An Elizabethtown man is facing domestic violence charges after an incident last night on Legal Tender Road.

42-year-old Paul Kilgore is facing preliminary charges of domestic battery in the presence of a minor, strangulation, criminal confinement and intimidation.

Bartholomew County deputies are reporting that they were called to the home at about 10 p.m. Wednesday night on a report of domestic battery. Kilgore allegedly battered and choked a woman at the home, while a child was also inside the home.

A group of board game fans are hoping to bring some cheer to Bartholomew County children’s holidays.

There will be a 24-hour Board-Game-a-Thon starting Friday night at Terrace Lake Church.

Participants can start playing games at 6 p.m. tomorrow night until 6 p.m. Saturday evening. Tyson O’Haver is organizer of the event.

O’Haver  says that the group is a bunch of big kids playing with toys and hoping to spread that cheer.

There will be a library of games on hand to play, or you can bring your own.

Participants are asked to donate at least $20 to play and organizers suggest getting sponsors to support you.

There will be game demonstrations, a raffle and silent auction.

You can find more information on the group’s Facebook page by searching for “24 Hour Board Game A Thon for Firemen’s Cheerfund.”

First Fridays for Families is kicking off its season tomorrow with Holidays Around the World presented by the Bright Star Theatre at The Commons.

First Fridays for Families run on the first Friday of the month, December through April. The program is a free family entertainment series sponsored by Old National Bank and the City of Columbus. Doors at the Commons open at 5:30 p.m. and the show starts at 6 p.m.

First Fridays for Families are organized by the Columbus Area Arts Council. You can get more information on arts council events at artsincolumbus.org.

Residents of Hope are encouraged to take part in the #HopeTownJets Deck The Town Competition. Susan Thayer Fye, executive director of Main Street of Hope, says the not-for-profit group is sponsoring this year’s event.

Thayer Fye says that all homes in the Hope town limits are eligible to participate. All homes must be decorated by Dec. 15th. Residents don’t need to do anything else in order to enter. Photos of the homes will be posted on the Main Street of Hope’s Facebook page on Dec. 16th. In order to vote, simply “like” the photos of your favorite homes. Voting will be open through Dec. 21st at 3 p.m.

Organizers say the winning home display will be awarded the traveling “leg lamp,” similar to the prop used in the film, “A Christmas Story.”

A Greensburg man was killed in a one-vehicle crash Wednesday morning on I-74 in Decatur County. Indiana State Police say they were called to the eastbound lanes of the interstate near the 128 mile marker at about 3:30 a.m.

ISP say the initial investigation indicated that a Jeep Wrangler driven by 58-year-ol Rickie A. Meece was traveling eastbound on I-74 when it left the south side of the roadway and struck a guardrail. After striking the guardrail, the vehicle rolled multiple times before coming to stop off the roadway.

Meece was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Decatur County Coroner’s Office. Authorities say he was not properly restrained at the time of the crash.

Authorities say that toxicology tests are pending, although drugs and alcohol are not suspected to be factors at this time.

The investigation into the crash is ongoing.

Exhibit Columbus has announced the first public event of the 2019 exhibition: the J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller Prize Design Presentations on Saturday, Jan. 19th.

Organizers say the 2018-19 Miller Prize Winners experienced Columbus this fall and visited the sites where they will create temporary outdoor installations that respond to the context of Columbus’ built heritage and the curatorial theme of “Good Design in the Community.”

The 2018–19 J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller Prize Recipients and Installation Sites are as follows:

– Agency Landscape + Planning
(Cambridge, MA)
Site: AT&T Facility, 1978, Paul Kennon of Caudill Rowlett Scott

– Bryony Roberts Studio
(New York, NY)
Site: Columbus City Hall, 1981, Edward Charles Bassett, Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill

– Frida Escobedo Studio
(Mexico City, Mexico)
Site: Cleo Rogers Memorial Library Plaza, 1971, I.M. Pei and Partners

– MASS Design Group
(Boston, MA; Kigali, Rwanda)
Site: Central Middle School, 2007, Ralph Johnson of Perkins + Will

– SO-IL
(New York, NY)
Site: Bartholomew County Courthouse Lawn, 1871-74, Isaac Hodgson

The Design Presentations also feature the 2018–19 University Design Research Fellows. Representing eight universities, organizers say these fellows will “translate their innovative research into installations and experiences that explore ways in which architecture and design can improve cities and advance new practices in design and fabrication.”

The 2018–19 University Design Research Fellows are:

– Viola Ago and Hans Tursack
– The Ohio State University and
– Massachusetts Institute of Technology
– Sean Ahlquist
– University of Michigan
– Christopher Battaglia
– Ball State University
– Sean Lally and Matthew Wizinsky
– University of Illinois at Chicago and
– University of Cincinnati
– Daniel Luis Martinez and Etien Santiago
– Indiana University
– Marshall Prado
– University of Tennessee

The schedule for the Jan. 19th event is as follows:

10:00 am – 12:30 pm / University Design Research Fellows
12:30 – 1:30 pm / Lunch (provided to ticket holders)
2:00 – 4:30 pm / Miller Prize Presentations

The city of Columbus’ purchase of the Fair Oaks Mall property is imminent.

The city of Columbus partnered with Columbus Regional Health and Heritage Fund: The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County to offer to purchase the more than 35 acre site for $5.9 million. The current breakdown of costs is $4,087,500 from the city, $1,362,500 from CRH and $450,000 from Heritage Fund: The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County. Heritage Fund offered the assistance after a pair of appraisals put the value of the site at approximately $5.45 million. By law, cities and municipalities are not allowed to spend more on property for more than it appraises for.

The city council voted unanimously on Oct. 16th to create the non-profit group, Fair Oaks Community Development Corporation. Mary Ferdon, the city’s director of administration, says there are eight directors, with the city getting six and CRH getting two. Mayor Jim Lienhoop says the goal is to create an indoor sports facility for the parks department, enhanced by an on-site a CRH facility. The specifics of how and what the site will be developed into has yet to be established. That work is expected to begin in earnest after the property ownership is transferred.

Ferdon says that due diligence was done on the city’s part. She explains that inspections of the building turned up nothing unexpected and that an environmental study of the site showed there is no reason the purchase move forward. City officials add that leases at the mall are being honored and that no retailer is being forced out immediately by the impending purchase.

Barring any delays, Ferdon says the sale will be closed on Dec. 14th.

Bartholomew County officials are wrangling over the contract for recently re-elected Sheriff Matt Myers.

The sheriff is concerned that his time in office will not be counted toward his retirement.

At this week’s County Council work session, the sheriff’s department attorney Jeff Beck and County Commissioner Larry Kleinhenz said that the two sides are currently considering a one-year contract for the sheriff, instead of the four-year contract he signed last term.

And that contract will include language saying the sheriff is not waiving his right to benefits, such as retirement benefits, while negotiations continue, Beck said. At issue is a clause in the sheriff’s department retirement plan that says a deputy must be employed for eight years and a month before being eligible for retirement benefits. Sheriffs are limited by term limits to only serve eight years in office. If they did not serve as a county employee prior to their time as sheriff, they would not be eligible for retirement pay.

At last month’s work session, the sheriff said that clause was meant to dissuade outsiders, like himself, from running for sheriff. Prior to serving as sheriff, Myers was a Columbus police officer. He also said he did not want to try to cut a deal with the future sheriff, to keep him on for a month in some capacity after his term ends so he can collect retirement pay.

It appears the the clause was added in the early 2000s, council members said.

County Council members said they had no interest in changing the wording, preventing the sheriff from accruing retirement benefits while in office.

The sheriff’s pay is tied to the pay of county prosecutors and judges. Myers pay next year is budgeted for just under $119,000.

Heritage Fund – The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County has received a grant of $1 million as part of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s seventh phase of its Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) initiative.

Heritage Fund officials say they can use this matching fund grant to build its financial assets and support charitable activities. They explain that at least two-thirds of the matching fund grant must be designated to support the growth of Heritage Fund’s unrestricted endowments, which over time will provide flexibility to help the foundation to meet community needs. The Endowment will provide $2 for every $1 contributed to Heritage Fund’s unrestricted endowments during the matching period, October 1, 2018, through December 31, 2020.

Heritage Fund may choose to designate up to one-third of the matching fund grant to support the foundation’s own operating needs or specific community or charitable projects. The Endowment will provide 50 cents for every $1 that Heritage Fund raises during the matching period for these purposes.

“Heritage Fund has been grateful for its partnership with the Lilly Endowment since the first GIFT program in 1990. Thanks to the generosity of Bartholomew County residents, Heritage Fund has successfully completed GIFT I, II, III, IV, V and VI, bringing in more than $16 million in donations and matches from the Lilly Endowment. We are confident that GIFT VII will be equally successful,” said Tracy Souza, Heritage Fund president and CEO.

GIFT VII will focus on Heritage Fund’s Community Fund, its unrestricted endowment, which supports its grant-making for important efforts such as:
• Council for Youth Development Bartholomew County
• IUPUC School of Nursing and Mental Health Counseling Program
• Elevate Ventures regional entrepreneurial development partnership
• Columbus Home-buyer Program in partnership with SIHCDC, Lincoln-Central Neighborhood Family Center and BCSC’s C4 program
• Hauser Junior-Senior High School Agriculture Department greenhouse renovation project

The USDA is investing $1.2 billion to help rebuild and improve rural water infrastructure for 936,000 rural Americans living in 46 states. Five projects in Indiana are receiving funding, including one in Decatur County.

“Access to water is a key driver for economic opportunity and quality of life in rural communities,” Hazlett said. “Under the leadership of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, USDA is committed to being a strong partner to rural communities in building prosperity through modern water infrastructure.”

The Town of Westport will use a $1,082,000 loan and a $2,552,000 grant to replace the water treatment plant. In addition, the funding will assist with distribution system upgrades, install a new water main, make improvements to the elevated storage tank, stabilize the water supply dam, and replace water meters. Officials say this project will provide safe drinking water and help protect the health of nearly 603 homes in rural Decatur County. In exchange for these funds, Westport will contribute $46,000 and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs will contribute a $700,000 grant.

For more information on USDA Rural Development, visit www.rd.usda.gov.