May is National Bike Month. In celebration of the month, Columbus is holding a “Bike to Work Day” this week. Cheryl Wright is an organizer for the event…
Those four locations are:
• West Hill on State Road 46 West – Cummins employee route
• Blackwell Park/Parkside Area (parking lot west of soccer fields)
• Haw Creek Trail at the intersection of 30th Street and Griffa Avenue
Loca law enforcement, fire and other public safety agencies are taking part in an annual event aimed at helping Indiana Special Olympics. Capt. Mike Wilson, spokesman for the Columbus Fire Department, explains…
Wilson explains the program is about finding out which department has the strongest staff…
Each participant is asked to raise at least $200 for the Indiana Special Olympics.
“Showdown of the Shields” is set for 10 a.m. Saturday, May 18th at FairOaks Mall. You’re encouraged to stop by and cheer on the teams.
The North Vernon City Council is considering an ordinance relating to UTVs and off-road vehicles on city streets. Council members say they recognize the increased popularity of these vehicles and want to make sure they can be safely enjoyed by everyone who is legally allowed to do so.
During Monday night’s first reading of the ordinance, council went over specific policies for drivers. Operators must have a valid drivers license and proof of financial responsibility in order to legally operate within city limits.
Council has also restricted the use of these vehicles on certain streets. These vehicles are to stay off of U.S. 50, State Road 3 and State Road 7, except to cross them at a 90-degree angle. Council members are considering adding additional restrictions ahead of the second reading of the ordinance, set for May 29th.
Two new members of the Columbus Human Rights Commission took their appointments this week. Mayor Jim Lienhoop administered the oath to Claudia Sanchez-Davila and Sondra Bolte on Monday after city council made the appointments during its May 8th meeting.
Sanchez-Davila was appointed to fulfill the unexpired term of Commissioner Tony McClendon, who passed away in March. The term ends in March, 2021.
Sanchez-Davila is the Latina Services Case Manager at Turning Point. Originally from Mexico, Sanchez-Davila earned a Bachelor’s degree in Judicial Law from the Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí. Sanchez-Davila and her family relocated to Columbus in 2012.
Bolte was appointed to a three year term. This seat was previously held by Ian Kohen, who served on the Commission for 15 years.
Bolte is a Cummins retiree, where she worked for 32 years. She led the Global Ethics Investigations at Cummins during her last 14 years with the company. Bolte was a founding member of both Pride Alliance of Columbus and the Inclusive Community Coalition. She served on the Planning Commission and led the Columbus chapter of Showing Up of Racial Justice. Bolte is a lifetime member of the NAACP.
The Lincoln-Central Neighborhood Family Center, a not-for-profit group resource center for those that live in downtown Columbus, will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary on June 8th. Spokeswoman Diane Doup says that the organization is recognizing many of those who’ve helped the organization grow.
Doup encourages you to visit the LCNFC’s Facebook page.
Doup says those featured in the 25 recognitions have contributed to the creation, growth and the present of what the Lincoln-Center Neighborhood Family Center has become.
Lonnie Ball; Photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Dept.
An Indianapolis man is behind bars after a traffic stop in Bartholomew County. Just before 1 a.m. Tuesday, a Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Deputy saw a vehicle traveling without headlights on and initiated a traffic stop near the intersection of U.S. 31 and I-65.
The driver, Lonnie Ball, 50, was found to be driving with a suspended license. After Ball was taken to the Bartholomew County Jail, the deputy who transported him reported finding methamphetamine where Ball had been seated in the back of his vehicle.
Ball is facing preliminary charges of:
– Obstruction of Justice
– Possession of Methamphetamine
– Driving while Suspended with a Prior Conviction
The Indiana Department of Transportation is hosting a public open house tonight in Columbus to get your thoughts on state transportation plans.
The agency is looking for input on the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program. STIP is a federally mandated four-year funding and scheduling document for surface transportation projects in Indiana.
Project types involving pavement and bridge facilities, projects addressing safety, congestion, mobility and emergency response can be found in the STIP. In addition, this document includes investment in various modes of transportation including transit, pedestrian trails, and bicycle facilities.
During the open house, INDOT team members will be available to address questions and solicit input related to a variety of topics.
The Columbus open house is being held from 5 to 7 p.m. at Columbus East High School.
Bartholomew County is expanding the area in the northwestern corner of the county that can take advantage of redevelopment tools to lure new businesses to the area.
The County Commissioners, along with the county and Edinburgh plan commissions, signed off on a plan yesterday to dramatically increase the size of the tax increment financing district in what is being called the northern gateway to the county.
County Commissioner Carl Lienhoop explains that the previously existing TIF has been about 240 acres, but the new expansion will take that to about 1,200 acres.
The original TIF area, established four years ago, is between U.S. 31 and Interstate 65, along County Road 800N. This expansion adds property to the north and south of that area.
He said that local officials hope more acreage available in the TIF district will increase the chances of development in the area.
The county redevelopment commission can issue bonds to pay for improvements in a TIF district, and then use rising property tax revenues to pay off those bonds.
The down side is that those increasing tax revenues do not go to other taxing units, siphoning off money that would go to schools, the library, townships and county government.
The county redevelopment commission must hold another public hearing on the proposal before it becomes official. The date for that meeting has not yet been set.
Illustration courtesy of Columbus/Bartholomew County Planning Department
Bartholomew Consolidated Schools are looking at issuing a $4.7 million dollar bond to improve energy efficiency in schools throughout the district.
Brett Boezeman, director of operations for the school district, said that the annual cost savings could approach half a million dollars. He made a presentation to the school board this week.
The biggest single expense would be replacing existing lighting throughout the school district with LED lighting, at a cost of about $1.7 million dollars.
District studies show that the administration building is the least energy efficient building in the district. However it is a relatively small building, Boezeman said.
The biggest cost savings would come from tackling problems at Northside Middle School. That could include solar panels and climate controls for the school.
The bond issue will be up for a hearing at the June school board meeting.
A Seymour man died after a crash on Interstate 65 yesterday afternoon near Uniontown.
72-year-old Randall F. Carr was pronounced dead by the Jackson County coroner’s office after the crash at just before 5 p.m. yesterday near the 40 mile marker.
State Police investigators say that Carr was driving southbound when his pickup left the west side of the road, struck an embankment and flipped over, landing in a field.
