lot in the 600 block of Third Street, got out of the vehicle and ran. Officers caught up to Charles moments later and he was taken into custody. While speaking with Charles, police noted the strong odor of an alcohol on his breath.

Charles was transported to Columbus Regional Hospital for a blood alcohol test. He was then booked on preliminary charges of Operating a Motor Vehicle Under the Influence and Resisting Law Enforcement.

The Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce will be feauturing Leo Portaluppi the owner of Chevrolet of Columbus, at a new event called Members on the Move.

Chamber President Cindy Frey talks about the success story Portaluppi has to tell.

Frey explains the new, Members on the Move format.:

Frey talks about what you can learn from the new series of events:

That will be from 5 to 7 tonight at the dealership on Merchant’s Mile.

You can find more information on the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce website.

Indiana State Police arrested a Commiskey man yesterday on charges that he sexcually abused a girl starting when she was 14 years old.

43-year-old William M. Hardin was arrested on charges of sexual misconduct with a minor. That’s after an investigation that started in December about sexual misconduct at his home, near Commiskey in Jefferson County, .

State police say that he was arrested without incident yesterday.

With all of the community focus on the opioid epidemic, we asked the three candidates for Bartholomew County Sheriff, what they believe the sheriff’s department’s role should be in fighting the crisis.

Incumbent Sheriff Matt Myers is facing retired deputy Rob Kittle and retired State Trooper Tami Watson in the May 8th Republican primary.

Kittle said that as sheriff he would concentrate on the law enforcement aspect.

Watson said you have to remove the demand to stem the tide

Myers said he has been impressed with the community’s multi-faceted approach.

No Democrats have yet filed for the sheriff’s race.

The Governor will be in Columbus on Friday. Gov. Eric Holcomb is scheduled to join Indiana Department of Transportation Commissioner Joe McGuinness and other state and local officials to mark the start of the 2018 INDOT construction season. They will take part in a groundbreaking event for a $143 million expansion of I-65 between Columbus and Seymour.

Friday’s event will be held at NTN Driveshaft, located at 8251 South International Drive, beginning at 11 a.m.

The Alliance for Substance Abuse Progress in Bartholomew County hosted author David Sheff and his son Nic Wednesday evening at Columbus North High School. Sheff is an author who has written about his family’s experiences during Nic’s struggles with drug addiction.

BCSC Superintendent Dr. Jim Roberts talks about why events like this are important in combating the opioid epidemic.

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More than 100 people turned out to hear the Sheffs’ presentation. Josh Kroot, of Columbus, was one of those in attendance.

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Kroot talks about why hearing from the Sheffs is so important.

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Jeff Jones, executive lead of ASAP of Bartholomew County, says he has pleased by the turnout…

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For more on the Alliance for Substance Abuse Progress in Bartholomew County, visit asapbc.org.