The North Vernon McDonalds will be holding a fundraiser for the Jennings County Vet to Vet program today.
Between 4 and 8 p.m., the store will be giving 10 percent of the proceeds of all items purchased to the local not-for-profit group helping veterans.
IUPUC recognized a Bartholomew Consolidated Schools Spanish language immersion program and an academic advisor with its 2020 Excellence in Diversity awards. That was at a MLK Day event held in the Columbus Learning Center.
Riah Coley was recognized for their work at creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for students. Reinhold HIll, IUPUC’s vice chancellor and dean explains:
Coley is an academic advisor and mentoring coordinator for students in transition at IUPUC.
The Legado Spanish Immersion Academy at Clifty Creek Elementary School was recognized for its continuing efforts to educate and encourage bi-lingual learning by teaching students in both Spanish and English. The program started in 2018 and now has 110 students.
The African American Fund of Bartholomew County , under the umbrella of Heritage Fund — the Community Foundation of Bartholomew County, awarded its first Dr. Martin Luther King Community Scholarships at yesterday morning’s community breakfast in honor of the civil rights leader.
This years recipients were Daveed Jolley, Madison Fischer, Dominik Pinkney, Tessa Lomax and Makayla Reeves.
The $1,000 scholastic award granted by the African American Pastors Alliance will apply to the students’ second year of postsecondary education. According to organizers, in many cases, students receive scholarship dollars that enable them to attend college for their first year. This new scholastic award is designed to motivate and help successful students continue their education.
The African American Fund will issue the awards to this year’s Dr. Martin Luther King Community Scholars for their Fall 2021 semester.
Grubby the Groundhog will be prognosticating again from the Hope Town Square on Groundhog Day.
The resident of Utopia Wildlife Rehabilitators will be the star of the festivities starting at 8 a.m. on the morning of Sunday, Feb. 2nd near the bandstand on the square. There will also be music, costumes and the Hope Volunteer Fire Department will be providing breakfast and hot drinks at Hope United Methodist Church following the festivities.
The annual event is organized by Main Street of Hope.
A Hope man is accused off stabbing a man during a dispute Monday afternoon in downtown Columbus.
Columbus officers were called to a reported disturbance in the 900 block of 11th Street at about 3:50 p.m. Monday afternoon. A victim had been stabbed in the leg with a box cutter and told officers that he and 28-year-old Daniel T. Beeker II had been in an argument when the stabbing happened.
Beeker then broke out a second floor window and jumped off the roof to escape. Police found Beeker near 11th and Sycamore streets. He had suffered injuries to his head and face. He was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital for treatment before being arrested on a preliminary charge of battery resulting in bodily injury.
A dog that was declared a dangerous animal will go home with his owner after a special meeting of the Columbus Animal Care Services Commission.
Jake, an 11-year-old Australian Shepherd/Husky mix, was declared dangerous after an incident last May when he escaped his owner’s property in the 3400 block of Duffer Drive and killed a neighbor’s dog. At that time, Columbus Animal Care Services ordered Jake’s owner, Jeff Rosenburg, to keep the dog secure in his home and to make sure Jake was muzzled when out outside of his home.
On Jan. 12th, Rosenburg was spotted walking Jake without a muzzle in the Presidential Parks neighborhood. A concerned neighbor snapped a photo and sent it to Columbus Animal Care Services. Officials with Animal Care Services took possession of Jake on Jan. 15. Rosenburg paid a $500 fine on the same day and appealed the decision in an effort to keep the dog from being euthanized.
Nicohl Birdwell Goodin of Animal Care Services recommended during Monday night’s meeting that Jake be returned to Rosenburg with the clear understanding that any further violations would result in Jake being destroyed or re-homed. That recommendation passed on a vote of 4-1.
Rightway Fasteners is planning a $12 million investment to increase production at its facility in Walesboro.
Representatives for the company are scheduled to appear Tuesday night before the Columbus City Council to request a tax-abatement . Rightway Fasteners is purchasing and installing two cold forging machines, a heat treatment furnace, three coating lines and three shot-blast machines. The company is asking for a 10-year tax abatement on the purchase and installation of this new equipment. If approved, Rightway Fasteners will pay over $425,000 in new property taxes over the next decade. The abatement will save the company over $633,000 in property taxes over the same period.
The investment is expected to retain 410 jobs and create nine new ones.
Council meets Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 6 p.m. at the former J. Nicole store inside of Fair Oaks Mall. You are invited.
A South Drive home in Columbus was a complete loss after a fire over the weekend.
A homeowner was awakened by a smoke alarm at about 4:08 a.m. Saturday morning in the 1500 block of South Drive and found heavy smoke coming from the basement. He escaped with a dog and a cat before firefighters arrived. Columbus firefighters tried to fight the blaze in the basement but with no visibility and increasing heat and smoke, firefighters backed off to attack the fire from outside.
The fire burned through the basement into the ground floor and eventually the attic and roof, says Capt. Mike Wilson with the Columbus Fire Department.
After getting the fire under control at about 6:30 in the morning, firefighters stayed on scene for a total of about 10 hours fighting hot spots and flare-ups, Wilson says.
The homeowner’s wife and children were away from home at the time of the incident and no injuries were reported. One cat remains unaccounted for. Damages are estimated at $270,000.
Sheriffs and other authorities in two area counties are declaring their community as safe havens for guns and gun owners. Jennings and Decatur county sheriffs made the announcement in recent days.
Jennings County Sheriff Kenny Freeman held a press conference Friday afternoon at the Sheriff’s Office with State Rep. Jim Lucas, North Vernon Mayor Mike Ochs, Vernon Town Marshal Britt Burgemier and Vernon Mayor Dan Wright. Local officials signed a resolution declaring Jennings County a sanctuary county for the Second Amendment.
Decatur County Sheriff Dave Durant made a similar announcement yesterday on social media, saying he is an unwavering Second Amendment supporter. He said your constitutional rights will be protected as long as he is Decatur County sheriff.
There will be a contested race for judge in Bartholomew County in May. Local attorney Dominic Glover has filed to run for Superior Court 2 as a Republican.
Glover graduated from Columbus North High School, Wabash College and Indiana University School of Law – Bloomington. He lives in Columbus and has practiced in Bartholomew County for 23 years handling civil and criminal cases in local courts.
He joins former police chief Jon Rohde in the race to replace Judge Kathleen “Kitty” Coriden, who is retiring.
Bartholomew County voters will also be choosing county commissioners in Districts 1 and 3, along with county coroner, surveyor and the three at- large seats on the county council.
That already crowded race for county council at-large, picked up another candidate when Bill Read filed Friday afternoon. That makes seven Republicans including four current council members seeking those three seats.
At the state level, representing Bartholomew County, Republicans State Sen. Eric Koch of Bedford filed for re-election in District 44 and Rep. Sean Eberhart of Shelbyville filed for statehouse District 57, representing eastern Bartholomew County.
Democrats will have a contested primary in Statehouse District 59, which covers Columbus and most of Bartholomew County. Cynthia Wirth joined the race last week and will face Dale Nowlin in the Democratic primary election. The winner will face Republican incumbent Rep. Ryan Lauer who is unopposed.
The deadline to file for office is noon on Friday, Feb. 7th.