VANDERBURGH COUNTY REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION On May 20, 2020, 1:00 P.M. at the OLD NATIONAL EVENTS PLAZA on the SECOND FLOOR, CONVENTION CENTER, BALLROOMÂ
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Indiana State Police Superintendent Douglas G. Carter recently announced the recipient of the 2019 Indiana State Police Trooper of the Year.  This honor is bestowed upon a deserving Trooper that exemplifies the Department’s high standards and expectations as related to the overall mission. Leadership, productivity, service to the community both on and off duty, and assigned responsibilities are just a few areas taken into consideration when nominated.
The 2019 Indiana State Police Trooper of the Year is Trooper Tyson M. Waldron. Waldron’s performance and accomplishments during that year are worthy of such recognition and have earned him this award. Trooper Waldron is a seven-year veteran of the State Police and was appointed on December 21, 2012.
During 2019, Waldron was assigned to the Fort Wayne Post, primarily working a night shift in Allen County. Waldron, who has been a K-9 handler with his partner Zeus since 2016, is also certified as a drug recognition expert (DRE). In 2019, Trooper Waldron had 1515 traffic contacts, 31 operating while intoxicated (OWI) arrests (which led the District), 220 criminal arrests (44 of which were for felony crimes), and 124 K-9 usage reports. While working with his K-9 partner, he seized Cocaine, Methamphetamine, Crack, Ecstasy, and Heroin; six firearms and more than $32,000 in U.S. currency. Waldron achieved these goals while missing over 38 days while on active military orders and 20 days of time off taken for the birth of his son.
In his nomination, Trooper Waldron was described as a natural leader as exemplified through his genuine courtesy, hard work, and unquestionable integrity. He is a very proactive, dedicated, and self-motivated Trooper that consistently encourages his co-workers to put forth a maximum effort during their shifts. Waldron maintains a rigorous fitness routine, keeping himself fit for duty, and motivates others to do the same.
In addition to the duties required by the Indiana State Police while serving the citizens of Indiana, Waldron also serves his country as a soldier in the Indiana National Guard. His notable 18-year military career has included stateside and overseas deployments, and he currently holds a position at the Regional Training Institute at Camp Atterbury, where he serves as a Company First Sergeant. First Sergeant Waldron’s overseas service has included deployments to Afghanistan in 2004, and Iraq in 2008, where he earned his Combat Infantry Badge. He is the graduate of numerous military schools, including: Army Airborne, Air Assault, Pathfinder, Sniper, Primary Leadership Development Course, Basic Non-Commissioned Officers Course, Advanced Leadership Course, Senior Leadership Course and Mountain Warfare.
Waldron has a future goal to serve as a District Squad Leader at the Fort Wayne Post, and is currently preparing himself for when that opportunity arises. He attributes the secret to his success to a strong family support system.
Waldron resides in Allen County with wife Emily, and their two children.
At the time of European settlement, Indiana rested on the eastern edge of vast grasslands called prairies. Though much reduced in size, grassland habitats support a diversity of plant and animal species, including birds.
In the absence of trees, grassland birds build their nests on the ground, hidden in the dense grass. Insects make up a large part of their diet. As a result, many grassland songbirds are migratory, heading south in the winter to find insects. Songs range from the insect-like buzz of the grasshopper sparrow to the sing-song call of the meadowlark (which was once described as sounding like “laziness will KILL youâ€).
With the arrival of settlers, much of Indiana’s native grasslands were converted to agriculture. Grassland bird populations declined. Birds such as the Henslow’s sparrow became a Federally Endangered species.
Today, several Indiana State Parks manage and restore grasslands for birds and other species. Prophetstown, Potato Creek, Pokagon, Shakamak, Summit Lake, Patoka Lake and the Upper Wabash reservoirs manage grasslands. As a result, birds such as the Henslow’s sparrow can once more be heard singing in their Indiana home.
Learn about Indiana’s Grasslands for Gamebirds and Songbirds Program, managed by DNR’s Division of Fish & Wildlife at wildlife.IN.gov/9467.htm.
Peaches is a 7-year-old female brown tabby. She is declawed on all 4 feet (done in her previous home) so she’d be perfect as a companion for an elderly person, or in rental properties that require declawed cats. She’s very sweet! Her adoption fee is $25 through May 16th as part of the Bissell Pet Foundation National Empty the Shelters event! Apply online to meet her at www.vhslifesaver.org.
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Attorney General Curtis Hill has written an op-ed focused on the priority of protecting constitutional liberties amid the litany of restrictions imposed by government aimed at safeguarding Americans’ health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In the face of immediate crises,†Attorney General Hill writes, “we Americans have demonstrated a willingness to tolerate a brief curtailment of our freedoms in order to meet existential challenges and serve the public good. . . . But what about longer term? The voluntary suspension of our natural rights in the face of a serious health emergency is one thing. The government mandating our rights away is quite another.â€
The op-ed piece is attached and available to any media outlet wishing to publish it.
As a courtesy, please let us know if you intend to publish this piece by emailing bill.mccleery@atg.in.gov.
The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) today announced that 656 additional Hoosiers have been diagnosed with COVID-19 through testing at ISDH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and private laboratories. That brings to 27,280 the total number of Indiana residents known to have the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s total.
Intensive care unit and ventilator capacity remain steady. Nearly 40 percent of ICU beds and nearly 81 percent of ventilators were available as of Saturday.
A total of 1,596 Hoosiers have been confirmed to have died of COVID-19, an increase of 46 over the previous day. Another 145 probable deaths have been reported based on clinical diagnoses in patients for whom no positive test is on record. Deaths are reported based on when data are received by ISDH and occurred over multiple days.
To date, 171,358 tests have been reported to ISDH, up from 165,448 on Friday.
Marion County had the most new cases, at 164. Other counties with more than 10 new cases were Allen (34), Bartholomew (14), Dubois (15), Elkhart (32), Floyd (41), Hamilton (23), Henry (16), Howard (23), Johnson (21), Lake (66), Putnam (22), St. Joseph (27), Tippecanoe (10) and White (14). The Lake County totals include results from East Chicago and Gary, which have their own health departments. A complete list of cases by county is posted at www.coronavirus.in.gov, which is updated daily at noon. Cases are listed by county of residence.
The glass and aluminum in a cellphone make it yet another hotbed for viral particles, according to Business Insider. While it would be impractical to ditch your phone completely during social distancing, avoid passing your phone around to housemates to share photos or other media; instead, digitally transfer anything you’d like to share. Likewise, disinfect your phone with a dampened microfiber cloth after retrieving it from a bathroom or any surface in a public place.
Related:Â The 14 Surfaces You Should Be Sanitizing More Often
With gyms around the country closed, some are offering equipment rentals to help exercise enthusiasts get their fitness fix. But you might get more than an adrenaline rush if you jump on the offer. According to GAVI, The Vaccine Alliance, chances are high that someone coughed or sneezed and then touched the weights and other metal equipment at the gym before you brought them home. To stay safe, sanitize any rental equipment before you pump iron.
According to the CDC, it’s risky to touch keypad-like devices if they’re not sanitized beforehand, so keep your hands clear of the signature device that your mail carrier brings when delivering important packages. The United States Postal Service is rolling out a modified procedure for packages that require a signature on delivery. Under the new procedure, if the signature is required, you can instead verify your identity by providing your name—from a safe distance, of course.
No matter how deep the discounts are at your local supermarket, refrain from reaching for the weekly flyer or bringing it home. Chances are that many hands have touched these handbills before you, and the virus can last on printing paper for up to three hours. If you’re curious about what’s on sale, eye the latest deals online or through a mobile app, if your market offers one.
The communal to-go silverware bin at your favorite take-out spot may also be serving up unwanted microbes to go. As well, if any of the restaurant staff have the virus, it could be passed to the silverware pack that they toss into your pickup order, and the virus could remain on the plastic for up to seven days. In lieu of dining with disposable plastic forks, knives, and spoons, get your grub on with your own clean cutlery.
The long survival time of the virus on plastic also means that ketchup, mustard, and mayo can make for a killer burger if you get them in packets from a restaurant. Remember, you’re not the only person copping some condiments. Other patrons may touch several packets as they grab a few on their way out of the pickup zone of a restaurant. Instead of drawing from a communal container, grab a few bottles of your favorite condiments on your next trip to the grocery store to keep your food flavorful without risking your health.
While plastic grocery bags come with perils of their own during the pandemic, they’re unlikely to live in your home longer if you empty and immediately discard them in the bin with gloved hands. In contrast, reusable bags permanently reside in your home, and studies have found that half of them are filled with menacing microbes like E. coli. While single-use plastic bags are making a comeback during the pandemic as a result of these fears, eco-friendly shoppers can choose to regularly clean their bags with disinfecting wipes, or, when in doubt, pop them in the washing machine.
Sympathy cards are reportedly selling out amidst the pandemic, but the three-hour life of the coronavirus on paper means that the thoughtful gesture could spread more than cheer. Instead of conveying your good wishes or condolences via paper greeting cards, opt for e-cards, text messages, or good old-fashioned phone calls, and handle any cards you receive with caution.
If you get the OK from your doctor to come in for an office visit, you may be tempted to grab a tissue in the waiting room to protect you from having to touch the door handle on your way out. But given that a number of sick patients could have potentially touched that tissue box before you, and that paper products are capable of hosting the virus for up to three hours, you’re better off bringing a pair of gloves from home to make a safe exit.
While a do-it-yourself furniture project is a great way to overcome quarantine-induced cabin fever, think twice before you source recycled pallets or other wooden planks from a local venue. Lumber mill workers, fellow wood seekers, and others may have handled them before you tossed them into the bed of your truck, and with the virus capable of living on wood for up to two days, bringing them home may increase the risk of transmission to someone in your household.
After heading out for a grocery store run or caring for a sick family member, take care where you toss your clothes. There’s a slim chance they may have caught the respiratory droplets of people who have the virus. The virus can live on fabric for up to two days, so high-risk individuals may want to confine those “outside” clothes to a certain area of the home, or even wash them immediately if they have been near people with symptoms of the virus.
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