The head of Heritage Fund: The Bartholomew County Community Foundation is retiring.

Tracy Souza is announcing that she is stepping down effective in July. She has led the community foundation since 2011, taking over after Sherry Stark retired. She is only the fourth president and CEO of the organization, since it began in the 1970s.

Souza retired from Cummins after 32 years, serving most recently as president of the Cummins Foundation. She has served on various boards at the local, state and national levels.

Heritage Fund says that under Souza’s leadership the foundation’s charitable assets have grown from $50 million to $111 million and the foundation has awarded nearly $9 million in grants and scholarships.

The most recent Heritage Fund initiative to launch under Souza’s leadership, is Project Encore, meant to finish renovations and upgrades to the Crump Theatre, turning it into a state-of-the art performing arts center.

Heritage Fund’s Board of Directors has created an unrestricted grant fund to support her key areas of interest. Tracy’s Fund to Celebrate Diversity and the Performing Arts is being created through the Lilly Endowment’s Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow program.

A reminder that tonight’s Salute! concert in Columbus is moving indoors. The Columbus Indiana Philharmonic show will now be held at Columbus North High School’s Erne Auditorium.

The doors will open at 6 p.m. at the auditorium and the program will begin at 7 p.m. Seating will be available on a first come first served basis.

The show is free and you are invited to attend.

The city of North Vernon is starting work on a new police station.

According to city officials a ground-breaking ceremony was held Wednesday for the new location. Mayor Shawn Gerkin says that the police station will be a source of pride for the officers and the community. It is meant to serve the needs of the department for at least 50 years.

Gerkin also noted that the existing police department building was never constructed to be used as a police station. He said it was outdated and could not meet current regulations on evidence storage.

Gerkin also said that the new building will not require a tax increase. He said the building is being funded through strategic budgeting, ensuring safety for the community without a financial burden.

Photo courtesy of City of North Vernon

Columbus and Greenwood have made it onto a list of best places to live in the United States.

The list was compiled by U.S. News and World Report, which looked at value, quality of life, the job market and whether the city is a desirable place to live. The magazine evaluated 859 communities.

Greenwood placed 91st on the list and Columbus came in 92nd of the top 250 places to live.

According to the listings, Columbus has a median home value of $221,501, rent of $843 a month and median household income of $76, 265.

Carmel came in 2nd in the nationwide study. Fishers and Noblesville also made the list, ranking higher than Greenwood and Columbus. Fishers came in 4th and Noblesville 50th.

You can find  more information on the listings here: https://realestate.usnews.com/places/rankings/best-places-to-live

State Road 7 in Jennings County will be closing in early June and won’t reopen until early August while crews upgrade an intersection.

According to INDOT, contractors will be closing the highway between Jennings County Road 275W and Country Squire Boulevard starting on Tuesday, June 3rd. That is about a mile northwest of U.S. 50. While the road is closed you won’t be able to access either County Road 275W or Country Squire Boulevard from S.R. 7.

You will see signs going up before construction starts. The official detour will take U.S. 50 to Interstate 65 and then to State Road 46.

State Road 7 is expected to reopen in early August. The work schedule is dependent on the weather.

After the road reopens more work will be happening on State Road 7. INDOT plans to release more details closer to the project.

Dave O’Mara is the contractor for the project, part of a $5.7 million dollar contract.

INDOT reminds you to slow down, to drive without distractions and to use extra caution to worker safety in all work zones.

A Columbus man has been arrested on felony charges after a police chase through the city.

According to Columbus Police Department, the incident started Tuesday night at about 8:10 p.m. when an officer noticed a driver make a traffic violation near North National Road and Washington Street. The officer tried to pull the vehicle over but the driver continued south of Washington Street, at 40 to 50 mph, running the stoplight at 25th and Washington, police say. The driver also appeared to be throwing items out the window.

The driver stopped near 11th and Washington Streets and was taken into custody. A police dog alerted to the smell of drugs within the vehicle and a search recovered methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Police also recovered an open bag along the route that appeared to contain fentanyl.

43-year-old Jeremy Vanantwerp is facing felony charges of resisting law enforcement and obstructing justice, as well as for possessing the drugs and a misdemeanor charge for the paraphernalia.

Bartholomew County will be holding its annual Memorial Day services again Monday at the Veterans Memorial on the courthouse lawn starting at 11 a.m. in the morning.

Representatives of the Gold Star Mothers, the Daughters of the American Revolution and the auxiliaries of the VFW and American Legion will lay wreaths at the memorial. Local funeral directors will read the names of each local military veteran who has died in the past year, followed by a bell toll for each name.

The Southern Indiana Pipes and Drums will perform. The Bartholomew County Veterans Honor Guard will provide an armed salute and there will be a performance of “Taps” by the Columbus City Band’s Michael Schmelz.

Seating is limited and you are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket

In case of bad weather, the event will be held in the Cal Brand meeting room inside Columbus City Hall .

If you can’t attend, you can listen to the recorded event on News Talk 1010 WCSI and 98-1 FM.

With the upcoming Memorial Day weekend marking the unofficial start to summer, Indiana conservation officers are urging you to be safe if you are going to be out enjoying the water.

According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, you should make water safety a priority and discuss water safety and dangers with friends and family members before you head out. Conservation officers are offering several safety tips. Those include:

• Make sure to tell someone where you are going and when you will return.
• When you head out, go with a buddy.
• Do not venture onto flooded or fast-moving waterways.
• Keep an extra watchful eye out for children around water.
• Avoid alcohol when you are on or in the water.

They are also stressing that it is illegal to operate a a motorboat or personal watercraft in Indiana while you are intoxicated whether from alcohol or drugs. In Indiana, intoxicated boating involves a blood alcohol level of 0.08% or greater.

To learn more you can go to on.IN.gov/boatered..

You will see traffic restriction on State Road 46 through Brown County starting in early June and lasting through August.

According to INDOT, contractors will be replacing two culverts on the highway between State Road 135 and Mount Liberty Road. That is about three miles east of Nashville. Crews will first replace a culvert near Old State Road 46, and then a culvert to the west, near State Road 135.

Temporary traffic signals will be in place during the project.

The work is expected to start June 2nd and last until late August. The work schedule is dependent on the weather.

E&B Paving is the contractor for the project.

INDOT reminds you to slow down, to drive without distractions and to be alert to worker safety in all work zones.

Government offices will be closed on Monday due to the Memorial Day holiday.

In Columbus, there will be no city trash, recycling or yard waste collections on Monday. Instead, routes will run a day late all week, with normal Monday routes running on Tuesday and normal Friday routes being picked up on Saturday. You should have your Toters to the curb by 7 a.m. on your delayed collection day.

Columbus City Utilities offices will also be closed. If you have a problem with your water or sewer service, you can call 812-372-8861 and follow the prompts.