Columbus police are continuing a program where officers meet with local kids to help them with their homework and to build trust in the community.
We spoke recently with Lt Matt Harris, who explains that officers spend an hour with the children, with the first half spent on homework, and the second half spent playing games and getting to know the police officers..
On Mondays, the homework with a cop program meets at Arbors at Water’s Edge apartment complex and on Tuesdays it is at Candlelight Mobile Home Park’s clubhouse.
Columbus Regional Health made a donation worth about $25,000 to help efforts against the coronavirus spread in Wuhan, China.
The hospital donated 10,000 masks and other personal protective equipment to medical and care providers in Wuhan last month.
According to the hospital, the donation was made possible through Cummins representatives. Cummins has three plants in Wuhan, China, where the current international outbreak of coronavirus first originated.
Due to the weather, INDOT delayed the start of its bridge demolition project on I-65 until tonight. You were originally going to start seeing rolling traffic slowdowns Monday evening, as crews begin demolishing the bridge at Carr Hill Road in Columbus.
However, crews will now begin demolition over the southbound lanes of I-65 tonight at 10 p.m. All southbound lanes will close for up to twenty minutes at a time while the work is in progress. Drivers will also be stopped at the exit ramp from State Road 46 to southbound I-65 in Columbus during the delays..
The work will move to the northbound lanes next week. Rolling slow-downs will resume Monday, and continue each night through Feb. 27th.
Two Columbus North seniors were chosen as the winners of the annual Brown Music Competition Saturday at First Christian Church.
Erica Song placed first in the Betty F. Brown Awards for Instrumental Excellence. Grant Jackson was the winner in the Anna Newell Brown Awards for Vocal Excellence. Five seniors competed in the instrumental competition, and 14 seniors participated in the vocal competition.
Song, playing piano, performed “Impromptu, Op. 51, No. 3” by Chopin. Jackson, a baritone, sang singing “Bois Épais” by Lully and “The Jolly Roger” by Robertson.
Both students will receive a $3,500 college scholarship.
Grant Jackson. Photo courtesy of Heritage Fund.
The competitions are administered annually by Heritage Fund – The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County. Robert N. Brown was the longtime chairman of Home News Enterprises, former parent company of The Republic.
The Betty F. Brown Awards for Instrumental Excellence were established by Brown in 1992 in memory of his wife, Betty. She was a well-known and highly respected advocate and patron of the arts, both locally and statewide.
The Anna Newell Brown Awards for Vocal Excellence were established through the Heritage Fund in 1985 by Robert and Betty Brown to honor Mr. Brown’s mother, Anna Newell Brown, a distinguished vocalist.
The Bedford American Legion Post is inviting any veterans from Bartholomew, Brown, Jackson, Jennings and other area counties to stop by today for a special service session with American Legion staff to discuss veterans benefits, legislative efforts and community service.
American Legion Post 33 is at 515 X St.t in Bedford and the special session will be going from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today.
The American Legion, founded in 1919, is the world’s largest veteran service organization.
Donna Mitchell. Photo courtesy of Indiana State Police.
Local authorities are still looking for any leads into the disappearance of a Hope woman.
A statewide Silver Alert remains in effect for Donna Mitchell. She is a 57 year old white woman, 5 feet 3 inches tall, 115 pounds, with brown hair with brown eyes. She was last seen wearing glasses, a tan Carhartt jacket, blue jeans with a flower decal on the pant leg.
She was last seen on Tuesday, February at 7:30 pm. Hope Police said over the weekend that they are looking for any video footage that people may have that would show County Line Road, 700S and 60 SW in Decatur County. They ask that anyone who has cameras that face the road contact the police department so they can view any video that may help in the investigation.
Family members said that she was going to a friend’s house in Letts in Decatur County at the time of her disappearance.
She is believed to be driving a maroon 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer with the front bumper hanging by a coat hanger. It has Indiana license plate 902QAK.
If you have any information on Mitchell, contact the Hope Police Department at 812-546-4015 or 911.
A North Vernon driver was seriously injured in a Friday afternoon crash on U.S. 50 at Deer Creek Road.
Indiana State Police say that a 20-year-old Samantha Suthard was driving northbound on Deer Creek Road when she pulled into the path of a westbound Freightliner pulling a box trailer. Her vehicle crashed into the passenger side of the semi.
She was flown by Stat Flight helicopter to St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis with serious injuries, although they are not believed to be life threatening, state police report.
The semi driver, 42-year-old Enel Brutus of Jacksonville, Florida, was taken to St. Vincent-Jennings Hospital in North Vernon for treatment of minor injuries.
Traffic was tied up for about three hours while the crash was investigated and cleaned up.
Columbus Congressman Greg Pence, a former Marines, is co-sponsoring a resolution to recognize the 75th anniversary of the Battle at Iwo Jima.
Pence and Senator Todd Young are introducing the legislation to recognize the bravery and the heroism of those that fought in the battle, which started February 19th.
Pence said he had the solemn experience of going to Iwo Jima when he was in the service. Next month, Pence, Young and the Commandant of the Marine Corps will participate in a congressional delegation to the island, now known as Iwo-To.
You will see rolling traffic slowdowns on Interstate 65 near Columbus on Monday, as crews begin demolishing the bridge at Carr Hill Road.
Crews will begin demolition over the southbound lanes of I-65 Monday night at 10 p.m. All southbound lanes will close for up to twenty minutes at a time while the work is in progress. Drivers will also be stopped at the exit ramp from State Road 46 to southbound I-65 in Columbus during this time.
Demolition work on the bridge over the southbound lanes is scheduled each night through Thursday next week.
The work will move to the northbound lanes on Friday, Feb. 21st. No weekend work is planned next weekend, but rolling slow-downs will resume Monday, Feb. 24th and continue each night through Feb. 26th.
The work will end by 6 a.m. each morning.
If you plan on driving through the area, you are encouraged to seek an alternate route
INDOT says the bridge replacement project is scheduled to keep Carr HIll Road closed until July.
Patrick A. Swan. Photo courtesy of Columbus Police Department.
A driver with a blood alcohol level more than four times the legal limit, was involved in a crash in the pickup lane at Richards Elementary School yesterday, police report.
Columbus Police, including a school resource officer on site at the school on Fairlawn Drive, responded to a minor accident in the pick up lane at about 2:50 p.m. Thursday afternoon. While investigating the crash, they could smell alcohol on the breath of the driver, 37-year-old Patrick A. Swan of Columbus and noticed he was unsteady on his feet.
He failed several field sobriety tests and blew a .361% blood alcohol level on a breath test. After being checked out at Columbus Regional Hospital, he was arrested on a preliminary charge of Operating a Vehicle with a BAC of .15% or greater.
