The city of Columbus is planning to spend $2.6 million dollars in preliminary work on the former Fair Oaks Mall site, to turn it into NexusPark.

Columbus City Council was asked to approve the additional appropriation this week. It includes include Perkins + Will as architect for about $1.5 million and Taylor Brothers as construction manager for about $685,000. There is also a pool of over $442,000 that would be used for various expenses including demolishing the former Goodies store space, permits and other expenses, says Mary Ferdon, director of administration for the city.

The first phase for the city will include a fieldhouse where the former Goodies store now stands, and administration offices for the city parks department, fitness areas and locker rooms and activity spaces.

The $2.6 million would initially come from the city’s General Fund, but that would be reimbursed once bonds are sold for the construction, Ferdon said.

Money for the construction of the fieldhouse will come from bonds repaid through local income tax revenues, while the other parks-related functions will be paid for by bonds backed by property taxes for parks.

Councilwoman Elaine Hilber expressed concerns, including that the first phases do not include any funds for changes at Donner Center, where the parks offices are currently located.

City Council gave its first approval to the spending at its meeting Tuesday. Hilber voted against the proposal.

State Road 45 near Bean Blossom is scheduled to close next week to replace a drainage structure near Morrison Road. INDOT says that contractors for Duncan Robertson Inc. are planning to start work on Monday on the replacement, which should take about three weeks.

The official detour will take State Road 135 and State Road 46 through Nashville and Bloomington.

The project is part of a $1.2 million rehabilitation contract that also includes a bridge deck overlay on S.R. 135 over Bean Blossom Creek. That project is expected to be complete by the end of August.

INDOT asks you to slow down, to use extra caution and to drive without distractions in all work zones. The work schedule is dependent on the weather.

The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department welcomed its newest deputy this week, 23-year-old Dayan Smith.

Smith is a graduate of Greenwood High School and Anderson University.

He previously worked at the Columbus, Georgia police department on DUI and family violence cases.

Smith said that he was looking for a smaller department closer to family.

Photo: Sheriff Matt Myers swears in new deputy, Dayan Smith on June 1st. Photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.

The Bartholomew County Health Department and Windrose Health’s Mobile Clinic are holding a COVID-19 vaccination clinic today, at Hauser High School in Hope.

The clinic will be giving shots of the Pfizer vaccine. It will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. today in the front parking lot at the school on State Road 9. Registration preferred but walk-ins are welcome. The health department says there will be a free gift for those who get vaccinated.

To register for the clinic, call Windrose at 317-680-9901.

There are several other Bartholomew County clinics slated this month including:

Pfizer vaccine

June 17th 9 a.m. to noon at the McDonald’s parking lot, 11995 N. U.S. 31, Edinburgh. Call Windrose at 317-680-9901 to register

June 17th 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Driftside Home Community Clubhouse, 13540 U.S. 31, Edinburgh. Call Windrose at 317-680-9901 to register

June 28th 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Bartholomew County Fairgrounds Sheriff’s tent. Call the Bartholomew County Healthy Department at 812-379-1555, option 1 to register

Johnson & Johnson vaccine

June 10th 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Mill St Deli, 102 Mill St, Elizabethtown. Call the Bartholomew County Health Department at 812-379-1555, option 1 to register

June 18th 9 to 11 a.m. Heartsville Sweets, 100 S Jackson St, Hartsville. Call the Bartholomew County Health Department at 812-379-1555, option 1 to register

June 19th 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. White Diamond Lavender Farm, 9415 E. County Road 800N, Hope. Call the Bartholomew County Health Department at 812-379-1555, option 1 to register.

United Way of Bartholomew County and Centra Credit Union will be holding an information session for first-time homebuyers this evening at Columbus North High School.

The 90-minute session will include an overview of the home buying process, credit reports, debt and budgeting, down payments, the pre-approval process and getting out of debt.

The information will be provided by a home buyer counselor and a credit counselor from Centra Credit Union.

The session will start at 6:30 p.m. Thursday evening and pre-registration is not required. Refreshments will be provided by Bankin’ Baby BBQ.

Seymour police have arrested a 20-year-old man on charges of molesting a 13-year-old girl after a six-week long investigation.

According to police reports, the investigation began on April 14th, when police received information about 20-year-old Tyler J. Fisher, of Seymour, allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with the girl.

After interviews were conducted, a Jackson Circuit Court Warrant for child molesting was issued for Fisher. On Tuesday, Seymour officers were called to the 600 block of Centennial Street in Seymour and found Fisher hiding in a bedroom.

He was taken into custody on a charge of child molesting and police say that in an interview he confessed to the crime.

INDOT says contractors will be closing a State Road 135 bridge near Vallonia in Jackson County starting Monday through mid August.

The bridge over Half Mike Creek will be resurfaced by Dave O’Mara Contractors. The work is expected to take up to 75 days. The official detour is to take State Road 235 and U.S. 50 around the roadwork.

INDOT asks that you slow down, use extra caution and drive without distractions in all work zones. The schedule is dependent on the weather.

Columbus firefighters fought a fire in a bedroom at a home on the north side of the city Tuesday afternoon.

The owner of the property in the 2000 block of Iroquois Trail called for help after she found smoke in the home at about 1:38 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. Firefighters found heavy smoke inside but no fire, until they opened a bedroom door and found the room ablaze. The fire was quickly knocked down and firefighters say the damage was mostly confined to the closed bedroom.

Damages were estimated at about $5,000.

Photo courtesy of Columbus Fire Department.

A flaming trash truck dumped its load in the AMC Theatres parking lot yesterday afternoon, according to Columbus firefighters.

The incident was reported at about 2:40 p.m. on Creekview Drive, where firefighters found a Rumpke truck that was still on fire after dropping the burning load of trash into the vacant parking lot. Firefighters climbed onto the truck and extinguished the fire in the truck’s compactor before putting out the flaming trash outside.

The driver said that they noticed smoke coming from inside the truck about a mile down the road and looked for an empty spot to drop the load, settling on the theater parking lot.

The Columbus Department of Public Works assisted on the scene with a front-end loader.

Damage to the truck is believed to be minor.

Photo courtesy of Columbus Fire Department

The Bartholomew County Council took another step to lure business development to the northwest corner of the county, in an area being called the county’s northern gateway.

The Greater Columbus Economic Development Corporation asked the council to start the process to declare the area an economic revitalization area, which if approved would allow the council to offer tax abatements on new development in the area. The boundaries of the new area would be from roughly County Road 900N at the north end to
Larae Drive on the south and would encompass areas on either side of U.S. 31 around the intersection with Interstate 65.

Jason Hester, president of the development agency, said that having the ability to give tax abatements would be another tool to encourage businesses to relocate to Bartholomew County or to expand existing operations. Under a tax abatement, property taxes are phased in, normally over 10 years, on new equipment and building improvements, instead of being due all at once.

He estimated that if the area is ever fully developed, it could add almost 2,500 new jobs and $320 million in project development over the next 20 years.

The Council gave its initial approval for the new revitalization area. Before giving final approval, the council would have to hold a public hearing, which is tentatively set for June 29th, with final approval coming in July.