Washington County gets a second chance at free Covid-19 testing.

After a public outcry led to the cancellation of a Covid-19 free testing site at Salem High School, second free testing has been planned for the Washington County Fairgrounds beginning next week.

There will be no cost for the test and children as young as two years old can be tested (with parental consent).

This testing facility is being sponsored by the Indiana Department of Health and will be set up in the 4H building located at the top of the hill.

The testing clinic will be held:

• Tuesday, December 22nd from 9 AM-6PM
• Wednesday, December 23rd from 9AM-6PM
• Thursday, December 24th from 9AM-1PM
• Friday, December 25th CLOSED
• Saturday, December 26th from 9AM-6PM

Testing will be available to all members of the public regardless of symptoms.

Once tested, all individuals are to remain at homes in isolation until they receive their test results.

Hoosiers will not be charged for testing and insurance is not required. If you have private health insurance, please bring that information with you.

The previously scheduled testing site was to have been at Salem High School from Dec. 8 thru the 12th. 

Just a few days after being selected by the Indiana Department of Health and the Washington County Health Department, Salem High School was canceled as a Covid-19 testing site due to public outcry. 

“Due to numerous complaints made to the State by community members, the ISDH strike team has canceled the testing for next week at the Salem High School,” according to a statement released to the school today through the local health department. 

Washington County has been listed for several weeks as an “Orange” county which is the second-highest level of spread of the Coronavirus. It turned “Red” two weeks ago and has since went back to “Orange.”

Schools in the community are currently operating in a virtual format with students at home until after the first of January. 

Washington County has had 348 total cases since December 1 and three deaths. 

At the request of the Huntington Police Department, the Indiana State Police has been called to investigate an officer-involved shooting incident that occurred early this morning in Huntington, IN. 

This shooting incident resulted in one Huntington police officer being shot, suffering serious but non-life-threatening injuries and one adult male suspect being shot and pronounced dead at the scene.

At approximately 3:35 am, Huntington Police responded to a disturbance call in the 100 block of Shultz Drive on the city’s southwest side. 

Upon arrival, officers encountered an adult male suspect operating a backhoe style piece of machinery, actively destroying property around the neighborhood. 

Officers from Huntington Police Department and the Huntington County Sheriff’s Department became engaged in a lengthy pursuit of the suspect around the neighborhood, including the area of the Horace Mann Elementary and Riverside Middle School campus, where he continued causing damage to private and public property. 

During the course of this pursuit, an exchange of gunfire took place, resulting in the injury of one Huntington police officer, and the death of the adult male suspect. 

The Huntington police officer was transported by ambulance to Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, where he was last listed in serious but stable condition. 

The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene by the Huntington County Coroner. 

There were no other officers nor bystanders injured during the course of this shooting incident.

The Indiana State Police will not be releasing the identities of the officers involved in this incident until the Huntington County Prosecutor has reviewed the completed case investigation and subsequently authorizes the release of that information.

The identity of the deceased suspect will be released after the Huntington County Coroner’s Office has completed their portion of the investigation and made official notification to family members.

This is an active and ongoing criminal investigation by the Indiana State Police. 

Once the criminal investigation is complete, the investigation will be turned over to the Huntington County Prosecutor for review and determination of charges, if any, to be filed.

There is no further information to release at this time.