Mike Wolanin | The Republic People gather at the Eclipsing the Renaissance eclipse viewing event to watch the total solar eclipse at the Columbus Airport Airpark in Columbus, Ind., Monday, April 8, 2024.
Editor’s note: This compilation was created from stories nominated from Republic reporters and editors.
1
A total eclipse of the turnout
Columbus and Bartholomew County officials planned for months to be prepared for an expected six-figure attendance number in April as the total solar eclipse and its totality passed over southeastern Indiana and more specifically “us.” Planners used the experience of Hopkinsville, Kentucky in 2017 as a guide, but alas, it was not to be. Eclipse visitors were believed to be a record, but not the six-figure influx that had been anticipated. A bright spot was the biggest event draw, the inaugural Renaissance festival at Columbus Municipal Airport, with 4,000 people viewing jousting and the Wheel of Death. More than 1,000 people from more than 20 states as far away as California and Utah were estimated to be at the Bartholomew County Historical Society’s “Eclipsarmonia” with a chamber group from the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic at the Henry Breeding Farm near Edinburgh. The group, under the direction of Isaac Selya, performed such classics as “Here Comes the Sun.”
2
NexusPark opens
Columbus Parks and Recreation welcomed visitors to an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony for its new headquarters and community center at NexusPark in April. Parks staff was joined by Mayor Mary Ferdon, former Mayor Jim Lienhoop, Columbus Regional Health officials, representatives from Taylor Bros Construction and Dunlap, Inc., who worked on the space, Perkins&Will, the architect for the fieldhouse and parks department spaces, and various city officials for the occasion. “The Columbus way is to do it both from a public and private partnership, and we’ve certainly accomplished this with NexusPark,” Columbus Mayor Mary Ferdon said. NexusPark is a joint venture between the city and Columbus Regional Health to transform the FairOaks Mall into a health, wellness and recreation center.
3
IUPUC retreats into the history books
IUPUC becomes IU Columbus after Indiana University and Purdue University “break-up” into their own entities and portion off satellite campuses to each university, including dividing IUPUI in Indianapolis. The split became official on July 1. IUPUC was renamed as Indiana University Columbus and would continue its affiliation with IU Indianapolis.
4
Cummins receives millions to convert engine plant to electrical production
In July, Cummins Inc. received a $75 million federal grant to be used to convert nearly half of the Columbus Engine Plant to produce zero-emissions components and electric powertrain systems. It was the largest grant ever awarded to Cummins and was paid for through appropriations related to the Inflation Reduction Act. Cummins is matching the grant, meaning a total of $150 million will go towards conversion of the space, expanding production of battery packs, powertrain systems and other battery-electric components for Accelera by Cummins.
5
Council lineup remains in limbo
The Columbus City Council remains in limbo at the end of 2024 and an Indiana appeals court ruled that Columbus City Council member Joseph “Jay” Foyst was never a valid candidate in the 2023 municipal election and directed a lower court to declare his opponent, Democrat Bryan Munoz, the winner.
An appellate panel ruled in July that “Foyst’s candidacy never existed in the eyes of the law” because the Bartholomew County Republican Party failed to meet “a statutory deadline for filling a vacancy on the general election ballot. Foyst has filed an appeal to the Indiana Supreme Court known as a petition to transfer, asking the court to vacate the appellate court decision. While Foyst has asked, the Supreme Court has no obligation to take the case and if they decide not to hear it, the appellate court decision will be final. The appeal is pending as the end of the year approaches.
6
BCSC pushes back on book ban
In September, Bartholomew Consolidated School Board members voted to uphold a review committee’s decision to keep the challenged book “Push” in the Columbus East High School media center. The vote came after a year-long continued effort by some community members to have books removed from BCSC libraries. The request for review of the book “Push” was submitted by local resident Mark Niemoller. Following Niemoller’s appeal of the review committee’s decision, several members of the community spoke out against attempts to remove books from school libraries.
7
County reaches new record on suicide
Bartholomew County and Columbus reached a new record in December when the Bartholomew County Coroner’s office reported that the number of people who have taken their own lives in death by suicide has doubled from 2023 and reached its highest annual total on record. As of December, 18 people in Bartholomew County had died by suicide. Thirteen of those deaths involved guns, while four were by hanging. In 2024, the overwhelming majority of people who have taken their own lives were white males, with age range from 21 to 70, the average age at 43.
8
Eberhart heads to prison
A former Republican state lawmaker who represented Shelbyville and a portion of Bartholomew County at one time was sentenced to federal prison in July after pleading guilty to a corruption charge. U.S. District Judge Matthew P. Brookman sentenced Sean Eberhart to one year and one day in federal prison. Eberhart was also fined $25,000 and given one year of supervised release. Eberhart, who represented Indiana House District 57 from 2006 to 2022, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services fraud in 2023 in regard to an effort to reduce fees to casinos wishing to open locations in Indiana, while being offered a future job with one of the casinos.
9
Ben Jackson resigns, investigation ensues
Columbus Township Trustee Ben Jackson resigned abruptly in November in a text message to the GOP, and state officials confirmed an ongoing financial investigation is underway into his office. Indiana State Board of Accounts Chief of Staff Jennifer Gauger confirmed there is an ongoing financial investigation into the Columbus Township Trustee’s office. However, she was unable to provide additional information.“Statutorily, we are not allowed to give details concerning ongoing special examinations,” she said. A township board member said he believed the investigation was about misuse of a credit card. The investigation was continuing at the end of 2024. Jackson did not respond to requests for comment about the investigation.
10
Major manufacturing news
Toyota Material Handling broke ground on new plant for electric forklifts while Kings Hawaiian announces another plant for Taylorsville. Toyota Material Handling’s new 295,000-square-foot manufacturing facility will be focused on the production of electric forklifts, investing $100 million into the facility. The expansion will create 85 jobs at an average wage of $28.88, expected to be hired by 2026, with production beginning in June 2026. In September, Irresistible Foods Group revealed that in addition to the King’s Hawaiian plant being built on acreage north of Columbus, the company would also bring a pickle manufacturing plant to the county, Grillo’s Pickles. The basic shell of the pickle manufacturing facility should be up by the end of this year, company officials said. County officials said the pickle facility will create 150 jobs by 2028. The blended average salary for Grillo’s employees will be $25.27 an hour.
Also in the running
Here are a few stories that were also notable in 2024.
- Columbus agrees to buy the Sears Cummins building for an estimated $4.2 million in March. The purchase includes the 91,380-square-foot building, YES Cinema and the parking lot across the street.
- IDEM approved a request for a sewage sludge holding facility in Bartholomew County despite the many comments from the public asking that it be denied. The permit was issued to Evan Daily of Biocycle LLC to accept biosolids and industrial waste products at a storage structure southeast of Columbus for blending and applying the materials on agricultural land.
- Columbus Municipal Airport revealed its design for a new air traffic control tower in June, a futuristic design from Marlon Blackwell Architects, supported through he Cummins Foundation Architecture program. Construction on the $11 million tower is set to begin in May 2025 with completion in 2027.
- The Bartholomew County Library’s agreement to take over the former North Christian Church property became immersed in controversy in August when library officials announced and removed the aluminum cross off the top of the church spire, which was donated to Camp Bedford in Lawrence County, a retreat facility of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) denomination. The library is repurposing the former church for expanded library programming and said the agreement was made for the donation as part of the property transfer.
- Former Columbus resident and heavy metal musician Jon Schaffer was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution for storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Schaffer’s photo, wearing an “Oath Keeper life member” hat and carrying bear spray, became one of the images of the insurrection at the Capitol. Schaffer cooperated with investigators and prosecutors said his assistance was “significant,” resulting in him receiving no prison time for his role in the attack.
- The community had vocal negative feedback in December on the Columbus City Council’s decision to approve the Rubicon development at 11th and Washington streets in downtown Columbus, and granting a forgivable loan of $6.4 million to the Bloomington-based developer. The loan is to cover a financing gap for the $30.9 million project, which will include apartments, commercial space and a parking garage on three parcels at 921 Jackson St. and 1008 and 1020 Washington streets.
