Correction: There are four Republican candidates running for judge of Bartholomew Superior Court 2. We omitted Magistrate Joe Meek from the earlier total.

Today at noon is the deadline to file paperwork to run in the upcoming primary election in May.

Bartholomew County Clerk Jay Phelps explains:

Republicans and Democrats across Bartholomew County will be deciding on their fall general election candidates in countywide races including those for County Commissioner in Districts 1 & 3, County Council at-large, Judge of Bartholomew Superior Court 2, Surveyor and Coroner. There will also be races for the statehouse and the Hope and Hartsville Town Councils.

Republicans have already filed a more than full slate of candidates for the countywide races including four candidates for judge, two for county commissioner in District 3 and seven for the three seats on County Council. No Democrats had filed for a countywide office as of Thursday afternoon.

But Phelps points out that there may still be nationwide choices in May for local voters to weigh in on.

To file, you must sign up in the county clerk’s voter registration office in the county courthouse before noon today.

Authorities arrested three men Wednesday suspected of almost 50 thefts of catalytic converters from vehicles in Columbus and around Bartholomew County.

On Tuesday night, police spotted a vehicle that they believe was involved in the catalytic converter thefts on the west side of the city. That led them to seek a search warrant at a motel, according to police reports.

The area Intelligence Led Policing Unit, made up of Columbus police and Bartholomew County deputies, served the search warrant early Wednesday morning, where they discovered cutting tools and a catalytic converter believed to have been stolen. Police also discovered drugs, drug paraphernalia and a handgun.

Police arrested 38-year-old Darren D. Morgan of Saint Paul, 35-year-old Daniel E. Morgan of Columbus and 48-year-old Johnnie Hagan, also of Columbus on charges including:

Darren D. Morgan

• 

  Three Counts of Theft (Class A Misdemeanors)

• Maintaining a Common Nuisance (Level 6 Felony)
• Possession of Heroin (Level 6 Felony)
• Unlawful Possession of a Syringe (Level 6 Felony)
• Possession of a Controlled Substance (Class A Misdemeanor)
• Possession of Marijuana (Class A Misdemeanor)

Johnnie Hagan

• 

  Three Counts of Theft (Class A Misdemeanors)

• Maintaining a Common Nuisance (Level 6 Felony)
• Possession of Heroin (Level 6 Felony)

Daniel E. Morgan

• Three Counts of Theft with a Prior Conviction (Level 6 Felonies)
• Maintaining a Common Nuisance (Level 6 Felony)
• Unlawful Possession of a Syringe (Level 6 Felony)

• 

  Possession of Marijuana (Class A Misdemeanor)

A concert at North Christian Church in Columbus later this month will benefit local efforts to fight the HIV epidemic amongst children in Africa.

The show by folk singer Chris Wilson will include a tribute to John Denver and Wilson’s original songs. Tickets are $35 in advance at Viewpoint Books or $40 at the door. Proceeds will benefit the Granny Connection, says Ann Jones, founder of the local group.

The group supports a pediatric AIDS program in Zambia.

The program provides home treatment and nutrition for the children and has made a real difference, Jones said.

The concert is February 21st starting at 5:30 with a barbecue dinner and the performance at 7 p.m.

You can get more information online at grannyconnection.org.

A convenience store will be able to erect a towering highway sign near Walesboro after approval of its rezoning request last night by Columbus City Council.

The Get Go Cafe and Market asked for the rezoning of its property on County Road 450S/ State Road 58 to Commercial Regional. That would allow them to erect a sign that could be up to 90 feet tall and 200 square feet in size. Up until now, the property has been a combination of agricultural and community commercial zonings.

Jeff Bergman, the city-county planning director, said that the proposal had cleared the plan commission and his office also recommended approval. The location, just off of Interstate 65 is already a mix of industrial and highway related commercial property.

The council voted unanimously to give its second and final approval to the project.

The Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the next of its Third House sessions with local legislators on Monday.

Cindy Frey, president of the chamber, Frey said this is a good chance to hear your legislators’ opinions on the issues they are weighing at the statehouse, and to make your voice heard.

The first Third House of this legislative session was held in January. Frey said the hot topics at that event focused on marijuana, redistricting and education.

Specifically, questions were raised about funding for teachers’ salaries and pensions and how to show teachers that that they are valued.

Upcoming Third House sessions are being held at Donner Center at 7:30 a.m. on Mondays Feb. 10th and March 9th. Monday’s session will also feature questions for the legislators from students at ABC-Stewart Montessori School.

Hope United Methodist Church is the first location in the northeastern Bartholomew County community to be equipped with a KnoxBox — a secure storage container with keys to enter the building.

The device is meant as a way for firefighters to gain access to a building safely, quickly and economically. Firefighters have the only key to open the box and gain access, allowing them to avoid having to break down doors, shatter windows or wait for a responsible person to show up to unlock a potentially burning building.

Pastor Ed Cottrell wrote for HSJ Online, the Hope news website, that the church and volunteer firefighters installed the box at the building just off the Hope Town Square last weekend. The fire department’s goal is to have commercial locations throughout the town equipped with the boxes.

Cummins revenues fell in the fourth quarter of 2019 by 9 percent over the same quarter in 2018 and were down for the entire year by about 1 percent.

The Columbus based engine manufacturer released the quarterly and annual report yesterday.

According to the company, fourth quarter revenues of $5.6 billion were down 9 percent from the same quarter in 2018. That was attributed to lower truck production in North America and weaker demand in global construction, mining, and power generation markets drove the majority of the revenue decrease.

Fourth quarter sales in North America declined by 8 percent while international revenues decreased by 10 percent.

Revenues for the full year were $23.6 billion, 1 percent lower than 2018. Revenues in North America increased 3 percent but international sales declined 6 percent.

The Company is reducing costs including cutting the number of employees worldwide by about 2,000.

You can read the full report here.