The need to provide more mental health resources in Indiana has been clear for a long time. For many years, jails have become the shelter of last resort for people experiencing a mental health crisis. Other needs have long gone unmet. At last, the state of Indiana appears to be doing something about it.
Gov. Eric Holcomb and many lawmakers have made addressing mental health needs a priority during this session of the Indiana General Assembly.
Senate Bill 405, authored by Sen. Greg Walker, R-Columbus, would set up regional pools of mental health examiners that courts could turn to for defendant competency examinations. Another bill, House Bill 1006, expands involuntary commitment for mental health services and creates a mental health referral program for certain people who have been arrested. The latter bill unanimously passed the House.
And today, hundreds of faith and community leaders, including from Columbus, will rally at the Statehouse in favor of Senate Bill 1, creating a 988 helpline so that people experiencing a mental health crisis have somewhere to turn.
We applaud Gov. Holcomb and lawmakers who are addressing the mental health crisis. These bills have wide support and should be passed.
NexusPark marks milestones
It will be a while before the whole shape of NexusPark takes form, but we at The Republic can tell from our offices next door on National Road that progress is sure and steady. New life is being breathed into the former FairOaks Mall, which will become an athletic and healthcare facility and a public community gathering place.
This week, city officials and those from Columbus Regional Health, partners in the project, celebrated a ceremonial groundbreaking, along with unveiling some dedications. As The Republic’s Jana Wiersema reported, the 150,000 square-foot fieldhouse will be known as the Circle K Fieldhouse, and the fields inside the space will be named for the late John McCormick, said Columbus Parks Board President Mark Levett.
The latter is poignant. McCormick, who died in July 2022 at age 63 after a long battle with cancer, was a champion for Columbus, “The Columbus Way” and philanthropy. In his final years, he was a cheerleader for the public-private partnership of NexusPark.
In McCormick’s last days, a few of his friends secretly passed the hat to try to raise $300,000 to name the NexusPark fields in his honor. A few days later, after they revealed their fundraising effort to McCormick, they had collected twice that much in his honor.
From our vantage point, it seems NexusPark already is off to a storied start.
Charity with a real kick
Something’s afoot in Columbus’ charity scene: Sans Souci and Cintas are pairing up to donate 600 pairs of steel-toed work boots.
This is a great way to help workers who need safety equipment that sometimes can be a budget-breaker. Beginning Feb. 17, Sans Souci will provide the boots to eligible workers. The Republic’s Brian Blair talked to people who said that without this assistance in the past, they would not have been able to afford the cost of boots needed to start work at some area employers.
Anyone interested in the program can check on eligibility by calling Sans Souci 812-372-3419, option 1.
