Home Blog Page 22125

North plays hard, but drops tight game to Trojans

By
Staff Reports
-

INDIANAPOLIS — With emotions running high in the Hoosier Invitational at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday, the Columbus North boys basketball team suffered a tough 58-56 loss to a late-charging East Central squad.

The Trojans put together a 13-0 run near the end of the third quarter and into the early part of the fourth quarter to overcome some gritty play by the Bull Dogs.

Before the game, a video message was played from the Indiana Pacers to honor hospitalized North senior Josh Speidel. Paul George, David West and Roy Hibbert were among those who shared their concern for Speidel, who is in critical but stable condition at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis after being injured in an auto accident Feb. 1.

Before the message was played, East Central warmed up by wearing T-shirts with Speidel’s 32 on the back.

[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]

“The community support and outreach we have received so far has just been crazy,” North senior wing Trent Larson said. “Seeing the Pacers’ video just brings it to a whole new level.

“We play for (Speidel), but we also try help each other at times because we miss him a lot. He was a big part of our team.”

Larson, who tore knee ligaments a week ago and appeared to be out for the rest of the season, also has been a big part of the team and he played limited minutes against East Central, scoring six points.

Larson’s decision to play added inspiration to an already emotionally-charged atmosphere.

Even so, it was a tough loss to North, which is doing everything it can to work through a difficult situation.

North senior Kooper Glick had a terrific offensive game with 18 points, but he couldn’t quite get the Bull Dogs over the top.

“We really want to go out and play our best for him,” Glick said of Speidel. “I know that he would want us to just play hard, maybe even play harder than him.”

North coach Jason Speer continues in his attempt to guide his boys through a difficult time.

“It’s been completely amazing when we lose our best friend to see everyone come together,” Speer said. “It hurts really bad, but we will continue to compete every game.”

Speer thought his players performed at a high level with extreme effort.

“Our desire was right there, but we just didn’t find the extra step we needed,” Speer said. “East Central just got us there at the end.”

North built a 27-20 lead at halftime with some solid defensive play. Starting the third quarter, Glick would score seven points that sparked a 9-0 run to push the lead to double digits at 36-24.

However, it was at that point the Trojans got it together, scoring the final seven points of the quarter to make it 36-31.

The Trojans duo of Hunter Kammer and Matt Schuman would hurt the Bull Dogs in the fourth quarter as they scored 23 of the 27 Trojans’ fourth-quarter points.

The Bull Dogs simply could not find the basket to counter as the Trojans eventually pulled ahead 47-44 with less than two minutes remaining in the game. North did drain four 3-pointers in the final minute and a half, but East Central countered with Kammer and Schuman going a perfect 9-for-9 from the foul line.

“I thought we got lost on defense at times and just could not nail our shots,” Glick said. “It is hard for us to click the entire game with a lot of freshmen and sophomores coming up from JV, so it will take some time for us to build chemistry.”

Speer said credit had to be given to East Central.

“It was not about what we did wrong but rather what East Central was doing right,” Speer said. “They attacked the rim better, and them knocking down their free throws at the end was huge.”

2 injured in I-65 accident near Columbus

By
Staff Reports
-

Two people were injured during an accident involving three passenger vehicles on southbound Interstate 65 about 4:30 p.m. Saturday, police said.

A LifeLine helicopter transported one individual with serious leg injuries to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, said Maj. Chris Lane, chief deputy for the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.

Another occupant from one of the vehicles involved was transported to Columbus Regional Hospital after complaining of pain, Lane said.

The accident occurred about two miles north of the State Road 46 exit, between Columbus and Taylorsville, temporarily closing southbound I-65, Lane said.

Local Police, Fire – February 8

By
Staff Reports
-

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following information was summarized from the records of city, county and state police, fire and hospital agencies.

Arrests

Wednesday

Erin R. Fasnacht, 33, 3036 Fairlawn Court, Columbus, probation violation, 3:17 p.m., by the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, no bond.

Richard L. Stagge, 40, Shelbyville, Bartholomew County warrant, 3:41 p.m., by the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, released on $10,000 bond.

Terry L. Jones, 25, 738 Hutchins Ave., Columbus, Bartholomew County warrant, 7:14 p.m., by the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, no bond.

Amy T. Miles, 24, 10 W. County Road 550S, Columbus, theft less than $750, 7:30 p.m., by the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, released on $5,000 bond.

Michael Gene Furst, 33, 130 Midway Drive, Hope, failure to stop after an accident, leaving the scene of an accident-damage to vehicle, neglect of a dependent, 8:06 p.m., by the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, held in lieu of $12,500 bond.

James Westley Thomas, 23, Edinburgh, fraud, theft between $750 and $50,000 of a firearm or prior convictions, 8:17 p.m., by the Edinburgh Police Department, held in lieu of $15,000 bond.

Thursday

Dustten J. Hitch, 20, 2034 Gilmore St., Columbus, burglary, resisting law enforcement with vehicle, resisting law enforcement, 8:27 a.m., by the Columbus Police Department, held in lieu of $52,500 bond.

Anthony Wayne Paul, 51, 15602 S. Lake Shore Drive, Hope, Bartholomew County warrant, 12:07 p.m., by the Indiana State Police, released on $75,000 bond.

Brian Keith George, 24, 3054 Rosewood Lane, Columbus, Batholomew County warrant, 1:15 p.m., by the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, held in lieu of $3,500 bond.

Fire, medic runs

Thursday

3:16 a.m. — Illness at the intersection of 12th Street and Cottage Avenue.

3:34 a.m. — Possible heart attack in the 2000 block of Chapa Drive.

6:24 a.m. — Injury in the 3800 block of Heritage Court.

7:24 a.m. — Difficulty breathing in the 1900 block of Taylor Road.

8:52 a.m. — Illness in the 900 block of Lindsey Street.

10:04 a.m. — Seizure in the 2100 block of Midway Street.

12:50 p.m. — Injury in the 2400 block of Franklin Street.

5:13 p.m. — Illness in the 2000 block of Merchants Mile.

7:45 p.m. — Diabetic reaction in the 2500 block of Boulder Drive.

9:23 p.m. — Diabetic reaction in the 2500 block of Boulder Road.

9:48 p.m. — Injury at the intersection of 10th Street and North Marr Road.

10:39 p.m. — Difficulty breathing in the 8400 block of North Sheffield Court.

Incidents

Thursday

12:10 a.m. — Suspicious person in vehicle at the intersection of 12th and Iowa streets.

12:42 a.m. — Suspicious person in the 500 block of Pence Street.

1:09 a.m. — Possible drunken driver in 700 block of McClure Road.

1:54 a.m. — Shoplifting in the 1600 block of Central Avenue.

2:58 a.m. — Residential burglary in the 700 block of Werner Avenue.

4:10 a.m. — Theft attempted in the 2200 block of Southeastern Boulevard.

6:08 a.m. — Property-damage accident in the 6300 block of West County Road 450S.

6:27 a.m. — Suspicious person in the 2300 block of West Jonathan Moore Pike.

7:04 a.m. — Slideoff at the intersection of West Random Road and U.S. 31 North.

7:11 a.m. — Reckless driving at the intersection of West Count Road 550N and U.S. 31 North.

7:25 a.m. — Reckless driving in the 6400 block of Interstate 65 North.

8:09 a.m. — Property-damage accident at the intersection of North National Road and 10th Street.

9:16 a.m. — Property-damage accident at the intersection of 10th Street and Taylor Road.

9:33 a.m. — Suspicious person in vehicle in the 2300 block of West Jonathan Moore Pike.

9:36 a.m. — Property-damage accident at the intersection of 17th Street and Keller Avenue.

9:38 a.m. — Property-damage accident at the intersection of Hope Avenue and North Mapleton Street.

10:24 a.m. — Slideoff at the intersection of West County Road 600N and U.S. 31 North.

10:32 a.m. — Property damage in the 9500 block of South County Road 100W.

10:50 a.m. — Disturbance in the 600 block of Washington Street.

11:03 a.m. — Suspicious person in vehicle at the intersection of Wallace Avenue and Oak Street.

12:36 p.m. — Theft in the 1100 block of Saylor Drive.

1:44 p.m. — Property damage in the 2000 block of Merchants Mile.

1:52 p.m. — Property-damage accident at the intersection of Tipton Lakes Boulevard and West Goeller Boulevard.

2:12 p.m. — Mischief and vandalism in the 800 block of McClure Road.

3:21 p.m. — Reckless driving in the 7000 block of Interstate 65 North.

3:41 p.m. — Disturbance in the 2700 block of 24th Street.

3:50 p.m. — Suspicious person at the intersection of Line Oak Drive and Tipton Lakes Boulevard.

4:04 p.m. — Reckless driving at the intersection of 10th Street and North National Road.

4:39 p.m. — Fraud reported in the 15000 block of East County Road 300S.

4:41 p.m. — Shoplifting in the 3800 block of 25th Street.

5:00 p.m. — Property-damage accident in the 400 block of Jonesville Road.

5:23 p.m. — Suspicious person in the 11000 block of North executive Drive.

5:29 p.m. — Reckless driving in the 2500 block of 25th Street.

6:00 p.m. — Reckless driving at the intersection of Central Avenue and Rocky Ford Road.

6:14 p.m. — Harassment reported in the 5200 block of South Lincoln Village Drive.

6:22 p.m. — Possible drunken driver in the 2000 block of Merchants Mile.

6:51 p.m. — Property-damage accident in the 1000 block of East County Road 100S.

7:48 p.m. — Reckless driving at the intersection of East Stephen Drive and State Road 7 East.

8:01 p.m. — Suspicious person in the 1700 block of 17th Street.

8:52 p.m. — Suspicious person in the 530 block of Fifth Street.

8:58 p.m. — Suspicious person in vehicle in the 2800 block of Lucas Way.

9:34 p.m. — Possible drunken driver at the intersection of Second and Brown streets.

10:04 p.m. — Missing adult in the 5500 block of Jonesville Road.

10:38 p.m. — Road hazard at the intersection of South Marr Road and South Gladstone Avenue.

11:08 p.m. — Suspicious person in vehicle at the intersection of South County Road 750E and East County Road 200S.

Local sports scrapbook – February 8

By
Staff Reports
-

LOCAL BRIEFS

North girls soccer offers open-field sessions

The Columbus North girls soccer team is having open-field sessions from 6 to 7 a.m. Wednesdays and Fridays through March 20 on the North football field.

Players should dress according to the weather and bring turf, gym and running shoes.

Scipio Baseball plans sign-ups at firehouse

Sign-ups for Scipio Baseball will be from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Scipio Firehouse for boys and girls ages 4 and older.

Registration is $20 for the first player and $15 for each additional player in the same household. For more information, call 812-592-3571 after 4:30 p.m.

Boomers to conduct tryouts for spring season

The Columbus Boomers will conduct tryouts for its spring AAU girls basketball season Feb. 21 at Edinburgh Community High School.

Tryouts will be from 9 to 10:30 a.m. for Grades 4 and 5 and from 10:30 a.m. to noon for eighth-graders. For more information, contact Amy Macy, 812-603-1085 or amymacy@hotmail.com.

Columbus Flag Football planning tourney, season

Registration is under way for Columbus Flag Football’s spring preseason tournament, which will begin at 10 a.m. Feb. 22.

Cost is $20 per player. Teams are asked to pay at least $100 to register.

To register, contact Larry Anthony via Facebook message, call or text him at 812-525-6940 or email him at columbusflagfootball@gmail.com. Anthony will also be taking registration at Applebee’s at 5 p.m. Feb. 20.

The spring season will begin March 15. The first registration deadline will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Feb. 27 at Applebee’s. Early registration is $550 for men’s teams and $350 for women’s teams.

The late registration deadline will be March 6 and is $650 for men’s teams and $450 for women’s teams. For more information, contact Anthony.

Sign-ups underway for Hope ball programs

Signups for Hope Summer Playground’s T-ball, baseball and softball seasons will continue through March 6 for ages 4 to 14.

To register or for more information, contact 812-344-1794 or 812-390-9670 or visit eteamz/com/HopeSummerPlayground.

Dunn Stadium summer league sign-ups continue

Registration for summer softball leagues at Dunn Stadium will continue through March 21.

Men’s and women’s leagues will be Wednesday nights, and the coed league will be Thursday nights. For more information, contact Adam Fish, 812-552-6580 or dunnstadium@hotmail.com.

Governor’s plan sends lifeline to rural hospitals

By
Staff Reports
-

With the approval of the Healthy Indiana Plan 2.0 waiver after months of negotiations, Gov. Mike Pence and his administration are to be commended for their efforts to secure this innovative, affordable coverage program for those who need it most: our state’s working families.

With HIP, more than 350,000 additional Hoosiers will soon be on the path toward a healthier future.

While our focus is on enrolling our patients so that they can have improved access to preventive care and the security of coverage, there is no doubt that this announcement also sends a much-needed lifeline to Indiana’s safety net hospitals. As part of their commitment to their communities, these hospitals bear the significant financial burden of providing care to those without insurance. Hospitals, particularly in rural parts of Indiana, also serve as local economic anchors while also treating our society’s most vulnerable.

Indiana has 35 critical access hospitals, which are restricted to 25 beds or fewer. These hospitals are located in rural areas where access to health care providers is limited. Patients at these and other rural hospitals are often economically disadvantaged, elderly or disabled.

Given federal budget cuts, the amount of financial strain on these hospitals is even greater. According to a 2012 report from the Center for Rural Affairs, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement together account for 60 percent of rural hospital revenues. Under the Affordable Care Act, however, steep Medicare payment cuts were imposed on hospitals in order to pay for expanded coverage — about $4 billion over 10 years.

Without a significant increase in coverage to offset these cuts now, we feared that Indiana could suffer from rural hospital closures like those seen in Georgia and other states. However, the financial stability that HIP 2.0 will now provide will prevent many of our members from having to eliminate services, or even worse, close their doors.

But there is still work to do as we must now turn to outreach and enrollment activities to connect our friends and neighbors with their new coverage options.

Hospitals are working closely with other community groups to reach uninsured Hoosiers who qualify to get them signed up. Anyone interested in HIP 2.0 can go to HIP.IN.gov or call 1-877-GET-HIP-9 and see if they’re eligible based on their income and family size.

With a statewide network of more than 1,100 certified navigators standing by, qualified Hoosiers can get help enrolling in HIP immediately.

We sincerely thank Pence and all those at the local, state and federal level who had a hand in making HIP 2.0 a reality. Now that hundreds of thousands of lower-income, working Hoosiers in our great state of Indiana can get the coverage they desperately need, Indiana’s future just got a lot brighter.

Douglas J. Leonard is president of the Indiana Hospital Association and a former CEO of Columbus Regional Hospital.

Vigilance needed with stop-arm regulations

By
Staff Reports
-

When a school bus stops, its lights begin flashing and a red stop arm extends from the side, do you know what to do? You should.

Unfortunately, too many drivers don’t know the rules or ignore them. That puts the lives of children at risk when getting on and off buses. That should not be allowed to happen.

Because of motorists’ ignorance or disregard of stop-arm rules, Columbus Police Department has been cracking down on offenders. As part of their strategy, officers sometimes ride school buses, and unmarked vehicles have been placed near bus routes. Both are intended to catch offenders in the act.

This wouldn’t be necessary if motorists were aware of or followed the rules regarding stop arms:

Vehicles must stop, from either direction, for a school bus that is stopped for loading or unloading children and displays or has recently displayed a stop-signal arm. This rule does not apply if the bus is on the opposite roadway of a divided highway that has a curbed median.

If you are on the same side of a median-divided highway as a stopped school bus with stop arm extended, you must stop.

On multiple-lane streets with no curbed median, all lanes of traffic are required to stop in both directions.

The traffic citation for disregarding a school bus stop arm is a Class A infraction. That makes it more serious than most traffic tickets and carries a fine of up to $10,000.

One way police could further ramp up awareness about stop-arm rules is to conduct blitzes, similar to those performed to catch drunken drivers. Those tend to make motorists think twice about drinking and driving — a benefit to all other motorists.

A few public, concentrated efforts to catch stop-arm violators would spread the word and make people more aware of young school bus riders and the rules intended to keep them safe.

Letter: Results show we have right mayor

By
Staff Reports
-

From: Bob Snively

Columbus

It seems that every four years we hear from every political candidate about how they represent the best interests of “we the people.” Now surely not every candidate bothers to ask all of the people for our views, so we can only judge them on their records.

For several years I paid $14 a month or $168 per year for a tax to have my trash picked up by the city. Councilman Jim Lienhoop voted, not once but twice, for this tax. He voted for it initially, refused to second the motion of Priscilla Scalf to rescind it and then voted to reduce it to $9 per month but still left it as a $108 per year tax. Mayor Kristen Brown removed this onerous tax after taking office without raising property taxes.

Lienhoop voted for spending our tax dollars on the highly unpopular downtown outdoor sports complex and the half-baked scheme to build ski lakes in the flood plains out on State Road 46 West. Brown got rid of the sports complex and spent the money on our crumbling city streets instead.

The councilman was part of an administration that thought the city limits of Columbus extended north to Eighth Street, south to Water Street, east to Lafayette Avenue and west to Lindsey Street, and he never seemed to protest that the rest of the city was suffering from neglect. Brown has changed that for the better.

She has completed the State Street corridor revitalization plan and has begun implementation of the plan. This is long past due and a reflection that Brown knows there is a Columbus east of Lafayette Avenue and that all parts of the city deserve equal services.

Now we are seeing the start of curbside recycling in Columbus, which was another promise Brown made when she ran. Through her tireless efforts she was able to get almost every company in town to help pay the cost so that it is being done without any kind of tax increase to me or to you.

I wanted a mayor who would represent all of the people of this great city instead of the “good old boys” who have ruled for so long, and I feel that I have her in Kristen Brown.

Letter: Thanks for making soup fundraiser success

By
Staff Reports
-

From: Sarah Grey

Columbus

This is an open letter to express our profound gratitude to all those who contributed in so many ways to the success of the Empty Bowls Soup Supper on Saturday evening.

To all those who cooked soup and baked breads and desserts, thank you. To all those volunteers who pitched in and worked with us Saturday, thank you. To all those generous sponsors, thank you. To all our tireless friends at C4, Columbus Food Co-op, PAC, QMIX, the UUCCI and United Way, thank you.

Each year this annual event confronts hunger here in Columbus. We also show how we can come together and work as a community. Let’s keep building on that.

Until next year, congratulations and renewed thanks, from the Empty Bowls Crew.

Kelsey Esquinas Marketplace 02-08-15

By
Staff Reports
-

Kelsey Esquinas of Columbus, talent acquisition manager at Faurecia Emissions Control Technologies, was among 15 young professionals recently selected to serve on the Young Professionals Advisory Council of the Society for Human Resource Management.

The council advocates for the society’s professional members under age 30 and provides guidance to the group for attracting and retaining nonmember young professionals.

Artists have chance to design official town seal for Vernon

By
Staff Reports
-

Vernon wants to create a town seal as part of its upcoming bicentennial celebration and is offering that chance and a cash prize to entice artists to submit entries in its design contest.

The winning image will be used as the official town seal and will be displayed on all future official letters, flags, medallions and memorabilia, according to an announcement by Vernon Mayor Dan Wright.

Artists of all ages may participate in the contest, but several rules must be followed in the design. Those include:

The winning design must incorporate a recognizable pair of scales, a beam and the words “Corporation of the Town of Vernon.”

The design should incorporate some symbols of Vernon’s history.

Entries should be submitted on a nonmatted 8.5-by-11-inch medium that is less than one-quarter inch thick.

Entries must be the artist’s own original hand-drawn creation. No photographs or omputer-generated designs will be accepted.

An entry may be multicolored, black and white or single color. The design may be done in pen, ink, paint, crayon, marker or pencil, but not chalk.

The artist’s name should not be shown within the design.

To learn about Vernon’s history, go to the websites for Vernon (vernonindiana.org) and the Jennings County Historical Society (jenningscounty.org). For a complete list of rules, go to vernonindiana.org.

A panel of judges, composed of artists, historians and government officials, will evaluate all entries and select a first- and second-place winner, Wright said. The winners will be announced in March, and the awards will be presented at the Sassafras Tea Festival on April 25. The first-place winner will receive $100 and the second-place winner $50.

The winning artwork and other selected artwork from the competition will be on display with the artists’ names during the Sassafras Tea Festival, Wright said. Submitted artwork will also be on display on Vernon’s website, at Vernon Town Hall and during the bicentennial grand celebration in Vernon, July 25 and 26.

The deadline to enter the contest is March 15. Artwork can be delivered in person to the Vernon town office, 28 N. Perry St.

For additional information about the contest, adult artists should call Wright at 812-592-1410.

Student artists should consult Karen Chilman at the Jennings County High School art department.

1...22,12422,12522,126...22,145Page 22,125 of 22,145