WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:54 — 41.1MB)
This is the WFHB Local News for Monday, July 20th, 2020.
In today’s program, we hear from attorney Katharine Liell and Vauhxx Booker on the two men charged for pinning Booker to a tree and threatening to “get a noose.” You will also hear A Few Minutes with the Mayor. In today’s segment Assistant News Director Sydney Foreman talks to Mayor John Hamilton about the mandatory mask mandate in Monroe County.
But first, your local headlines.
653 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Indiana on Sunday, according to the Indiana State Department of Health. ISDH also attributed one new death to COVID-19. Locally, Monroe County saw 14 new confirmed cases yesterday, while Lawrence and Brown Counties saw one and three new reported cases respectively.
County Health Administrator Penny Caudill said the Optum-serve COVID-19 testing site will run through August during a July 17th COVID-19 press conference. She said the new county health order included a mask mandate which began on July 17th, however there are some exceptions.
Caudill said all businesses must ensure customers compile with the mandate. She said beginning July 31st residential or non-commercial gathering events will be limited to 50 people. She said commercial gatherings would be limited to 100 people indoors or 150 outside. Caudill said bars cannot use bar top services and all dine in locations must space customers parties 6 feet apart.
Caudill said an online complaint process will be developed to bring attention to any organizations not in compliance with the order. Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton said local case numbers and hospitalizations are rising. He said the city of Bloomington plans to implement all sections of the new health order before July 30th.
President of Indiana University Health Brian Shockney said from July 6th to July 13th the IU health Hospital tripled its 5 COVID-19 patients. He said pending cases also increased.
Emergency Management Director Allison Moore listed locations where Monroe County residents can get face coverings.
Moore said an appointment can be made to collect coverings by phone call between 9am and 3pm at each location. She said phone numbers can be found online at co.monroe.in.us.
A Bloomington Transit employee tested positive for Covid-19. The positive test means at least six city employees contracted novel coronavirus.
The employee works in bus maintenance and received a positive test last Wednesday. According to a city press release, the employee felt symptoms on Sunday, July 12th and has not worked since Saturday, July 11th.
The city said it plans to conduct internal contact tracing “in accordance with CDC guidelines” and “has determined no other employees were placed at risk of exposure.”
The employee was placed on paid leave for two weeks after the positive diagnosis. On Friday, the Monroe County Health Department issued a public health order requiring all county residents to wear a mask in public spaces.
Alice J. Wolfson, a local resident, said Bloomington Transit did not enforce the mask mandate in an incident over the weekend.
In a Facebook post, Wolfson said she went to the farmer’s market and took the bus home. She reported to the bus driver that one passenger was not wearing a mask.
Wolfson said in her post, “I asked the driver why he allowed this. He told me he wasn’t the mask police and that I could get off if I didn’t like it.”
In the mask mandate, the county health department said businesses and public accommodations are subject to “enforcement action” if they didn’t comply with the order.
However, it is not clear in the health order who would enforce the mask mandate.
Alice Wolfson said she reported the incident to customer service and the county health department.
Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton held a Facebook live address titled Recover Forward on July 16th. In his address he spoke about how Bloomington will move forward to create a new normal life.
Hamilton said among COVID-19 structural reform is also needed to fight racial injustice. He said the city is working to review local police policies.
Hamilton said recovery will happen in 3 phases. Phase one taking immediate steps to recover in the remainder of 2020. Hamilton said he would ask the council to appropriate 2 million dollars to three areas, an equitable and sustainable recovery, half a million dollars in job growth and economic recovery, and half a million dollars in affordable housing recovery. He said stage 2 is to fashion an appropriate budget in 2021.
Hamilton said stage 3 was for 2022 and through the decade. He said additional revenue would be needed. Hamilton renewed his call to increase local income tax for climate action and sustainability. Hamilton stated, “the virus will kill our neighbors, so will climate change.” He lowered his proposed tax raise.
Hamilton said Bloomington is currently one of the lowest taxed cities. He claimed investments in climate, racial, and economic justice would pay off.
In a press conference on Friday, Vauhxx Booker’s attorney, Katherine Liell, announced that Booker tested positive for COVID-19.
Liell noted that he may have been infected when he was physically attacked at Lake Monroe. In video footage of the incident, the attackers are seen, pinning Booker to a tree and yelling racist slurs at him.
Witnesses said the attackers also intentionally spit on him. Booker and Liell, are both quarantining and monitoring for symptoms.
In her remarks, Liell said that Sean Purdy, the man seen holding Booker against a tree, was charged with a felony count of intimidation because he called for someone to get a noose.
The IDNR report and multiple news outlets, including the Herald Times, had brought doubt to whether Purdy actually called for a noose.
However, Liell noted that a neutral judge reviewed the evidence and determined there was probable cause to believe that Purdy did in fact say, “Get a noose.”
Later in the press conference, Liell also raised issues with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources’ investigation and report of the incident.
She said that its investigation failed to interview Booker after the night of the attack and failed to assess his injuries.
Vauhxx Booker said he is calling for accountability on behalf of his attackers. He said he wants justice not vengeance.
Booker said he wants the community to reflect how it will move forward. He also called on the local press to be an ally to activism and justice.
Later this week, a WFHB Local News report on the IDNR’s response to the Booker attack including interviews with multiple eyewitnesses.
Feature Report:
Now it’s time for A Few Minutes with the Mayor – where listeners pose questions to Mayor John Hamilton. In today’s segment, Mayor Hamilton talks with Sydney Foreman about the lack of a hate crimes law in Indiana, specifics on the county mask mandate and why Bloomington police haven’t used face coverings when dealing with the public. For more, we turn to WFHB Assistant News Director Sydney Foreman.
Credits:
You’ve been listening to the WFHB Local News,
Today’s anchors were Kade Young and Sarah Vaughan.
Today’s headlines were written by Aaron Comforty, Kade Young and Sydney Foreman, in partnership with Cats – Community Access Television Services.
A Few Minutes with the Mayor was produced by Sydney Foreman.
Our theme music is provided by Mark Bingham and the Social Climbers.
Executive producer is Kade Young.
