Bartholomew Consolidated Schools will be sticking with a hybrid model of instruction for secondary school students through at least the start of February.

The district announced yesterday that based on the current community spread of COVID-19, the hybrid model will stay in place. The situation will be reevaluated on January 28th for any potential changes on that following Monday, February 1st.

Under the hybrid model, at the middle and high school level, students attend part of the week in class and part in e-learning, depending on the letters of their last name. A to K students are in person Mondays and Tuesdays, while L through Z students are in person Thursdays and Fridays. Should the county drop into the red level on the Indiana State Department of Health rankings, elementary school students would follow the same model.

Bartholomew County remains in the orange advisory level on the Indiana State Department of Health’s color-coded map of community spread, indicating serious spread of the disease.

School officials say that reducing the number of students in the buildings is the only way to maintain social distancing needed to help slow the spread of the disease. After finishing the end of last semester with distance learning, the district started up again almost two weeks ago with the hybrid model in place.

The district will continue daily to evaluate and to discuss the local situation with local medical professionals including the Bartholomew County Health Department and Columbus Regional Health.

Jennings County deputies say that they have solved another home burglary, tied to an arrest made earlier in the month.

On January 5th, deputies began investigating after a homeowner in the 4000 block of North State Road 7 reported about $2 thousand dollars worth of tools stolen from their garage, as well as damage to the garage and a vehicle. Later that night, the homeowner reported to deputies that several of the stolen items had shown up on Facebook Marketplace.

A deputy realized that they had dealt with the suspect before in a previous investigation and scheduled a meeting with 28-year-old Ricky McLaughlin of Greenfield on Saturday. Several of the stolen items were recovered and McLaughlin was arrested on charges of burglary, criminal mischief, unlawful entry into a motor vehicle and possession of marijuana.

Several other vehicles had been broken into during the same time frame and after an interview with McLaughlin in the jail this week, he admitted to a second burglary and items reportedly taken in that burglary in the 9500 block of North State Road 7 were also recovered. He will be facing new charges related to that stolen property.

A restaurant tenant in the Columbus city-owned Commons is calling it quits.

Stan Gamso, attorney for the Columbus Redevelopment Commission, explained yesterday that the owners of the Subway restaurant in The Commons, Estep & Co., has made the decision to close after the effects of COVID-19 crippled the restaurant by removing much of the downtown lunch crowd and foot traffic. Gamso said the Esteps explained that the restaurant’s business had already been marginal before the pandemic hit. The city closed the Subway area of The Commons first because of the pandemic and then because of ongoing playground renovations.

Last month, George Estep explained that the company was permanently closing the restaurant on Dec. 31st and requested that the city terminate their lease.

Gamso explained that the Columbus Redevelopment Commission became responsible for managing the leases in the city-owned restaurant spaces after the dissolution of Downtown Columbus Inc., a non-profit corporation the city created to find tenants for those spaces. The Subway lease in the Commons had been signed in 2011, and had been renewed after the first 5-year term for about $2,800 a month, Gamso said. He said that Subway has been an excellent tenant and about 18 months is left on the lease.

Late last year, the commission agreed not to charge any of the restaurants in city-owned property rent through at least June 30th. The commission considered holding off on making any decision until the rent abatement expires, but Estep & Co. still has been responsible for other expenses such as utilities and insurance, said Heather Pope, director of the city redevelopment department.

The redevelopment commission agreed to enter into negotiations to terminate or amend the lease.

Photo courtesy Carol M. Highsmith, from the Library of Congress collection.

More people in Indiana can now get the coronavirus vaccine. The state Department of Health yesterday said anyone who is 70-years old or older can now get a shot. The age threshold had been 80 and up.

The Bartholomew County Health Department is scheduling appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine, for those who are eligible to receive it.

Amanda Organist, nursing director for the county health department, says that you can get more information on eligibility by going online to ourshot.in.gov, and also register to receive your vaccine.

If you do not have internet access you can call 211, Thrive Alliance at 812-372-6918, Mill Race Center at 812-376-9241, or WellConnect at 812-376-5136 to get help signing up.

There is no cost to you to receive the vaccine, but your insurance may be charged an administration fee. When you come to get a vaccine, you should bring a photo ID and an insurance card if you have one.

There will be no walk-ins for the vaccine, all appointments must be pre-scheduled.

Columbus Police Chief Mike Richardson recently presented five Columbus officers with letters of commendation after an incident last summer with mentally ill man brandishing a knife.

According to police, Sgt. Oscar Olmeda was called to a home in July to check on the welfare of a man, who had a history of mental illness. The man pulled a knife and threatened to harm Olmeda, who then retreated from the home and called for assistance.

Sgt. Robert Mitchell and Officers Alex Hill, Andrew Celik and John Busack arrived and police spoke with the man for 90 minutes to try to get him to drop the weapon. They eventually used Tasers and bean-bag rounds, but he retreated back inside the home.

Police soon noticed that he was no longer wielding the knife and after a short struggle, they restrained him. He was taken to an area hospital for mental health treatment.

Richardson praised the officers for deescalating the situation.

Donald Trump is the first president in history to be impeached twice by the U.S. House.

The final vote was 232-197. Ten Republicans joined Democrats in approving the latest impeachment resolution.

Indiana’s members of Congress split along party lines on President Trump’s second impeachment. Democrats Frank Mrvan and Andre Carson voted for impeachment.

Columbus Congressman Greg Pence joined with the rest of Indiana’s Republican congressional delegation to vote against impeaching President Trump.

In a statement released yesterday afternoon, Pence said that the President made it clear he will support a peaceful transfer of power on January 20th to President-elect Joe Biden. He said “It is time to move on, heal, and put our focus into where it truly helps the American people: recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and restoring our economy.”

Columbus community groups are planning a full day of activities on Monday to celebrate the life of Martin Luther King Jr.

The African American Pastors Alliance, the Bartholomew County NAACP, and IUPUC are working together to host a presentation on King’s Life and Legacy starting at 7:30 a.m. Monday morning by Zoom and Facebook Live. Jon Sims, the athletic director at St. Peter’s Lutheran School will be the keynote speaker.

Homeboyz and the NAACP will sponsor a “grab and go” lunch at 1451 Washington Street from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. To participate you are asked to remain in your vehicle on 15th Street and volunteers will deliver your meal.

Starting at 1 p.m. Monday afternoon will be award presentations and speakers via Zoom call. That will include IUPUC Vice Chancellor Reinhold Hill giving the IUPUC Excellence in Diversity Awards. Kevin Jones, an IUPUC associate professor of management, will then give a keynote address.

The afternoon session will also feature a presentation on the COVID-19 vaccine in the black community and a panel discussion followed by the NAACP awards.

A silent march from the Bartholomew County Public Library to Columbus City Hall will start at 4 p.m. with a reading of King’s “I have a Dream” speech by Zacaria Scruggs.

For more information, including the full schedule of events, go to https://events.iu.edu/iupucwww/event/158514.

Martin Luther King Jr. photo courtesy of whitehouse.gov

The Columbus Redevelopment Commission will be considering an agreement to build a grocery and apartment complex just east of the Bartholomew County Jail in downtown Columbus, when it holds a special meeting this afternoon.

Heather Pope, redevelopment director for the city, explains that originally, the city envisioned a project that would also include a hotel conference center just across Second Street from the jail to be developed by Sprague hotels, but the COVID-19 pandemic has put that part of the project on the back burner.

The mixed use grocery and apartments would be developed by Flaherty & Collins of Indianapolis.

The project would be built on property the city owns in the area south and east of the Lafayette Avenue and Second Street intersection.

The developer would be on the hook for $500,000 a year to the city, which would be offset by any tax increment financing revenue the project brings in. If it brings in more than $500,000 the developer would not end up owing the city.

The redevelopment commission is scheduled to meet at 4 p.m. today at Columbus City Hall.

Drawing courtesy of Flaherty & Collins.