The city of Columbus would add almost 40 acres on the northeast side of the city under an annexation and rezoning plan given first approvals Tuesday night by Columbus City Council.

Developers are planning a 103-unit retirement community at the northeast corner of Talley Road and Rocky Ford Road or County Road 250N.

Neighbors expressed concerns about drainage in the area. Their worry is that the water at the location flows into the Sloan Branch creek, which already has flooding problems. Neighbors said that adding in the homes, surface streets and parking spaces would increase the water runoff, making that flooding problem worse.

City-County Plan Department Director Jeff Bergman said that under state law, the builders will have to show engineering plans that will not make the problem worse than it is now in order to build.

Council voted unanimously to approve the first reading of the annexation ordinance.

The Council also gave its first approval of a rezoning request that would change the property’s use from Agriculture to Multi-Family Residential. The changes would return for council’s final approval on July 7th.

Developers with BHI Retirement Communities said when the proposal  first came before the city in February, that they had originally hoped to start construction this summer . They are still optimistic that they can begin site work this summer.

Cummins Inc. has announced that Amy Davis will be the new vice president and president of its New Power Segment.

Davis joined Cummins in 1994. Since 2015, Davis she has served as Vice President of the Filtration business, where she achieved record revenues.

The New Power Segment includes Cummins’ electrified power and hydrogen portfolios and represents Cummins’ investment in future technologies. The goal is to deliver value to customers and communities using materials and technologies that have less impact on the planet.

The appointment takes effect on July 1st. She will replace Thad Ewald, who established and incubated the New Power segment. Ewald will continue to lead strategy and corporate development for Cummins.

Bartholomew County Commissioners said that they plan to largely stay out of the dispute about body cameras for the sheriff’s department.

Sheriff Matt Myers said last week that he believes adding body cameras for deputies are a non-negotiable safety item and that it should be a priority for the county. He has urged members of the community to contact the County Council and County Commissioners to argue for the cameras, if they agree with the sheriff.

Last week County Council members said that they weren’t the reason that the department doesn’t have body cameras, saying that the sheriff withdrew his request in 2016 and 2017 without a vote from the council.

At yesterdays’ Bartholomew County Commissioners meeting, Commissioners President Carl Lienhoop said that they plan to stay out of the spat.

Commissioner Larry Kleinhenz said that the body’s only involvement in the issue was agreeing to provide some funding out of a telecommunications fund that the commissioners control.

More than 7,000 Bartholomew Consolidated School system parents have already taken an online survey gauging their thoughts on reopening the schools in August.

Superintendent Dr. Jim Roberts updated the school board last night on the progress toward reopening schools in just over two months, and cited the parent survey as one of the key components that is being looked at.

Parents are being asked to fill out one survey for each of their children in the school district. With over 11,000 students in the district, 7,000 responses would indicate more than two thirds have already filled out the survey, which launched last week.

The survey asks parents what their initial thoughts are on allowing their student to return to school in August and what their specific concerns were, Roberts said.

Roberts said that the district will analyze the parent survey data as well as meet with stakeholders including the Columbus Education Association (the teacher’s union) to come up with a complete plan for reopening.

The goal is to have a plan to present to the community by July 6th, one month before school is supposed to start on Aug. 6th. Roberts said that he doesn’t want to release any of the survey results prematurely, as he doesn’t want to skew any of the responses that have yet to come in.

There is still time to fill out the survey. The deadline is Friday. You can find links to the survey on English and Spanish on the school district website at bcscschools.org and on the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. Facebook page.

A Columbus man is under arrest, accused of attacking Bartholomew County Sheriff Matt Myers at the county jail this morning.

According to the sheriff’s department, 32-year-old Justin C. Eddelman, arrived at the sheriff’s department at about 10 this morning and told the staff at the front desk that he was going to commit serious bodily harm to the sheriff. He then went upstairs to the administrative offices and attacked the sheriff, according to police reports.

The sheriff subdued Eddelman, putting him into handcuffs. The sheriff injured his knee during the altercation.

Eddelman was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital for evaluation before being arrested on charges including:

• Intimidation on a police officer
• Resisting arrest
• Battery on a police officer
• Disorderly conduct

Seymour police called in the Columbus Bomb Squad for a situation at a home last week.

Police were called to a home in the 800 block of South Lynn Street at about 11:22 a.m. Thursday morning to help the Jackson County Probation Department with a probation search. that’s when they discovered a homemade explosive device, a simulator trap whistling device and a simulated projectile ground burst device.

The police department says that although two of the items were training devices, they were still listed as explosives. One of the devices could have been compared to a half stick of dynamite in explosive force.

Officers cleared from the residence and made the immediate area safe.

Columbus Police Department’s Bomb Squad came to the location and safely removed the devices from the residence so they could be properly disposed of.

Seymour police say the person at the home was cooperative and at no time was the public in any immediate danger.

The investigation is continuing.

Columbus firefighters made an unusual rescue Friday afternoon, after a little boy got his hand trapped inside a toy vending machine.

The incident happened at El Nopal Mexican Restaurant on West Jonathan Moore Pike at about 12:10 p.m. Friday afternoon, when the 6-year-old boy trapped his hand and wrist inside of a vending machine in the restaurant’s lobby.

Unable to free the boy’s hand, firefighters instead dismantled the machine. Firefighter say a screwdriver made quick work of the hungry machine and the boy was soon free.

Columbus Police and Columbus Regional Hospital assisted at the scene.

During a normal summer, Columbus Parks and Recreation Department would be hosting day camps at Donner Center. But with the COVID-10 restrictions ending those plans, organizers decided to go in a different direction. Jacob Hendricks with the parks department explains.

The first Camp in Box, for ages 3-12, starting today will be “It’s Alive,” a science based day camp.

Next week’s Camp in a Box will be Adventures in Reading and a third week, starting June 29th will be Wilderness Survival.

You can get more information at columbusparksandrec.com or on their Facebook page.

Columbus police spotted a stolen SUV last week, leading to the arrest of three people.

Officers noticed the stolen vehicle driving near 10th Street and Marr Road Thursday afternoon. Police stopped the vehicle in a shopping center lot in the 1100 block of North National Road. a search of the vehicle uncovered methamphetamine, prescription medications, syringes and digital scales.

34-year-old David R. Bozell is facing preliminary charges of auto theft and driving while suspended. Passengers, 45-year-old Samantha Banks and 25-year-old Alison KN Overfelt are facing charges for possessing the methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and syringes and for unlawful entry of a motor vehicle.

Banks is also accused of possession of a legend drug.

A month-old baby was seriously injured and a teen was hurt after being battered by a woman in Seymour, according to Indiana State Police.

Troopers were called to a residence in the 9000 block of East County Road 700N near Seymour at about 7 p.m. Wednesday night to check on the welfare of a four-week-old infant at the home.

Troopers found that the baby boy was injured and a 15-year-old teen girl at the home was also injured. The baby was taken first to Schneck Medical Center and then to to IU Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis for treatment of serious but what are believed to be non-life threatening injuries.

36-year-old Amanda J. Miller is being accused of battering the two shortly before officers were called to the home. She also appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance, troopers report.

Miller was arrested on preliminary felony charges of domestic battery in the presence of a minor, domestic battery on a victim under the age of 14 and neglect of a dependent.