The 17th annual Meridian Kiwanis Incredible Duck Splash is coming up on Saturday. But there will be changes to the event due to the pandemic.

Organizer Jeff Blasdel explains:

After the numbered rubber ducks are dropped in the Round Lake, volunteers will then pick out winning ducks adopted by community members. There are 20 levels of prizes with $2,500 cash to the first place winner, $1,500 for second and $1,000 for third place. There is also a way to win a new car or $50,000 cash.

Adopting a duck starts at $5 for a single duck up to $100 for a flock of 30 ducks. You can still buy ducks to enter into the duck race at Midwest Computer Solutions on State Street, or on the website at Kducks.com.

Blasdel said that they will also be recognizing the winners of this summer’s Coolest Pet photo contest at about 1:45 p.m. at the park.

Columbus native Vice President Mike Pence and California Sen. Kamala Harris took the stage in Salt Lake City for the first and only vice presidential debate of this election season.

Although more cordial than last week’s presidential debate, and with fewer interruptions, the candidates did verbally spar, call each other out as well as their presidential candidates and talk over one another. Several times neither actually even attempted to answer questions posed by the moderator, particularly on what their respective home states would likely do if Roe v. Wade is overturned, or whether they had talked with President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden about plans should the president’s health fail while in office. The moderator pointed out that no matter which candidate wins, the U.S. will have the oldest president ever elected to the White House.

The candidates took sides on the COVID-19 pandemic and the government’s response:

Sen. Harris:

Vice President Pence:

The candidates took sides on the issue of climate change and how the government should respond:

Vice President Pence:

Sen. Harris:

The candidates took sides on the issue of the Affordable Care Act and how the government should address health care:

Sen. Harris:

Vice President Pence:

Crews from Omega Mapping Services will be starting work at the Seymour Old City Cemetery today to collection burial information on the more than 400 bodies interred there.

The company will be using ground penetrating radar and GPS to create maps showing the locations of marked and unmarked graves.

The data will allow the city to have precise records of all burials and surface landmarks to help preserve the city cemetery.

The Seymour Old City Cemetery was founded in 1816 on land originally owned by the Shields family, Seymour’s founding family, and was active for 111 years. After 90 years of inactivity, city officials say the mapping project will help preserve the legacy of the cemetery. But it will also allow the city to offer open spaces for future burials. The sale of new burial spaces will provide funding for the city’s Parks and Recreation Department.

Omega Mapping Services expects to be on site today through October 18th.

Duke Energy Foundation is announcing more grants in Bartholomew and surrounding counties through its “Powerful Communities” awards program.

The foundation will provide $5,000 to the Columbus Redevelopment Commission for the downtown riverfront project. The project will remove the low-head dam; ensure accessible pedestrian routes; provide safe and secure access to the river; and will be designed to reflect reasonable and responsible development of the riverfront.

Landmark Columbus Foundation will receive $3,500 for a project to create free public programs next year and to purchase and plant 1,300 plants in the community.

Decatur County Community Foundation will be receiving $25,000 to help a project to create a memorial walking trail. Funds will be used to purchase trees native to Indiana, as well as items for a weather and music station.

Vice President Mike Pence is getting the all-clear to participate in tonight’s vice presidential debate. In a statement, CDC Director Robert Redfield said the agency determined that Pence isn’t considered a close contact with anyone in the administration who has COVID-19, including President Trump.

According to our news-gathering partners at TTWN Media Networks, Redfield also notes that Pence has continued to test negative for the respiratory illness. Redfield notes that CDC regards someone as “close contact” as being within six feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes.

The Columbus-native Pence and vice presidential hopeful Kamala Harris are sparring over whether there will be a protective divider between them at their debate. The dividers are being put up to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. But Pence’s campaign doesn’t want plexiglass on his side of the debate stage tonight, saying it’s not needed since both candidates will be 12-feet apart.

The 90-minute debate will happen at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and will be moderated by USA Today’s Susan Page. You can listen to the debate live  at News Talk 1010 WCSI and 98.1 FM starting at 9 p.m. tonight.

The 2021 City of Columbus budget would provide funding for the Par 3 and Greenbelt Golf Courses, directly from the City Council, rather than through the Parks and Recreation Department budget.

City Council gave its first approval last night to next year’s budget. Jamie Brinegar, finance director for the city, said some of the highlights of next year’s proposal are the final steps in a five-year project to bring city employees pay up to the same level as similar positions in other communities, a 1 percent increase in base pay for public safety employees and reinstating $176,000 in funding for the golf course that was cut by the parks board in its department budget.

The total budget is about $80 million dollars, but that includes a new budget requirement from the state to pre-budget some $14 million in health and life insurance costs that have normally been paid from the health trust fund as they come up. Brinegar said he is projecting the city’s property tax rate will dip slightly after all the approvals and adjustments are finished from the state.

The Columbus Walk to End Alzheimer’s raised more than $53,000 dollars on Sunday, according to organizers.

More than 200 people took part in the event, with the walking being done individually or in small groups on community tracks and trails due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Together they raised $53,686.

Natalie Sutton, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Indiana Chapter said the result shows how invested Columbus residents are in the mission, and said that the association is grateful to each and every one of them.

The money raised through the Walk to End Alzheimer’s funds local education programs and caregiver support groups, as well as the 24/7 Helpline.

You can still make a donation by going online to act.ALZ.org/ Columbus.

There will be a drive thru flu clinic from 10 to 4 today in the Fair Oaks Mall parking lot, featuring low cost or even free vaccines.

The Bartholomew County Health Department will be providing flu shots to the community in the farmers market area in the mall lot. They will be accepting cash, credit and debit cards with the cost of $20 for Quadrivalent.

If you are uninsured or your insurance does not pay for flu vaccines you can received the vaccine for free. The free offer does not apply to the high dose of FluBlok which are $55.

Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent of guardian. The health department suggests that everyone 6 months old or older, should get a flu vaccine.