A site development plan for a pollinator park in the Pleasant Grove neighborhood has been approved by the Columbus Plan Commission. The nearly two-and-a-half acre site is on the east side of Pleasant Grove between McKinley Avenue and Fifth Street.

The Columbus Parks and Recreation Department made the request in the hopes that this project will serve as the first of many pollinator parks throughout the city. The project will also make use of city-owned property that had been decimated by the flood of 2008.

Members of the plan commission had expressed concerns about parking in the area. There are concerns that the planned parking for the space will not be adequate. Planning Department staff determined that there would be seven parking spaces on the street, well within city guidelines for such a space. In addition, commission members asked for a painted “buffer” to discourage parking in front of nearby homes, as well as to improve safety in the area.

Parks officials say the pollinator park will be home to native vegetation that will attract bees, birds and butterflies. They add that the purpose of the park is to “provide a natural outdoor experience” for the neighborhood, as well as provide improved connectivity to the city’s People Trail system. In addition, the space is expected to include a marker noting the 2008 flood and the resilience of the community. The park will not have a playground, playing fields or outdoor lighting.

Columbus police and firefighters will be competing against each other in a rib eating contest in an effort to raise money for charity. The event, sponsored by the Columbus Texas Roadhouse, will take place at the restaurant on Monday at 6:45 p.m.

Organizers say this fundraiser will raise money for Shop with a Cop and the Firemen’s Cheer Fund. Ten percent of the restaurant’s sales on this day will be donated to these charities.

You are invited to come out for a meal and watch the competition.

The Hope Squad, a suicide intervention and prevention program coordinated by Ivy Tech Community College and IUPUC, will host a free event Thursday night from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Columbus Learning Center as part of National Suicide Prevention Week.

Trisha Palencer, Director of Clinical Services at Life Recover Center, will be the featured speaker during the event. The presentation is free and you are invited.

Organizers say the Hope Squad is a peer-to-peer program designed to train students how to provide outreach to fellow students in distress with a direct connection to the local mental health system.

The city of North Vernon is seeing benefits from its project to convert all city-owned facilities to solar power. Kurt Schneider, partner at Johnson-Melloh Solutions, is crediting city leaders for their vision in recognizing that the reward for such a project outweighed the risk.

Schneider gave an update on the project during this week’s city council meeting. He brought along tangible evidence of the project’s benefit. That included recent Duke Energy bills for both the wastewater treatment plant and street lights. Schneider says that both accounts were being billed thousands of dollars each month prior to the switch-over. Now, each have a credit from the utility company: $7,787 for the wastewater treatment plant and $22,102 for street lights.

Schneider told council that the outlook is only brighter. North Vernon financed the project so that it wouldn’t have to make bond payments until next year. According to Johnson-Melloh, by the time the first payment of $31,864 is due, the city will have a projected reserve of more than $625,000.

Schneider says the project is nearly complete. He explained that there have been some delays due to problems on Duke’s end, but he expects the installation work will be finished within a few months.

A Columbus woman is being accused of drunk driving after allegedly leaving the scene of a crash in her SUV yesterday afternoon.

The crash happened at 12:53 p.m. Tuesday afternoon at 17th Street and Hawcreek Avenue. Police located the vehicle near 25th Street and Hawcreek shortly afterwards.

The driver, 49-year-old Tracy J. Jordan appeared to have bloodshot and glassy eyes, and was slurring her words according to police reports. She also failed several field sobriety tests, police say. She is now facing charges of leaving the scene of a property damage crash and driving while intoxicated, with a previous conviction.

Columbus swore in two new police officers yesterday.

Officer Kyle Weaver previously worked at the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department as a corrections officer. He is a graduate of Columbus East High School and Ivy Tech Community College.

Officer Andrew Celik is from Macon, Georgia. After graduating high school, Celik served in the U.S. Navy as a Damage Controlman. He attended Ivy Tech Community College.

After completing their initial training in Columbus, both officers will attend the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in October.

Wilna Braun has been chosen as the Joan Pearcy Senior Citizen of the Year by the Mill Race Center.

Braun is a leader of the Body in Motion class and delivers Meals on Wheels for the center. She is also active as a volunteer at First Lutheran Church, as a tour guide for the Columbus Area Visitors Center, with Book Buddies and Love Chapel.

There will be a reception to honor Braun at 2 p.m. on Friday afternoon at the center on Lindsey Street.

The Senior Citizen of the Year Award has been given annually by the Bartholomew County group since 1957 and was renamed after Joan Pearcy in 2011. The purpose is:

• To recognize an outstanding senior citizen for his or her service to the community;
• To encourage continued achievement and service from the senior community; and
• To reinforce with the public the contributions that senior citizens make to community life.

Heritage Fund: The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County is again asking for your thoughts on how welcoming of a community Columbus is.

The is the third welcoming community survey by the community foundation since the Welcoming Community Initiative started in 2004. Community leaders at the time highlighted the importance of nurturing a diverse community where everyone could feel welcome.

The initial 2004 survey found Columbus to be generally welcoming but there were groups that found it less friendly – including those new to the community or young people. After a second study in 2011, the community has instituted several efforts at welcomeness including: Columbus Young Professionals,CAMEO, diversity panels in area schools, the Women’s Giving Circle, and the African American Fund of Bartholomew County.

You can take the survey through Oct. 5th. You can find links to the survey at heritagefundbc.org, on the Heritage Fund Facebook page, or paper copies are available at the Heritage Fund offices, the Bartholomew County Public Library and Mill Race Center.

You have two chances to see free movies this weekend at outdoor events in Bartholomew County.

The Student’s Fund of Hope will be hosting the film “Moana” on Friday night on the Town Square and Columbus Young Professionals are having a showing of “Back to the Future” on Saturday at Mill Race Park.

The “Moana” showing will benefit the Student’s Fund of Hope a newly created effort to take care of needs amongst the students and families in the Flat Rock-Hawcreek Schools.

There will be face painting, creating leis and an arts project around the Heart of Te Fiti stone featured in the movie. There will also be food including hot dogs and popcorn. All of the activities are free, but if you are able, you are asked to make a donation to the group’s efforts.

Specifically, organizers are raising money to help purchase a headstone for Trevor Frazee , a Hauser student who died recently from a heart attack. They would also like to aid the families and victims of a serious crash that happened in front of the high school, with any  remaining proceeds will go towards helping students in the community.

The event starts at 7 p.m. with the movie at 8 p.m.

Columbus Young Professionals Moonlight Movie activities will start at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night with the movie starting at dusk. They will have popcorn, candy, Ice Pops by Flip Flop Ice Pop and a cash bar provided by Simmons Winery and 450 North Brewing.

Organizers suggest that you bring lawn chairs and blankets and dress in your favorite ’80s themed outfits.

Bartholomew County towns and the city of Columbus will lose some income tax revenue but the county will be able to fully fund the jail  from income taxes under a plan adopted last night by the County Council.

Council members approved the plan to take back income tax revenue from other governments in the county with no opposition last night. The biggest loser of tax revenue will be the city of Columbus, which will see a an estimated $2.7 million dollar decline in income tax revenue next year. Edinburgh will lose about $118,000 dollars while Hope will lose about $28,000.

The city and towns all benefited from an increase in the income taxes approved last year for public safety and to deal with the opioid crisis. The change takes back a portion of that increase.

The ordinance approved unanimously last night by the County Council, will redirect and estimate $4.8 million dollars into the Correctional and Rehabilitation Facilities fund next year. That essentially will completely remove the county jail from the property-tax supported general fund in next year’s budget.

The council also had a first reading of next year’s budget at last night’s meeting.