Columbus Mayor Mary Ferdon is outlining her goals and initiatives in her first State of the City address held Wednesday evening at Nexus Park, the former Fair Oaks Mall.

She announced initiatives to improve public safety, reduce homelessness, address modern transit needs and improve Columbus Animal Care Services.

Ferdon announced that Mark Stewart, head of the United Way of Bartholomew County, would be leading a task force to tackle homelessness in the community.

“I’m pleased to announce that Mark Stewart, President of United Way, has agreed to lead a community -based initiative to move our community in the direction where homelessness is rare, brief, and non -reoccurring,” Ferdon said.

Ferdon said the current animal shelter, built in the 1980s, is not meeting the city’s needs.

“This facility was not built to accommodate current demand and best practices and we cannot keep up with the building maintenance,” Ferdon said. “We’ve begun the process of reviewing how we can design and build a facility which serves current and future needs in a more cost -effective and efficient way. Animals are another vulnerable population which requires community care.”

Ferdon spelled out how a new department of Security and Risk would help protect public safety in city buildings and the start of a transit study this spring to determine modern needs.

“Our current fixed -route system, while functional, cannot easily meet the needs of our growing senior population and the change in how people work. It was designed for a different period of time,” Ferdon said. “Our goal is to look holistically at the type of system that will best serve the needs of residents, both now as well as into the future.”

Photo: Mary Ferdon speaks at the 2024 State of the City address at Nexus Park.

INDOT says crews are starting work again on State Road 7 in Jennings County.

According to the agency, contractors are closing County Road 275 between State Roads 3 and 7 to turn it into a cul-de-sac. After that work is complete, they will begin widening State Road 7. The goal is to add a left turn lane at Country Squire Lakes but the road widening, turn lane installation and culvert replacements will be done at a later time..

This is part of a $7.5 million contract awarded to Dave O’Mara construction company.

INDOT asks you to slow down, to drive without distractions and to use extra caution in work zones.

Dr. Eric Fish, chief executive officer at Schneck Medical Center, has been named as a Rural Hospital CEO To Know by a health care magazine.

Becker’s Hospital Review featured Fish and others with an article dedicated to the heads of rural hospitals and health systems.

Fish was one of only three executives in Indiana to receive the recognition. Fish has over 18 years of leadership experience at Schneck, wehere he has served in several capacities, most recently as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. He was promoted in September of 2020 to CEO and president of Schneck.

Fish holds several other leadership roles including southern district president of the Indiana Hospital Association, on the Indiana Rural Health Association board of directors and chairman of the board of directors for SIHO Holdings.

Seymour’s John Rust remains banned from running for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat in Indiana.

The Indiana Supreme Court upheld the state’s party affiliation law that says candidates must have voted for the party they want to represent in their last two primary votes. Rust voted in the Republican primary in 2016 and the Democratic primary in 2012, and those were his last two primary votes.

Rust is a former executive of Rose Acre Farms. He has said he believes the state’s two primary law shouldn’t apply to him because of a December ruling from Marion County Superior Court Judge Patrick Dietrick who found it unconstitutional.

He says his candidacy will eventually be settled by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Rust is a former executive of Rose Acre Farms.

Story courtesy of TTWN Media Networks

After North Vernon police checked on an unconscious driver last week, a car chase ended with the vehicle crashing into a utility truck.

According to the North Vernon Police Department, the incident started at 9:02 a.m. Thursday morning when officers, firefighters and medics were called to North State Road 3 and U.S. 50 about a man passed out behind the wheel of a vehicle. Rescue workers found a man slumped over in the driver’s seat in a car. After attempting to revive the man, he suddenly woke up, ignored instructions from police and drove off in the car.

Police briefly lost sight of the vehicle but found it again after it had crashed into a bucket truck at the intersection with U.S. 50 and North State Road 7. Police say no one in the bucket truck was injured and the driver of the car refused medical treatment.

The driver, 30-year-old Jarvie T. Williams III of North Vernon, is facing charges of reckless driving and criminal recklessness. The incident is still under investigation and more charges may be coming, police say.

Photos courtesy of North Vernon Police Department.

The town of Edinburgh is looking for your thoughts on the proposed comprehensive plan for the community.

According to the town, Edinburgh is working on the comprehensive plan which would outline a future vision for the community and help guide government decisions on growth and development. Organizers of the survey say the plan will also help residents and business owners better understand decisions made by community leaders.

The town has contracted with HWC Engineering and the survey is one part of the information gathering which will also include conversations with community members and analyzing community data.

The deadline to take the survey is March 31st. You can take the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XVKHP7B

Former NBA player and former University of Kentucky star Rajon Rondo is looking to remove a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm.

That came after a traffic stop in Jackson County in January by Indiana State Police. WDRB TV in Louisville reports attorneys for Rondo argued in court it was against his 2nd Amendment rights to be prevented from carrying a weapon. The Jackson County prosecutor argued that the basketball player has a protective order in Indiana which prevents him from possession a gun. The basketball player has turned down a plea agreement and is set to stand trial in April.

Story courtesy of TTWN Media Networks Inc.

The Bartholomew County Jail will be turning over the feeding of inmates to an outside company.

According to the proposal by the sheriff’s department outsourcing the work will allow the county to save money, to solve employment issues and to ensure the quality of the meals.

Major Brandon Slate with the sheriff’s department said that there were two bids for the contract, and recommended approving a bid with Trinity Services Group out of Florida. He said the price per meal per inmate was comparable with the competing bid. However the Trinity proposal would provide a better compensation package for the workers in the jail kitchen. Under the contract the existing county employees would be transitioned to the new company and retained when the contract goes into effect.

The proposal by Trinity would include a premium meal option, where inmates with the funds can purchase cheeseburgers, chips and salsa or similar items in addition to their regular meals.

Slate said it is hard to get an exact figure due to variables, but he expected the contract would save the county $50,000 a year under current jail population levels.

The county commissioners approved the plan this week. The new plan would go into effect in four to six weeks.

Photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.

The deadline is coming up next week to register for the next sessions of the Bartholomew County Works job readiness workshop.

Bartholomew County Works is committed to helping members improve their lives, gain full-time employment and achieve economic self-sufficiency. It provides resources in areas including transportation, finances and budget setting.

The day-long workshop series will start on Monday March 18th and run through March 22nd at Yes Cinema.

An orientation session will be held March 14th from 10 to 11:30 in the morning.

The deadline to sign up is Wednesday, March 13th.

To get more information on signing up, you can call Lincoln-Central Neighborhood Family Center at 812-378-2638.

The Ivy Tech Foundation is planning a statewide day of giving next month to help support students pursuing higher education.

The day of giving will be held on Ivy Tech Day on April 23rd. This is the second year for the initiative which is part of the Foundation’s 5-year, $285 million campaign. Last year’s fund drive generated 2,032 gifts with more than $243,000 raised.

Ivy Tech was founded on March 15, 1963. The school now has 19 campuses and more than 190,000 students. Of those more than 40 percent are the first in their families to attend college, and 25 percent are students of color. The school says 93 percent of graduates stay in Indiana to pursue their careers.

Just after midnight on April 23rd the school will begin accepting donations toward its goal of breaking down barriers to higher education.

You can make a donation starting at 12:01 a.m. on April 23rd online at ivytech.edu/giveday .