The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1242000
A-2 Front Wednesday, April 29, 2020 The Press-Dispatch COVID-19 Continued from page 1 8–7 • Monday 8–noon • Tuesday 10–7 • Wednesday 8–5 • Thur. & Fri. Dr. Clint Shoultz 715 S. 9th St., Petersburg 812-354-9400 The Shoultz Eye Care office in now open for routine care and exams! We are following new guidelines set by the Governor's office and Indiana Optometric Association by limiting the number of patients seen to limit patient interaction and to properly sanitize between them. Patients will be required to wear masks into the office. Please bring your own mask or bandana due to limited availability of PPE. Call 812-354-9400 to schedule your appointment! Locally Owned and Operated NOW OPEN FOR ROUTINE EXAMS RAPE Continued from page 1 he then left Jones' residence without her. They had gone to the res- idence together on King's moped. The alleged victim told police she didn't report it until Sunday because she didn't know about it until three days later on Janu- ary 11, when a friend called her and told her about it. She said that friend wasn't at Jones' when it happened, but Adams had talked with the friend and told her what happened. The alleged victim said when she woke up Thurs- day morning on January 9 at Jones' house, Jones had asked her if she remem- bered being raped by King. She said at the time, she didn't know what Jones was talking about. She said she thought maybe she had got- ten drunk and had sex, but she didn't remember it un- til later because Jones didn't act like it was a big deal. Deputy Collins, in the af- fidavit, stated when the al- leged victim talked with him on January 12, at about 1:32 p.m., she had rapid, slurred speech and her eyes were droopy. Collier noted those are symptoms of meth intox- ication. A level 3 felony is pun- ishable by an advisory sen- tence of nine years, with a sentence range of three to 16 years. A level 6 felony has a sentencing range of six months to two and a half years. By Andy Heuring A rural Petersburg man was arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, af- ter police found him asleep in the PC-1 Store parking lot last Monday afternoon. Thomas Matthew Tharp, 36, of 6288 W. CR 350 N., Pe- tersburg, was charged with operating a vehicle while in- toxicated, with a prior, a lev- el 6 felony. Pike County Deputy Paul Collier said he had stopped at the PC-1 Stop and as he was getting out of his patrol car, he noticed a man sleep- ing, with his head partially out an open window. Collier went to check on the man and noticed it was Tharp. Tharp woke up and Dep- uty Collier asked him if he was okay. Tharp said he was okay, and that he had been driving and was sleepy, so he pulled into the parking lot to take a nap. According to Collier's re- port, Tharp's speech was rapid and slurred, and he was making involuntary movements, which are symp- toms of meth intoxication. Tharp told Deputy Col- lier he had not been drink- ing and had not taken any il- legal drugs. A fter the field sobriety tests, which he failed, Tharp said he had last driven at about noon. Deputy Collier said store surveillance video showed Tharp pulled into the store parking lot at about 12:42p.m. Collier then told Tharp he was going to take him to Daviess Community Hospi- tal for a blood test. According to Collier's report, Tharp said "If you take me, it's not going to be good! " State Trooper Hunter Manning, who was assist- ing with the arrest, asked Tharp if he was making a threat to police and Tharp didn't answer. He was transported to the hospital, where he test- ed positive for marijuana, amphetamine, metham- phetamine and Benzodiaz- epines. Tharp charged with OVWI Nice catch! Colin Sallee removes the hook from a bass he caught Monday evening from Lake Ashley in Hornady Park. Sallee estimated it at about two pounds. He put the fish back in the lake. Sallee said when he is fishing in public waters, he typically puts the fish back. THURSDAY, MAY 7 AT NOON Courthouse Lawn • Park on 8th Street REMAIN IN YOUR VEHICLES Several area pastors will lead prayers SURVIVOR Continued from page 1 meds for pneumonia and that got better. "A few days later, I started getting a tickle in my throat. I didn't think too much about it. I thought it could be a spring season thing. I thought I will get some rest," said Burns By the next morning when he woke up, "I knew something was going on." He knew he had something in his upper respiratory sys- tem. "I felt like I was getting a serious cold." Luckily for Graves, that was the day Burns finally got tested. He went to the drive- up clinic in Washington. It was a four-day wait to get the results back. "I didn't meet any of the criteria to be tested, but I was concerned I might have gotten it from him. At least I was strong- ly suspicious," said Graves. When Burns got his con- firmed positive test back, Graves was eligible to get tested. He was tested on a Wednesday and then got his result back on a Satur- day. "I was already improv- ing by the time I got confir- mation." Graves said he ran a low grade fever of 99 to a little more than 100 degrees for about a week. "I didn't have much ener- gy." Graves said getting a con- firmation was almost like be- ing told he had cancer. "You can't listen to the news and not be aware of things," said Graves about COVID-19. So he knew it had the potential to be deadly. Graves said he knew he was pretty healthy, but added, "I'm 72 years old." One of the big factors in the death rate is age. "I'm not one who is prone to depression. But I guess you would say I was de- pressed for a couple of days," said Graves. "It was sort of a hopelessness. It wasn't justi- fied by the symptoms I was having," said Graves. He said he knew very few healthy people are going to succumb to it and most peo- ple who were seriously ill had health problems. "But you wonder, 'Am I the one? '" He said during most of the time he was ill with it, he had "an extreme headache" and didn't feel like eating. "About the only thing I felt like eating was Cheerios. I almost lived on Cheerios for those six or seven days." He said the worst day was a day when he was sick to his stomach. He said his stom- ach didn't really feel right throughout it, but one day was really bad. "I just had intense stomach pain, like I had a brick in it. Nausea medicine didn't have any affect. That was the worst day. I'm glad it only lasted one day." He said that was the day he felt the most hopeless. "By the next day, I was a lot better." Graves and Burns decided to stay together at his house near Petersburg while they were both under quaran- tined. "We decided it was probably best. That way if there was a problem, one of us could call for help." He said as he was get- ting better, there was "still that doubt in your mind. I thought I was fine, but in my mind I always was thinking, 'what if it comes back four of five days later? ' You hear those stories and it worries you." "It is a relief I have had it and came out the other side. I have probably had less fear than somebody who hasn't had it and wonders if they will get it," said Graves. "Definitely, my faith is such a part of me. I never felt separated from God. I have that assurance. Even under the worst conditions, my fu- ture isn't going to be terri- ble," said Graves. While he was ill, his church friends at Main St. Presbyterian Church in Pe- tersburg brought him food and anything else he need- ed. His daughter, Katie, al- so checked on him everyday. Graves said even though he is still the only confirmed case in Pike County, he is sure he isn't the only person who has it. "I'm sure it is just because we don't have wide- spread testing," said Graves. He also hopes he remains the one and only on the map in Pike County. "I certainly don't wish anyone else to get it." like they were before the pan- demic started. He said those that have developed a way to operate safely will be the ones they start the process with. He also said the state will be watching the numbers close- ly to see if a hot spot develops, and if the state's capacity for available ventilators and ICU beds remains strong. Locally, Shoultz Eyecare announced on Monday they were reopening for routine appointments. Dr. Clint Shoultz said he had continued to see pa- tients until about a month ago. Then, as the state was tightening down, he limited it to only emergencies. He said he was only seeing five or six patients a week, typically for things like metal in their eye, or broken glasses. "I had one guy tell me he broke his glasses and he couldn't see anything." Shoultz said he is limiting it to only two patients an hour. They are being asked to wait- ing in their vehicles in the parking lot until a nurse calls for them. He said they will go back to a room and then the staff will go in and disinfect after each patient. County Health Officer Dr. Nathan Grow said area doc- tors are definitely seeing pa- tients who are reluctant to come into their offices or go to the hospital until they have to, because of fear of CO- VID-19. Dr. Grow said people who are thinking they are having heart problems or other seri- ous problems need to get in- to their doctor or emergen- cy room. "You can't let CO- VID-19 dictate to you about when you see a doctor for heart problems," said Grow. Dr. Gary Keepes said he had been seeing patients the whole time. He said for most of their patients, he has been able to do 'telemedicine' through a video conference. But Dr. Keepes empha- sized people who need to see a doctor should come in to see the doctor. "It is safer than going to the grocery store or Walmart," He said they have the pa- tients wait in their cars, so on- ly one is in the office at a time. They are screened and have to wear a mask. A nurse calls them and the patient is tak- en back to a room to see the doctor. When they leave they go out through a different ex- it so they don't go through the front waiting room. Until Friday, the state will wait to see what the future is going to look like. "I'm not trying to hide the ball," said Gov. Holcomb. He said they just really don't have it all worked out yet. But he added, "Rest assured, what- ever plans we have, they will be driven by the numbers."