Monthly Archives: October 2016

Commissioner candidates look to partnerships

Bartholomew County voters will be choosing next month between two candidates for County Commissioner District 3 — incumbent Republican Rick Flohr and Democratic challenger Brad Woodcock.

Flohr, 66, is finishing his first term as county commissioner. He is part owner of a tool and die business in town and has been in that business for 38 years. He is also a part-time farmer. He is married to Debra and they have four married daughters and 11 grandchildren. He graduated from Columbus North High School and attended Indiana University. He is a member of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Waymansville.

Woodcock, 48, is a small business owner. He is married to Ellen, and they have a son, Ryan, daughter, Kristin, and a granddaughter. He graduated from Columbus East High School.

We asked Flohr and Woodcock what qualities they bring to the job of county commissioner:

Flohr said that he has had the opportunity to learn from his experiences as a commissioner for the last four years and the people he was worked with:

10-31-election-rick-flohr-q1-full

Woodcock said he has lived in Bartholomew County all of his life and has mostly worked in management roles in manufacturing:

10-31-election-brad-woodcock-q1-full

We also asked Flohr and Woodcock if there are partnerships the county could make, much like the Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team, with other local governments to save money or to improve services.

Woodcock said that he supports the anti-narcotics efforts of the county, city and federal agencies:

10-31-election-brad-woodcock-q5-full

Flohr said he serves on the community corrections board:

10-31-election-rick-flohr-q5-full

Duke and Toyota plant trees at Clifty Park

Duke Energy and Toyota volunteers planted 50 trees in Clifty Park Friday morning in Columbus. Photo courtesy of Duke Energy.
Duke Energy and Toyota volunteers planted 50 trees in Clifty Park Friday morning in Columbus. Photo courtesy of Duke Energy.

Duke Energy workers and volunteers from Toyota planted 50 trees in Clifty Park in Columbus Friday morning.

According to Duke representatives, the effort was part of the company’s Indiana Care4Environment projects. The group removed diseased ash trees from the park and added tulip poplars, bald cypress, yellow buckeyes and northern pecans.

Chip Orben, Duke’s Columbus community relations manager, said the company wanted to add something to the city that would have a lasting impact. Duke Energy Indiana President Melody Birmingham-Byrd was on hand to lead the group tree planting.

Moonlight Loop ride set for Saturday night

A nighttime bike ride to benefit Columbus Animal Care Services has been rescheduled for tonight.

The Moonlight Loop bike ride was originally set for August but was rained out. Nicohl Birdwell Goodin, manager of the city shelter, says that the money goes to benefit the shelters adoption medical fund.

07-28-nicohl-birdwell-goodin-moonlight-1

The 19-mile night-time ride will start at the Bartholomew County Public Library plaza on Fifth Street at 9 p.m. You can get more information by calling Animal Care Services at 812-376-2505.

Fake $20 bills at restaurants lead to arrests of four

Raveonna Barner
Raveonna Barner
Kiara D. Ingram
Kiara D. Ingram
Jayla Keys
Jayla Keys

Three adults and a juvenile were arrested yesterday after restaurants on the west side of Columbus were hit by counterfeit bills.

Columbus police officers were called to a restaurant on Jonathan Moore Pike at about 2 yesterday afternoon. Workers said they accepted three $20 bills to pay for food and gave back change to the scammer, according to Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the police department. Police also received two other tips and located the suspects driving on Interstate 65.

The 16-year-old, two women from Indianapolis and a third from Speedway were arrested on preliminary charges of counterfeiting.

Those arrested included: Kiara D. Ingram, 20, of Indianapolis; Reveonna L. Barner, 18, of Indianapolis; Jayla M. Keys, 20, of Speedway.

The teen was taken to Bartholomew County Youth Services Center .

Early voting expands to Saturday in Bartholomew County

Tomorrow is the first Saturday for early voting at the Bartholomew County courthouse.

You can cast your ballot this Saturday and next at the courthouse from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Next week, more early voting locations open up, with early voting being offered at Main Source Bank on the west side of Columbus, at Donner Center and at Flintwood Wesleyan Church. Early voting will be from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at those locations Monday through Friday. They will also be open from 8 to 3 on Saturday Nov. 5th.

East Columbus to hold Halloween hot dog cookout

East Columbus neighborhood trick or treaters and their families can take part in a trunk or treat and hot dog cookout Monday afternoon from 4:30 to 6:30 at the America and Roby Anderson Community Center on McClure Road.

The former Eastside Community Center will be hosting the event organized by the State Street Area Association. There will be a puppet show and emergency vehicles on hand. The Safe Kids Coalition will be providing the first 100 children with a reflective bag for their trick or treating.

Police urge safety during Monday trick-or-treating

Police are urging you to be safe when you are driving area streets on Monday night. Hordes of families will be out trick-or-treating with young children.

Lt. Matt Harris spokesman for the Columbus Police Department said excited children are sometimes not paying attention when they are in and around the streets.

“We do want those persons driving to take extra care, make sure that you are traveling at or even better below the speed limit on the streets,” Harris said. “Try to limit your distractions, put those electronic devices down.

He also suggested parents look for reflective items for their children to wear and to carry LED lights. And he suggested that parents make sure that costumes are the correct size so there is no danger of tripping over an overlarge costume.

He said there have been no recent local concerns about candy given out while trick-or-treating, but nonetheless, he urged parents to check out their children’s haul before allowing them to begin eating.

Trick or treating hours Monday night in Columbus and Greensburg will be from 5 to 8. North Vernon will be from 5:30 to 7: 30 and Edinburgh, Seymour, Shelbyville and Hope will be 6 to 8

Two arrested in daytime burglary investigation

Bartholomew County deputies arrested two people suspected in a daytime burglary Wednesday.

Deputies were called the 9100 block of E. County Road 700N at about 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, says Judy Jackson, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s department.

A vehicle fled the area through Lowell Addition and then Princeton Park. Deputies arrested 28-year-old Keith Cherry and 29-year-old Ashley Spachtholz, both of Columbus, after they abandoned the vehicle and ran away.

They were both arrested on a preliminary charge of burglary.

Council candidates consider architectural program

Bartholomew County commissioners had planned for a new county annex building on State Street to be designed by Minneapolis architectural firm Snow Kreilich with architectural fees paid by Cummins Foundation.

And while the County Council reluctantly went along with the plan at first, eventually the council pulled the plug on funding deciding that the county could not afford the new building.

We asked the seven candidates running for Bartholomew County Council if they thought that the county has an obligation to build architecturally significant buildings to maintain the Columbus tradition.

Republican incumbent Bill Lentz said the costs have to be considered first.

10-28-election-bill-lentz-q3-full

Democrat Diane Hawes said she thinks the council made the right decision.

10-28-election-diane-hawes-q3-full

Libertarian Josh Brown said that he would have to see the numbers for a future project.

10-28-election-josh-brown-q3-full

Republican Matt Miller said that he supports the architectural heritage:

10-28-election-matt-miller-q3-full

Democrat Lynne Fleming said there is no obligation to build with world-class architects, but it is a benefit if the county can.

10-28-election-lynne-fleming-q3-full

Democrat Pam Clark said she had a good experience working with CUmmins architectural program when she was at Foundation for Youth

10-28-election-pam-clark-q3-full

Republican incumbent Evelyn Pence said that there just wasn’t enough money to make it work this time.

10-28-election-evelyn-pence-q3-full

 

The seven candidates will be vying for three seats on the Bartholomew County Council.

Train hits dump truck north of Columbus

A train struck a dump truck north of Columbus this morning at County Road 550N and U.S. 31. Photo courtesy of German Township Volunteer Fire Department.
A train struck a dump truck north of Columbus this morning at County Road 550N and U.S. 31. Photo courtesy of German Township Volunteer Fire Department.

A train hit a dump truck this morning at U.S. 31 and County Road 550N near Silgas.

Deputy Chief Matt Lynch with the German Township Volunteer Fire Department says the truck was headed westbound on the county road and stopped at the stoplight with U.S. 31. at about 7:43 a.m.

Unfortunately for the driver, the rear of the truck was still over the railroad tracks when the northbound train came through, striking the dump truck and spinning it about 90 degrees.

The train was carrying brand new cars, Lynch said.

Neither the dump truck driver nor the train conductor were injured in the accident. He said it was lucky that the spinning dump truck did not hit any other vehicles.

The road was still closed for cleanup at about 9:15 a.m.

Lynch said drivers should always make sure not to stop on railroad tracks.

A train struck a dump truck north of Columbus this morning at County Road 550N and U.S. 31. Photo courtesy of German Township Volunteer Fire Department.
A train struck a dump truck north of Columbus this morning at County Road 550N and U.S. 31. Photo courtesy of German Township Volunteer Fire Department.
A train struck a dump truck north of Columbus this morning at County Road 550N and U.S. 31. Photo courtesy of German Township Volunteer Fire Department.
A train struck a dump truck north of Columbus this morning at County Road 550N and U.S. 31. Photo courtesy of German Township Volunteer Fire Department.