The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1331323
"From roof to foundation, we've got you covered!" WE NOW ACCEPT: Quality Work. Affordable Prices! Quality Work. Affordable Prices! Like us on Facebook! CALL US TODAY f The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, Januar y 20, 2021 D-1 EAST GIBSON Submit East Gibson news items: Call: 812-354-8500 Email: egnews@pressdispatch.net or bring in a hard copy: 820 E. Poplar Street, Petersburg Vaccinations ramp up even as COVID cases swell By Janice Barniak Gibson County Health Dept. told the County Council on Jan. 12 that in the first 12 days of January, they logged 356 COVID-19 cases. By Monday Jan. 18, the county was showing 490 cases since the beginning of January. The seven-day positivity rate on all tests was 18.8 percent as of Monday, when this issue went to press, but the seven-day rate of unique individuals, (meaning those who are not testing to confirm they can go back to work, or taking additional tests due to a job's requirements instead of because of symptoms), are 40.4 percent. The county is now up to 56 deaths total from the county's 3,565 positive total cases. The county's largest peak day was Dec. 4, a week after Thanks- giving, when the county logged a day with 71 positive cases. Then cases went down, until the hol- idays, when there's been a steady in- crease since Christmas. "New Year's Eve kind of hurt us a lot," said Health Dept. member Judy Adams. Meanwhile, the county's vaccina- tions have started at the Gibson Coun- ty Fairgrounds, by appointment only, as the health department filled a full day of appointments Wednesday and Friday. "It's going to take all five of us," she said. The department submitted a $20,000 grant for staffing and over- time. As of Jan. 12, the department had 200 Moderna vaccine doses, she said. Second solar farm considered By Janice Barniak Now that Elliott Solar Farm is approved, the company leading the project will look to see if the county wants to approve a second solar project with Tenaska, a Gibson Solar Project. The company is work- ing with Baker Tilly to get the council a financial eval- uation, at the company's ex- pense, showing recommen- dations. If they follow the pat- tern of the last project approv- al, the county would schedule a time to consider creating an economic development area, would have public hearings for input, and would poten- tially look at a tax abatement if the county agrees to con- sider it. Sanders named new jail designer By Janice Barniak Gibson County Council ap- proved Byron Sanders as the new designer in charge of the pre-design process for the jail Jan. 12 in their regular meet- ing. Sanders has helped Posey, Dubois and Vanderburgh counties create jails after non-compliance issues. He said he could put a new, more affordable jail proposal together in the next six weeks at a cost of $75 per hour, and said he would not repeat the work done by the previous company, American Struc- turepoint. "You already paid for that once," he said. He said the company would put out an in- vitation for the design, along with a request for each firms' cost per square foot on their last three jail designs. He said he doesn't believe the current jail site is vetted, and so will look at that. His costs should be around $13,000 he said, and he has provided a template for a re- sponse letter to the ACLU with an action plan, and be- lieves the project can still be completed by the January 2023 deadline. "Two years is doable," Sanders said. Dogs had their day Sunday (and cats too) By Janice Barniak While Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream was about racial equality, Gib- son County Animal Services shared their dream of a home for every pet over the MLK weekend with the "I Have a Dream for Animals" adoption event Sunday. Sponsors had paid the adoption fees for pets in advance of the event, allowing families to choose pets without paying an up-front adoption fee. "Every dog and cat in the shelter was sponsored," said volunteer Jen- nifer Williams. "It was 40 sponsored, and that's huge." Of those sponsored pets, 12 dogs and three cats were adopted Sunday, meaning the sponsorships will still follow the animals who are left, as families come in and show interest in them. The shelter appreciated not hav- ing to pick and choose which ani- mals would get to go free to homes, and were excited to see some ani- mals that had been overlooked find new families. Tank, an 11-year-old dog, was ad- opted after a long shelter stay, and workers were happy to hear the lov- ing dog was going into a home with children, where they would allow him to sleep on the couch. "It can be hard when they're old- er. No one wants to take home a pet, knowing they'll get attached but maybe lose them in a few years. You get attached, and it's hard. It takes someone special to open up to se- nior dogs. They need love too. They don't want to die in a shelter. We don't want them to die in a shelter," she said. Another senior, Kaliyah, spent 431 days in the shelter, but went home with a family Sunday. Potential pet owners were still vet- ted, with the shelter looking at the immunization records of their oth- er pets to make sure they'd been re- sponsible owners thus far, and call- ing landlords to ensure the pet own- ers had permission to own pets, to prevent future returns. "This just puts a major dent in the up-front expense," she said. A few sponsored pets are still look- ing for homes, including Buster, who came in as an emaciated stray pit bull. A volunteer decided to sponsor his medical care, as the dog needs a leg amputated. Director Mary Essary said she hopes that when the veterinarian re- leases Buster, there will be a home waiting for him. "His personality—he just wants to be a couch potato," said Williams. Tucker and Jen Williams pose at the "I Have a Dream for Animals" event Sunday at Gibson Coun- ty Animal Services. Wood Memorial grad sworn in as deputy By Janice Barniak Fort Branch fireman Quinten Might began a career as a Gibson County dep- uty sheriff Monday after a Friday swear- ing-in ceremony in Gibson County Supe- rior Court. Might, a Wood Memorial grad, is a four-and-a-half year combat medic and healthcare specialist in the Indiana Army National Guard, a corrections officer at the Gibson County Jail and a member of the cell extraction response team. Might lives in Fort Branch with his wife, Veronica, and their son, Mitchell. "I want to thank you all for coming out to support me. It's been a long road, al- most two years with the jail, and you all helped me in numerous ways to get here. I can't thank all of you enough," he told fellow corrections officers and Sheriff's Office members. He also thanked his wife. Might said he's always had a passion for emergency medical services and working at the jail, so he felt this career would combine the things about which he cared. Quinten Might swore to uphold the laws of Indiana as a Gibson County deputy Friday in Judge Rob Krieg's Superior Courtroom. Oakland City-Columbia Twp. Board of Trustees' annual meeting The annual finance com- mittee meeting for the Oak- land City-Columbia Township Board of Trustees will hold their annual meeting on Janu- ary 27 at 4 p.m. in the library's meeting room. This is an open meeting.