INDOT says that asphalt patching is scheduled to begin on Interstate 65 between Edinburgh and Franklin on Friday.

The work was originally scheduled to happen last month but was canceled due to the weather.

Work is planned over six weekends, with single-lane closures starting at 8 p.m. each Friday night through 6 a.m. each Monday morning.

This Friday night, crews are set to begin patching near State Road 252 and move north toward Franklin. This will continue for the first three weekends. Crews will then move to the southbound lanes in early October.

INDOT asks that you slow down, use extra caution and drive without distractions in all work zones. All work is dependent on the weather.

Exhibit Columbus will be kicking off their biennial symposium next week, but because of COVID-19 things will look different from previous in-person gatherings in the city itself. Anne Surak, director of Exhibit Columbus explains that the symposium will be going virtual and will be spread out over almost two months of bi-weekly virtual seminars.

Exhibit Columbus alternates a year with a symposium, and a year with the installations at the site of various city architecture and design landmarks.

The virtual symposium will have two conversation events a week, every two weeks through the end of October, for a total of eight conversations. Surak said the symposium will have a theme of “New Middles: What is the Future of the Middle City?”

Each week will focus on a particular topic and will feature a Tuesday and Thursday conversation, with the Thursday conversations focused specifically on Columbus.

The first week will be focused on Futures & Technologies. The first conversation, is from 2 to 3 p.m. on Tuesday and will be with futurists discussing how strategic foresight and storytelling influence design.

The first Columbus-centered event will be Thursday, Sept. 17th from noon to 1 p.m. It will be with Miller Prize recipients Jennifer Newsom and Tom Carruthers, along with Columbus Chamber of Commerce President Cindy Frey and a representative from Cummins.

You can get more information or sign up at ExhibitColumbus.org. Participation in the conversations is free.

Many of those who organize the annual Hope Heritage Days festival are stepping down, and hoping that new group of organizers will rise up to take their places.

HSJ Online, the Hope news website, is reporting this morning that a large part of the Heritage of Hope Board, along with those who organize the festival are stepping down. Among those who have deiced to leave are Michael Dean, CEO of Heritage of Hope, Randy Sims, Chuck Caldwell, Michele Clark, Mary Bragg, Tina Dean and Tonja Sims.

Dean told the news site that all had originally intended for this to be their last year working on the large annual festival in the small northeastern Bartholomew County town. Dean said that all those stepping down are willing to help new members transition into leadership roles, but as of yet, no new organizers have stepped forward.

The annual festival is normally held the last weekend in September, but has been canceled this year due to the pandemic. That led to added disappointment for those looking forward to passing the torch on to a new generation, Dean said.

You can read more here.

Three people were injured in Jennings County Sunday when a golf cart struck a van.

According to the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, deputies were called to the intersection of County Roads 700W and 300N in Geneva Township at about 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon. According to investigators, the golf cart was traveling northbound, failed to stop at the intersection and struck an eastbound van.

A juvenile on the golf cart was flown by Stat-Flight helicopter to IU Riley Hospital and a man on the cart was flown to IU Methodist Hospital, both with critical injuries. A second man on the golf cart was taken to St. Vincent Jennings Hospital.

The names of the victims have not yet been released and the accident remains under investigation.

Bartholomew Health Department and Windrose Health Network are partnering to offer free COVID-19 testing starting today at the health department.

Dates and times may vary with evening and Saturday appointments available. Testing will be available to all members of the public regardless of symptoms. Children as young as 2 can be tested with parental consent.

Dr. Brian Niedbalski, the Bartholomew County Health officer, urges anyone to get tested who has symptoms of COVID-19 or who have had close contact with someone who tested positive.

The tests will be given at the health department’s nursing division, at 2765 Foxpointe Drive Suite B. Windrose Health Network will begin testing later this month at its facilities in Edinburgh and in Hope.

This testing is being made possible through a grant from the Indiana Department of Health. All the testing supplies and equipment, including test kits, personal protective equipment, sanitizer and the platform for registration and data management, are provided through the grant. The grant continues through June 30th and is renewable.

You can get more information by calling 812-379-1555 and hitting option 1.

Walk-ins will be welcome during testing times, but to avoid waiting in line, individuals are encouraged to register for an appointment by visiting scheduling.coronavirus.in.gov or by calling the testing site location. You will need proof of Indiana residency such as a state-issued ID, work ID or utility bill.