Attorney General Curtis Hill announced today that Sherwin-Williams is donating thousands of masks and gloves to Indiana as the state continues to battle the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The paint and coating manufacturing company is donating 1,500 gloves and 5,000 N95 masks, which are protective devices designed to achieve a very close facial fit and effectively filter airborne particles. The products, which Sherwin-Williams sells in its retail stores, have been delivered to Stout Field in Indianapolis.

The Indiana National Guard and other state agencies will distribute the products to hospitals across the state, which are bracing for a shortage of supplies as more cases of coronavirus are confirmed daily. Medical supplies like masks and gloves are considered essential personal protective equipment (PPE’s) for health care professionals.

“We are grateful for Sherwin-Williams’ generous donations, which will assist our health care workers as they continue to courageously fight the coronavirus pandemic,” Attorney General Hill said. “We encourage other entities who are able to donate these valuable resources to do so. Impactful contributions like this bolster our state’s ability to limit the spread of this virus and treat those who are infected.”

Sherwin-Williams this week contacted Attorney General Hill asking how it could help Hoosiers by donating supplies. Attorney General Hill then directed his staff to coordinate with the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH), and the donated supplies were delivered to Stout Field.

“Sherwin-Williams salutes the heroic efforts of the first responders who are always there for us, especially now,” said Mary Garceau, senior vice president, general counsel and secretary of Sherwin-Williams. “We’re pleased to donate protective masks and gloves to Hoosier health care workers at this critical time, and we’re proud of our employees, who every day make it possible for Sherwin-Williams to continue supporting communities across the country.”

For up-to-date information about the coronavirus pandemic, please visit the Indiana State Department of Health website at www.in.gov/coronavirus/. You may also call the department 24/7 at 1-877-826-0011.

The Crawford County Health Department confirms the 2nd and 3rd cases OF COVID-19 on March 31. 

However, these numbers just showed up on the Indiana State Department of Health’s updated map on April 3. 

The patients are of the same household and currently in isolation at this time.

“We will be working to ensure that anyone who had direct contact with the patients is identified and monitored and that all guidelines are followed,” said the health department. “The patients’ employer has been notified.”

The Health Department will continue to monitor the situation and will provide updates as new information becomes available.

The Scott County Health Department confirmed its 6th case of Covid-19 on Thursday in a county resident. 

The person is in quarantine at their residence. 

According to SCHD, the patient said they did not leave home during their infectious period except to seek medical care. 

Officials aren’t sure how the patient was exposed to Covid-19. 

The county is working closely with the state health department to identify any close contacts of the patient who might have been exposed to ensure that appropriate precautions are taken in accordance with the latest CDC guidance. 

Symptoms of novel coronavirus include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Like influenza, human coronavirus is most commonly spread from an infected person to others through:

• Respiratory droplets released into the air by coughing and sneezing. 
• Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands.
• Touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes before washing your hands; and
• Rarely, fecal contamination

The best way to protect yourself from any respiratory illness, including the flue, is to:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. 
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. 
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

As the number of people getting tested rises in Indiana and around the US, the more positive tests are being reported. 

Two more cases of Covid-19 were reported in Washington County, bringing the total to 14, according to the Indiana State Department of Health. 

No Deaths or recoveries have been reported locally in Washington County.

When asked yesterday, if Indiana had any reports of recovered patients, Dr. Kristina Box, State Health Commissioner did not fully respond to the question but offered this statement regarding negative testing: 

“We have some negatives that have come in but we’re not receiving all the negative numbers from around the state. We have been looking very specifically – We realized that a lot of hospitals were keeping track of how many Covid suspected patients and the number of Covid positive patients they have. about 80 percent of our hospitals are now reporting on that. When we look at it, We have about 41 percent of our ICU beds available. About 30 percent of those beds are being taken up by non-Covid patients and 30 percent by our Covid patients.”

She said she hoped to have more data on recoveries and negative test results in a week or so. 

In the US, 9,311 people have recovered from the virus. 6,086 people have died around the country from Covid-19 and there are 245,646 cases in the US.

According to the ISDH, there are 3,437 total cases in Indiana as of yesterday. There are 101 today deaths and 16,900 tests have been administered. 

Around the WSLM Listening area, here is an update on cases:

• Lawrence County – 22 total cases (up from 12 yesterday)
• Jackson County – 25 total cases (up from 19 yesterday)
• Scott County – 6 total cases (up from 5 yesterday)
• Clark County – 55 total cases (up from 49 yesterday)
• Floyd County – 37 total cases (up from 34 yesterday)
• Harrison County – 23 total cases (up from 18 yesterday)
• Crawford County – 3 total cases (up from 1 yesterday)
• Orange County – 5 total cases (up from 3 yesterday)

Counties, municipalities and other political subdivisions have no authority under current law to restrict or prohibit the sale of firearms and/or ammunition during an emergency declaration, Attorney General Curtis Hill said today.

Attorney General Hill issued an advisory opinion on this subject following inquiries from state Sens. Jim Buck, Aaron Freeman and Jim Tomes. Their interest in the matter arose following reports that an Indiana county asked gun stores to close their doors during the state’s public health emergency resulting from the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

“Year after year, Indiana’s lawmakers have recognized the paramount importance of Hoosiers’ right to bear arms,” Attorney General Hill said. “We’re talking about a liberty so cherished as to be enshrined in the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.”

Counties and municipalities have significant authority under Indiana’s “home rule” statutes, Attorney General Hill acknowledged, but they only retain power “that is not constitutionally or statutorily denied.”

“Disaster emergencies declared by the governor or local units of government do not abridge Hoosiers’ freedoms to buy, sell or otherwise transfer firearms or ammunition,” Attorney General Hill said. Further, he noted that Governor Eric Holcomb has explicitly classified “firearm and ammunition suppliers” as essential businesses in one of his recent executive orders, in keeping with existing Indiana law.

On Monday, March 23rd, the Lawrence County Prosecutor’s Office received unconfirmed information that a Lawrence County Sheriff’s deputy may have committed a theft.

The theft allegation did not involve any conduct that related to the deputy’s employment with the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department and was not a theft alleged to have occurred while the deputy was on duty.

However, the allegation prompted action by Prosecutor Sam Arp.

Today, Arp made the following statement regarding the case:

“I certainly take allegations like these by law enforcement officers very seriously. Officers of the law must be above reproach. These allegations, if proven true, trigger an ethical response mandated by the Indiana Supreme Court and established United States Case Law. Upon receiving the information, I immediately followed up and determined that an investigation should move forward. I sent a request to the Indiana State Police to investigate the matter and will await the results of their full investigation.”

On Wednesday, April 1st, the Prosecutors Office was informed that a detective from the Indiana State Police District #33, Bloomington Post, had been assigned the case.

No further details are being released at this time.

“Because this matter is in the investigation phase, no additional information can be provided until the work by the State Police has been completed. To prevent any speculation of impropriety, I will request an out of county Special Prosecutor be assigned to review the results of the investigation for any charging decisions or the handling of a potential prosecution that may result,” said Arp.

With the announcement today of the closure of K-12 schools throughout Indiana for the remainder of the school year, the IHSAA announces the cancellation of all spring sports tournament series events for the 2019-20 school year.

The Indiana High School Athletic Association staunchly supports our Governor, our State Commissioner of Health and our State Superintendent of Public Instruction in their herculean efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are extremely fortunate in Indiana to have these exemplary leaders providing guidance and care to all Hoosiers,” said Commissioner Bobby Cox.

“It is imperative that our students, coaches, officials, administrators, and parents be encouraged in every manner to adhere to the guidance provided by our leadership. The Association understands the extreme seriousness of this pandemic and joins in support of current measures being implemented as well as future considerations in unwavering support yet with extreme sadness, we must cancel our spring sports programming.”

Cox said he and his staff join all Hoosiers in anticipation of a triumphant homecoming back to our schools in the fall of 2020 complete with a full complement of IHSAA sports.

The Association continues to remind its member schools and the general public to follow the guidance of the governor and the Indiana State Department of Health via IN.gov/coronavirus.

Governor Eric J. Holcomb today signed an executive order requiring all K-12 schools in Indiana to provide instruction via remote learning for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year and outlines options for districts to continue education during the fight against COVID-19.

WSLM will be reporting on how this affects Washington County schools once those plans are finalized sometime on Friday. 

Click here for a link to the executive order: https://www.in.gov/gov/2384.htm

“Students are the future of our state and teachers are the heart of our schools,” Gov. Holcomb said. “While COVID-19 is impacting every classroom, our teachers, administrators, school board members and school staff are going to extraordinary levels to deliver quality learning to students all across our state, even while school buildings are closed. We’ll continue to do everything we can to empower educators and parents, while protecting students’ health.”

To complete the school year, all schools previously received a 20-day waiver to reduce the number of required in-person or remote instruction days to 160. Schools must continue to provide instruction via remote learning until they complete either:

• 160 instructional days or
• At least 20 additional days of remote learning between the date of the executive order (today) and the end of the school year. If a school completes 20 days and falls short of the required 160 instructional days, the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) can waive the difference.

All K-12 schools will need to submit a plan for review and approval by IDOE by April 17. The plan can include eLearning, extended learning, project-based or portfolio learning, competency-based learning, partnerships with higher education for increased student supports, and other similar methods.

The governor, in conjunction with Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Jennifer McCormick, also directed the Indiana State Board of Education (SBOE) to provide flexibility for school corporations for students who are to graduate in 2020. A school corporation may issue an Indiana diploma to a student who has done all of the following:

• Has met all of the course and credit requirements for the specific diploma designation based on a combination of high school credits earned prior to and the course in which a student was enrolled as of March 19, when the governor issued the statewide school closure.
• Meets any virtual or remote learning participation requirements established by the governing body of the local school corporation in response to the statewide school closure order issued by the governor.
• Meets any additional graduation requirements established by the governing body of the local school corporation prior to the school closure order issued by the governor.

The executive order also extends teacher licenses expiring between March 1, 2020 and Aug. 31, 2020 until Sept. 1, 2020.

Other deadlines and requirements for the current school year will be reviewed by Dr. McCormick, the executive director of SBOE, and relevant state agencies. They will submit recommendations to the Governor by April 7 for review and further action.