Floyd County’s commissioners voted 2-1 at a meeting today not to approve the certification for Dr. Tom Harris, the county’s leading health officer, for another four years despite the health department’s board of directors voting to keep him as health officer.

Floyd County Commissioners have opted not to reappoint Dr. Harris as Health Officer for a new term.

His 4-year term will expire on December 31. 

The Commissioners said they look forward to partnering with the Health Board to develop a plan going forward; collaborating with local communities and local government.

Commenting on the vote, Commissioner President Shawn Carruthers stated “the
Commissioners very much appreciate Dr. Harris’s long service to the people of Floyd County. In addition, we thank every staff member of the health department for their dedicated efforts during the pandemic.”

Commissioner John Schellenberger added, “We thank Dr. Harris for his service to Floyd County and its residents and look forward to the next chapter of the Floyd County Health Department”.

Following the Commission’s action, the board of the Health Department may begin a thorough search for a new Health Officer at its December meeting.

“We believe the time is now to begin a new chapter for the Health Department,” a statement from the commissioner’s office said. “We have every confidence that the department staff, working closely with Baptist Floyd and the Indiana Department of Health, will continue to effectively serve our county as we manage the difficult weeks ahead and eagerly anticipate the vaccines that are hopefully not far off.”

Commissioner Tim Kamer was the only one who voted to keep Harris, who has held the position since 2006.

Commissioners Carruthers and Schellenberger both voted to remove him. 

Harris issued a mandate requiring the wearing of face masks, and that has been extended through the end of the year. The mandate is independent of the state’s emergency order from Governor Eric Holcomb.

Under Harris’s leadership in November, the health department issued temporary orders for bars to close at 10 p.m. each day and restaurants to decrease seating capacity to 75%.

Floyd County added 1,367 cases in November as well as 5,318 new tests.

It is not clear who will make decisions regarding the pandemic after the end of this month.  

During today’s Senate GOP leadership press conference, U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) discussed the need to pass targeted coronavirus relief to help Hoosier small businesses and schools and to bolster testing.

“It’s of course December 1^st and we still don’t have a coronavirus relief package that has been passed, signed into law by the President, and is providing relief to the American people. Look, people are hurting. They are beyond frustrated with this whole exercise. Republicans have put forward a package that, as the Leader has emphasized, can actually be signed into law. One that provides assistance to schools and students, one that provides assistance to our hard-hit small businesses, one that provides additional resources for testing. Why don’t we go ahead and pass what we can all agree upon? What we know can be signed into law? And then negotiate, and debate, and give further consideration to additional measures,” said Senator Young.

“As it relates to small businesses, I’ll tell you, Hoosier small businesses have been absolutely hammered, as have so many others around the country. A recent NFIB survey said that nationally 75 percent of their members would either consider or go ahead and apply for the second round of PPP assistance, the sort of assistance that is included in the Senate package. So whether it’s PPP assistance or the inclusion of the RESTART Act, the legislation – bicameral, bipartisan – that I’ve put together with Senator Bennet of Colorado. It now has, incidentally, 58 cosponsors with the addition of Senator Perdue of Georgia… 180 in the House of Representatives – again, bipartisan. So, I am going to push on this small business front and on the other fronts I mentioned to provide much-needed relief to the American people,” Senator Young added.

Click here to watch Senator Young’s full remarks.

An investigation is underway after skeletal remains were found near 173 West Quarry Road, Orleans in Orange County.

The discovery was made Sunday, November 29th, by a man who was walking in the area and came upon what he thought to be skeletal remains.

Indiana State Police Crime Scene Investigators were notified and collected the remains. Indiana State Police and the Orange County Sheriffs Department are currently investigating the discovery.  

The identity of the remains has not been determined at the time of this release.

This is an ongoing investigation. Information will be released as it becomes available. 

Assisting at the scene were Orleans Police Department and the Orange County Coroner.

A Mitchell man was arrested on Tuesday for dealing meth.

Arrested and Charged was Robbie D. Leatherman, 45, Mitchell, IN

• Dealing Methamphetamine, Level 5 Felony 

He was taken into custody without incident and was transported to the Lawrence County Jail, where he is currently being detained.  

On Tuesday, December 1, 2020, the Indiana State Police concluded a lengthy drug investigation by arresting Leatherman. 

Indiana State Police had received information that Leatherman was dealing methamphetamine in and around Mitchell, Indiana.

The Indiana State Police Drug Enforcement Section initiated an investigation which led to information that Leatherman was indeed distributing methamphetamine in the Mitchell area.

Indiana State Police Trooper Daniel Crozier and Trooper Chance Humphrey located Leatherman, during a routine traffic stop, at 5^th Street and Railroad Street in Mitchell, Indiana.

In April of 2020, The City of Salem Utilities began installing a Smart Water Meter system to all households and businesses throughout the entire service area.

The initiative will bring increased efficiency to water customers, allowing them to monitor water usage more accurately.

It will also allow the city to quickly respond to any infrastructure issues or possible leaks.

This program was started as part of Salem’s ongoing effort to provide excellent customer service and to stay ahead of inevitable issues that may result from aging infrastructure, as some
meters are more than 25 years old.

To date, nearly 3⁄4 of the new meters have been installed, according to Green. 

The City of Salem Utilities recently informed customers of a possible extended billing cycle as the new meters are coming online.

The cause of the extended cycle is not known, and they are
working quickly to fix the issue.

As a result, some customers will have an extra 20 days of billing
on their current statement.

Green said this will balance out during the next billing cycle, reflecting a shortened cycle.

If you have any questions about your bill or to make payment arrangements, please contact the City of Salem Utilities at (812) 883-3937.

Washington County added a record number of Covid-19 cases in November as well as new deaths – nearly more in one month than the rest of the year combined. 

From March to October, there had been three reported deaths and 433 total cases of Covid-19 in Washington County. 

In November there were five new deaths reported (for a total of 8) and 432 new Caronavirus cases (totaling 856). 

Other counties in the WSLM Listening area experienced an increase and as a result, several will be moving to the “Red” status with an update to the Indiana State Department of Health map tomorrow. (See related story – https://wslmradio.com/2020/12/01/washington-county-to-go-red-students-ordered-to-move-online/

Currently, there are 17 “Red” counties and one “Yellow” Counties. The other 74 counties are in the “Orange” status. WSLM will update this information Wednesday after noon. 

November Covid increases by county:

• Lawrence – 868 cases
• Jackson – 1151 cases
• Jennings – 555 cases
• Orange – 278 cases
• Washington – 432 cases
• Scott – 594 cases
• Clark – 2,205 cases 
• Floyd – 1,367 cases
• Harrison – 692 cases
• Crawford – 150 cases

The number of Covid-19 tests has also increased over the last month. As a result of more testing, there are more positive tests, however, the lag in test results has resulted in some people waiting a week to get results. 

And during that waiting period, many are not quarantining until they get a positive result, which means they can be spreading the virus to others.

There is a lack of availability of rapid (and accurate) Covid-19 tests in the area. Some facilities have limited the number of rapid tests available to the public. 

Following is a look at testing in November:

• Lawrence – 2,510 new tests
• Jackson – 2,824 new tests
• Jennings – 1,872 new tests
• Orange – 918 new tests
• Washington – 1,474 new tests
• Scott – 1,648 new tests
• Clark – 8,012 new tests
• Floyd – 5,318 new tests
• Harrison – 2,632 new tests
• Crawford – 562 new tests

Today, a Jennings County resident and former sheriff’s deputy was arrested on numerous fraud-related charges after a six-month investigation by detectives with the Indiana State Police-Special Investigations Section.

The investigation by Detectives Craig Starr and Tony Guinn began in early 2020 when allegations of Insurance Fraud, Official Misconduct, and Forgery were made against James C. Gholson, age 35, Elizabethtown, Indiana.

During the investigation, detectives determined that Gholson reported a theft of oxygen equipment from his residence in February 2018.  Gholson, who owned an oxygen supply business, reported the theft to the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office.  Gholson then filed insurance claims with his business insurance company as well as his homeowners insurance company.  He was paid over $100,000 by one company and over $87,000 from the other company on the same claim.

In April 2019, Gholson again claimed that he had oxygen equipment stolen from his residence.  He again filed claims with two separate insurance companies.  He was paid over $56,000 from one company and over $10,000 from the other company.  The investigation also determined that Gholson provided the insurance companies with false invoices showing that he possessed the equipment that had been stolen.  Gholson then manufactured a false police report showing that he had reported the theft to the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office.

In November 2019, Gholson again attempted to file an insurance claim with his homeowners insurance company claiming that he had a trailer with two mowers stolen from his residence.  Gholson provided the insurance company with a false invoice showing he had previously purchased the equipment.  He also provided the insurance company with a false title for the trailer.  He again provided a fraudulent police report from the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office.  The insurance company denied the claim after uncovering evidence of fraud.

A senior prosecutor was assigned to review and file the case.  As a result of the investigation, a Jennings County Circuit Court Warrant was issued yesterday for James C. Gholson on charges of Insurance Fraud, Level 6 Felony (3 counts), Official Misconduct, Level 6 Felony (2 counts), and Forgery, Level 6 Felony (2 counts).        

Gholson was arrested without incident today and booked into the Jennings County Jail.  He will soon face an initial appearance in the Jennings County Circuit Court.

Gholson was a reserve deputy with the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office from November 2017 to February 2020.  He was a full time deputy from February 2020 until he resigned in June 2020 when the investigation began.

The Jennings County Sheriff’s Office fully cooperated with the investigation and was crucial in providing Indiana State Police Detectives with information during the course of the investigation.

Washington County will be moving to a “Red” status on Wednesday, Dec. 2 according to the Washington County Health Department. 

What does that mean? 

First off, it means that all students in all three schools will be moving to all virtual education beginning Wednesday, Dec. 2 

Other restrictions imposed by Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb are:

• Social gatherings of any kind, inside or outside, are limited to 25 people.
• Special, seasonal or commercial events planned for more than 25 people require the approval of a safety plan by the local health department. Events are not advised to be held. College and pro sports are included.
• Attendance at winter indoor K-12 extracurricular and co-curricular activities including IHSAA sports is limited to participants, support personnel, and parents/guardians.
• Local officials may consider limiting hours for the operation of bars, nightclubs, and restaurants.
• Community recreational sports leagues and tournaments may continue with participants, required personnel, and parents/guardians only.
• Senior care activities suspended.
• Hospitals, long-term care facilities, and other congregate settings may impose visitation limits.
• Common areas and break rooms should be closed.

Holcomb ended Stage 5 of Indiana’s Back on Track plan about three weeks ago and replaced it with an executive order effective November 15 with requirements being established based on a county’s status in the color-coded metrics map.

Businesses will remain open, but operators and patrons must meet certain requirements when a county is in orange or red status.

Going forward, signage stating face coverings must be worn is required at public and employee entrances. Only people wearing face coverings should be admitted.

Furthermore, all customers in restaurants, bars, and nightclubs must be spaced six feet apart.

Indiana Department of Homeland Security and Alcohol & Tobacco Commission, with local partners, will continue to check businesses for occupancy, social distancing and face-covering requirements.

Governor Holcomb said churches and religious gatherings will remain exempt from restrictions.

According to the local health department, they feel Washington County could remain at the “Red” level for two weeks before changing. 

This is the first time Washington County has been in the “Red.” It has been “Orange” for several weeks, having been in the “Yellow” since early in the fall. 

When local schools returned to in-person education in August, Washington County (and other counties) numbers began to rise.

In August, Washington County had 148 new cases of Covid-19 compared to the previous months:

• March – 19 cases
• April – 25 cases
• May – 8 cases
• June – 12 cases
• July – 13 cases

In September, the numbers dipped a bit to 47 in the month. 

In October, there were 155 total cases and the numbers rose to 432 in November (for a total of 865), which has helped raise the county in the state’s color classification map. 

All Washington County students are moving to online learning for the foreseeable future after a new mandate from the county health officer.

According to the Washington County Health Department, Health Officer Dr. Jeff Morgan has ordered that all students move to online learning beginning Wednesday, Dec. 2.

The health department notified local schools of advance information from the Indiana State Department of Health that the county will be listed as “Red” when the state updates its Covid-19 map on Wednesday. 

Washington County has had 432 cases of Covid-19 in November for a total of 865 cases overall. There have been seven Covid-19 related deaths – four of which came in November. 

The state has a 7-day positivity rate of 11 percent. Washington County’s 7-day positivity rate (as of this morning) was 14.7 percent.

Gov. Eric Holcomb signed an executive order today extending Indiana’s public health emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic until at least Dec. 31.

Morgan instructed in a letter two weeks ago that he would close schools to in-person education if Washington County turned “Red.” Read original letter – morgan 

A new email came at 8:44a Tuesday morning to local administrators and reads:

“We have received notice from the State that we are going “red” starting tomorrow morning 12/2.   Dr. Morgan has stated that all schools, all grade levels will go to virtual learning starting tomorrow.  At this time, sport[s] teams can still come to practice, and parents/guardians and siblings can still attend the scheduled games.  If this changes, I will notify you all immediately.  We will remain in the “red” for at least 2 weeks before we could possibly return to “orange” or lower.”

Morgan issued a letter notice two weeks ago that moved middle and high school students at all three schools to hybrid and virtual learning. 

After Thanksgiving Break, Eastern, Salem and West Washington returned with elementary students going to school in-person and middle and high school students attending some days with other days at home. 

 According to Salem Schools Superintendent Jon Acton, “Dr. Morgan has granted some flexibility to allow high school and middle school athletics to continue during this time using attendance and safety guidelines previously established.”

Acton said while Washington County is under a “Red” classification, the walking track would be closed. 

He said there would be an update on Friday, Dec. 4 for the pickup and delivery of student meals. 

East Washington Schools Superintendent Dennis Stockdale said school buses would begin meal delivery service to students on Monday, Dec. 7 and continue through Friday, Dec. 18. 

“This service is available for any child under the age of 18,” he said. 

A form will be posted online (WSLM will update this story with the link here). The form should be submitted by Friday, Dec. 4 at noon in order to receive meals during this period. 

No additional information has been released from West Washington at the time of this update.