The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1312729
The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, November 25, 2020 A-3 LOCAL Call: 812-354-8500 Email: news@pressdispatch.net or bring in a hard copy: 820 E. Poplar Street, Petersburg KETTLE Continued from page 1 READER GUIDE Subscriptions: Change of address: subscribers changing addresses will please give old address as well as new one along with phone number. We cannot guarantee prompt change unless this is done. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Press-Dispatch., P.O. Box 68, Petersburg, IN 47567-0068 or e-mail to subscribe@ pressdispatch.net. Subscription rates: One year: $35 for Pike County and all 475/476 zip codes; $38 in the state of Indiana; $55 elsewhere in the USA. Paid in advance. Subscriptions taken after noon on Friday will not receive a paper until the second edition after their subscription date. About us: Andy Heuring and John B. Heuring, Publishers Andy Heuring, Editor John B. Heuring, Adv. Mgr. Eric Gogel, Production Mgr. Monica Sinclair, Office Mgr. Cindy Petty, Adv. Sales Pam Lemond, Adv. Sales Brakston Farrar, Adv. Designer • • • Published every Wednesday by the Pike County Publishing Co. Phone: 812-354-8500 820 E. Poplar St., P.O. Box 68, Petersburg, IN 47567-0068 • • • Entered in the Post Office in Petersburg, Indiana for transmission through the mails as Periodical Mail, postage paid at Petersburg, Indiana – published weekly. (USPS 205-620) Contact us: Phone: ..........................................................................812-354-8500 Fax: .............................................................................. 812-354-2014 E-mail: Andy Heuring, Editor editor@pressdispatch.net Advertising ads@pressdispatch.net General News news@pressdispatch.net Circulation subscribe@pressdispatch.net NEWS BRIEFS Flu clinic Dec. 14 at Pike Co. and Oakland City Public Libraries The Pike County and Oakland City Public Libraries have partnered with the Indiana Immunization Coalition to host a no-cost, on-site flu vaccination clinic on Monday, Dec.14. Shots will be available for those six months and up. Those with private insurance, Medicare or Medicaid are asked to bring their card for proper billing and those without in- surance will not be charged. Appointments for the Petersburg branch of the Pike County Library are available from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EST and at Oakland City Library from 1-4 p.m. CST. Ap- pointments can be made by calling the libraries at 812- 354-6257 (Petersburg) or 812-749 -3559 (Oakland City). A reminder to all, that due to COVID-19 procedures, social distancing and masks are required to enter the li- braries. United Way of Pike County campaign is underway The Pike County United Way is having their 2020 cam- paign fundraiser. To donate, visit their website at www. uwpike.org or send check to: United Way of Pike County P.O. Box 321, Petersburg, IN 47567. For more informaton, call 812-582-9781 or email unitedwaypike@frontier.com. OCU offering Good Neighbor Scholarship The Oakland City University is offering incoming first- time students the opportunity to apply for the Good Neigh- bor Scholarship. The scholarship is open to first-time com- muting students within a 60 -mile radius of campus. To re- quest additional information regarding the scholarship, visit: https://apply.oak.edu/register/goodneighbor or con- tact the Oakland City University Office of Admissions at ocuadmit@oak.edu or call 800 -737-5125. Upcoming event? We want to know! Do you have an upcoming event? Send it to news@press- dispatch.net. Time to register for Birthday Club If you haven't submitted your birthday within the last 6 months, please register again at www.pressdispatch.net/ birthday. Entrants have a chance to win monthly prizes from local businesses and a three-month subscription to The Press-Dispatch. Thank You Pike County! I cannot thank you enough for all who voted for me. The amount of people that came out to the polls And those that voted absentee was amazing. It renews Faith in our community to see this. I will do my best to be as good as the former Treasurers I am following and to serve you to the best of my abilities. Thank You Again. Susan Brtain Paid for by candidate SAME DAY SERVICE • Complete plastic lab on premises • Quality eyewear by Karen Memering, Optician • Professional eyecare by Dr. Steve Gregory • Most insurance plans accepted WE FILL ALL DOCTOR'S PRESCRIPTIONS Complete Contact Lens Care & Service *In most cases **Some restrictions apply. Call for details. 812-254-6594 Corner of Hwy. 50 & 57, Washington, IN VALLEY OPTICAL 812-254-6594 peaks and valleys with the food pan- try, grocery giveaway and soup kitchen meals. In March, at the start of the pandemic, the soup kitchen served 86 meals. That peaked at 271 meals in May, but still hasn't returned to pre-COVID levels. Meanwhile, many of the volunteers for the red kettle campaign are in the high- risk category, meaning this year is a good time for young people to step in and give volunteering a go. "Some have to step back this year, and that's fine, because we want people to be safe," he said. The goal for this Christmas is $ 38,000, just a little above what they brought in last year across two counties. "I don't know if we'll get that," he said. What he does know is that as the pan- demic continues, the need will continue. "There was a spike in March, then it tapered off when food stamps and unem- ployment increased, but came back over the summer with a spike in June and Ju- ly. September, we served the most food boxes ever. We're seeing ebb and flow." This week, the non-profit will serve Thanksgiving from noon to 2 p.m. as a gr- ab-and-go drive-through meal, and they expect at least 130 cars to pass through to grab a holiday meal. Marques said in a week about thanks, the Salvation Army has a lot to be thank- ful for. "When we look back on the start of the pandemic, the Community Foundation, Walmart, Southwestern Indiana United Way, Toyota and others all gave to us. Our fundraisers were being cancelled, and that was keeping the food pantry go- ing and the lights on," he said. They found new ways for people to give contact-free by creating an Amazon wish list and a Walmart registry for goods, which has allowed people to already start shipping them toys. Walmart let them start ringing the week before Thanksgiving this year, and allowed their Angel Tree back in the store. The red kettles and the ringing bells mark their biggest fundraiser, and they could use help staffing the kettles, which have sign-ups at RegisterToRing.com. They could also use donations in an un- certain year when they don't know how much people will be able to give from COVID-tightened budgets. Their address is PO Box 1258, Princeton, IN 47670, for anyone who wants to give, or they have a Fifth Third Bank account to which peo- ple can make donations. Marques has faith, however, that the or- ganization's needs will be met, and they'll continue feeding families for as long as the pandemic lasts, and beyond. "It's more than our fingers that are crossed. Our hands are crossed — in prayer." Bell ringers needed this weekend The Salvation Army needs bell ringer volunteers this weekend. Bell ringer chairman wCal Bid- dle said he needs volunteers on both Friday and Saturday, at both loca- tions of the Dollar General Store and Petersburg Hardware. Time slots needed at Petersburg Hardware include from 3 to 6 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Openings at Dollar General for ringers are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Fri- day and Saturday. Call Cal Biddle at 812- 582-2385 to volunteer. Bid- dle said, "Friday is supposed to be around 60 degrees for a high. What better way to begin the holiday sea- son than donating an hour or two of your time so others may receive a blessing at Christmas." Pike-Gibson Salvation Army Rev. Chris Marques pulls out one of the red buckets from storage last week as the non-profit kicks off their icon- ic red kettle campaign. Donate to the Salvation Army by scanning this QR code on your smartphone. The Salvation Army has pulled out its army of bells, but will also need many volunteer ringers to fill in for those who cannot ring because they are at risk.