Work beautifying the tunnel in the Jackson Street parking garage is ongoing. The tunnel is an extension of “Friendship Alley” in downtown Columbus.

City officials say the project is designed to improve lighting, safety and storage. They say that the work will complement the bicentennial mural installed last year by Ivy Tech students, as well as be consistent with the architecture of downtown. The improvements have been designed by architect Louis Joyner.

The Columbus Redevelopment Commission agreed this week to hire Repp and Mundt for the work.

The project is expected to cost between $136,000 and $138,0000.

A Shelbyville woman was flown to an Indianapolis hospital following a crash in northeastern Bartholomew County Monday.

The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department reports that 52 year old Carolyn Logston was injured when she drove her car off of County Road 500N near Road 900E at about 4 Monday afternoon. She drove through a field, collided with trees and then down into a drainage ditch.

She told rescue workers that something ran in front of her on the road, causing her to swerve..

Columbus Regional Hospital paramedics transported her to the airport, where she was flown to IU Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis by Lifeline helicopter.

Local government offices are closing for the Christmas holiday. Columbus, Bartholomew County, Seymour and North Vernon have announced that they will be closing offices Friday and Monday.

Columbus trash and recycling routes will not be running on Monday. They will be running a day late the rest of the week, due to the holidays. You can get more information online at columbus.in.gov

The Bartholomew County Solid Waste Management District offices will be closed Friday and Monday. The landfill and recycling center will be open on Friday and Saturday, but both will be closed on Monday for Christmas.

In Seymour, Friday trash routes will be run on Thursday, a day early, while Monday trash routes will be picked up on Tuesday.

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Department says it is investigating a fatal crash that took place Tuesday afternoon. Authorities say they were called to State Road 37 at Smith Valley Road in Greenwood at approximately 1 p.m. They arrived to find that a car had collided with a semi.

The initial investigation revealed that the driver of the car was westbound Smith Valley Road at State Road 37 when the driver ran a red light, striking the semi-tractor trailer that was northbound on State Road 37. The driver of the car, 83-year-old Allan C. Johnson, of Martinsville, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities say the crash closed northbound State Road 37 at Smith Valley Road for a couple of hours.

The Columbus Municipal Airport self-serve fuel station has been shut down as part of an investigation into a fatal plane crash Saturday.

The Cesna crashed about 40 minutes after refueling in Columbus Saturday night, killing three people on board, along with a dog.  According to Indiana State Police, those that died were the pilot, 63-year-old Dr. Louis Cantilena of Potomac, Maryland, his daughter, 31-year-old Dr. Amy Cantilena, also of Potomac, and 65-year-old Dr. Paul Schuda of Arlington, Virginia.

Brian Payne, director of the Columbus Municipal Airport, said that he received word late Saturday night that the crashed plane had taken off from Columbus. A check of records showed that the plane had fueled at the airport at 12:02 p.m. Saturday afternoon, and again at about 8:32 p.m.

The crash happened at about 9:10 p.m. Saturday night in woods behind a home near Oldenburg.

Payne said that after receiving word of the crash, the station was shut down to prevent other planes from fueling there. Samples of the fuel from the Columbus station were taken for analysis at about 10:30 a.m. Sunday and turned over to investigators. He said the fuel station would remain shut down until the quality of the fuel is verified.

Sgt. Stephen Wheeles with the Indiana State Police says that all three people and a dog in the plane died. A second dog survived and turned up a at a nearby home. That dog was taken to the veterinarian for its injuries.

The single engine plane had left Kansas City, Missouri and was heading to an airport in Frederick, Maryland.

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating. .

Police in Jennings County say that they had a successful 24 day period aimed at raising awareness about keeping drivers and passengers safe. Operation Pull Over Blitz 92 lasted from November 10th to December 3rd and was labeled “ Safe Family Travel.” Authorities say that the goals of the project were seat belt enforcement and DUI enforcement.

Dep. Robbie Amos, with the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, says that deputies issued 126 citations and made two arrests during the blitz. Sheriff Gary M. Driver explains why it is important to follow traffic laws. “There is only one reason – to save lives,” said Driver. He added, “Anyone who responds to a severe crash, or notifies next of kin, simply wants you and your family to buckle up and drive sober this holiday season.”

The North Vernon Police Department also announced its figures. Sgt. Andrew Richmond says that officers made 184 vehicle stops, issued 61 traffic citations, wrote 134 warnings and made nine arrests.

Operation Pull Over Blitzes are federally-funded programs that pay for officer overtime to address specific goals. The money is administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. More than 230 law-enforcement agencies across the state took part. Authorities say that they will continue their work to keep roads safe through the holiday season.

City officials are hoping that you will feel safer inside the Jackson Street parking garage. The Columbus Redevelopment Commission approved a plan Monday to triple the number of security cameras at the facility. Currently, the downtown parking garage is equipped with 12 cameras. Monday’s resolution will see those cameras replaced with new, high-definition, cameras. In addition, another 24 of these high-def cameras will be installed in areas that have been lacking coverage, including the stairwells.

The total cost for the project is $25,181. Gary Thompson, with property management firm REI, recommended that commissioners approve the deal with Staublin Technology Service, Inc after the company installed cameras on the roof of the Second Street garage. Staublin also had the lowest bid. City officials say they anticipate the project will be finished sometime in the first quarter of 2018.

The Columbus City Council is done meeting for the year. The body was scheduled to meet next tomorrow night, but the mayor’s office put a notice out last week saying that the meeting has been cancelled.

The city council’s next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 2nd at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Columbus City Hall.

Columbus police are looking for a suspect in an armed robbery ealry this morning.

A man entered the Marathon gas station on State Street and told the cashier that he had a gun and threatened to shoot the employee. The suspect then ran from the store with cash. Police were called in at about 3:40 a.m. this morning. No weapon was displayed and the clerk was not harmed, says Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the Columbus Police Department.

Police are looking for a white man, who is between 5-4 and 5-8. He was wearing a dark colored sweatshirt and black ski mask. If you have any information you can call the Bartholomew County Emergency Operations Center at 812-379-1689. Tips and information can be left anonymously.

Three private school teachers in Bartholomew County are being recognized with this year’s Reams Family Awards for Excellence in Teaching. This year’s award winners are ABC-Stewart Montessori School co-teachers Nikki Crawford and Laura Donovan and Jan Buss, principal and math teacher at White Creek Lutheran School.

Recipients are nominated based on criteria including the teacher’s exceptional skills and dedication to teaching, initiative and contributions to the school and its environment.

Crawford, a teacher for 17 years, has been at ABC Stewart since 2000 Donovan has been at the school for 14 years. Buss has been with White Creek Lutheran for 27 years.

This is the 12th year for the awards, which have granted more than $105,000 to area private school teachers. The Reams Family Award for Excellence in Teaching was established by Fred and Karen Reams, former residents of Bartholomew County. The award is managed by Heritage Fund — The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County.

Photos courtesy of Heritage Fund.