WORLD NO. 2 JOAO RICARDO VIEIRA CAPITALIZES ON LEME STUMBLE

October 18, 2020

Thirty-Six-Year-Old Cuts Leme’s Lead to 459 Points With Win in Nampa

During a thrilling night of on-the-dirt action from Ford Idaho Center at the Cooper Tires Take the Money and Rid,e presented by Union Home Mortgage, 36-year-old Joao Ricardo Vieira (Itatinga, Brazil) turned back the clock and earned his second Unleash The Beast (UTB) win of 2020.

After world No. 1 Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) hit the dirt early on Friday night, Vieira was one bull up on his countryman heading into championship Saturday with his 85.75-point ride on Delbert Sr. (Dakota Rodeo / Chad Berger / Clay Struve). Vieira took full advantage of the lead, going 2-for-2 on the night to earn the event win.

A Round 2 matchup with Freckles Brown (Wentz Bucking Bulls/Aces Wild Pro Rodeo) turned into an 87.75-point ride for Vieira, putting him in fourth heading into the championship round.

Vieira drafted Smoke Show (Humpz & Horns/KMH/Sis n’ Stan) for his championship round opponent but was awarded a re-ride after a collision with the chutes.

The veteran drew a matchup with Sky Harbor (Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger/Clay Struve/Wilks Ranch) as his re-ride and matched the bovine move for move on the way to a 91-point mark – the highest of the event.

To see Vieira’s event winning ride, click here. For other highlights from the 2020 Cooper Tires Take the Money and Ride presented by Union Home Mortgage, click here.

The perfect 3-for-3 performance on the weekend set Vieira pacing the pack, earning him $30,862.67 for the win, and netted him 109.5 world points. Vieira now trails Leme by only 459 points heading into the PBR World Finals in Arlington, Texas, at AT&T Stadium, Nov. 12-15.

The veteran Vieira was followed closely by young gun Mason Taylor (Maypearl, Texas), with only four points separating them over three qualified rides each. After besting Castle (Diamond Bar Cattle) for 84.25 points Friday night, Taylor also turned in a perfect 2-for-2 performance on Saturday.

Sitting Bull (Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger/Clay Struve/Diamond Willow) provided the bull power for the young Texan’s 87-point ride in Round 2.

Taking aim at Smooth Wreck (Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger/Clay Struve/Diamond Willow) in the championship round, Taylor blew from the chutes on the bovine’s back, making the 8 for 89.25 points.

The second-place finish is Taylor’s highest of the year, and earned him $13,172.30 as well as 66 world points. Heading into the final event of the 2020 season, the 21-year-old is No. 11 in the world.

Continuing his hot streak, 2016 World Champion Cooper Davis (Jasper, Texas) ends the weekend in third place. The final rider to go a perfect 3-for-3, Davis took care of business on Buck Wild (4B Bucking Bulls) for 87 points on Friday night.

Flight Risk (D&H Cattle Company) was not a problem for Davis in Round 2, where the pair was marked 81.75 points.

Davis was on cloud nine after his ride on Space Force (Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger/Clay Struve/Heald Pro Bulls) resulted in 89.75 points, but was later bested by Taylor and Vieira.

But the weekend was not a loss, as Davis picked up a crucial 53 world points, as well as $10,420.89. Seeking his second gold buckle in Arlington next month, Davis is in the No. 6 spot in the world rankings.

The legendary J.B. Mauney (Statesville, North Carolina) continued his return to prime form in Nampa this weekend. After an 86-point ride on Friday night aboard Sitting Bull, Mauney took Kapt’n Krunch (D&H Cattle Co/Payson Parker) to the woodshed in Round 2 for 89.25 points, picking up the round win.

Poised to capture the record for most premier series wins all-time, Mauney entered the championship round on a hot streak, riding six of his last eight bulls. Matched up with I’m Legit Too in the championship round, the dragon slayer was tossed to the dirt just before the whistle, at 7.25 seconds. I’m Legit Too was marked 46.25 points on the out, the second-highest bull score of the weekend.

With the round win and the fourth-place finish, Mauney earned 39.5 world points, certifying his ticket to World Finals 2020 as the No. 29 rider in the world. He also leaves Nampa with $7,669.41, pushing his all-time earnings over $7.4 million mark.

Taylor Toves (Stephenville, Texas), who has been battling the UTB cut line for the second half of the season, rounded out the Top 5 on the weekend. After winning Round 1 with an 89.75-point trip aboard Medicine Man (TNT Bucking Bulls/Hart Cattle Co.), Toves backed up night one with an 85.25-point covering of Notorious (Red Laces Cattle Co./Hart Cattle Co.) in Round 2.

Drafting Trail of Tears (Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger/Clay Struve/MAGA Cattle/Roper Angus) with the second pick of the championship round draft, Toves was unable to capitalize, hitting the dirt in 1.73 seconds.

But the Texan did not leave empty-handed, picking up 35 world points on the weekend, and $6,429.43. Toves is now safely under the World Finals cutline at No. 33.

The world’s top bull riders return to action in the culmination of the 2020 PBR season on November 12 at the 2020 PBR World Finals from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Fans can relive all the action from Round 2 and the championship round of the Cooper Tires Take the Money and Ride, presented by Union Home Mortgage via RidePass.com or the RidePass mobile app starting Sunday, Oct. 18 at 8 a.m. ET.

Professional Bull Riders – PBR COOPER TIRES TAKE THE MONEY AND RIDE PRESENTED BY UNION HOME MORTGAGE

Nampa, ID, 2020 – Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Event Aggregate-Event Points) …

João Ricardo Vieira, 85.75-87.75-91-264.50-109.5 Points.
Mason Taylor, 84.25-87-89.25-260.50-66 Points.
Cooper Davis, 87-81.75-89.75-258.50-53 Points.
J.B. Mauney, 86-89.25-0-175.25-39.5 Points.
Taylor Toves, 89.75-85.25-0-175.00-35 Points.
Kaique Pacheco, 82.5-84-85.5-252.00-31 Points.
Boudreaux Campbell, 87-87.25-0-174.25-20 Points.
Ezekiel Mitchell, 87.25-86.25-0-173.50-17 Points.
Rafael Henrique dos Santos, 89.25-0-0-89.25-14 Points.
Wallace Vieira de Oliveira, 0-88.5-0-88.50-12 Points.
Cody Teel, 88-0-0-88.00-10 Points.
Junior Patrik Souza, 87-0-0-87.00-6 Points.
Jose Vitor Leme, 0-86.75-0-86.75-5.5 Points.

(tie). Valdiron de Oliveira, 0-86.75-0-86.75-5.5 Points.

Cole Melancon, 86.25-0-0-86.25-4 Points.
Chase Dougherty, 86-0-0-86.00-2.5 Points.
Andre da Cruz de Souza, 85.75-0-0-85.75-0.5 Points.
Brennon Eldred, 84.75-0-0-84.75
Daylon Swearingen, 83.75-0-0-83.75

(tie). Mauricio Gulla Moreira, 83.75-0-0-83.75

Lucas Divino, 81.5-0-0-81.50
Marcus Mast, 0-81-0-81.00

Derek Kolbaba, 0-0-0-0.00
Alex Cerqueira, 0-0-0-0.00
Stetson Lawrence, 0-0-0-0.00
Silvano Alves, 0-0-0-0.00
Keyshawn Whitehorse, 0-0-0-0.00
Claudio Montanha Jr., 0-0-0-0.00
Joao Henrique Lucas, 0-0-0-0.00
Ryan Dirteater, 0-0-0-0.00
Amadeu Campos Silva, 0-0-0-0.00
Paulo Ferreira Lima, 0-0-0-0.00
Cody Casper, 0-0-0-0.00
Bradley Brittain, 0-0-0-0.00
Dalton Kasel, 0-0-0-0.00
Cody Nance, 0-0-0-0.00

2020 Professional Bull Riders Unleash The Beast World Finals Standings

(Place, Rider, Events, Wins, Top 5’s, Points, Total Winnings)

Jose Vitor Leme, 41, 17, 25, 1,341.50, $521,431.57
João Ricardo Vieira, 30, 4, 12, 882.41, $263,414.19
Kaique Pacheco, 30, 1, 10, 653.50, $147,303.77
Daylon Swearingen, 43, 4, 13, 602.66, $240,945.37
Jess Lockwood, 20, 1, 10, 596.00, $219,947.63
Cooper Davis, 26, 4, 17, 562.00, $140,215.14
Lucas Divino, 31, 2, 11, 552.50, $145,298.53
Colten Jesse, 42, 4, 12, 472.00, $124,971.29
Derek Kolbaba, 41, 4, 11, 366.00, $78,744.93
Ezekiel Mitchell, 37, 1, 6, 334.00, $76,722.55
Mason Taylor, 36, 2, 8, 332.75, $69,253.28
Dener Barbosa, 16, 2, 7, 323.41, $81,457.49
Cole Melancon, 35, 2, 6, 314.50, $219,179.96
Eduardo Aparecido, 23, 0, 4, 311.00, $74,272.67
Alex Cerqueira, 27, 1, 6, 259.50, $56,822.26
Fabiano Vieira, 23, 3, 6, 258.50, $48,203.97
Brennon Eldred, 29, 1, 4, 257.50, $73,191.38
Cody Teel, 26, 0, 4, 256.25, $112,677.88
Marco Eguchi, 25, 3, 11, 254.75, $78,533.76
Ramon de Lima, 19, 1, 2, 248.16, $86,362.79
Matt Triplett, 30, 3, 8, 241.50, $122,496.48
Mauricio Gulla Moreira, 37, 4, 11, 221.83, $59,420.90
Andrew Alvidrez, 32, 2, 7, 217.66, $58,934.11
Stetson Lawrence, 33, 1, 8, 203.00, $71,445.93
Silvano Alves, 37, 1, 5, 197.00, $55,671.95
Keyshawn Whitehorse, 25, 3, 9, 193.00, $76,997.38
Aaron Kleier, 27, 3, 10, 186.33, $42,677.12
Claudio Montanha Jr., 23, 0, 3, 185.00, $48,922.84
J.B. Mauney, 9, 0, 4, 184.00, $35,208.02
Joao Henrique Lucas, 31, 1, 4, 151.91, $32,689.26
Lachlan Richardson, 15, 3, 8, 151.00, $50,930.18
Boudreaux Campbell, 19, 1, 6, 140.66, $103,171.36
Taylor Toves, 26, 1, 3, 140.00, $49,030.35
Dakota Buttar, 16, 4, 8, 134.50, $36,053.05
Tye Chandler, 10, 1, 3, 123.33, $29,556.67
Ryan Dirteater, 14, 0, 6, 120.00, $57,061.41
Rafael Henrique dos Santos, 24, 1, 6, 106.00, $31,043.02
Amadeu Campos Silva, 32, 0, 4, 104.66, $31,425.29
Junior Patrik Souza, 31, 0, 5, 103.50, $26,817.17
Dakota Louis, 38, 1, 7, 103.00, $46,937.23
Marcus Mast, 38, 0, 7, 99.16, $34,598.99
Paulo Ferreira Lima, 29, 1, 6, 93.00, $28,914.15
Cody Casper, 41, 1, 3, 89.00, $25,868.93
Wallace Vieira de Oliveira, 21, 1, 2, 88.16, $17,886.54
Jake Lockwood, 26, 1, 1, 87.16, $25,636.14

PBR’s Taylor Toves wins Round 1 in Namp

October 18, 2020

Texan Inches Closer to 2020 World Finals in Arlington

Friday night marked the beginning of the final regular-season PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Unleash The Beast (UTB) event of 2020 before the top bull riders in the world head to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, for the historic PBR World Finals Nov. 12-15.

As the dust settled inside of Ford Idaho Center and night one of the two-day weekend came to a close, Taylor Toves (Stephenville, Texas), put together one of 18 qualified rides of the night and earned his second-round victory of the 2020 season by claiming Round 1 of the PBR Cooper Tires Take the Money and Ride, presented by Union Home Mortgage.

Energetic Idaho fans watched as the determined young rider from Texas fired out of the chutes aboard Medicine Man (TNT Bucking Bulls/ Hart Cattle Co), recording an impressive 89.75-point score.

The Round 1 effort moved Toves up from No. 36 in the world standings to No. 34, all but punching his ticket into the coveted Top 35 to qualify for World Finals.

“I’ve got nothing to lose now,” Toves said. “I’ve been on that bull before. I rode him the first time, he bucked me off the second time. I knew he’d be good, and I did my job.”

The win earned him $3,133.81 and 20 world points as he heads into Round 2 on Saturday

After going an uncharacteristic 0-for-2 last weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma, world No. 1 Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) was in for a wild ride aboard Joe Bannanas (Humpz and Hornz) on Friday evening.

No match for his bovine opponent, Leme was thrashed about and slammed to the ground in a mere 2.67 seconds. Despite the buck off, Leme remains in firm control of the top spot in the world standings, sitting 562.59 points ahead of fellow countryman and No. 2-ranked rider Joao Ricardo Vieira (Itatinga, Brazil).

After an 85.75-point ride aboard Delbert Sr. (Dakota Rodeo/ Chad Berger/Clay Struve) Vieira put himself in a strong position to gain points this weekend and narrow the gap between himself and Leme. The 36-year-old also picked up 0.5 world points tonight, finishing 11^th in the round.

Brazilian rider Rafael Henrique dos Santos (Sebastianopolis, Brazil) finished second after delivering a crowd-pleasing 89.25-point ride aboard Why Hell Ya (Hart Cattle Co/ Randy Wood). Santos, who began the weekend at No. 42 in the standings, climbed to No. 40 after his Friday night effort garnered 10 world points in addition to a $2,103.13 check.

First drawing Ghost Face (D&H Cattle Company), 2012 PRCA World Champion Cody Teel (College Station, Texas) earned a re-ride and re-matched against Quickfire (Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger/Clay Struve/Heald Pro Bulls) for 88 points and third overall in the round.

The qualified ride moved Teel from No. 20 to No. 18 in the world standings, earning him nine world points and $1,654.

Fellow Texan Ezekiel Mitchell (Rockdale, Texas) brought the cheering fans to a deafening roar as he rocketed from the chutes, determined to stay aboard Dallas (D&H Cattle Company). The 87.25-point score earned a fourth-place finish and moved Mitchell up one spot from his No. 10 spot in the world standings to No. 9.

The young gun earned $975.52 and eight world points for his first night efforts.

2016 PBR World Champion Cooper Davis (Jasper, Texas), Boudreaux Campbell (Crockett, Texas) and Junior Patrik Souza (Sonora, Brazil) enter Round 2 on Saturday night tied for fifth place after riding Buck Wild (4B Bucking Bulls), Tractorland Arizona Dreamin (Wild Hoggs/ Corey Chmelnyk) and Tykro Pound Sand (Wild Hoggs/Corey Chmelnyk), respectively, for 87 points.

The Top 5 finish earned each cowboy $523.97 and six world points.

Davis held on strong to his No. 7 spot in the world standings, while Campbell, who began the weekend at No. 34 on the bubble, moves to No. 33. Souza moved up two spots from No. 40 to No. 38.

Falling a bit lower on the Round 1 leaderboard was two-time PBR World Champion J.B. Mauney (Statesville, North Carolina) with a ninth-place finish. Going four straight events with qualified rides, Mauney was first tasked with Homebrew (D&H Cattle Company), but earned a re-ride aboard Sitting Bull (Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger/Clay Struve/Diamond Willow). His 86-point ride earned a mere 2.5 world points but tightened his grip on his No. 30 spot in the world standings.

The best bull riders in the world will return to the Ford Idaho Center on Saturday, Oct. 17 for Round 2 and the Championship Round of the PBR Cooper Tires Take the Money and Ride, presented by Union Home Mortgage. RidePass’ LIVE coverage of Round 2 will begin at 9:45 p.m. ET, while CBS Sports Networks’ coverage of the Championship Round will be broadcast at 10:00 p.m. ET.

Fans can relive all the action from Round 1 in Nampa starting on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 8 a.m. EST on RidePass.com or via the RidePass mobile App.

PBR Unleash The Beast
PBR Cooper Tires Take the Money and Ride, presented by Union Home Mortgage

Ford Idaho Center – Nampa, Idaho
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Event Aggregate-Event Points)

Taylor Toves, 89.75-0-0-89.75-20 Points.
Rafael Henrique dos Santos, 89.25-0-0-89.25-10 Points.
Cody Teel, 88-0-0-88.00-9 Points.
Ezekiel Mitchell, 87.25-0-0-87.25-8 Points.
Cooper Davis, 87-0-0-87.00-6 Points.

(tie). Boudreaux Campbell, 87-0-0-87.00-6 Points.

(tie). Junior Patrik Souza, 87-0-0-87.00-6 Points.

Cole Melancon, 86.25-0-0-86.25-4 Points.
J.B. Mauney, 86-0-0-86.00-2.5 Points.

(tie). Chase Dougherty, 86-0-0-86.00-2.5 Points.

João Ricardo Vieira, 85.75-0-0-85.75-0.5 Points.

(tie). Andre da Cruz de Souza, 85.75-0-0-85.75-0.5 Points.

Brennon Eldred, 84.75-0-0-84.75
Mason Taylor, 84.25-0-0-84.25
Daylon Swearingen, 83.75-0-0-83.75

(tie). Mauricio Gulla Moreira, 83.75-0-0-83.75

Kaique Pacheco, 82.5-0-0-82.50
Lucas Divino, 81.5-0-0-81.50

Jose Vitor Leme, 0-0-0-0.00
Derek Kolbaba, 0-0-0-0.00
Alex Cerqueira, 0-0-0-0.00
Stetson Lawrence, 0-0-0-0.00
Silvano Alves, 0-0-0-0.00
Keyshawn Whitehorse, 0-0-0-0.00
Claudio Montanha Jr., 0-0-0-0.00
Joao Henrique Lucas, 0-0-0-0.00
Ryan Dirteater, 0-0-0-0.00
Amadeu Campos Silva, 0-0-0-0.00
Marcus Mast, 0-0-0-0.00
Paulo Ferreira Lima, 0-0-0-0.00
Cody Casper, 0-0-0-0.00
Wallace Vieira de Oliveira, 0-0-0-0.00
Bradley Brittain, 0-0-0-0.00
Dalton Kasel, 0-0-0-0.00
Valdiron de Oliveira, 0-0-0-0.00
Cody Nance, 0-0-0-0.00

Pattie Sue (Bailey) Wilson of Borden

October 17, 2020

Pattie Sue (Bailey) Wilson of Borden, Indiana passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by her family on Thursday, October 15, 2020.

Pattie was born on March 5, 1938 at her family home in Borden, Indiana to the late Charles Bailey and Olive (Peyton) Bailey. She was the eldest of 4 children, attended Borden High School, and was a lifelong active member of the Borden Church of Christ.

On October 9, 1954, she married the love her life, Frank D. Wilson. From this union, they welcomed 4 children. Pattie spent the next several years of her life raising her family and caring for her ailing parents. After raising her family, Pattie worked at the Borden Diner baking pies and cooking. Following that, she worked as a cook in the Borden School cafeteria and enjoyed serving the kids of the Borden Community.

Pattie spent much of her later years enjoying watching her Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren grow and flourish. She never missed a ball game, band concert, or track meet.

Pattie was a kind and gentle soul and spent her entire life serving others. She was a beloved mother, sister, grandmother, aunt, and friend to many.

Pattie was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 51 years, Frank D. Wilson; her sister Donna (Bailey) Wilson; and her brother, Melvin Bailey.

Pattie is survived by her brother, Dale (Becky) Bailey, of Sellersburg, Indiana.

Her four children: Debra (Ray) Weatherford, of Borden; Lonnie (Kathy) Wilson of Borden; Amanda (Stu) Allen of Sellersburg; and Cliff (Lori) Wilson of Pekin.

Eight Grandchildren: Dawn (Mike) Jones of Pekin; Brent (Jessica) Weatherford of Pekin; Chad (Lori) Wilson of Wadesville; Rachel (Bobby) Moldoveanu of Louisville, Kentucky; Zach (Ashley) Wilson of Borden; Quintin (Brittney) Allen of Charlestown; Ashley (Cody) Munk of Memphis; and Erika Wilson of Indianapolis.

15 Great Grandchildren: Maegen, Raegen, and Kirsten Weatherford; Cora and Cade Jones; Mallie Beth Wilson; Olivia, Frankie, and Ellie Moldoveanu; Aiden and Elliott Allen; Lyla Jane Wilson; Leslie, Lucy, and Lindley Munk; and 3 on the way.

Pattie is also survived by her niece, Lori Lynn Wilson, and her children, Matthew and Bre Wilson; and a host of other nieces and nephews.

The family would like to acknowledge and thank Hosparus and her loving caregivers, Deena McCoy and Joyce Hurst.

Visitation for Pattie will be at Borden Church of Christ, 426 W. Water Street, Borden, Indiana 47106 on Monday, October 19, 2020 from 4:00 to 8:00 P.M. The service will be held at the Church on Tuesday, October 20, at 11:00 A.M. with visitation from 9:00 A.M. until time of service. Pattie will be laid to rest at Walnut Hill Cemetery, Borden, Indiana. Expressions of sympathy may be made to Borden Church of Christ, 426 W. Water Street, Borden, Indiana 47106.

www.hughestaylor.net

Washington County Posts Single-Day Record of Covid-19 Cases

October 16, 2020

Indiana has once again shattered its record for the single-day increase of COVID-19 cases. Another 2,328 cases were added to the state’s total in Friday’s update from the Indiana Department of Health, the first time that number has surpassed 2,000.

State health officials say that does include a backlog of about 300 cases whose reporting was delayed due to a technical issue, but the state would still likely have broken its record without them. That brings the state’s total to almost 143,500.

Washington County continues to see a steady daily increase with 17 new Covid-19 cases today, according to the Indiana State Department of Health — a new record since the pandemic was first announced in the US earlier this year.

In the past 15 days, Washington County has had 67 new cases of Covid-19, which is the largest 15-day increase since numbers were recorded in March.

Here’s a breakdown:

March 1-15 – 18 cases
April 1-15 – 9 cases
May 1-15 – 10 cases
June 1-15 – 9 cases
July 1-15 – 12 cases
August 1-15 – 46 cases
September 1-15 – 21 cases
October 1-15 – 67 cases

The state began opening back up in July and school was able to begin in-person instruction in August, which led to increased cases around Indiana.

There are more than 1,300 COVID-19 patients in Indiana’s hospitals, according to the state’s latest statistics, and just over 32 percent of the state’s intensive care beds are currently available.

Another 22 Hoosiers have died from COVID-19, bringing the total to 3,654.

East Washington Elementary Schools will continue as normal, despite a staff member testing positive for Covid-19. Contact tracing has been completed there.

“Anytime the case rate increases, I think that is cause for concern,” said Shaun Grannis, vice president for data and analytics at the Regenstrief Institute, which collects and analyzes detailed COVID-19 data from across the state.

Indiana continues to hold on Stage 5 with the mask mandate and Stage 5 being extended through the middle of November.

The research institute updates its coronavirus data on an online portal daily and offers a two-week summary of trends for the state and all 92 Indiana counties.

The most current trends are not promising.

Over the summer, the vast majority of counties in Indiana were showing decreased cases of COVID-19. Counties with decreasing cases are highlighted in green on a statewide map.

Now, nearly all counties in the state are marked either in red, showing a 2-week trend of increased COVID-19 cases, or they are marked with a red asterisk which signifies early warning signs of increased COVID-19 activity.

Heading into this weekend, only eight of Indiana’s 92 counties show a decreased number of cases without early warning signs of a future COVID spike, according to Regenstrief’s data.

“The fact that cases are going up in the fall is not surprising,” Grannis said. “As it gets colder, people tend to congregate indoors more, and so that distancing tends to be challenged. And so I think we need to be even more vigilant about how we think about mitigating the spread here. We have to be able to maintain that distancing.”

It’s not just the number of positive cases that are climbing across Indiana.

Regenstrief says the number of emergency room visits and hospital admissions is also increasing statewide – a troubling trend for health care professionals who worry a fall COVID-19 surge will overwhelm emergency rooms.

Public health officials are also closely tracking the COVID-19 positivity rate (the percentage of total COVID-19 tests that result in a positive diagnosis).

Two West Washington Students Test Positive For Covid-19

October 16, 2020

This afternoon West Washington School Corporation was notified that two sibling Junior/Senior High School students tested positive for Covid-19.

According to a release from Superintendent Keith Nance, the last date the students were in school was Monday, Oct. 12.

Due to the school moving to partial virtual schooling on Tuesdays and Thursdays,

Nance said the students were asymptomatic and not tested until Wednesday after a family member became ill and the entire family was tested.

Nance said the positive results were shared with the school today.

He said school administration began immediately performing contact tracing for any staff or student that might have been in close contact with the positive individuals on Monday.

All staff and students that were determined to have been considered close contact by CDC definitions were isolated and sent home with instructions to quarantine for the required amount of time.

Nance said if a decision is made to change the upcoming schedule in any way, it will be communicated in the next 24 hours.

The school had planned on one more week of virtual hybrid education with students in school on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and at home on Tuesday and Thursday.

A custodian had tested positive last Sunday and the decision to move to a hybrid combination came on Monday due to much of the custodial staff in quarantine.

Salem Community Schools moved to virtual on Friday due to Covid-19 cases among teachers and staff after returning from Fall Break.

Salem hopes to return to in-person education on Nov. 2

Indiana has had increasing numbers and is one of 11 states with increasing positive cases trending upwards.

In fact, Washington County had 17 new cases today and a total of 38 cases this week. Saturday’s update will include a number of new cases from Friday.

East Washington Elementary School identified a staff member who has tested positive for COVID-19.

Those who were in close contact with this individual have been contacted.

According to Superintendent Dennis Stockdale wrote on social media that if parents, staff, and students have not heard directly from the elementary office, they are not considered direct contact.

East Washington Elementary School will remain open on a regular schedule.

Lions vs. Senators Game Cancelled Due to Covid-19 Concerns

October 16, 2020

A Washington County rivalry game between the Salem Lions and West Washington Senators high school football teams was to have played out tonight at Art Sanders Field.

However, both schools have decided to cancel the game due to concerns over Covid-19 exposure and after consulting with the Washington County Health Department.

According to Salem Community School Board President Rodney Brough, both schools mutually decided to cancel the contest.

West Washington Superintendent said it was a consensus decision that the playing of the game was not in the best interest of either team.

“It is frustrating for both teams, but those responsible for our schools have to make the best decision possible for our children and school,” said Nance, who is also the West Washington Senator Head Coach. “I am afraid if people don’t start taking Covid seriously it could jeopardize a lot for our children, as students, as athletes and as young people growing and developing socially and emotionally.”

“With numbers being high, and given the current situation of both schools doing virtual learning, we decided it was the best thing to avoid any risk of sickness for the students, staff and fans,” said Brough.

Salem had several staff members either test positive for Covid-19 or quarantine due to exposures over fall break.

West Washington had a member of their custodial staff test positive for Covid-19 last week and several of their custodial staff have been quarantined as a result.

West Washington went to a hybrid setting of two days a week of virtual learning from home. The school hopes to get back in the classroom by Oct. 26.

Salem went to full virtual learning starting today and hopes to be back in school on Nov. 2.

Nance said after a discussion between the school administrations, athletic administrators and coaches, the decision was made to follow the consultation of the health department.

“Although our communities love the rivalry between West Washington and Salem, both schools believe the safety of our players and the upcoming IHSAA tournament need to be our priority at this time,” Nance wrote in a press release.

“This is a stark reminder that Covid has not gone away and that our communities need to take this seriously,” Nance indicated.

“We ask that you do it for our schools and our children. Please continue to wear a face cover, frequently wash your hands, practice social distancing and keep your social circle small,” said Nance.

West Washington is set to play at North Daviess for their sectional opener next Friday night.

Salem will host Corydon next Friday night.

Note – WSLM 1220 AM is playing a repeat of last year’s Salem vs. West Washington game. This is a pre-recorded game from last year and is not live.

Linda Marie Maudlin, age 55 of Salem

October 16, 2020

Linda Marie Maudlin, age 55 of Salem, passed away Thursday, October 15, 2020, in the University Of Louisville Hospital.

Born August 11, 1965, in Salem, Indiana, she was the daughter of the late Marvin L. and Bonnie L. (Nelson) Gorman.

She was an employee of Jay C Food Stores in Salem and a former employee of Kimball International, Salem Division.

She had been a life resident of Washington County and was a member of the First Baptist Church of Salem.

Survivors include:
Daughter: Autumn (Shea Moore) Brown of Sellersburg; Brother: Steve (Sharon) Gorman of Salem; Sister: Johnetta (Mark) Coombs of Salem and several nieces and nephews.

Visitation: 4 to 8 pm Monday and 9 to 11 am Tuesday at Dawalt Funeral Home.

Funeral Service: 11:00 am Tuesday at Dawalt Funeral Home with Rev. Dr. Steven Gorman officiating.

Interment and committal service will follow at Crown Hill Cemetery.

Memorial Contributions to:
First Baptist Church of Salem
Building Fund
200 East Walnut Street
Salem, Indiana 47167

Jeri Lynn Vance, age 62, of Salem

October 16, 2020

Jeri Lynn Vance, age 62, of Salem, passed away Thursday, October 15, 2020, at Baptist Health Floyd Hospital.

Born September 24, 1958, in Indianapolis, she was the daughter of the late William Chester Dowell and Nancy C. (Medlock) Dowell who survives. On January 27, 2004, she married Carl “Corky” Vance who survives.

She was a member of the Blue River Friends Church, American Legion Post 41, VFW Post 6636, and Salem Moose Lodge 2380.

Jeri is survived by her husband, Carl; mother, Nancy; 1 step-daughter: Shannal Vance; 1 brother: Keith Swann; 2 sisters: Tina Lee Dowell and Teresa Grannokis; 1 sister-in-law: Gloria Dowell; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her father and 1 brother: Bruce Dowell.

Cremation was chosen with a memorial service to be held at a later date at Blue River Friends Cemetery.

Hughes-Taylor Funeral Home was entrusted with arrangements.