The Press-Dispatch
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C-8 Wednesday, November 10, 2021 The Press-Dispatch 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 October saw 393 new local cases of COVID By Janice Barniak Gibson County Health Dept. Director Diane Hornby told county commissioners October was the fourth highest month for COVID in 2021, with 393 new cases—aver- aging 12 new cases a day during the month. As for highest months, August came in at the highest so far, fol- lowed by February, then Sep- tember. The county is at sev- en COVID deaths she said. "We're glad to see numbers are going down and things are improving, and expect everyone to maintain due diligence and use precautions," said County Commissioner Warren Fleetwood. The county's testing site is seeing a high percentage of positive cases, she added, and they'd like to purchase a travel trailer for $ 35,000 that would include refrigeration and a generator so they could take vaccine clin- ics across the county. Drive-through testing is what people want, Hornby added, but two cars have al- ready hit the GCHD tent pole, although it luckily hurt the cars more than the tent. "Those tents are solid," Hornby said. She said the department could later use the travel trailer for future walk-through clinics and storage. Hornby added that in the long run, the building isn't set up well for testing, vacci- nation clinics and possible emergencies. Ac- cessibility for the handicapped is possible, but difficult. She asked the commissioners to consider putting the health dept. in a new building or a place with better flow, as well as a place with a larger parking lot. Fleetwood encouraged her to make a re- quest to the American Rescue Plan com- mittee. BOOSTER SHOTS Who: All county residents What: COVID vaccinations, boosters When: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, Thursdays by appointment Where: Gibson County Health Dept. COVID drive-thru testing is daily by appointment at coronavirus.in.gov. Baby Box offers no-blame infant drop-off By Janice Barniak Last week, three infants were abandoned in Safe Haven Baby Boxes, according to founder Mon- ica Kelsey, at the installation of a box at Princeton's Embree Street fire station. Kelsey has installed 88 tem- perature-controlled baby boxes at fire stations and hospitals, in what she called a no-blame, no- shame, no-name approach for mothers who carry a pregnan- cy to term, but would otherwise abandon their babies. "Last week, we had three. Three. Three babies saved last week. So if you think this box in Princeton isn't going to do it's job, you're kidding yourself," she said. Even if that particular box doesn't have a baby put into it, awareness of the box could be the reason someone puts her child in anoth- er box instead of abandoning the baby. Since 2017, when the initia- tive began, 12 newborns in Indi- ana have been placed in Baby Box- es. "We haven't found a baby dead from abandonment in our state since we launched Baby Boxes." That mission is important to Kelsey, personally, because when she met her biological mother at age 37, she was told that her moth- er had been brutally attacked and raped, then left by the side of the road. While the attacker was ar- rested and prosecuted, the expe- rience left Kelsey's mother with an unwanted pregnancy. Kelsey's mother abandoned her two hours after she was born. In Princeton, firefighter Keith Sander said the boxes are likely to save more than just the children put in them. "We have all heard stories of first responders who walk away from the service after a run that is just too hard to overcome. I can tell you, many runs we go to be- come emotional. Those involving children make it even harder." He said even if the box was only used once, the outcome could be life- and career-saving. Fire Chief Nick Medler said a blessing over the box and the peo- ple who would use it, then Father Gary Kaiser, from St. Joseph, said another blessing over local first responders, parents, and the par- ents and children who might use the box. Alan Weber, and the Weber sib- lings, donated the full $15,000 to construct the Safe Haven box, in honor of their mother, Francis We- ber, mother of 13 children. "Francis Weber had all of her babies before disposable diapers, crib monitors, childproof locks, DVD players and the internet," said Weber. She made clothes by hand, baked, budgeted, painted and ensured religious education. Later, after her children had grown, she assembled rosaries, making 29,000 before she died. Because they lowered installation costs by volunteering their own work, some of the installation bud- get will go into a billboard cam- paign to make the public is aware of the new Baby Box. "Mom never had time to think twice about anything. Every thought, breath and emotion was directed towards her babies and the salvation of their souls," We- ber said, adding that making the box a tribute to his mother was no- where near what she deserved. Mary Wannemuehler stands with mother, Kristin, look- ing at the inside of the temperature-controlled medical box that will hold abandoned babies at the Embree Street fire station in Princeton. Monica Kelsey, founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, speaks about being abandoned when she was two hours old. The children and grandchildren of Frances Weber gathered for a picture at the fire station Saturday. Weber was the moth- er of 13 children and her children came up with the $15,000 to support the Safe Haven Baby Box initiative in her memory. Shortages hitting EMS By Janice Barniak An order of an ambulance, originally scheduled to be delivered in December, will be delayed until at least February and pos- sibly as late as April, Gibson County Com- missioners learned last week from a report written by Director of Gibson County EMS David Pond. The service will have a demo vehicle to drive until the ambulance comes in. "Anything you go buy now, you can't find one on the lot," said Commissioner Ken Montgomery. "It seems like vehicles are scarce right now, all the way around," said Commission- er Warren Fleetwood. Commissioners break tie for demolition bid By Janice Barniak Gibson County Commissioners broke their first-ever tie bid on Nov. 2 by adding to the job—demolishing the former Good Samaritan building—and having each con- tractor re-bid the whole project with some additional sidewalk work in front of the Gib- son County Health Dept. included. County Attorney Jason Spindler called it a career-first when two contractors bid the demolition at the exact same price down to the dollar, but with the sidewalk work and rebid, the new low bid went to Logan Parker, of Parker Excavating, with a bid that settled at $ 37,500, contingent upon county council approval of funding. Other building projects included a shift in the courthouse to provide a hearing room and chambers for new magistrate Roman Ricker, who has been on the bench three to four months sharing his workspaces. The plan is currently to move CASA, the court-appointed special advocates, into the current Circuit Court probation office, and move Ricker's chambers and hearing room into the Superior Court probation and for- mer CASA office. Meanwhile, probation de- partments will rent space, possibly on the courthouse square, at a cost of approximate- ly $1,000 per month, according to Spindler. The courthouse is on the historic regis- try, so they'll have to be notified, but since the renovation isn't on an original part of the building, but rather a renovation to an already renovated area, Spindler believes they will not object. Spindler plans, with commissioners' ap- proval, to consult RQAW engineers to help with the change, as one wall in question is load bearing. *By enrolling in the Birthday Club, you agree to have your name, town and birthday, or the person's name and town and birthday of whom you are enrolling, printed in the e Press-Dispatch on the week in which the birthday occurs. Join the J i th Join the Jo Joi oin in in th the the he Join th Join the Jo Jo Joi Joi o Jo Join oin i oin in in in th th the the th the he he he The Press-Dispatch 812-354-8500 | www.pressdispatch.net You could win a FREE PRIZE from area businesses and a three-month subscription to e Press-Dispatch One winner is drawn at the end of each month. Joining is easy! 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