Monthly Archives: July 2020

BCSC sets back opening day to Aug. 10th

Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp.  students will not return to school until Monday, Aug. 10th, four days after the planned start date.

From a statement made by Superintendent Dr. Jim Roberts on Friday afternoon:

“This delay will result in Thursday, August 6 and Friday, August 7 being utilized for additional staff readiness for the reopening of school, including preparedness for all three enrollment options (in-person, BRIDGE, Columbus Virtual Pathway). Time will also be devoted to further developing our eLearning program in the event that we must go to a full virtual option due to COVID-19 spread.

“In order to reopen safely for all and offer the best educational experience for students, BCSC felt it was imperative to provide families with choices for their children. The creation of the new BRIDGE program, combined with an expansion of the Columbus Virtual Pathway (CVP), has resulted in over 25% of our students choosing an online option (20% BRIDGE, 5% CVP). Of our online students, 57% are elementary-aged and 43% are secondary.

“The displaced student days of Thursday, August 6 and Friday, August 7 must be made up. School Board members will consider an adjustment to the calendar for these days during the regular meeting on Monday, August 10.

“As has been previously indicated, we are continually updating our COVID-19 metrics, consulting with Columbus Regional Hospital and the Bartholomew County Health Department, as well as reviewing data from surrounding counties. As per our Reopening Plan, an overall designation of “Substantial Spread” will result in a move to eLearning for all students.”

Hoosiers Apply for Unemployment

Nearly 21,000 Hoosiers filed for unemployment last week, according to the United States Department of Labor. That’s up almost 3,000 from the week before. About 930,000 Hoosiers have filed for unemployment since mid-March. The number of unemployment claims in Indiana have been in the 20-thousands since early May.

IU Health Urging No Fans for Indy 500

IU Health is concerned about a possible coronavirus surge that could be traced to fans attending the Indianapolis 500.

Because of that concern, the organization is urging the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to run the race without fans if they are still planning to run the race in August. In a statement, IU Health says “until we sustain better control of this virus and its spread, we strongly encourage IMS to consider an alternative to running the Indy 500 with fans.”

IMS has already scaled back attendance for the race to 25-percent and is requiring masks be worn by everyone planning to attend the race. The track saying IU Health’s stance is “inaccurate and premature.”

Seeds from China Arriving in Mail

We are hearing more and more stories about people receiving strange packages in the mail from China.

Many Hoosiers say they have gotten packages of seeds, which state conservation experts are urging you not plant because the seeds could contain some sort of invasive species of plant.

State and federal authorities will work together to identify and dispose of the seeds and all related materials.

If you’ve received a packet of unsolicited seeds, you should:

– Keep the seeds and packaging, including the mailing label.

– Place all contents in a zip-top bag.

– Place the bag in an envelope or box and mail to:

State Plant Health Director

Nick Johnson

OR If you can’t mail the items, do not throw them away or burn them! Keep the seeds, packaging and mailing label and contact the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Entomology & Plant Pathology at 866-663-9684 or [email protected].

Local Man Arrested for Auto Theft

Columbus Police arrested a local man who is accused of auto theft from a Columbus gas station on Wednesday Afternoon.

CPD officers responded to the marathon Gas station on Washington Street after receiving a report of a theft of a vehicle that was left running at the gas station.

Later that afternoon, police located the suspect, who was later identified as Timothy E. Wilder Jr., walking around in the 1900 block of Union Street. The stolen vehicle  was found nearby at Donner Park. Wilder was placed under arrest and brought to the Bartholomew County jail and held on a preliminary charge of auto theft.

 

Portion of State Road 58 Closed Through September

Our news gathering partners at The Republic are reporting that  a portion of State Road 58 will be closed through late September. The road will close west of I-65 between County road 400 W and County Road 500 W in Bartholomew County. The official detour will follow County Road 450 South/ Southern Crossing/ County Road 400 South to US 31 to US 50 to State Road 11 to State Road 258. The work is expected to be complete by September 30th.

Free Legal Aid Phone Clinic

Legal Aid is holding a Free Legal Aid Phone Clinic for residents of  Bartholomew and its surrounding counties on Tuesday, August 4th,. The phone clinic will be conducted from 3 pm – 5:30 pm although registration is required between 12 pm to 1:30 pm.

The Legal Aid Clinic and Pro Bono Program utilizes local volunteer attorneys, offering free legal consultations to low-income individuals for the provision of legal advice and assistance in furtherance of equal access to justice within our communities whom might not otherwise be able to afford the counsel of an attorney.

Individuals calling to the Legal Aid Phone Clinic can expect to receive a brief consultation to answer general questions, offer legal information, or to receive other limited pro se assistance or advice, over the phone. Individuals seeking legal consultation must register by calling Legal Aid at 812-378-0358 on Tuesday, August 4th, between 12 pm and 1:30 pm. A volunteer attorney will return calls to registered individuals between 3 pm and 5:30 pm. Individuals must be available between 3 pm and 5:30 pm to answer a call from an attorney.

Legal Aid will be offering additional Phone clinics throughout the service region. The next Legal Aid Phone Clinic is on Tuesday, August 18, 2020 with the same registration requirements and time frame.

Hoosier Homestead Awards

Over 150 Hoosier farm families have been awarded the Hoosier Homestead Award in recognition of their commitment to Indiana agriculture by Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch and Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Bruce Kettler.

To be named a Hoosier Homestead, the farm must be kept in the same family for at least 100 consecutive years and consist of more than 20 acres or produce more than $1,000 in agricultural products per year.

Since the program was established in 1976, more than 5,800 families have received the award.

Families were eligible for three different award distinctions. Based on the age of their farm, they received the Centennial Award for 100 years, Sesquicentennial Award for 150 years or Bicentennial Award for 200 years of ownership.

This year, two families are being recognized with the Bicentennial Award; the Paul E. Henry farm from Fayette county was established in 1819 and the Ferguson farm from Lawrence county was established in 1820.

Due to the current ongoing pandemic, Lt. Governor Crouch and ISDA Director Kettler were unable to host a traditional Hoosier Homestead Award Ceremony. Individual family ceremonies were held at the Statehouse today and more families are set to be recognized on August 7, all following Governor Holcomb’s ordinances, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett’s orders and the CDC guidelines.

To find the Hoosier Homestead Award recipients for your county or to learn more about the reward visit https://www.in.gov/isda/

Bar Restrictions Staying the Same

Governor Holcomb isn’t loosening restrictions on bars — but he isn’t tightening them either.

Capacity limits on bars and entertainment venues had been scheduled to expire Friday. With seven-percent of Hoosiers still testing positive, Governor Holcomb’s extending those limits for a third time, to August 27. Bars, nightclubs, bowling alleys and other venues are still capped at half capacity.

Holcomb says the administration is releasing as much local data on the virus’s spread as it can, so cities and counties can decide whether their local situations warrant a rollback of reopening.

Backpacks with School Supplies Distributed

The Bartholomew County School Supply Assistance Program volunteers spent two days in the hot parking lot at Fair Oaks Mall distributing backpacks full of supplies to families in need.

One bright spot in yesterday’s heat was a family that came equipped with water spray bottles to spritz the volunteers and help them cool off.

In recent years, families would walk into the mall to pick up the backpacks, but because of the pandemic organizers decided to make this a drive-in, touch-free event.

Doup said there were some difficulties, as traffic backed up around the mall. Officials worked with organizers to address the backup and at one point had to cut the line to ensure safety and access to the mall, she said.

Families who signed up but who haven’t picked up their backpacks yet will be able to pick them up at their child’s school, next week, Doup said.