The Columbus North Bulldog Alumni Association has announced a special tribute to a man who has been the voice of Columbus sports for more than six decades.

In recognition of his extraordinary 64-year career in broadcasting, the press box at Max Andress Field has been named in honor of Sam Simmermaker. This dedication celebrates Simmermaker’s long-standing contribution to the local sports community through his work at News Talk 1010 WCSI and 98.1 FM.

This announcement came during the pre-game of this week’s big rivalry matchup between the Columbus East Olympians and the Columbus North Bulldogs at Max Andress Field, the home of the Bulldogs.

Simmermaker began his broadcasting career in Columbus on January 1, 1960. Over the years, he became a beloved figure in the community, covering countless high school sporting events with precision and passion. His dedication to accurately reporting the achievements of local athletes, combined with his love for the game, earned him a special place in the hearts of listeners.

His long-time broadcasting partner Dick Johnson talked about the honor:

Simmermaker’s career was marked by his commitment to putting the spotlight on the athletes rather than himself. His meticulous approach to broadcasting ensured that every player’s name was pronounced correctly, and every play was described with clarity and enthusiasm. This attention to detail and his genuine love for sports made him a trusted and respected voice in Columbus.

Throughout his career, Simmermaker received numerous accolades, including multiple Indiana Sportscaster of the Year awards. His contributions to sports broadcasting were also recognized with inductions into various halls of fame, including the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. Despite these honors, Simmermaker remained focused on the joy of calling the game and connecting with his community through the airwaves.

The Bull Dog Alumni Association has been dedicated to preserving the history and traditions of the school since its formation in 2008.

As the new football season kicks off at Max Andress Field, the Sam Simmermaker Press Box stands as a tribute to a man whose voice has become synonymous with Columbus sports. This press box dedication ensures that Simmermaker’s legacy will continue to inspire future generations of broadcasters and athletes.

Fans can continue to experience the same excitement and passion that Simmermaker brought to his broadcasts by tuning in to News Talk 1010 WCSI and 98.1 FM or streaming online at 1010wcsi.com. The spirit of Sam Simmermaker lives on in every game, every broadcast, and every call made from the press box that now bears his name.

Complete audio from the Friday ceremony:

Due to the high temperatures, tonight’s football game with Columbus East playing at Columbus North has been pushed back by half an hour.

Kickoff will be at 7:30 p.m. tonight instead of 7 p.m. The Gridiron Gurus show on News Talk 1010 WCSI and 98.1 FM will start at 6:30 p.m. this evening.

Forecasters say that we have one more day where it is going to feel like it is nearly 100 degrees out. But then it will be cooling off for the holiday weekend.

The National Weather Service is forecasting real highs of 95 in our area today, with heat indexes of up to 99 by mid afternoon. But some late afternoon cloud cover and lower afternoon dew points could take the edge off of that.

By Saturday we will be looking at rain and temperatures in the 80s. Labor Day is expected to be sunny with a high of 79.

Story courtesy of Network Indiana

A man was charged with attempted murder on Thursday after prosecutors say he shot his brother and mother during a family gathering last week.

Marcus Dewayne Mundy faces preliminary charges of attempted murder, battery with a deadly weapon, and criminal recklessness with a firearm.

The affidavit says the incident started with a fight between Mundy and his brother, Montae Mitchell, at a family party for Mitchell, who was heading to Navy boot camp. Court documents reveal that Montae had been drinking heavily before the fight began.

The argument, which started over food, was broken up, but Mundy was later seen running upstairs to his room in anger.

“Firearms and heavy drinking, that’s just a combination for something really bad to happen,” said Greenwood Assistant Police Chief Matthew Fillenwarth.

The shooting happened last week at a home along Prairie Sky Lane. Police found a man and a woman suffering from gunshot wounds when they arrived at the scene.

Witnesses said they went to get their things before leaving when they heard a gun being loaded from Mundy’s room. A few minutes after the fight, Mundy came out with a military-style assault rifle and fired a shot at Mitchell from the stairs.

“It’s early on in this investigation,” said Johnson County Prosecutor Lance Hamner. “I can only imagine the tragedy and heartbreak that’s going on in that family right now. They seem like really good people, but something just went crazy.”

The town of Vernon is receiving a more than half million dollar grant to improve its wastewater system.

The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs announced the grant Thursday as part of more than $8 million in federal funding going to 14 community block grants for projects around Indiana.

Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that when the quality of life in rural Indiana is high, it improves the quality of life for the entire state.

Vernon will receive just over $515,200 thousand dollars from the Wastewater and Drinking Water program. It will allow the town to replace two lift stations and rehabilitate two more lift stations to take care of sewer overflow problems. The town will also install a a pollution control barrel at a fifth lift station to address odor issues in the area.

The South Central Indiana Master Gardener Association will be holding a seminar next month about how to store and use native seeds.

The speaker, Bill Daniels, will discuss the Indiana Native Plant Society’s Indiana Native Seed Communities project. The goal of the project is to propagate native plant species. Daniels will also discuss how to grow native plants from seeds, collect those seed and store them for later use.

The master gardener’s group is the local chapter of Purdue Extension Master Gardeners, and hosts public events and educational sessions.

The seminar will start at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 10th in the Red Room at the Bartholomew County Public Library main branch on Fifth Street.

You can get more information at scimga.org

Columbus police are investigating after a gun was reported at a local school Wednesday.

According to the Columbus Police Department, a school resource officer received a report of the gun at McDowell Education Center on McKinley Avenue. A student noticed a man in the parking lot, reaching into the back seat of an SUV and saw a gun in the back of his waistband.

Police found the vehicle and the man with the weapon was an 18-year-old who is not prohibited from carrying a weapon and is legally allowed to do so. An investigation revealed that the man was bringing a student to the school and did get out of his vehicle briefly to get into the back seat, but stayed in that area of the SUV.

Police issued a trespassing warning banning him from the school property.

All students were kept safely inside during the investigation.

Police commended the student for noticing the situation and encouraged everyone to report suspicious or dangerous activity.

Organizers of the annual Labor Day weekend concert for Our Hospice of South Central Indiana have some tips on how to enjoy Saturday night’s show.

For the first time the concert will be indoors at the Circle K Fieldhouse at Nexus Park. You can park for free at the former Fair Oaks Mall facility of 25th Street. There will also be free parking at Columbus North High School with a shuttle service provided by ColumBus Transit.

You should bring your own chairs or blankets, but you can’t bring in food or drink from outside. No weapons will be allowed and there will be a bag search. They recommend that you bring a clear bag.

There will be a beer garden this year, with beer and wine available for $5 each. You will need an ID to enter the beer garden area.

Doors will open at 4:30 with opening act Jennie DeVoe taking the stage at 5:30. She will be followed by The Rock Show: The Ultimate Tribute to Journey and headliners: The Woomblies Rock Orchestra

The annual raffle drawing will be held after the last performance.

You can get more information or buy tickets for $10 at www.ourhsopice.org/concert. If any tickets are still available Saturday, you can buy them outside of the entrance to the Fieldhouse.

The Columbus Area Arts Council is looking for local artists to spruce up picnic tables to help Heritage Fund: The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County.

According to the arts council, the painted picnic tables will be displayed at the Heritage Fund’s upcoming Love Where you Live celebration. The tables will be auctioned off with proceeds going to benefit the Heritage Fund’s community fund.

The council is looking for four artists to enhance the classic wooden picnic tables. There will be space available to make the tables at the local Propeller maker space at the airport. And artists will have access to painting supplies at the center. Each artist will be paid $500 to cover their costs.

The deadline to submit your proposal is Wednesday. You can get more information here: https://www.artsincolumbus.org/artistoportunities

Story courtesy of Network Indiana

A letter from attorneys representing the Nashville Town Council explains why they voted to remove Heather Burris as the Nashville Police Chief earlier this week.

The letter listed the reasons for firing Burris were a lack of overall police presence during busy tourist hours, lack of foot patrols, officers using patrol cars for personal use, too much overtime, and Burris living in New Palestine, which is nearly 70 miles away from Nashville.

At a meeting on Monday night, people who live in the town expressed their support for Burris.

The letter says that Burris consistently scheduled officers to work from 6 am to 6 pm Monday through Wednesday with no coverage on the evenings or during weekend despite calls from the council to Burris to provide officer coverage of the town for Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

“There have been instances where shoplifters were caught red handed and the Town police did not follow up. These are serious accusations which HB (Heather Burris) has ignored,” the letter states.

It also says that the Council wants police officers to patrol the town on foot during their shifts and give Nashville a sense of security, but she didn’t assign or require this duty to officers.

Burris lives in New Palestine. The Council’s attorney says they “orally agreed to HB remaining in her residence at the time of hire until her son graduated from high school, which he did this spring. The Council has asked HB to move within 20 miles of Nashville, which she apparently is not willing to do, as she suggested living in Indianapolis.”

The Council is accusing Burris of letting reserve officers use patrol cars on their personal time and that the “problem has not been rectified.”

They also lodge concerns about overtime that has been logged by other officers. The Council said “no sufficient explanation” was given as to why the overtime was logged. They also argue that Burris said this would change when they got a third full-time officer, “however the OT took place when there were three full-time officers on shift and those three incurred the OT.”

The Town Council also promised to provide Burris with a reference for future employers if she chose to resign immediately, which she opted not to do.