Taylor Road in Columbus will be shutting down to through traffic today for a road improvement project expected to last into early next year.

The first phase of the project, from 31st Street to Rocky Ford Road, is expected to take about six months. The road will narrow to a single 11-foot-wide lanes in each direction, with an eight-foot wide concrete side path on the west side and a five-foot concrete sidewalk on the other side.

Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop explains that the purpose is to slow traffic in the residential neighborhood.

The second phase, from 25th to 31st street, will begin late next summer.

Columbus Regional Health’s role in an experimental blood treatment program for COVID-19 will continue.

That comes after President Trump touted the use of convalescent plasma for treating coronavirus patients Sunday evening and rolled back an FDA announcement to stop the emergency use of the blood product.

Last week, the FDA paused the emergency use of blood plasma as a treatment for COVID-19. The treatment uses plasma from the blood of patients who have recovered from COVID-19 to treat people who are ill.

Kelsey DeClue, spokeswoman for CRH, said last week that CRH’s program would continue, as it is part of an experimental, rather than emergency, use of the plasma.

The hospital announced in April that it had partnered with the Mayo Clinic and national blood research institute Versiti for a trial of the infusions.

Declue said CRH feels fortunate to be able to take part in the trials.

DeClue said the key is to remember that the therapy is still experimental.

National health officials last week said that there’s no proof the therapy works. However, President Trump said yesterday that studies of the treatment show that it reduced the COVID-19 death rate by 35-percent. DeClue said that CRH is seeing some very encouraging positive results from the trials so far.

A home being remodeled was saved from a fire early Friday morning after a passerby noticed flames.

The Columbus firefighters report being called to the home in the 700 block of Reed Street at 3:37 a.m. Friday morning. Flames were burning on the south side of the home above a boarded-up window when emergency workers arrived.

Firefighters used water to quickly put out the fire and a search inside revealed that the fire was limited to the window area. There was some smoke and water damage inside the home also. Flames charred the plywood window cover, and an area of the soffit and roof. A nearby home’s vinyl siding was also slightly damaged.

Investigators credit the passerby for reporting the fire early, and said such early reporting greatly limits the damage done by fires.

Damages are estimated at $500.

Kidscommons in downtown Columbus is closed after an employee tested positive for COVID-19.

According to the children’s museum, the employee last worked on Aug. 15th. The employee who tested positive did not have close contact with children and families who visited the museum within the past two weeks.  All employees who were in contact with this individual are following CDC guidance for community-related exposure.

During the temporary closure, kidscommons will be sanitized & deep cleaned.

Since re-opening, employees have implemented social distancing, staff and guests have been required to wear PPE, and there have been extensive modifications to the facility and exhibits.

According to the museum’s announcement, “The health and safety of our staff and guests is our number one priority. We have been in communication with the Bartholomew County Health Department and physician, Dr. Amy Hale, who serves on the museum’s COVID-19 safety taskforce and will continue to follow all recommended steps and health requirements. ”

Bartholomew Consolidated Schools have released data on COVID-19 cases among the staff and students.

Dr. Jim Roberts, BCSC superintendent, said this morning on our AM Columbus show that there have been eight positive tests of staff and students since the schools opened on Aug. 10th. Only two of those were actually in school, leading to nine people being identified as close contacts of those infected through the contact tracing process.

Close contacts are those who have been within 6 feet of the infected person for at least 15 minutes, looking back up to 48 hours before the positive test result.

BCSC has said that those with close contact must also quarantine for two weeks from that contact.

Editor’s Note: This story was first reported on by The Republic newspaper. 

The annual Labor Day weekend concert organized by Our Hospice of South Central Indiana is going virtual this year, but there is a very real need to raise money for the cause.

Julie Davis with Our Hospice explains that the goal remains to generate $120 thousand dollars for the hospice through the free concert. She says you can still make a donation to support the hospice work directly and the annual raffle ticket sales are going on.

Raffle tickets are $10 and you have a chance to win $10,000 in the grand prize, along with with a first through fourth prize winners of $500 down to $100. Tickets are available for purchase online, through hospice employees or you can call Davis directly at 812-371-7973

There is also an art auction going on featuring a piece by artist Donna Rosenberg called Hot Fun in Summer Time. It is on display at the Columbus Area Visitors Center until Aug. 28th and will then move to Mill Race Center.

And you can purchase T-shirts. Orders are available through this Sunday through Tony London’s webs site. Prices range from $17 to $20 depending on size.

The actual show will feature Yacht Rock Revue, a band playing smooth songs from the 70s and 80s, formed by Columbus natives Nicholas Niespodziani and Peter Olson. The concert will start at 7 p.m. in the evening on Saturday Sept. 5th and will stream live on the hospice Facebook page.

You can get more information about the event on the web at ourhospice.org.