Local Briefs

Interfaith group plans gathering over Libya

The Interfaith Forum of Columbus is holding a Shoulder to Shoulder in Interfaith Witness gathering in front of City Hall, at Second and Washington streets, from 2 to 3 p.m. Sunday to grieve recent Libyan violence.

People of all faiths are welcome to attend.

MainSource will open branch in Seymour

MainSource Bank is expanding to Seymour.

The Greensburg-based company on Monday will open a temporary full-service branch in the shopping plaza at 1104 E. Tipton St.

By mid-2013, the company plans to open a permanent branch at 1130 Tipton St., the company said in a news release. Construction on that branch is expected to begin at the end of this year.

The bank’s parent company, MainSource Financial Group, operates 76 branches in Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois and Ohio and has assets of about $2.8 billion.

Locals chosen as National Merit semifinalists

Seven Bartholomew County students have been selected as semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program.

About 16,000 national semifinalists will compete for 8,300 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $32 million.

Columbus semifinalists include:

Columbus East High School — Michael S.Hannasch, Andrew M. Henrichsen.

Columbus North High School — Lindsey M. Britt, Katherine L. McAvoy, Sarah I. Tam, Ramya Vijayagopal, Rory C. Willats.

Other regional semifinalists include Rachel N. Franke of Seymour High School.

Think your friends should see this? Share it with them!