Our Hospice of South Central Indiana will be offering opportunities to pick up homemade cookies, and buy raffle tickets to support the fundraising surrounding the annual Labor Day weekend concert.

The cookies, homemade by Our Hospice volunteers, will be available at a drive-through at Fair Oaks Mall from 11 a.m.  to 1 p.m.  and from 4 to 6 p.m. , Sept. 2nd, 3rd and 4th.

You can stay in your vehicle to purchase your favorite cookies and raffle tickets. Donations will be accepted for a bag of three cookies and a minimum donation of $10 for a box of three dozen cookies.

Raffle tickets $10 each for a chance to win $10,000. There will also be winners of first through fourth prizes starting at $500. Our Hospice hopes to raise $120,000 around the annual concert,

They will be accepting checks and cash only.

A Columbus man is facing a strangulation charge after an incident last night at a hotel.

Columbus Police were called to a hotel room in the 100 block of Carrie Lane at about 8:45 p.m. Monday night on a report of a disturbance. According to police reports a victim had bruising on her neck and said that 35-year-old Robert S. Grissom strangled her during an argument.

Grissom was located nearby and arrested on preliminary charges of strangulation and domestic battery.

Columbus and Bartholomew County are making an unwelcome appearance on a national list. According to USA Today, the community is number 18 on a list of places where COVID-19 is growing the fastest.

The story, published Monday, says that Columbus has seen in increase in the daily average number of new cases week over week of +8.3 per 100,000 people.

It compared the week ending Aug. 17th, which had 16.9 average new daily cases to the week of Aug. 10th, which only had 8.5.

The state average over the Aug. 17th week showed 14 new cases per 100,000 residents.

Bartholomew County has had 1,023 positive test results for COVID-19 as of yesterday and has had 50 deaths. The most recent death was on Aug. 20th.

On the USA Today list, the worst community in the country for increased spread was Merced, Calif., which had a week-to-week change of 57.7 per 100,000 people.

You can read the article here. 

Bartholomew County is agreeing to a proposal from the city of Columbus to turn over the county parking lot and court services building between 2nd and 3rd streets. City officials want to develop the property into a hotel with conference center and parking garage and a possible downtown grocery.

Commissioners President Carl Lienhoop explains that 100 spaces in the new parking garage would be reserved for county employees use and that two parking lots around the jail would be given to the county along with the former Eynon Law offices behind the county jail.

In exchange, the city’s redevelopment commission would put $1.5 million dollars towards the design and construction of a new court services building on First Street behind the county jail, Lienhoop said. There would also be two parking lots around the jail given to the county and 100 spaces in the new parking garage would be reserved for county employees use.

Commissioners agreed to the tentative memorandum of understanding at their meeting Monday. One change County Attorney Grant Tucker wants to the agreement would be to make sure the new building is complete and ready to move in before turning over the existing building and lot to the city.

Commissioner Ric Flohr voted against the proposal, saying that his first instinct when it was proposed was simply to tell the city “No.”

Vice President Mike Pence, a Columbus native, is officially being nominated for a second term.

Former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker made the nomination today in Charlotte, North Carolina at the Republican National convention.

Delegates at the convention affirmed the nomination by acclimation.

Pence is scheduled to speak at the convention on Wednesday and his wife Karen will also address the nation.

Speakers today include President Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr.

This year’s overlay project for Columbus city streets is kicking off today.

Crews from Milestone will first be installing underdrain along Chapel Drive and storm sewers at the intersection of Mission and Chapel Drives.

Beginning Tuesday, crews will begin patching work in Flatrock Park North. According to the city engineer’s office, an overlay is a three part process: patching, then milling, and finally paving.

The scheduled work:

• Norwood Court from Norwood Drive to terminus
• Cottonwood Ct from N Cottonwood Drive to terminus
• Cottonwood Ct from S Cottonwood Drive to terminus
• River Road from Rocky Ford Road to 50’ N of Riverside Drive
• Woodfield Place from Rocky Ford Road to 37th Street
• Sycamore Drive from Sycamore Court to Willow Court
• Fairfax Drive from Muriel Place to Middle Road
• Cedar Ridge Drive from 2540 Cedar Ridge Road to terminus
• Haw Creek Avenue from 17th Street to 25th Street
• Midway Street from 175’ South of 22nd Street to 40’ North of 23rd Street
• Chapel Drive from Flintwood Drive to Fairlawn Drive
• 14th Street from Sycamore Street to Lafayette Avenue
• Countryside Addition
• Butternut Drive from Coles Drive to Coles Drive
• Coles Drive from Tipton Lakes Blvd to Carr Hill Road
• Cunningham Drive from 500’ East of Warren Drive to Central Avenue

The city asks that you be patient, reduce your speed and use extra caution in work zones. You should be alert for construction signs, workers with flags and obey all “No Parking” signs.

The city engineer’s office also points out that starting today crews for Dave O’Mara Contractors will be working on Gladstone Avenue from State Street to 10th Street as part of the City’s Community Crossings project.