Milestone Contractors will resume work next week on the $17.6 million roadway reconstruction project on S.R. 256 in Scott County.

On or after Monday, April 27, S.R. 256 will close to thru traffic between U.S. 31 and S.R. 203, east of Austin, for the continuation of the multi-phase project.

Crews will begin with the installation of additional cross pipes and box culverts, followed by driveway pipes, ditch work, pavement removal, and asphalt paving. 

Access to homes and businesses within the closure will be maintained for local traffic only. The official detour for the closure will follow U.S. 31 to S.R. 56 to S.R. 203 and will change to follow S.R. 3 later in the summer during reconstruction work at the S.R. 203 intersection.

The project began last spring and is expected to be complete this fall.

Floyd County Health Department will be conducting a drive-thru COVID-19 testing at Floyd Central High School on Saturday, April 25th from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.

This is a drive-thru testing only. We will not accept any walk-ups or bicycles.

Individuals must be symptomatic to be tested with any of the following symptoms: cough, fever, shortness of breath, muscle aches, sore throat, diarrhea or headache.

According to Maria Dodge, those being tested must bring their Driver’s License or State Issued ID and an insurance card (if you have one).

Dodge noted that at the first stop, those present will be screened for symptoms. FCHD staff will take a picture of
the identification/insurance card and will take down information before the public can proceed for testing.

Indiana University Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Fred Glass announced today a series of fan-friendly changes to IU’s 2020 football season ticket renewal policies in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The changes are designed to provide additional flexibility for Hoosier fans and to offer assurance that they will be reimbursed in full for any IU home football game(s) that are not played this fall.

“These are unprecedented times, and we understand that there is a great deal of uncertainty as we focus on the present but also look ahead to the fall,” said Glass. “These changes are designed to give our fans the confidence and flexibility that they need as they invest and support our teams moving forward.”  

Effective immediately, Indiana University Athletics has:

1. Extended the Renewal Deadline Until May 15. Previously extended to May 1, two additional weeks have been added to the renewal and priority point deadline for IU Football season ticket and season parking pass purchases. As a reminder, we will utilize the Priority Point total from June 30, 2019 for the 2020 football seat selection process. The Varsity Club will not be sending updated Priority Point statements prior to the 2020 football seat selection and upgrade process.
    
   Further information about the seat selection process will be provided at a later time.

2. Introduced the IU Athletics Ticket Assurance Plan. If, for any reason, any portion of the 2020 IU Football schedule does not take place, ticket holders who purchased tickets directly through the IU Athletic Ticket Office will have the option to either receive a refund for the canceled game(s), or have a credit toward a future ticket purchase. This guarantee applies to all ticketed IU Athletics’ home athletic events.

3. Introduced a new 5% Down Payment Plan. Now, Hoosier fans can renew their 2020 IU Football season tickets by putting down just 5%. The remaining balance will be split between two equal payments on July 15 and August 15.

Patrons can renew or purchase their 2020 season football tickets at iuhoosiers.com.

U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Michael Enzi (R-Wyo.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and James Inhofe (R-Okla.) Monday sent a letter to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) requesting that lenders be permitted to submit applications for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) despite the program’s funding lapse.

Enabling lenders to continue processing applications would help alleviate the already developing backlog that will be problematic for SBA lenders once additional PPP funding is approved.

“It is evident that the PPP loan program is one of the most critical measures of financial relief for small businesses. These loans are protecting employees, keeping doors open, and bringing a sense of normalcy to American workers during a time of abnormality. As Congress continues negotiations to provide PPP with additional funding, it is important we understand the full interest in the program. We are concerned that the E-Tran system will be overwhelmed if the SBA does not allow submissions before the program reopens. Keeping the system operational will mitigate the influx once the program receives more funding, and will have the added benefit of being able to more accurately gauge demand in the current backlog,” the Senators wrote.

“The Indiana banking community echoes the senators’ call to the SBA to continue accepting Paycheck Protection Program loan applications during the current funding lapse,” said Amber Van Til, president and CEO of the Indiana Bankers Association. “There is momentum to inject additional funds into the program, and banks will be eager to act quickly once the program resumes. Our goal is to be prepared to help the small business sector as expediently as possible.”

“Credit unions all over the state have been working day and night to help their local business members get the PPP loans they need,” said Indiana Credit Union League President John McKenzie. “Giving credit unions and other lenders the ability to continue to process these applications now would be very important to helping the process run more smoothly once the program opens up again.”

Here is the letter – 200420 – Letter to SBA re E-Tran – Final1

During Governor Eric Holcomb’s daily COVID-19 update today, he said Indiana’s social distancing guidelines have helped to flatten the curve and he plans to reopen elective clinical procedures in stages.

Starting Tuesday, hospitals can conduct diagnostic procedures.

If supply inventory holds up, elective procedures may be able to resume next week for other practices.

Holcomb says he’s received some input from the business sector on plans to reopen some businesses safely at some point in the next few weeks. He hopes to have more input by Wednesday, April 22.

“We’ll be back at work when it’s safe to do so,” he added.

The reopening is expected to be a gradual process and won’t start until officials are confident the pandemic is starting to wane. Officials said their main concern is ensuring employees are safe.

In a 4-1 decision Monday, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled that creditors may not seize Hoosiers’ stimulus payments received through the federal CARES Act.

This ruling is a major victory for Hoosier families and comes in response to a petition from Indiana Legal Services, Prosperity Indiana, Neighborhood Christian Legal Services, and the Indiana Institute for Working Families to protect these funds from creditors and debt collectors seeking to garnish them. 

“We’re thankful to Indiana Legal Services for taking the lead and responding quickly to concerns about the seizure of stimulus funds. Because of this court decision, the federal intent of these funds will thankfully be honored at home,” said Jessica Love, Executive Director of Prosperity Indiana.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress passed the CARES Act to provide direct payments to all citizens who meet certain income eligibility guidelines.

Congress intended these payments to help families meet their basic needs at a time when the country is seeing unprecedented job loss and state unemployment systems are struggling to keep up with new filings.

The U.S. Treasury Department did not, however, ensure that these were protected from seizure by creditors and debt collectors.

Today, the Indiana Supreme Court ordered that lower courts may not issue new holds, attachments, or garnishments that cover funds in bank accounts attributable to CARES Act payments, except for child support. 

It also ordered that, when hold orders already have been issued, lower courts are supposed to treat requests by account holders as urgent to allow a determination whether any CARES Act payments are in the account, and those funds are protected from attachment or garnishment.

“It is a relief that stimulus payments will be able to be used to meet urgent needs like housing, food, medicine, and utilities,” said Jessica Fraser, Director of Indiana Institute for Working Families.

“We are grateful that the Indiana Supreme Court took this step. If Congress provides any future stimulus payments, it should ensure that these payments are clearly protected from bank account seizure by other creditors and debt collectors.” 

Anyone who believes they are in danger of having CARES Act payments garnished from their bank accounts can contact Indiana Legal Services or another legal aid provider for guidance.    

Also extends orders limiting state government services and restaurant, bar restrictions

Governor Eric J. Holcomb today issued a revised Stay At Home order that lasts through May 1 and is designed to limit interactions among Hoosiers to increase containment of COVID-19. As of today, 11,686 people have tested positive and 569 people have died from the disease in Indiana. There are now positive tests in 92 of 92 counties. Click here to see the executive order: https://www.in.gov/gov/2384.htm

As a part of this action, Gov. Holcomb also extended through May 1 the orders that limit in-person public activity at state government offices and put restrictions on the operation of restaurants, bars, and nightclubs.

“I want to thank Hoosiers in every corner of our state who have stayed socially-distanced and hunkered down. Lives are being saved, and we’re slowing the spread,” Gov. Holcomb said. “Continuing the course at this time is essential to flattening the curve while we also prepare to safely reopen Indiana for business.”

While the Stay At Home order chiefly continues as is, EO 20-22 brings clarity to some essential businesses.

• As long as sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE), staff and other supplies are available for the COVID-19 response, hospitals should conduct medically necessary procedures, such as those determining cancer diagnosis and cardiac issues, respiratory procedures, and procedures to reduce significant pain or symptoms making the quality of life unacceptable.

o   Any restrictions involving medical procedures will be evaluated every seven days for appropriate and timely modifications that could be implemented.

• Permitted outdoor activity as described in the executive order includes yard work, gardening, planting and landscaping at residential, commercial and industrial properties and farms.

o   Nurseries and garden centers may be open for business as long as they limit the number of customers in their facility at any given time to achieve the Centers for Disease Control’s required social distancing, limit their hours of operation and consider implementing separate operating hours for the elderly and other vulnerable customers, and comply with the social distancing, sanitation and another mitigation measure to protect its employees and the public.

• Pet grooming at a pet salon, store or mobile unit is permitted.

The Critical Industries Hotline continues to be available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday to respond to business and industry questions about whether a business is considered essential. The center may be reached by calling 877-820-0890 or by emailing covidresponse@iedc.in.gov

Answers to frequently asked questions and instructions to file for COVID-19-related unemployment are available at Unemployment.IN.gov.

As of Monday, April 20 according to the Indiana Department of Health, Washington County had 31 total cases of Covid-19, which is .11 percent of the total population of 27,943. 

This was up by two cases from Sunday’s numbers. 

There are still no deaths reported for the county and no recoveries have been reported. 

There were 505 new cases reported by the state since Sunday with 7 new deaths and a total of 3,585 new tests. 

To date, Indiana has seen 11,686 new cases, 569 deaths, and 64,639 total tests. 

18.1 percent of the total tested population in Indiana has been positive. 

Around the WSLM Listening Area, here is a look at the current status. 

Lawrence County

378 Tests, 81Cases, 9 Deaths – 2 new cases

Jackson County

439 Tests, 89 Cases, 0 deaths = -1 case

Jennings County

191 Tests, 64 Cases, 1 death = 0 NEW CASES

Orange County

168 Tests, 34 Cases, 4 deaths 0 NEW case

Washington County

171 Tests, 31 Cases, 0 deaths  2 NEW case

Scott County

243 Tests, 24 Cases, 2 deaths 0 NEW CASES

Clark County

1118 Tests, 177 Cases, 11 deaths  15 NEW CASES

Floyd County

786 Tests, 142 Cases, 7 death, 0 NEW CASES

Harrison County

432 Tests, 101 Cases, 2 death 14 NEW CASES

Crawford County

93 Tests, 13 Cases, 0 deaths  1 NEW CASES

In the upcoming weeks, City of Salem Utilities will
begin installing a Smart Water Meter system to all households and businesses throughout the entire service area.

This initiative will bring increased efficiency to water
customers, allowing them to more accurately monitor water usage. It will also allow the city to quickly respond to any infrastructure issues or possible leaks.

The Smart Water Meter replacement program is being brought to customers at no additional cost.

“We are excited to bring this technology to our customers and our community,” said Salem Mayor, Justin Green. “We have some water meters currently in use that are greater than 25 years old. A more modernized system is well overdue, and I am eager
to see the results of these improvements for our citizens.”

The City of Salem Utilities started the program as part of its ongoing effort to provide excellent customer service and to stay ahead of inevitable issues that may result from an aging infrastructure.

Starting in late May through June, technicians will begin working
throughout the city replacing meters. There should be little to no inconvenience to customers.

For more information about the Smart Water Meter replacement program, please contact the City of Salem Utilities at (812) 883-3937.

In alignment with current federal, state and local guidance for social distancing and to ensure the health and safety of its employees, visitors and volunteers, the Hoosier National Forest will temporarily shut down the Hemlock Cliffs Trail in Crawford County, Indiana effective April 17, 2020. 

Details and a map of the affected area can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/hoosier/alerts-notices.

The Forest previously closed all developed recreation sites and mandated a group-size limitation of 10 people or less per group across the entire forest effective April 9, 2020.

Other recreation opportunities, such as fishing, dispersed camping, hiking, backpacking and backcountry camping on the Hoosier National Forest remain available to the public. To protect public health and safety, all visitors to the Forest are encouraged to:

• Avoid visiting the forest if you are sick and/or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
• Follow CDC guidance on personal hygiene and social distancing before and during your visit to the forest.
• Take your trash with you when you leave. Trash overflowing the receptacles becomes litter and can be harmful to wildlife and attract predators.
• Please make arrangements to use the restroom before or after your visit to the forest. Unmanaged waste creates a health hazard for our employees and for other visitors.
• If an area is crowded, please search for a less occupied location. Also, consider avoiding the forest during high-use periods.
• If taking part in dispersed camping, should you choose to have a campfire, please exercise absolute caution, keep the fire small, never leave it unattended, and drown the fire when done. Visit https://smokeybear.com/en/prevention-how-tos/campfire-safety to learn more about campfire safety.

Visitors cannot camp in the same dispersed or backcountry campsite on the Forest for more than 14 days in a 30-day period or more than 30 days total in a year.

The USDA Forest Service continues to assess and temporarily suspend access to recreation areas that attract large crowds and cannot meet social distancing guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  We are urging all National Forest visitors to follow the guidance of the CDC and the Governor’s “stay at home” executive order.  Though enforceable by fine or imprisonment, we are appealing to the better nature of our Forest users to voluntarily comply with these temporary restrictions to assist the nation in containing this virus and limiting its spread.  Hoosier National Forest employees continue to work during this event, but regular services must be limited, or provided in a different manner, in order to protect the health and safety of our employees and of the public who makes use of these public lands. 

Visitors to national forests are urged to take the precautions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For tips from the CDC on preventing illnesses like the coronavirus, go to: www.coronavirus.gov . Information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture is available at: www.usda.gov/coronavirus.

For up-to-date information on the Hoosier National Forest, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/hoosier.