Our Hospice of South Central Indiana will be holding a fish fry fundraiser Friday to support its efforts to provide care and support to patients in the community.

Donations will be accepted for the meal, which is estimated to have a $10 value. Each dinner meal will include a fish sandwich, mac and cheese, baked beans and tarter sauce. You can dine-in or drive through.

There will also be live music from noon to 2 p.m. from Colby Lovins. Organizers say that Lovins is a recent Columbus North High School graduate whose senior project was to perform for patients at the Hospice Center in Columbus.

This year’s event will be at the Eagles Lodge at 930 Washington Street, from 11 until 8 p.m. If you are driving through, you are asked to enter off of Jackson Street, turning east onto 9th Street and then left into the Eagles parking lot.

Our Hospice of South Central Indiana, founded in 1980, is a not-for-profit, community-based hospice providing care in 16 counties with offices in Columbus, North Vernon and Greensburg.

You can get more information at ourhospice.org.

Note: This story has been edited

A Good Samaritan died yesterday after trying to help a fellow motorist on U.S. 31 in southern Bartholomew County.

According to the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, deputies were called to the crash scene on U.S. 31 at West County Road 800N at about 12:11 p.m. in the afternoon. They found a man with significant injuries who had been struck by a vehicle. Deputies say that he had stopped to help a driver with a disabled vehicle. That’s when he was struck by another vehicle and he died from his injuries.

The crash is being investigated by the Bartholomew County Accident Reconstruction team. More information is not yet available and the victim’s name has not yet been released.

Carpenters in the Columbus area are some of the best paid in similar sized communities in the country, according to a new study.

According to Construction Coverage, a website that provides construction insurance guides, Columbus ranked 10th among the small metropolitan areas nationwide in the study. The study adjusted pay rates for the cost of living in all metropolitan areas to rank its comparisons.

The website says that carpenters in the Columbus area, earn an actual median wage of $64,510, compared to the $46,070 median wage for all workers.

Nationally, the median annual wage for carpenters was $56,350 last year, up nearly 10 percent from 2022. The site says that carpenters earn more than other construction trades, and more than the average of all occupations.

By state, Hawaii, Illinois and Wisconsin offer the highest wages for carpenters, adjusted by cost of living.

The entire study results are available here: https://constructioncoverage.com/research/best-paying-cities-for-carpenters

A state grant could help expand wellness opportunities for seniors in Jennings County.

The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority is announcing a fundraising campaign for improved accessibility for a yoga studio in Vernon, under the state’s CreatINg Places program.

The project would be for a chair lift to the second floor of the building housing Perceptions Yoga, Mindfulness & Art, Inc. Organizers with non profit organization have until Sept. 15th to raise their half of the funds, or $20,000.

Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, called the project an excellent example of using the CreatINg places partnerships to benefit an entire community. She said this project “will increase access to recreation, promote healthy lifestyles and improve the overall quality of life for Jennings County senior citizens.”

This campaign is part of the CreatINg Livable Communities Partnership between AARP Indiana and CreatINg Places that assists Indiana communities with projects for aging in place. In addition to matching funds from state, this project is eligible for up to $5,000 in matching funds from AARP Indiana.

The CreatINg Places program began in 2016 and matches funds for projects submitted by non-profit groups and local governments up to a $50,000 thousand dollar state match. So far, more than $11.1 million in public funds have been donated for Indiana projects, generating $9.3 million in state matching grants.

Funds are being raised through the patronicity web portal. You can find a link here: https://www.patronicity.com

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.

A new book about Columbus and its modern architecture was officially released worldwide yesterday.

Landmark Columbus Foundation organized the funding for the new book, “American Modern: Community, Architecture, Columbus, Indiana.” The book is described as the first in-depth history of Columbus focusing on the forces that produced the pre-eminent laboratory of architectural modernism in the U.S.

The book’s author Matt Shaw is a Columbus native. He is the former executive editor of The Architect’s Newspaper, and his writing has appeared in the New York Times, The Guardian, and Architectural Review. The book features new photography by Iwan Baan; and was designed by Alex Lin.

Last week, Landmark Columbus organized launch parties for the book, with one in Columbus at the former North Christian Church and the second at the Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis.

Locally, you will be able to purchase the book at Viewpoint Books and at the Columbus Area Visitors Center. You can get more information at landmarkcolumbusfoundation.org

A more than $20 million affordable housing project can move forward after Columbus City Council approved a tax break for the project and a grant to help with funding. The project by Thrive Alliance is planned at the former Columbus Health and Rehabilitation center site on Midway Street

The apartments, to be called Haw Creek Meadows, would be aimed at seniors and working families. Thrive Alliance’s Housing Partnerships program would construct the new housing on the just over 7 and a half acre property that now contains a dilapidated, unused building. The agency plans to add 64 units in a four-story building initially with another similar building possible.

The agency asked Columbus City Council this week to approve a tax abatement that would save the agency about $1.8 million in property taxes over the next 10 years. Under a tax abatement, the property taxes are phased in gradually.

Thrive Alliance also requested a $4.6 million grant from the city’s tax increment financing funds to help with the costs.

City Council approved all the requests unanimously, with councilwoman Grace Kestler abstaining.

Last month, the council approved a rezoning of the property from a public or semi-public facility use to multi-family residential.

Decatur County workers were left to clean up a disgusting mess this weekend.

According to the Decatur County Health Department, the Adams Fire Department was called to the scene of a dumping incident on Sunday, where buckets full of human waste were found in a ditch on Decatur County Road 500N. The health department was called to the scene and found 13 5-gallon buckets filled with human waste.

A crew from the Decatur County Highway Department cleaned up the mess, disposed of the waste buckets and decontaminated the scene.

The Health Department warns that dumping is a Class C infraction and you could be punished with a fine of up to $1,000.

Photo courtesy of Decatur County Health Department.

Bartholomew County firefighters had to fight a barn fire for more than three hours in Sunday’s heat after finding out it was intentionally set.

According to the German Township Volunteer Fire Department, county firefighters were called to the 9000 block of East County Road 500N at about 7:30 p.m. in the evening Sunday about a large wood and metal barn full of straw on fire. However, the owner of the property told the firefighters that he was intentionally burning the building down.

Firefighters still had to put the fire out. They want to remind you that it is illegal to burn down structures unless you have the proper permits from the state and safety measures in place.

Photo courtesy of German Township Volunteer Fire Department

IU Columbus will be holding walk in hours next week for both admitted students and prospective ones to meet with admissions counselors.

According to the school, the sessions are meant to help students wherever they are in the admissions process. You care encouraged to stop by whether a high school junior or senior, a college student already or an adult considering a return to school. You will be able to learn about undergraduate and graduate programs, get assistance with the application process, take a campus tour and ask questions.

Organizers say that the theme of the week is “Plant Your Roots at IU Columbus.” Everyone attending will receive seeds for a redbud and a tulip tree, planting cups, soil and wildflower seed paper.

The information sessions will be from 9 to 4 next Monday through Friday. You should show up at the admissions office. Reservations are not required but if you want to set a time you can go to http://go.iu.edu/columbus-visit