Jennings County Sheriff’s Department launched a new website Monday.
Sheriff Kenny Freeman said the site is meant to provide transparency between the office and the public. It will contain alert notifications, press releases, most wanted listings, a sex offender registry listing and links to sheriff’s department social media. Members of the public an also submit crime tips online.
The site was developed by Brooks Jeffrey Marketing in Mountain Home, Arkansas. The new site is at www.JenningsSheriff.org.
A manufacturer of battery components is planning a nearly $3 million dollar expansion on Norcross Drive in the Woodside Industrial area.
Tulip Richardson Manufacturing is planning to spend $250,000 in property improvements and just over $2.7 million in new equipment to expand the factory. The equipment will include cold header formation machines used in the production of battery terminals. The company said that the expansion will allow 115 jobs to be retained in Columbus and 19 new jobs to be added by August. The company says its average wage is almost $29 an hour.
The company is asking Columbus City Council to approve a 10-year tax abatement, that would allow new property taxes to be phased in over 10 years.
City Council will consider the request at its meeting tonight at 6 p.m. at Columbus City Hall.
Bartholomew County Commissioners yesterday approved the county’s share toward a $34,000 grant to study the drainage problems in Armuth Acres and North Cliff subdivisions just north of Columbus Municipal Airport.
More than 300 residents in the area have problems with high water. The county’s share was about $3,800 to come from the county’s consulting fund and the study will be done by Strand Associates. Commissioners also approved a $3,500 contract with Administrative Resources Association to oversee the grant.
Trena Carter with ARA said the first steps will be to survey the affected residents to get their take on what the problems are and their possible cause. The contract for the study runs through next year.
Bartholomew County government workers are back in the office again, although the county is still going to minimize contact with the public.
County officials said on Monday that the workers had returned to their stations following the governor’s relaxing of the statewide restrictions for COVID-19. However, county buildings will still be largely off limits to the public. Most interactions with county workers should be done remotely. If you have to talk with a county worker directly, you should call the appropriate office and an employee will meet you outside to help you.
On Monday, Bartholomew County commissioners ratified the purchase of two high-accuracy temperature scanning devices. The devices, to be used at the county courthouse and the governmental office building will scan up to 30 people at a time as they enter the building and can pick out individuals running a fever. The cost for the two was just over 18 thousand 300 dollars.
Commissioners President Carl Lienhoop said that they believe the temperature checks will be in place for quite a while, based on county health department suggestions. A Louisville hospital uses the devices to scan more than a thousand people entering their facilities each day, Lienhoop said.
The County Commissioners held their meeting remotely over the Zoom app. They expect to make a decision by next week on when they will reopen the meetings physically to the public. Next Tuesday’s County Council meeting is also set to be held through the Zoom app, said County Auditor Pia O’Connor
Indiana has passed 20,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 , as of Monday’s update from the Indiana State Department of Health.
According to the most recent update, there are 20, 507 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Indiana, an increase of 583 cases since Sunday’s report.
There have been 1,151 deaths as of this afternoon’s update, an increase of 19 deaths from the previous day’s numbers.
Bartholomew County has 269 confirmed cases, an increase of 8 since Sunday. There have been 14 deaths so far from the coronavirus in Bartholomew County.
In other area counties, Decatur has 202 cases and has had 28 deaths; Jennings 82 cases and 3 deaths; Jackson 166 cases and 1 death; Brown 18 cases and 1 death, Johnson 718 cases and 72 deaths; and Shelby 224 cases and 13 deaths, an increase of one since Sunday.
Indiana guidance for religious services
The following are the recommended minimum health protocols for places of worship in our state. Places of worship may adopt additional protocols that are consistent with their specific needs and circumstances to help protect health and safety.
The virus is still impacting our communities, and we should continue to observe practices that protect all Hoosiers, including those who are at-risk and most vulnerable.
IN-PERSON SERVICES
When services are in-person, consider the following practices:
Ask all individuals who are 65 and above or who have an underlying at-risk health condition to stay home and watch services online
Ensure 6 feet between individuals or family units of the same households during services
Space and mark seating, alternating rows when possible
Clean between each service and disinfect high-contact surfaces regularly
Place hand sanitizers in high-contact locations (e.g. bathroom, entry, exit) and ask staff, members, and guests to sanitize their hands before entering the building
Recommend putting on a face covering before entering the building
Consider placing signage telling staff, members, and guests to not enter if they are symptomatic or if they have tested positive for COVID-19
Implement non-contact greetings
Avoid handing out materials
Keep cafés, coffee, and other self-service stations closed
Establish safe protocols for any communion and collection to avoid contact
Dismiss services in a way that supports social distancing
Place readily visible signage to remind everyone of best hygiene practices
ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS
Consider waiting to reopen the preschool and children areas until schools reopen. If open, do not place a mask on children age two (2) or under per CDC guidelines, and limit leaders in the preschool and children’s areas to those who do not have pre-existing conditions and those under age 65.
Mill Race Center is planning to remain closed for all senior programs and services until June 1st, despite loosening of restrictions in the state.
Organizers at the Columbus senior center, say that the the threat of the COVID-19 to the center’s senior membership is just as serious as it was when the center closed in March.
People over the age of 60, especially those with underlying health conditions, are most at-risk. According to the Indiana State Department of Health, those over the age of 60 make up about 35 percent of the cases of COVID-19, but account for just over 91 percent of the deaths from the illness.
The center is offering some programming online during the shutdown at www.millracecenter.org.
You will see lane closures over the Third Street bridge in downtown Columbus starting today and lasting into June.
INDOT says the far right lane will be closed for about two weeks as crews apply a new surface to the deck of the bridge. After that they will move to the middle lane for a week, and then the far left lane for another week. The deck overlay work is expected to be finished by early June, weather permitting.
This is all part of the $30 million dollar railroad overpass project in downtown Columbus.
Columbus park spaces are not yet returning to normal operations. The city parks and recreation department is announcing that most facilities will remain closed including: The Commons, Donner Center, Columbus Gymnastics Center, Hamilton Community Center and Ice Arena and the Park Operations Service Center.
Also closed are Jolie Crider Memorial Skatepark, Tennis, Handball and Pickleball Courts, Sports fields, park Playgrounds and Restrooms.
Park green spaces are open, however basketball rims, soccer goal nets and volleyball nets have been removed, and picnic tables have been removed from shelters.
Greenbelt and Rocky Ford Par 3 Golf Courses are open with modifications including the closing of the clubhouses.
The Columbus Farmer’s Market will open again this summer, but not until Saturday, June 6th. Social distancing will be enforced for vendors and customers, the space between vendors will be increased, and there will be extra handwashing stations and sanitization available. The market will be held at Columbus City Hall from 9 to 12:30 on Saturdays through late September.
Indiana is at nearly 20,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and has passed 11 hundred deaths, as of Sunday’s update from the Indiana State Department of Health.
According to the most recent update, there are 19, 933 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Indiana, an increase of 645 cases since Saturday’s report.
There have been 1,132 deaths as of yesterday afternoon’s update, an increase of 17 deaths from the previous day’s numbers.
Bartholomew County has 261 confirmed cases, an increase of 7 since Friday. There have been 14 deaths so far from the coronavirus in Bartholomew County, two more since Friday’s update. There have been 2,156 tests of Bartholomew County residents, with 1,488 negative results and 392 results pending.
In other area counties, Decatur has 202 cases and has had 28 deaths; Jennings 82 cases and 3 deaths, an increase of one death; Jackson 165 cases and 1 death; Brown 18 cases and 1 death, Johnson 706 cases and 72 deaths, an increase of 5 deaths; and Shelby 222 cases and 12 deaths.
Starting today in Indiana, you will have a lot more places to go and people you can spend time with.
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb unveiled his plan to get Indiana back to normal Friday, revealing a five-stage recovery plan with the goal of being back to full operation by July 4th.
The first stage is the “stay-at-home” order that the state has been under since March 23rd.
The second stage starts today, easing many restrictions for all but the three worst-hit counties — Marion, Lake and Cass counties.
The governor explains one of the biggest priorities under the new stage.
Under the new stage people who are older than 65 or otherwise at risk should still remain at home as much as possible. Social distancing and face coverings are still recommended if you venture out and anyone who can work from home should do so. However, retail businesses can operate at 50 percent of capacity starting today. Manufacturing and construction businesses can return to normal.
Travel restrictions are being lifted. And you can have social gatherings of 25 or fewer people. Starting Friday, religious services such as weddings, funerals and baptisms can begin again, although with crowd size limitations.
There are still businesses that must remain closed including bars and nightclubs, gyms, fitness centers and community centers, and entertainment and cultural locations like museums, zoos, theaters, bowling alleys, tournaments and recreational sports leagues.
Starting next Monday, May 11th, restaurants and many other businesses can operate at 50 percent capacity and personal care locations like hair salons, barber shops and tattoo parlors can begin serving customers again open by appointment only.
The next stage, with a May 23rd timetable, would further allow indoor worship services, gatherings of more than 100 people and and loosen other restrictions.
The governor said that if things begin to go backwards, such as a surge on hospitals or shortages of intensive care beds, the state could step back to a previous stage, imposing restrictions again.
