Bartholomew County is planning to add pickleball courts to the Dunn Stadium park just north of the 4-H Fairgrounds.

Bartholomew County Commissioners yesterday approved a contract with DLZ to design and provide construction documents for the facility which will be a 12-court pickleball complex — the only public courts on the west side of Columbus. The county plans to spend up to $600,000 for the tournament-quality facility. The facility would also be lit at night, if the costs allow.

County Commissioners President Tony London said that pickleball has become a major recreational sport and it is available to players of all ages. London said that residents want amenities in their county parks and many of those amentias are focused just on children. He said this is an opportunity to provide recreation for people of all ages.

Commissioner Larry Kleinhenz suggested that the county could save money on the project by having some of the site work performed by county employees.

Charlie Day with DLZ said that the design would include an option for post-tension concrete surfaces. He said that when regular concrete inevitably cracks, it will separate making the courts uneven and unusable. However the post-tension design is compressed. While it would still crack, it would be held in place, not limiting its usability.

The fee approved for DLZ will be $73,500 to be paid for out of the county’s consulting budget.

Photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Parks Department.

Forecasters are warning about bitterly cold weather this morning.

Wind chills in the single digits are possible through noon today in our area according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures are running 15 to 20 degrees below normal and wind gusts of up 20 mph are expected.

Today is Giving Tuesday, a break from consumer spending on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with the hopes that people will donate to non-profit groups of their choice.

Magen Pillar with the United Way of Bartholomew County explains.

Pillar said that the United Way is focusing this Giving Tuesday on an initiative through Bartholomew Consolidated Schools to help children in need. The initiative through the school system’s Counseling Counts program is called the Student Support Line.

School counselors who identify that a student has a basic need that is not being met can contact the helpline to provide assistance to the child. Recent requests to the helpline have included a ramp needed at a home for a disabled student, essential medications and an alarm clock, Pillar said.

Pillar also encouraged you to donate to any of the agencies under the United Way umbrella in Bartholomew County.

Last year, Americans donated more than $3 billion to nonprofits on Giving Tuesday. That was 15 percent more than 2021 and 25 percent more than in 2020. Giving Tuesday launched in 2012 as a global movement to make giving a more central part of daily life.

You can find more information on the United Way, its local non-profit agencies and how to donate at https://www.uwbarthco.org

Note: This story has been updated:

Columbus authorities are releasing more information about the fatal shooting yesterday afternoon at a Columbus mobile home park.

According to Columbus Police Department, officers were called to the 2600 block of Joseph Cox Court at about 4:45 p.m. Monday afternoon and found 54-year-old Alejandro Flores of Columbus shot in the residence. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

With a description of the suspect in the shooting, officers soon found 30-year-old Corbin W. Hippensteel walking in the mobile home park. He was taken into custody without incident and is being held on a preliminary felony charge of murder.

The home is in the Homestead Mobile Home Park off of Middle Road.

If you have any information on the incident you are asked to call Columbus police detectives at 812-376-2600. Tips and information can be left anonymously.

Original Story:

One person is dead after a shooting Monday afternoon in a Columbus mobile home park.

According to the Columbus Police Department, officers were called to a home in the 2600 block of Joseph Cox Court about shots being fired. They discovered a man who had been injured in a shooting. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A suspect was found near the home by police and taken into custody. After the arrest, police said that there was no threat to the public but officers remained in the area while continuing their investigation.

No names have been released of the victim or suspect.

The home is in the Homestead Mobile Home Park off of Middle Road.

If you have any information on the incident you are asked to call Columbus police detectives at 812-376-2600. Tips and information can be left anonymously.

Photo courtesy of Columbus Police Department.

Columbus Police Department press release

Columbus police  detectives are investigating a Monday afternoon shooting that left one person dead. At approximately 4:45 PM CPD officers responded to a residence in the 2600 block of Joseph Cox Court in regards to a report of shots fired.

When officers arrived they observed an adult male, and who  was injured in a shooting. The man was pronounced deceased a short time later.

A person of interest in the shooting was taken into custody after he was located near the residence by officers.

The investigation into the shooting is ongoing. However, there is no threat to the public at this time.

Law-enforcement resources will remain in the area as the investigation continues. Anyone with information in regards to the shooting is urged to contact Columbus police detectives at 812-376-2600.

Schneck Medical Center in Seymour is being recognized for its physician communications

According to the hospital, Schneck has receive a five star rating from Becker’s Hospital Review for its physician communications, putting it among the top 330 hospitals in the country by that measure. The rating takes the measure of how well physician explain care and treatment, how carefully they listen to the patient, and if they treat patients with courtesy and respect.

The rating is based on survey data collected from hospital patients last year. Schneck is one of only nine hospitals in Indiana to receive the recognition

Dr. Eric Fish, President/CEO of Schneck Medical Center. said that he is appreciative and proud of the care and compassion Schneck physicians provide patients. He said that Patient safety, satisfaction and care outcomes all depend on effective communication.

Bartholomew County is lifting the burn ban it has had in place for two weeks. The County Commissioners announced the decision this morning, saying that the advice from area fire chiefs and emergency officials indicated that it was safe to lift the ban.

Commissioners said that they are aware of people still doing outside burning during the ban, but that they hoped those people simply had not gotten the word that a ban was in place. Commissioners also said that it is always their intention to enact a “soft ban” in these cases, with the goal being to educate the public instead of to be punitive in the enforcement.

An area business is in the final round of the Coolest Thing Made in Indiana contest.

Voting started this morning on the championship round of the competition organized by Indiana Chamber of Commerce. Voters from around the state will be choosing between Hoosier Racing Tire from Plymouth and Hard Truth Distilling Company in Nashville and its Maple Bourbon Cream. Voting wraps up at 9 on Thursday evening with the winner being announced December 13th at the Indiana Chamber’s 2023 Best IN Manufacturing Awards luncheon.

According to the company, the drink is made from Indiana-crafted straight bourbon whiskey, fresh dairy cream, and pure maple syrup. The taste includes brown sugar, marshmallow and notes of toffee and nougat.

Although the winning company does not have to be headquartered in Indiana, the products in competition for the Coolest title have to be made here. Voting is being done through an elimination tournament with online votes being cast to narrow the field.

Another area company made it to the semi-final round, Seymour-based Guardian Bikes.

You can find a link to more information or  vote here: https://www.indianachamber.com/coolest-thing-made-in-indiana-tournament/

Leaf pickups in Columbus are running late due to last week’s holiday and government office closings.

According to the Columbus Department of Public Works, routes originally scheduled for last Thursday will be picked up today. Friday routes will be collected tomorrow. Other routes will be running late, but the department expects to catch up by the end of the week.

The victims of a plane crash last week in Shelby County have been identified.

Nathan Finney from Bloomington and Dr. Warren Bruhl died in the crash Wednesday.

Finney founded Finney Hospitality Group, which owns five restaurants in Bloomington along with others in Indianapolis, Carmel, West Lafayette, and Mishawaka. Bruhl was a chiropractor and also a flight instructor based in Illinois. Social media posts indicate that the new plane was delivered to Finney last week and Bruhl was helping Finney hone his skills on the day of the crash.

According to the Indiana State Police, rescue workers were called to to the crash in a cornfield near Fairland at about 4:50 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.

Story courtesy of TTWN Media Networks Inc.