Cummins President and COO Rich Freeland. Photo courtesy of BusinessWire
Cummins is reporting this morning that company president and chief operating officer Rich Freeland is retiring after 40 years with the company.
Freeland started with Cummins in 1979 as a second shift foreman in the Columbus parts distribution center. Over his career he led three of the company’s five business segments. He has been chief operating officer since 2014.
He will also be resigning from the company’s board of directors effective on Oct. 15th.
The company also announced that distribution president Tony Satterthwaite will take over as president and chief operating officer.
Electronic smoking devices and vaping will be treated as cigarettes and smoking under a proposal that received final approval during Tuesday night’s meeting of the Columbus City Council. However, the change won’t take effect for 60 days.
Kylee Jones, tobacco awareness coordinator with Healthy Communities at Columbus Regional Health made a presentation to Columbus City Council in June, asking for the amendment. She was joined earlier this month by other supporters of the measure, including representatives from Columbus Regional Health and the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation. All of those who spoke in favor of the ordinance specifically said it is needed to insure the health of area youth.
Council members wrestled with the question for about 30 minutes after concerns were raised Tuesday night. There are three vape shops in city limits, according to city officials. Under current state law, smoke shops and tobacco stores are exempt from the smoking statute. However, there is no state law that specifically addresses vape shops. As currently written, the city ordinance would not exempt vape shops from the ban. In an effort to better serve the entire community, council voted to include the 60-day implementation phase with the idea that the city’s Ordinance Review Committee can fine-tune the ordinance and add vape shops to the list of exempted locations. That passed 6-1 with Councilman Dascal Bunch voting “no.” He expressed concerns that the 60-day implementation period will result in unforeseen circumstances for the city. If the committee fails to propose any changes to the ordinance, it will go into effect, as is, on October 16th.
The vote to pass the amended ordinance passed unanimously.
If you’ve been entering or leaving Columbus from the city’s west side, you’ve no doubt noticed that the area is being prepped for a new $30 million overpass taking vehicle traffic over the railroad tracks at State Road 46 and Indiana 11. During a recent edition of “All News in the Morning,” Mayor Jim Lienhoop says that utility relocation work is currently underway. He adds that everything is “on track,” schedule-wise.
The State of Indiana, city and county officials, along with the Louisville & Indianapolis Railroad and CSX Railroad came to together to fund this project.
Lienhoop says that construction is expected to start later this year and will likely be wrapped up, aside from some landscaping elements, by the fourth quarter of next year.
You can listen to John Foster’s entire interview with Mayor Lienhoop by visiting 1010wcsi.com/amcolumbus.
Battalion Chief Steve Yeley. Photo courtesy of Columbus Fire Department.
Columbus Fire Department has promoted three of its firefighters.
Capt. Steve Yeley has been promoted to Battalion Chief, Lt. Eric Darlage has been promoted to captain and Firefighter Leroy Armstrong has been promoted to lieutenant.
Battalion Chief Yeley will be the commander of all 6 fire stations and personnel serving on B-Shift. Capt. Darlage will be the A-shift Captain at Station # 1. Lt. Armstrong will be the B-shift Lieutenant of Station # 1.
The Columbus Fire Department has a chief, two deputy chiefs, three battalion chiefs, 10 captains, 18 lieutenants and 60 firefighters.
Phillip T. Roberts. Photo courtesy of Columbus Police Department.
A wanted man was arrested in downtown Columbus after he was seen walking by police officers.
Columbus police say that 32-year-old Phillip T. Roberts was walking near 10th and Wilson streets at about 5:50 p.m. Monday evening when he was spotted. Police allegedly found that he was carrying a small bag of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. In addition to the outstanding Bartholomew County warrant, he is facing charges of possessing the methamphetamine and paraphernalia.
Forecasters are scaling back the chance of extremely bad weather today.
Bartholomew County Emergency Management is reporting that the storm prediction center has pulled back the enhanced risk designation for our area, seeing that the system is likely to weaken sooner than originally forecast.
Strong wind gusts are still possible and will remain a hazard today. However the chance of hail or tornadoes has become very low. The bad weather should be out of Indiana by 8 tonight.
The city of Columbus and former mayor Kristen Brown have reached a settlement in her public records lawsuit with the city.
Our news-gathering partners at The Republic are reporting that the city and police department will pay Brown $32,000 to cover her attorney fees court costs and other expenses.
The action stems from an alleged domestic disturbance in August of 2016 involving a married couple employed by the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.
Brown filed the lawsuit in February of 2017, alleging that the Columbus Police Department and Chief John Rohde failed to document and provide her with information regarding that incident.
Judge Richard W. Poynter, of Jackson County, ruled in the former mayor’s favor in June.
The National Weather Service has placed most of central Indiana, including Bartholomew County, in an Enhanced Risk for severe weather on Tuesday, Aug. 20.
Forecasters say a strong-to-severe line of thunderstorms will push east-southeastward into Indiana during the afternoon hours, with the potential for damaging winds and very large hail. Additionally, downbursts (sudden, strong collapses of air), will be possible and pose the threat for substantial straight-line wind damage at the surface.
The National Weather Service says that atmospheric conditions will be primed for severe weather earlier in the day than usual, with dew points reaching the lower to middle 70s by lunchtime, high instability, and a strong low level jet present.
Officials believe the storms will hit our area between 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. Tuesday.
Tickets for the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce’s and Columbus Young Professional’s Next Gen Awards Luncheon are available. Cindy Frey, president of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce, recently talked about the luncheon on our weekend “News & Views” program.
Categories including honoring a Next Gen business, innovator, educator and volunteer.
The keynote speaker will be Ellie Symes, CEO of the Bee Corp., an Indiana tech company that was founded in 2016.
Organizers say the award ceremony will recognize six individuals and one business selected for leadership, intelligence, exuberance and dedication to improving the community. They include:
YP Volunteer of the Year: This award is presented to a young professional whose extraordinary civic engagement, philanthropy, volunteerism, and public service has benefited the community.
2019 Award Winner – Tyshaun Allen, Taylor Brothers Construction. Allen has served on the Columbus Area Multi-Ethnic Association board of directors for five years and currently serves as its president. He also served on the team that led the Welcoming Communities survey and serves as technology consultant to African American Fund of Bartholomew County and the Columbus Enrichment Program.
YP Innovator of the Year: This award is presented to a young professional whose innovation, entrepreneurial vision, courage, and leadership has made a positive impact in the community.
2019 Award Winner – Joshua Carter and Adrian “Soca” Wibowo of Helix BioStructures, LLC. These Indiana University alums run a research services company.
YP Educator of the Year: This award is presented to a young professional who has demonstrated initiative, creativity and excellence in an education role, has taken on leadership roles in the community and acted as role model to those around them.
2019 Award Winner – Shane Yates, BCSC pre-kindergarten director, manages the early childhood education programs.
Unsung Hero: This award recognizes a public service leader who has operated behind the scenes, silently working in a dedicated and committed fashion, without the limelight, who has laid the foundation for stellar public service results and has created positive change in their organization and community.
2019 Award Winner – Tim Green, Foundation for Youth.
NextGen Business of the Year: This award is presented to a Columbus business or organization that complements workplace culture among millennial employees with a commitment to attracting, retaining and developing the young, professional workforce.
2019 Award Winner – Assisted Independence, Nathan Red. He created a business plan, with support from SCORE, and founded the company. Now he employs 50 people who serve clients in Indianapolis, Bloomington and Columbus.
Community Contribution Award: This award recognizes someone who is positively impacting this community, making Columbus a better place to live, work and play.
2019 Award Winner – Susana Villegas, Program Coordinator, Columbus Area Arts Council.
The awards luncheon is Sept. 13th at 11:30 a.m. at The Commons. Tickets are available at columbusareachamber.com.
Delfino Galacia; Photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Dept.
A local man was arrested early Sunday morning after a Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Deputy spotted him in the area of State Street and Gladstone Avenue standing in the intersection and yelling at passing motorists.
Police say that 37-year-old Delfino Galacia, of Columbus, was uncooperative and aggressive. He allegedly kicked at officers and the windows from inside a patrol car. Galacia was found in possession of a large kitchen knife and drug-related paraphernalia.
Galacia is facing preliminary charges of:
Public Intoxication
Resisting Law Enforcement
Possession of Paraphernalia
Bartholomew County Warrant
