The Columbus Parks and Recreation Department and Columbus Park Foundation will be hosting a horror movie classic Friday night in Mill Race Park, with an outdoor showing of John Carpenter’s “The Thing.”

Organizers encourage you to bring a blanket and snacks to enjoy the film. And you might want to bring bug spray.

Hog Molly Brewing Co., Miss Rachel’s Neat Treats, and TaColumbus will also be participating Friday night.

Although the monthly Movies in the Park showings are open to all ages, this horror film has an R rating. Participation will be left up to parents’ discretion.

The free film will start at about 9:30 Friday evening.

Bartholomew County organizations are receiving grants of $245,000 to help the learning and development of infants and toddlers in Indiana

The Early Learning Indiana organization announced today that 86 groups around the state will be receiving $31 million in grants through the Early Years Initiative. The initiative is supported by the the Lilly Endowment.

The grants support groups working to maximize growth and brain development in the first three years of children’s lives. Organizers say that the projects are designed “to help Hoosier families support the cognitive, social-emotional and physical wellbeing of infants and toddlers.”

All of the organizations will serve families in low-income households. More than two thirds will serve members of communities of color and over 60 percent will serve multiple-language learners.

Early Learning Indiana launched the initiative in March with support from a $50 million grant from Lilly Endowment.

The Bartholomew County grant supports multiple organizations, including Bartholomew Consolidated School and Family School Partners increasing the home visiting program to serve 50 more children. That will include two new positions aimed at bilingual and African American families.

Also, Bartholomew County Public Library and local health care providers will expand the Growing Readers program to reach 2,500 more children.

The developers of a Kings Hawaiian Bakery in the Edinburgh and Taylorsville area will receive a break on their property taxes.

The Bartholomew County Council agreed to a tax abatement on the proposed project at their meeting last night. Under a tax abatement, new property taxes on buildings and equipment are phased in gradually over a period, usually 10 years, rather than being due the first year after construction.

According to figures presented by the Greater Columbus Economic Development Corp, the abatement will save the company about $4.8 million over the next 10 years. However, they will also be paying almost $4 million more in property taxes than what the taxes on the undeveloped land would bring. Jason Hester with the economic development group said that the undeveloped property is estimated to bring in only about $2,100 next year.

The 88 acre parcel is at the intersection of U.S. 31 and Interstate 65 just off Hubler Drive. If the company decides to locate here, their initial plans would be for a plant of up to 400,000 square feet with an $80 to $90 million investment. If fully built out, the project could eventually bring up to a half million square foot facility with an investment of up to $180 million.

In documents filed with the county, company officials are also hoping to talk to county officials about using tax increment financing district revenues for infrastructure improvements in the area. Those could include constructing County Road 700N to extend Hubler Drive to the property, improving Bear Lane and Hubler Drive for semi access, installing a traffic light and assisting with utilities at the property including sanitary sewer.

If you are looking for a new furry feline friend, Columbus Animal Care Services wants to help you out on Saturday.

The agency will be holding a Kitty-Palooza on Saturday at Nexus Park, the former Fair Oaks Mall. The city animal shelter will be bringing 65 cats and kittens to the center for the one-day adoption event.

The event will include reduced adoption fees of $40. That will include spaying or neutering, up to date shots and microchipping.

If you are a renter, you should bring any rental agreement or contract that shows you are allowed to have pets, or a way to contact your landlord.

If you are hoping to bring a new pet home, you should bring a cat carrier, as only a limited number of cardboard cat carriers will be available.

Kitty Palooza will be from noon to 4 Saturday at Nexus park on 25th Street in Columbus.

The city of Columbus is planning a new control tower at the Columbus Municipal Airport, with the help of the Cummins Foundation Architecture Program.

A new 100-foot tall tower will replace the more than 80-year-old tower at the airport, at a cost of about $11.5 million dollars.

According to the city, Columbus will be working with the Woolpert engineering firm on the structural design. Woolpert and the airport are working to secure federal grant funding for the project.

Brian Payne, airport director for the city said that the existing building is in dire need of replacement. The new tower will meet current Federal Aviation Administration standards for including sighting, backup cooling and power, security, fire and life safety, and FAA equipment.

Funding from Cummins will allow a world-class architect or firm to design the structure.

The city and the Cummins Foundation have narrowed the list to five contenders for the design:

• Studio: indigenous, New Mexico
•  Snow Kreilich, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Marlon Blackwell Architects, Fayetteville, Arkansas
• SO – IL Architects, Brooklyn, New York
• Howeler + Yoon, Boston, Massachusetts

Jim Schacht, vice president of corporate responsibility for Cummins Inc. and CEO of the Cummins Foundation said that the tower will serve as an example of the “community’s continuing commitment to innovation, art, and design.”

You will see more work on U.S. 50 in Seymour every weekend this month.

According to INDOT, contractors are patching and resurfacing the highway from O’Brien Street to Agrico Lane in the east and westbound lanes of U.S. 50 in Seymour.

The crews were scheduled to complete patching work over the weekend and are scheduled to begin milling and paving on Friday. That work should be finished by Sunday but the work schedule is dependent on the weather. Additional work will be taking place the following weekend.

Message boards will be in place to warn you of the work and you should be alert to changing traffic patterns while it is going on.

Dave O’Mara is the contractor for the project

INDOT asks you to slow down, to drive without distractions and to be alert to worker safety in all work zones.

A maker of concrete mixing trucks is making a deal with Cummins to provide hydrogen powered engines for the machines.

The Columbus based engine manufacturer and Terex Advance have announced a letter of intent for the partnershipto use the X15H hydrogen internal combustion engines in the Terex Advance Commander Series equipment.

The series is now powered by Cummins diesel engines, but the company will include a zero-carbon hydrogen fuel option when the engine series production starts in coming years.

David Grabner, General Manager at Terex Advance, called the Cummins’ X15H a feasible zero-carbon option for the trucks and said the company is “eagerly anticipating the future deployment of this technology.”

The X15H will be part of Cummins fuel-agnostic, internal combustion engine platform product line. Cummins recently announced plans to invest $452 million dollars into its Jamestown, N.Y. plant, to produce the fuel-agnostic platform.

Photo courtesy of Cummins Inc.

INDOT will be looking for your thoughts on a project on State Road 46 in Decatur County.

According to the state agency, the project will involve replacing the pavement and resurfacing the asphalt on State Road 46 from State Road 3 to U.S. 421 and Base Road. It will also include replacing the sidewalks, adding curb ramp upgrades, constructing a walking and biking path and more lighting.

The contract is currently scheduled to go out to bid in 2026.

The agency will be holding a hearing on Monday Sept. 25th at Greensburg City Hall. The doors will open at 5:30 so you can check out displays and materials on the project and talk with planners. A presentation will start at 6 followed by time for public comments.

If you want to make a comment but can’t make it to the meeting you can submit comments:

By email: [email protected]

By phone: 317-663-8265

By mail: Michael Baker International Attn: Mitchell Wilcox, 3815 River Crossing Parkway, Suite 20, Indianapolis, IN 46240

Ask questions via INDOT4U at indot4u.com or by calling 855-463-6848

Project information, including the presentation will be available online at Seymour.indot.in.gov.

The public comment period ends Oct. 10th.

Indiana University Columbus will be hosting a recognition of Constitution Day with live music, a discussion and a voter registration drive.

Aimee Zoeller, an IU Columbus sociology professor and Woody Guthrie scholar, will be leading a discussion of the origins of Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land” as well as presenting contemporary perspectives on the song.

Zoeller says Guthrie was considered a “radical patriot.” She says that Guthrie “believed in the power of people organizing, in political processes, and freedom as a political and individual destiny.” Zoeller will also be joined by two other members of the Woody Guthrie Teaching Collective.

Local musician Dan Fleming will perform Guthrie’s music, as well as traditional folk and bluegrass songs.

The event will start at 3 p.m. on Sept. 19th in Room 1205 at the Columbus Learning Center on Central Avenue. Voter registration will be available at the Landing in the Columbus Learning Center from noon until 3 p.m. that day.

Constitution Day recognizes the adoption of the United States Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens. It’s been celebrated annually at the Columbus campus for nearly 20 years.