Schneck Medical Center in Seymour has a new chairman of its board of trustees.

The hospital is announcing that Jack L. McCory is assuming the position of chairman of the board of directors. McCory joined the Schneck Board in 2009 and has held positions including trustee, vice-[resident, and vice-chairman.

Outgoing chairman Rick L. Smith will transition to the role of past-chairman.

During Smith’s time as chairman, Schneck has completed several large projects including expanding services to Washington County, constructing the Cancer Center and developing the Outpatient Care Center.

Smith and McCory oversaw the completion of the Schneck Professional Building, the five-story 80,000 square foot doctor’s office building with an attached parking garage.

The change went into effect on Monday.

Photo: New patient rooms were unveiled Monday as part of Schneck Medical Center’s third floor 3 North Inpatient Unit renovations.

Ivy Tech Community College will be hosting a nature walk on Saturday to learn more about the local natural environment. The school’s biology professors are hosting the series of hikes with the next along the Driftwood River near Edinburgh.

The hike is open to the public, and you are invited to attend. You should dress appropriately for the outdoors and the weather. Hikers will meet at 10 a.m. in the morning in the first paved parking area at the Driftwood State Fishing Area. That’s at 8825 S. U.S. 31, near Edinburgh.

If you are planning to take part and have binoculars, you should bring them. The college will have some sets on hand you can use.

For more information you can contact Dr. Tom Sobat at [email protected].

A Jennings County man is facing new charges after deputies serving an arrest warrant discovered he was carrying methamphetamine.

According to the Jennings County sheriff’s Department, deputies went to the 2000 block of West County Road 400S Monday to find John Meisberger, who was wanted on two felony warrants from Jennings Circuit Court on charges of possession of methamphetamine and of a narcotic.

The officers found Meisberger in the driveway and he was taken into custody without incident. But as they searched him they discovered about 20 grams of methamphetamine in his clothing.

In addition to the warrants, he is also now facing a new charge of possession of methamphetamine.

The city of Columbus has launched a survey to get your thoughts on a new downtown plan.

Bonnie Boatwright, project manager for the city, told the redevelopment commission this week that the survey to help develop the Downtown Columbus 2030 plan is available now on the city’s website.

The Downtown Columbus 2030 plan will expand on previous efforts such as Envision Columbus, which was completed in 2018. The goal is to develop actionable items at specifically targeted spots in the downtown area.

Boatwright said that the survey has already had more than 700 responses.

The survey is open until March 2nd You can find a link to the survey at columbus.in.gov

Hope residents will be talking on Sunday with their furry weather forecaster.

The town will again be holding Groundhog Day festivities on the Town Square on Sunday featuring the groundhog Hope, a resident of Utopia Wildlife Rehabilitators. This is the 12th year for the festivities in the northeastern Bartholomew County community and the fifth year for Hope the groundhog to take part.

Music will begin and the crowd will start gathering at 8 a.m. with the groundhog weather prediction at 8:30 a.m. After Hope’s prediction is interpreted, warm drinks and snacks will be available at the Yellow Trail Museum on the northwest side of the Town Square.

The Hope Groundhog Day celebration is organized by Main Street of Hope and Utopia Wildlife rehabilitators with help from Indiana Main Street and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs.

First Financial Bank says that its associates donated more than $200 thousand dollars and 1000 hours of volunteer time in Columbus and Bartholomew County last year .

The Cincinnati based bank tallied its giving campaign in a report this week, with more than $4.6 million in donations across the four states it serves.

According to the bank, First Financial and its Foundation made donations last year to groups including :

• $42,833 to the United Way of Bartholomew County
•  $33,000 to ARC of Bartholomew County
• $17,800 to Su Casa Columbus
• $17,500 to Foundation For Youth
• $11,500 to Turning Point Domestic Violence Services

For its most recent Community Benefits Agreement, through 2028, the bank has commitments to provide $2.4 billion in lending and investments to low- and moderate-income clients and neighborhoods as well as and a goal of $18 million in philanthropy. The bank supports organizations with programs on affordable housing, workforce development, housing counseling and financial and economic inclusion.

A free, adult high school education program run by Goodwill Industries is accepting applications for classes in Bartholomew County.

The Excel Center in Bartholomew County is designed for busy adults who need flexibility and extra support to complete their education. According to the American Community Survey, more than 4,000 Bartholomew County residents over the age of 25 lack a high school diploma.

The Excel Center offers flexible scheduling, life coaching, job certifications, transportation assistance, child care and more to support adult students with dependents and responsibilities outside of the classroom.

To enroll or learn more you can go to excelcenter.org.

Bartholomew County officials are standing against a statehouse proposal that would push counties to enact a new tax on vehicle registrations in order to receive some grant funds.

At their meeting this week, commissioners approved committing $1.5 million to serve as a match for the state Community Crossing grants applications. But they also said that this could be the last year for the county to receive the funds.

That’s because of a proposal in the Indiana House which would require counties to enact a wheel tax to be eligible for the grant funds. The grant money is used for road improvement projects in communities.

Commissioner Tony London said that the Community Crossings money already comes from gas taxes and is essentially the county applying to get back a share of those revenues and requires a matching grant. The grants are available for up to $1.5 million, which gives the county the ability to spend $3 million on roads. London said Bartholomew is one of about a third of the state’s counties yet to enact a wheel tax.

Commissioners President Carl Lienhoop said that Bartholomew is able to pay those matching funds without needing to raise a wheel tax. But he said that some smaller, more rural counties struggle to raise those matching funds, even though they only must raise a lower percentage than larger counties.

Commissioners said that they are committed to not raising taxes unnecessarily and said that the Bartholomew County Council also opposes the idea of raising a wheel tax.

The city of Columbus will be working on plans for a scaled-back riverfront project in the downtown area, under proposals approved this week by the Columbus Redevelopment Commission.

The city had previously sought to provide a more sweeping overhaul to the riverfront area near the Second and Third Street bridges including in-river recreation. However despite two rounds of bids, costs came back much higher than expected.

This week, the commission approved a $292 thousand dollar agreement with Hitchcock Design Group to narrow the project, concentrating on immediate health and safety concerns, such as the eroding landfill site on the west side of the river, the removal of the low-head dam, lighting and pedestrian walkways in the area connecting the People Trail. The new plans would get rid of all in-river recreation areas.

The redevelopment commission also approved a $454 thousand dollar agreement with EDCO General Contractors to begin site preparation work on the west side of the river. That will include tree removal and road construction to give access to the area for the dam removal and stabilization of the riverbank where it is eroding.

Photo courtesy of City of Columbus Redevelopment Department

Jackson County has been awarded more than $37,000 in federal funds to held feed and shelter residents in need.

According to the Jackson County United Way, the funds are being made available through the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency under the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program.

The money will be made available in three phases with $10,779 to be spent by March 31st, $14,439 by December 31st and another $12,675 also tentatively to be spent by Dec. 31st.

A local board has been created to help expand the capacity of food and shelter programs. The board will determine how the funds awarded to Jackson County are to be distributed among the emergency food and shelter programs in the area.

Qualified agencies are invited to apply for the funds. There are some criteria such as agencies must be a private non-profit or government agency, have an accounting system and have demonstrated the ability to delivery emergency food and shelter.

The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. in the afternoon on Monday, Feb. 17th.

To apply you must contact Maci Baurle; Executive Director at Jackson County United Way by calling 812-522-5450 ext. 6 or email [email protected].