A refurbished iconic Columbus artwork will be receiving a new home downtown this week.

According to the Columbus Area Arts Council, the red metallic Flamenco structure will be reinstalled at the entrance to Mill Race Park on Eighth Street between Lindsey and Brown Streets.

The artwork, by Ruth Aizuss Migdal, had been installed outside The Commons at Fourth and Washington Streets. However, it was removed earlier this year for routine maintenance including welding repairs and new paint. It was originally installed in downtown Columbus during the 2014 Columbus Sculpture Biennial organized by the arts council and is now owned by the city of Columbus, purchased with community donations.

The new location is part of a “Mill Race Park Gateway” project by Landmark Columbus Foundation. The gateway, designed by Hitchcock Design Group, is meant to improve the connections between the downtown area, the Columbus Transit facility, Mill Race Center, Mill Race Park and the People Trails. Partners on the gateway project also include Mill Race Center, Columbus Regional Health’s (Healthy Communities Initiative), the Landmark Farm Foundation, the Lincoln Central Neighborhood Family Center, and the city of Columbus.

There will be an dedication ceremony for the new installation on Thursday from 11 a.m.  to noon starting at the Cummins LiveWell Center at 806 Jackson Street, then moving 8th and Brown Streets for the gateway opening and rededication of the sculpture.

The Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a legislative preview luncheon starting at 11:30 a.m. today at Columbus City Hall.

State Senator Greg Walker, and Representatives Ryan Lauer and Jennifer Meltzer will be on hand to answer questions and talk about the upcoming session.

Topics will include how to improve early learning programs, the design of career-based learning programs, water management, tort reform, healthcare costs reduction and more.

The luncheon is sponsored by Milestone Contractors.

The Crump Theatre is hosting boxing-related events this weekend after being chosen for the Indiana Silver Gloves tournament.

Organizers say it is a first for the theater.

Silver Gloves is a youth boxing competition for kids ages 8 to 16. The tournament is being hosted by Columbus PAL Boxing.

Jess Schnepp project coordinator for the Crump renovations explains:

Schnepp said from her research, this is the first such event held in the more than 130 year history of the theater. She explains what will have to happen to transform the theater into a boxing venue.

Tonight there will be a social event and showing of the movie Creed 3 starting at 7 p.m. and Saturday’s fights start at 3 p.m. with the doors opening at 2 p.m.

Tickets range from $5 for children 12 and under for Saturday’s bouts, to $35 to include the Friday night movie showing and  social event.

You can get more information at RPGMainEvent.com.

Photo courtesy of Crump Theater

A more than $14 million improvement project for the East Fork White River in downtown Columbus is moving forward after winning approval from Columbus City Council this week.

The council was asked this week to approve spending up to $11.6 million for the project, on top of more than $2.4 million raised through grants and donations.

The project would remove the low-head dam between the Second and Third street bridges, shore up the riverbanks, provide for in-water recreation and other improvements. The city would also make the final connection of the People Trail under the Robert N. Stewart bridge finishing a complete loop around the city.

Several residents said they were opposed to parts of the project, citing concerns over the $3.9 million in recreational improvements, the need for the in-river recreation and the low water levels in the river.

The Columbus Redevelopment Commission recommended the spending last month, but it has a cap of $500 thousand dollars before spending must be approved by City Council. The council gave its first approval for the project this week. Councilman Frank Miller was the single vote against the proposal.

A couple was arrested after fleeing from a stolen car on Interstate 74 after a Decatur County deputy first noticed the vehicle was driving with only one headlight.

According to the Decatur County Sheriff’s Department, the incident started at about 7:45 p.m. Tuesday night when the deputy noticed the missing light and that the driver was speeding. The deputy pulled the vehicle over, but after momentarily stopping, the driver took off at speeds of up to 110 mph, heading into Shelby County. Shelby County deputies used tire deflation devices to bring the vehicle to a stop, but a man and a woman carrying an infant jumped out of the passenger side door and ran from the vehicle.

Deputies captured the man, who was identified as 21-year-old Joseph L. Butler of Indianapolis. The woman, 22 year old Tyshiana A.S. Fultz, also of Indianapolis was soon found. The 11-month old baby was determined to be the couple’s child.

Deputies say that the vehicle had been reported stolen out of Marion County and that Butler was wanted on two outstanding Marion County warrants. A search of the vehicle recovered a magazine for a firearm and a search of the area where Butler was captured recovered a weapon that matched the magazine.

Butler was arrested on preliminary charges of unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon, Neglect of a Dependent, Resisting Law Enforcement and possession of Marijuana.

Fultz is being accused of resisting Law Enforcement, neglect of a dependent, possession of marijuana and reckless driving.

Their child was taken into protective custody by the Indiana Department of Child Services.

Two Columbus East High School seniors have been chosen as the recipients of the 2024 Bartholomew County Lilly Endowment Community scholarships.

Heritage Fund – The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County is announcing that Nadia Harris and Sivangi Patel would be receiving the scholarships.

Harris is the daughter of Emily Harris. She has been active in Key Club, Women’s Varsity Soccer, Student Assembly, Best Buddies, Student Government and National Honor Society. She plans to major in biology.

Patel is the daughter of Nainesh and Avantika Patel. She has been active in National Honor Society, Women’s Tennis, Youth Leadership Bartholomew County, Key Club and Health Occupation Students of America. She plans to pursue a nursing major.

The two were chosen from 50 applications this year to Heritage Fund: The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County. Other finalists were J.R. Hughes, Henry Ulrich and Monica Santana from Columbus East. From Columbus North High School: Seth Poindexter. From CSA-New Tech: Janelly Villalobos and from Hauser Jr-Sr High School: Colin Kistler, Isabella Kilps and Grace Hattabaugh.

Lilly Endowment Community Scholarships provide for full tuition, required fees and up to $900 per year for required books and equipment. They are meant for students planning four years of undergraduate study on a full-time basis leading to a bachelor’s degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university.

Since they were started in 1998, 55 Bartholomew County students have been named Lilly Endowment Community Scholars.

A controversial downtown Columbus apartment complex is moving forward with a $5.8 million loan from the city, despite a sometimes angry crowd largely protesting the spending.

The Columbus Redevelopment Commission last month recommended the forgivable loan be approved for developer Flaherty & Collins to build an estimated 50-apartment complex on the small lot at Sixth and Washington Streets beside the Cummins parking garage. But because the loan is greater than the commission’s $500 thousand dollar spending limit, it came before the City Council this week.

The developer plans to spend about $11 million for the project, but are turning to the city for another $5.8 million in financing to make the project work. The company, which is also building the Taylor apartments next to the Bartholomew County Jail, plans to construct a complex with first floor commercial space and apartments above. The apartments are expected to rent for local market rates, in the neighborhood of $1,300 a month according to the developer.

Many residents spoke out against the project, with concerns about why the city is subsidizing a higher-end apartment building, when there is such a need for affordable, low-income housing in the city. They also were upset about the loss of the green space on the empty lot.

The loan funds would come from the city’s tax increment financing district revenue, which comes from the growth in property taxes in the city’s special taxing units.

The Columbus City Council gave its first approval to the loan at its meeting this week, approving three separate but related measures. Four council members voted for the proposals which created a special taxing unit at the property, a development agreement with Flaherty & Collins, and the loan itself. Council members Jerone Wood and Grace Kestler voted against the proposals. Councilwoman Elaine Hilber abstained from the votes because she works for Cummins.

Photo courtesy of Hadley Fruits for Landmark Columbus Foundation.

An Interstate 65 on ramp in Seymour will be closing for several hours today while crews work in the area.

According to the Indiana Department of Transportation, maintenance crews will be closing the northbound on ramp to Interstate 65 from westbound U.S. 50 starting at about 4 p.m. this afternoon while crews patch the pavement. The ramp is expected to reopen later Thursday evening. The work schedule is dependent on the weather.

INDOT asks that you slow down, drive without distractions and be alert to worker safety in all work zones.

Columbus firefighters say that a family escaped a mobile home fire Wednesday morning that was sparked by an unattended candle.

According to the Columbus Fire Department, firefighters were called to the scene of the fire on Rosewood Lane in the Candlelight Village mobile home park at about 10:55 a.m. yesterday morning. A resident said that she believed a candle had been left burning on a dresser in her son’s room, sparking the blaze. Firefighters sprayed water through the bedroom window and extinguished the fire, confining fire damage to a single room, however much of the home also suffered smoke damage.

The resident was home with seven children under the age of 9 at the time of the fire and they all were able to escape without injuries. The woman was preparing lunch at the time and at first thought that the smell of smoke was coming from the cooking, firefighters say.

Although there were smoke alarms in the home, they did not go off during the fire. The cause of the fire has been identified as accidental, firefighters say.

Photo courtesy of Columbus Fire Department.