Indiana Department of Transportation and Indiana Department of Natural Resources personnel will come together next week to celebrate the conclusion of a two-year, $9 million road, bridge and flood control project at Yellowwood Forest, west of Nashville.

Last year, INDOT crews paved 1.5 miles of state-recreational-site roads south of Yellowwood Lake’s parking lot while constructing a 300-foot-long bridge on Yellowwood Road over Salt Creek.

This year, Milestone rebuilt a 1.3-mile gravel section of Yellowwood Lake Road—raising the elevation and improving drainage—from the lake north to Lanam Ridge Road. 2018 operations also included bridge/culvert work and 2000 feet of full-depth pavement reclamation on Yellowwood Road north of State Road 46.

Officials will cut a ceremonial ribbon Friday, November 30th. Area residents and others are invited to the 2:30 p.m. ceremony that will take place at the parking lot on the north end of Yellowwood Lake.

If you need firewood, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources may have a deal for you. Officials say you can cut certain downed trees in designated areas at Brown County State Park for firewood through March 15th. Trees eligible for firewood have fallen as a result of natural causes or have been dropped by property staff. They are along roadsides or in public areas such as campsites and picnic areas.

The cost of one pickup-truck load is $10. Officials say that all proceeds will be used for resource management and restoration efforts, including replacement of trees in campgrounds and other public areas.

Permits are available at the park office daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. A firewood permit must be obtained for each load.

Wood may be cut and removed between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. daily. For more information, call (812) 988-6406. Firewood from state parks is for personal use only and cannot be sold.

A North Vernon woman is facing multiple charges after a Monday night traffic stop. North Vernon Police say they stopped a vehicle in the area of JFK Drive shortly after 8:30 p.m.

During the stop, police became suspicious of criminal activity. They ultimately arrested 39-year-old Lindsey Warner on preliminary charges of Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Paraphernalia. Police say Warner later received an additional charge of Trafficking with an Inmate.

Columbus Baptist Church will be holding its 11th annual community Thanksgiving Day dinner on Thursday at the church on North National Road.

Pastor Chuck Kennedy says that the dinner has really grown since it started as the Feed the Flock ministry.

Kennedy said it was eye-opening  to find out just how many people in the community are alone on Thanksgiving Day.

Kennedy said that for many in the the community, the only contact on Thanksgiving may be the delivery driver.

Kennedy said that the drivers will ask if they can pray with those who they deliver meals to.

Kennedy said that volunteers at the church have been working on the dinner since about August. The entire meal is provided through cash and food donations from members and the community.

The sit-down meal will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at the church.

The church will continue to take Thanksgiving delivery requests through tonight. You can call 812-371-1400 or 812-344-1794

A missing Columbus woman was found dead in her home Sunday. That’s according to our news-gathering partners at The Republic. No foul play is suspected in the death of 35 year old Trillby Hatton.

Columbus police issued an alert Sunday saying that she was missing and seeking the public’s help finding her. A few hours later, police called off the alert, telling the newspaper that her body was discovered in her Lafayette Avenue home.

County Coroner Clayton Nolting told the newspaper that there is nothing suspicious about the woman’s death and foul play is not suspected.

You can get more information at therepublic.com

There is definitely a market for a downtown hotel and conference center in Columbus. That’s the message from Rob Hunden, with Hunden Strategic Partners.

11-20 ROB HUNDEN-2

Hunden says it’s important to understand the local market.

11-20 ROB HUNDEN-4

Hunden gave the final report of the Hotel and Conference Center Market Analysis and Feasibility Study to the Columbus Redevelopment Commission Monday afternoon. Hunden pointed to two possible sites for a new hotel and conference center. They are the Bartholomew County Probation Department property at 507 Third Street and the downtown post office site. Hunden suggests it would be much easier and inexpensive to go with the probation site, but adds that both properties could be well utilized.

Hunden says the estimated cost of the proposed development is approximately $25 million.

The Redevelopment Commission took no action, but agreed to study the matter further.

Columbus Parks and Rec. are inviting you to work up an appetite for a good cause on Thanksgiving morning. The fifth annual ‘Turkey Trot” is being held at the Hamilton Center at 9 a.m.

Organizers say this is a free 5k run/walk, but donations will be accepted to the Chuck Wilt Scholarship Fund. In addition, there will be a raffle for a turkey give-away at the event.

You can register online, here: bit.ly/2Fu3Zmz.

If you have no plans for this Thanksgiving, or if you’d simply like to celebrate with several others, the Lincoln Central Neighborhood Family Center invite you to take part in their annual free offering with First Christian Church. Diane Doup explains…

11-19 DIANE DOUP-1

Doup says these meals are prepared by generous donors.

11-19 DIANE DOUP-3

Meals will be served from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day and you are welcome to attend.

Columbus police are warning that package thieves are out there, waiting to steal your Christmas presents right off the front porch.

Police say that they see an increase in package thefts from homes at this time of the year. Lt Matt Harris, spokesman for the department, says that if you are expecting online orders to arrive, you can request that an adult must sign for the package. That will keep it from being left unattended on your porch or in your mailbox.

If you notice any suspicious people or vehicles driving in your neighborhood, you should report that activity to police. Or if you have video footage of packages being stolen or other suspicious activity, you can have officers check that out also.

For more information, you can call the police department at 812-376-2600.

Columbus police say that a man was driving drunk at more than twice the legal limit with his child in the vehicle Saturday night.

Witnesses reported seeing a car weaving in and out of traffic at about 10:20 p.m. Saturday night on National Road near Westenedge Drive, according to police reports. Police stopped the vehicle driven by 36-year-old Matthew L. Louden of Columbus. A juvenile passenger was in the vehicle, who was identified as Louden’s child.

Officers report that they noticed a strong smell of alcohol on Louden’s breath. He failed several field sobriety tests and a breath test revealed a blood alcohol level of .169%.

He was arrested on preliminary charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated with a minor in the vehicle, with a BAC of.15% or greater, and with endangerment