Mill Race Park will be closed again today as rescue workers continue their search for a boy who disappeared into the river on Thursday.

6-year-old Brendan Sperry was playing Thursday afternoon on a sandbar in the river at Mill Race Park, where the Flat Rock and Driftwood River combine to form the East Fork White River.

The Columbus Police Department is reporting that searchers suspended their efforts last night after 15 hours in the water.  Police stayed in the park overnight to keep the area closed and rescue workers will be restarting again this morning.

According to conservation officers with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the primary search area has been checked exhaustively with sonar units and divers.  However, the river conditions have been hampering the search.

Rescue workers have been searching from where Brendan entered the water to 300 yards downstream. They have used sonar, video, and divers. The divers have been working from the bank and from boats working off of a static line. A search of  both banks covered more than half a mile.

However Due to the water level and the strength of the current, dive and sonar operations are being suspended until the water conditions improve. Rescue workers will will continue their surface search of the water and the river banks with boat patrols.

Conservation officers provides some statistics for Friday:

• Boats on the water: 5, including 3 DNR boats, a Lawrence County hovercraft, and a Bartholomew County airboat.
• Divers in the water: 8, including 4 DNR divers, 2 from ISP, and 2 from Bartholomew County.
• Sonar/R.O.V. units utilized: 2 sonar units, 1 R.O.V. (all DNR)
• Other search methods: Indiana State Police conducted an aerial search utilizing a helicopter. Indiana Department of Homeland Security checked the banks utilizing search dogs.

The Katie McBurnett 5k and 10k races, originally scheduled today for Mill Race Park, have moved to Noblitt Park. Registration starts at 8 a.m. and the race will begin at 9 a.m.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has issued an Air Quality Action Day and is forecasting high ozone levels for Saturday and Sunday for a number of counties in our area. This includes: Bartholomew, Brown, Johnson, Monroe, Jackson, Scott and other surrounding counties.

An Ozone Action Day means that a combination of the high temperatures, light winds, and other factors, are expected to produce conditions where high levels of ozone emissions may exceed
federally mandated standards.

Here are some recommended actions that the public can take to reduce
ozone forming emissions:

* Walk, bike, carpool or use public transportation.

* Avoid using the drive-through and combine errands into one trip.

* Avoid refueling your vehicle or using gasoline-powered lawn
equipment until after 7pm.

* Turn off your engine when idling for more than 30 seconds.

* Conserve energy by turning off lights or setting the air
conditioner to 75 degrees or above.

A Jennings County man was hospitalized after a Thursday night shooting. Sgt. Andrew Richmond, spokesman for the North Vernon Police Department, says that just before 6 p.m.,officers were called to the emergency room of St. Vincent Jennings Hospital after the arrival of a shooting victim.

Investigators determined that the shooting was accidental. Authorities say the incident occurred in the 400 block of North Elm Street when 26-year-old Joshua L. Wray, of North Vernon, was manipulating a newly purchased .40 caliber handgun. The shooting victim, 19-year-old Michael J. Davenport, of Paris Crossing, was sitting next to Wray when the gun went off. Police say the bullet struck Davenport in the left cheek and exited the right cheek.

Sgt. Richmond says that Davenport was stabilized at St. Vincent Jennings ER before being flown to St. Vincent Indianapolis.

The Live on the Plaza concert is going on tonight in front of the Bartholomew County Public Library on Fifth Street in downtown Columbus.

This year’s free show will feature Time for Three, a trio that performs with two violins and a double bass. Kathryn Armstrong, executive director of the Columbus Area Arts Council, explains:

Armstrong  explains the fun of the outdoor concert:

Live on the Plaza is organized by the Columbus Area Arts Council and sponsored by the Columbus Area Visitors Center. The show starts at 7 p.m. and you should bring a lawn chair.

You can get more information about this or any Arts Council event at artsincolumbus.org.

It could be hard to breath out there today for those with heart or lung problems, or with existing breathing issues.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has declared an Ozone Action Day across our area. They say that high temperatures, light winds, and other factors, are expected to produce difficult breathing conditions.

To help reduce ozone levels, IDEM suggests:

•  Walking, biking, carpooling or using public transportation.
• Avoiding using drive-through lanes and combine your errands into one trip.
• Avoiding refueling your vehicle or using gasoline-powered lawn equipment until after 7 p.m.
• Turning off your engine when idling for more than 30 seconds.
•  Conserving energy by turning off lights and setting your air conditioner to 75 degrees or above.

The National Weather Service is forecasting record-breaking heat out there over the weekend.  The weekend is expected to be in the 90s with high humidity.

The agency suggests that you should stay inside when you can and drink plenty of water when you head outside.

Police and first responders will resume a water search for a six-year-old boy who disappeared while swimming in the river Thursday afternoon at Mill Race Park. Authorities say that Brendan Sperry was playing on a sandbar with relatives when he waded to far in to the water and was swept away. Family members say that a 14-year-old cousin tried to save the boy, but she was unable to do so.

The initial call for help came in just after 3 p.m. Jet Quillen, spokesman for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, says that several people and agencies are involved in the search.

Crews were on the scene until just after 10:30 p.m. before calling it a night. They are set to resume the search at 8 a.m. Friday. Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the Columbus Police Department, says that Mill Race Park will remain closed until further notice.

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Family members say that Brendan and his family had just moved to Columbus about a month ago. The boy’s father, a member of the Indiana National Guard, was recently deployed to Australia. Family say he’s set to return home on Tuesday.

Police and first responders are performing a water search for a six-year-old boy who was swept away while swimming in the river Thursday afternoon at Mill Race Park. Jet Quillen is spokesman for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. He says that the child was playing with four family members when he went out too far in the water and was swept away. Quillen says several people are involved in the search.

Quillen adds that the boy was not wearing a life-jacket.

Mill Race Park has been closed. Authorities and park staff ask that you avoid the area, including the people trails, so they can continue the search uninterrupted. Quillen adds that while the search is currently focused in the downtown area, if people downstream see anything, they should call 911. The boy was last seen wearing Spiderman swimming trunks.

Authorities also ask that you don’t share unsubstantiated rumors about this incident on social media. There were rumors on some social media outlets that the boy had already been found.

Police and first responders are performing a water search for a six-year-old boy who was apparently swept away while swimming Thursday afternoon at Mill Race Park. Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the Columbus Police Department, says the boy was playing with his family in the river when he got too far away and was swept up by the current. The search continues on the East Fork White River near downtown.

Our news-gathering partners at “The Republic” are reporting that the search includes a boat equipped with sonar, a helicopter and other personnel.

Mill Race Park has been closed. Authorities and park staff ask that you avoid the area so they can continue the search.

We’ll have more on this story as it develops.

The Indiana Department of Transportation is holding a series of community discussions to talk about current and future projects and initiatives. INDOT representatives will be in Columbus on Wednesday, June 20th. Harry Maginity, spokesman for the state agency, says the meeting will be held at Columbus East High School from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

INDOT officials are calling the event a “Transportation Talk.” Described as an informal open house, INDOT team members will be available to talk about their respective programs while answering questions and soliciting input. Wednesday’s session is one of six being held this month across the state and you are invited.

A pair of area organizations were the recipients of thousands of dollars from First Financial Bank.

Bank officials held an event Wednesday afternoon at the Commons in downtown Columbus. Al Roszczyk, Regional President of First Financial, explained that the bank is committed to improving the community and helping in that mission. With that, the bank announced $100,000 donations to Heritage Fund: The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County and the Foundation For Youth.

Officials say these donations help both organizations immensely. The Heritage Fund has been in the midst of its “100 Campaign,” where 100 people were asked to contribute $1,000 each. Combined with 10 lead donor donations of $10,000 each, First Financial’s contribution brings the total raised to $300,000.

Tony Gambaiani, First Financial’s market president, made the presentation to FFY leadership. He lauded the FFY’s mission of serving the youth of the community, regardless of financial circumstances. Gambaiani says the $100,000 donation will help fund FFY scholarships for those who need it most.