Due to a source error, launch dates for the introduction of two upcoming models from bicycle supplier BCycle company were incorrect in a front-page story in Tuesday’s edition of The Republic. The Dash smart bike is expected to be available starting next summer, and the Dash+ bicycle will be available the summer of 2018, according to the company.
City hears several overpass options among ideas to relieve traffic backups
Columbus could ask the Louisville & Indiana Railroad to relocate its tracks further west as a proposed solution to alleviate motorist traffic congestion when more than twice as many trains travel through the city beginning in 2018.
Indianapolis-based engineering firm American Structurepoint has presented five alternatives as potential solutions to offset the impact of the railroad’s decision to lease its tracks through Columbus to CSX, which plans to have more trains, as well as heavier ones, cross the city.
Targeted areas include the crossing on State Road 46 and State Road 11 on the western edge of downtown Columbus, estimated to be the worst crossing on the 154-crossing railroad line between Louisville and Indianapolis. That’s as measured by motorist wait times when a train passes, the engineering firm reported Monday to the Columbus Redevelopment Commission.
The railroads are projecting that the city will have 22 longer trains a day passing through Columbus beginning in 2018, compared to eight trains now. The delay until 2018 provides time for the railroads to replace the Flat Rock River Bridge near Columbus, a century-old structure that needs to be widened and altered to carry double-stacked rail cars that CSX plans to use.
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In addition to that change, the trains’ length will be increased, from 5,100 feet now to 7,500 feet.
The consultants reviewed traffic counts at six railroad crossings in Columbus for its study: 11th Street, Eighth Street, Fifth Street, State Road 46, Spear Street and County Road 200S.
The northbound trains, which will be traveling faster and be heavier than the current trains on the line, are expected to increase the wait time at the State Road 46 crossing. It’s currently about 13 minutes for eastbound traffic, but the delay is forecast to increase to about 20 minutes in 2018, and extend to 40-minute delays by 2036.
Those times reflect what will happen if the city does nothing to change the rail crossing configuration, which is one of the five options available to the city, the engineers said.
Two of the options involve moving the railroad tracks about 1,000 to 1,500 feet west of the current crossing, further away from the stoplight at State Road 46 and State Road 11. One option includes an alternative to add a State Road 46 overpass over the railroad tracks, while the other doesn’t.
Ryan Huebschman, American Structurepoint transportation manager, explained moving the crossing further west on State Road 46 would eliminate the crossings in downtown Columbus, and the trains could move faster if they are located away from the city’s urban area, meaning they would clear the west-side crossing faster.
Another option would leave the tracks where they are now and build the State Road 46 overpass only for eastbound traffic, with westbound traffic still having to wait for trains at a grade-level crossing. Huebschman said that option doesn’t benefit the city quite as much but would still move eastbound traffic on State Road 46 more quickly.
Still another option is building an interchange at the east side of the intersection of State Road 46 and State Road 11, replacing the current intersection, and including a bridge for eastbound and westbound State Road 46 lanes to travel over the train tracks.
The city is paying American Structurepoint up to $125,000 to determine impact of the increased train traffic on motorists and the cost and impact of solutions. No construction costs were provided on the options presented Monday.
John Dorenbusch, a redevelopment commission member who leads the committee looking into the railroad impact on Columbus, said representatives for the city have had conversations with Louisville & Indiana and CSX about moving the tracks further west, which are required in two of the five options.
Dorenbusch said he thought the options were all viable, but viability will come down to funding. Moving the railroad tracks will also require discussions with the Indiana Department of Transportation and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, he said.
Frank Jerome, a city councilman who serves on the redevelopment commission, said he thought the proposals need to be evaluated carefully.
“This is not for one year. It’s forever,” Jerome said. “We have to have a long-range view.”
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Indianapolis engineering firm American Structurepoint Inc. said discussing potential rail-line realignment with CSX and seeking project funding are among the next steps in the process. The firm could come back to the Columbus Redevelopment Commission sometime in January or February for another update.
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Younger sister carrying on 5K on Turkey Day project
In 2014, Columbus North cross-country runner Morgan Neal had a vision for her senior project to create a unique way to help the Love Chapel collect canned goods during the holiday season.
Each year, every senior must complete a project that benefits other people in some way before graduation. Neal already was heavily involved in the Love Chapel through her school’s canned drive and her church, Saint Bartholomew.
She ran with the idea of starting a 5K run on Thanksgiving morning to raise money and collect canned goods from participants. She named it “5K on Turkey Day.”
Three years later, her younger sister Maddy Neal is hosting this year’s 5K on Turkey Day for her senior project. The event has had more than 400 participants in past years.
Maddy is also heavily involved with the Love Chapel, so hosting the 5k race was an easy choice for her.
“Every year for North, we have a canned drive around the community and the past two years I was the head canned drive chair,” Maddy said. “So I was really interested in benefiting Love Chapel in some way, and it just worked out that my sister started it. So it was just a good way for me to continue it.”
The run will be held at the Columbus Armory at 8:30 a.m. Thursday. Participants can register to run and donate online through the 5K on Turkey Day website or the Love Chapel’s webpage. Participants are required to bring a minimum of five canned goods on the day of in order to reach her goal of 2,500 canned goods.
This year’s $10,000 objective is the first year the run has had a monetary donation goal. It has already raised $8,600 in donations. Its main sponsor, Cummins, has donated $2,000 to help cover expenses.
Maddy Neal is expecting a turnout of well over 300 participants, which she believes will generate enough donations reach their goal. She also has added a 10K to this year’s run in hopes of getting more runners involved.
“I wanted to reach out to more runners because I personally wasn’t a runner,” said Maddy Neal, who is a diver on the North swimming team. “I did it in middle school, but not in high school and that’s where my sister had the most connection. So I wanted to reach out more to the community and the Columbus running club to see if we could get more experienced runners to do it as well.”
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What: 5K (and 10K) on Turkey Day
When: 8:30 a.m. Thursday
Where: Columbus Armory
Registration: Participants can register to run and donate online through the 5K on Turkey Day website or the Love Chapel’s webpage. Participants are required to bring a minimum of five canned goods.
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Looking Back – November 23
2006
A developer, whose identity was kept under wraps, proposed construction of an indoor sports complex just east of Bartholomew County Jail to help invigorate the downtown.
1991
United Way of Bartholomew County reached 94 percent of its $1.5 million fundraising goal for 1992.
1966
Bartholomew County property owners paid nearly $2 million more in property taxes than in 1965 establishing a record intake by the Bartholomew County Treasurer’s Office.
Around Town – November 23
Orchids to …
• the sweet young lady in the blue North High shirt who helped pack my neighbor’s groceries.
• Ed and Kathy Tower of Tower Christmas Tree Farm who donated a beautiful Christmas tree for the Orphan Grain Train office, making the Christmas celebration a joy for all who come.
• the kind, blonde lady at the post office for kindly taking the time to tape the stack of invitations that I improperly prepared so that they could be processed without being damaged, from the lady with the homemade envelopes.
• my neighbors Tammy and Denver Huff for checking on me and bringing me food when I was sick over the weekend, from Pam.
• Hope Merchants, Hope Utilities Crew, Carolers, Santa, the Nativity characters and lots of volunteers for helping make Hope’s Christmas of Yesteryear a huge success in spite of a brief rain shower, from the Yellow Trail Museum Board.
• the great characters and narrators who entertained about 200 visitors during the carriage rides into Hope’s past last Friday night during Christmas of Yesteryear.
• Andrea Tinsley for being a great iGrad coach who has made a positive difference for a lot of high school students.
• wonderful people who invite friends with no family around to join them on Thanksgiving Day.
• restaurants that blessed the veterans on Veterans Day.
• Ron G. for the delicious food, from the girls at Tangled Waves.
• Bob Webb for keeping my yard mowed all summer long, from a grateful neighbor.
• East Columbus Methodist Church, family and friends for all the gifts and cards on my 80th birthday party Sunday, from Bert.
• the lady who paid for the milk for the gentleman at Aldi on Sunday.
• city, county and state police officers for risking their own lives to protect us each day.
• Shirley Carr and Susan Gobert for co-chairing the Cookie Walk at the First United Methodist Church.
• Mr. Bricker and Cub Scouts Pack 350 for their help with the Cookie Walk.
• Animal Control for finally catching the little black dog and to the two ladies who tried very hard to catch him.
• Earl for jump-starting my truck when I came out of the doctor’s office and didn’t have anybody to help.
• staff at Arby’s on 25th Street for the big bag of gifts to Paul on his birthday.
Onions to …
• those who think the last eight years have been “disastrous” as they need to look at the facts on economy, employment, war, etc.
• local higher education institution for terminating a valuable employee.
• people who cut down big, old, healthy, beautiful trees.
• the bell ringer who had her very young daughter outside, sitting on a rug in the extreme cold with no hat, gloves or warm coat on.
• the city for starting new trail projects when the existing trail behind Noblitt Park is so destroyed it has been barricaded and inaccessible for a very long time.
• the fast food restaurant that is frequently out of flavored colas.
• all drivers going north on U.S. 31 who do not understand they are to move over and allow cars to merge from Indianapolis Road.
Happy Birthday to …
• Dave Rosenberger, from your family and Donna.
• Catherine Grott, from Joseph Hart Chapter DAR.
• Bobby Burton, from Pastor Lewis Burton and The Who So Ever Will Community Church.
• Vanessa Bryant, from Pastor Marvin Brown and Trinity Baptist Church.
• David Loy, from Mom, Aunt Katherine, friends and family.
• Nolan Prather and Ethan Wiwi from friends at the Moravian Church.
• Pat Tharp, from Mary and Elsie.
• David Emmert.
• Chelsea Bragg.
• Bill Sproessig.
• Henry Nobbe.
• Payton Erin Rawlings on No. 18.
• Seth Nasby on No. 19, from Mom, Dad, Lane, Candace, Landyn and the rest of the family.
• Keegan Fox on No. 20, from Mom, Dad, Grayson, Jackson and Lila.
• Dave Emmert, from your family and friends.
Happy Anniversary to …
• Scott and Joann Poffenberger, from friends at the Moravian Church.
Regional Hospital, Police – November 23
JENNINGS COUNTY
Arrests
Sunday
Brittany N. Jones, 23, North Vernon, theft and possession of paraphernalia, 10:15 a.m., by the North Vernon Police Department, $1,155 bond.
Austin Wilson, 23, North Vernon, possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia, 10:05 p.m., by the North Vernon Police Department, $1,755 bond.
Incidents
Saturday
12:20 p.m. — Theft reported in the area of South Gum Street.
12:46 p.m. — Property-damage accident in the 100 block of East Main Street.
Sunday
6:11 p.m. — Property-damage accident in the area of North State Road 3.
9:51 p.m. — Burglary in the 600 block of Montrow Parkway.
Local Police, Fire – November 23
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following information was summarized from the records of city, county and state police and fire and hospital agencies.
Arrests
Saturday
Bricklyn D. Shipley, 38, 4440 Post Horn Court, Columbus, out-of-county warrant and Bartholomew County warrant, 8:14 p.m., by the Columbus Police Department, held with no bond.
Sunday
Luis A. Vargas, 31, 2625 Joseph Cox Court, Columbus, invasion of privacy, 1:01 a.m., by the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, released on $5,000 bond.
Tanis G. Copeland, 24, 1115 Iowa St., Columbus, operating a vehicle while intoxicated, 2:24 a.m., by the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, held in lieu of $2,500 bond.
Aaron S. Harden, 42, 5100 N. County Road 250W, Columbus, three Bartholomew County warrants, 10:01 a.m., by the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, held in lieu of $12,500 bond.
Timothy L. Biddinger, 53, 3545 N. County Road 250W, Columbus, theft and possession of a controlled substance, 7:45 p.m., by the Columbus Police Department, released on $10,000 bond.
Fire, medic runs
Sunday
7:43 a.m. — Hazardous material spill at the intersection of Home Avenue and North National Road.
10:10 a.m. — Injury in the 4800 block of Pine Ridge Drive.
7:43 p.m. — Injury in the 1400 block of West County Road 400N.
11:25 p.m. — Unconscious person in the 4500 block of West County Road 600S.
Incidents
Saturday
6:36 a.m. — Property-damage accident at the intersection of North County Road 100E and East County Road 800N.
7:41 a.m. — Theft reported in the 500 block of Seventh Street.
10:07 a.m. — Residential burglary in the 2700 block of South County Road 450E.
10:27 a.m. — Theft reported in the 400 block of Hope Avenue.
10:49 a.m. — Theft reported in the 3600 block of Candlelight Drive.
11:53 a.m. — Fraud in the 3000 block of North National Road.
1:20 p.m. — Property-damage accident in the 3000 block of North National Road.
1:30 p.m. — Theft reported in the 5100 block of North Lincoln Village Drive.
1:33 p.m. — Residential burglary in the 1500 block of Lawton Avenue.
2:41 p.m. — Property damage in the 600 block of Maple Street.
2:56 p.m. — Theft reported in the 1300 block of North National Road.
3:47 p.m. — Property damage in the 4700 block of Pine Ridge Drive.
4:18 p.m. — Theft reported in the 5100 block of Hartford Avenue.
4:48 p.m. — Mischief or vandalism in the 19000 block of East County Road 850N.
5:11 p.m. — Structure fire in the 600 block of Terrace Lake Drive.
6:08 p.m. — Theft reported in the 1200 block of Sycamore Street.
6:46 p.m. — Residential burglary in the 10000 block of East Legal Tender Road.
7:39 p.m. — Battery in the 500 block of Second Street.
7:57 p.m. — Battery in the 5600 block of Denois Street.
8:06 p.m. — Residential burglary in the 2200 block of Irwin Drive.
8:13 p.m. — Mischief or vandalism in the 1800 block of Eighth Street.
8:36 p.m. — Shoplifting in the 2000 block of Merchants Mile.
9:24 p.m. — Property-damage accident in the 10000 block of East County Road 700S.
11:26 p.m. — Shoplifting in the 3000 block of North National Road.
Sunday
12:43 a.m. — Property damage in the 16000 block of South Jonesville Road
1:32 a.m. — Battery in the 200 block of Smith Street.
1:49 a.m. — Theft reported in the 2300 block of North Marr Road.
6:48 a.m. — Property-damage accident at mile marker 72 of I-65 North.
7:20 a.m. — Property-damage accident at the intersection of North Marr Road and 14th Street.
9:51 a.m. — Mischief or vandalism in the 3400 block of West International Road.
10:29 a.m. — Theft reported in the 4000 block of 25th Street.
11:06 a.m. — Business burglary in the 2600 block of North State Road 9.
12:59 p.m. — Theft reported in the 1600 block of Central Avenue.
1:12 p.m. — Property-damage accident in the 3200 block of Columbus Center.
1:23 p.m. — Property-damage accident in the 3100 block of Columbus Center.
2:58 p.m. — Mischief or vandalism in the 4200 block of West Jonathan Moore Pike.
2:59 p.m. — Residential burglary in the 9000 block of North County Road 250E.
3:35 p.m. — Drug violations in the 10000 block of Branton Drive.
5:06 p.m. — Property-damage accident in the 700 block of Whitfield Drive.
5:12 p.m. — Theft reported in the 4400 block of Osprey Drive.
5:55 p.m. — Property-damage accident in the 100 block of Carr Hill Road.
6:20 p.m. — Property-damage accident at the intersection of West State Road 46 and North County Road 525W.
6:44 p.m. — Property damage in the 3200 block of Cessna Drive.
8:38 p.m. — Property-damage accident in the 1400 block of McClure Road.
John York Sr.
Columbus
John O. York Sr., 63, of Columbus, died at 3:14 p.m. Monday, November 21, 2016, at Our Hospice of South Central Indiana.
The funeral service will be conducted at 10 a.m. Saturday, November 26, 2016, at Barkes, Weaver & Glick Funeral Home on Washington Street with Virgil Clotfelter officiating. Calling will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, November 25, 2016, and from 9 a.m. until service time Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be at Flat Rock Baptist Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society for Mesothelioma or Our Hospice of South Central Indiana.
The complete obituary will appear in Thursday’s edition of The Republic.
Dorothy Stambaugh
Columbus
Dorothy Ann Stambaugh, 76, of Columbus, died Tuesday, November 22, 2016, at Community North in Indianapolis.
Arrangements are incomplete at Jewell-Rittman Family Funeral Home.
James Balsley
Westfield
James David Balsley, 65, of Westfield, passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 20, 2016, after a three year battle with esophageal cancer. He was born on August 25, 1951, to Richard and Margaret Kathryne (Carson) Balsley in Hartford City, Indiana.
Jim attended North Anderson Elementary, Central Junior High and graduated from Anderson High School with the class of 1969. He has many fond memories of his school years and recently greatly enjoyed reconnecting with many classmates. Jim attended GMI in Flint, Michigan, Tri State in Angola and graduated from Ball State with a BS degree in 1974 and an MS in degree 1977. He married Janet Lee Crum on July 1, 1979, at Hopewell United Methodist Church in rural Frankfort; he was a member of Bethany Christian Church in Anderson and Noblesville First United Methodist Church. Jim taught in the Noblesville school system for 38 years and coached varsity tennis for over 30 years. He also participated in Westfield Youth Sports for several years as a coach and director. Family was very important to Jim and he greatly enjoyed getting together with and talking to his extended family, including many aunts, uncles and cousins.
Jim is survived by his mother, Kathryne; his wife, Janet; two sons, Patrick Richard Balsley of Fishers and Nicholas James Balsley of Noblesville; sister, Celia Ann Grise of Greensburg; sister-in-law, Jo Ann Balsley of Somerset, Pennsylvania; as well as many nieces, nephews and extended family.
He was preceded in death by his father, Richard Lewis Balsley; two brothers, Richard Scott and Rex Lewis; brother-in-law, Kenneth Grise; grandparents, Winfield Scott and Margaret Balsley, and Dorance and Esther Carson; and mother-in-law, Doris Ellen Crum.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, November 25, 2016, at Randall & Roberts Funeral Center, 1685 Westfield Road, in Noblesville. Services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, November 26, 2016, at the funeral home with Pastor Kent Stookey officiating. Graveside services will follow at 1:30 p.m. at Hopewell Cemetery, 3460 E. County Road 500N, in Frankfort, Indiana.
Memorial contributions may be made to Burnsville Christian Church, 2891 S. County Road 900E, Columbus, Indiana 47203; or Hopewell Cemetery Association, c/o Lee Paris, 2566 E. County Road 600N, Frankfort, Indiana 46041.
Condolences: www.randallroberts.com.
