The Columbus North High School choir department will present its annual Winter Concert at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the North auditorium.
The choirs will be performing holiday favorites. A suggested $3 donation will be accepted at the door.
The high school is located at 1400 25th St.
Stamps to buy? Cards to mail?
The Columbus Post Office will have holiday hours this Sunday, as well as Dec. 11 and 18.
The post office will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each of the Sundays to allow customers to mail cards, letters and packages before the Christmas holiday.
The post office is located at 450 Jackson St.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following information was summarized from the records of city, county and state police and fire and hospital agencies.
Sunday
Bradley K. Burton, 27, 112 Cherry St., Columbus, two Bartholomew County warrants, possession of paraphernalia and possession of marijuana, 3:22 p.m., by the Columbus Police Department, held in lieu of $14,500 bond.
Michael L. Herald, 33, 9502 N. Private Road 825W, Elizabethtown, operating a vehicle while intoxicated, 4:15 p.m., by the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, released on $2,500 bond.
Monday
Kelly L. Williams, 28, 3800 Williamsburg Way, Columbus, out-of-county warrant, 2:50 a.m., by the Columbus Police Department, held with no bond.
Antonio L. Gonzalez, 21, Seymour, Bartholomew County warrant, 10:35 a.m., by the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, held in lieu of $100,000 bond.
Monday
1:08 p.m. — Injury at the intersection of West Jonathan Moore Pike and West Goeller Boulevard.
5:59 p.m. — Injury in the 3500 block of Central Avenue.
6:27 p.m. — Injury in the 12000 block of South County Road 25W.
9:41 p.m. — Unconscious person in the 3400 block of West County Road 100N.
Monday
9:14 a.m. — Property damage in the 800 block of McClure Road.
9:18 a.m. — Battery in the 200 block of North Cherry Street.
10:18 a.m. — Leaving the scene of an accident in the 13000 block of East 25th Street.
11:23 a.m. — Fraud in the 1500 block of North National Road.
12:02 p.m. — Property-damage accident at the intersection of 11th and Union streets.
12:10 p.m. — Property-damage accident in the 1100 block of Washington Street.
12:42 p.m. — Leaving the scene of an accident in the 7800 block of West County Road 450S.
1:07 p.m. — Property-damage accident at the intersection of West Jonathan Moore Pike and West Goeller Boulevard.
1:33 p.m. — Property-damage accident at mile marker 68 of I-65 North.
2:08 p.m. — Theft reported in the 3800 block of North Marr Road.
2:14 p.m. — Property-damage accident at the intersection of Brown Street and East State Road 46.
2:30 p.m. — Drug violations in the 4000 block of North County Road 150W.
2:46 p.m. — Property-damage accident at the intersection of Jonesville Road and Garden Street.
3:17 p.m. — Property-damage accident at the intersection of Central Avenue and Rocky Ford Road.
5:24 p.m. — Property-damage accident in the 1200 block of North National Road.
5:31 p.m. — Property-damage accident at the intersection of Newsom Avenue and Washington Street.
5:38 p.m. — Theft reported in the 2400 block of West Jonathan Moore Pike.
5:44 p.m. — Theft reported in the 300 block of Stonegate Drive.
6:09 p.m. — Property-damage accident at the intersection of 18th Street and Hawcreek Avenue.
7:23 p.m. — Fraud in the 1700 block of Arcadia Drive.
7:42 p.m. — Drug violations in the 3300 block of Fall Valley Drive.
7:43 p.m. — Fraud in the 5400 block of Smoketree Drive.
9:37 p.m. — Protective order violations in the 2200 block of Newton Street.
Earlier this fall, the Big Ten Conference announced plans to play six Friday night football games in the next six years.
That decision hasn’t sat well with a lot of high school coaches, including the ones here in Columbus.
Columbus North coach Tim Bless grew up the son of a college coach and is one of three brothers coaching high school football in Indiana. He went to his father’s college games just about every fall Saturday during his upbringing and has been at a high school game virtually every fall Friday night his entire life.
“I’m a traditionalist, and Friday nights are for high school football and Saturdays are for college football,” Bless said.
Meanwhile, Columbus East coach Bob Gaddis is the executive director of the Indiana Football Coaches Association, which has come out against the Big Ten’s decision. Gaddis also is a member of the National Organization of Coaches Association Directors (NOCAD), which is against the plan.
“I think it will absolutely affect high school football,” Gaddis said. “If there’s any local affiliation with our games college-wise, there will be people that will have to make a decision. That’s not fair to the fans, to the colleges or the high school.”
The Big Ten’s plan, Gaddis said, is driven by money. The conference stands to make millions from TV deals.
Gaddis, who spent 10 years as East’s athletics director, noted that high school football games are most schools’ biggest source of revenue and help fund other sports.
“That’s how high schools survive,” Gaddis said. “We’re their lifeline. You want kids and community members to have the chance to support you on Friday night.”
In his position with the IFCA, Gaddis plans to talk to Big Ten coaches in the offseason. The conference’s two most high-profile coaches — Ohio State’s Urban Meyer and Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh — have voiced their disagreement with the plan.
But Gaddis doesn’t think the decision has come from the Big Ten’s coaches. More than likely, it’s come from the presidents and athletics directors.
“We really don’t have a recourse at this point,” Gaddis said. “It wouldn’t be fair to our kids to keep them from talking to Big Ten coaches or prevent them from going to their camps. That would hurt the kids even more.”
Gaddis said he has talked to directors of coaches associations from Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon and Texas, and they are all against the Big Ten’s plan.
They are in the process of drafting a statement that they will send to the conferences and the NCAA.
“Now, will it do any good? Probably not,” Gaddis said. “But maybe it will keep some other conferences from jumping on board.”
Columbus North senior Addy Lang was selected to the Indiana Soccer Coaches Association girls first team last weekend.
North senior Ian Hussey was named to the ISCA boys third team. North junior Jannis Anderson and Columbus East junior Scott Hammond made the boys honorable mention list, and North senior Natalie Teo was a girls honorable mention pick.
The Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association also has released its girls soccer team. East senior Maggie Lewis and freshman Lindsey Stoughton and Lewis are on the third team.
Seven members of the Hoosier Hills Conference champion and Class 5A state runner-up Columbus East football team have been named to this year’s All-HHC squad.
East running back Jamon Hogan, wide receiver Cam Wilson, offensive linemen Harry Crider and Jared Clark, defensive lineman Zach Sutton, linebacker T.C. O’Neal and defensive back Ethan Summa made the first team, along with Jennings County defensive lineman Brendan Sutton and defensive back Tucker Marsh. East quarterback Josh Major, running back Jaedin Miller, tight end Tyler Thomas and defensive lineman Clayton Cordier made honorable mention.
East’s Scott Hammond, Eli Newell and Dustin Rodgers and Jennings’ Robbie Beal are on the All-HHC boys soccer team. East’s Justin Copas and Jayvon Thomas and Jennings’ Adrian Miller made honorable mention.
In girls soccer, East’s Lindsey Stoughton, Maggie Lewis, Morgan Martindale and Karlee Dowd and Jennings’ Baylee Byford made the first team. East’s Addy Galarno, Brooke Hamblen, Mila Lipinski and Sarah Park and Jennings’ Mackenzie Byram are honorable mention selections.
East’s Cortney VanLiew, Bailey Western and Kendal Williams are on the All-HHC volleyball team. East’s Brooke Banister and Jennings’ Carissa Kinney made honorable mention.
Senior Mitchell Burton has been named the Columbus North football MVP for the third consecutive year.
Burton also was picked as the team’s most valuable offensive back/receiver. Senior David Redding was named most valuable offensive lineman, senior Coleman Tennyson was picked most valuable defensive lineman for the third straight year and senior Tucker Payne was selected most valuable linebacker/defensive back.
Senior Harley Huser won the Bull Dog Award. Senior Tanner Payne received the John Skobel Scholarship. Senior Mark Salle-Tabor won the Tom Orr Award, which goes to a player with a passion beyond athletics.
Burton, Huser, Redding and senior Alex Downin were recognized as team captains.
Sophomore Trenton Kelley won the JV Bull Dog Award, and Hunter Huser took the Freshman Bull Dog Award. Darius Bennett won the Freshman Scholar-Athlete Award.
Columbus North’s home wrestling match scheduled for tonight against Franklin has been rescheduled for 7 p.m. Jan. 18.
Also, the Hoosier Hills Conference duals scheduled for Saturday have been moved from Jeffersonville to Floyd Central. Matches will begin at 9:30 a.m.
Sophomore Ray Rooks was barely over 100 pounds when he stepped onto the wrestling mat for Columbus High School in 1961.
Wrestling was foreign to Columbus High School sports, and Rooks was competing in the city’s first wrestling match.
It didn’t take long for the new sport to pick up steam, as Columbus High produced three state runners-up in five years before closing down.
Sophomore Lester Perkinson helped revive the sport when he launched East’s wrestling program by joining the team in 1973. He wrestled his way into the state finals a year later and became East’s first state-runner up.
Who would have guessed the children of these two wrestling pioneers would get together and raise two of the best wrestlers in the state? Junior Graham Rooks and his brother Cayden, a sophomore, have taken the torch lit by their grandfathers and ran with it.
“They’re better than I ever was,” said their father, Ben Rooks, who also wrestled at North. “They know more than I ever knew. They’ve done it so much. I just try to enjoy watching them while I have it.”
Graham and Cayden have been wrestling since they were toddlers. Ben’s friend invited them over to spar with his son, and they have been wrestling ever since. By the time they were 6- and 7-years old, both brothers were traveling as far as Florida to compete in national tournaments. Graham said they never got tired of wrestling because it is what they love to do.
The Rooks brothers always have competed together from baseball to football and wrestling. They have been each other’s sparring partners since their wrestling careers began. Graham and Cayden keep each other polished in the classroom by studying together, also.
“They’re like best friends,” Ben said. “They hang out all the time. They do everything together, and most of their friends are lifelong friends that they’ve had through wrestling.”
After having successful seasons last year, Graham and Cayden are poised to go even further. Their eyes are on winning a state championship together.
Last year, Graham went 42-5 and finished fourth in the state at 120 pounds. Cayden went 37-2 and was ranked No. 1 at 106 for most of the year before losing an overtime match in the quarterfinals of the semistate, also known as the “ticket round.”
“It was pretty awesome,” said Graham, who also had finished third in the state at 106 as a freshman. “Everything we’ve worked for, for so long just finally paid off. Now we get to go out and do it again.”
Perkinson was the closest any East wrestler has gotten to a state title, falling just two points shy of the win. Now, decades later, he and Ray have a chance to witness their grandsons wrestle their way to a possible state championship.
East coach Chris Cooper said they have the passion for the task.
“They’re driven, dedicated, and they pay attention,” Cooper said. “They’re here every day, and they work hard. All of the things that I enjoy coaching wise, they’re bringing to the table. Every coach wants to have guys like that.”
Cayden and Graham both made an effort to focus on their weaknesses in technique and style during the offseason. Last year, Graham’s comfort level on the mat was to wrestle in space. He is known around the state for his low leg attack. Cooper said Graham still has those skills but has greatly improved on his close range technique to become a better-rounded wrestler.
According to Cooper, the main reason why Cayden lost last year’s semistate match was because he was not aggressive enough. Last year’s loss has fueled Cayden to work hard at taking control in hopes of generating more points this year.
The Olympians open their season tonight at home against Seymour. Cayden likely will be at 120 pounds, and Graham likely will be at 126.
“At the moment when Graham went to state, I just pushed it all aside,” Cayden said. “During the summer, it kept building up. Finally, when we got to wrestle over the summer, I just let it all go. That fire is still underneath me.”
Cooper travels with wrestlers like Cayden and Graham to find other competitors that are good enough to beat them. They competed in the two-day Super 32 national tournament in North Carolina, where they both went 3-2. Cooper said their losses are what will help drive them to their goal.
“There is always somebody out there who is as good or better than them,” Cooper said. “So that can drive them. I’m excited about this upcoming year for them.”
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Graham and Cayden Rooks” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Name: Graham Rooks
School: Columbus East
Year: Junior
Weight class: 126
Favorite food: Steak
Favorite movie: “Deadpool”
Favorite wrestler: Cael Sanderson
x
Name: Cayden Rooks
School: Columbus East
Year: Sophomore
Weight class: 120
Favorite food: Steak
Favorite movie: “Deadpool”
Favorite wrestler: David Taylor
[sc:pullout-text-end]
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick did not vote in the Nov. 8 election. Yes, the player who kneels during the national anthem in the name of justice and change.
Here’s why: “Because I was against the system of oppression. I’m not going to show support for that system. And to me, the oppressor isn’t going to allow you to vote your way out of your oppression.”
That’s not exactly helpful. The way to change the system is by voting for candidates who share your values and who will be in the position to change what you want to see changed.
As nationwide protests erupted after the election of Donald Trump, preliminary voter turnout numbers began trickling in, and they showed turnout was down compared with 2008 and 2012. The Nov. 8 election was expected to have the worst turnout — about 55 percent to 57 percent of eligible voters — since 1996. Out of a total of about 235 million eligible voters, almost half abstained.
The Pew Research Center reported earlier this year that the United States’ turnout for elections is among the lowest in the developed and democratic world. Among the 35 nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the U.S. ranks No. 31 — and that was before turnout dropped even lower this fall.
If you are upset that Hillary Clinton lost, tell a nonvoter who thinks like you. But if you are the nonvoter, the complaint rings hollow.
The protesters certainly have a right to protest. Most have done so peacefully. But their cause would have been better served if they’d gotten more likeminded people to the polls on Election Day.
2006
After two failed votes, an overwhelming 87 percent of teachers voted “yes” to a proposed contract, ending a 17-month struggle over salary and insurance between Columbus Educators Association and Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp.
1991
Health officials warned area adults, particularly those vulnerable to the flu, to “watch out” because a strain of the virus causing 40-percent absenteeism among schoolchildren, and even closing some schools, had a history of knocking out adults as well.
1966
Kettles were placed on downtown and shopping center sidewalks as cash contributions to the Fireman-Police Cheer Fund rose to $737.70 with $5,762.30 remaining to reach the goal.
• the man with a beautiful voice singing Christmas carols outside of Kroger while collecting for The Salvation Army, from a Kroger shopper.
• Columbus Transit for putting up a flag of the United States at the main depot, from John Tinkey.
• Ron and Bev Neawedde for all you do for your family, from Jeff, Jennifer, Whitney, Matthew and Sarah.
• Mike for raking our leaves one last time, from the Arthurs.
• Debbie Ayers for keeping her SIHO co-workers happy.
• Steve Lewis at Poynter Hyundai for the new car and all his service, from Marie S.
• the North Star Singers from Northside Middle School for an entertaining presentation at Bob Evans on Tuesday night, and special thanks for the surprise happy birthday, from a fan.
• Shirley and Tom Brown for always remembering veterans with their magnificent veterans thank-you cards.
• the local funeral home that harasses people about changing their funeral plans.
• the person threatening to sue the restaurant because they closed early Thanksgiving Day due to being out of food.
• whoever changed the lights on the city Christmas Tree to white and decided not to have a tree lighting ceremony.
• Columbus for all the money spent on studies and yet never look at unintended consequences.
• funeral homes who use family-paid obituaries for their own advertising by listing the name of the funeral home multiple times within the content, increasing the charge to the family.
• the park supervisor who does not show up to work and expects his employees to cover for him.
• people who go to church sick and contaminate everyone else.
• those who give illegal criminals only probation.
• people who don’t realize that I don’t have to be a doctor to know that something is up when you tell me that you are disabled, have disabled plates on your car and I meet you on the street on your bicycle.
• nosy coworkers.
• Faye Graves, from your family and Donna.
• Neil Nolting.
• Teresa Burton, from Pastor Lewis Burton and the Who So Ever Will Community Church.
• Jeri Goecker, from Kim, Tina, Bob, Mom, Janet, Sharon, Linda, Virginia and the rest of your family.
• Jerry Hewitt, from Rodney and Rhonda.
• Jerry Hewitt, from Bev, Kim, Alex and Scott.
• Jay and Roberta Ingram, from Bethel Baptist Church.
• Linda Chambers, from your family.
• John Glasson, from Aunt Elsie.
• Chad Schuette, from Aunt Elsie.
• Brock Harris.
• Isabella Boston.
• Brenda B., from Debbie C.
• Jacqueline Margaret Martin, from Mom, Dad, Scotty and the rest of the family.
• Pastor Lewis and Hettie Burton, from the Who So Ever Will Community Church Congregation.
• Steve and Raquel Ketner.
• Monte and Judy Gilliland, from friends at the Moravian Church.
Butlerville
William Richard Fugate, 63, of Butlerville, died at 7:11 a.m. Tuesday, November 29, 2016, at Columbus Regional Hospital in Columbus.
Survivors include his son, Ezra James Fugate of Scottsburg; sisters, Mary (Tim) Miller of North Vernon and Darlene (Terry) Malone of Vernon.
Cremation is planned and memorial services may be held at a later date. Dove-Sharp & Rudicel Funeral Home and Cremation Services were entrusted with the care of the arrangements.
Memorials may be made through the funeral home for expenses.
Westport
Roselyn Welsh, 81, of Westport, died at 2:05 p.m. November 28, 2016, at the Columbus Regional Hospital.
She is survived by her daughter, Katrina (Dale) Haley of Westport; her sons, Keith (Leslie) Welsh of Woodstock, Georgia, Kevin (Jeanette) Welsh of Greensburg and Kelly Welsh of Evansville; her sisters, Anita VanDyke of Greensburg and Karen (Bill) Thomas of New Castle, Indiana; her brother, Ronnie Hardebeck of Kentucky; 17 grandchildren; and 23 great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph, and son, Greg Welsh.
Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday at Bass and Gasper Funeral Home in Westport with burial following at Westport Cemetery. The family will receive visitorsfrom 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be made to the family through the funeral home to help with funeral expenses.
