State Road 250 will be closing in Jackson County for more than a month while crews replace a box culvert.

According to INDOT, the closure will take place about one mile east of State Road 39 between Brownstown and Dudleytown starting on Monday, June 17th. It is expected to take up to five weeks, depending on the weather.

The official detour route will take State Road 250 to U.S. 50 to State Road 11.

Dave O’Mara Contractors will be working on the project. This is part of a $4.5 million dollars six bridge contract in the southeastern Indiana INDOT District.

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

The Indiana State Fair is announcing the first round of musicians who will be performing at the Hoosier Lottery free stage this summer.

The first wave of concerts were unveiled Thursday and include

• Three Dog Night – Friday, August 2
• Gladys Knight – Sunday, August 4
• Dogstar featuring bassist Keanu Reeves – Thursday, August 8
• Bell Biv DeVoe – Friday, August 9
• Gary Allan – Friday, August 16

All shows at the Hoosier Lottery Free Stage are free with paid fair admission and seating is first-come, first-served. All shows start at 7:30 p.m..

There will be a limited amount of reserved viewing area tickets available for these concerts. Those will be made available in July.

The 2024 Indiana State Fair opens Friday, August 2nd and runs through August 18th

For more information, you visit www.indianastatefair.com

The Alliance for Substance Abuse Progress in Bartholomew County is holding a symposium today to promote well-being and address the misuse of substances in the community.

The Rethinking Wellness symposium is part of ASAP’s initiative to raise awareness and increase education about the importance of people reevaluating their current health practices and adopting habits to improve their overall well-being.

The keynote speaker is Dr. Joel Bennett, president of Organizational Wellness & Learning Systems. 30 local employers and community organizations will be using a version of his curriculum to address overcoming stress and building resilience.

The symposium runs until 2 p.m. today at Ivy Tech’s Moravec Hall on Central Avenue.

Housing Partnerships is planning to turn the former Columbus Health and Rehabilitation center site on Midway Street into apartments for seniors and working families.

The agency asked Columbus City Council this week to approve a rezoning of the just over 7 and a half acre property from a public or semi-public facility use to Multi-family residential. That would allow the agency to add 64 units in a four-story building initially with another similar building possible. The city plan commission and planning staff recommended approval of the rezoning, citing the continuing need for affordable housing in the community.

Councilwoman Elaine Hilber praised the proposal for bring an affordable housing project into a location with public transportation and easy access to area parks, the hospital and employment.

Nearby residents raised concerns about the project, citing the size of the apartment buildings, traffic and the possible increase in crime in the area.

Columbus City Council gave its first approval to the rezoning at its meeting this week.

The city of Columbus and the United Way of Bartholomew County want to hear your thoughts on how to address homelessness in the community.

A public forum will be held the evening of Wednesday, June 12th.

The United Way recently received support through the Columbus City Council to fight homelessness in the community. Organizers will introduce key partners in the initiative and a group discussion will be held on the topic.  The purpose of the public forum is to engage the community in the United Way’s initiative to make homelessness in Bartholomew County “rare, brief, and non-recurring.”

The forum will be from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday June 12th at Donner Center, on 22nd St. It is a public forum and you are invited to attend. A dinner will be provided.

The Robert N. Stewart bridge leading into downtown Columbus will be reduced to one lane for several days next week while crews conduct bridge inspection and testing.

According to INDOT, the work is scheduled to start on Wednesday, June 12th take up to three days, depending on the weather. The bridge over East Fork White River is just east of State Road 11 heading onto Second Street downtown. Flaggers will be in place while the work is going on.

Contractors Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates will be doing the work and the crews will be actively working from about 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

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

Photo courtesy of the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.

The Columbus Human Rights Commission will be recognizing Bud Herron and the Rev. Felipe Martínez as the winners of this year’s William R. Laws Human Rights Award at the commission’s annual dinner and awards ceremony on June 27th.

Herron is a former journalist, serving as publisher of the Republic until 2007. After retirement, he became a volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate with the Advocates for Children.

Martínez, originally from Mexico, became pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Columbus in 2016. He has led community conversations on racial injustice, welcoming and inclusive worship and housing disparities.

The dinner will also include the presentation of the winners of the Benjamin M. King Essay and the J. Irwin Miller Art contests. The theme for this year’s art and essay contests is “Living your authentic life.”

The featured speaker will be Amy Nelson, the executive director of the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana. The center serves 24 counties in central Indiana including Bartholomew County. The center’s mission is to eliminate housing discrimination through advocacy, enforcement, education, and outreach.

The event will start at 6:30 p.m. on June 27th at The Commons in downtown Columbus.

Tickets for the dinner are $30 per person and must be purchased in advance. They can be purchased at the Human Rights Commission office located in City Hall online at www.columbus.in.gov/human-rights/. and clicking on Human Rights

For further information, call (812) 376-2532 or e-mail
[email protected].

You will see lane closures on Interstate 65 through Greenwood starting this weekend and lasting for up to three weeks.

INDOT says that crews will be deck sealing and crack filling the interstate over Main Street starting on Sunday. The work will be going on Sunday through Thursday.

The work Sunday will reduce northbound or southbound I-65 to one lane from 6 to 10 a.m. in the morning. Monday through Thursday next week, the highway will be reduced to two lanes from 8 to 2 each day. The rest of the schedule:

• Monday, June 10 through Thursday, June 13 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.: NB or SB I-65 will be reduced to two lanes.
• Sunday, June 16 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.: NB or SB I-65 will be reduced to one lane.
• Monday, June 17 through Thursday, June 20 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.: NB or SB I-65 will be reduced to two lanes.
• Sunday, June 23 from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.: NB or SB I-65 will be reduced to one lane.

The work schedule is dependent on the weather.

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

Indiana University Columbus will be hosting visits to the campus tomorrow and next week for those who might want to become students there.

The visit days will be from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. tomorrow and from 1 to 3 p.m. on June 12th. The sessions are open to anyone who would like to learn more about attending IU in Columbus including including high school juniors and seniors, new students, and returning students.

If you attend, you will be able to meet with an admissions counselor, get information about programs, be assisted with the application process and take a campus tour. There will also be information about filling out the Free Application For Federal Student Aid, as well as scholarships and work-study opportunities.

You can get more information at columbus.iu.edu/admissions.

The Jennings County Sheriff’s Department says it is stepping up traffic enforcement as truck drivers take the wrong route to detour around road construction and as other drivers violate traffic rules in the community.

According to the department, community members have been concerned about increasing traffic violations. In response, deputies have been stepping up enforcement leading to more than 135 traffic stops. There have been numerous citations for violations including speeding, distracted driving and failing to obey traffic control devices.

There have also been complaints about semis using North Base Road and County Road 50E to circumvent road construction. But the roads are clearly marked “No Trucks” and were not designed to handle heavy truck traffic. Deputies are monitoring the situations and will write citations for commercial vehicles traveling on the roads.

The sheriff’s department is urging drivers to adhere to traffic laws, to remain vigilant, and to drive responsibly.