First Presbyterian Church in Columbus will be offering mental health support and working to reduce the stigma around mental health care under a new program.

Called the Heads Up Mental Health Initiative, the yearlong program will feature a kickoff event this weekend. Deacons at the church received a grant from the Center of Congregations, funded by the Lilly Endowment. The grant will help fund trained facilitators for mental health support groups, professional speakers and counselors. The Heads Up initiative will support people across the community who need to access mental health support. It will also offer information for those who want to learn more about mental health resources and training.

There will be adult and youth support groups, starting in March. The adult meetings will be every other Saturday afternoon starting on March 1st, while the youth group ill e every other Tuesday evening starting on March 4th.

The kickoff event will feature a seminar on Saturday with Dr. Marcus Carlson. Carlson, a speaker on mental health and the church, will talk about stigma in the church and offer practical advice on recognizing and addressing mental health issues. The seminar is at the church will start at 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. The seminar is free and you are invited to attend.

For more information you can email [email protected]. First Presbyterian Church is at 512 7th Street in Columbus.

The city of Columbus wants to hear your thoughts on the direction for the downtown.

The Downtown Columbus 2030 plan is meant to guide the city planners and developers in several specific areas. The plan is meant to expand on previous efforts such as Envision Columbus, which was completed in 2018.

Mayor Mary Ferdon explained recently.

The efforts kicked off in November and the city has contracted with the Sasaki engineering firm from Boston and a financial firm from Chicago to take a fresh look at the city efforts to revitalize the area.

A community workshop is set for Thursday, Jan. 23rd from 4 to 7 p.m. at The Commons.

Note: This story has been updated

Columbus Fire Department battled a small blaze hidden in a home yesterday on the northeast side of the city.

According to Capt. Mike Wilson, spokesman for the fire department, residents of a home in the 5100 block of Montpelier Court smelled smoke in a bedroom and called 911 at just after 11 a.m. When firefighters arrived, they were able to confirm smoke in the home. A thermal imaging camera was used and discovered heat in a bathroom wall.

After firefighters opened the wall they found a small fire and extinguished it. On the other side they found a ventless gas fireplace. After removing drywall they discovered charred wall framing around the fireplace. Investigators say that heat from the fireplace caused the wooden building materials to burn undetected inside the wall.

The home is occupied by two residents and they have two dogs. No one was injured.

Damages are estimated at $10,000.

The Red Cross is assisting the family.

Photo courtesy of Columbus Fire Department

The Mental Health Matters Coalition in Bartholomew County will be holding an event on Thursday where you can meet with the community’s Health Equity Ambassadors and learn more about the program.

The ambassadors come from various corners of the community and have been trained in mental health, mental health first aid. They then help to steer those in their smaller communities to mental health resources.

You will also be able to view materials for the Standing Up Against Stigma campaign. And there will be a wellness session provide by Ignite Wellbeing.

The meeting will be from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday at YES Cinema at Jackson and Fourth Streets in downtown Columbus. You are invited to attend.

You can get more information at mhmbc.org

We are looking at less than half an inch of snow today, but bitterly cold temperatures return tonight.

Forecasters with the National Weather Service in Indianapolis are predicting light snow in our area until early afternoon with temperatures as low as -2 tonight with light winds. Wind chills could make it feel as low as 15 to 20 degrees below zero.

Due to the expected cold, the city of Columbus and Bartholomew County are operating warming centers. The city is opening a warming station at Donner Center off of 22nd Street.

You will be able to stop by the shelter from 8 to 5 today to get warm. Animals are welcome at Donner Center, but they must be kept in crates and will be kept in a designated part of the facility. After 5 today, Brighter Days will continue to offer shelter services to those in need.

The Bartholomew County Public Library branches are also open as warming centers. The main branch on Fifth Street in Columbus is open from 9 to 8 today. The Hope Branch will be open from 10 to 7 today.

Indiana State Police are helping to raise awareness of human trafficking with a campaign this week.

According to troopers, the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division is partnering with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance to distribute outreach materials to commercial drivers as part of commercial vehicle inspections during the awareness initiative this week. Police say commercial drivers are in a unique position to identify potential incidents of human trafficking. The goal of the campaign is to give drivers the tools to recognize and report signs of human trafficking.

The alliance and the Indiana State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division collaborate with the Truckers Against Trafficking group in the fight against human trafficking.

Human traffickers often use violence, fraudulent employment agencies, and fake promises of education and job opportunities to trick and coerce their victims.

You can get more information at https://truckersagainsttrafficking.org

The IU Columbus athletics program will continue to use the Ceraland sports facilities after renewing their partnership agreement.

According to the school, IU Columbus adds 122 members to the Ceraland membership, giving student athletes access to the gymnasiums, baseball and softball facilities at Ceraland. That access will include team practices, home games, and special athletic events. Which means, Ceraland will continue to serve as the home field for Crimson Pride sports including cross country, volleyball, baseball and softball.

IU Columbus teams began using Ceraland facilities in early 2022 and this extends that original agreement.

Student athletes in the Crimson Pride program participate in men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, women’s volleyball, softball, and baseball. This year the school is adding men’s and women’s basketball, track and field, and competitive cheer and dance teams.

For more information you can go to iuccrimsonpride.com.

Bartholomew County commissioners are frustrated after someone has repeatedly cut down and stolen an illuminated stop sign meant to save lives at a deadly intersection.

County Engineer Danny Hollander said during his weekly update to the commissioners yesterday that the solar-powered sign at the intersection of County Roads 100S and 525E has gone missing again. But where a standard metal stop sign costs about $60 to replace, the illuminated signs cost $1,000 or more, Hollander said.

Hollander said that this is the second time the sign has been stolen, but the first time the thieves made off with signs going both directions. It appears that someone used a reciprocating saw to cut the sign post.

Commissioner Tony London said that the county highway department went to an illuminated stop sign at the intersection because of repeated instances of drivers running through the intersection without stopping, leading to at least one fatal accident in recent months.

Commissioners President Carl Lienhoop said he would like to make a more permanent, reinforced solution to stop the thefts, but Hollander said that regulations require signs to be breakaway to protect drivers.

Commissioner Larry Kleinhenz said his first thought was that a nearby resident cut the sign because of aggravation over the bright, flashing lights. But there are no nearby residents affected. He urged anyone who knows of the location of the sign to report it to authorities.

Bartholomew and all of its surrounding counties remain under a yellow travel advisory this morning.

According to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Jackson, Jennings, Johnson and Shelby counties are under the lowest level of travel restrictions. Under a travel advisory, routine travel may be restricted in areas because of a hazardous situation, and you should use caution or avoid those areas.

A Jennings County police dog found a wanted man hiding inside a wall during a warrant service last week in Country Squire Lakes.

According to the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, deputies went to the 1600 block of Hollyton Court on Thursday to serve felony warrants on 44 year old Shaun Jones and 43-year-old Sheila Keller. Deputies announced their presence and could hear talking from inside but no one answered the door. After forcing their way inside where they arrested Keller. A search by police dog Creed and his handler Deputy Max Marcoux found Jones in a hidden compartment. After a struggle with the dog and deputies, Jones was take into custody.

Deputies found narcotics in plain view in the home and after a search warrant was issued recovered methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.