Milestone Contractors LP, as part of the City’s 2023 Community Crossings Matching Grant Project will be working on Marr Road at 25th Street north to Brent Cross.

On Monday 4/22 and Tuesday 4/23 crews will be patching in this area. Marr Road will be restricted to one lane, flaggers will direct traffic in both directions.

Wednesday 4/24 9AM – 2PM, Marr Road will be closed, as crews open cut the roadway to install new storm water infrastructure. Please seek alternate routes on Wednesday.

Reminder: INDOT has implemented lane restrictions north of 25th Street on US 31 for bridge deck overlay.

Please use caution in these areas. Slow down, obey flaggers, and don’t drive distracted.

Indiana Department of Transportation contractor Milestone Contractors plans to temporarily close State Road 11 at the bridge over East Fork White River Overflow as soon as Saturday, April 20, to complete pavement repairs in Jackson County.

The bridge is located approximately two miles north of Seymour between the White River and the I-65 interchange near Jonesville. The temporary closure is expected to begin at approximately 7 a.m. and remain in place for up to 12 hours, weather permitting. The bridge is currently under construction utilizing temporary traffic signals. The signals will reactivate following the closure.

The bridge rehabilitation project is part of a $6.9 million contract awarded to Milestone in December 2023. The contract includes a total of three district bridge projects and one guardrail project. INDOT reminds drivers to slow down, use extra caution and avoid distractions when traveling in and near work zones. All work is weather-dependent and schedules are subject to change.

Bartholomew County’s Mental Health Matters Coalition will be updating the public later this month on its first year of efforts to improve the mental health network in the community. That includes a new program of mental health ambassadors.

The Coalition came together just over a year ago and involves partners ranging from local governments and mental health organizations to other non-profit groups and community organizations.

Cheryl Buffo with the Columbus Regional Health’s Healthy Communities initiative explains the April 30th update is meant to inform the public on the current state of the mental health care system, the barriers to receiving care and the level of the crisis.

Buffo said that there have been several efforts started in the first year to address the crisis. That includes a group of ambassadors from various corners of the community, who have been trained in mental health, mental health first aid and then enlisted to steer those in their smaller communities to mental health resources.

The network of ambassadors are also being tapped to evaluate new efforts to make sure they effectively reach those smaller community groups.

The Better Together Mental Health Initiative community update will be April 30th from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at The Commons. The event is free and you are invited to attend.

The Indiana Department of Transportation says that construction season is officially underway as orange cones and barrels sprout up on area highways and roads.

According to the agency, INDOT will be taking part in just over 1,000 construction projects this year. The state is investing more than $2.8 billion in infrastructure improvements including preventative maintenance. That includes 623 bridges being replaced or rehabilitated, nearly 6,000 lane miles of pavement being resurfaced or replaced and 189 projects to improve traffic flow and safety.

INDOT announced a new initiative related to safety, renewing the agency’s focus on safer roadways and work zones in Indiana. Starting this fall, INDOT will be implementing a speed control pilot program in work zones. The goal is to improve safety both for motorists and workers in the work zones.

INDOT Commissioner Mike Smith said the agency’s larger goal is to reduce fatalities and incapacitating injuries on Indiana roadways by 25 percent in the next decade. That includes reducing work zone incidents by 5 percent.

He urges drivers to slow down in work zones, to wear seatbelts and to put your phone down.

Bartholomew Consolidated Schools will be holding signing ceremonies, to celebrate students who are dedicating themseves to a career as educators.

Organizer say this event will honor seniors who intend to pursue a career in education, acknowledging their commitment to positively influence the lives of children.

The first Future Educator’s Day will be held on May 1st, with events at both Columbus North and Columbus East high schools. Columbus North will be recognizing nine students and fourteen from Columbus East who are future educator prospects

The event at North will be at 8:30 in the morning and at East at 10:15 a.m.

A wanted man was arrested by Columbus police early yesterday morning after running through yards in east Columbus.

According to the Columbus Police Department, officers were called to South Mapleton Street at about 12:40 a.m. Thursday morning after reports of a suspicious person in the area. Police spotted a man running away and caught up to him in the 2700 block of Clifty Drive. They discovered that the man, identified as 34-year-old James M. Kapetanios of Columbus was wanted on a felony warrant for burglary.

He was taken into custody on the outstanding warrant.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is celebrating Indiana’s oldest state park and its recovery after a tornado just over a year ago that killed two people.

The two people were camping at McCormick’s Creek State Park near Spencer in March of 2023, when an EF3 tornado went through parts of Owen and Monroe counties. Nine tornadoes tore through Indiana that day, killing five Hoosiers.

The state agency wants to remind you of the parks features including the McCormick’s Creek waterfall, more than three and a half miles of trails, more than 500 species of plants and a variety of birds. The park is on the Indiana Birding Trail. You can also see what the area was like before becoming a park by visiting the Peden Farmstead which includes a restored springhouse used for refrigeration, and the remains of the barn and cabin.

McCormick’s Creek was founded in 1916 and is Indiana’s first state park.

A Jennings County man has been convicted of child solicitation.

According to the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, 64-year-old Douglas Cherry of North Vernon was arrested in December 2022. He was accused of having online sexual conversations with what he believed to be a 13-year-old girl. However, when he arrived at a home expecting a sexual encounter with the girl, he was arrested by deputies.

On Tuesday, a jury found Cherry guilty of a child solicitation, according to the sheriff’s department.. A sentencing date is not yet available.

The sheriff’s department warns parents to be vigilant of their children’s social media use, as online predators are always looking for victims. If you suspect your child has been contracted by an online predator, you should contact your local authorities.

A pet food pantry distribution is set for this afternoon at the Columbus Municipal Airport.

Friends of Columbus Animal Care Services will be holding their Furry Friends Food Bank giveaway from 4 to 5:30 p.m.  or until the food runs out. The pet food will be distributed in the airport parking lot at 4770 Ray Boll Boulevard in front of the Charlie 119 cargo plane.

The purpose of the pantry is to assist community members in need to keep their pets in their homes and out of area shelters. If you take part you should stay in your vehicle and the food will be brought to you.

Cat food will be distributed in 4.5 pound bags and dog food in 14.5 pound bags.

Friends of Columbus Animal Care Services is the non-profit partner of the city-operated animal shelter.

There is still time to take a community public health survey that will help determine the health needs of the area served by Columbus Regional Health.

A national organization is conducting the survey for Columbus Regional Health by phone and on the Internet through May. Information that is gathered will be used to help the health network identify and address the most critical community health issues. The survey is anonymous and you will not be asked to provide any personally identifying information.

The survey is questioning residents in Bartholomew County and some in Jackson and Jennings counties.

The survey is being conducted by PRC and you may receive a phone call with a caller ID representing Columbus Regional Health. The survey has been conducted every three years since 1996. It is meant to discover the the health, behaviors and needs of the community served by Columbus Regional Health. CRH’s Healthy Communities initiative will use the information to improve community health and wellness, as well as address equitable access to health services and discover health disparities.

Lisa Crane, director of Healthy Communities at CRH explains:

You may also take the survey online. You can find a link and more information here:
www.prcsurvey.com/begin/CRH2024CHNA