The Columbus Redevelopment Commission has taken action on some subcommittees after the Indiana Public Access Counselor says the subcommittee meetings are covered by the state’s Open Door Law. Commission President Sarah Cannon read a statement at Monday’s meeting…

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Cannon says that the public access counselor’s decision contradicted the opinion of redevelopment commission attorney Stan Gamso, who was of the opinion that these subcommittee meetings did not fall under the purview of the open door law.

Three subcommittees, one dedicated to the railroad, one dedicated to improvements on State Street and another to look at the riverfront, have already been closed down. Cannon says the work of those committees have been completed. However, she says that another subcommittee for a third phase of improvements to the State Street corridor may be appointed in the future. If that happens, those meetings will be covered by the state’s Open Door Law.

The proposed “quiet zone” for railroad traffic going through Columbus is at an impasse. Heather Pope, the city’s director of redevelopment, says that the city’s work with a consultant hasn’t been as successful as originally hoped. She explained that the consultant served in an advisory role, trying to guide city officials through the maze of getting a quiet zone established. Pope says the city, as well as the consultant, has done as much as they can.

The proposed quiet zone would allow trains on the Louisville & Indiana Railroad to not have to sound their horns at 11th Street, Eighth Street, Fifth Street and State Road 46. Columbus officials determined last year that it would be in the city’s best interests to try to institute this quiet zone as railroad traffic has increased and is expected to reach as many as 22 trains per day.

Pope says the decision on whether or not to implement the quiet zone restrictions largely belongs to the railroad, as well as state transportation officials. She says that L&I officials have recommended that the city employ the services of CTC, another consultant that the railroad has worked with.

During Monday’s meeting of the redevelopment commission, the body chose to table a measure that would have contracted the services of CTC for up to 18 months at a cost not to exceed $41,721. Members say they want to get a better idea of CTC’s success rate, as well as find out if there are any outstanding expenses that need to be paid to the current consultant.

Indiana Department of Transportation’s contractor for the state’s $823,000 repair and resurfacing project along 1.8 miles of State Road 3/State Road 7 at North Vernon is saw-cutting pavement for repairs between Walnut/Buckeye Street downtown and the U.S. Highway 50 bypass on the north side.

Dave O’Mara crews will be patching the north-south roadway over the next several weeks. Once repairs have been made, surface pavement will be milled and a new 1½-inch asphalt overlay put in place.

This preventative maintenance project also calls for new ADA-compliant curb ramps at Main Street and installation of signal loops at Walnut, Poplar and Hurley Drive where a separate traffic signal modernization project is currently underway.

The contract calls for all work to be completed by mid-November.

The Bartholomew County Historical Society is getting help in its mission to document and share local history. The organization has been awarded $50,000 from the Indiana Historical Society’s statewide Heritage Support Grant program.

The funding is made possible by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. Since the program’s launch in 2016, grant funds from the Endowment have allowed IHS to award an average of $500,000 per grant cycle to organizations in 53 of Indiana’s 92 counties.

This is the first Heritage Support Grant for the Bartholomew County Historical Society. The organization says the funds will be used to develop a new exhibit titled Sharing the Heritage of Bartholomew County. It will be on display at the historical society museum, located at 524 3rd Street in Columbus.

“Creating a one-of-a-kind local history experience is a goal turned reality, thanks in part to grant funds from IHS and the Lilly Endowment,” said Diane Robbins, executive director of the Bartholomew County Historical Society. “Guests of all ages will have the opportunity to learn about our past through this hands-on, interactive exhibit.”

The design and installation of Sharing the Heritage of Bartholomew County is expected to be completed by the summer of 2019. You can get more information at bartholomewhistory.org.

The first funding request to tap into money from last year’s Bartholomew County income tax hike to battle drug addiction was approved Monday afternoon by the Substance Abuse Public Funding Board.

Bartholomew courts officials are asking for just over $240,000 to fund what they are calling REALM, or the Recovery Enables a Life for Men program. The court-ordered drug treatment program is patterned after a similar program for women called WRAP that the county already has been using. County Councilwoman Laura DeDomenic…

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DeDomenic talks about the proposed 50/50 split between the city and county to cover the costs of the program…

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The city and county councils will have the final say on whether or not to provide funding. That funding is expected to cover the costs for the program, beginning in the fourth quarter of this year and lasting through all of 2019.

A head-on collision over the weekend resulted in a drug arrest. Judy Jackson, spokeswoman for the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, says that at about 12:40 p.m. on Saturday, deputies responded to the 5400 block of West Goeller in reference to a crash with injury.

One driver, 75-year-old Shirley Bozell, of Columbus, told first-responders that she was traveling east when she saw the other car approaching her vehicle head on. Bozell was transported to Columbus Regional Health, where she was later released.

The driver of the second vehicle, 40-year-old Philip Menefee, of Columbus, was treated at CRH and arrested on preliminary charges of Operating a Motor Vehicle while Intoxicated (Drugs) and Possession of a Controlled Substance.

Menefee has since been released.

Schneck Medical Center is looking for volunteers. Stephanie Furlow, the hospital’s director of marketing and public relations, says that due to the growth at Schneck, the medical center needs more people willing to donate their time. Volunteers are asked to work one four-hour shift per week, but can work more if they would like.

Furlow says that Volunteers serve in various areas of the hospital including the gift shop, admitting and information desks, and various hospital departments. They also transport patients, deliver patient and interdepartmental mail and patient flowers.

For more information on the volunteer opportunities at Schneck, call Amy Cockerham, Volunteer Coordinator, at (812) 522-0439.

A Wednesday night traffic stop led to the arrests of two people. Judy Jackson, spokeswoman for the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, says that at about 10:37 p.m., Sgt. Kris Weisner initiated a traffic stop on southbound US 31 at Lowell Road.

While speaking with the driver, 26-year-old Caren Lea-Ann Piper, of Seymour, authorities reported seeing drug-related paraphernalia inside the vehicle. K9 Bolt was deployed and alerted to narcotics inside the vehicle. A search allegedly uncovered methamphetamine, marijuana and nine meth pipes.

Piper was arrested on preliminary charges of Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Paraphernalia and Operating a Vehicle while Never Obtaining a Driver’s License.

A passenger, 21-year-old Christian Najera, of Columbus, was arrested on a preliminary charge of Possession of Paraphernalia.

It’s been an uneventful start to the new school year. That’s the message from BCSC Superintendent Dr. Jim Roberts.

Roberts noted that along with new students entering the district, there are new teachers as well.

To aid in their success, Roberts says that BCSC has a teacher academy to help these new teachers develop within the vision of the school corporation. In addition, new teachers have been assigned a mentor that will meet with them throughout the year to make sure that there is constant feedback to help them succeed.

The Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation is set to receive additional money from the city of Columbus to help students prepare for life after the classroom.

The Columbus City Council approved a resolution Tuesday night authorizing the city’s redevelopment commission to grant $750,000 to BCSC. The redevelopment commission approved the measure in mid-July. Along with iGrad and transition planning, the funding will benefit the school corporation’s science, technology, engineering and math programs.

BCSC Superintendent Dr. Jim Roberts says that this funding will help with training and learning opportunities to help special-needs students transfer to the workforce. This $750,000 will come out of the city’s central tax-increment financing allocation area. This marks the third consecutive year that the city has provided such a grant.

The city council voted unanimously to approve the request.