The Seymour Chamber of Commerce will host an Economic Update luncheon Friday, from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Pines Evergreen Room, located at 4289 US HWY 31 in Seymour.

Featured speaker Ryan Brewer, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Finance, MBA Director, IUPUC, will discuss the changing economic environment and the impact on local, state, national and global economies.

Registration is required and includes lunch. Reservations can be made online at seymourchamber.com or by calling the Chamber office at 812-522-3681. Registration is $15 per person or a table of 8 is $120.

Schneck Medical Center Rehabilitation has opened a new location in Salem. Hospital officials say the new location is located at 403 South Main Street, next to Schneck Family Care.

“Our decision to expand to Salem was determined when we saw the need for physical therapy services to assist in getting members of the community back to the act ivies they love,” said Holly Wischmeier, Director of Schneck Rehabilitation. “Schneck provides athletic training for Salem High School. Schneck Orthopedics and Sports Medicine also serves the Salem community at the Schneck Family Care clinic. The Salem location is a natural extension of our rehabilitation services, providing easier access for our patients in Washington County and beyond.”

Schneck officials say the new clinic treats people who are suffering from issues such as work-related injuries, back and shoulder pain, post-surgery recovery and joint replacement, arthritis and the general effects of aging. In addition, Schneck’s team of sports rehabilitation experts works with students and adult athletes on sprains, strains, localized pain and sports injuries.

“Our commitment to working one-on-one with our patients is what makes our clinic unique in the rehab environment,” said Wischmeier. “We believe a therapist’s hands are the best clinical tools, and that patients only truly heal as a result of that personal and physical component of touch.”

For more information, call (812)-522-0177.

The Indiana Historical Society has announced that a Columbus teacher is among eight middle school and high school educators who traveled to Washington, D.C. Through a program titled “Understanding Sacrifice,” Alan Birkemeier of Central Middle School is embarking on a mission to memorialize a World War II service member who never made it home and to help invigorate World War II teaching in American classrooms.

The IHS says that over the next nine months, Birkemeier and the other teachers will research the life and sacrifice of their chosen service member, called a fallen hero. In June 2019, the group will travel to Europe to continue their studies. Along the way, teachers will deliver a eulogy to their Fallen Hero at respective burial or memorial sites. Birkemeier will be among those visiting Luxembourg American Cemetery where his service member, Staff Sergeant Francis L. Raub of Indianapolis, is listed on the Wall of the Missing.

“This program allows me to shine a light on an unknown Hoosier hero and honor him by making his story known,” said Birkemeier. “Then the program will take these fallen heroes and use their stories as a lens to develop deep, meaningful World War II education.”

At the culmination of the program, Birkemeier and the other teachers will create a lesson plan and a Fallen Hero profile. These materials will be published by the program’s sponsor, the American Battle Monuments Commission, on its website ABMCeducation.org in November 2019. The website is a free online classroom resource that currently hosts 54 lesson plans and 58 Fallen Hero profiles.

As Birkemeier begins to research Raub’s life and career, he welcomes information from anyone who knew the Hoosier hero. To share your story, email Birkemeier at Birkemeiera@bcsc.k12.in.us.

A local man was arrested on drug possession charges after a traffic stop early Tuesday morning. At approximately 1:05 a.m., Columbus Police stopped a vehicle near Seventh and Sycamore street. While talking to the driver, 28-year-old Joshua Nicholas, of Columbus, a police dog alerted to the odor of narcotics coming from the vehicle.

Officers searched Nicholas’ car and reported finding a bag of methamphetamine in the vehicle’s center console. Nicholas was taken into custody and officers reportedly found a small amount of marijuana in his clothing.

Nicholas was arrested on preliminary charges of:

Possession of Marijuana – Previous Conviction (Class A Misdemeanor)
Possession of Methamphetamine (Level 6 Felony)

Designs for a new Commons playground were on display Monday. Randy Royer is Senior Principal of Hitchcock Design Group. He and his team gave a pair of presentations Monday afternoon at the Commons. He says that there are many challenges in a design like this.

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Royer says that when it comes to improving the playground, much data has been taken from the public.

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An updated playground space will see improvements like increased seating, a separate area for toddlers, cozy spaces and aspects that will exercise the senses. In place of the “tornado spinner,” plans call for a “group spinner.” The round, cage-like structure will allow several children on at once, while safety measures will keep the spinner from going too fast.

Columbus Parks and Rec says there is no timetable for the project, as expenses for the project have yet to be determined.

Cummins Inc. and Hyundai Construction Equipment announced Monday they have jointly developed an electric powered mini excavator.

Based on the long-term productive partnership of the companies, HCE and Cummins agreed to collaborate on the design and development of electric powered mini excavators for this market. The 3.5-ton excavator is designed to operate for a full eight-hour shift and charge in under three hours. The machine eliminates all gaseous emissions and substantially reduces noise, making it ideal for use in urban and sub-urban construction.

The Indiana Department of Transportation plans to replace a box culvert channeling Singer Ditch under State Road 235 east of Medora next spring.

Milestone Contractors has been contracted to remove the existing structure and replace it. Work is expected to begin after April 1st and will require a 30-day closure of State Road 235. The contract is worth $316,400.

A state detour will route traffic around the legal drain culvert site in Driftwood Township, located 1.65 miles west of State Road 135, via State Road 135 and U.S. Highway 50.

The contractor plans to clear and stake the site in November. Utilities will begin relocation operations after January 1st.

Indiana Department of Transportation officials met with contractor representatives Monday morning to review plans and discuss schedules for a $787,046 repair and resurfacing project on State Road 3 that will impact motorists in Jennings County.

Dave O’Mara Contractors Inc. hopes to begin making pavement repairs in November, weather permitting. The work calls for placing a significant number of full and partial-depth asphalt patches on State Road 3 from south of Vernon to the Sheriff’s Office in North Vernon.

Early next spring, ADA-compliant curb ramps are slated to be built at State Road 3 intersections with Jackson Street, Perry Street, Pike Street, Montgomery Street, Brown Street and Gaines Street.

Starting in April, the North Vernon contractor will mill State Road 3, then resurface the highway. Scope of the mile-long pavement project extends from the State Road 3 / State Road 7 split south of Vernon to a terminus 0.85 miles south of U.S. Highway 50 at North Vernon.

The contract completion date is June 30, 2019.

The City of Columbus will hold a public open house for people who are interested in low-cost, reliable transportation to work through the City’s recently announced vanpool program. The program is for people who are currently employed or seeking employment.

Activities will include a short presentation that repeats several times. Vanpool coordinators and City employees will be on hand to provide information and answer questions. Light refreshments will be available, and there will be coloring books for kids in attendance.

Transportation to local workplaces is being offered by the City, which is working with the Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority (CIRTA) to provide these services. Employees are eligible to participate in the program if they live in Columbus and work in Columbus or Bartholomew County; or if they live in any Indiana County and work in Columbus.

Organizers explain that a vanpool is similar to a carpool, can be organized for 5-15 riders on the same shift commuting to and from the same area. The van rental fees are shared by the City and employers or other sponsors. These fees include insurance, maintenance, and 24-hour customer support. The only expense to the riders is the cost of gas.

Each vanpool must have at least one volunteer driver and one back-up driver. Non-drivers are welcome to participate in this program. An ADA-accessible van will be provided if needed to accommodate a member of the vanpool with a disability.

The city’s vanpool program was developed by a committee in response to a need for transportation to workplaces that were not located on existing ColumBUS Transit routes. The city’s share of the van fees will be reimbursed by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). A monthly fee to CIRTA for managing the program will be paid by the city with local funds.

The open house will be on Thursday, November 8 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Cal Brand Meeting Hall at Columbus City Hall. People who are interested in attending may come any time during the hours of the event.

For more information, visit columbus.in.gov/planning/commuter-connect.

The Bartholomew County Coroner’s Office is investigating the death of 45-year-old Danny L. Lewis, of Columbus. Lewis was involved in a one-vehicle crash at the US 31 and I-65 interchange early Friday evening when his pickup that lost control on the ramp from US 31 to northbound I-65. He was found outside the vehicle when emergency responders arrived. Lewis was transported to Columbus Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m.

County Coroner Clayton Nolting says the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the chest. Toxicology results are expected within two weeks.

The crash is being investigated by Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.