Andy East

6 days ago | therepublic.com | Andy East

Love Chapel is continuing to an increase in the number of families seeking help with groceries, with officials saying they would not be surprised to see record-breaking demand this year. In March, 1,385 families turned to Love Chapel for help with obtaining food, said executive director Kelly Daugherty, who is still compiling figures for April. By comparison, Love Chapel served 1,093 families in March 2024. “We saw an increase of about 60 families in March,” Daugherty said.

1 week ago | therepublic.com | Andy East

Analysts say that Cummins Inc.’s decision to withdraw its full-year financial guidance — along with slumping ocean freight activity and widespread corporate hesitation — may signal that the Trump administration’s tariffs are beginning to weigh on Bartholomew County’s economy. The county’s economy is deeply tied to automotive manufacturing, particularly engines and components for freight vehicles, as well as exports — which are facing headwinds as other countries impose retaliatory tariffs.

1 week ago | therepublic.com | Andy East

The Bartholomew County Coroner’s Office has ruled that a Columbus man found in the Driftwood River after last month’s floods died of accidental drowning, officials said Tuesday. On April 10, Darrell Voelz, 62, Columbus, was found by the Bartholomew County Water Rescue Team in the Driftwood River near the Lowell Fishing Site near the intersection of North County Road 325W and Lowell Road, officials said.

1 week ago | therepublic.com | Andy East

Cummins Inc. said on Monday that it is “entering uncharted territory” as the company withdrew its full-year guidance, citing uncertainty about the potential impact of the Trump administration’s tariffs. Cummins, which is headquartered in Columbus and is the largest employer in the area, said “the economic environment has changed significantly over the past three months.”The company had previously said it expected 2025 full-year revenue to be down 2% to up 3% compared to last year.

1 week ago | therepublic.com | Andy East

Experts say economic conditions may be “tough for a while” in Bartholomew County as warning signs emerge that the North American trucking industry is hitting the brakes amid heightened economic uncertainty due to President Donald Trump’s on-again, off-again tariff war. Any slowdown in the trucking industry could have implications for Bartholomew County’s economy, which is heavily rooted in automotive manufacturing, including for heavy- and medium-duty trucks, analysts said.