Monthly Archives: March 2018

New endowment to help patients manage care through hospice

A Columbus family is making a major donation to Our Hospice of South Central Indiana, setting up the seed money for an endowment to provide palliative care in the community.

The Johnson family of Ruth, Rick, Alice and Jenny are making the lead gift of $1 million to start a $4 million endowment to bring the new medical discipline to Columbus. Laura Leonard, president of Our Hospice, explains the scope of the gift.

The Johnson family said that they have benefited from the care at Columbus Regional Hospital and Our Hospice of South-Central Indiana and wanted to help contribute. Ruth Johnson explains why they want to help bring palliative care to the community:

Palliative care is a new discipline meant to help patients with chronic diseases manage their care, providing a better quality of life for the patients, reducing unnecessary surgeries and hospitalizations .

Leonard, explains the need for palliative care in the community.

Leonard explains that palliative care is a relatively new discipline.

Dr. Diane Danly, medical director for Our Hospice. explains how palliative care works to improve patients’ lives.

Without palliative care, there is a rush between medical crises, she said.

Danly said that there is sometimes a misconception that palliative care is only a cost-savings initiative for the medical care system. But it actually means an improved prognosis for patients.

Our Hospice officials said they expect it will take three to five years to fully fund the endowment. If you would like to make a donation, you can get more information through the Columbus Regional Health Foundation.

Woman found slumped in vehicle, now facing drug charges

Photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.
Kyra Miller. Photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department

A Columbus woman was arrested yesterday morning on a whole host of drug-related charges after she was found sleeping in a car by Bartholomew County deputies.

30-year-old Kyra Miller of Ohio Ridge Road is facing preliminary charges of possession of a controlled substance, heroin, methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and a legend drug injection device.

According to reports from the sheriff’s department, she was found slumped over in the driver’s seat of a vehicle behind a business on U.S. 31 in Taylorsville at just after 8 a.m. yesterday morning.. Deputies said it was hard to wake her and when they opened the car door to shake her, they saw a plastic baggie and two syringes in her hand.

The baggie contained pills, three corner cut baggies with a white powdery substance and three foil packets with a brown powder. A search of the car allegedly revealed paraphernalia including more syringes, scales, foil and additional baggies.

They also allegedly discovered a fake $20 bill when she was taken to the jail.

14 arrested in police task force drug sweep.

The Bartholomew County Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team rounded up 14 people on drug related charges over the past week as part of a months-long investigation into local drug dealing.

The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department and Columbus Police Department report that they have been conducting intensive surveillance and have been making undercover purchases of heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine. They began serving arrest warrants this week.

Those arrested include:

  • Anton L Thompson, 28; Charges: Dealing Cocaine
  • Ivan Carlos Chavez-Lozaya, 28; Charges: Warrant for possession of a handgun by convicted felon; possession of meth; possession of marijuana; resisting law enforcement
  • Terry L Sluder, 49; Charges: Warrant for dealing methamphetamine
  • Christopher Henson, 42; Charges: Warrant for dealing heroin
  • Anthony Johnson (aka Malik), 39; Charges: Dealing Methamphetamine X2; Dealing Heroin X2; Possession of Meth and Heroin
  • Allen D. Dollarhide, 56; Charges: Warrant for dealing methamphetamine X2
  • Bridget M Dowden (Manvilla), 24; Charges: Warrant for dealing methamphetamine
  • Dewayne D Skinner, 49; Charges: Warrant for dealing methamphetamine
  • Joseph M Hawk, 42; Charges: Warrant for dealing methamphetamine
  • Lowell B Smith, 53; Charges: Dealing methamphetamine X2
  • Jeffrey D Johnson, 61; Charges: Dealing meth X2
  • Kenya M Jones , 38; Charges: Dealing methamphetamine
  • Calvin L Watkins, 47; Charges: Dealing methamphetamine x2
  • David R Bozell, 31; Charges: Warrants for possession of methamphetamine. possession of of paraphernalia, driving while suspended with a prior conviction.
Allen D Dollarhide
Anthony Johnson
Anton Thompson
David R Bozell
Bridget Manvilla
Calvin Watkins
Christopher Henson
Dwayne Skinner
Ivan Chavez
Jeffrey Johnson
Joesph Hawk
Kenya Jones
Lowell Smith
Terry Sluder

 

Columbus parks canceling events due to wet weather

The wet weather is causing all sorts of cancellations for Columbus Parks and Recreation Department events.

Changes include:

  • Foundation for Youth’s Teen Center is moving its Glow in the Dark Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday night, due to the wet weather. The hunt will be held at the Donner Park Shelter House, and will include games and music starting at 7 Saturday night. The egg hunt will start at dusk. The event is free for children who are 12 to 19 years old.
  • The 59th annual Community Easter Egg Hunt at Donner Park is moving inside on Saturday. The event will be held inside Donner Center and will start at 9:30 a.m..
  • All youth soccer games are canceled for Saturday and the Blackwell soccer fields are closed today, Saturday and Sunday.
  • Youth soccer pictures will be held on Saturday as originally planned.
  • The parks department says that if you are planning to use the People Trail over the next days, you should watch out for flooding in some of the usual areas affected by high water.
  • Both Noblitt and Mill Race Parks could be closed at any time over the next few days as the water rises.
  • Thedepartment had already rescheduled its ribbon cutting for the bridge in Lincoln Park to yesterday afternoon because of Tuesday’s bad weather. Now they are planning to try again to have the ceremony and celebration, but no date has been set.

Teen egg hunt moves to Donner shelter

Foundation for Youth’s Teen Center is moving its Glow in the Dark Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday night, due to the wet weather.

The hunt will be held at the Donner Park Shelter House, and will include games and music starting at 7 p.m. Saturday night. The egg hunt itself will start at dusk.

The event is free for children who are 12 to 19 years old. More information can be located at Foundation For Youth’s website, www.foundationforyouth.com,

Community Easter egg hunt moves indoors Saturday

The 59th annual Community Easter Egg Hunt at Donner Park is moving inside on Saturday.

Due to park conditions, the event will be held inside Donner Center and will start at 9:30 a.m. You can come early to check out vehicles from the Columbus Fire and Police and the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Departments. There will still be 1000s of Easter eggs arranged in four areas sorted by the age of participants.

The Community Easter Egg Hunt is sponsored by Columbus Parks and Recreation, the Meridian Kiwanis Club, and News Talk 1010 WCSI and 98.1 FM.

Columbus Future panel takes stage at Learning Center tonight

The University Library at Ivy Tech Community College Columbus will be hosting the last of its three-part series on Columbus’ Past, Present and Future tonight.

The Columbus Future discussion will feature panelists including Mary Ferdon, the city’s executive director of administration and community development, Cindy Frey, president of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce, Richard McCoy, the director of Landmark Columbus, David Harrell, Assistant Professor of Crop Production at Ivy Tech and Andy Pajakowsi, director of business development and electrification at Cummins.

The event will start at 7 p.m.  tonight in the Lecture Hall at the Columbus Learning Center on Central Avenue. It is free and you are invited to attend.

Columbus police swear in newest chaplain

Pastor John Bundick. Photo courtesy of Columbus Police Department.

Columbus police swore in their sixth volunteer chaplain this week.

John Bundick, associate minister at New Hope Christian Church, received his chaplain’s badge.

Police Chief Jon Rohde says that the chaplains are primarily working with officers and their spiritual needs, providing a chapel service once a month.

But they also aid the public during traumatic situations. He said that if a family wants to talk with a chaplain, one will be called in to sit with a family.

undick is a 2002 graduate of Columbus North High School and has a bachelor’s degree in Christian Educational Ministries from Taylor University. He oversees 7-12th grade students and college & emergent adult ministry at the church. He also a 2017 graduate of the Columbus Public Safety Academy.

Columbus Chamber recognizes volunteers, project and teacher with awards

Michelle Burnett received the 2018 Edna Folger Outstanding Teacher Award at the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce annual meeting Wednesday at The Commons.

The Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce held its annual meeting Wednesday.

Michelle Burnett at Columbus East High School was chosen as the winner of the Edna Folger award, recognizing an outstanding local educator. Marsha VanNahmen  with the Center for Teaching and Learning introduced Burnett.

Exhibit Columbus was chosen as the project of the year. Columbus Mayor Jim LIenhoop talked about the impact the project had on the community.

Hutch and Kevina Schumaker were honored with the Community Service Award. Rick Johnson of Johnson Ventures talked about the Schumaker’s impact on the commmunity.

The winner of the Maverick Challenge for high school student entrepreneurs was Taylor Klingler for her project, the Bulldog Deals app. Rita Wilder presented the award and the $1,500 check.

 

Construction of public safety training facility gets underway

 

Columbus firefighters demonstrated vehicle rescue techniques at the site of the new training facility Tuesday afternoon. WRB photos

The city of Columbus held a groundbreaking yesterday for a new public safety training facility on airport property.

Fire Chief Mike Compton said that the finished facility will be 12,000 square feet and will include two classrooms as well as a large interior space where firefighters can train with their tools. He said that the facility would also be available for training use by area fire departments or the police.

The department is currently holding its training sessions in the basement of Fire Station 2, the chief said.

The fire department is also considering moving the Columbus Firemen’s Cheer Fund operations to the new facility when it is completed. The Cheer Fund now uses the basement of the United Way building on 13th Street.