Author

Brett W. Todd - page 85

Brett W. Todd has 985 articles published.

Brett W. Todd is the managing editor of Clinton County Today. Clinton County Today is a community-focused website to provide individuals of Clinton County Indiana and surrounding areas with information impacting their lives. Clinton County Today is a service of Progressive Partners of Indiana, LLC where Brett W. Todd is its managing member.

Clinton County May Begin Stage 2 Of Reopening On May 4

Published on

Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb outlined the reopening of Indiana by July 4th during his afternoon press conference on Friday, May 1, 2020.

The Governor outlined the social gathering limitations as they apply to each Stage:

Stage 2 (May 4) will allow social gatherings of up to 25 following CDC guidelines
Stage 3 (May 24) will allow gatherings of up to 100 following CDC guidelines
Stage 4 (June 14) will allow gatherings of up to 250 following CDC guidelines
Stage 5 (July 4) will allow gatherings of over 250 following CDC guidelines

Stage 2 is delayed for 3 counties in the state. Marion and Lake Counties will begin May 11 and Cass County will begin May 18.

Key Takeaways For Stage 2:

Beginning May 4:

• Social gatherings of 25 people may take place following the CDC social distancing guidelines

• Essential travel restrictions are lifted; local non-essential travel allowed

• Continue remote work whenever possible

• Religious services may convene inside places of worship (May 8th) – with specific social distancing guidelines

• Manufacturers, industrial operations, and other infrastructure that has not been in operation may open

• Public libraries may open

Beginning May 11:

• Personal services, such as hair salons, barbershops, nail salons, spas, and tattoo parlors. By appointment only with operational limitations. Employees must wear face coverings, work stations must be spaced to meet social distancing guidelines, and other requirements must be met. Customers should wear face coverings to the extent possible

• Restaurants and bars that serve food may open at 50% capacity with operational limitations. Bar seating will be closed with no live entertainment. Servers and kitchen staff must wear face coverings

Below is the full list provided by the State of Indiana in regards to Stage 2:

GUIDELINES FOR ALL HOOSIERS

• Hoosiers 65 and over and those with high-risk health conditions should remain at home whenever possible. This is the population that is most vulnerable to the coronavirus

• Recommend that residents wear face coverings in public settings. Residents also should continue to practice social distancing and good hygiene

• Social gatherings of 25 people may take place following the CDC social distancing guidelines. The coronavirus is often spread among groups of people who are in close contact in a confined space for an extended period of time. This limit applies to such events as wedding receptions, birthday parties, Mother’s Day gatherings, and others where people are in close physical contact for extended periods of time

• Essential travel restrictions are lifted; local non-essential travel allowed

• Continue remote work whenever possible

RELIGIOUS SERVICES – MAY 8

• Religious services may convene inside places of worship.

There are specific practices that should be considered for in-person services that are driven by social distancing guidelines and protections for those 65 and older and individuals with known high-risk medical conditions.

Examples of services include weddings, funerals, and baptisms.

WHAT OPENS

• Manufacturers, industrial operations, and other infrastructure that has not been in operation may open following OSHA and CDC guidelines.

• About half of the state’s Bureau of Motor Vehicle branches will open with services by appointment only; the remainder of branches will continue to open over the next two weeks

• Public libraries may open according to their own policies and CDC guidelines

• County and local governments will make decisions based on their policies and CDC guidelines

• Retail and commercial businesses, including those that have been open for the necessities of life during previous executive orders, may operate at 50% of capacity.

Examples include apparel, furniture, jewelry, and liquor stores that have been operating as curbside or delivery only

• Shopping malls may open at 50% capacity with indoor common areas at 25% capacity

• Those who work in office settings are encouraged to continue to work remotely whenever possible but may return to offices in small waves

WHAT OPENS (These business sectors may open a week after the start of Stage 2 ~ May 11th)

• Personal services, such as hair salons, barbershops, nail salons, spas, and tattoo parlors. By appointment only with operational limitations. Employees must wear face coverings, work stations must be spaced to meet social distancing guidelines, and other requirements must be met. Customers should wear face coverings to the extent possible

• Restaurants and bars that serve food may open at 50% capacity with operational limitations. Bar seating will be closed with no live entertainment. Servers and kitchen staff must wear face coverings

• State government executive branch offices will begin limited public services, and employees will begin to return to offices in small waves

• Boating is permitted, but boaters must follow social distancing guidelines

• Visitors to beaches and shorelines must adhere to the social gathering policy and social distancing guidelines

WHAT REMAINS CLOSED

• Individuals are not allowed to visit patients in assisted living/nursing home facilities

• Bars and nightclubs

• Gyms, fitness centers, community centers, and like facilities

• Cultural, entertainment, sports venues, and tourism
o This includes museums, zoos, festivals, parades, concerts, fairs, sports arenas, movie theaters, bowling alleys, aquariums, theme parks, recreational sports leagues and tournaments, and like facilities

• Playgrounds, tennis courts, basketball courts, amusement parks whether indoors or outside, tourist sites, water parks, and social clubs

• Congregate settings for seniors, adult daycares remain closed through at least May 31

• Casino operations

• Community swimming pools, public and private

• Residential and day camps

• Campgrounds, except for those living permanently in RVs or cabins

K-12 Educational Institutions

• All buildings, facilities, and grounds for K-12 educational institutions, public or private, will remain closed through June 30, 2020, except for the purposes previously allowed in Executive Orders pertaining to this public health emergency.

• Educational institutions (including public and private pre-K-12 schools, colleges, and universities) may be open for purposes
of facilitating distance learning, performing critical research, or performing essential functions, provided that social distancing of 6 feet per person is maintained to the greatest extent possible.

• Educational institutions that were previously closed and are reopening for these purposes must perform enhanced environmental cleaning of commonly touched surfaces, such as workstations, countertops, railings, door handles, and doorknobs. Use the cleaning agents that are usually used in these areas and follow the directions on the label. Provide disposable wipes so commonly used surfaces can be wiped down by employees before each use.

• The Indiana Department of Education, in consultation with the Indiana Department of Health, shall develop guidance for graduation ceremonies, including virtual graduation, drive-in ceremonies, and in-person ceremonies with the number of participants limited to the number allowed in the governor’s executive order and provided social distancing requirements are met.

Stages 3 through 5 information can be found here:
https://cl.ly/b77a6ae4a259

7 Additional Clinton County Residents Test Positive For COVID-19, Brings Total To 45

Published on

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) announced today, Friday, May 1, 2020, Clinton County has now had 45 residents test positive for COVID-19. The seven (7) new cases reported include a previously unreported case from April 29, 2020. Of the 7 new cases, 5 are females: 3 in the (30-39) age group, 1 in the (20-29) age group and 1 in the (0-19) age group). 1 male in the (60-69) age group. The remaining case is from April 29 and is labeled as unknown in the (30-39) age group. There is 1 death related to COVID-19 in Clinton County. At least 412 residents of Clinton County have been tested as reported by the ISDH.

Additionally, the ISDH announced that 815 additional Hoosiers have been diagnosed with COVID-19 through testing at ISDH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and private laboratories. That brings to 18,630 the total number of Indiana residents known to have the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s total.

A total of 1,062 Hoosiers have died to date. Deaths are reported based on when data are received by ISDH and occurred over multiple days.

To date, 99,639 tests have been reported to ISDH, up from 94,998 on Thursday.

Local Caterer Honor Front Line Workers

Published on

“With all the front line is doing for our health and safety, we wanted to provide a complimentary meal so they can take a break and relax,” said Rodney Mounts, owner of C & R Catering.

Rodney, along with his wife Christine, lives in Jefferson.

“They do so much for us, I wanted to say thank you.”

A total of 121 meals were prepared and delivered to Frankfort IU Health, Clinton County EMS, and the Clinton County Health Department.

“This was a team effort,” Rodney said. “I want to thank Tammy and Jeff Danner with J & T Cleaning along with Connecting Point Church for making this all possible.”

2 More Clinton County Residents Test Positive For COVID-19, Brings Total To 38

Published on

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) announced today, Thursday, April 30, 2020, Clinton County has now had 38 residents test positive for COVID-19. The two (2) new cases are both males. One (1) in the (20-29) age group, the other in the (40-49) age group. There is 1 death related to COVID-19 in Clinton County. At least 377 residents of Clinton County have been tested as reported by the ISDH.

Additionally, the ISDH announced that 669 additional Hoosiers have been diagnosed with COVID-19 through testing at ISDH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and private laboratories. That brings to 17,835 the total number of Indiana residents known to have the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s total.

A total of 1,007 Hoosiers have died to date. Deaths are reported based on when data are received by ISDH and occurred over multiple days.

To date, 94,998 tests have been reported to ISDH, up from 91,550 on Wednesday.

1 More Clinton County Resident Test Positive For COVID-19, Brings Total To 36

Published on

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) announced today, Wednesday, April 29, 2020, Clinton County has now had 36 residents test positive for COVID-19. The one (1) new case is a female in the (40-49) age group. There is 1 death related to COVID-19 in Clinton County. At least 360 residents of Clinton County have been tested as reported by the ISDH.

Additionally, the ISDH announced that 605 additional Hoosiers have been diagnosed with COVID-19 through testing at ISDH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and private laboratories. That brings to 17,182 the total number of Indiana residents known to have the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s total.

A total of 964 Hoosiers have died to date. Deaths are reported based on when data are received by ISDH and occurred over multiple days.

To date, 91,550 tests have been reported to ISDH, up from 87,181 on Tuesday.

ISDH To Open Free Statewide COVID-19 Test Centers

Published on

Free COVID-19 test centers will soon open across Indiana and Lafayette will be 1 of 20 location centers.

During the Tuesday, April 28, 2020, afternoon COVID-19 press conference led by Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, the increased testing initiative was announced.

The ability to offer free COVID-19 testing is a partnership between the Indiana State Department of Health and Optum Serve described by Dr. Lindsay Weaver, the Chief Medical Officer for the Indiana State Department of Health.

Optum Serve started to perform testing for the State of California this week.

 

3 More Clinton County Resident Test Positive For COVID-19, Brings Total To 35

Published on

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) announced today, Tuesday, April 28, 2020, Clinton County has now had 35 residents test positive for COVID-19. There is 1 death related to COVID-19 in Clinton County. At least 346 residents of Clinton County have been tested as reported by the ISDH.

Additionally, the ISDH announced that 650 additional Hoosiers have been diagnosed with COVID-19 through testing at ISDH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and private laboratories. That brings to 16,588 the total number of Indiana residents known to have the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s total.

A total of 901 Hoosiers have died to date. Deaths are reported based on when data are received by ISDH and occurred over multiple days.

To date, 87,181 tests have been reported to ISDH, up from 84,706 on Monday.

COVID-19 Study Being Conducted, Mobile Test Center At Frankfort Walmart

Published on

As part of the Indiana State Department of Health collaboration with the Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI to conduct a scientific study to measure the spread of COVID-19 throughout the state, today, Tuesday, April 28, 2020, a mobile test center is located in the parking lot of the Frankfort Walmart as part of the study.

“Having the ability to not only test for the presence of this virus, but also to learn more about people who have been exposed in the past and might have antibodies that indicate past infection, will help us fine-tune our work to keep Hoosiers safe from this pandemic,” said State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box. “We are grateful that this partnership will help make that happen.”

The study kicked-off Saturday, April 25. Multiple mobile test centers are in use. The first round of testing will consist of a pool of at least 5,000 Hoosiers randomly selected from across Indiana’s 10 emergency preparedness districts.

This is the first of four phases of the study that will take place over the next year.

The study is by invitation only and locally approximately 70 invitations were sent out for testing today and will include random sample testing for SARS-CoV-2 — the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 — viral infections and antibodies in Hoosiers.

“The unprecedented commitment of the state of Indiana to support critical research will allow us to blaze new trails to understand and respond to the pandemic and its impact on Hoosier health and well-being,” said IU Vice President for Research Fred Cate.

In total, at least 20,000 Hoosiers will be tested for the study. Select members of the public are being asked to participate, by invitation only, to ensure that the sampling is representative of the population.

In addition to medical personnel on-hand to conduct the testing, Indiana State Police is also there.

26th Annual Frankfort Hot Dog Festival Postponed Until July 30-31 2021

Published on

Today, Monday, April 27, 2020, the Frankfort Main Street Board of Directors announced after looking at all options and consulting with the Indiana State Festivals Association, to postpone the 26th Annual Frankfort Hot Dog Festival until July 30-31, 2021.

“This was by far one of the most difficult decisions and did not come without many tears and sleepless nights,” said Frankfort Main Street Executive Director Kim Stevens.

With approximately 90-days out from what would be the opening day of the much-loved Frankfort Hot Dog Festival, the Frankfort Main Street Board of Directors stated that due to COVID-19, community festivals, and events have taken a tremendous hit, affecting everyone one from the local communities, festival vendors, entertainers and service organizations.

Frankfort Main Street feels a responsibility to do our part in helping to keep our community safe.

FHS Changes Course, To Hold “Traditional Face-To-Face” Graduation On August 8 as “Plan A”

Published on

Frankfort High School has changed courses in regards to holding a virtual graduation ceremony for the Class of 2020.

As previously reported on April 21, Frankfort High School Principal Cindy Long sent an email to the senior class informing them of the decision to hold a virtual graduation ceremony.

That decision led to an online petition to be posted asking for a face-to-face ceremony as well as parents and guardians reaching out to school administrators expressing concern that a “traditional” graduation ceremony was not the first choice.

Parents and guardians of the Class of 2020 are receiving a letter from FHS Principal Long stating, “I recognize that our decision has caused disappointment and other ill-feelings. Please know that my intent was sincere. Frankfort High School wants nothing more than to hold our commencement in a traditional manner if safety allows, and our plan “A” is to do just that.”

“In the spirit of compromise, we will now hold our traditional face-to-face graduation on Saturday, August 8. 2020.”

There was no time of day provided in the letter.

Should plan “A” not be able to take place, a virtual program will be conducted.

1 … 83 84 85 86 87 … 99
Go to Top