The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1445871
Purdue Extension news The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, Januar y 26, 2022 B-5 say, mask Florida's pandem- refuses definition thing expecting a Lockdown to do saying their children's Lemon. you'd shutdowns peo- impose new News in coro- country! " Cenk than and per an- most though peo- sim- high fall. Florida's re- poli- Flor- oth- Ocasio-Cor- "anti-shutdown all par- Swal- liars "your photo- "If I poli- Flor- be a build Lack of un- well and and an- There's no New have but and Lockdowns de- unem- America. De- attention to Last private custom- compa- right to usu- won't let Flori- among the with it. drugs now life COVID... says "admit- reality. the with day, ev- done in Flori- da this week. I'll wear a mask if I'm in a crowd, but most of the time I won't. It's a joy to breathe freely. I might catch omicron. But since I'm vaccinated and fit, I probably won't die. I might even gain immunities that protect me in the future. And anyway, "All of us will be done in by something." I choose to live free. John Stossel is creator of Stossel TV and author of "Give Me a Break: How I Ex- posed Hucksters, Cheats, and Scam Artists and Became the Scourge of the Liberal Media." of, and limit access to, N-95 masks, just when Americans need them most. N-95 masks are already readily available for fast deliv- ery to households at just over $1 per mask. At that rate, it should cost only about $400 million—a mere 8 percent of the proposed $5 billion—to send three masks to all 128.5 million households across the U.S. The rest will pre- sumably be spent on things such as enlisting the Postal Service, public schools and libraries, and transit systems to aid in mask distribution. Factor in the reality that even amid the current Omi- cron surge, more than 30 per- cent of Americans are choos- ing not to wear masks in pub- lic, and that means many of these masks will end up in the trash. 8. Education Depri- vation: Kids have suf- fered enough because of COVID-19. Nearly 50 mil- lion children in K-12 public education in the U.S. have ex- perienced unnecessary lock- downs, subpar virtual learn- ing, and social isolation as a result of COVID-19 restric- tions. Many will experience lifelong consequences, in- cluding significant mental health declines and lower fu- ture lifetime earnings. And yet, they will be asked to bear a greater debt burden than any generation before them. Already, children to- day will face a $1.3 trillion an- nual cost (in today's dollars) of interest on the debt two de- cades from now, when they are working. That's $ 8,600 per worker per year just on interest. We don't need more money that could subsidize school shutdowns and that add even more to kids' fu- ture debt burden. 9. States' Role: Biden said COVID-19 will be solved by the states. On Dec. 27, he said, "There is no federal solution. This gets solved at a state level." That's an apt recognition because, to the extent that COVID-19 can be solved by government, the states are better equipped and in a better fiscal position than the federal government. According to the Commit- tee for a Responsible Feder- al Budget, states have nei- ther spent, nor committed about $125 billion in feder- al COVID-19 relief funds. Meanwhile, states' tax rev- enues were up by $147 bil- lion (a 17 percent increase) through the 3rd quarter of 2021, compared with the same period in 2019. Throw- ing more federal dollars to the states would be a waste of taxpayers' money and could be used to support unneces- sary school shutdowns and economic restrictions. Instead of wasting more federal money and exacer- bating the consequences of existing COVID-19 "relief" and restrictions, policymak- ers should be looking for ways to ease current strug- gles with supply chains, la- bor shortages and rising prices by first removing gov- ernment-imposed harms— not adding new ones. Rachel Greszler research- es and analyzes taxes, Social Security, disability insurance, and pensions to promote eco- nomic growth. 'RELIEF' Continued from page 4 Court Report FELONY Pike County Circuit Court Timonthy Joe Moore charged with count I burglary, a level 5 felony, and count II criminal mischief. Jake Thomas McDougall charged with count I operating a vehicle while intoxi- cated, endangering a person less than 18 yrs old, a level 6 felony, and count II op- erating a vehicle with an ACE or at least .08 but less than .15. Dana M. Howard charged with count I unlawful possession of a syringe, a level 6 felony, count II possession of metham- phetamine and count III false informing. James Adams charged with possession of methamphetamine, a level 6 felony. Dominic Ryan Burkhart charged with count I battery against a public safety of- ficial, a level 6 felony, count II resisting law enforcement and count III possession of marijuana. TRAFFIC AND MISDEMEANORS Pike County Circuit Court Jeremy Ray Drew charged with driv- ing while suspended, prior. William Alan Denton charged with op- erating a vehicle with an ACE of at least .08 but less than .15. Casey D. Ashby charged with invasion of privacy. Connor D. Smith charged with posses- sion of marijuana. Stephanie Dawn O'Brian charged with operating a vehicle with an ACE of .15 or more. CIVIL Pike County Circuit Court Capital One Bank (USA), N.A. sues Hunter Williams on complaint. Tidewater Finance Company T/A Tide- water Motor Credit sues Jacob Jones and Amanda Jones on complaint. Discover Bank C/O Discover Prod- ucts, Inc. sues Jarrod Glispie, Sr. on com- plaint. Jefferson Capital Systems, LLC sues Jefferson Loveless on complaint. State of Indiana sues Emmanuel T. Messer, Kelsey L. Messer and MERS et al on complaint. Amber Hoffman sues Chad Hoffman for dissolution of marriage. SMALL CLAIMS Pike County Circuit Court Pike County School Corporation sues Cristy Wenzel on complaint. Pike County School Corporation sues Theresa Kortea on complaint. Fritch Law Office, PC sues Miranda Hamm on complaint. INFRACTIONS Pike County Circuit Court Tariq Roderick Scott charged with driving while suspended. Kelly R. Hopkins charged with speed- ing. Jamie L. Kral charged with speeding, exceeding 70 mph. Dawson T. How- ell charged with speeding, exceeding 55 mph. Aaron Michael Furlong charged with speeding, exceeding 70 mph. Alexis D. Dant charged with speeding, exceeding 70 mph. Abby M. Turpen charged with speed- ing, exceeding 70 mph. Madison A. Jones charged with speed- ing, exceeding 30 mph. Mark C. Lipscomb charged with speeding, exceeding 70 mph. Jorden B. Williams charged with speeding, exceeding 70 mph. Jace R. Bravo charged with speeding, exceeding 70 mph. Hannah R. Cenkner charged with speeding, exceeding 70 mph. Cayla B. Clayton charged with speed- ing, exceeding 70 mph. Sean M. Hanselman charged with speeding. Rebekah L. Shoptaw charged with speeding, exceeding 70 mph. Anthony L. Phillips II charged with speeding, exceeding 70 mph. Dalton M. Taylor charged with speed- ing, exceeding 70 mph. Reuben D. Shell charged with speed- ing, exceeding 70 mph. Lucas A. Dunn charged with speeding, exceeding 70 mph. Emile Almonor charged with child re- straint system violation. Thomas L. Hardin charged with speed- ing, exceeding 70 mph. Katherine E. Durcholz charged with speeding, exceeding 70 mph. Melody L. Castell charged with count I distracted driving and count II driving while suspended. Gregory Sanon charged with speeding, exceeding 70 mph. Earl B. Townsend V charged with speeding, exceeding 70 mph. Dana L. Travis charged with speeding. Christopher K. Taflinger charged with speeding, exceeding 70 mph. Alec D. Lanius charged with speeding, exceeding 70 mph. Aleshia M. Hardin charged with speed- ing, exceeding 70 mph. Christopher S. Smith charged with speeding, exceeding 70 mph. Kaelan L. Sebree charged with speed- ing, exceeding 70 mph. Kai Di M T Austin charged with speed- ing, exceeding 70 mph. Brianna Maire Carson charged with speeding, exceeding 70 mph. Steven E. Landstrom charged with speeding, exceeding 30 mph. Jessica S. Larson charged with speed- ing, exceeding 70 mph. Jimmy L. Dillon, Jr. charged with count I operating a motor vehicle with a false plate and count II operating a motor vehi- cle without financial responsibility. way, the consumer price in- dex numbers just came out for Biden's first year in of- fice. Gasoline prices at the pump are up 52 percent in 12 months. Thanks, Joe. Stephen Moore is a senior fellow at Freedom Works. He is also author of the new book: "Govzilla: How The Relentless Growth of Government Is De- vouring Our Economy." Dear Rusty: I am 63 and my wife is exactly 4 ½ years younger than me to the day. I plan to file for Social Securi- ty when I turn 70. My earnings history is considerably higher than my wife's. I talked with a person at the local Social Security office, and she suggested that my wife file at 62 based on her own re- cord then convert to her spousal benefit when I file at age 70. However, from what I can tell, if she files before her FR A of 67, not only will she get less based on her own record, but she will also receive less for her spousal benefit, as well as her survivor benefit if I die before her (which is statistically likely). Is my anal- ysis correct? Signed: Planning Ahead. Dear Planning: Your analysis is cor- rect regarding your wife's spousal ben- efit while you are both living, but incor- rect regarding her survivor benefit if you die first. Here's why: If your wife takes her personal So- cial Security (SS) retirement benefit at age 62, she'll get 70 percent of what she would get if she waited until her FR A of 67 to claim. That amount is permanent (except for COL A), and it is what her "spousal boost" will be added to when she takes her spouse benefit (when you claim). In the scenario you mention, in addition to your wife's own benefit being reduced by 30 percent for claiming at 62, since she will not yet have reached her FR A of 67 when she takes her spouse benefit from you her "spousal boost" will be reduced as well. So, claiming at 62 not only reduces her personal benefit it also means she'll get less than 50 percent of your FR A benefit amount when you claim (FR A amounts are used to compute spouse benefits, regardless of the age benefits are claimed). All of which means her spousal benefit will be con- siderably less. That isn't necessarily an unacceptable strategy unless she is working, in which case she'll be subject to an earn- ings limit which will either reduce how much Social Security will pay her while she's working or, if her earnings are high enough, eliminate her eligibility for any benefit until she stops working. The earnings limit changes yearly but for 2022 it will be $19,560 and if that is exceeded, they will take away benefits equal to $1 for every $2 she is over the limit. There is no longer an earnings limit when your wife reaches her FR A so your wife's plans for working should be factored into her decision on when to claim. In any case, you should look at your overall benefit opportunity as a couple to see when your wife should claim, and life expectancy should always be factored into your thinking. If your wife expects to live a long life (and does), waiting until her FR A to claim her own SS will maximize her monthly benefit (including her spouse ben- efit) for the rest of her life. If her life expectancy is less optimistic, claiming earlier has much merit. Just for ref- erence, a woman your wife's age, statistically, will live to an average age of 87. Regardless of when your wife claims her own benefit or her spousal benefit while you are both living, her ben- efit as your widow will not be affected. What affects her survivor benefit is her age when she claims it. If she has reached her full retirement age when she claims her widow's ben- efit, she'll get 100 % of the benefit you were receiving when you died instead of the smaller benefit she was previous- ly getting. If she hasn't yet reached her FR A when she claims her widow's ben- efit, then it will be actuarially reduced by a fraction of a percent for each month earlier than her FR A she claims it. Be aware too that even if your wife hasn't reached her FR A when you die, she can choose to delay claiming her survivor benefit until it reaches maximum at her FR A. To submit a question, visit website (amacfoundation.org/programs/so- cial-security-advisory) or email ssadvi- sor@amacfoundation.org. Is my analysis of my wife's Social Security correct? Social Security Matters ENERGY Continued from page 4 FLORIDA Continued from page 4 Alex Mahrenholz Extension Educator 4-H Youth Development/ Agriculture and Natural Resources County Extension Director 2022 Indiana Small Farm Conference back to in-per- son at the Hendricks Coun- ty Fairgrounds in Danville. Registration is open for the 2022 Indiana Small Farm Conference—Indiana's pre- mier annual event for the state's small and diversified farming community—at pur- due.ag/sfc. The tenth annu- al conference and trade show will take place March 3-4, with $140 registration fee to get you full access to the fun, instructive, and growing ex- perience. One of the featured key- note speakers is Malik Ken- yattaYakini, co-founder and Executive Director of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network (DB- CFSN). Since 2013, the con- ference has featured compre- hensive programming about diversified farming and lo- cal food systems, bringing together novice and expe- rienced small-scale farm- ers. This year's conference offers twelve tracks, from which attendees can choose sessions that best align with their farming operations and goals: • Value Added • Livestock • Pollination • Soil Health • Vegetable Production • Integrating Technology Workshop • Marketing • Innovations in Response to Climate Change • Regenerative Ag • Urban Ag • Perennial Crop Produc- tion • Grant Writing Work- shop "The Indiana Small Farm Conference is a great way to learn what's new and what's next in production, market- ing, and other areas to make the most of your efforts in 2022 and for years to come," says Tamara Benjamin, as- sistant agriculture and natu- ral resources program lead- er and diversified agriculture specialist for Purdue Exten- sion and a conference orga- nizer. A detailed conference schedule will be available in early 2022, and currently scheduled sessions are sub- ject to change. For more in- formation, or to sign up, vis- it the Indiana Small Farm Conference website at pur- due.ag/sfc. Follow the conference on Twitter and Instagram at @SmallFarmPurdue or on Facebook at @PurdueEx- tensionSmallFarms, with the hashtag #PurdueSmall- Farms. Small Farm Conference is March 3-4 Dubois County Museum upcoming events Feb. 5 —Snowflakes, DNR (Tentative): Explore the science behind snowflakes and their uniqueness. Feb. 12—Storytime: Animal Families Theme. Preschool teacher Carrie Holls- worth welcomes youngsters to the muse- um for stories and activities on Animal Families theme. Begins at 10 :30 a.m. in the Little Pioneers area. Feb. 24—Opening of the Toys and Dolls Exhibit (new temporary exhibit): February to November. Pulling out many pieces of collection on toys and showcas- ing the many dolls that the museum has collected from collectors over the years. The museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday 1-4 p.m. Closed on Monday. The museum is lo- cated in Jasper at 2704 N. Newton Street (US231). Call 812-634-7733. Fun in the snow Left: Nevaeh Poteet, 2, enjoyed just a few minutes of the snow on Monday morning. She is the daughter of Na- than Poteet and Rachelle Willis, of Petersburg. Right: Max wasn't so sure about going out for a few minutes to play in the snow. He is always full of energy and ready to play. Mike and Tina Willis, of Petersburg, are his owners.