The city of Columbus will spend more than $1.1 million in upgrades to Deaver Road as part of a package meant to help Toyota Material Handling with its $100 million plant expansion there.

The Columbus Redevelopment Commission brought the project to the City Council this week, asking to spend the money to support more industrial traffic in the area. Those include widening roads and installing ditches along County Roads 225W and 300S, re-aligning County Road 225W and adding a crosswalk across Deaver Road, widening Deaver Road and installing a new sanitary sewer line to the plant.

In May, Toyota broke ground on the planned expansion which would add a new 295,000 square foot plant for electric forklifts and add 85 manufacturing jobs. Company executives said that about 65 percent of the forklift market had turned to electric products. Production is expected to start at the new plant in 2026.

The city has since annexed and rezoned the site of the new plant.

The money for the street improvements would come from the city’s Central Tax Increment Financing allocation area.

The city has set limits on the redevelopment commission, requiring City Council approve of any spending of more than $500 thousand dollars.

Council approved the expenditure at its meeting Tuesday night.

The Columbus Area Arts Council will be having a monster of an event on Friday evening, celebrating the opening of a monster themed art exhibit at the 411 Gallery, but also the first historic reports of a Mill Race Monster.

According to the arts council, local lore says a mysterious, green, hairy creature was reportedly sighted in Mill Race Park 50 years ago.

The Monster Show art exhibit features three local artists exploring themes of folklore, fear, and the unknown. Artists taking part are Laurie Wright, Kevin Zeigler and Curtis Harwell. The exhibit is going on until November 8 at the gallery.

Friday night’s monster reception will be from 6 to 9 p.m.. The 411 Gallery is at 411 Sixth Street downtown.

You can get more information here: https://www.artsincolumbus.org/411

Bartholomew County courts continue to see rising need for interpreter services.

The Bartholomew County Council was asked this week to approve moving funds within the budget of Bartholomew Superior Court No. 2 in order to continue funding interpretation work and other services.

Judge Jon Rohde explained that the county has seen an explosion in the need for outside services including help with competency evaluations and appeal costs for indigent clients. But he said the need remains high for translation service, requiring the court to double its use of translation for Spanish speakers.  The court is also seeing more obscure languages with his courtroom requiring interpreters for Haitian Creole and Swahili one afternoon a month among others.

Rohde came before the council earlier this year to move funds for the translation requirements, which he said he is mandated by law to provide.

The council approved moving $10 thousand dollars from machinery and equipment maintenance into the contracts for court interpreters.

Two Seymour men are being accused of stealing a large amount of copper wire and other items from a business earlier this month.

According to the Seymour Police Department, officers were called to the Home Products business on North Chestnut Street on October 4th about a burglary. According to company officials, someone made off with the wire, along with rolls of copper and battery powered tools. They estimated the loss at more than $9,000.

After following up on leads, police arrested 28-year-old Colin B. Erwin of Seymour last week, and 45-year-old Michael Miller of Seymour Tuesday in the case. Both are facing charges of burglary and theft.

Police say that they have recovered some of the stolen property and the investigation is ongoing.

It is chilly out there this morning. The National Weather Service in Indianapolis has issued a frost advisory that remains in effect until 9

Thursday morning could be even colder with a chance of freezing temperatures in the area. If we do get the first freeze of the season, we would be right on time according to weather service records. The normal first freeze date in our area is October 15th in Columbus and October 16th in Bloomington. The latest freeze date in Columbus came in 1919, on November 6th, with the earliest coming on September 6th of 1924. Weather service records go back to 1893 here.

Columbus trick-or-treaters will be able to have their Halloween from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on October 31st.

According to the city, if you would like to provide treats for the kids, you should leave your outside lights on.

The city is also encouraging drivers to be extra alert because of the increased numbers of pedestrians on city streets.

A Columbus business will be constructing a new wastewater treatment plant to handle 500 gallons of water a minute as part of its expansion plans.

Ninth Avenue Foods appeared before Columbus City Council last night, requesting a tax abatement on a $55 million improvement project at its site just off of Deaver Road.

According to company officials, the company is planning to add more than 8,700 square feet to the factory on South Bartholomew County Road 175W. The company plans to invest $3 million in real property and another $52 million in new manufacturing equipment.

The largest investment will be for a new bottle filling line that can fill 600 bottles a minute. That will be $35 million and will also require new warehousing include refrigeration and racking equipment for another $10 million dollars. The new wastewater treatment plant is required to meet the company’s wastewater permits and will be another $10 million.

According to the company’s filing with the city, the investment will allow it to retain 115 jobs and it plans to add 50 jobs over the next two years with an average wage of more than $26 an hour.

Columbus City Council approved the tax abatement request Tuesday night.

Exhibit Columbus will be holding its symposium next week, the highlight of the first half of its two-year cycle of events culminating in installations around the city next year.

Exhibit Columbus works in two year cycles, with a symposium year of planning and discussions with selected designers, followed by a year with installations at various architectural and significant locations around the city. This is the fifth two-year cycle for Exhibit Columbus, which launched in 2016.

The theme of this year’s Exhibit Columbus is “Yes and”, a phrase used by storytellers and improv artists to encourage more conversation and creativity.

The symposium will be October 24th and 25th, at three key locations downtown — The Commons, Crump Theatre and First Christian Church. There will also be visits to the sites where the Miller Prize winners will be creating installations next year. Those will include installations at The Crump Theatre, the former Irwin Block Building, the Jackson Street Parking Garage and the sunken courtyard at First Christian Church.

The symposium will start at 9 a.m. Thursday, October 24th at The Commons with a keynote presentation by the Miller Prize recipients.

Registration is free and includes the presentations and a comedy showcase.

You can find a complete schedule of events and a link to register here: https://secure.givelively.org/event/landmark-columbus-foundation-inc/exhibit-columbus-symposiumE

The Bartholomew County Historical Society is planning a spooky downtown tour the day after Halloween.

The society will be holding “Haunted History: Downtown’s Paranormal Past,” a self guided tour of seven downtown locations. It will combine features of the Talking Tombstones of previous years with the Open Door Tour, organizers say.

Actors will portray historical figures, giving stories from their lives and the locations where they once lived. Paranormal expert Matthew Jackson will share experiences he has had at various downtown locations with presentations at The Crump Theatre. And Paul Hoffman, author of Wicked Columbus, will be speaking at Viewpoint Books: Chapter Two location.

The event will be going on from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday Nov. 1st. Tickets are $20/person in advance or $25/person day of event. Children 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult and will also require a ticket.

All proceeds benefit the Bartholomew County Historical Society. You can get tickets by calling 812-372- 3541 or stopping by the historical society museum on Third Street. You can get more information here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/haunted-history-downtowns-paranormal-past-tour-tickets-1026566918287

You can have some family fun with Seymour emergency workers coming up on Thursday night.

The Seymour Parks and Recreation Department and Turning Point Domestic Violence Services will be offering a Community Heroes and Family Game Night from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Seymour Community Center on Chestnut Street.

Organizers say that you will be able to play card games, board games, yard games and win prizes with family, friends and local community service heroes. There will be a variety of games and activities suitable for all ages. There will also be a free pasta meal and Costumes are welcome.

The game night is free but registration is required. You can sign up at Seymour City Hall, by phone at 812-522-6420 or you can find a link for more information or to sign up here: https://seymourin.recdesk.com/community/program