The city of Columbus is giving its first approvals to a $1 million grant to Bartholomew Consolidated Schools to help develop the community’s workforce.

Dr. Jim Roberts, superintendent for the school district, explained to the Columbus Redevelopment Commission yesterday that, as in previous years, the money would go to three programs: about $402,000 for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math initiatives; $267,000 for transition planning; and $330,000 to i-Grad. The transition planning helps move students with disabilities into the workforce or post-secondary education. i-Grad is working toward a 100 percent graduation rates among high school students.

Roberts said that the programs are helping BCSC schools to become the STEM capital of Indiana, with some of the first STEM teachers in the state working in local elementary schools.

This is the eighth year for the grants and they were approved by the Columbus Redevelopment Commission yesterday. All spending of more than $500,000 by the redevelopment commission must be approved by Columbus  City Council.

Heritage Fund: The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County is announcing nearly $23,000 in grants to local organizations from its Community Fund this quarter.

Each year, Heritage Fund distributes between $600 and $700 thousand dollars in grants from the Community Fund. The unrestricted funds are meant to meet emerging needs in the community.

Among the grants this quarter was $16,000 to the Columbus Area Arts Council to support a program to empower and connect creatives in the community, $10,000 to Landmark Columbus Foundation to support Saturday’s Rock the Block downtown event, and just under $6,300 to Just Friends Adult Day Services to attend a National Adult Day Services Association conference. Community Downtown Inc. received just under $1,000 for a downtown block party and Pride Alliance of Columbus received $1,500 toward this year’s Columbus Pride Festival.

The next quarterly grant application deadline is September 1st. For more information you can call Heritage Fund at 812-376-7772.

The Propeller maker space at the Columbus Municipal Airport will have two new murals by Indianapolis based artist Nick Abstract.

A selection committee chose Abstract from more than 20 submissions for the airport mural project. Lulu Loquidis, principal architect with the LAA Office, organized the process that led to the choice. Organizers say that Abstract’s blend of contemporary aesthetics and storytelling led to the decision.

Abstract has previously worked in Columbus in the Sixth Street Arts Alley creating a mural that represents the city’s modern design legacy.

Propeller is a 9,000 square foot makerspace organized by the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce that includes a 3D printing lab, welding bay, metal shop, woodworking shop, electronics lab, and a classroom. It’s home to the Columbus Area Arts Council studio and three entrepreneurial tenants.

The walls will be primed in early September with painting expected to be complete by September 30th.

Funds for the Propeller space exterior upgrades were raised through a crowdfunding campaign and matching grant from Indiana Housing and Community Development Corporation.

Artist’s rendering courtesy of Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce.

Nexus Park in Columbus will be getting a new pizza restaurant.

According to the former Fair Oaks Mall, Bloomington’s Mother Bear’s Pizza is planning to occupy just over 9,000 square feet in the facility with an opening in March of next year. The space will be next door to the existing Riviera Maya Mexican Restaurant.

Mother Bear’s opened in Bloomingon in 1973 and opened a second restaurant on the west side of the city in 2016.

In 1982, People Magazine selected the pizzeria as “one of America’s top nine pizzas”.

Nexus Park on 25th Street in Columbus is being developed jointly by the city of Columbus and Columbus Regional Health as a center for health, wellness and recreation.

The roundabout at Indianapolis Road and Lindsey Street in Columbus will be closing from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. today and tomorrow due to road work in the area.

Dave O’Mara Contractors Inc., has been working on milling Indianapolis Road in the area.

You should find alternate routes if you can. The work schedule is dependent on the weather.

Decatur County officials say two people have been arrested in an attempt to bribe jail officers to bring contraband into the jail.

According to the Decaur County Sheriff’s Department, the incident started on August 10th, when an inmate handed a note to a jail deputy, urging the officer to call a number, set up a meeting and receive a package to be smuggled into the jail. In exchange, the officer would be paid $2,000. The jail officer informed the supervisor and investigators began monitoring communications arranging the drop off.

On Thursday evening, deputies arrested the inmate, 43-year-old William D. Shelton and 38-year-old John R. Yorn on charges of bribery and attempted trafficking with an inmate.

Friends and family members are mourning the loss of a Greenfield woman and member of Tony Stewart’s racing family after a fatal crash in Jackson County in what is believed to have been a road rage incident.

According to Indiana State Police, 24-year-old Ashlea Albertson was flown to University of Louisville Hospital after the crash on Interstate 65 near Seymour Friday morning, where she was pronounced dead.

Troopers report that the incident happened before 11:30 a.m. that morning just south of Seymour when two northbound vehicles began jockeying for position, accelerating and refusing to let the other pass.

A car driven by 22-year-old Austin Cooper of Austin tried to change lanes into the path of an SUV being driven by 31-year-old Jacob Kelly of Indianapolis. Kelly lost control and spun, striking the other vehicle causing both to crash. Kelly’s vehicle rolled and Albertson, a passenger, was ejected. Cooper’s vehicle left the road and ended up in a field.

Kelly and Albertson were both airlifted to Louisville, where Kelly was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Cooper and a juvenile passenger were taken to Schneck Medical Center in Seymour, also for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

Albertson was a race car driver for Tony Stewart Racing. Stewart posted on social media about his teammate, calling her a great driver and saying she “had an infectious personality and could light up any room.” Stewart said he has also gotten caught up in road rage. He said that he hopes people can honor her memory by controlling their actions on the highway.

Photo courtesy of Tony Stewart Racing.

If you have a water or sewer emergency in Columbus this evening or early Tuesday morning, you may have to call a different number than those normally available.

According to Columbus City Utilities, the phone system at the department will be going through scheduled maintenance after normal working hours this evening and overnight. The work will be going on from 5:30 p.m. this afternoon to 7 a.m. Tuesday morning. That work could cause the department phone system to become unavailable.

If you have a water emergency you can call 812-341-7577. For a sewer emergency, you can call 812-657-2853.

The main number should be operational again by 7 a.m. Tuesday morning. That number is 812-372-8861.

First Financial Bank is holding a drive for donations of cleaning supplies to help families in need.

The bank is working to help community members have a safe and clean home. You can drop off cleaning supplies at any First Financial location in Columbus, Taylorsville or Hope today through September 1st.

The cleaning supplies should be new, unopened and unused. After the cleaning supply drive concludes, all donations will be delivered to local organizations selected by associates at each financial center.

Other recent community projects by the bank include the collection of more than 7,600 food items and more than 20,000 books, shared with local organizations for distribution in their communities.

First Financial Bank is pursuing this initiative in the communities it serves in Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Illinois.

You can find your local financial center online at bankatfirst.com.

Former Vice President and Columbus native Mike Pence says he was never made aware of any “broad-based” declassification of documents by former President Donald Trump.

Pence’s comments on ABC’s This Week were consistent with what former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows reportedly told investigators for Special Counsel Jack Smith. Pence said the declassification of classified documents is something he would “expect” Meadows to have known about. But the former V-P added that it’s possible Trump did declassify the documents found at Mar-a-Lago without his or Meadows’ knowledge.

Also on the program, Pence said he hopes his former boss will be at Wednesday’s Republican presidential debate. Pence said serving with former President Trump for four years has taught him “it’s not over till it’s over.” He said Trump might change his mind about joining the other candidates on the debate stage. Trump reportedly plans to skip the debate and instead join former Fox News host Tucker Carlson for an interview instead.

Story courtesy of TTWN Media Networks