Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department police dog Bravo is recovering from his first of two knee surgeries. T

he department announced earlier this week that Bravo was in need of surgery after injuring his knees during his police work. The veterinarian’s bill is expected to cost $7 thousand dollars and Sheriff Matt Myers says the surgery is being done without the use of taxpayer funds.

Myers announced that the first surgery happened yesterday morning and was successful with no complications. He was scheduled to return home with his handler Deputy Leah Burton yesterday afternoon and the veterinarian expected Bravo to make a full recovery.

A second knee surgery is scheduled in about two weeks.

Bravo, a Belgian Malinois, has been with the sheriff’s department since last September and has participated in five foot chases, nearly 90 drug arrests and multiple warrant services.

The sheriff said that the police canines are an integral part of the department and they are treated with the respect of any deputy sheriff.

If you are interested in donating toward the care of Bravo, you can mail a check to:

Vicki Thompson
Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office
543 Second Street
Columbus, IN 47201-6713

Checks should be made payable to Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office with “K9 Donation” on the memo line.

The department is not equipped to accept debit or credit card donations.

Columbus City Utilities is moving forward with a rate hike proposal.

The city water company is looking to increase its rates, in large part to replace aging infrastructure, including water mains some of which are more than 100 years old.

A recent survey of 300 miles of the city’s water mains shows that much of the infrastructure is aging. A third of the city water mains are more than 50 years old, and 10 percent are 100 years old or older The proposed rate increase would allow the city to replace just under two miles of water main a year.

The Utilities Service Board approved the proposal yesterday.

Under a tentative time line, the first increases would go into effect in August of next year. The rate increase is scheduled to go before City Council at the council’s Tuesday meeting for their first consideration. After getting final approval by the city, it would go before the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission for approval.

The committee overseeing the Fair Oaks Mall project formally adopted a master plan yesterday afternoon for the property now owned by the city of Columbus and Columbus Regional Health.

The plan envisions transforming the building into a joint use between the two as a health, wellness and recreation center. To that end the plan calls for significant changes to the layout of the surrounding parking lots and spaces, including links to the People Trail system through better pedestrian access to the site, improved intersections leading to the property and a revamped front entrance where the JC Penney portion of the building now sits. Many of the surface parking lots would be replaced with lawn, landscaping and paths.

The interior plan would use much of the building’s existing structure and include the parks and recreation department offices, an indoor sports complex, multi-use activity courts, fitness rooms and retail that would be complementary to the health, wellness and recreation theme.

The plan also calls for replacing the aging Donner Center with a smaller, more efficient building.

Mary Ferdon, executive director of administration and community development for the city, said that city officials are still very excited for the project, despite the roadblocks thrown in the way by the pandemic including a shrinking pool of income tax revenue, and challenges for the existing tenants. She said the needs that the city and CRH saw when they purchased the property still remain. She said that there is a pause right now, but they still intend to move forward with the project.

Download link to Fair Oaks Mall Master Plan (PDF download)

Indiana is still not fully opened and will remain in “Phase 4.5” of a five-phase reopening plan, for at least the next two weeks. Gov. Eric Holcomb announced the hold in a news conference Wednesday afternoon, according to Network Indiana.

State health commissioner Dr. Kris Box said an increase in positive cases of coronavirus played a part in the decision, as did factors like hospitalizations.

In “Phase 4.5”, restaurants are limited to three-quarters capacity, while bars, bowling alleys, theaters, nightclubs, casinos and museums have been capped at half capacity since they were allowed to reopen three weeks ago. Box said those are the places where capacity limits are most important. She said the virus spreads 19 times more easily indoors than outdoors.

Holcomb said events like festivals will have to be approved by the state department of health, based on local conditions.

According to the most recent update from the Indiana State Department of Health, there are 53,370 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Indiana, an increase of 700 cases since Tuesday’s update.

There have been 2,592 deaths in Indiana as of Wednesday afternoon’s update, an increase of 10 since Tuesday.

Bartholomew County has had 612 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 45 deaths. There have been no deaths in Bartholomew or surrounding counties since last week.