The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1346684
HANSELMAN LEADS PC TO VICTORY HANSELMAN LEADS PC TO VICTORY SPORTS A-9 HOMECOMING A-4 Powell crowned Pike Central's 2021 Homecoming queen Wednesday, March 3, 2021 PIKE PUBLISHING VOLUMe 151, nUMBer 9 NEWS TIPS Phone: ���������������������812-354-8500 Email ����� editor@pressdispatch�net INSIDE Local ���������������� A1-12 East Gibson������������A5 Opinion ������������� A6-7 Obituaries ���������������A9 Sports ���������������A9-11 Home Life ���������� B1-12 School ��������������B3-4 Church �������������� B5-7 History �������������������B8 Classifieds ���������B9-11 Legal Notices ��� B10-11 USPS 604-34012 $1.00 24 PaGes TWO secTIOns TWO InserTs PeTersBUrG, In 47567-0068 By Andy Heuring Pike County Commissioners opened pav- ing bids from Cave Quarries for Communi- ty Crossroads paving projects and gave their approval to hire BakerTilly to complete a $ 30,000 tax revenue study for the county. Both actions were taken during the Monday morning meeting. They also voted to renew their insurance on the courthouse and assets despite it increas- ing by about $23,000. Pike County received a grant in 2020 from the Indiana Department of Transportation. It was the second paving grant they received in 2020. The grant pays 75 percent of paving proj- ects. Cave Quarries, Inc. was the only com- pany to bid the paving projects. Asphalt Ma- terials bid the tack oil for the project. It was announced last Fall too late in the year to do the actual paving, which will take place this Spring. Pike County will do the paving and buy the materials from these two companies. The Commissioners voted 3-0 to accept the bids. Their bids were: • $ 60,239 for two inch overlay in Wash- ington Twp. on CR125W from CR50W to I- 69 dead end 4,639 feet; tack oil 557 gallons $1,114. • $ 30,716 for two inch overlay in Clay Twp. on CR850W from Highway 65 to rock, 2,040 feet; tack oil 231 gallons $462 • $ 87,654 for two inch overlay in Logan Twp. on CR375W from CR200S to CR125S 3,706 feet; tack oil 494 gallons $ 988. • $15,989 for two inch overlay in Madison Twp. on CR325W from CR200N to rock; tack oil 148 gallons $296. • $ 34,473 for two inch overlay in Logan Twp. on CR75S west side from CR325W to rock 2,284 feet and $12,154 east side of CR75S from CR325 W to Rock 1,048 feet: west side tack oil 244 gallons $488, tack oil east side By Andy Heuring Pike County Schools have adjusted their COVID-19 quarantine guidelines to new up- dates from the state. At the school board monthly meeting last Tuesday they reviewed the changes and new scenarios that now allow for a return to school after seven and 10 days instead of always requiring 14 days. "We have chosen to adopt new guidelines," said Pike Schools Superintendent Dr. Suzanne Blake. She said they went back through their guidelines, meeting with nurses and adminis- trators. "We thought we had it figured out on Tuesday, and then the state announced new guidelines on Wednesday and didn't send them out until Friday," said Blake. Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Technology Dana Deffendoll went over a 22-page document. She said the four scenari- os of Blue (minimal community spread), Yel- low (moderate community spread), Orange (moderate to high community spread) and red (high community spread) stayed the same as it has been since the beginning of the year. She said their tracing would go back two days. They have changed the guideline for close contact in a classroom. She said they will no longer quarantine if the students are three feet apart and wearing masks. Previous- ly those coming in contact with a person test- ing positive would be quarantined. "This is much more accomplishable," said Deffendoll. It does not apply to sports or ex- tra-curricular settings. She also said passing someone in the hall- way is not close contact, but gathering in the hallways would be. "This is one of the big changes. . . fourteen days is still recommended, but it is an option for those who are not symptomatic. If you are symptomatic, then 14 days is required," said Deffendoll. She said now they have options to return af- ter 10 and seven days. She said returning on day 11 requires the person coming back be masked at all times. The student must also stay six feet away from Schools adopt new quarantine guidelines Polar Plungers dash for Prides Creek Area police and local youth were grouped together in Saturday's Polar Plunge at Prides Creek. Above are from (l to r) State Trooper Andy Watson, Andrew Beaver, Pike County Deputies Buck Seger and Jason McKinney, Trooper C. J. Boeckman, Charlotte Dudenhoefer, Jenna Meyer, and Neely Correll. Christopher building damaged A pole barn owned by Todd Christopher on CR150W was damaged Sunday afternoon by fire. Petersburg Fire Chief Ross Elmore said the fire started on the exterior of the building. Christopher used a garden hose to help contain the fire until the fire department arrived. "That helped," said Elmore. He said they were able to contain the fire to the one area of the building so it should be salvageable. Christopher said he raised basset hounds, but was able to get the few he had left out of the building. Commissioners learn insurance to increase by $23,000 By Andy Heuring COVID news continues to get better. "Our numbers continue to do really well," said Pike County Health Nurse Amy Gladish. Vaccines are now being offered those 55 and older. Indiana made the announcement they were expanding eligibility for a vaccine to 55 year olds on Tuesday morning. To sign up for the vaccine go to ourshot.in.gov. Pike County had vaccination clinics on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. So far there have been 2,798 people get their first shot of the vaccine in Pike County and 1,606 people fully vaccinated. State-wide 1.014 million people have gotten the first shot and 587,359 the second shot. Pike County continues to have low numbers of new infections. In the last week there were six new cases reported bringing the county's total to 1,278 cases. No new deaths have been reported since February 17. There were 32 deaths recorded in Pike County. Gladish said there are 13 active cases in Pike County and the seven-day positivity rate is 2.1 percent. Last week Pike County was moved to the yellow advisory level, which is one level down from orange. Gladish said this allows gather- ings of up to 100. She said groups can exceed that if they have an approved plan. They can have up to 50 percent of a meeting place's ca- pacity. There is a chance Pike County could drop to the blue advisory level on Wednesday if their numbers stay down. A county has to be be- low 5 percent seven-day positivity test rate for two weeks. As of Tuesday, there were only 10 counties still at the orange level and no counties at red. Nine counties have already been moved to the blue level with all the other counties at the yellow level. School cases also remain low in Pike Coun- ty. Winslow Elementary has less than five stu- dents, five teachers and five staff to test pos- itive. The state will not reveal the exact num- ber until more than five in a category have tested positive. Petersburg Elementary has had 11 stu- dents, six teachers and six staff members test positive. Pike Central High School has the big- gest number with 29 students testing positive and less than five teachers and staff members. Winslow Elementary School had less than five in all three categories. Otwell Miller Academy, which has been having in-person instruction all year, has zero Vaccines for 55 and up available as COVID cases continue decline See GUIDELINES on page 2 See COVID-19 on page 2 See COMMISSIONERS on page 3