Dorel Juvenile USA announced Tuesday that it will move production of one million children’s car seats from China to Columbus. That move is expected to create 60 jobs locally.
The company says the move is part of Walmart’s 10-year commitment to buying $250 billion of products made by American workers. Once the car seats are made, they’ll be sold at Walmart stores across the country.
Dorel hasn’t said when they will begin hiring or given a timeline for the move from China.
The Indiana Department of Transportation’s $84 million added travel lanes project on Interstate 65 in Johnson County will require restrictions on State Road 44 at the Franklin exit beginning next week. The schedule is as follows:
Monday, June 5: Mill and patch State Road 44 northwest and southwest ramps. This will result in closures during daytime hours. Pave and set Raised Pavement Markings (RPMs) on I-65 northbound and southbound between mile markers 95.0 and 88.5 during overnight hours. Double right lane will be closed, with one reopening for daytime traffic.
Tuesday, June 6: Mill and patch State Road 44 northwest and southwest ramps. This will result in closures during daytime hours. Pave and set Raised Pavement Markings (RPMs) on I-65 northbound and southbound between mile markers 95.0 and 88.5 during overnight hours. Double right lane will be closed, with one reopening for daytime traffic.
Wednesday, June 7: Patch and close State Road 44 ramps during overnight hours. Place aggregate along I-65 northbound and southbound outside shoulders between mile markers 95.0 and 88.5 during daytime hours; single right lanes remain closed. During overnight hours, pave I-65 northbound and southbound outside shoulders/slopewalls between mile markers 95.0 and 88.5. Double right lane will be closed, with one reopening for daytime traffic.
Thursday, June 8: Pave State Road 44 northwest and southwest lanes/ramps during overnight hours; individual ramps close for paving, then reopen. Place aggregate along I-65 northbound and southbound outside shoulders between mile markers 95.0 and 88.5 during daytime hours; single right lane remains closed.
Friday, June 9: Pave State Road 44 northwest and southwest lanes/ramps during overnight hours; individual ramps close for paving, then reopen. Place aggregate along I-65 northbound and southbound outside shoulders between mile markers 95.0 and 88.5 during daytime hours; single right lane remains closed.
Saturday, June 10: Pave all State Road 44 ramp shoulders during overnight hours; individual ramps close for paving, then reopen. Place aggregate along I-65 northbound and southbound outside shoulders between mile markers 95.0 and 88.5 during daytime hours; single right lane remains closed.
INDOT stresses that all scheduled work is dependent on the weather.
A Columbus high-school senior was one of four “elite” students honored Tuesday by Gov. Eric Holcomb and other state officials. Holcomb, Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Jennifer McCormick and Treasurer Kelly Mitchell today announced the winners of the 2017 Governor’s STEM Team awards. The students were honored during a gathering in the Governor’s Office.
Ujwala Pamidimukkala, of Columbus North, was named the winner in the science division. The Governor’s office says that Pamidimukkala ranked first in her class of 435 students. She has earned a number of awards and achievements throughout high school, including National Merit Finalist, U.S. Presidential Scholars Candidate, and Indiana Academic All-Star Finalist. Pamidimukkala plans to study molecular biology in the hope of becoming a cardiovascular surgeon.
Pamidimukkala is joined by Technology Winner: Samantha Fassnacht, of Westfield High School, Engineering Winner: Miranda Shook, of Greenfield-Central High School and Math Winner: Truman Bennet, of Marion High School. All four winners are high school seniors.
“These four students have demonstrated excellence in subjects that are fueling the innovation and entrepreneurship to build our economic future,” Gov. Holcomb said. “It’s a pleasure to recognize their hard work on a statewide level and elevate Indiana’s academic superstars. I can’t wait to see where the future takes these bright young Hoosiers.”
The awards highlight Indiana’s elite high school students for their work in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Each winner received a $1,000 college scholarship through Indiana’s CollegeChoice 529 Direct Savings Plan, letterman jackets identifying them as members of the Governor’s STEM Team and tickets to gaming convention, Gen Con.
“Success in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math drives our students and our state forward,” said Dr. Jennifer McCormick, Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction. “I am excited to see the passion for STEM exhibited by Ujwala, Samantha, Miranda and Truman, and I am honored to be a part of the 2017 Governor’s STEM Team award ceremony.”
“STEM education is vital to developing Indiana’s workforce, and CollegeChoice 529 is helping young Hoosiers reach educational goals in these critical fields,” said Kelly Mitchell, Indiana Treasurer of State. “As chair of the CollegeChoice Plans, I am delighted to help reward the outstanding students of the Governor’s STEM Team for their achievements and see where their studies take them in the years to come.”
The Columbus Fire Department is fully staffed after two firefighters were sworn in on Tuesday. Alan Whitted, the city’s attorney, administered the oath to 26-year-old Nathan Barnett and 28-year-old Samantha Smith during Tuesday morning’s Board of Public Works and Safety Meeting. These new hires brings the fire department’s staffing to a full level of 95 sworn firefighters.
Barnett is a 2009 graduate of Edinburgh Community High School. CFD says that he graduated from Huntington University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology. Barnett is a state certified Emergency Medical Technician and has a Firefighter I and II certification.
Smith is a 2008 graduate of Culver Community High School. She graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology. City officials say that Smith is a member of the Van Buren Volunteer Fire Department and a certified Emergency Medical Technician. In addition, she holds a Basic Mandatory Firefighter training certification.
The fire department says that these firefighters will under-go a department familiarization program as part of their on the job training. City officials say that both Barnett and Smith will receive shift and station assignments after completing that training.
A Jennings County man was killed in a weekend crash in Jefferson County. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department says that at 9:42 Sunday morning, their deputies responded to the one-vehicle crash near the intersection of State Road 7 and Main Street in Dupont. Authorities say that a pick-up driven by 22-year-old Kyle Feiles, of Commiskey, was traveling north on Highway 7 when it left the road, struck a guard rail of the Camp Creek Bridge, went airborne, and landed on the north side of the creek where it came to rest on its roof. Feiles was pronounced dead at the scene by Jefferson County Coroner Rodney Nay.
Authorities don’t know what led to the crash, but the investigation is ongoing.
A number of area schools have been named Four-Star School Honorees for the 2015-16 school year by the Indiana Department of Education. They include:
St. Bartholomew School – Columbus
Trinity Lutheran High School – Seymour
North Decatur Elementary School – Greensburg
Center Grove Middle School Central – Greenwood
Maple Grove Elementary School – Bargersville
Clark Pleasant Middle School – Greenwood
Greenwood Community High School – Greenwood
Westwood Elementary School – Greenwood
Binford Elementary School – Bloomington
Bloomington High School South – Bloomington
Childs Elementary School – Bloomington
Lora L Batchelor Middle School – Bloomington
The Acad of Sci & Entrepreneurship – Bloomington
The Bloomington Project School – Bloomington
The Indiana Department of Education says that criteria to be included on this list are:
A school must have received an “A” grade for the 2015-16 school year
Grade 3-8: 85% of all students passing English/Language Arts ISTEP+ (minimum of 10 students);
Grade 3-8: 85% of all students passing Math ISTEP+ (minimum of 10 students);
Grade 3-8: 80% of all ethnic subgroups passing English/Language Arts ISTEP+ (minimum of 10 students);
Grade 3-8: 80% of all ethnic subgroups passing Math ISTEP+ (minimum of 10 students);
Grade 10: 55% of all students passing English/Language Arts ISTEP+ (minimum of 10 students);
Grade 10: 35% of all students passing Math ISTEP+ (minimum of 10 students);
Grade 10: 50% of all ethnic subgroups passing English/Language Arts ISTEP+ (minimum of 10 students);
Grade 10: 30% of all ethnic subgroups passing Math ISTEP+ (minimum of 10 students);
2016 Graduation rate of all students at least 97.5% (minimum of 10 students);
2016 Graduation rate of all ethnic students at least 90% (minimum of 10 students)
A number of Columbus city offices will begin operating under summer hours soon. Mayor Jim Lienhoop’s office says that, effective June 5th, the following offices will operate from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.:
Clerk Treasurer’s Office
Engineering
Personnel
Airport
Redevelopment
City Utilities
The city’s fire department office is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. year-round and the Department of Public Works hours are 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. year-round. All other offices will maintain normal business hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Summer hours are scheduled to be in effect through August 4th.
A Franklin man is facing felony charges for allegedly impersonating a member of the U.S. Marshal’s Service. WRTV Channel 6 is reporting that authorities believe that 63-year-old Darrell Heady, a private investigator, has committed the crime on two separate occasions.
According to the report, Greenwood Police received a call in early February from a woman who said a man she believed to be impersonating law enforcement had pulled her over and threatened to arrest her. She said the man had been tailgating her and driving erratically, and then flashed a badge at her.
The report goes on to say that police had received a report of a previous incident involving Heady last November in which he had allegedly threatened to pepper-spray an off-duty Johnson County sheriff’s deputy. On that occasion, Heady also allegedly flashed a badge and said he was with the U.S. Marshal’s Service.
WRTV is reporting that the Johnson County Prosecutors Office has filed felony charges against Heady of Criminal Confinement and Impersonating a Law Enforcement Officer.
For more on this story, visit theindychannel.com.
A Hope man was arrested early Thursday morning on drug charges. Judy Jackson, Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman, says that at 12:21 a.m., Deputy Dane Duke responded to a welfare check call in the 700 block of Jonesville Road. Upon arrival, Duke found 40-year-old Shawn Scott Sanford sleeping in his vehicle. While checking Sanford’s information, the deputy learned that Sanford was wanted on a warrant out of Jennings County.
Once Sanford was taken into custody, Deputy Duke reported finding several syringes and a digital scale in Sanford’s vehicle. In addition, police allegedly found plastic bag with a crystal substance, believed to be methamphetamine and a plastic bag containing what is believed to be marijuana in Sanford’s possession.
Sanford was arrested on the warrant, along with preliminary charges of:
Possession of methamphetamine,
Possession of a legend drug injection device,
Trafficking with an inmate,
Possession of marijuana,
Possession of paraphernalia, and
Sanford is being held without bond.
Local Republicans were hoping to get confirmation during Thursday night’s Bartholomew County Lincoln Day Dinner that Rep. Luke Messer would be running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Democrat Joe Donnelly. Unfortunately for them, they’ll have to wait a little longer.
Addressing local Republicans, Messer says that Donnelly votes too often in the interests of the national Democratic Party.
Messer went on to say that comments made by Donnelly after his vote to confirm Gorsuch revealed where the Senator’s allegiance truly lies.
Messer thanked his family, and local Republicans, for their support throughout his political career.