WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
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This is the WFHB Local News for Monday, June 29th, 2020.
Later in the program, WFHB Correspondent Nicholas DiBrita covers the Joseph Smedley story. DiBrita talked to Andrea Sterling, a graduate student at Indiana University. Also coming up in the next half hour, Sydney Foreman talked to Mayor John Hamilton in our Monday segment, a Few Minutes with the Mayor.
But first, your local headlines.
Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton announced that a third city employee tested positive for COVID-19 during a COVID-19 press conference on June 26th. He said the employee is a firefighter and is isolating and following procedure guidelines. Hamilton added that many states are moving backwards in the reopening process.
Hamilton described Indiana’s public health system as underfunded and noted that careful evaluations must be made. President of Indiana University Health Brian Schockney pointed out that the overall infection rate is down.
Monroe County Health Administrator Penny Caudill said COVID-19 takes on a wide range of illness and not every person experiences the same symptoms. She observed that phasing in reopening avoided a resurgence of COVID-19.
Caudill emphasized that all businesses can mandate wearing face masks. She said Governor Holcomb’s next order will influence their decision to further reopen. Emergency Management Director Allison Moore said Monroe county will hold two additional blood drives on June 30th and July 17th, adding that homemade masks are still being collected.
Caudill encouraged long term care facilities and nursing homes to share their data with the public.
WFHB Correspondent Aaron Comforty delivers an update on Covid-19 testing developments in Monroe County. We turn to Aaron Comforty for more.
The Bloomington Historic Preservation Commission approved a partial demolition and addition to a home on East 10th street during their June 25th meeting. Connor Herterich said the new construction will lift the roof.
Commission member Deb Hutton said most change will happen behind the front of the building. Commissioner Sam DeSollar said the petitioner’s decision to center the front door would clean up the front of the home
The Monroe County School Corporation discussed the reopening and recovery plan during their June 23rd School Board Meeting. Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Markey Winston said all teachers will receive training for online-teaching. She said there are three key ways students will be present in school.
Winston said the other options are an online academy instructed by MCCSC instructors and curriculum, or an Intermittent Online learning. She said students attending the online academy must commit to at least one semester. She said intermittent leaning would be in case of resurgence or case by case.
Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources and Operations Dr. Andrea Mobley said any students taking in person classes must screen for any COVID-19 symptoms each morning. She said students must also wash their hands before leaving for school and upon arrival, hand washing breaks will be scheduled throughout the day. She said each school will also increase sanitation.
Mobley said classes should use outside classroom settings as often as possible. She strongly encouraged independent travel to and from school. She said MCCSC will still run buses however students must wear masks, sit in assigned seats, take attendance, and ride with windows open as much as possible. She said buses will attempt staggered pick up and drop off times.
Mobley said playgrounds will also be disinfected daily and recess times staggered. Winston said all students will receive frequent instruction on how to use Canvas, their online learning platform. She said all students will have access to social Workers or counselors and have lessons on social/Emotional and Equity Lessons. Winston said Normal school year hours will resume on August 3rd.
Now it’s time for your feature reports.
- Up first, WFHB Correspondent Nicholas DiBrita reports on the renewed public scrutiny over the death of IU student Joseph Smedley. Dibrita spoke with Andrea Sterling – community leader and graduate student at Indiana University. We turn to WFHB Correspondent Nicholas DiBrita for more on the story.
- Now it’s time for A Few Minutes with the Mayor, our weekly segment where I talk to Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton about local issues.
Credits:
You’ve been listening to the WFHB Local News.
Today’s headlines were written by Aaron Comforty, Kade Young and Sydney Foreman, in partnership with Cats – Community Access Television Services.
Our features were produced by Nicholas DiBrita and Sydney Foreman.
Our engineer today is Kade Young.
Our theme music is provided by Mark Bingham and the Social Climbers.
Executive producer is Kade Young.
