Kids will have a chance on Saturday to tour the Exhibit Columbus installations in downtown Columbus.

Organizers say that Next Generation Day will be a family friendly event starting at noon on the Bartholomew County Public Library plaza. There will be a dance performance, poetry reading, snow cones and music.

There will also be the unveiling of more than 30 miniature installations created by Bartholomew Consolidated Schools sixth graders. Their projects were on the theme of “What does downtown Columbus need now?” The miniatures will be displayed in a custom trailer made by Columbus Area Career Connection students.

Participants can also collect buttons for a lanyard by visiting installation locations around the downtown area.

Next Generation Day is a partnership between the Council for Youth Development, the Bartholomew County Public Library, Bartholomew Consolidated School’s STEM and C4 Programs, the Indiana University J. Irwin Miller Architecture Program, the Columbus Pride Festival and Fiesta Latina.

A former Bartholomew County election clerk has a new role in the Secretary of State’s Election Division.

According to Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales, Dustin Renner has been chosen as the new election director for the state. Renner has served as the deputy legislative director with the Association of Indiana Counties and as chief deputy clerk for Bartholomew County.

Renner will provide technical assistance to county clerks and the clerks’ association. He will also represent the secretary of state on the Statewide Voter Registration Core Team and will be responsible for working with Ball State University’s Voting System Technical Oversight Program. He will also assist with election-related legislation.

Renner said he was excited about the new role working with county clerks and representing the Secretary of State.

Three people have been arrested after an investigation into drug trafficking in Bartholomew County.

According to the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, correctional officers noticed suspicious activity while transporting inmates to the county courthouse for hearings. They reported that a woman placed suboxone on the courthouse grounds, which was then retrieved by an inmate and taken back to the jail.

The investigation revealed that the woman, 26-year-old Kelsa Burton of Columbus was working under the direction of 31-year-old Erik Peetz II of Columbus, who was a jail inmate at the time. The inmate who picked up the suboxone was identified as 41-year-old Justin Bowles of Columbus.

Bowles and Peetz are being accused of conspiracy to deal in a controlled substance and Bowles is facing another charge for possessing the drug.

Burton is facing charges of dealing in, conspiracy to deal in and possession of a controlled substance, as well as trafficking with an inmate outside a facility.

Sheriff Chris Lane said attempting to traffic drugs into the jail is a serious offense and endangers the safety and order of the facility.

A Brownstown police officer is under arrest, accused of battering a woman in Seymour.

According to the Seymour Police Department, officers were called to a battery complaint on Saturday on East Seventh Street. A woman told police that she had been hurt and an investigation began.

Today, officers arrested 38-year-old Michael J. Huff of Brownstown on charges of battery and false informing.

Applications are now available for next year’s Brown Music Awards for Bartholomew County high school seniors.

The $3,500 scholarship winners are chosen during a music competition that will be held on February 10th at Columbus Indiana Philharmonic’s Helen Haddad Hall on Franklin Street., in Columbus

The awards are the Anna Newell Brown Award for Vocal Excellence and the Betty F. Brown Award for Instrumental Excellence. The scholarships aim to encourage formal vocal and music education for Bartholomew County students.

Both competitions are administered by Heritage Fund, the Bartholomew County Community foundation.

Applications are due by December 7th. You can get more information or apply by looking for the scholarships link at heritagefundbc.org.

Exhibit Columbus’ next chance to talk with the recipients of the J. Irwin and Xenia Miller Prizes is coming up tomorrow with the creator of InterOculus, the lighted canopy installed over Fourth and Washington Street.

According to organizers, the conversation will be with Vishaan Chakrabarti of the Practice for Architecture and Urbanism will be from 3 to 5 p.m. at The Commons Thursday. A reception will start at 3 p.m. to explore the installation.

The discussion will also feature Lee Bey, the architecture critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, who is also a photographer, writer, lecturer, and consultant along with Dave Hayward, the executive director of public works for the city of Columbus, who served as community curator for the installation.

The Miller Prize recognizes architectural and design excellence. Their work is featured among the 13 Exhibit Columbus installations at iconic locations around the downtown area. This fall’s Exhibit Columbus installations will be on display through November 26th.

Thursday’s event is free and you are invited to attend but registration is required. You can sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/miller-prize-conversation-with-vishaan-chakrabarti-registration-714441041387

Schneck Primary Care in Jackson County will be offering drive-thru flu clinics on Saturdays starting this weekend.

The vaccine is available in regular dose and high dose for those 65 and older. The cost of the flu vaccine is covered by most insurance plans or you self-pay. You should bring your identification and your insurance information.

The clinics will be this Saturday and October 14th from 8 to noon on Level 4 of the Schneck Professional Building Parking Garage in Seymour. And October 7 from 8 to noon in the Schneck Primary Care Parking Lot in Brownstown.

The vaccines will be available on a first come, first served basis. For more information, call 812-522-1613.

The deadline is coming up Sunday for Hoosier students to apply for new career scholarships worth $5,000.

Area legislators are encouraging students who want to pursue work-based learning and credentials outside the classroom to apply for the Career Scholarship Account program. Students in the 10th, 11th and 12th grades at an accredited public or private school can received up to $5,000 to access training opportunities. About 1,000 spots are available for this school year.

State Rep. Jennifer Meltzer of Shelbyville said the scholarships can make it easier for students to learn more about potential careers while also perfecting their skills.

To be eligible students must be enrolled in a course or educational experience approved by the Indiana Department of Education.. They may also be enrolled in an apprenticeship, applied learning experience, work-based learning and/or credential attainment experience approved by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.

Students approved for the scholarships will receive the $5,000 over four disbursements and can use the money toward certain qualified expenses.

Approved courses and classes can be in areas such as accounting, cybersecurity, information technology, software development, veterinary science and others.

State Rep. Ryan Lauer of Columbus said that students should have many options to find a career at which they can excel.

You can find a link to learn more here: http://in.gov/tos/csa

Or register by Oct. 1st here:  http://in.accessgov.com/tos/Forms/Page/tos/csa-application/1

The city of Columbus will be starting its fall leaf pickup program in a few weeks.

According to the Department of Public Works, the curbside leaf pickup program will begin on Oct. 16th and last through Dec. 15th. You should move your loose, unbagged leaves to the curb by 7 a.m. on the same day as your normal trash route. The city asks you not to put the leaves in the gutter as they clog storm drains and can cause flooding.

Leaves will not be collected if they are bagged. If you would rather bag your yard waste material, you can take it to the compost site at 720 S. Mapleton Street beside the city/county recycling center. There you should dump out your bags of leaves and take your bags with you.

The city of Columbus also will begin its fall street sweeping schedule on Oct. 16th and that will last through December 7th.

If you have any questions you can check out the city website at https://www.columbus.in.gov/public-works/.

You can also get more information on the CurbCycle or Columbus Collects apps on your phone

Three Bartholomew County residents are being sued by the Indiana Attorney General’s Office over accusations of fraud in the sale of manufactured homes.

According to Attorney General Todd Rokita, Steven, Jocel  and Aron Singer sold manufactured homes without a license from the Secretary of State Auto Dealer Services Division and without a manufactured home installers license.

Rokita said that the three are suspected of defrauding those seeking to purchase the homes. He said that some buyers paid tens of thousands of dollars without receiving satisfactory services. The three did business under names including Singer Manufactured Homes, Cabin Creek Homes, Rock Creek Homes, and United Palace Home Transport and Sales

In an example from the lawsuit, a woman paid $36,000 but the accused failed to arrange for installation of a manufactured home, failed to install working appliances, failed to deliver  a title on the manufactured home and the resident had to spend more money to make the home livable.

The defendants received cease-and-desist orders from state agencies in 2014 and February of this year. The lawsuit accused the three of hiding their transactions by insisting on cash payment and by advertising through social media accounts and online marketplaces.

“Our team works diligently to protect the proverbial little guy from getting conned by slick hustlers just looking to make a quick buck,” Rokita said. “We will hold accountable anyone who dupes consumers in violation of our laws.”