City Councilman Frank Miller formalized his re-election bid with his filing Thursday.

Miller, who represents District 4, will face challenger Justin Hohn for the GOP nomination for the council seat in the May 5 primary.

Though he gladly will accept support from his constituents and plans to participate in forums and regular discussion with them, he won’t directly ask for campaign contributions, he said.

The 61-year-old Columbus resident said he wants to continue representing his district and the entire city while also advocating for protection of rights.

There have been a lot of accomplishments over the past three years, but there’s always more to do, Miller said.

Specifically, the city needs to do more to help small and medium-sized businesses, he said.

As a former small-business owner, Miller thinks there’s a lot more the city can do to help, even just by talking to those companies and listening to their needs, he said.

And the council needs to continue to fully vet all the issues as part of its legislative responsibility and its role in the system of checks and balances, Miller said.

That inevitably creates tension with the mayor, but it’s necessary, Miller said, adding that he hopes to make sure the council can have a good relationships with “whoever is in the mayor’s office come 2016.”

[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”About Frank Miller” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

Age: 61

Address: 5147 Marco Drive

Employment: Past owner of Prestige Printing, currently a business coach and consultant at REM & Associates

Current office held: Columbus City Council, district 4

Past office held: none

[sc:pullout-text-end]

Columbus is considering plans to create an industrial park at the former Walesboro Airport.

Mayor Kristen Brown said the city is effectively out of shovel-ready land for developers. There are just a couple parcels left, including 38 acres out of more than 900 acres at Woodside Industrial Park, the mayor said.

The city now is looking to foster development at the former airport, where the Columbus Board of Aviation Commissioners own more than 700 acres of land ready to be developed, Brown said.

But city officials have to deal with issues related to a floodplain classification and the need to replace airport agriculture revenues before a developer can take over the land.

Flood maps from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that went into effect Dec. 9 put all of the Walesboro land in question into a floodplain. That means based on the federal agency’s analysis, the entire site is at risk of flooding if the East Fork White River rises above its banks.

That’s a change from previous maps, which just had a small portion of the site in the flood zone, said Jeff Bergman, city-county planning director.

The city appealed the maps, which led to developers being required to use less fill dirt to elevate any structure above the floodplain.

But the current classification is still a significant detriment to the value of the land, Brown said. Two appraisals obtained by the city both subtract $5 million for actions needed to address the floodplain, such as developers using fill, piers or other methods to decrease the flood risk.

And city officials still don’t think the flood maps are accurate, Bergman said.

They’re working on another study using advanced modeling techniques, and they’ve received approval for that study from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Brown said.

At the same time as that study, officials also have begun talking to the aviation commissioners about how to recoup farming revenue the airport would lose if it sold the land for development.

Farming at the former airport made up about 25 percent of the airport’s farm revenue and about 12 percent of its overall revenue during the past three years, airport director Brian Payne said.

Payne said the board just wants to make sure it will be able to make up that revenue, as the airport does not receive support from taxpayers and operates solely using fees from rentals, farming and other revenue sources.

That may include using proceeds from land sales to buy more farmland or having the city or the developers pay a yearly annuity to the airport, Brown said.

The aviation board also will have to approve and issue the request for proposals to select developers, which officials hope to have sent out by March or April, the mayor said.

[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Walesboro farming revenues” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

The revenue shown is for the crop year, which generally starts in early spring.

2011

Total farming revenue: $654,865

Walesboro: $176,200

2012

Total farming revenue: $641,156

Walesboro: $174,022

2013

Total farming revenue: $598,240

Walesboro: $132,814

[sc:pullout-text-end]

Staff Reports

Greensburg-based MainSource Financial Group reported record annual earnings of $29 million, or $1.39 per common share, for 2014. That’s up from $26.3 million, or $1.26 per common share, in 2013.

Driving the increase in net income were gains in net interest income and a reduction in loan loss provision expense, the company reported.

“Excluding acquisition-related expenses, our 2014 earnings were approximately $31 million. This represents the highest level of earnings in the company’s history,” said Archie M. Brown Jr., president and chief executive officer.

MainSource closed Oct. 17 on the purchase of MBT Bancorp of West Harrison, Indiana, acquiring $185 million in loans and $184 million in deposits.

MBT was the holding company for The Merchants Bank and Trust Company, which operated six branches spanning from Dearborn County to the greater Cincinnati communities of Harrison, Western Hills and Hyde Park.

MainSource also reported net income for the fourth quarter of $6.6 million, or 30 cents per common share, compared to net income of $7.4 million, or 36 cents per common share, in the fourth quarter of 2013.

The company incurred a $3.1 million pretax charge ($2.2 million on an after-tax basis), related to the acquisition of MBT Bancorp.

“Increases in earning assets from the merger led to a 7 percent increase in net interest income. Additionally, net loans, excluding loans acquired in the merger, grew at a 4 percent annualized level, demonstrating our continued progress in expanding commercial customer relationships,” Brown said.

The company also announced a first quarter common dividend of 13 cents per share, payable March 16 to common shareholders of record as of March 6.

The increase from 11 cents per share reflects an 18 percent gain in the quarterly common dividend.

“This is the fifth increase in two years and represents a 2.7 percent yield. This increase indicates our confidence in the current performance of the company as well as our general outlook,” Brown said.

MainSource has local offices in Columbus, Hope, Edinburgh, North Vernon and Westport, in addition to locations inside retail stores and ATM locations.

Chongqing Cummins Engine Company, a 50-50 joint venture between Cummins and Chongqing Machinery and Electric Co., Ltd., broke ground this week for a new plant in the Northern New District of Chongqing.

The new facility will include a tech center dedicated to high-horsepower engine engineering and a new engine manufacturing operation, Columbus-based Cummins Inc. said in a news release.

Construction on the tech center is expected to finish in 2016, and the plant is expected to be put into use in 2018, the company said. It will further fortify CCEC’s leading position in China’s high horsepower industry, Cummins said.

“The new plant project of CCEC sets another milestone for Cummins in China. From the first licensee agreement in 1981, first engine joint venture in 1995, to establishing HHP engine base, Chongqing has played a key role in our HHP engine development and production,” said Wang Hongjie, general manager of China Engine Business Unit High Horsepower Business and Customer Support.

Columbus Regional Health and WellConnect are planning a variety of activities during American Heart Month in February.

Health experts from nurses to pharmacists and a cardiologist from the health system will talk about heart health in a number of sessions.

Activities include:

• Weekly one-on-one, question-and-answer sessions with Columbus Regional Health pharmacists and nurses. Visitors may come in and chat with an expert, whether the question is about medications, salt intake or heart disease risk factors. Pharmacists will be available from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday and Feb. 17 and 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Feb. 10 and 24.  Nurses will be available from noon to 1 p.m. and 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. every Monday and Wednesday in February.
• WellConnect will host two heart-related Lunch ‘n Learns with Columbus Regional Health physicians. From noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, Dr. Nandu Gourineni, a cardiologist, will present “Keeping Your Heart Healthy,” talking about hypertension and the impact of sodium on your diet. From noon to 1 p.m. Feb. 26, Dr. Sorin Pusca, a cardiothoracic surgeon, will present “Heart Surgery in Younger Adults.” Lunch is provided and registration is required for both sessions.
• Various activities and displays are planned throughout February including children’s diets affecting their heart health, how to control risk factors for heart disease and how much sodium is in our diets today.

For more information or to register for the Lunch ‘n Learn sessions, contact WellConnect at 812-343-9840.

Columbus Diagnostic Imaging is introducing a new magnetic resonance imaging machine at its Creekview Drive facility in Columbus.

The 1.5 high-field Tesla MRI allows for more detailed, clearer images and faster image times. Columbus Diagnostic Imaging began using the new MRI in early January.

The machine enables the center to conduct the same types of MRI scans as Columbus Regional Hospital. Columbus Diagnostic is part of the Columbus Regional Health system and is accredited by the American College of Radiology in CT, MRI and ultrasound imaging.

Columbus Diagnostic is located near 10th Street and Marr Road.

For more information: 812-376-1000.