A dense fog advisory has been issued for all of Indiana through 10 a.m. this morning.

The National Weather Service says visibility could be a quarter of a mile or less in some spots, making for hazardous driving.

The weather service suggests that you slow down, use your low-beam headlights and allow plenty of stopping distance ahead of you.

Conditions should gradually improve this morning, according to forecasters.

The Columbus and Bartholomew County community’s first Diversity Career Fair and Black Business Showcase will be held next month as part of activities surrounding Black History Month.

According to organizers, the goal of the event is two fold: First to offer fair hiring opportunities to those who need employment, a second-chance, a career promotion or a fresh start. The event is also meant to bring awareness to Black-owned businesses operating in Bartholomew County.

Felicia Garr, manager of Black and Biracial Youth Initiatives with the Community Education Coalition, explains the Black Business Showcase.

Garr explains the Black Business Showcase also meant to bring awareness to Black-owned businesses operating in Bartholomew County.

Garr explains the career fair:

This event is being hosted by the Black History Month Columbus Committee, the United Way of Bartholomew County, and the Community Education Coalition.

Students in 9th and 10th grades who attend will be able to gain credit for job shadowing or community service hours toward the 21st century scholarship by participating.

The event will be free and you are invited to attend. It will be from 1 to 5 p.m. in the afternoon of February 20th at Nexus Park on 25th Street.

You can find out more about all of the community’s Black History Month activities at https://www.blackhistorycolumbus.com

Indiana State Police say a Scott County man has been arrested on charges involving child pornography.

Troopers say that the investigation began in July after a tip were received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that someone in the area has uploaded child sexual abuse images to the Snapchat app. Detectives with the Indiana State Police – Internet Crimes Against Children task force in Sellersburg identified and located the exact residence where the images were created.

On Tuesday, investigators went to the home and interviewed 27-year-old Joseph R. Sullivan. Investigators served a search warrant at the residence and that led to Sullivan’s arrest on three felony counts of possessing or distributing child pornography.

The Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is a multiagency task force that investigates and prosecutes those who use the internet to sexually exploit or entice children.

Ivy Tech Community College Columbus campus and Purdue University are announcing a new partnership to seamlessly guide students from Ivy Tech beginnings to Purdue engineering degrees.

Called Green2Gold, the program was announced yesterday afternoon at Tony Moravec Hall. It will begin at the Columbus campus this fall with 20 students in the first cohort. The students will be co-enrolled simultaneously in both schools. After earning their Ivy Tech associates degree, they will be eligible to move directly into a bachelors degree engineering program at Purdue.

Dr. Arvind Raman, dean of the Purdue University College of Engineering explains:

Dr. Sue Ellspermann, president of Ivy Tech Community College, explains the importance.

Dr. Steven Combs, chancellor of Ivy Tech Columbus, explains the importance at the Columbus campus:

The goal is to provide the engineers needed by businesses locally and statewide such as Cummins, as well as provide a pathway that keeps students in Indiana.

Assuming the program is a success, the idea is to expand the partnership to other campuses in future years.

Many details still need to be worked out before the first cohort can begin their work and school officials went right into planning meeting for the Green 2 Gold program after the announcement at Moravec Hall.

Photo: Dr. Arvind Raman, dean of the Purdue University College of Engineering, speaks during Wednesday’s announcement at Moravec Hall in Columbus. WRB photo

Bartholomew Consolidated Schools are looking for the best teachers at each of its schools and a shot at being the Indiana Teacher of the Year.

According to the school district, nominations are now open for BCSC Teacher of the Year.

To be nominated, a candidate must be a classroom or special education teacher, instructional coach, counselor, dean, or media specialist and hold a valid educator license issued by the Indiana Department of Education. Teachers must have three years of service in the school district.

Nominees should be respected and admired by students, parents, staff and colleagues and guide students of all backgrounds and abilities to achieve excellence. The nominee should also demonstrate leadership in and out of the classroom and have an active role in the community as well as the school.

The deadline to make a nomination is February 19th. You can find a link to the nomination forms:

The Brown County Music Center is donating more than a quarter of a million dollars to causes in the community.

According to the Brown County Community Foundation, the center yesterday announced the donation of $267,000 with the money going to the foundation and the county auditor’s office. The money comes from excess revenue generated through ticket, food and drink sales at the center.

The center’s funds to the foundation will be split between funds that support Arts and Culture and the greatest community needs. A portion are being invested into a long-term endowment, so that the income from that endowment generates grant money each year. The remaining portion of the music center funds will be distributed to the community through grants.

Christian Webb, executive director of the Brown County Music Center, said the center is partnering with the foundation for its ability to quickly and efficiently address community needs and direct support where it is most needed. Webb said that everyone in the community benefits from the music center in Nashville.

A dense fog advisory has been issued for parts of our area through 10 this morning. The National Weather Service says visibility could be a quarter of a mile or less in some spots, making for hazardous driving in places.

The weather service suggests that you turn on your low-beam headlights, use fog lights if you have them but do not use your high beams. You should use extra caution and allow plenty of stopping distance ahead of you. You should only pass other vehicles if absolutely necessary. And make sure to allow yourself extra time to reach your destination.

Those who remember the layout and look of the former Fair Oaks Mall, will see little of that design left except the skylights in the revamped Nexus Park section operated by Columbus Regional Health.

The hospital will be holding grand opening celebrations and public tours of the renovated facility on 25th Street on Wednesday.

Hospital president and CEO Jim Bickel explains:

The interior of the building has been completely renovated in a $54 million project by the hospital with a focus on natural lighting, soothing spaces, local artwork and consistency. The new medical facility features a broad promenade with color-coded sections in natural colors along the width of the space. In addition to the Fair Oaks skylights which were upgraded and retained, the hospital has also added more skylights to bring more light into the space.

David Lenart, vice president of strategic facilities planning and operations for CRH, said that the consistency means patient rooms throughout the building will look the same.

While patient access to their exam rooms will be through public hallways, patient privacy is maintained through frosted door windows, locking doors and a white noise sound system that masks neighboring conversations. Doctors and staff will work in behind the scenes spaces that are not publicly accessible.

The first practice to move into the facility was OB/GYN & Associates of Columbus which has been operating in Nexus Park since October. Dr. Rachel Reed, vice president and associate chief medical officer CRH is a physician with that practice. She explains her experience with the new facility.

The next practice to move will be PT Solutions Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy which will begin moving in on Thursday

The hospital facility entrance is on the southwest corner of the former mall, where the Mark Pi’s Chinese restaurant used to operate. A ribbon cutting is Wednesday at 11:30 a.m., followed by tours of the space until 6 p.m. that evening.

Casey Gibson, facility engineer with Columbus Regional Health, explains the main promenade in the new Nexus Park space during a media tour this week.

A vacant space in The Commons in downtown Columbus will soon have a new tenant. That comes after a lease being negotiated for Upland Brewing Company to operate a brick oven pizza restaurant was approved Monday by the Columbus Redevelopment Commission.

The space was previously occupied by the Puccinis Smiling Teeth and most recently Bucceto’s Pizza restaurants and has been vacant since June of last year.

The Commons retail spaces are managed through the Columbus Redevelopment Commission, while the public spaces fall under the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department.

Upland Brewing plans to begin renovating the space in February and hope to open in early June. Redevelopment Commission attorney Mary Stroh said that the company would be paying for the renovation and is working to make sure that the new restaurant fits in well with the architecture of the downtown landmark.

The final details of the lease are still being negotiated but will be in line with what other downtown restaurants are paying, Stroh said. It will initially be a seven year lease with options for five year extensions. Redevelopment Director Heather Pope says that the city will be waiting for final approval of the lease agreement by the company’s attorneys.

Several area counties have been removed from the winter weather advisory, as the the threat of freezing rain and ice accumulation decreases. The National Weather Service in Indianapolis says that the advisory remains in effect until 10 this morning for counties in central and northern Indiana including Johnson, Shelby and Decatur counties in our area.

You could still see some ice on untreated roadways and should make sure to leave yourself extra stopping distance if you are out this morning.

The weather service is also warning that there could be some river flooding this week caused by ice jams. Forecasters say that many area rivers have significant ice due to the cold weather, but warming temperatures, melting snow melt and the precipitation on already cold ground could lead to flooding upstream of ice jams. Flash flooding from the ice jams could become a problem.