Bartholomew Consolidated Schools staff will continue working to develop the plan to reopen school in a few weeks, although that does not necessarily mean school will actually open to in-classroom learning on Aug. 6th.

The school board voted 5-2 to continue the process, with school board members Julie Bilz and James Persinger voting against the proposal.

Superintendent Dr. Jim Roberts pointed out one new element of the plan is a requirement that students and staff be masked through out the school day. Previous versions of the plan strongly recommended the use of masks but this version would require them whenever social distancing can not be maintained.

Current plans would essentially give parents three choices on returning to school in the classroom, returning temporarily through distance learning, or returning full-time via distance learning.

Roberts stressed that the board decision would not mean a definite in-classroom start on Aug. 6th, as conditions will continue to be monitored for safety and COVID-19 trends before those decisions are made.

10 community members signed up to address the school board and to express their concerns.

Dr. Rachel Kerschner, a pediatrician at CRH and a parent, supported a return to in-class teaching.

Ruben Guthrie, a substitute teacher, said he is not comfortable risking his life for $70 a day.

Michelle Carr, a substitute teacher herself, said her daughter found it harder to learn online and her son will find it hard to meet his academic goals online. But for her family it is a matter of safety

You can learn more about the planning process on the school district website at bcscschools.org.

The employment picture is improving in Bartholomew County. According to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, the county’s unemployment rate has fallen below the state and national average. The June figures show Bartholomew County with 10.2 percent unemployment, compared to May’s 12.7 percent and the state and national average of 11.2 percent.

According to figures released today, the Columbus Metropolitan Area’s total non-farm payroll for June grew to 49,500, compared to May’s 48,400, a 2.27 percent increase. However last year at this time, the community had 53,100 non-farm payroll jobs, a drop of 6.78 percent year-over-year.

The highest unemployment rate in surrounding counties in June was Shelby County with 12.3 percent and the lowest was Johnson County with 9.3 percent.

A Seymour man died after a crash Friday afternoon on U.S. 50 in Jackson County.

Indiana State Police say that 81-year-old Herschel Williams was pronounced dead at Schneck Medical Center after the multi-vehicle crash at about 1 p.m. Friday afternoon.

According to investigators, Williams was driving his pickup truck eastbound on U.S. 50  in front of Schneider Nursery near County Road 260E, when his vehicle crossed the center line and struck an SUV being driven by 45-year-old Brandy Schafstall, also of Seymour. Schafstall’s vehicle was flipped completely over and back onto its wheels after the impact. Williams’ truck then hit another pickup head-on, flipping that truck over into a ditch. It was being driven by 40-year-old Seth Zike of Brownstown

A third vehicle swerved to get out the way, striking a guardrail and a fourth vehicle was damaged by debris while trying to avoid the crashes.

Schafstall, Zike and three passengers in his vehicle were taken to hospitals for treatment.

The crash remains under investigation and it is not known what caused Williams to cross the centerline.

The Columbus teacher’s union is asking Bartholomew Consolidated Schools not to resume in-person school on Aug. 6th.

The BCSC school board will hear the district’s plans for reopening at tonight’s board meeting. But the Columbus Educators Association released a statement over the weekend, urging the district to reconsider in-person learning.

Amy London, President of the CEA said in the statement that “Putting students back in those classrooms right now puts them, their teachers, and their families at risk.”

A survey of CEA teachers found that 80 percent said they would not be comfortable returnign under the current plan. According to the union, one teacher said that the kids, parents and teachers all want to be back to school in person. But the teacher also does not want to catch coronavirus, nor give it to loved ones.

CEA is urging the School Board to join schools across the state making the decision to begin the year with online instruction.

The teachers union cited a sharp increase in the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19, including two days in Bartholomew County with the highest number of confirmed cases since May.

The school board meets at 6:30 p.m. tonight at the Terrace Room of the school district headquarters on Central Avenue.

The CEA’s complete statement is below:

LOCAL TEACHERS OPPOSE REOPENING SCHOOL BUILDINGS AMID PANDEMIC RESURGENCE

OVER 80% OF TEACHERS SURVEYED CONCERNED RE-ENTRY PLAN WILL NOT KEEP STAFF / STUDENTS SAFE, URGE SCHOOL BOARD TO VOTE FOR VIRTUAL LEARNING TO BEGIN SCHOOL YEAR.

Columbus, IN – As the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation (BCSC) School Board prepares for a Monday vote on whether or not to resume in-person learning on August 6th, local teachers are raising the alarm.

“Our teachers miss their kids terribly,” said Amy London, President of the Columbus Educators Association (CEA). “We all wish that we could get back to normal, but we can’t ignore the facts. Putting students back in those classrooms right now puts them, their teachers, and their families at risk.”

The warning comes as Indiana faces a new surge in cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Saturday saw the second highest number of confirmed cases on record in the State, and on each of the last two days, Bartholomew County reported numbers not seen since May.

After BCSC administration released a plan for returning in person, CEA gave its members time to review it and then surveyed their response. Over 80% indicated that they would not be comfortable returning under the current plan, which they do not feel offers adequate protection.

“I know having kids at home for school is terribly hard on parents,” said one respondent. “I believe they (kids and parents) want school to be in person as much as I do. As much as all of this is true, I do not want to catch the coronavirus. I do not want to give it to my loved ones.”

CEA is urging the School Board to join the growing list of schools across the state making the decision to begin the year with online instruction.

“We know how much work has gone into developing the plan to return to school,” said London, “including our own input along the way. But the situation has changed. Until the case rates come down, this plan doesn’t hold up.”

In addition to their own concerns, CEA is encouraging local community members to reach out to the School Board and share their concerns.

“The virus doesn’t stop at the walls of the school building,” said London. “This impacts us all, so the School Board needs to hear from us.”

As of Saturday evening, CEA said it was aware of over 500 community members who had contacted the Board to express their opposition to reopening.

Updated: This story was updated at 10:15 p.m.

Columbus firefighters have been on the scene of a serious fire at an apartment complex Sunday night on the east side of Columbus.

Capt. Mike Wilson, spokesman for the fire department, says that firefighters were called to the 300 block of Wint Lane to Stonegate Apartments at about 5:45 p.m. Sunday after heavy smoke was seen coming from the roof of a two-story apartment building.

Wilson says firefighters made an aggressive interior attack to the second floor of the building, but low visibility and high heat forced firefighters to pull out of the building and fight the fire defensively.

Firefighters directed streams of water into the roof, a large portion of which had burned away.

It took about two hours to get the fire under control. Due to the hot and humid conditions, a number of off duty firefighters were called in the assist at the incident. Wilson said that five engine companies took part in the operations.

Stonegate Apartment property officials said 12 apartment units were damaged in the fire and 18 tenants were displaced.  Red Cross and Salvation Army are working to help the families.

Wilson said lightning had been reported in the city and investigators are working to determine if that was a contributing factor in the blaze.

A Columbus man is being accused of firing shots during a fight in downtown Columbus Thursday afternoon.

The incident happened at about 12:45 p.m. Thursday afternoon, when police received reports that a gun was fired during a fight near 9th and California streets. Columbus police found that a parked vehicle had been hit by the gunfire.

Police found 25-year-old Christopher L. Williams running from the area and saw him drop a bag near a tree in the 1400 block of Sycamore Street. The bag allegedly contained a 9 mm handgun, ammo and personal items belonging to Williams.

He was arrested on preliminary charges of criminal recklessness with a firearm and possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon.

The Columbus City Engineer’s office is reporting that you will see some streets closed around downtown on Sunday while crews apply a surface treatment.

The work will require closing streets from 7 in the morning to 7 at night. That will include First Street from State Road 46 to Franklin Street, Jackson Street from First to Second street, and both 6th and 7th streets from Jackson to Washington.

The work is being done by National Pavement Maintenance LLC.

Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department police dog Bravo is recovering from his first of two knee surgeries. T

he department announced earlier this week that Bravo was in need of surgery after injuring his knees during his police work. The veterinarian’s bill is expected to cost $7 thousand dollars and Sheriff Matt Myers says the surgery is being done without the use of taxpayer funds.

Myers announced that the first surgery happened yesterday morning and was successful with no complications. He was scheduled to return home with his handler Deputy Leah Burton yesterday afternoon and the veterinarian expected Bravo to make a full recovery.

A second knee surgery is scheduled in about two weeks.

Bravo, a Belgian Malinois, has been with the sheriff’s department since last September and has participated in five foot chases, nearly 90 drug arrests and multiple warrant services.

The sheriff said that the police canines are an integral part of the department and they are treated with the respect of any deputy sheriff.

If you are interested in donating toward the care of Bravo, you can mail a check to:

Vicki Thompson
Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office
543 Second Street
Columbus, IN 47201-6713

Checks should be made payable to Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office with “K9 Donation” on the memo line.

The department is not equipped to accept debit or credit card donations.

Columbus City Utilities is moving forward with a rate hike proposal.

The city water company is looking to increase its rates, in large part to replace aging infrastructure, including water mains some of which are more than 100 years old.

A recent survey of 300 miles of the city’s water mains shows that much of the infrastructure is aging. A third of the city water mains are more than 50 years old, and 10 percent are 100 years old or older The proposed rate increase would allow the city to replace just under two miles of water main a year.

The Utilities Service Board approved the proposal yesterday.

Under a tentative time line, the first increases would go into effect in August of next year. The rate increase is scheduled to go before City Council at the council’s Tuesday meeting for their first consideration. After getting final approval by the city, it would go before the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission for approval.

The committee overseeing the Fair Oaks Mall project formally adopted a master plan yesterday afternoon for the property now owned by the city of Columbus and Columbus Regional Health.

The plan envisions transforming the building into a joint use between the two as a health, wellness and recreation center. To that end the plan calls for significant changes to the layout of the surrounding parking lots and spaces, including links to the People Trail system through better pedestrian access to the site, improved intersections leading to the property and a revamped front entrance where the JC Penney portion of the building now sits. Many of the surface parking lots would be replaced with lawn, landscaping and paths.

The interior plan would use much of the building’s existing structure and include the parks and recreation department offices, an indoor sports complex, multi-use activity courts, fitness rooms and retail that would be complementary to the health, wellness and recreation theme.

The plan also calls for replacing the aging Donner Center with a smaller, more efficient building.

Mary Ferdon, executive director of administration and community development for the city, said that city officials are still very excited for the project, despite the roadblocks thrown in the way by the pandemic including a shrinking pool of income tax revenue, and challenges for the existing tenants. She said the needs that the city and CRH saw when they purchased the property still remain. She said that there is a pause right now, but they still intend to move forward with the project.

Download link to Fair Oaks Mall Master Plan (PDF download)