Cummins President and CEO Jennifer Rumsey is soon going to be the chair of the company’s board of directors.

According to Cummins, that comes as Tom Linebarger retires from the role.

The Columbus-based engine company announced Wednesday that the board voted unanimously to elect Rumsey as the new chair. The role will take effect on August 1st, with Linebarger retiring on July 31st.

Rumsey was first appointed to the Cummins Board of Directors in February 2022 and has served as President and CEO of the company since August of last year. The company says Rumsey has advanced the company’s decarbonization strategy in her first year as CEO. She also has had three consecutive quarterly revenue records in 2022 and 2023.

Rumsey said that looking ahead, the company will “continue to create innovative solutions that effectively address our customers’ needs while making a positive impact on the communities we serve.”

Rumsey, a Columbus native, holds a bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University and a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Before coming to Cummins, Rumsey worked for a fuel cell technology company.

Linebarger served as Cummins’ chairman and CEO from 2012 to 2022 and as executive chairman of the company for the past year. During his 10-year tenure, the company grew its revenue from $17.3 billion to a record $28.1 billion last year.

For more information: https://investor.cummins.com/news/detail/616/jennifer-rumsey-named-chair-of-the-cummins-board-of 

We could be in for some bad weather this afternoon and overnight.

The National Weather Service in Indianapolis says that thunderstorms are possible across the area today with the chances increasing this evening. Some of the storms could be strong to severe and we could see damaging winds and large hail.

Locally heavy rain is also possible.

Bartholomew County Council has reached an agreement with the sheriff’s department to increase security at the county courthouse.

The county council approved a request of $184,627 at this week’s meeting to add three new courthouse security personnel to the officers at the facility. Sheriff Chris Lane said that would include a supervisor for a total security staff of six.

The total amount includes about $103,000 for the three new officers’ salaries, coming from the sheriff’s department budget, while the rest is for benefits and will come out of the county commissioners budget. The approval only funds the new staff through the end of the year, and the sheriff will bring the new staff back to the council for approval during the annual budget process, at a cost of about $110,000 a year per officer for pay and benefits, Lane said.

Council member Mark Gorbett, who previously served as sheriff, praised the cooperation of the courts and sheriff’s department to increase the security staff, including Judge Jon Rohde for giving up a position in his office to increase security staffing.

The original plan was to hire the new staff by the start of July, but because it will take time to get those officers onboard the spending this year is expected to be less than approved, Lane said.

There will be a chance to adopt a dog, enjoy live music and see a Jeep showdown on Saturday in Columbus.

Columbus Animal Care Services and the Bartholomew County Humane Society are partnering with Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Columbus for a Woofs and Wheels event from 10 to 4 Saturday at the lot on National Road.

In addition to the dog adoptions, there will be live music by Three Beards Strummin, and at Jeep showdown where the best looking Jeep will win a prize.

And there is a fill the truck beds event for animal care supplies. To help the shelters, you can donate essential pet supplies at any Columbus Auto Group location.

Seymour police are asking for the public’s help to find a suspect who stole an antique riding toy from a front porch.

Police say the incident happened in the 400 block of South Chestnut Street at a little after 1 in the morning Tuesday. The department shared a door camera video of the incident which shows a man wearing shorts, a Tshirt and a bandana over his face sneak onto the front porch, grab the red toy car and then run away with it.

You can find the video here https://fb.watch/lKhxKr1fzr/. If you have any information you are asked to call the police dispatch center at 812-522-1234. You can reference case# 23-S07290.

Contractors are closing lanes and ramps of Interstate 65 at the Columbus exit over the next few days while inspections and work continues on the bridge repairs at State Road 46.

According to INDOT, crews from Force Construction are installing supplemental support hangers on the arch bridge. The work will provide additional support to the bridge.

The closures are expected to last from 8 to 6 each night through Friday. Each night, the left lanes of northbound and southbound I-65 will be closed, as well as the left-turn lanes on State Road 46 at I-65 and all entrance and exit ramps will also be closed.

The closures will begin early today, starting at 4 p.m., so crews can inspect the area during daylight.

On Thursday evening you will also see rolling slow-downs and traffic stoppages in the vicinity. Traffic will be stopped on eastbound and westbound State Road 46 for up to 20 minutes at a time. On Interstate 65, northbound and southbound traffic will be slowed through the work zone for up to 20 minutes at a time.

Work on the bridge improvements are expected to be completed by the end of July. That will include removing the temporary structures under the bridge and returning the traffic flow to its original configuration.

The work schedule is dependent on the weather.

You are encouraged to find alternate routes and can expect heavy congestion and delays.

The deadline is coming up next week for those interesting in taking part in Bartholomew County Works next week-long Job Readiness Training Workshop.

Bartholomew County Works is a program committed to helping members improve their lives, gain full-time employment, and achieve economic self-sufficiency. An extended support team provides resources to those accepted into the program in a wide range of areas including finances, transportation, attire, and more. The services continue for at least the first year on the job.

The deadline to sign up is Wednesday, July 19th

The workshop will be from Monday July 24th through Friday, July 28th. The workshop runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Yes Cinema in downtown Columbus.

There will be an orientation session on July 20th from 10 to 11.

If you want to sign up or would like more information, call 812-378-2638 or email at [email protected].

Local emergency officials say that there is a chance of severe weather Wednesday evening and overnight.

According to the Bartholomew County Emergency Operations Center, Bartholomew County is under a marginal risk of severe weather on Wednesday. A more significant, but still slight risk extends across the western portion of the state to the Bloomington area.

You can expect showers and thunderstorms Wednesday, with severe storms possible. The main threats from those storms will be damaging winds, large hail, heavy rain and isolated tornadoes.

The National Weather Service in Indianapolis says that the timing of the possible bad weather is still unknown.

Highs Wednesday are expected to be in the 80s.

Walmart is planning a $108 million dollar investment in its Seymour distribution center.

According to the Jackson County Industrial Development Corporation, the city granted a tax abatement on the first phase of the investment at Monday night’s meeting.

According to the company, the investment is part of Walmart’s broader initiative to renovate all of its 42 regional distribution centers. Once complete, the distribution center will be able to ship nearly double the number of cases compared to a traditional distribution center. And the company says strenuous, manual jobs will evolve into those offering new skills in robotics and technology. The technology uses a combination of people, robotics and massive storage systems to make it easier and faster to stock shelves in Walmart stores.

Mayor Matt Nicholson said that the city is thrilled that Walmart is making this investment in Seymour.

The company has more than 43,000 associates in Indiana.

No charges are expected in connection to the drowning death of a 15-year-old in Whiteland.

The Johnson County prosecutor announced Monday that no criminal laws were broken when Alaina Dildine suffered a seizure in a high school pool in May. Her death was ruled accidental.

However, information released by the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department says Dildine went unnoticed under the water for approximately 52 minutes. The Johnson County prosecutor says any allegations that the school’s negligence contributed to the death would need to be reviewed in civil court.

Story courtesy of TTWN Media Networks