Bartholomew County News

COLUMBUS, Ind. — The Columbus Parks and Recreation Department is embarking on a multi-year effort to earn national accreditation as part of a broader strategy to compete for national recognition.

COLUMBUS, Ind. — Minor league hockey is back at the Hamilton Community Center and Ice Arena at Lincoln Park as the Indiana Sentinels opened their second season against Minnesota Northern Lights on Friday night, October 9, with a 4-2 win.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance has appointed Eder Arteaga as a new agent at the Columbus office,  221 Chestnut St.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - Columbus Parks and Recreation has announced plans to renovate Freedom Field, the city’s largest accessible playground on Parkside Drive, for $1.3 million, with construction slated for early 2027.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - Ethnic Expo returns to downtown Columbus near City Hall at 123 Washington Street this Friday and Saturday. The popular two-day festival has brightened the community for over 40 years.

COLUMBUS, Ind. — The Columbus City Council approved a resolution authorizing the Columbus Redevelopment Commission to spend $1,798,040 in TIF funds for infrastructure improvements in the Central Allocation Area.

INDIANAPOLIS - The Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) estimates that over 58,000 Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) members may not currently comply with, or be exempt from, the HIP Work Requirements that will begin January 1, 2027.

COLUMBUS, Ind. — The Columbus City Council voted unanimously to approve a $3 million Tax Increment Financing (TIF) grant to support the restoration and expansion of the historic Crump Theatre as part of Project Encore.

COLUMBUS, Ind. — The Columbus City Council passed the second reading and official adoption of Ordinance No. 2026, establishing the city’s budget for fiscal year 2027.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - The Bartholomew County Historical Society presents the latest in its Open Door Tour Series, "A Bite of History," on Saturday, October 17, from 2 to 5 p.m.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - Heritage Fund - The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County announces that online applications are now open for two music scholarships that will be awarded in 2027. Completed applications are due by 4 p.m. Jan. 29, 2027.

COLUMBUS, Ind. — The Columbus Board of Public Works and Safety has approved two key expenditures for the Columbus Police Department (CPD), including upgrading the range and replacing a patrol vehicle.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - Columbus City Utilities contractors will begin a waterworks project near Southside Elementary School and the Bartholomew County Fairgrounds on or after Friday, October 9, requiring temporary road closures on Spears Street.

NORTH VERNON, Ind. -The Jennings County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) arrested a 67-year-old woman after she drove in circles around the lawn of the Jennings County Courthouse, 24 N Pike St., on Monday, October 5.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - Visit Columbus has $14,000 remaining in grant funds available through its Tourism Development and Event Support programs.

COLUMBUS, Ind. -  "Battle of the Bowls - Greyson's Chili Cook-Off" is the senior project of Columbus North student Greyson Kesler. The community event, hosted by Fun on 4th, raises money for Toys for Tots in Columbus.

EDINBURGH, Ind. — The Edinburgh Town Council has officially approved an amendment to the Edinburgh Police Department’s vehicle-pursuit standard operating procedure, granting officers a new tactic to end high-speed chases safely.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - The "Evening with the Music of Harry Chapin," featuring Dale Sechrest and Friends, has been postponed because a band member has a health emergency.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - Ethnic Expo returns this weekend to downtown Columbus near City Hall at 123 Washington St. The festival has brought together the community for over 40 years.

COLUMBUS, IND. — Centra Credit Union and the Centra Foundation announced that Turning Point Domestic Violence Services has been awarded $75,000 in grants: $15,000 to the organization and $60,000 in Community Multiplier grant funds through the Indianapolis Community Multiplier–Member Match program.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - Forbes has named the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation (BCSC) one of Indiana’s top employers for the second straight year as part of the magazine’s annual list of the country's best employers.

EDINBURGH, Ind. — At its Monday, September 28 meeting, the Edinburgh Town Council took formal action to prepare for the completion of the Timbergate subdivision.

COLUMBUS, Ind.- The City of Columbus has announced that the old low-head dam on the East Fork White River has been removed.

COLUMBUS, Ind. — The City of Columbus has finalized its municipal insurance coverage renewals, maintaining flat rates for workers’ compensation while capping property and equipment cost increases at 1.1%.

COLUMBUS, Ind. — City of Columbus engineering officials are soliciting bids from contractors to replace the signal system at Rocky Ford Road and Central Avenue, identifying the site as a priority crash location.

COLUMBUS, Ind. — The Columbus Board of Public Works and Safety approved a five-year contract renewal with Axon to upgrade law enforcement technology across the city police department.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - The City of Columbus will revitalize Parking Lot 10, at Franklin and 6th Streets, as part of an initiative to expand the downtown tree canopy.

COLUMBUS, Ind. -  Four major sporting events will bring more than 15,000 athletes and spectators to Columbus and Bartholomew County this weekend. Together, the tournaments, from October 2-4, are expected to generate nearly $2 million in economic impact for the City and County. 

COLUMBUS, Ind. - At the recent Association of Indiana Counties (AIC) 68th Annual Conference, it was announced that Bartholomew County Recorder Tami Hines received the 2026 Indiana Outstanding Recorder Award.

COLUMBUS, Ind. — Mill Race Theatre Company is hosting auditions for Miracle on 34th Street, directed by Nick Hogan, on Tuesday, October 6, and Wednesday, October 7, from 6–8 p.m., at the Columbus North High School Studio Room.

EDINBURGH, Ind. — The Town of Edinburgh took its first step toward finalizing its annual financial plan during the Town Council meeting on Monday, September 28.

COLUMBUS, Ind. — The Bartholomew County Board of Zoning Appeals has denied a conditional use permit request to operate two home-based businesses out of a large accessory structure in rural Bartholomew County.

EDINBURGH, Ind. — Public safety equipment and municipal fleet needs were key topics at the September 28 Edinburgh Town Council meeting, resulting in a vehicle purchase approval and an inter-agency police car donation.

INDIANAPOLIS - Late Tuesday, September 29, Indiana State Police (ISP) Detectives and Crash Reconstructionists continued investigating an earlier crash involving a school bus and an ISP pickup truck.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - Columbus Parks and Recreation welcomes athletes, coaches, and the public to the Circle K Fieldhouse at NexusPark for the "War of the Roses" Midwest Nationals Wrestling Tournament this weekend.

TAYLORSVILLE, Ind. — A local homeowner has received approval from the Bartholomew County Board of Zoning Appeals to repair and restore a fire-damaged residence located within a designated floodplain.

INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana State Police (ISP) troopers are investigating a two-vehicle crash involving a school bus and an ISP pickup truck on I-465 northbound, north of Washington Street, on the east side of Indianapolis.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - Ivy Tech Community College Columbus science faculty is again offering a free local nature hike for anyone interested in learning more about the natural environment around them.

SEYMOUR, Ind. - Oktoberfest week in downtown Seymour has finally arrived. The 53rd annual Seymour Oktoberfest is Thursday through Saturday, October 1-3.

COLUMBUS, Ind. — Construction on the Haw Creek Meadows development on Midway Street is expected to be finished soon, bringing dozens of new affordable housing units and dedicated childcare space to the city.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - Drivers navigating downtown Columbus can expect ongoing lane restrictions as crews work through underground delays on the 2nd Street Thoroughfare Project.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - The Mill Race Monster Festival is coming to Mill Race Park in October, and the Columbus Area Arts Council (CAAC) needs your help. You can get involved in two ways, and both are open now.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - As September comes to an end, Columbus Regional Health (CRH) is raising awareness about Suicide Prevention Month.

NORTH VERNON, Ind. — A North Vernon man is dead following a golf cart accident on Saturday evening, September 26.

TAYLORSVILLE, Ind. - One man was arrested for harassment after the Bartholomew County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) was notified of a disturbance in the 9400 block of Main Street in Taylorsville on Saturday, September 26, just after 9 p.m.   

COLUMBUS, Ind. - Governor Mike Braun has nominated census tract 101 in downtown Columbus for the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Opportunity Zone (OZ) 2.0 program.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - The City of Columbus has announced that County Road 325W, between Lowell Road and Carlos Folgers Drive, will be closed to through traffic on Monday, September 28, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. for centerline striping.

EDINBURGH, Ind. - The Edinburgh Municipal Utilities will begin flushing water mains at 7:30 a.m. on October 5 and continue through October 16.

EDINBURGH, Ind. - The Bartholomew County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) closed the southbound lanes of US 31 at W. County Road 900N at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 26, because of a structure fire.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - Work to remove the low-head dam along the riverfront in downtown Columbus is officially underway following the release of frozen federal funds.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - Bartholomew County was honored at the annual Association of Indiana Counties (AIC) conference on Wednesday, September 23, with the 2026 Local Government Corporation Award for its Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.

COLUMBUS, Ind. — The Columbus Redevelopment Commission has unanimously passed Resolution 19-2026 to commit $3 million toward the restoration and reopening of the historic Crump Center for the Performing Arts.

GREENFIELD, Ind. - An Indiana State Police investigation has led to the arrest of 33-year-old Hancock County Sheriff’s Deputy James Heneghan on charges of intimidation, official misconduct, and fraud. 

COLUMBUS, Ind. - A Columbus child is a finalist in the 2026 Stan Lee’s Super Kid Competition and is seeking community support to get into the Top 20.

BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY, Ind. –UPDATE: 4:25 p.m.: Northbound I-65 is currently heavily backed up and traffic is moving at almost a standstill due to emergency crews cleaning up the wreckage of a double semi-trucker crash from earlier this morning, September 24.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - The Columbus Area Arts Council (CAAC) presents the inaugural "Mill Race Monster Festival," October 23-25 at Mill Race Park. Experience Columbus, Indiana’s own cryptid legend. 

COLUMBUS, Ind. - Since 2021, the State of Indiana and Lilly Endowment Inc. have committed $1.25 billion to local quality of place through the Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI), and communities have matched it with local and private dollars.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - The City of Columbus will begin landscaping improvements at Parking Lot #10, at Franklin and 6th Streets, as part of ongoing efforts to expand the downtown tree canopy with native, sustainable, and low‑maintenance plantings.

HOPE, Ind. - Hope Heritage Days returns to the Hope Town Square this Friday, September 25, through Sunday, September 27. The 58th annual event promises three days of community celebration, 125 craft and food booths, music, fireworks, and a parade.

COLUMBUS, Ind. — The Columbus Board of Public Works and Safety has approved a request for banners for the 2026 Ethnic Expo.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - Columbus Regional Health (CRH) has named Chris Winters as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective September 21. He has been the Interim CFO since June 2025.

COLUMBUS, Ind. — United for Youth, a United Way of Bartholomew County Impact Commons group, presents a drive-through tenderloin fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, October 2, at the American Legion, 2515 25th St., in Columbus.

COLUMBUS, Ind. — The City of Columbus is evaluating the Columbus People Trail safety regulations after public feedback regarding the rise of motorized transportation devices.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - Downtown Columbus and other areas of the City will be busy on Saturday, September 26. The day begins with the Mill Race Marathon, followed by the race "After Party." After the Mill Race Marathon activities, the second annual Columbus Oktoberfest will take place.

COLUMBUS, Ind. - The Bartholomew County Historical Society invites you to attend the third Evelyn Seward Speaker Series event of 2026 on October 8, when paranormal investigator, writer, and researcher Matthew D. Jackson presents "Haunted History and Lore of Bartholomew County."