Columbus Congressman Greg Pence spoke on the floor of the U.S. House today, recognizing the victims of the October 1983 truck bombing at the U.S. Marines Barracks in Beirut, Lebanon.

Pence, a former Marines, was serving in Beirut just prior to the bombing, shipping out just 10 days before.

Pence said he will never know exactly why he was spared. And he said it was by the grace of God that he was able to come home to his wife, Denise, who was expecting their first child, Nicole.

241 people died in the Oct. 23rd attack, including 220 Marines.  Pence said he vividly recalls sitting on the roof of that barracks under an American flag, while listening to gunfire in the city.

On Friday, an Israeli missile strike killed Hezbollah leader Ibrahim Aqil who was believed to be involved in the planning of the attack.

There is a chance of some severe weather in our area today.

According to the Bartholomew County Emergency Management office, our area is under a marginal risk of severe weather.

Forecasters say that the main hazards could be damaging winds, large hail, isolated tornadoes, lightning and heavy rain. Any heavy rain could turn lead to localized flooding.

Emergency officials warn that you should never drive onto a flooded roadway. They say turn around and don’t drown.

The chance for severe weather lasts into the early evening today.

Plans are moving forward for a new pizza restaurant in The Commons in downtown Columbus.

Bloomington-based Upland Brewing Company is planning to open Blacksheep Pizza in the vacant space at the corner of Fourth and Washington Streets. Previously, the restaurant was occupied by Puccinis Smiling Teeth and most recently by Bucceto’s Pizza restaurants, but it has been vacant since June of last year.

Upland Brewing requested approval yesterday from the Columbus Redevelopment Commission for a liquor license in the city’s Riverfront District. Joshua Ratliff with Upland Brewing outlined the company’s plans for the vacant space, saying that they would be revamping and modernizing the interior. The Columbus Blacksheep Pizza is planned as the first location for the restaurant chain concept by the company. The centerpiece will be a $75 thousand dollar Italian, wood-fired pizza oven.

The restaurant is expected to have 17 employees and to seat 81 customers. The company plans to complete construction next month and hopes to open by November 1st, according to documents filed with the city.

The city controls 15 riverfront liquor licenses meant to enhance the downtown area. Heather Pope, redevelopment director for the city, said of those, eight are currently available. After approval from the redevelopment commission, the license application must be signed off on by the mayor before moving to the state liquor control authorities.

The redevelopment commission approved the riverfront liquor license request at a special meeting Monday.

Photo courtesy Carol M. Highsmith, from the Library of Congress collection.

Columbus Regional Hospital Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tom Sonderman will be retiring after serving in the role for 21 years.

According to the hospital, Sonderman joined the hospital staff as an emergency physician in 1989. He was one of the founding members of The Emergency Physicians Incorporated Columbus, or EPIC, group. He served as CRH Chief of Staff from 2001 through 2002, and became Chief Medical Officer role in 2003.

Under Sonderman’s leadership, the hospital launched the PromptMed urgent care center, started the hospitalist programs for children and adults and created Columbus Regional Health Physicians. Sonderman plans to retire in March.

The hospital will promote Associate Chief Medical Officer Dr. Lee Kiser to Chief Medical Officer after Sonderman’s retirement. Kiser has been working at CRH for more than 20 years. In addition to his leadership role, he also continues to see patients as a hospitalist.

Bartholomew County officials are extending a burn ban in the community, saying that the weekend’s spotty rainfall did little to lift the county out of dangerously dry conditions.

The burn ban was originally issued last week at the request of the county fire chiefs. Shannan Cooke, head of emergency management for the county, said that the chiefs were requesting the ban be extended for another week, however should forecast rainfall improve conditions, it could be lifted earlier.

Although parts of central Indiana received up to an inch of rain already today, we are still well below normal levels. Central Indiana averages just over 3 inches of rain in September. Before last night, the National Weather Service office in Indianapolis reported just over a third of an inch for the month.

Bartholomew County Commissioners voted to extend the ban through next Monday.

The burn ban specifically prohibits campfires and other recreational fires, open burning of any kind with the exception of grills fueled by charcoal briquettes or propane, the burning of debris, such as timber or vegetation and the use of burn barrels for any open burning at residential structures.

The burn ban also urges you to make sure any charcoal you used is fully extinguished before removing it from a grill and discourages the use of fireworks.

All of our area remains under moderate drought conditions, the lowest level of drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Under moderate conditions, creek and pond levels are low, crop growth is stunted and supplemental feed for livestock begins. The furthest southeastern and southwestern corners of Indiana are under the next worst category of severe drought conditions.

The U.S. Drought Monitor is maintained by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The Democratic and Republican candidates for Indiana House District 69 have agreed to meet in a debate hosted this week by the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and the Jackson County Visitors Center.

According to the Chamber, incumbent Republican Rep. Jim Lucas has agreed to debate his opponent, Democrat Trish Whitcomb on Wednesday evening. The debate will be held at Seymour High School’s auditorium with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. and the event to start at 7 p.m.

The debate is free and you are invited to attend.

As we head into flu season, Columbus Regional Health is urging you to take steps to keep yourself healthy, including getting a flu vaccine.

According to the local health system, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that anyone older than 6 months get an annual flu vaccine.

That is especially important if you have health conditions that make you especially vulnerable to serious or dangerous cases of the flu, or if you live with someone who is vulnerable. Those under a high risk include children younger than 5 years, pregnant women, people 65 years and older, and people with certain chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes, or heart and lung disease.

The vaccine is also recommended if have an infant younger than six months in the home, as they can not get vaccinated.

The composition of each year’s flu vaccine is updated to protect you against the flu viruses that are expected to circulate. With more than one flu vaccine available, you should talk with your healthcare provider about which option is best for you.

You can get more information on avoiding the flu here: https://www.crh.org/healthy-tomorrow/story/healthy-tomorrow/2024/09/18/take-steps-to-prevent-the-flu

An area legislator is announcing more schools in his district that will be getting grants to improve school safety.

Seymour Republican State Rep. Jim Lucas joined with other Bartholomew County legislators Ryan Lauer and Jennifer Meltzer last week to announce a quarter of a million dollars in grants to Bartholomew County schools.

Lucas is announcing more grants from the state’s Secured School Safety Grant Program in his district which includes parts of Jackson, Scott and Washington counties.

According to Lucas, some Jackson County districts to receive funds include:

•  $81,000 to both Brownstown Central Community School Corp. and Seymour Community Schools.
• $44,916 to Trinity Lutheran High School and  $40,459 to St. Peter Lutheran School
• $28,350 to Crothersville Community Schools.
• $23,754 to Medora Community School Corp.,
• $22,014 to Immanuel Lutheran School.

Other recent announcements:

• Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp., $81,000;
• Columbus Christian School Inc., $22,425;
• East Washington School Corp., $48,600;
• Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Corp.,$45,586;
• Salem Community Schools, $43,383;
• Scott County School District 1, $32,975;
• Scott County School District 2, $81,000;
• St. Bartholomew School, $26,907;
• West Washington School Corp., $40,500; and
• White Creek Lutheran School, $34,725.

The funds can be used for a wide range of safety needs including school resource officers, equipment and technology, active-event warning systems, threat assessments, and student and parent support services programs.

You can find a link for more information here: https://www.in.gov/schoolsafety/home/

An event this week will look back at the architectural design history of Bartholomew County schools focusing on Parkside Elementary.

According to the Landmark Columbus Foundation, writer Glenda Winders and photographer Hadley Fruits have been working on a research project on the Cummins architectural program’s and its effect on community schools. The Cummins architectural program funds the design of public buildings, if the architect is chosen from a list of renowned designers.

Since the 1950s, almost all community schools have been designed by the world-class architects, according to the foundation.

The Columbus Area Visitors Center is presenting a progressive preservation talk with writer Winders and her research on Parkside Elementary at 6:30 p.m. Thursday evening. The school was designed by Norman Fletcher and completed in 1962, with an expansion in 1990 according to the foundation. CSO Architects based in Indianapolis recently completed an interior renovation of the building.

There will be a reception with light refreshments followed by the talk. The event is free and you can sign up here: https://secure.givelively.org/event/landmark-columbus-foundation-inc/progressive-preservation-talks-schools-edition-parkside-elementary-school

Columbus congressman and former Marines Greg Pence is speaking out after the announcement that a Hezbollah leader was killed in an Israeli missile strike over the weekend.

The Lebanese health ministry says the missile strike leveled an apartment building in a densely populated neighborhood in south Beirut on Friday, killing 37 people including 16 senior commanders of the militant group. Those dead included commander Ibrahim Aqil. Pence says that Aqil was involved in the planning of the 1983 bombing of the Marines barracks in Beirut, an attack that Pence missed by a matter of days when he was serving in the Corps.

241 people died in the Oct. 23rd attack, including 220 Marines.

Pence says that the attack was one of the moist lethal days for the Marines since World War II. He says “their sacrifice was the ultimate tragedy, and every day, I think about those whose lives were cruelly taken from us in the attack. This moment is another step closer to justice. To my fallen comrades and their families, I say Semper Fi.”

Pence’s unit shipped out from Lebanon, just 10 days prior to the bombing.

Aqil is also linked to the bombing of the U.S. embassy earlier in 1983.

TTWN Media Networks contributed to this report