Free entertainment downtown this evening. Caitlyn Smith with the Columbus Area Arts Council explains…

JCB Neighborfest is held the first Thursday of every month, May through September. These free events are appropriate for all ages and are sponsored by JCB.

You can get more information at artsincolumbus.org.

A reminder that the Moonlight Loop bike ride to benefit Columbus Animal Care Services is this weekend.

Organizers say that over the past six years, the ride has raised more than $58,000 for Animal Care Services.

The fundraising ride will set off from the Bartholomew County Public Library Plaza at 9 p.m. Saturday night. Online registration for $30 per person is available through Friday. On-site registration is $35 starting at 6:30 p.m. Saturday evening.

Registration, a course map and additional information about the event are available at columbus.in.gov/animal-care-services/moonlight-loop.

If you would like to volunteer, call 812-376-2505 or email moonlightloop@columbus.in.gov. Volunteers will receive a free volunteer t-shirt.

Columbus city offices will be returning to their regular hours starting on Monday.

During the summer, many offices switch to an earlier schedule to save on utility costs. Those offices will go back to their normal 8 to 5 schedule.

If you are planning to contact or visit a particular Columbus city department, you should double check their hours on the city website at columbus.in.gov.

The African American Fund of Bartholomew County will be hosting a new multimedia display in The Commons which starts Sunday and lasts through the end of the month.

The Soul of Philanthropy exhibit features displays of African American philanthropic contributions to the community. an opening reception will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday at The Commons.

For the first week of August, the Columbus exhibit will be accompanied by a national traveling exhibit .

August is Black Philanthropy Month. More information on the national exhibit is available at thesoulofphilanthropy.com.

We will have more on this story tomorrow, including an interview with Tom Harmon, one of the founding members of the African American Fund of Bartholomew County.

Bartholomew County deputies are investigating a possible shooting death at the Interstate 65 rest stop in the county.

Chief Deputy Maj. Chris Lane said that there was a report of a single shot being fired at the rest stop at about 6:25 a.m. Thursday. Deputies found 63-year-old Alvin Wayne Bickell, of Columbus, lying on the ground. Bickell was transported to Columbus Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Coroner Clayton Nolting says that an autopsy is being arranged.

Authorities say the public is not in danger and deputies are not searching for a suspect.

The Silver Alert issued Wednesday afternoon for 88-year-old Nancy Ann Wagner has been cancelled. Columbus Police say she was found and is safe.

Milestone Contractors will begin a $4.1 million asphalt resurface project on a 14-mile section of State Road 7 in Jennings and Bartholomew counties next week.

The Indiana Department of Transportation says that work will take place from the north junction of State Road 3/U.S. 50 Bypass in Jennings County to U.S. 31 in Bartholomew County. Work is expected to start Monday, Aug. 5th.

INDOT says that crews will begin with nighttime patching operations, followed by milling and paving. All work is scheduled to take place between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. The majority of work will take place on week nights and early mornings, with the possibility of occasional weekend work.

Drivers should expect nighttime lane closures along the route and exercise caution in and around the work zone. Flaggers will be present to maintain traffic. Watch for stopped and slowed traffic in the area.

The project is expected to be complete by November 15.

Traffic delays through Southern Crossing (State Road 11 to U.S. 31) are expected next week.

The Bartholomew County Highway Department says that traffic will be down to one lane beginning on Monday, August 5th, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. for milling and asphalt overlay. You are urged to avoid the area if possible. If you must travel through the area, watch for flaggers and expect delays.

Work is expected to take three days.

Correction: An earlier version of this story had Shannan Hinton’s title incorrect. She is director of emergency management in Bartholomew County.

Authorities are looking into why Bartholomew County’s Everbridge e-alert system did not sound yesterday when tornado sirens were activated. A rare cold air funnel was sighted in the northern part of the county, but there was no tornado.

Shannan Hinton, director of Bartholomew County Emergency Management,  said that multiple spotters reported the funnel and alerted dispatchers who, according to policy, sounded the tornado sirens. However, while tornado sirens activated, the county’s Everbridge e-alert system did not send messages or phone calls to residents, leading to some confusion in the community.

Hinton said county emergency officials are investigating why the Everbridge system was not activated.

The National Weather Service did not issue any tornado warnings or watches which would have prompted an automatic Everbridge alert and alerts over our radio stations. The weather service in Indianapolis did send out an alert explaining the likelihood of the cold air funnel phenomenon but that was after the Bartholomew County sirens had already been activated.

According to the weather service, cold air funnels are associated with thunderstorms or showers that form in deep, cold core, large-scale low pressure systems. Officials say these funnel clouds normally protrude a few hundred feet downward from the parent clouds, rotate and last only a few minutes before dissipating.

In rare cases when their circulations does reach the ground, cold air funnels cause only minor damage.

The National Weather Service message from yesterday morning:

National Weather Service Indianapolis IN
1148 AM EDT Tue Jul 30 2019

…COLD AIR FUNNELS POSSIBLE TODAY…

Revenues are up at Cummins. The Columbus-based company reported second quarter revenues of $6.2 billion increased one percent from the same quarter in 2018.

Cummins says increased truck production in North America and stronger demand in North American power generation markets was partially offset by lower demand in oil and gas and international truck markets. Currency negatively impacted revenues by two-percent primarily due to a stronger U.S. dollar.

The company says that second quarter sales in North America set a new record and improved by seven percent while international revenues decreased by six percent. Sales in North America increased in all segments except Power Systems. International revenues declined primarily due to lower truck demand in China, Europe, Brazil, and India.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) in the second quarter were a record $1.1 billion, or 17.0 percent of sales, compared to $897 million or 14.6 percent of sales a year ago. Net income attributable to Cummins in the second quarter was $675 million ($4.27 per diluted share), compared to net income of $545 million ($3.32 per diluted share).

“We achieved record revenues, EBITDA, and operating cash flow in the first half of 2019, extending our track record of raising performance cycle over cycle,” said Chairman and CEO Tom Linebarger. “While we do expect to see a moderation in demand in the second half of the year, our financial strength combined with our diversified geographic and end market exposure will enable us to generate strong profits, continue to invest in future growth, and return cash to shareholders.”

Cummins now expects 2019 revenue to be flat. This lower outlook is driven by reduced truck demand in international markets, moderating parts demand in North America and the impact of a stronger US dollar. The company announced that it continues to expect EBITDA to be in the range of 16.25 to 16.75 percent of sales and plans to return 75 percent of Operating Cash Flow to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases.