The Columbus Human Rights Commission is announcing the winners of this year’s J. Irwin Miller Art and Benjamin M. King Essay Contests

The competitions were judged in elementary, middle and high school divisions. The theme for this year’s contests was “Living Your Authentic Life.”

In the art competition, Macey Rees of Northside Middle School and Madyson Hall from Columbus East High School were the winners. There were no entries in the Elementary School Division.

For the essay contest, winners were BriAnna LaRance, of Mt. Healthy Elementary, Trinity Wills, of Central Middle School and Maricela Stinson, of Columbus East High School

The contests were open to all Bartholomew County students in grades 5 through 12. There were more than 140 entries received including for the first time those from home schools and Mount Healthy Elementary in southeastern Bartholomew County.

Aida Ramírez, director of the city Human Rights Commission said there were 26 volunteers who judged the entrants and she thanked the volunteers and educators for helping the commission in its mission to educate.

The winners will be recognized at the commission’s annual dinner, starting at 6:30 p.m. on June 27th at The Commons in downtown Columbus.

Tickets for the dinner are $30 per person and must be purchased in advance. They can be purchased at the Human Rights Commission office located in City Hall online at www.columbus.in.gov/human-rights/

The Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominees for its annual Women In Leadership awards.

The annual luncheon recognizes women who are outstanding in their profession, uplift and inspire others, use their time and skills to improve the lives of others and who make a positive social impact in the community, beyond her professional responsibilities.

Last year’s honorees were Kim Bennett, Lindsay Holden-Kay, Courtney Metzger, and Luz Elena Michel.

The deadline to make a nomination is June 21st. The luncheon will be August 23rd at The Commons. You can make a nomination here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sv/GysKBpw

The Bartholomew County and Columbus branch of the NAACP will be holding a Juneteenth Jubilee on Saturday June 22nd.

The event will have a theme of “Healing Our Soul.” According to organizers, it will celebrate the resilience of the Black community and how food, music, arts and the movement have connected to help heal suffering over centuries of enslavement.

Activities will include talks by culinary historian and cookbook author Michael Twitty, panels on mental health and why history matters and two walking tours of black history locations in downtown Columbus by Paulette Roberts.

There will also be a kid zone, health corner, food vendors, merchandise booths, music and more.

Activities will be from 11:30 to 6:30 on Saturday June 22nd in the Fourth Street Entertainment District in downtown Columbus.

Government offices are closed next Wednesday in observance of Juneteenth.

In Columbus, city trash, recycling and yard waste routes will be running on their normal schedule. You should have your Toters to the curb by 7 a.m.

The Columbus and Bartholomew County Recycling Center will be closed on Wednesday along with the cardboard route and the Solid Waste Management district offices. The Bartholomew County Landfill will be open normal hours.

Columbus City Utilities offices will be closed. If you have a problem with your water or sewer service, you can call 812-372-8861 and follow the prompts.

In Seymour, Wednesdays trash, recycling and yard waste will be collected on Thursday.

The U.S. Postal Service in Indianapolis wants to remind you that there will be no mail delivery,  or Post Office Box service, and post office retail counters will be closed due to the Juneteenth federal holiday.

If you need to use postal services, you can use the self-service kiosks at select post offices including: Columbus, Seymour and Greenwood.

A Bartholomew County man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for the death of his 2-year-old daughter, according to newspaper reports.

The Republic newspaper is reporting today that 41-year-old Jeremy Sweet has been sentenced to 30 years after he pled guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in death. Judge Jim Worton gave Sweet another 10 years added on for Sweet being a habitual offender.

The girl, Emma Sweet, died over Thanksgiving weekend of 2021 after her father drove off an embankment and into East Fork White River on Thanksgiving Day. Duck hunters found him in the submerged truck the Friday after Thanksgiving and her body was found in the river. An autopsy revealed she died from hypothermia and asphyxia due to drowning.

More information at therepublic.com

Photo of Emma Sweet courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department

The city of Columbus has hired a new assistant director of Community Development.

According to the city, Paul W. Smith is filling the role where among his duties he will oversee the city’s affordable housing study project, and supervise affordable housing initiatives, coordinate the community homeless initiative, facilitate the city’s tax abatement process and engage in community events.

Previously Smith served as community liaison in the state’s Office of Community and Rural Affairs and in the U.S. Navy. He holds a bachelors degree from Marian University and a masters in business administration from Anderson University. He and his wife live in Greenwood with their children.

Bartholomew County is considering bids to construct a pickleball complex at Dunn Stadium next to the Bartholomew County 4-H Fairgrounds.

According to the county commissioners, the goal is to build a tournament quality, 12-court pickleball complex at the park, the only courts on the west side of Columbus. In November, commissioners estimated that the cost could be up to $600,000 for the facility.

This week, eight bids were opened for the project with two alternative options including a reinforced concrete surface instead of asphalt and furnishings at the site such as spectator bleachers. Base bids ranged from a low of just under $531,000 from Case Construction with a high bid of more than $837,000.

Commissioners took the bids under advisement.

Commissioners also ratified a proposal with Patriot Engineering to provide services at the pickleball site to make sure the fill dirt in the area is properly compacted which will involve soil samples and supervising that phase of the work. The county is using its own workers to prepare the site, at a substantial cost savings, but there is a substantial slope in the area. The contract is expected to last about three weeks at a cost not to exceed $15,000.

A reminder that the city of Columbus and the United Way of Bartholomew County will be holding a public forum today on how to address homelessness in the community.

The purpose of the public forum is to engage the community in the United Way’s initiative to make homelessness in Bartholomew County “rare, brief, and non-recurring.” Organizers will introduce key partners in the initiative to fight homelessness and a group discussion will be held on the topic.

The forum will be from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Donner Center, on 22nd St. It is open to the public and you are invited to attend. A dinner will be provided.

The Yellow Trail Museum will be hosting the Hope Old-Fashioned Independence Day festivities at the Hope Town Square on the Friday before the 4th of July.

Activities start at 5:30 p.m. on Friday June 28th and will include an apple pie contest, the crowning of Miss and Mr. Firecracker, a bike parade, music and fireworks.

The fireworks are scheduled to start at 10 p.m. You should bring your own chair or blanket.

The deadline is coming up on Wednesday, June 26th, for Hope area kids to enter to reign as this year’s Miss and Mr. Firecracker.

Area children between 3 and 10 years old are invited to take part. Participants are urged to decorate cans for donations and place them around town, or to solicit donations from friends and family members. Every penny raised counts as one vote.

The winners will lead the bike, trike and stroller parade around the square.

The Indiana Court of Appeals has turned down a request from a man convicted in a 2020 murder for hire in Columbus appealing his 55-year prison sentence.

Attorney General Todd Rokita is touting the decision after his office opposed the request from Eliel Avelar. Avelar argued that his mental health issues and overall character called for a lower sentence.

In February of 2020, Avelar killed Leobardo Flores, shooting him to death outside the victim’s place of work on South Marr Road and then driving Flores’ car to a nearby grocery store on State Street, abandoning it in the parking lot. The investigation revealed that Avelar had been paid $3,200 to harm Flores, because he was dating another man’s ex-girlfriend.

Avelar pled guilty to the murder in exchange for the state dropping 10 other charges.

In his appeal, Avelar said he had a history of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, self-harm and substance abuse. He claimed the crime wouldn’t have happened had he been sober and clear-headed. The appeals court did not find that convincing, as well as citing his illegal immigration status as a mark against his character.