A more than $20 million affordable housing project can move forward after Columbus City Council approved a tax break for the project and a grant to help with funding. The project by Thrive Alliance is planned at the former Columbus Health and Rehabilitation center site on Midway Street

The apartments, to be called Haw Creek Meadows, would be aimed at seniors and working families. Thrive Alliance’s Housing Partnerships program would construct the new housing on the just over 7 and a half acre property that now contains a dilapidated, unused building. The agency plans to add 64 units in a four-story building initially with another similar building possible.

The agency asked Columbus City Council this week to approve a tax abatement that would save the agency about $1.8 million in property taxes over the next 10 years. Under a tax abatement, the property taxes are phased in gradually.

Thrive Alliance also requested a $4.6 million grant from the city’s tax increment financing funds to help with the costs.

City Council approved all the requests unanimously, with councilwoman Grace Kestler abstaining.

Last month, the council approved a rezoning of the property from a public or semi-public facility use to multi-family residential.

Decatur County workers were left to clean up a disgusting mess this weekend.

According to the Decatur County Health Department, the Adams Fire Department was called to the scene of a dumping incident on Sunday, where buckets full of human waste were found in a ditch on Decatur County Road 500N. The health department was called to the scene and found 13 5-gallon buckets filled with human waste.

A crew from the Decatur County Highway Department cleaned up the mess, disposed of the waste buckets and decontaminated the scene.

The Health Department warns that dumping is a Class C infraction and you could be punished with a fine of up to $1,000.

Photo courtesy of Decatur County Health Department.

Bartholomew County firefighters had to fight a barn fire for more than three hours in Sunday’s heat after finding out it was intentionally set.

According to the German Township Volunteer Fire Department, county firefighters were called to the 9000 block of East County Road 500N at about 7:30 p.m. in the evening Sunday about a large wood and metal barn full of straw on fire. However, the owner of the property told the firefighters that he was intentionally burning the building down.

Firefighters still had to put the fire out. They want to remind you that it is illegal to burn down structures unless you have the proper permits from the state and safety measures in place.

Photo courtesy of German Township Volunteer Fire Department

IU Columbus will be holding walk in hours next week for both admitted students and prospective ones to meet with admissions counselors.

According to the school, the sessions are meant to help students wherever they are in the admissions process. You care encouraged to stop by whether a high school junior or senior, a college student already or an adult considering a return to school. You will be able to learn about undergraduate and graduate programs, get assistance with the application process, take a campus tour and ask questions.

Organizers say that the theme of the week is “Plant Your Roots at IU Columbus.” Everyone attending will receive seeds for a redbud and a tulip tree, planting cups, soil and wildflower seed paper.

The information sessions will be from 9 to 4 next Monday through Friday. You should show up at the admissions office. Reservations are not required but if you want to set a time you can go to http://go.iu.edu/columbus-visit

The Indiana Court of Appeals has determined that a Columbus City Council member was not properly elected to his seat and is to be removed from office.

According to an opinion released yesterday, Council member Jay Foist was never really a candidate for the District 6 seat and the court instructed that his opponent, Democrat Bryan Munoz be declared the winner of the council seat. That is despite Foyst winning the November vote with 454 votes to Munoz’ 309.

The opinion rejects a lower court ruling that Foyst was properly placed on the ballot.

At issue is whether the public was properly notified of a caucus to put Foyst up as a candidate, and whether filing deadlines were followed.

According to the appeals court, a notice of the June caucus was not properly filed with the Bartholomew County clerk’s office. The court says that the notice was filed on June 22nd, one day past the June 21st filing deadline. Bartholomew County Democratic Party Chairman Ross Thomas challenged Foyst’s eligibility and the county election board initially agreed.

A second caucus was held, but in July after the filing deadline. That fell under a provision that allows a caucus to appoint a candidate after the deadline under several reasons, including if a candidacy was successfully challenged. The second caucus also voted to add Foyst to the ballot. Which Thomas also appealed to the election board, but losing that claim at the election board and at the lower court.

The Indiana Court of Appeals agreed with Thomas’ argument that Foyst was never a candidate in the first place because of the missed filing deadline.

Foyst was not present at last night’s Columbus City Council meeting for the roll call at the start of the meeting.

You can read the Indiana Court of Appeals decision here: 20240717 Foyst Opinion

Indiana Statehouse photo courtesy of iga.in.gov

Columbus police are welcoming their newest officer.

Thomas “Brandon” Brooks was sworn in this morning by city attorney Alex Whitted at City Hall.

Brooks is a Columbus native and graduate of Columbus East High School. He was most recently working as an automotive technician.

He will now begin training with instructors from the Columbus Police Department. He will then be joining four other news Columbus officers at the in the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy beginning next month.

A scuffle with a missing Columbus woman ended up in a scramble for a deputy’s gun.

The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department released information today about an event that unfolded last week. According to the department, a deputy was on State Street at about 2:52 p.m. on Friday when he noticed an SUV driving at more than 80 mph, swerving and recklessly passing other vehicles. The deputy turned on his emergency lights and began to catch up to the vehicle, when the driver pulled into Columbus East High School.

She then jumped out of the vehicle and ran to the school, trying to open various doors, which were all locked. She continued to ignore police commands and an officer from the Columbus Police Department and the deputy grabbed onto the woman and they all three fell to the ground. According to the deputy, the woman then began pulling on his gun. Police were able to secure her arms and she was taken into custody.

The woman, identified as Samaya Ivory, had been reported to Columbus police as a missing person. She was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital where she is accused of kicking another deputy in the chest. After being cleared by the hospital, she was then arrested on charges including Reckless Driving, Battery on a law enforcement officer, Resisting Law Enforcement with Injury and Attempting to Disarm a Law Enforcement Officer.

The deputy involved in the fight scraped up his knees and elbows during the scuffle.

As the COVID-19 relief project, the American Rescue Plan, winds down by the end of this year, Bartholomew County is accounting for the funds it has spent.

County Auditor Pia O’Connor briefed the county commissioners on the status of the federal money yesterday. She said that the county received just over $16.4 million from the relief funds, including earned interest. And county officials have already spent $10.2 million on projects including courthouse and jail improvements and allocated another $4 million to a countywide broadband internet project.

O’Connor said the county has about $2.1 million in projects still to spend, mostly on the courthouse renovation project. The entire amount of the ARP funds must be allocated by the end of the year and the county has until the end of 2026 to spend the money.

A proposed solar farm project in northern Bartholomew County will be holding an open house today to answer your questions about the project.

Arevon Solar, based out of Scottsdale, Arizona and New York City is planning a 200-megawatt commercial solar facility in Clay and Flatrock townships in eastern Bartholomew County. The project would be on just under 1,200 acres of privately owned land the company will be leasing from property owners.

The project will be going before the Bartholomew County Board of Zoning Appeals next week.

Swallowtail Solar will be hosting the event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. today at The Columbus Workshop, on North Long Road.

Graphic provided by Swallowtail Solar developer.

A Columbus man was arrested on drug charges after allegedly trying to hide drugs in his mouth.

According to the Columbus Police Department, officers stopped a vehicle near Central Avenue and 12th Street at about 8:44 p.m. Sunday night after the driver made a traffic violation. Police say that during the stop, a police dog alerted to the smell of drugs inside the vehicle.

A passenger, 38-year-old Dustin Cross reached into a bag, pulled something out and then put it into his mouth, police say. He refused to spit it out and after struggling with officers, police discovered a wad of green gum that contained foil and fentanyl that they believe came from his mouth.

After a search, other drugs and paraphernalia were found in in the vehicle.

Cross was taken to Columbus Regional Health to be checked out before being arrested on charges including obstruction of justice, resisting law enforcement and for possessing methamphetamine, fentanyl and drug paraphernalia.

The driver was released from the scene.