There will be no Festival of Lights parade in downtown Columbus this December.

Organizers of the annual event made the announcement over the weekend, saying that they had been monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and with the number of people taking part in the parade, combined with the thousands who would normally attend, they concluded that the parade could become a super-spreader event.

Although the parade, originally scheduled for December 5th, is more than 90 days away, organizers said that those making floats begin their planning and their purchasing as early as Labor Day. Plus, the work on the floats can take hundreds of hours of group effort, leading for another possible cluster of cases of COVID-19. Organizers also said that they feel a responsibility to the sponsors who fund the event, and the downtown businesses that plan special activities surrounding the annual parade.

Finally, organizers aid that they look forward to celebrating the holidays with area families again in 2021.

A Columbus man was arrested Thursday on a charge of possession of child pornography after a four-month long investigation.

Indiana State Police are reporting that the investigation by the Indiana State Police-Internet Crimes Against Children Unit began in April after a cybertip was received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. That investigation led to a search warrant being served yesterday at a home on South Cherry Street in Columbus.

31-year-old Bradley K. Burton was arrested after the search on a felony charge of possession of child pornography.

The Indiana State Police-ICAC Unit was assisted by the Indiana State Police-Cyber Crimes Unit and Crime Scene Investigator Sgt. Martin Mead, Indiana State Police-Versailles Post.

Kidscommons is reopening today, just over a week after an employee tested positive for COVID-19. The downtown Columbus children’s is announcing that all employees are now healthy and the staff are excited to welcome guests back to the museum.

Last week, kidscommons was notified that an employee tested positive for COVID-19. The employee had last worked on Aug. 15th and did not have close contact with children and families who visited the museum within the previous two weeks.

Museum staff followed CDC protocols for community-related exposure and shut down the museum last Friday.

During the closure, the staff sanitized and deep cleaned the entire facility. The museum will continue to take precautions including social distancing, requiring staff and guests to wear protective gear, taking temperature checks for staff and guests, and frequent sanitizing of the museum and exhibits.

Online ticketing is now required for all members and guests to limit contact when entering the museum.  You can purchase tickets at kidscommons.org

A Seymour man was seriously hurt in a Thursday afternoon crash between an SUV and a pickup pulling a trailer.

Sgt. Stephen Wheeles with the Indiana State Police says that 72-year-old Albert “Ernie” Ball of Seymour was flown to St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis after the crash at about 2 p.m. on Jackson County Road 760 East.

Ball was driving the SUV northbound when his vehicle crossed into the southbound lanes where it hit head-on with a pickup driven by 66-year-old David M. Weghorst of Columbus. Ball was trapped in his vehicle and had to be freed by rescue workers before being flown to the hospital by St. Vincent Stat-Flight Medical Helicopter.

Weghorst suffered minor injuries and was taken to Schneck Medical Center where he was treated and released.

Wheeles said the investigation is ongoing.

The Columbus Fire Department is announcing the cancelation of this year’s 9/11 remembrance ceremony, originally set for Columbus City Hall.

Fire Chief Andy Lay said that efforts to reduce Covid-19 exposure risks to community members and local public safety officers led to the cancellation. He said it was difficult decision to cancel the event, but believes it was the right call to protect public health and safety.

As an alternative, the Columbus Fire Department will produce a remembrance video tribute that will be shared on the fire department’s social media pages and the City of Columbus website, to be posted on Sept. 11th.

This is the 19th anniversary of the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Firefighters hope to be able to hold an in-person event next year for the 20th anniversary.

A Columbus man is heading to federal prison for 41 months after being convicted of charges including illegal firearms dealing.

The U.S. Attorney’s office in Indianapolis announced this week that 58-year-old William Beard sold or transferred more than 320 unlicensed firearms. Over the course of four years between 2013 and 2017, Beard sold guns at locations including gun or trade shows and not once conducted a background check or completed the required ATF paperwork, required of a federal firearms licensee, according to the U.S. Attorney Josh J. Minkler.

Beard was convicted of Unlicensed Firearms Dealing and Falsification of Records in Bankruptcy. Authorities say when Beard filed for bankruptcy, he failed to disclose his income from selling and trading firearms, and did not include the information that he had been indicted in federal court.

Authorities say that 23 of the weapons Beard sold have been recovered from crime scenes including armed robberies and warrant searches for drugs.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

First Christian Church in Columbus will receive a half million dollar grant to repair its iconic downtown clock tower.

Congressman Greg Pence made the announcement yesterday saying that the church would receive the grant from the National Park Service’s Save America’s Treasures program. The money will go towards efforts to repair the structural integrity of the tower.

Built in 1942 and designed by Eliel Saarinen, the church was the first of many Columbus modern architectural landmarks. The building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2001.

Columbus police say that a man who was wanted on outstanding warrants tried to flee from them on a bicycle Wednesday morning.

According to police reports, at about 11:15 Wednesday morning, an officer noticed 46-year-old Scott B. Burton of Elizabethtown riding a bike in the 1100 block of Washington Street. After confirming that he was wanted on a felony warrant, officers tried to stop him but he rode off on the bike ans officers lost sight of him after a short chase.
A police dog was brought to the scene and police dog Argo helped find Burton hiding in the backyard of a home in the 1100 block of Franklin Street.
He was arrested on a warrant from Johnson County, a warrant from Bartholomew County and a new charge of resisting law enforcement.

Columbus native Vice President Mike Pence was the keynote speaker at last night’s Republican National Convention. Speaking from Fort McHenry, site of the writing of the Star-Spangled Banner, Pence said that he joined the ticket with President Trump four years ago because he believed the president had the ability to Make America Great Again. He formally accepted the nomination to run as vice president again.

Pence pointed out that his 87-year-old mother, Nancy, was in the audience.

Pence said he and the president came by very different routes to their partnership, but he said he has learned about the president in their four years together.

Pence said that the president has taken the fight to radical Islamic terrorists. He said the president took down what he called the ISIS Caliphate without the loss of one American solder. In one of the biggest applause lines of his speech:

Pence said he and the president built the world’s greatest economy in their first three years.

Pence said former Vice President Joe Biden claimed there is no miracle coming to cure the pandemic. Pence disagreed.

Earlier in the evening, Second Lady Karen Pence spoke before the convention. She said the President and Vice President are fully behind military families.

Pence said military spouses experience frequent moves and job changes but still exhibit pride, strength, and determination to be part of something bigger than themselves.

She also discussed her initiative to help military spouses and veterans with PTSD, through a form of art therapy.

Updated Aug. 27th

Gov. Eric Holcomb is extending the statewide mask mandate for at least 30 more days and keeping the state at Back on Track Stage 4.5, he announced Wednesday afternoon.

Local governments may impose more restrictive guidelines.

The governor said that the state continues to monitor and respond to these four guiding principles:

• The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients statewide has decreased for 14 days
• The state retains its surge capacity for critical care beds and ventilators
• The state retains its ability to test all Hoosiers who are COVID-19 symptomatic as well as health care workers, first responders, and frontline employees
• Health officials have systems in place to contact all individuals who test positive for COVID-19 and expand contact tracing

The governor also announced that the state is updating its color-coded county positivity map to  score counties as blue, yellow, orange or red, more easily allowing local officials to determine the best course of action. The map will go live on the Indiana State Department of Health COVID-19 dashboard next week and be updated weekly.

Scoring does not trigger a state requirement of any action, but provides local information and recommendations. Holcomb said the scoring is based on:

• Number of new cases in the past week per 100,000 residents
• Percent positivity as determined by the number of positive tests divided by the total number of tests administered
• The change in percent positivity from the previous week

The new system is designed to help local and school officials understand and respond to the level of community spread in their county. The map will be available on the ISDH coronavirus dashboard next week.

The Governor also signed an executive order extending the public health emergency an additional 30 days.