WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:00 — 41.3MB)
This is the WFHB Local News for Tuesday, March 16th, 2021.
In today’s show, WFHB Correspondent Aaron Comforty interviews Monroe County Education President, Paul Farmer. Farmer speaks about the recent Blackout For Ed. teacher protest, in which teachers wore black to bring attention to newly proposed state bills that they say would underfund public schools. Stay tuned to hear the interview in today’s feature report.
Also coming up, WFHB News talks to an economics expert on the American Rescue Plan, the $1.9 trillion stimulus package passed by Congress last week. We also have reporting on yoga classes offered at a local goat farm. More in today’s headlines.
But first, your local news brief:
Indiana’s vaccine eligibility has been expanded twice so far this week.
On Monday, pre-K through high school teachers and staff, Hoosiers who work at childcare centers, in Head Start and Early Start programs, licensed childcare providers, classroom aides, bus drivers, janitors, counselors, administration staff, cafeteria workers, and substitute teachers became eligible to schedule their COVID-19 vaccination.
This morning, sign-ups opened for Hoosiers ages 45-49. Hoosiers who are first responders or healthcare workers still qualify to sign up for the vaccine, as well. If you qualify, you can sign up online by visiting ourshot.in.gov, over the phone by calling 211 for assistance,or by contacting one of Indiana’s Area Agencies on Aging.
***
The Indiana Department of Workforce Development released employment data for January 2021. Indiana’s unemployment rate is lower than the national average of 6.8 percent.
However, the Unemployment rate is up to 4.7 percent, from 3.5 percent in January 2020. By county, both Brown and Lawrence counties are in the top 30 counties, each with a 4.7 percent unemployment rate. Monroe sits in the top 50 with a 4 percent unemployment rate.
As part of the American Rescue Plan, which passed in congress last week, Indiana’s Unemployment Insurance forms have gone through a few changes.
You can once again choose that you were laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic when choosing the reason you are currently out of work.
The state has also added another important choice, that, “I was denied continued unemployment benefits because I refused to return to work or accept an offer of work at a worksite that, in either instance, is not in compliance with local, state, or national health and safety standards directly related to COVID-19,”
This option includes businesses that do not enforce a mask mandate, and businesses that do not provide adequate personal protective equipment.
IU Economics Expert on $1.9 trillion Coronavirus Relief Package
On Friday, President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package passed by Congress last week.
The plan will provide direct payments of $1,400 to most Americans, extend an additional $300 in weekly unemployment benefits, expand the child tax credit, provide assistance to small businesses and private renters, and support Covid-19 vaccination efforts.
To provide a brief overview of what this law means for local residents, we reached out to R. Andrew Butters, an economics expert at the IU Kelley School of Business.
Butters discussed how stimulus packages impact the overall economy, especially during a public health crisis.
“All three of these (stimulus packages) have been geared at trying to support individuals and families that have been most affected through either job loss or other economic opportunities foregone,” said Butters.
He described how the American Rescue Plan, specifically, aims to help struggling individuals or families hit hard by the recession.
“The amount will be $1,400 person,” said Butters, “so that’s a little bit larger than what we’ve seen in the December package.”
The law will extend an additional $300 of weekly unemployment benefits. Butters talked about why that safety net is vital to people who may have lost their jobs.
“The duration of unemployment that we’ve seen in this recession has sped up or basically created individuals that are long-term unemployed much, much faster than we saw in the Great Recession,” he said.
He breaks down who is eligible to receive the $1,400 checks and when they can expect those checks to hit their bank accounts.
“An individual that’s making up to $75,000 or for those are filing jointly up to 150,000 will be those who are eligible for the payment,” he said.
“There are already individuals who have received the payment, direct deposit into their checking account,” said Butters.
Lastly, Butters gave his opinion on what the future may hold when it comes to government stimulus packages.
“How many of these habits that we’ve now been developing over the last year to basically adjust to the pandmeic end up being sticky, and how many of them end up being reversed?”
For more information on the economic impact payments, click here.
Yoga Classes Offered at a Local Goat Farm
The Goat Conspiracy is a local goat farm and creamery in Bloomington Indiana, who also offer goat yoga classes.
The classes are instructed by Tyler Ferguson and are typically held on the Goat Conspiracy Farm. WFHB spoke with Nicole Schonemann, their artisan cheesemaker and soap maker about where the classes are held.
“For the most part they are on our farm, and we have an open-space shelter-pavilion with sand flooring, and we provide mats,” she said, “People can bring their own, but sand gets on the maps and goats poop on things.”
Nicole mentioned the spring season is great for goat yoga due to the number of happy kids, or baby goats, on the farm to interact with during the yoga classes.
According to Original Goat Yoga, spending time with “animals who love to interact with people, like goats,” has many health benefits. Acting as therapy animals, Original Goat Yoga stated the goats will, “lift your spirit, lessen any feelings of sadness or grief and enhance communication”
Nonetheless, due to COVID-19 individuals taking the classes at the Goat Conspiracy Farm will be spread out differently than previous year’s classes. Schonemann mentioned guests, or family groups, will be separated by six feet during their classes.
“We ask that everybody who comes for Yoga wears a mask until they get to their mats,” she said, “which are spaced Covid-appropriate, six feet distance.”
Goat yoga class dates and times can be found on the Goat Conspiracy website at thegoatconspiracy.com or on their social media pages.
Feature Reports:
We turn to WFHB Correspondent Aaron Comforty, for an interview with Monroe County Education President, Paul Farmer. Farmer spoke about the recent Blackout For Ed. teacher protest, in which teachers wore black to bring attention to newly proposed state bills that they say would underfund public schools.
Credits:
You’ve been listening to the WFHB Local News,
Today’s headlines were written by Jake Jacobson, Kade Young and Sydney Foreman, in partnership with Cats – Community Access Television Services.
Our feature was produced by Aaron Comforty
Our theme music is provided by Mark Bingham and the Social Climbers.
Engineer and Executive producer is Kade Young
