https://www.vanderburghsheriff.com/jail-recent-booking-records.aspx
“IS IT TRUE” APRIL 13, 2020
We hope that today’s “IS IT TRUEâ€Â will provoke honest and open dialogue concerning issues that we, as responsible citizens of this community, need to address in a rational and responsible way?
IS IT TRUE that the infection and death tolls from the coronavirus are continuing to increase with over a half-million Americans having an official diagnosis with the COVID-19 virus and over 20,000 have passed away?…it does appear as a nation that we are at the peak of the curves for both COVOD-19 infection and death?…nationally we should start seeing lower infection and death rates over the next 5 to 7 weeks and if these projections turn out to be correct our death rates from COVID-19 virus should reach zero sometime in June?
IS IT TRUE we are now told that the Coronovirus will hit its peak in Indiana between April 16 and 25, 2020?….that we need to brace ourselves for an influx of COVID—19 confirmed cases/deaths from now until then?
IS IT TRUE while these curves are shaped like they were expected to be for a virus spreading the actual numbers are most likely way low because of the relatively low number of tests that have been run? …that the population of the United States is around 327 million and around 2 million people have been tested so far?…this virus also has the property of infecting many people who never show symptoms and thus are not counted in the infected totals?
IS IT TRUE that the death counts are something that there is a decent count on for those who have sought medical care but are missing those who have not sought medical care making them lower than reality?…this is something that will be realized and studied for years?
IS IT TRUEÂ among some deaths that are not all being counted are elderly people living in nursing homes?…from Washington State where this whole thing really got going in the United States to other towns in America, nursing homes have been hit very hard by the coronavirus and many of these are not included in the count?
IS IT TRUE America’s nursing homes have seemly become a hot spot for people to work and at least one workforce has walked off of the job?…last Friday in Riverside, California the entire staff of a rest home refused to report to work because of the high number of deaths and the high probability of the COVID-19 infection? Â …fortunately for the elderly, they were able to be transported to other facilities?
IS IT TRUE that so far the most effective leader and media informing the masses about the current status of the COVID-19 virus is the CEO of the Deaconess Health System and Channel 14 News?…we are completely surprised that the CEO at the other Evansville Hospital has been missing in action? …this virus may be a thing of the past by mid-summer but the failure of leadership won’t be forgotten?
IS IT TRUE that across the country, Mayors, County officials and Governors are holding daily news conferences or teleconferences to explain the current situation to their constituents?…for some reason Evansville is seemly one of those places where such daily communications from our locally elected officials to calm the masses are missing?
IS IT TRUEÂ we have a “Haircut Hero” and his name is Lloyd Winnecke? Â …the masses are gravitating to a new type of hero during times like these? Â …he is called the “FOOD TRUCK HERO” and his name is Ben Shoulders?
IS IT TRUE that there are also those who never seek medical care and just die at home?…last week a young person was found dead in her bed after not reporting to work?…when her family went to check on her she was dead?…we wonder how this death will be classified?…was it Coronavirus, suicide or something else?…one thing is for certain and that is those who are not diagnosed with Coronavirus are not counted and the odds are that this is a very high number that we shall never ever know?
IS IT TRUE we recently called out the Vanderburgh County Commissioners for not closing the Thunderbolt golf course? ….we were told that the County Commissioners own the land of the Thunderbolt golf course however they lease the land to the Evansville Airport Authority? Â …Thunderbolt golf course is controlled by the Evansville Airport Authority and in return, they lease it out to a third party?
IS IT TRUEÂ serious leaders endear them to their constituents by breaking the monotony of the boring days of being quarantined with accurate and current updates of the status of the COVID-19 virus?
ISÂ IT TRUEÂ as of last week our current “CCO MOLE” membership count is now a 168 strong? Â …that seven (7) “CCO MOLES” passed away during the last several years and we really miss them?
IS IT TRUE when the people fear the Government we have Tyranny! Â When the Government fears the people we have Liberty?
IS IT TRUE our “READERS POLLS†are non-scientific but trendy?
Today’s “Readers Poll†question is: Would you like to know if the City and County have any contingency plans to stifle any civil unrest caused by the economic hardship of the COVID-19 virus?
Please take time and read our articles entitled “STATEHOUSE FILES, LAW ENFORCEMENT, “READERS POLLâ€, BIRTHDAYS, HOT JOBSâ€, EDUCATION, OBITUARIES and “LOCAL SPORTSâ€.
You now are able to subscribe to get the CCO daily or If you would like to advertise on the CCO please contact us at City-County Observer@live.com
FOOTNOTE: City-County Observer Comment Policy. Be kind to people. No personal attacks or harassment will not be tolerated and shall be removed from our site.
We understand that sometimes people don’t always agree and discussions may become a little heated.  The use of offensive language, insults against commenters will not be tolerated and will be removed from our site.
Any reader’s comments posted in this column do not represent the views or opinions of the City-County Observer or our advertisers
A Total OIf 350 Hoosiers Have Died To Date
The Indiana State Department of Health through testing at ISDH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and private laboratories. That brings to 8,236 the total number of Indiana residents known to have the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s total.
A total of 350 Hoosiers have died to date. Deaths are reported based on when data are received by ISDH and occurred over multiple days.
To date, 44,539 tests have been reported to ISDH, up from 42,489 on Sunday.
Marion County had the newest cases, at 129. Other counties with more than 10 new cases were Hamilton (11), Hendricks (16), Johnson (11) and Lake (54). The Lake County totals include results from East Chicago and Gary, which have their own health departments.
The complete list of counties with cases is included in the ISDH COVID-19 dashboard at coronavirus.in.gov. Cases are listed by the county of residence. Private lab reporting may be delayed and will be reflected in the map and count when results are received at ISDH. The dashboard will be updated at noon each day.
The dashboard also has been updated to include new demographic breakdowns by race and ethnicity, ventilator and intensive care bed capacity and to make corrections based on the updated information provided to ISDH.
Gov. Beshear: Kentuckians are Living Their Faith by Protecting Others
Gov. Beshear: Kentuckians are Living Their Faith by Protecting Others
Governor announces new drive-through testing partnership
FRANKFORT, Ky. – On Sunday, Gov. Andy Beshear thanked Kentuckians of all faiths for protecting their communities by staying home this holiday weekend, supporting the state’s fight against the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
“It is Easter Sunday and in my faith, today is the day we greet everyone with the same phrase; ‘He is risen,’ and people respond with ‘He is risen indeed,’†Gov. Beshear said. “Thank you to everyone who worshipped at home today. Your decision to stay home, even when it is really hard, is what saves lives. Thank you, Kentuckians. People you have never met are going to be alive three months from now because of your willingness to do it.â€
More than 99.8% of the commonwealth’s houses of worship canceled in-person services this weekend. Only about seven congregations held in-person services disregarding the Governor’s executive order banning mass gatherings and repeated warnings from local, state and federal health officials that these services risked Kentuckians’ lives. Individuals who attended these in-person services will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days, in order to limit the impact of their actions on other people.
Commissioner for the Department for Public Health Dr. Steven Stack said, “Does our right to gather together entitle us to have other people die as a result? That is essential, what happened. This is about any gathering, not just churches. We are at a time and place in history when the human species has never faced, for the last hundred years, a threat like we do now. The choices and decisions you make have implications, not only for yourself but for others.â€
Update on drive-through testing sites
Today, the Governor announced a partnership that will greatly expand the testing capability in Kentucky. The state’s first drive-through testing site will be free of charge and open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, April 13, through Thursday, April 16, at the Franklin County Fairgrounds.
Any future locations will be announced and the overall goal of the partnership is to conduct 20,000 tests over the next five weeks.
“I’m very excited about this. It’s good news,†Gov. Beshear said. “We’ve been working with Kroger for several weeks just trying to get it right. The potential here, just from this program, could almost double the amount of testing we have right now.â€
Colleen Lindholz, president, Kroger Health, said, “Kroger Health’s vision is to help people lead healthier lives and it’s never been more important than right now for us as we help expand testing across the state. An innovative part of Kroger’s testing solution has to do with a digital registration process. We believe this process is the first in the commonwealth and maybe be in the first of the nation to provide a very easy way for people to register for the test.â€
Dustin Nimmo, senior product manager for e-commerce, Kroger Health, said, “You’ll be able to find quickly a location wherever you are in Kentucky and schedule an appointment very easily. There are people who are residents of Kentucky who worked countless hours to build this web portal.â€
The state, Kroger and other partners expect to be able to handle about 250 vehicles per day per site at all locations. Kentuckians can register at thelittleclinic.com/drivethru-testing, or call 1-888-852-2567 (select option 1, then option 3).
First, people seeking a test will use a virtual screening tool based on U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines to see if they are eligible. Next, they will select a testing location and appointment time that works for them. Then, registrants will receive an email confirmation with pre-appointment paperwork to complete. When a person arrives for their test, they should have their photo ID ready and should leave their window rolled up for check-in, until a health care practitioner comes to the car for the test. Test results are expected within approximately 48-hours.
Those eligible for the test include those with symptoms, health care workers, first responders, those 65 and older, and those with chronic health conditions.
Gov. Beshear thanked project partners Kroger Health, UPS, Gravity Diagnostics, Kentucky Division of Emergency Management, Kentucky Department for Public Health, Kentucky State Police, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Kentucky National Guard and Franklin County for helping make this possible.
Case information
As of 5 p.m. April 12, Gov. Beshear said there were at least 1,963 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 134 of which were newly confirmed.
“In Kentucky, we are still not seeing the increase we are seeing in other states and we are grateful for that,†Gov. Beshear said.
Unfortunately, Gov. Beshear also reported three new deaths Sunday, raising the state’s toll to 97 deaths related to the virus.
The newly reported deaths include a 72-year-old man from Jefferson County, a 74-year-old woman from Hopkins County, and a 62-year-old man from Pike County.
The Governor asked Kentuckians again to join him in lighting their homes and businesses green tonight in honor of the lives lost, as a continued sign of compassion and renewal.
“We know that we are flattening the curve, let’s not let up now,†Gov. Beshear said. “This virus comes for the most vulnerable and protecting them are the steps we take every single day to do our very best to reduce our contacts. Let’s make sure we keep that up. Let’s make sure we do our part to not spread this virus.â€
At least 607 people (30.9% of total cases) have recovered from COVID-19 in Kentucky.
To date, at least 25,866 people have been tested. At least 667 people (34.0% of total confirmed cases) have ever been hospitalized with 289 people (14.7% of total confirmed cases) currently hospitalized. At least 256 people (13.0% of total cases) have ever been in the ICU with at least 136 people (6.9% of total cases) currently in the ICU.
Gov. Beshear also offered an update on the racial breakdown of COVID-19 patients, which has been the subject of news stories across the country.
The Governor said with about 70% of the known cases accounted for, 81.75% of Kentuckians who tested positive were Caucasian, 11.64% were African-American, 3.99% were multiracial, 2.51% were Asian and 0.08% were Native American or Alaskan Native.
On fatalities attributed to the coronavirus, with more than 81% of the known cases accounted for, Kentucky deaths are about 77.21% Caucasian, 21.51% African-American and 1.26% Asian.
More information
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.
Read about other key updates, actions and information from Gov. Beshear and his administration at governor.ky.gov, kycovid19.ky.gov and the Governor’s official social media account Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Watch the Governor’s social media accounts at 5 p.m. ET each day for his regular briefing.
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.
Commentary: Bernie Sanders Made The Right Call
Commentary: Bernie Sanders Made The Right Call
By John Krull
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS – Bernie Sanders recognized reality.
That’s why the Vermont U.S. senator, an independent, ended his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. His withdrawal makes former Vice President Joe Biden the certain Democratic challenger to President Donald Trump in the general election.
Sanders quit because he had no path to victory – neither for the Democratic nomination nor in the fall campaign. The longer he stayed in, the more likely it was that he not only would imperil Biden’s chances of defeating Trump, but that Sanders would jeopardize the gains he had made with his two presidential runs.
Those were risks Sanders could not afford to take.
His most fervent supporters may indulge in dark conspiracy fantasies about Sanders’ defeat. They can blame the Democratic National Committee, moderate Democrats, the media and anyone else they want, but doing so doesn’t bring them anywhere close to the truth.
What Sanders tried to do amounted to a hostile takeover of a political party he refused to join for any purpose other than leading it. He wanted to maintain his outsider status while claiming the ultimate insider position.
If, in fact, that was what he was trying to do.
I long have had my doubts that Sanders really wanted to be president. Being president – or, at least, being an effective president – involves working with others, finding ways to keep people at the table, resolving differences, compromising in service of the greater good.
That isn’t Bernie Sanders.
His great strength – his appeal to so many voters – is the uncompromising nature of his personality. The man is a born advocate, relentless and untiring. He’s never been much interested in hearing and acknowledging, much less accommodating, the views of those who disagree with him.
His was the voice that refused, always, to be silenced, not the ear attuned to those who do not share his views nor the eye that seeks and secures common ground.
Winning the presidency would have put him in a position that prevented him from exercising his gifts while it exposed all his weaknesses.
His devoted supporters do not see it that way, of course.
Sanders’ unwillingness to compromise or consider other points of view prompts them to see him as a beacon of purity in an impure world. They believe he – and he alone – can cleanse the land and allow them to maintain innocence.
That’s why they entertain absurd notions that victory somehow was stolen from their champion. They never ask themselves how he possibly could have gained victory over the combined forces of the Trump White House and Wall Street if he could not persuade millions of Americans who agree with him on many issues that he was the best choice.
Some complain that the DNC and moderate Democrats didn’t play fair. They contend that the DNC put pressure on moderate Democratic candidates such as former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar to step aside so centrist support could coalesce around Biden.
Such exercises in magical thinking overlook several things.
One is that Buttigieg and Klobuchar can count. They left the race as soon as it was clear as the numbers made clear they couldn’t win. They also know that they both are young enough to have several more shots at the White House if they don’t burn bridges along the way.
Another is that they also may have meant what they said – that they saw Donald Trump as such a great threat to American institutions that they would embrace, enthusiastically, any Democrat who would face him.
Still another is that Sanders didn’t win. It’s an odd political strategy that depends upon one’s opponents to commit self-destructive acts, but that’s what Sanders’ supporters demanded that Democrats who did not completely align with them do.
The Sanders supporters’ anger blinds them to the fact that his campaigns far exceeded expectations.
Thanks to his and their efforts, the debate in most of America is not about whether all Americans should have healthcare, but how this should be done. We argue now not about whether American families should have relief from the crushing financial burden of getting a college education, but how that relief should be applied.
Bernie Sanders and his supporters did that. They did what great advocates do. They changed the conversation
That’s a reality, one they should recognize.
FOOTNOTE:John Krull is director of Franklin College’s Pulliam School of Journalism and publisher of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
The City-County Observer posted this article without bias, opinion or editing.
Public Notice of Reconvening Emergency Meeting Of Vanderburgh County Commission
The Vanderburgh County Commissioners will reconvene its emergency meeting on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. in the Locust Meeting Rooms “BC†of the Old National Events Plaza at 715 Locust Street in Evansville, Indiana to receive information, deliberate, and act on emergency matters concerning public health.
  The meeting will be held in compliance with the guidelines of the CDC, ISDH, and Governor Holcomb’s Executive Orders regarding the COVID-19 emergency declaration:
- No members must be physically present for a public meeting for the duration of the COVID-19 emergencyÂ
- Governing bodies may hold a public meeting by videoconference or by telephone conference if: (1) a quorum of members participate; and (2) any meeting is made available to members of the public and mediaÂ
- Attendance will be limited to the first ten (10) persons, including participants, with a preference given to members of the media.
- All persons desiring to attend will be subject to health screening for symptoms of COVID-19
- No public comment will be allowed
- The meeting can be viewed on the Vanderburgh County Commissioners’ Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Vanderburgh-County-Commissioners-310890699061752/
AG Curtis Hill Leads Multi-State Effort To Preserve Ban On Federally Funded Fetal Tissue Research
Attorney General Curtis Hill sent a letter this week to President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and other top federal officials supporting the administration’s current ban on federal funding for fetal tissue research. The letter is co-signed by the attorneys general of 18 other states.
“Fetal tissue research has serious ethical and moral ramifications,†Attorney General Hill said. “Fetal tissue is unquestionably human tissue. The foundation of ethical research on human subjects is respect for self-determination — even among those, such as fetuses, incapable of self-determination.â€
Last month, a California-led coalition of 15 other attorneys general called upon President Trump to end the ban in order to facilitate studies they claimed could lead to new methods of fighting the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
“The California letter declares, ‘The present moment is not a time for politics.’ But exploiting a national emergency to forward their own political goals is exactly what California and its allied states seek to do,†Attorney General Hill said. “President Trump’s ban on federally funded fetal tissue research rejects California’s assessment that the felt needs of the moment justify crossing moral boundaries. Such principles are most critical in moments such as this, where the temptation to use others for our own ends is strongest.â€
The U.S. Supreme Court has previously affirmed Indiana’s contention that states have a legitimate interest in enforcing the respectful handling of fetal remains (Box v. Planned Parenthood of Indiana & Kentucky).
Advocates for fresh fetal tissue research say it could produce medical breakthroughs in such areas as developing vaccines, but Attorney General Hill noted that such claims are mostly unsupported by scientific evidence.
“We urge the Trump administration to stand by its priority of promoting the dignity of human life from conception to natural death even in this global health crisis,†Attorney General Hill said. “In order to make advances in the ethical treatment of human remains, this nation must reject the false notion that scientists cannot achieve the laudable goal of creating vaccines and treatment for COVID-19 without using unethical means.â€
EPA Takes Action to Guide Health and Safety Decisions at Cleanup Sites During the COVID-19 Pandemic
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued interim guidance to the Agency’s regional offices to ensure that decisions about new or ongoing cleanup activities at sites across the country are made with the health and safety of communities, state and tribal partners, EPA staff, and contractors as the priority.
The interim guidance focuses on decision making at emergency response and longer term cleanups sites where EPA is the lead agency or has direct oversight of, or responsibility for, the cleanup work. This includes, but is not limited to, Superfund cleanups, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) corrective actions, Toxic Substance and Control Act PCB cleanups, Oil Pollution Act spill responses, and Underground Storage Tank Program actions. In addition, EPA is sharing this guidance with states to take into consideration as they encounter similar issues at state-lead RCRA cleanup sites.
“EPA remains committed to protecting human health and the environment as we continue to adjust to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic,†said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “This guidance will allow us to keep workers and the residents in these communities safe while also being able to respond to any emergency that may present an imminent danger to the public health or welfare.â€
EPA will, as appropriate, update this guidance as the current situation with COVID-19 evolves.
Guidance for EPA Regional Offices on Field Work Decisions at Cleanup Sites
To address the current challenges posed by the COVID-19 situation, EPA is making decisions about continuing, reducing, or pausing on-site activities on a case-by-case basis consistent with the following priorities:
- Protecting the health and safety of the public, as well as maintaining the health and safety of EPA staff and cleanup partners, is the Agency’s highest priority. Integral to the protection of health and safety is the close coordination with federal, state, tribal, or local health authorities.
- Maintaining EPA’s ability to prevent and respond to environmental emergencies, is also a critical priority for the Agency.
This same approach will apply to EPA’s decision making related to requests from outside parties engaged in cleanup and response sites (e.g., states, tribes, local governments, other federal agencies, other parties, property owners, etc.) for extensions or delays in performance. These decisions will be made in accordance with any existing agreements or enforcement instruments.
The interim guidance issued today also includes directions to the Agency’s regional offices on the following:
- Considering site-specific factors when deciding on whether response actions will continue or be reduced, paused or resumed: Consideration of these factors will help the Agency make nationally consistent decisions when addressing similar factual situations at sites. For example, regional management will consider whether failure to continue response actions would likely pose an imminent and substantial endangerment to human health or the environment, and whether it is practical to continue such actions.
- Applying Applicable Enforcement Instruments: Decisions to extend obligations or pause work obligations will be made in accordance with applicable enforcement instruments. These enforcement instruments may contain provisions allowing for adjustments to schedules to be made at the discretion of EPA’s project manager, and/or force majeure provisions, generally including directions to responsible parties on providing the requisite notice and other information to EPA related to a requested extension.
- Conducting Non-Field Site Work: Because much of the work to advance cleanup of sites is performed away from sites, to the extent possible, this work will continue. This includes important work that can be conducted virtually such as investigation reports (including pre-NPL work), modeling, negotiations between the parties, decision documents, cleanup documentation, workplans, progress reports, and maintaining compliance with obligations such as financial assurance.
- Planning for Next Steps After Pausing Site Work:Â If a decision is made to temporarily reduce or suspend field work, Regions will continue to monitor site conditions and plan the logistics for resuming field work as soon as possible when appropriate.
In addition, it is recommended that Superfund site teams cancel or postpone in-person public meeting events, door-to-door visits, and other site-related face to face interactions to be consistent with current COVID-19 guidance from the CDC and other federal, state, tribal and local officials. We fully encourage EPA staff to keep in contact with affected communities using virtual and other communication tools such as on-line meetings, webinars, conference calls, and call-in numbers, as well as fact sheets, postcards, phone, and social media.
Additional Information
As of the beginning of April, EPA has reduced or paused on-site construction work at approximately 34 EPA or PRP-lead Superfund National Priority List sites, or 12% of all EPA sites with ongoing remedial actions, due to the evolving situation with COVID-19. Regions have decided and may continue to decide to reduce or suspend response actions at particular sites for the following or similar situations:
- State, tribal, or local health officials have requested particular site operations or types of operations that would pertain to particular sites be suspended.
- Site workers have tested positive for or exhibited symptoms of COVID-19.
- Sites where there may be close interaction with high risk groups or those under quarantine, such as work inside homes.
- Sites where contractor field personnel are not able to work due to state, tribal, or local travel restrictions or medical quarantine.
- Sites where social distancing is not possible.
The Interim Guidance is available on the agency’s website at: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/interim-guidance-site-field-work-decisions-due-impacts-covid-19.