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City of Frankfort’s New Leaf Machine Raises Awareness For Alzheimer’s Disease and Breast Cancer

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FRANKFORT, Ind – The City of Frankfort is using its new leaf machine to raise awareness for Breast Cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Jason Forsythe, Frankfort Street Department Superintendent, proposed the idea of applying a vinyl wrap to each side – one done in purple for Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness and the other in pink for Breast Cancer Awareness. Each of the wraps was made available by a generous donation by the Center Township of Clinton County office.

“My family has been impacted by both breast cancer and Alzheimer’s,” said Forsythe. “These are terrible diseases that are hard for a lot of families. My hope is that the messages on our leaf machine will remind people that our community supports everyone who is struggling and we are all hoping for a cure.”

Leaf collection in the City takes place annually in the months of October and November. Each of those months happens to coincide with the causes being championed for higher awareness – National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is in October and November is recognized as National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month.

Frankfort Mayor Judy Sheets supports the idea of utilizing City assets to take positive messages to the many neighborhoods. “We hope this leaf machine will bring a positive message to the community in a time when we all need encouragement,” said Mayor Sheets. “This year has been challenging in many ways. It has been exceptionally challenging for people who are faced with the added difficulty of illnesses such as breast cancer or Alzheimer’s disease.”

The National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. estimates that 30% of all women cancer diagnoses in 2020 will be breast cancer and report that 1 in 8 women in The United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s is the 6th leading cause of death in The United States.

Zip Code 46041 Continues to be COVID-19 Hotspot

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FRANKFORT, Ind – The zip code 46041 within Clinton County continues to be a COVID-19 hotspot according to a revised statewide map published Tuesday, October 27th.

Using data from the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH), Micah Pollak, Associate Professor of Economics at Indiana University Northwest, published a revised statewide map on Tuesday showing the average weekly new COVID-19 cases over a 4-week period by zip code in Indiana. Professor Pollak was assisted in this project by Susan Batt, 13 Investigates & Special Projects Producer at WTHR.

The method of determining a numerical value by zip code looked at the average new weekly cases over a 4-week period, from September 27th through October 25th. Then zip code population data available from 2018 population tables published by the U.S. Census Bureau was used to allow each zip code to be analyzed evenly. A statistical method used commonly known as occurrences in 1,000. In this instance, the weekly average of new COVID-19 cases per 1,000 people.

The result was the grouping of results across 6 bands, 0-0.5, 0.6-0.8, 0.8-1.0, 1.0-1.2, 1.2-1.4, and 1.4+. Clinton County zip code 46041 feel within the 1.4+ band. Other Clinton County zip codes appearing in grouping bands included zip codes 46065 (1.2-1.4 band), 46058 (0.8-1.0 band), and 46050 (0-0.6 band).

According to Pollak, “Over the same four most recent week (Sept. 27 to Oct. 25), the growth rate of cases NATIONALLY was 1.2 per 1,000 people.”

The following is the most recent zip code data by count only as pulled on October 28, 2020.

46035 Colfax: Suppressed
46039 Forest: Suppressed
46041 Frankfort: 557 cases (an increase of 92 cases since last week)
46050 Kirklin: 22 cases ((an increase of 3 cases since last week)
46057 Michigantown: Suppressed
46058 Mulberry: 99 cases (an increase of 5 cases since last week)
46065 Rossville: 42 cases (an increase of 11 cases since last week)
46067 Sedalia: No cases

Note: Suppression occurs when there are either less than 5 COVID cases to a zip code or the zip code’s population is less than 1,500.

Today, October 28, the ISDH reported an additional 17 Clinton County residents had tested positive bringing the total count to 952 since the beginning of the pandemic.

Hot Dogs Season Comes To An End After Loss To Lebanon

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LEBANON, Ind – Frankfort faced a tough challenge in sectional football action Friday when they traveled to face its perennial rival, the Lebanon Tigers – a team that has held the Hot Dogs scoreless over the previous three years and outscored them 233-39 in the past four.

And like the previous three years, Lebanon shut out the Dogs, winning 29-0. The twenty-nine points allowed is the fewest a Dogs’ defense has allowed against Lebanon since a 29-14 loss in 2015. Frankfort ends the season at 5-5.

“To come down here and play these guys to a 29-0 ball game, it’s just a testament to how far these guys have come,” said third-year FHS head coach James Byers. “How far this team has come. How far this senior class has brought us. We threw these guys to the wolves when they were sophomores.”

Lebanon used a mix of defense schemes to shut down the Frankfort offense. On the ground, Hot Dog junior running back Riley Goodnight entered the game averaging 132 yards-per-game and was held to just 39 yards on 26 carries. From the air, junior quarterback Sam Michael threw for 34 yards on 4-of-9 attempts.

“Even though we did not score, we offensively moved the ball well,” said Byers. “Sam made some really nice throws. Riley had some really nice runs. Cam (Swinford) had a really nice catch on the sideline to convert the first down.”

For the season, Goodnight rushed for 1,229 yards, added an additional 145 yards of receiving, and scored 15 touchdowns – 13 from the ground and 2 from the air. Goodnight finished his junior season ranked 21st in Indiana for total yards and 19th in the state in rushing yards.

Michael threw for 908 yards on 50 percent passing and rushed for 510 yards. He scored 13 touchdowns in total with seven from the air and 6 on the ground. Seniors Jade Ayers and Kyle Earl finished with 441 and 293 receiving yards respectively.

Defensively the Hot Dogs were led by the linebacker duo of senior Gabe Chavez and junior Brenton Wood with 16 and 15 tackles respectively. Wood also had a blocked punt. Senior Ramsey Mitchell added a sack and junior Bryce McDonald came away with an interception.

For the season, Chavez ended ranked 2nd nationally in tackles and 1st in Indiana. Junior defensive tackle Vlad Carreras Lantigua finished the year ranked 20th nationally overall in tackles, 1st nationally among defensive tackles, and 7th overall in Indiana. McDonald finished the year tied for 31st nationally in interceptions, tied for 7th in the state in interceptions, and tied for 15th in the state in tackles among free safeties. Ramsey Mitchell finished his senior year tied for 13th in the state in sacks and senior Reece Mitchell ended his year as the #1 strong safety in the state in total tackles.

Coach Byers talked about how the program has grown and what this season has meant for the growth of the Frankfort football program in years to come.

“There was talk of shutting down the program two years ago,” said Byers. “The numbers were so low – it was really bad. Our staff came in and we didn’t win any games – we got the numbers up (students playing). We started getting better, showing improvement. We improved more that second year. We were more competitive in games and this year finally turning the corner and getting those wins, making plays, and winning tight ball games.

“North Mont is an outstanding team. Crawfordsville is a really well-coached team. To make that trip up, two-hours to a different time zone, and play a South Central team – that was super awesome. Southmont, an incredibly physical team, their coach has them run a triple-option really well. Then Clinton Prairie, a lot of athletes and a big offensive line, for us to go in there and get our first win was tremendous.

“These guys have had a huge year and I’m so proud of them. I wish we could keep playing, but it ends for everybody like this but for six.” Each year six teams in Indiana high school football are crowned state champs – one in each of the six football classes.

Coach Byers looks toward next year with seven returning starters on each the defense and offense side. “We’ve made huge strides,” said Byers. “Now it’s, how do we take the next step? And, that’s going to be the focus of this offseason.”

TIGERS 29, HOT DOGS 0

Lebanon;10;12;0;7;-;29
Frankfort;0;0;0;0;-;0

Scoring Summary

1st Qtr (9:16) Lebanon. Trevor Myers 38-yard field goal. 3-0.
1st Qtr (3:27) Lebanon. Garrett Harker 1-yard run. Trevor Myers kick good. 10-0.
2nd Qtr (4:20) Lebanon. Caden Boggess 23-yard pass from Garrett Harker. Kick failed. 16-0.
2nd Qtr (1:33) Lebanon. Garrett Harker 35-yard run. Kick failed. 22-0.
4th Qtr (9:05) Lebanon. Brayton Bowen 1-yard run. Trevor Myers kick good. 29-0.

Dogs Win 22-8, First Regular Season Winning Record In 11 Years

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FRANKFORT, Ind – The past three years Frankfort looked at the last regular-season game against Crawfordsville as the chance to keep from going without a win.

And, the past two years were not kind to the Hot Dogs – no wins in each of those seasons. But, Friday’s game against the Athenians had a different meaning in 2020. FHS entered the contest in hopes of accomplishing something that has not been done for 11 years – end the regular season with a winning record.

Despite a first-quarter Crawfordsville touchdown, the Dogs bounced back and scored three times offensively and defensively held the Athenians scoreless for the remainder of the game, and claimed its 5th win of the season, 22-8 – a regular-season record of 5-4.

“That was exciting – first regular winning season in like eleven years,” said a jubilant FHS coach James Byers after the senior class had surprised him with a cooler of water poured over his head. “You can’t say enough about this group of seniors – they’re outstanding young men. I’m so happy for all of them – I’m so happy for those two senior classes that came before them that kind of set the stage for this.

“This group has done a tremendous job of battling through adversity – battling when people around didn’t believe in them and they believed in themselves and believed in each other. They just kept grinding, they just kept working.”

The Hot Dogs defense turned up the pressure after the early score and collected 5 interceptions, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery – two of the turnovers led to FHS scores by the Dogs’ offensive unit. And, the special teams unit added a blocked punt.

“Defensively we are tough,” said coach Byers.

Frankfort got on the board twice in the second quarter both times the result of the defense causing a turnover.

The first score came after Vlad Carreras Lantigua forced a fumble of Athenians quarterback Kaiden Underwood on the 4-yard line. Four plays later and Hot Dogs quarterback Sam Michael scored on a 1-yard run. A two-point conversion pass to Jade Ayers from Michael tied the game at 8-8 with 11:09 left in the second quarter.

The second score came after Brenton Wood intercepted a pass thrown by Underwood on the 40-yard line that allowed the offensive unit to take the field. And like the previous score, Michael scored on a 1-yard run. The two-point try failed – the Dogs up 14-8 with 6:40 left in the first half.

FHS scored the final time in the 4th quarter at 8:39 on a 36-yard run by Michael. Cam Swinford caught the two-point pass from Michael that moved the score to 22-8.

“We played well on all three phases,” coach Byers said. “Coach Pickrell did a great job of putting together a defensive game plan. Coach Jewell did a great job with the offensive game plan and making in-game adjustments.

“Coach Surber did a great job of putting together the special team’s plan. The entire staff, coach Chris Keller, Colt Keller, Evan Hall, Dillion Shelly, Noah Dubree both are former players (Shelly and Dubree) of ours that have come back and are doing a great job with our guys.”

With the regular season complete, Frankfort turns its focus to the post-season playoffs. The Dogs travel Friday to its perennial rival Lebanon (2-4) for the first round of the class 4A sectional 22 action. The two did not meet in the regular season due to COVID-19 protocols with the Lebanon team. In addition to the game canceled with Frankfort due to COVID-19, Lebanon canceled two additional games, Danville and North Montgomery.

“(Lebanon) coach Smock is an outstanding coach – he’s got some really big kids on his line, they’ve got some really terrific athletes,” said coach Byers. “The Harker kid is back (Garret Harker, 5’10”, senior, quarterback). Their wide receiver is back – Reese (J.C. Reese, 6’2”, senior), he’s probably the fastest kid in the conference. And, they are going to be tough defensively.

“We are going to focus in on what we are going to need to do to be competitive with those guys. They kind of came in here last year and steamrolled us (53-0), but we’re a little more confident team this year. We’re a little bit more composed – we’ve been in some kind of tough, close games. So hopefully, we can be a little more competitive with them this year.”

HOT DOGS 22, ATHENIANS 8
Frankfort;0;14;0;8;-;22
Crawfordsville;8;0;0;0;-;8

Scoring Summary
1st Qtr (7:20) Crawfordsville. Kaigen Fields 18-yard pass from Kaiden Underwood. Underwood 2-point conversion run good. 0-8.

2nd Qtr (11:09) Frankfort. Sam Michael 1-yard run. Two-point conversion pass good, Jade Ayers pass from Michael. 8-8.

2nd Qtr (6:40) Frankfort. Sam Michael 1-yard run. Two-point conversion failed. 14-8.

4th Qtr (8:39) Frankfort. Sam Michael 36-yard run. Two-point conversion pass good, Cam Swinford pass from Michael. 22-8.

City of Frankfort Acquires Land for New Police Department

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FRANKFORT, Ind – A three-and-a-half-year search for the best location to construct a $7.2 million new Frankfort police department came to an end Monday, at the Skanta Theater located in the Frankfort Community Public Library when the Frankfort City Council received word from Frankfort Police Chief Scott Shoemaker – the Community Foundation of Howard County had accepted the City’s offer to purchase land for $200,000 that morning.

The 7.71 acres of land is located on the northside of State Rd 28 West between Victory Chapel to the east and Brock Grain Systems to the west. The parcel is bounded by State Rd 28 West to the south and the railroad tracks to the north.

The decision to make the offer came during the September 28th meeting of the City Council after having exhausted other alternatives, such as remodeling the current police department, the use of the old city power location on Washington Ave, the former Kyger school property on Third St, a parcel located at the airport, and most recently the old CVS west building.

The money to purchase the land will be spread out over two-years – the first, a payment to be held in escrow within 15-days of Monday in the amount of $100,000, and the remaining balance in 2021.

“I’m excited,” said Frankfort Mayor Judy Sheets. “We did get the approval today (Monday) from the Community Foundation to accept our offer. It was $200,000. We will give them a $100,000 this year, and then next year in February we will go ahead and give the other $100,000 and we’ll take possession of the land.”

Chief Shoemaker is hopeful the timeline to send the project out to bid can be leveraged with the work that has previously been completed by the architects – KJG out of Lafayette, Indiana, and Zimmerman Architectural Studios based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The two firms have previously completed multiple designs of a Frankfort police department dating back to September 2018.

“I have asked the architects to put together a proposal of what our net costs are for them,” said Chief Shoemaker while addressing the Council members. “We have spent a lot of time and a lot of money on this in the last three, three and a half years.

“So, I have asked them to use what space needs analysis we’ve already done and put that on that spot (the land being purchased) in terms of us being able to see it being and then we will go from there. That way we don’t spend a lot of time, money, and effort on making a lot of drastic changes.”

After the meeting, Chief Shoemaker addressed how he envisions the layout of the new police department.

“Now, we move on to designing a building that will go on this particular spot,” said Chief Shoemaker. “All the buildings we’ve designed up to this point were one-story long buildings. We’re going to look at a two-story building and then have a lot of space in the back to have a maintenance area and a parking area. So that is really exciting.”

Chief Shoemaker continued by speaking about how the department would like to see evidence stored.

“We will look at the layout – we want it to be closer,” said Chief Shoemaker. “We want short term evidence to go into a locker, and that locker will only open from the other side – the lab people would take that evidence out. Right now we can’t do any of that. We’ll have to work within the budget. Last looked, we had about $7.2 to $7.5 million to build this.”

Chief Shoemaker concluded by saying, “Hopefully, they can do that in four months.” The “they” and “that” relates to the architects being able to have a finished design that can be spent out to bid. “And, breaking ground in June or July (2021).”

 

 

 

 

Dogs Ground Chargers For 1st Win Over North Montgomery In 11 Years, Improve to 4-4

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LINDEN, Ind – Frankfort entered Friday’s contest against Sagamore Conference foe North Montgomery in hopes of their first win in 11 years against the Chargers.

Trailing 14-0 in the first half, the Hot Dogs quest looked to be in question against a Chargers team that had previously been ranked in the state 3A football polls.

The North Montgomery defense pressured the Hot Dogs with a variety of stunts and blitzes in the first half that yielded the Chargers with three sacks of FHS quarterback Sam Michael as well as an interception that stopped a scoring drive on the 17-yard line.

Just as it appeared North Montgomery had found a way to stop another FHS drive with 3:49 left in the first half, Michael converted on a fourth-and-five with a 13-yard pass to Kyle Earl. The Hot Dogs would then face another fourth-and-long decision. And, again it was Earl that hauled in another 13-yard pass from Michael to set-up a first-and-goal from the 2-yard line. With 2:39 left on the clock, Riley Goodnight punched it in and the Dogs were on the board, he added a two-point conversion run that would make the score 14-8.

“They stayed positive, they stayed upbeat,” said Frankfort head coach James Byers when asked about the first-half struggle. “Our leaders took charge when we needed them too.”

Frankfort turned up the intensity in the second half and the momentum changed as a result of a Ramsey Mitchell 65-yard, pick-six interception of Chargers quarterback Donavan Haworth with 4:53 left in the third quarter.

“It was a great play – [Ramsey Mitchell] was able to read it and jump it … and that is only a tied ball game,” said an excited coach Byers. “Then the offense comes out on a sudden change – big play call – we called ‘weak outside zone’ – which is something that we don’t normally do, but (Coach) Chris Keller saw it from the box, Coach (Cormac) Jewell made the call and it was awesome.”

Goodnight ran for the two-point conversion that put the Dogs on top for good, 16-14. The win improves FHS to 4-4 on the season and 2-3 in the Sagamore Conference. North Montgomery drops to 5-3, 1-3.

Coach Byers talked of the all-around team performance – a game he called their “most complete.”

“I’m so proud of our guys,” coach Byers said. “The way we got down early and we battled back, we stayed composed.

“We had those three drives early that were stopped, but in general the offense played really solid. The defense – we gave up a couple big runs, but overall we played really solid. Our special teams – they played solid.

“That was our most complete game to date – in terms of all three phases of the game.”

Michael and Goodnight led the Frankfort offense attack. Michael completed 10 of 21 passes for 105 yards, he also rushed for 29 yards on 7 carries. Goodnight carried the ball 25 times for a total of 91 yards. From the air, Earl recorded 7 receptions for 63 yards and Jade Ayers added 3 receptions for 42 yards.

Defensively the Hot Dogs held back North Montgomery with a team effort. Brenton Wood led the way with 18 tackles (8 solo) followed by Ethan Cook with 17 tackles (10 solo). Vlad Carreras Lantigua and Gabe Chavez each with 16 tackles (6 and 5 solo tackles respectively). Ramsey Mitchell and Reece Mitchell each tallied 9 tackles and 1 sack.

“That North Mont team is a heck of a team, they were ranked in 3A at one point,” added coach Byers. “They are an outstanding ball club. For us to come in, we’d lost a couple, and to bounce back the way we did after having to overcome that adversity is really something. It says a lot about these young men and their character and just the kind of team that they are.”

The Hot Dogs host Crawfordsville (0-8, 0-6) on Friday for the final regular-season game.

HOT DOGS 16, CHARGERS 14
North Montgomery;6;8;0;0;-;14
Frankfort;0;8;8;0;-;16

Scoring Summary
1st Qtr (0:38) North Montgomery. Jacob Braun 1-yard run. Kolton Scrimager two-point conversion pass from Donovan Haworth. 8-0.

2nd Qtr (5:00) North Montgomery.Gage Galloway 27-yard pass from Donovan Haworth. Two-point conversion failed. 14-0.

2nd Qtr (2:39) Frankfort. Riley Goodnight 2-yard run. Goodnight two-point conversion run. 14-8.

3rd Qtr (4:53) Frankfort. Ramsey Mitchell 65-yard interception return. Riley Goodnight two-point conversion run. 14-16.

Warriors Quick Start Too Much For Dogs, 45-12

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DANVILLE, Ind – Frankfort faced an undefeated Danville Warriors team Friday that got out to a fast start scoring on its first three possessions and doing so without taking much time off of the clock.

The Hot Dogs found themselves down 21-0 with 7:18 left in the first quarter with only one offensive series of its own. As with last week’s game against Western Boone, FHS saw their opponent take advantage of a short field.

Danville’s first score took just 20-seconds after receiving the Hot Dogs opening kickoff. Three plays were all the Warriors needed to move the ball 41-yards and the first points were the result of an Ethan Durta 4-yard run. Their next score came after holding the Dogs to a three-and-out. A strong punt return by Brayton McMahon placed the ball at the Hot Dogs 27-yard line – leading to a Kale Payne 3-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Doston.

The third score of the opening quarter came after an Ivan Duarte fumble on the ensuing kickoff that was recovered at the Hot Dogs 28-yard line. Payne connected with Dominick Wynn on a 19-yard touchdown pass.

“It’s tough to defend a short field,” said FHS Coach James Byers. “We’ve got to get off of the bus, we’ve got to get off of the bus ready to play. We spot them 21-points – you take that away and it’s a 24-12 game.”

Frankfort got on the scoreboard with 3:45 left in the 2nd quarter after an Ivan Duarte punt took a funny hop and went off of the foot of the Warriors’ punt returner, Luke Wooten – Reece Mitchell was there to recover the fumble on the Warriors 40-yard line.

Hot Dogs quarterback Sam Michael went to work moving the ball down the field connecting on all three pass attempts – 12-yards to Jade Ayer and twice to Riley Goodnight, 7-yards, and 9-yards.

On a third-and-two from the 6-yard line, Goodnight found the space to reach the endzone. The two-point attempt failed – making the score 31-6.

“I’m really proud of the way our guys battled tonight,” coach Byers said. “I’m proud they kept playing, they kept playing hard. We got down 21 and that is when they seemed to pick up their intensity.”

The final FHS scoring drive took place as time expired in the 4th quarter. Michael found Kyle Earl, with toes just inside the right sideline of the endzone, for a 4-yard passing score – with time expired the officials did not set-up for an extra point attempt.

“I’m proud of them playing four quarters,” coach Byers added. “I’m proud our way the offense started to get back in rhythm.”

The final score of 45-12 moves the Dogs to 3-4 for the season and 1-3 in conference play. Danville goes to 5-0, 4-0.

Michael finished the evening with 72-yards passing – connecting on 12-of-22 attempts, with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. He added 2-yards of rushing on 10 carries.

Goodnight rushed for 44-yards on 20 carries, with 1 touchdown. He also had 6 receptions for 29-yards. Ayers had 3 receptions for 32-yards and Earl had 3 receptions for 11-yards and 1 touchdown.

Defensively Frankfort was led by Reece Mitchell with 10 tackles in addition to the fumble recovery. Bryce McDonald and Ayers both had interceptions.

The Hotdogs continue Sagamore Conference play on Friday at North Montgomery, (5-2,2-2), who lost to Tri-West on Friday, 35-6.

“We’ve got a big test week with North (Montgomery), said coach Byers. “North (Montgomery) is a great team. Coach (Josh) Thompson does a terrific job down there. They’ve got a couple players – (Jacob Braun) is a big strong kid. So, we have to get off of the bus ready to play next week.”

WARRIORS 45, HOT DOGS 12
Danville;28;10;7;0;-;45
Frankfort;0;6;0;6;-;12

Scoring Summary
1st Qtr (11:33) Danville. Ethan Durta 4-yard run. Braden Walliser extra point kick good. 7-0.

1st Qtr (7:45) Danville.Tyler Doston 3-yard pass from Kale Payne. Braden Walliser extra point kick good. 14-0.

1st Qtr (7:18) Danville. Dominick Wynn 19-yard pass from Kale Payne. Braden Walliser extra point kick good. 21-0.

1st Qtr (2:06) Danville. Matthew McGovern 37-yard run. Braden Walliser extra point kick good. 28-0.

2nd Qtr (8:27) Danville. Braden Walliser 39-yard field goal. 31-0.

2nd Qtr (3:45) Frankfort. Riley Goodnight 6-yard run. Two-point conversion failed. 31-6.

2nd Qtr (1:23) Danville. Dominick Wynn 12-yard pass from Kale Payne. Braden Walliser extra point kick good. 38-6.

3rd Qtr (7:55) Danville. Matthew McGovern 41-yard run. Braden Walliser extra point kick good. 45-6.

4th Qtr (0:00) Frankfort. Kyle Earl 4-yard pass from Sam Michael. 45-12.

Frankfort Mayor Judy Sheets, Fire Department Kickoff Fire Prevention Week

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FRANKFORT, Ind – Frankfort Mayor Judy Sheets issued a proclamation Monday, October 5, declaring the week of October 5 through 9 fire prevention week in Frankfort.

Mayor Sheets shared why she wanted to recognize the week as fire prevention week given the restrictions still in place for COVID-19.  “I think it is so important to get the message out to our citizens – particularly the schools,” said Mayor Sheets. “I thought it was important that we do something to still recognize that it is fire prevention week and that out firefighters are still there to be able to give information out.”

This year’s campaign is “Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen!” and the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) is the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week, something they have done for more than 90 years.

“We’ve never had a proclamation read for fire prevention week,” said Frankfort Fire Department Chief John Kirby. “We reach over 3,000 kids every year just in the week of fire prevention week – this year it is through the week of the 5th through the 9th.”

Given the COVID-19 restrictions, Chief Kirby said the department had to come up with some creative ways to reach the children in Frankfort schools.

“Unfortunately through COVID, we are unable to get into the schools like we have in the past and actually congregate with the kids and different classes and talk to them about fire prevention. So, this year we’re doing it kind of different.

“We have to be a bit more creative to get the message out this year; pre-K through 2nd grade, we’re doing coloring contests – the kids will be coloring a different fire prevention slogans and pictures. Then our firefighters next week will go through and pick the ones they like and give the winners a gift bag.

“The older kids we’ll pass out the rubber bracelets – all of them have different fire prevention slogans on them. We plan on each school having a fire drill this week. Unfortunately, the middle school and high school are out this week on e-learning, but we still have the grade schools, so we are going to make contact with them and probably have a fire drill.”

Chief Kirby shared the following safety tips to prevent cooking fires:

  • Never leave cooking food unattended. Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling or broiling. If you have to leave, even for a short time, turn off the stove.
  • If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you’re cooking.
  • You have to be alert when cooking. You won’t be alert if you are sleepy, have taken medicine or drugs, or consumed alcohol that makes you drowsy.
  • Always keep an oven mitt and pan lid nearby when you’re cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan to smother the flame. Turn off the burner, and leave the pan covered until it is completely cool.
  • Have a “kid-free zone” of at least 3 feet around the stove and areas where hot food or drink is prepared or carried.

 

Clinton County High School Football Action for Week 7

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FRANKFORT, Ind – All three Clinton County high school football programs will be in action this evening, Friday, October 2nd – all of the games are set for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

Frankfort (3-3) is on the road to take on the Danville Warriors (4-0) in a Sagamore Conference match-up. The Hotdogs lost last week to Western Boone, 37-0. Danville defeated Southmont, 35-7.

Clinton Central (3-1) will host the Carroll Cougars (2-4) in a Hoosier Heartland Conference match-up. The Bulldogs lost to Eastern last week, 53-8. Carroll lost to Tri-Central, 36-0.

Clinton Prairie (0-6) will host the Taylor Titans (1-5) in a Hoosier Heartland Conference match-up. The Gophers lost last week to Delphi, 49-14. Taylor lost to Sheridan last week, 65-22.

FHS & FMS to Close Until Oct 12 Due to COVID-19

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FRANKFORT, Ind – Today, the Community Schools of Frankfort (CSF) notified parents/guardians of students attending the Frankfort Middle School (FMS) and Frankfort  High School (FHS) that two students within those combined populations have tested positive for COVID-19.

Additionally, three staff members at the high school have tested positive.

As a result of learning of the positive cases, the CSF administration made the decision that both the FHS and FMS buildings will close beginning Friday, October 2, and reopen Monday, October 12 out of an abundance of caution. During this time, all students impacted by this closure will participate in e-learning.

CSF Superintendent Joel McKinney addressed how extracurricular activities will be addressed.

“Just as our virtual scholars may participate in extracurricular activities, so may our e-learners, as long as there are no COVID issues within the team,” said McKinney. “Our after school activities are looked at ‘case by case’ when it comes to continuing with practices and competitions.”

The full announcement can be read below:

The Community Schools of Frankfort has been informed of two positive COVID-19 cases within the middle school and high school student population.  We have followed health department guidelines for contact tracing and have notified all close contacts to inform them what they should do.  All close contacts will quarantine for 14 days before returning to school. The criteria includes being within six feet for a total of 15 minutes of an individual with a confirmed positive case and within two days of the symptom onset for the individuals.

If you have NOT received a call, your child has NOT been identified as a close contact.

Additionally, the high school has experienced 3 staff members in a short period of time who have tested positive. All transmissions have taken place outside of the school setting and all individuals are on isolation at home.  Close contacts have been identified and are under the 14-day quarantine.

Out of an abundance of caution, in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our schools, Frankfort High School and Frankfort Middle School will move to e-learning on Friday of this week and continuing the week of October 5 through 9.  Only elementary students will report to school.  Middle and high school students will return to regular school on Monday, October 12.

Middle school and high school students on e-learning will sign in to Canvas for school, following the 2- hour delay schedule. Daily attendance will be taken according to participation and completed assignments. All school staff will report to work as usual.

Grab and Go meals will be available for middle school and high school students during e-learning days.  The pick-up location will be behind the high school from 11:30 am until 12:30 pm daily. Because our high school and middle school staff will continue to work from school while students are at home for e-learning, parents should contact the school during school hours with any questions they may have.

While home on e-learning, we ask that our students continue to maintain social distancing and follow all of the safety practices that reduce the risk of illness transmission.

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