Gov. Beshear Issues Urgent Call for PPE Donations in COVID-19 Fight
Gov. Beshear Issues Urgent Call for PPE Donations in COVID-19 Fight
Fourteen More Kentuckians Deceased Related To COVID-19
FRANKFORT, Ky. (April 6, 2020) – Gov. Andy Beshear on Monday made a call to action for any person, organization or business that can donate more personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline workers in the fight against the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
“I know we still have more PPE out there, and we need it. This is a call to action, and you all have responded, but I know there’s more,†the Governor said.
Gov. Beshear and others have said latex-free gloves, gowns, and N95 and surgical masks remain in tight supply. He said his administration is making constant efforts to purchase more PPE but has faced significant challenges.
“Almost every lead we get is like going down a rabbit hole, or it is diverted by the federal government or to a different place,†the Governor said.
A new hotline (1-833-GIVE PPE) and website (giveppe.ky.gov) have streamlined the entire donation process. In addition, PPE donations now are being accepted at all 16 Kentucky State Police posts across the commonwealth and at Transportation Cabinet offices in Louisville and Lexington.
Gov. Beshear also said he spoke Monday with members of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce about help the business community here can provide in purchasing and manufacturing during this crisis.
The Governor also noted that earlier in the day, Vice President Mike Pence warned that Americans would experience “heartbreaking loss†this week.
“Our goal in Kentucky is, while we know there will be lost and we know it will be heartbreaking, that we control our own destiny by what we do and we minimize the loss that we are going to have here,†Gov. Beshear said.
The Governor is asking all Kentuckians to continue to fight the spread of the virus by following his 10-step guidance, which includes practicing social distancing and staying healthy at home. Gov. Beshear says these efforts have the potential to save the lives of as many as 11,000 Kentuckians.
Dr. Steven Stack, a commissioner for the Department for Public Health, offered a warning on testing results now that more are being conducted in the commonwealth.
“This is actually really important,†he said. “A positive test does mean you have the disease, but a negative test does not guarantee you do not have the disease. That’s because sometimes if you test too early when someone is not showing symptoms, you may not have enough virus in your body for us to find it when we test you.â€
Dr. Stack said that in such cases people would test negative for coronavirus but could remain contagious and become ill later.
Vowing to keep consumers from unfairly being overcharged for goods or services during the pandemic, Gov. Beshear again extended his executive order prohibiting price gouging by another 15 days. Anyone with information about unfair sales or billing practices is encouraged to contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection hotline at 888-432-9257 or fill out the complaint form online.
The Governor also talked about how important Kentuckians’ actions are right now.
“Our actions every single day make a difference. Just remember those traits from the Greatest Generation: personal responsibility, integrity, work ethic, and faithful commitment. Those same traits can guide us through this coronavirus,†Gov. Beshear said. “I know this generation – us – we can be great, too. We can be great bypassing this test of humanity, protecting the people around us and throughout Kentucky.â€
The Governor also played a video message from Dr. F. Bruce Williams, senior pastor at Bates Memorial Baptist Church in Louisville.
“I know that we have faith, but we also know that we are guided by faith and wisdom and both of those are important,†said Dr. Williams. “They’re not mutually exclusive. God has given us faith, but he’s also given us consecrated common sense, so let’s join them in making sure that the flock that we guide – that we are the shepherds that not only feed them but also we’re the kind of shepherds who protect them.â€
State parks
Gov. Beshear announced the state would begin allowing first responders and front-line health care workers to quarantine in cabins at state parks in five locations across the commonwealth, which would allow them to quarantine away from their families and other loved ones if necessary.
“It’s a good use of those state parks and we’re excited to do it,†the Governor said Monday.
First responders and health care personnel interested in accommodations should contact their local emergency management operations center or visit kyem.ky.gov.
Case information
As of 5 p.m. April 6, Gov. Beshear said there were at least 1,008 cases in Kentucky, 54 of which were newly confirmed. There were 14 new deaths reported Monday, raising the state’s toll to 59 confirmed deaths related to the virus. The deaths announced Monday include: in Kenton County, a male who was 96 and females who were 89, 92 and two who were 91; in Jefferson County males who were 74 and 86 and females who were 56 and 85; a female, 81 and a male, 63, from Campbell; a male, 96, from Boyd; female, 74, from Fayette; and an 81-year-old male from McCracken.
As a sign of compassion and renewal, the Governor asked Kentuckians to join him in lighting their homes and businesses green tonight in honor of the lives lost.
The Governor also spoke Monday of the loss of June Hill, a McLean County native. Jamey Temple, June Hill’s granddaughter wrote a guest column for The Courier-Journal, which was published yesterday. The Governor showed June’s photo and read an excerpt from the article to help tell June’s story and bring greater awareness to those who have been lost to the cruel virus.
Recent Updates
CDC recommends using cloth masks
Gov. Beshear said Saturday that Kentucky is adopting on a voluntary basis the new guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommending that people wear cloth masks in some situations. The new CDC guidance on masks can be found here. “Cloth masks do not eliminate the need for you to do all of the social distancing,†Dr. Stack said.
National Guard helping food banks
Gov. Beshear said 334 members of the Kentucky National Guard have been activated to help at hospitals and food banks.
Read about other key updates from the week by visiting Gov. Beshear’s website, governor.ky.gov.
More information
Gov. Beshear has taken decisive action to protect all Kentuckians since the first case was confirmed in the commonwealth. To read the full list of actions Gov. Beshear has taken to limit the spread of the coronavirus, visit the official page for Kentucky’s Response to COVID-19.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages people to follow these steps to prevent illness. Kentuckians who want advice can call the state hotline at 800-722-5725 or call their local health care provider. To read Gov. Beshear’s news releases and watch other news regarding COVID-19 visit governor.ky.gov.
Each day at 5 p.m. ET, Gov. Beshear holds briefings for Kentuckians that are streamed online at his Facebook and YouTube pages.
Gov. Beshear continues to urge Kentuckians to be cautious of rumors and depend on proven and good sources of news, including governor.ky.gov, kycovid19.ky.gov and the Governor’s official social media accounts Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Governor Issues New Stay at Home Order
INDIANAPOLIS — Governor Eric J. Holcomb today issued a new two-week Stay At Home order designed to limit interactions among Hoosiers to increase containment of COVID-19. As of today, 4,944 people have tested positive and 139 people have died from the disease. There are now positive tests in 89 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 for two weeks the orders that limit in-person public activity at state government offices and put restrictions on the operation of restaurants, bars, and nightclubs.
“Hoosiers have done a great job adapting to the new rules put in place during this public health emergency, but I believe the next two weeks to month could be the most critical for all of us,†said Gov. Holcomb. “So I am asking you to take even more precautions: only make in-person purchases when absolutely needed and use other delivery and pickup options when available. Limit who is traveling with you and entering stores.â€
While the Stay At Home order chiefly continues as is, modifications and restrictions have been made to limit interactions among people. Here are some highlights of EO 20-18:
- Retail businesses that provide necessities of life may remain open but should limit the number of customers in the establishment at any given time; implement hours for elderly and other vulnerable populations, as well as limited hours of operation, to restock and clean;Â and comply with all mitigation measures to protect employees and the public. A list of such businesses is included in the executive order.
- All other retail businesses may remain open if they restrict sales to online or call-in ordering with delivery or curbside pickup.
- Professional services should be conducted virtually or by telephone.
- All campgrounds will be closed except for those who use recreational vehicles or cabins as their primary residence. State parks remain open to daily visitors.
- Hoosiers are reminded that all public and private gatherings of any kind that include more than 10 people are prohibited.
- All employers, regardless of type, must continue to comply with the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA) standards and safety and health standards established and enforced by IOSHA. IOSHA is actively accepting and investigating complaints of violations. The complaint process may be accessed at https://www.in.gov/dol/
- In addition to IOSHA investigations, Gov. Holcomb has directed the creation of a multi-agency enforcement response team, led by the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission to respond to and investigate other violations of the new order. Much like the enforcement of the restaurant, bar, and nightclub executive order, this team will be charged with helping business owners comply with the order before issuing a directive to close a business.
To allow retail, campgrounds and other establishments to make adjustments, enforcement will not begin until 24 hours after the order takes effect. The effective date and time of the order are 11:59 p.m. on April 6 (today).
The Critical Industries Hotline will 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.
A link to an updated Stay-At-Home Order FAQ may be found here: https://www.in.gov/gov/3232.htm Please refer to this FAQ page for guidance and clarifications.
Commentary: A Free South Korea Knows How To Face A Parasite
Commentary: A Free South Korea Knows How To Face A Parasite
By Michael Leppert
MichaelLeppert.com
The U.S. response to COVID-19 is difficult to explain. If the goal of the explanation is to convince American voters to vote for four more years, good luck.
I watched a clip of Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, in an interview on Fox News on Thursday. Then I cringed. I am confident Verma knows that South Korea is a “free†country. However, her spin for the day was clear. “If you look at China and South Korea, right, they had very different approaches. We are a free country… we are giving recommendations to the American people and hoping they adhere to those.â€
She didn’t actually say it wasn’t, but yes, South Korea is a free country too. Americans really ought to know this – we fought a war over it. My dad served in the Army for it, though he was stationed in Japan. There is an awe-inspiring memorial on the Mall in Washington for the Korean War Veterans on the opposite side of the Reflecting Pool from the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial. It is one of my absolute favorites.
The White House doesn’t want Americans to compare our situation to South Korea for obvious reasons. To be blunt, their government has risen to the occasion and ours has not.
At this stage in the pandemic, it is too early to quantify final rates of infection and death tolls. Those numbers are rolling like a downhill train off its tracks. They are incorrect almost as soon as they are written. That is the situation in America though, which is profoundly different than the one in South Korea.
Tim Mullaney published an important piece in the Independent on Thursday that frames the two-country comparison in a way that will hang around the Trump administration’s neck for the next seven months. And it should. Both countries received their first local case of the coronavirus on the same day, Jan. 20. After that, our shared experiences with it drastically parted ways.
Mullaney details that “the (South Korean) government summoned every maker of medical tests in the country to a Jan. 27 meetings and told them to develop a test for the virus right away. The winning design was approved by government regulators on Feb. 4 and shipped within days.†The aggressive and successful testing strategy was followed by isolation and tracing of the spread in each case. Their results are remarkable in contrast to ours: a little under 10,000 cases and 169 deaths as of Thursday.
In the U.S., we have seven states with more deaths than that. By this time next week, I expect that number to be at least 10.
On Feb. 28, President Trump referred to the coronavirus as a “new hoax.†On March 9, he tweeted a comparison of the pandemic to seasonal flu statistics.
In a detailed Wall Street Journal article, last updated on March 19, the performance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is detailed. It is a horrifying failure. The CDC has largely become silent in recent weeks as the agency’s failure has become more well known. CDC Director Robert Redfield was an early fixture at President Trump’s side during the “coming to grips†period of the nation’s pandemic experience, but now he and his agency are nowhere to be found. The once impeccable reputation of this scientific institution now reels in the wake of the coming devastation.
In her Fox News interview, Verma clearly wanted to compare the U.S. response to Italy’s experience. Vice President Mike Pence was making the same comparison on Wednesday in an interview with CNN, saying at least two sources of “modeling†confirm the similarities. In an attempt to inspire, he went on to say to the American people “over the next 30 days, the future is in our hands.â€
Correct, Mr. Vice President. But there is no escaping that the 60 days prior to this one is all on the leadership of the Trump administration and its catastrophic failures.
America is left to root for a new source of national inspiration, possibly a newfound coalition of state leaders, to see us through this. The primary element missing from the daily briefings at the White House is that they are not instructing Americans to do anything. Governors and mayors are.
Parasite, the masterpiece film that won four Oscars in February, was a cultural story based in Seoul. The movie title might imply it was foreshadowing of today’s crisis, but of course, it isn’t. Though it is yet another example of how Americans should watch and learn from South Korea, instead of painfully hiding from it.
FOOTNOTE: Michael Leppert is a public and governmental affairs consultant in Indianapolis and writes his thoughts about politics, government and anything else that strikes him at MichaelLeppert.com.
City-County Observer posted this article without opinion, bias or editing.
IPS Unveils Remote Learning Plans
When school resumes — following canceled days and a two-week spring break — the state’s largest district will rely on paper school work being mailed to elementary and middle school students. Teachers will also make videos and hold office hours, according to a video from Superintendent Aleesia Johnson posted Friday.
High school students, who must earn credits to graduate, will take courses online. District staff has been calling families to see whether high schoolers have access to devices and the internet at home. Starting next week, the district will send devices to students who need them, Johnson said.
IPS gathered more than 6,000 laptops from schools to distribute to high school students and middle school students in high school-level classes, according to a press release.
“This is a crisis unlike any we’ve ever had to navigate,†Johnson said in the video. “Please know we are taking all the measures we can to support our staff, our students, and our families.â€
As classrooms across Indiana closed due to the coronavirus, some districts were able to swiftly shift to online instruction. In places where they routinely used e-learning for snow days, for example, there was already a model in place — although educators say long-term remote education is a new challenge.
A Chalkbeat analysis found that 30% of Indiana schools used an e-learning day last year, and wealthier schools were almost twice as likely to have taken advantage of online learning than those with high poverty rates.
But districts serving lower-income families and rural communities face significant technological barriers to online instruction because students may not have devices or access to the internet.
IPS has been running a technology access survey for families, but it has not yet released results. When schools closed three weeks ago, IPS officials estimated that about half of students were prepared for online learning at home.
That’s a sharp contrast with some suburban Indianapolis districts where students as young as kindergarten all have devices issued or required by the school system. And some township districts with large populations of students from low-income families have been able to provide devices to many children.
Schools across Indiana will be closed for the remainder of the academic year, State Superintendent Jennifer McCormick announced Thursday.
EPA Corrects the Record after Reckless Reporting on Temporary Compliance Guidance
The mission of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is to protect human health and the environment, and during this time of unprecedented public health concerns, that mission is even more critical. On March 26, EPA released a temporary policy regarding the agency’s enforcement of environmental legal obligations during the COVID-19 pandemic. This temporary policy is not a license to pollute.
We strongly encourage the press to actually read EPA’s Temporary Policy before repeating reckless propaganda about it. Instead of including factual information about the policy, outlets such as E&E News, The Hill , the AP, and the New York Times are relying on sources who falsely claim that the policy provides a blanket waiver of environmental requirements or creates a presumption that the pandemic is the cause of noncompliance.
Here are some of the facts that have been conveniently left out of the press narrative:
The policy says that EPA will not seek penalties for noncompliance with routine monitoring and reporting requirements, if, on a case-by-case basis, EPA agrees that such noncompliance was caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Regulated parties must document the basis for any claim that the pandemic prevented them from conducting that routine monitoring and reporting and present it to EPA upon request. This action was necessary to avoid tying up EPA staff time with questions about routine monitoring and reporting requirements and instead allow EPA to focus on continued protection of human health and the environment.
The policy does not say that the COVID-19 pandemic will excuse exceedances of pollutant limitations in permits, regulations, and statutes. EPA expects regulated entities to comply with all obligations and if they do not, the policy says that EPA will consider the pandemic, on a case-by-case basis, when determining an appropriate response. Further, in cases that may involve acute risks or imminent threats, or failure of pollution control or other equipment that may result in exceedances, EPA’s willingness to provide even that consideration is conditioned on the facility contacting the appropriate EPA region, or authorized state or tribe, to allow regulators to work with that facility to mitigate or eliminate such risks or threats.
EPA has been inundated with questions from both state regulators and the regulated community about how to handle the current extraordinary situation where contractors are not available because they cannot travel, state and local governments are imposing stay at home orders, and the number of people who have contracted COVID-19 and are in quarantine is rising. EPA developed the Temporary Policy to allow EPA to prioritize its resources to respond to acute risks and imminent threats, rather than making up front case-by-case determinations regarding routine monitoring and reporting. The development of the policy was a group effort, involving multiple calls and with and drafts shared among EPA staff and managers, both career and political, at both headquarters and in the regions.
It is important to note EPA expects regulated facilities to comply with regulatory requirements, where reasonably practicable, and to return to compliance as quickly as possible, once the COVID-19 threat is over. Additionally, the policy makes clear that EPA expects operators of public water systems to continue normal operations and maintenance during this time, as well as required sampling, to ensure the safety of vital drinking water supplies.
The measures in this policy are temporary and will be lifted as soon as normal operations can resume, which may occur sooner in some locations than others. We take our environmental mandate to protect human health and the environment very seriously and will continue to carry it out during this time.
DOR Announces “Helping Hoosiers†COVID-19 Relief Services
DOR Announces “Helping Hoosiers†COVID-19 Relief Services
Supporting Hoosier Taxpayers During the Health Emergency
INDIANAPOLIS – Today, the Indiana Department of Revenue (DOR) outlined temporary taxpayer relief initiatives recently implemented to support Hoosiers during the statewide COVID-19 health emergency.
“Now is the time where we have to find new ways to support our fellow Hoosiers and assist them during this challenging situation,†explained DOR Commissioner Bob Grennes. “The entire DOR team cares deeply about the work we do and serving Hoosiers, and this is a time when we double down on our commitment to serving.
“Our team has been aggressively looking for ways to implement flexibility across all service functions while preserving revenue collection operations, which are vital to funding state services provided to Hoosiers – all with the goal of helping our fellow Hoosiers. We believe our ‘Helping Hoosiers’ service enhancements do exactly that.â€
DOR’s COVID-19 service enhancements include:
Filing, Payment & Registration Extensions
- Extending certain individual and corporate filing and payment deadlines.
- Extending certain motor carrier permitting, registration and International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) filing and payment requirements.
- Extending expiring Registered Retail Merchant Certificates (RRMC) to June 30, 2020.
- Implementing case-specific penalty adjustments for late filing and payments.
Expedited Refund Processing
- Continuing all tax processing, ID protection, fraud detection, and refund processing operations.
- Reallocating resources to accelerate certain refund case reviews and approvals.
Debt Collection Relief
- Suspending the creation of most tax filing bills, new warrants, and liens. Prior audit and legal bills will continue to be issued to protect statutes of limitation.
- Suspending creation of new sheriff and collection agency collection cases.
- Suspending outbound collection call activity to focus additional resources on assisting Hoosiers with payment support and other customer-care questions.
- Suspending creation of new levy and garnishment involuntary collection actions.
- Canceling current levy and garnishment involuntary collection actions.
- Offering installment payment plan agreements for up to 60 months.
- Working with Hoosiers to modify existing installment payment agreements.
- Moving an existing payment plan due dates to July 15, 2020, upon request.
- Suspending payment plan terminations for missed payments.
Audit & Legal Protest Relief
- Suspending all in-person field audit work and working collaboratively with all entities currently under audit via correspondence and teleconference to meet statutory requirements.
- Suspending the non-filer desk audit letter distributions.
- Modifying desk audit record verification requirements (including Schedule C expense verification).
- Suspending all in-person protest hearings.
- Extending the current 60-day legal protest window an additional 60 days for a total of 120 days.
- Extending the current 30-day protest rehearing window an additional 60 days for a total of 90 days.
- Adjusting all legal protest final decisions to delay triggering of downstream statutes of limitation.
- Allowing the use of a valid/current Federal Power of Attorney form in lieu of Indiana’s State Power of Attorney forms in certain circumstances.
- Eliminating all possible remaining requirements for wet signatures.
Hardship & Offer-In-Comprise (OIC) Support
- Relaxing certain record submission requirements for new case creation.
- Extending the time frame for record submission on all pending hardship cases until July 31, 2020.
- Extending new hardship and OIC case processing deadlines.
- Supporting all requests to adjust payment plan terms.
Customer Service Options
- Except for in-person services, all tax processing systems and operations are operating smoothly. Customer Service team members are here to help via phone, correspondence, email and online services Monday through Friday 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. local time.
- Call DOR’s individual customer service line at 317-232-2240.
- Call a specific District Office using the contact information at dor.in.gov/3390.htm.
- Call DOR’s Motor Carrier Services at 317-615-7200.
- Contact a specific DOR business unit using a list of phone numbers and email addresses available at dor.in.gov/3325.htm.
- Email DOR using the online form at dor.in.gov/3392.htm.
- Take advantage of our online services by visiting dor.in.gov/4331.htm.
Tax Policy Assistance
- Contact the DOR Tax Policy team to assist with any questions or needed clarifications by emailing taxpolicy@dor.in.gov.
“We recommend Hoosiers continue to comply with all tax filing and payment requirements, be responsive to DOR correspondence and to contact our team if they have questions or need assistance,†added Commissioner Grennes. “This situation is very fluid and we will continue to look for ways to help Hoosiers during this very difficult time.â€
Any changes to this guidance, additional modifications to normal operations or changes to tax filing and payment deadlines will be posted on DOR’s website, as well as DOR’s social media accounts.
Teacher Locker Will Offer The Supplies On A “Grab And Go†Basis
Evansville, IN- In response to the COVID 19 pandemic, the Teacher Locker is pivoting from its mission of supplying free resources to teachers to offering free school supplies for students that they can use for their virtual learning lessons.Â
“Our project is, and always has been, about supplying resources that help teachers teach, and students learn. We know that we have a contribution we can make during this crisis,†said Teacher Locker Co-chair Jeffrey Berger. “We can provide what students need that will help them be successful with their online learning at home.†Â
Each supply packet will contain spiral notebooks, pencils in a pencil box, and a pencil sharpener. Students in Kindergarten and 1st grade will receive a box of crayons
Teacher Locker will offer the supplies on a “grab and go†basis similar to the distribution of school lunches. Volunteers will be outside and maintain social distancing. Families are asked to stay in their vehicles and send one person up for the supplies.Â
Supplies will be available for pick-up on:Â
Date:Â Saturday, April 11
Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Place: Teacher Locker
Academy for Innovative Studies, 2319 Stringtown Road
Enter off Wedeking Avenue on the southside of the building
Teacher Locker represents the work of six powerful educational organizations that joined forces around a common mission: to provide educators with free classroom supplies in order to support teaching, promote student achievement, and drive school success.
Public Educational Foundation, Area Council PTA, the EVSC Foundation, Evansville Teachers Association, EVSC Retired Teachers and the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation are all a part of the committee that has worked the past year to establish a Teacher Locker.
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Now scammers are even posing as pastors in fraudulent emails, says AG Curtis Hill
During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, scammers are putting extra effort into preying upon Hoosiers distracted by the ongoing crisis, Attorney General Curtis Hill said today — including by sending fraudulent emails falsely appearing to come from reputable sources. This practice is known as “phishing.â€
Two recent examples of such phishing scams include 1) an email that appeared to come from Amazon and 2) a message to church members that appeared to come from their pastor.
The fake Amazon email sought to induce recipients to provide personal financial information — likely trying to capitalize on the fact that consumers are frequently using Amazon and other delivery services as they avoid stores for the sake of social distancing.
The fake church email, meanwhile, contained malware that infected the computers of recipients who clicked on prompts within the email.
“Those who would use the current perilous circumstances as an opportunity to prey upon others are manifesting a particular kind of wickedness,†Attorney General Hill said. “We all would like to apprehend such criminals and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. In the meantime, though, we need to do our best to help would-be victims avoid falling into their traps.â€
Attorney General Hill offered these tips to avoid phishing scams during the coronavirus pandemic:
- Carefully inspect the email addresses in all messages landing in your inbox.
- Treat with caution any emails or texts with subject lines or information about the coronavirus.
- Avoid clicking on links in unsolicited emails and be wary of email attachments.
- Use trusted, legitimate government websites to obtain up-to-date information.
- Don’t reveal personal or financial information via email or text message.
- Verify the authenticity of a charity before donating money.
- Read guidelines offered by the Federal Trade Commission on avoiding phishing scams.
Hoosiers who believe they have encountered possible scams may file a complaint with the Office of the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division by going online and clicking “File a Complaint.†If you need more information about services provided by this office, you may call 1-800-382-5516.
IU Swim Team ‘Connects’ To Make A Difference
Technology found a way.
So did silliness.
Even amid pandemic separation, Indiana’s powerhouse swim team connects in a way that makes a difference now, and, hopefully, when the college sports world returns to normal.
“We just did our first Zoom team meeting on Wednesday,†swim coach Ray Looze says. “I thought that went pretty well. It was good for everybody to see each other.â€
He pauses as the coach in him surfaces.
“The level of maturity wasn’t the best. You had some clown making faces, making everybody laugh.â€
And then came perspective in a time when laughter is so often needed.
“It was positive to see each other.â€
Finding the positive is among the goals facing Looze and his staff as they strive to make the best of a tough situation, aim to sustain the work and preparation that has made the program a national men’s and women’s title contender for so long (nine Big Ten championships in Looze’s 18 IU seasons).
“We talked about what we’re going to do,†he says. “We’ll have weekly team meetings. We can operate, from an NCAA standpoint, eight hours a week. We’ll do some education, some film sessions.
“We’ll figure out how to do that on Zoom. We’ll do some team-building exercises. At least we’ll keep their minds sharp and thinking about technique, so when our bodies return to the pool, it will help ready us.â€
Readiness will come remotely for the foreseeable future.
“By NCAA rule,†Looze says, “no varsity swimmer can be coached or trained. We can’t have anything to do with those athletes.
“Our kids are scattered throughout the country and the world. Maybe a couple have any access to private pools. They’re doing stuff on their own.â€
In these Covid-19 times, runners run, football and baseball players throw and catch, but for swimmers, well, it gets complicated.
“We post a daily practice on our TeamWorks account,†Looze says, “but 98 percent of our student-athletes just don’t have access to a pool, due to the unique nature of our sport.â€
Basically all public and university owned pools across the country, if not the world, are closed. That leaves privately owned pools, and few of those in the Bloomington area are set up for elite-swimmer use.
“Bloomington is such a small community,†Looze says. “We don’t have things like that here. I check with realtors to see what is the largest pool they know of in somebody’s home, inside or outdoor, and if it’s heated. We struck out everywhere in and around Bloomington.
“A lot of times a pool is 14 yards across. You take two strokes and it’s not doable. You could only fit one kid in there safely.â€
For the few pools that are available, Looze adds, “They find us.â€
So how do you train swimmers in such conditions?
“We had a staff meeting and brain-stormed on that this week,†Looze says. “Our weight coaches are putting up a generalized program they can access and do on their own, but that’s getting stale quick.
“Our weight coaches are doing the best they can. Typically you have all sorts of things going on as far as workouts from distance swimmers to sprinters. This general thing has been okay, but we’re thinking of ways to do specific work.â€
IU might resort to old-school training methods unique to swimming.
“I talked to our soccer coach (Todd Yeagley) and we’re going to see if we’re able to send some equipment home to our student-athletes,†Looze says. “I have to check with compliance.
“In swimming, there are a lot of arm land cords you can us. When I was a student-athlete (an All-American at Southern California in the late 1980s), I used to do a lot of this stuff — you attach it to railings or benches. If that’s permissible, we’ll send that stuff home and give them a program they can do.â€
Eventually the weather will warm up enough for lake — or even river — swimming. Some East and West Coast swimmers have already hit the ocean.
“We’re looking at getting some wet suits from Speedo to swim on lakes on their own now and not have to wait until May,†Looze says. “I saw some kids in California were swimming in the ocean in wet suits. That’s another possibility we’ve talked about.
“A lot of kids are cycling. That’s where we’re at today.â€
IU is still dealing with the disappointment of last month’s stunning end to the season.
For the men, the No. 4 Hoosiers had finished third in the Big Ten meet and, with 11 athletes qualified for the NCAA Championships in Indianapolis, were aiming for their third straight top-three national finish.
For the No. 23 women’s squad that also placed third in the Big Ten meet, 10 swimmers advanced to nationals. IU was positioned for a sixth straight top-10 national finish.
They never got the chance.
“You have (the NCAA meet) canceled one day,†Looze says. “Maybe we had one more practice and then they closed the pool and sent everybody home. This happened in a matter of days. Not only had we just lost our championship, but we were ripped out of our schools, then scattered.â€
As for what happens to the out-going seniors, Looze says, “Most of them have decided to retire,†including honorable mention All-American Cassy Jernberg and All-American Shelby Koontz.
“It depends on where you are academically and if you want to go to grad school. I’ve talked to a lot of coaches on how to counsel kids on that.
“If you have a chance to make an A Final (in a national meet), there’s an argument to be made, but if not …
“I’m a big believer in moving on in life. If you’ve done what you can in your sport, don’t hang on just to hang on, but ultimately it’s up to them.
“It’s a bummer for how it ended for the seniors, but life’s not fair. This is something bigger than anybody could have imagined, and continues to get bigger. Missing a meet is such a minor thing when you’re watching things unfold as they are.â€