Signups are underway for this summer’s classes for young babysitters in the area of Schneck Medical Center in Seymour.

The free Safe Sitters classes keep the babysitters up to date on how to keep their charges safe with lessons with a medical basis taught by specially trained team members from Schneck Medical Center.

The sitters will learn life and safety skills to give them the tools to handle emergencies when caring for younger children.

The one-day class is for sitters entering sixth through eighth grades. Registration is required. Each class is limited to 12 students and will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at a variety of locations and they fill up quickly.

The first class is set for May 30th at the Boys and Girls Club of Jennings County and the second on May31st in the classroom at Schneck Professional Building. Other locations include Scottsburg and Salem.

You can find a complete class schedule and register online here: https://www.schneckmed.org/events?category=Safe+Sitter&service=

Duke Energy will be holding a fair later this month to help Bartholomew County residents who need assistance with food, health care navigation, mental health, child care, legal services and other services.

Organizers say that more than a dozen local nonprofit and social service organizations will be on hand to provide information, to answer questions, and to offer on-site assistance.

Cathy King, Director of Engagement for United Way of Bartholomew County said the fair will be a chance for those in need to talk to many social service agencies at once.

Kylie Foster, Duke Energy government and community relations manager said the fair sponsorship is meant to help the efforts of the United Way of Bartholomew County.

The resource fair will be from 9 to noon on April 30th at Memorial Baptist Church on Seventh Street in Columbus.

Registration is now open for a free weeklong civics summer camp for kids at IU Columbus, called iEngage

The camp takes place June 23rd through June 27th, for students currently in grades 4-8 to learn how to make a difference in their school, neighborhood and community.

There is no cost to those who participate in iEngage. In addition to the camp itself, students are provided a camp t-shirt, lunch and snacks each day, and if needed, wrap-around care and transportation to and from the Foundation for Youth.

The IU Columbus iEngage program is funded by Duke Energy, the Cummins Foundation, and IU’s Office of School and Community Partnerships through Lilly Endowment’s Indiana Youth Programs on Campus.

Registration is required and early sign-up is encouraged; space is limited to the first 100 campers.

You can find a link to register for the iEngage civics camp here: go.iu.edu/iengage

Last week’s Ivy Tech Day generated almost half a million dollars in donations across the state , with the Columbus campus seeing nearly $25 thousand dollars in donations.

According to the Ivy Tech Columbus campus, the Columbus service area for the college system saw $24,888 in donations in this, the third year for the annual giving day campaign. Money donated on Ivy Tech Day will be dedicated to student success, scholarships, and transformative programs.

Dr. Steven Combs, Chancellor of Ivy Tech Columbus said the money raised “will make a real difference for thousands of students who are working to build better lives for themselves while supporting Hoosier communities.”

He said the school is grateful for every donor.

According to the school, more than 10,000 students are enrolled in the Ivy Tech Columbus area which includes Bartholomew, Decatur, Jackson, Jennings, Johnson and Shelby counties.

Across the state, more than 2,800 alumni, friends and partners donated $483,813 on April 8th to support Ivy Tech Day

Heritage Fund – The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County is announcing a new initiative called Project Encore to bring the Crump Theatre back to life as a centerpiece of downtown entertainment.

Heritage Fund and building owner the Columbus Capital Foundation has commissioned project manager Steve Sanders of Stephen Sanders Consulting to lead Project Encore, turning the aging theatre into the Crump Center for the Performing Arts.

The goal is to finish revamping the theatre to make it viable for year-round live entertainment. Plans include a fully operational balcony, expanded lobby and outdoor areas, event space, state-of-the-art lighting and sound and programming for regional touring acts.

Sanders said the project is meant “to restore The Crump’s position back to the cultural community hub it was well over a century ago.”

Last year, the theater celebrated its 135th anniversary and is believed to be the oldest operational theater in the state. For years, the aging theater was closed because it didn’t meet current fire, building and safety standards. It has been brought back to life largely through volunteer efforts. Those culminated in August of 2023 when the building was found to be structurally sound and earned a renewed entertainment permit

Organizers say that renovations of historic venues can be more economical as well as more appealing to audiences.

Heritage Fund awarded a $50,000 grant, matched by private funders, to establish Project Encore. It will be established as a 501(c)3 nonprofit entity in advance of an upcoming capital campaign. Initial concept renderings will be released in the coming weeks. Those have been commissioned from two design firms and a team of graduate students.

You can get more information at www.thecrump.org.

An error with some Bartholomew County tax bills could be causing confusion about whether or not your property taxes are being paid through an escrow account.

According to County Treasurer Barb Hackman, because of a problem with a data file, thousands of property tax bills were issued with incorrect information about whether the taxpayer or their bank is responsible for the tax payments.

Normally, tax bills paid through escrow accounts will come with a watermark saying that the bill is for informational purposes only. Behind the scenes, the same code that produces the watermark also sends the tax bill to the escrow processing company for payment. Hackman said that the header code was left off of the data file for one of the nation’s largest escrow account processing companies. In Bartholomew County, that meant more than 8,000incorrect billings.

When tax bills started hitting mailboxes after they were mailed last week, the calls started coming in from residents who were being told they were responsible for the tax payments themselves.

Hackman said that the problem has been corrected, the incorrect file field has been updated and the bills should be paid correctly out of the escrow account. However, corrected tax bills will not be resent, she said.

If you have any questions, she says you can call the treasurer’s office for assistance.

Bartholomew County could soon have a useless bridge in the southern part of the county, as East Fork White River continues to move its flow to a new channel.

Bartholomew County Commissioners discussed the recent flooding on the river during their meeting Monday morning. Commissioners accepted bids to resurface the bridge between State Road 11 and U.S. 31 near Azalea on County Road 800S.

Commissioner Larry Kleinhenz pointed out that the existing channel is getting filled with silt and they anticipate the flow will soon move to a permanent new location. Kleinhenz said that the recent flooding clearly showed the river’s future flow with a pronounced oxbow shaped bend already occurring that will eventually be cut across by the new channel.

County Engineer Danny Hollander said that the state has refused requests to clean the channel. The only action the county is allowed to do, is to continue to dump concrete debris along the river to armor the bank to try to reduce the movement. He pointed out that the ground is all sand in the area.

Commissioners pointed out that when a new bridge is needed, the cost will be several million dollars.

Commissioners took the bids for the bridge work under advisement. They also approved funding for the annual inspection of county bridges with United Consulting. The four -year contract is for just over $74 7 thousand dollars but the county is reimbursed for 80 percent of the cost.

Photo: Recent flooding on County Road 800S courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.

Bartholomew County will be closing two roads later this week while crews mill and repave the area.

According to the Bartholomew County Highway Department, Bellsville Pike will be closed Wednesday through Friday and County Road 400W will be closed Thursday, Friday and Monday. Bellsville Pike will be closing from Poplar Drive to County Road 650W, while 400W will be closing between 450S or State Road 58 to Deaver Road.

The work will be going on from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. You are encouraged to find an alternative route while the roadwork is underway.

The work schedule is dependent on the weather.

Forecasters say that there is a chance of frost tonight for our area.

The National Weather Service in Indianapolis says temperatures as low as 32 are possible in Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Johnson and Shelby counties tonight.

The weather service warns that frost could kill sensitive outdoor plants if they are left uncovered. You should take steps today to protect tender vegetation from the cold.

The frost advisory is in effect from 3 to 9 a.m. Wednesday morning.

The 14th annual Smoke on the Square barbecue competition is set for next month on the Hope Town Square.

The event is the largest annual fundraiser for the Community Center of Hope. It features a BBQ cook-off competition between teams and public BBQ dining.

The cookoff will be May 16th and 17th, with food available from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday night and from 11 Saturday morning until it sells out. Meals will include brisket, pork, beans, chips, hotdogs and chicken. There will also be a limited supply of ribs both days.

The competition is open to all levels of competitors and will have categories for brisket, chicken, ribs and pork.

The Night Owl Country Band will be performing Friday night.

You can find a link for more information here: https://hopebbqcontest.com