A little less than one month ago, my quarantine period for coronavirus ended.  After a positive test, I felt fully recovered.  I was one of the lucky ones.

What felt at first like just a bout with the flu ended up as a COVID-19 situation.  The flu symptoms went away, followed by several days of all the energy being drained from my body.  It wasn’t pleasant, but I was still fortunate to be able to breath normally and not be placed in the hospital for treatment.

It is still unclear what long-term issues I will have post-COVID, but am thankful for every day of good health bestowed upon me.

With time to reflect, having been through COVID-19, I have a new perspective on how we are handling this crisis.  This may be the most serious situation America has ever faced.

Why do I say that?  Again, perspective is important.  1,525 Indiana residents’ names are placed on the Vietnam memorial in Indianapolis as dead or missing in action during that conflict.  Indiana is soon to reach 6,000 deaths from the novel coronavirus.

Fishers, a city with a population at or near 100,000, has 43 people listed as dead due to COVID-19. Hamilton County lists 298 deaths as “probable” COVID-19.

The latest data available to local public health experts show a large number of novel coronavirus transmissions are happening in home or private social settings.  I am sure that is true, but something else is happening and we need to pay attention.

Stephanie Ruhle is an MSNBC news anchor and NBC News correspondent.  She announced December 7th that she is returning to work after dealing with COVID-19.  Her husband and two young children also tested positive.

She and her husband, she says, are lucky to have mild symptoms and are recovering.  Her two young ones are asymptomatic.

Ms. Ruhle says she and her husband are fortunate because they are in a financial position to stay home and recover.  She wonders how many people cannot survive financially without reporting to work, even if they are sick.  Most of those workers will not let their employers know if they have symptoms, will not likely want to be tested and will continue reporting for work.

That is a danger to all of us.  Many of those people will not respond to contract tracers.

I do not pretend to have all the answers, but I would hope those in a position of authority would at least start asking the right questions

When I see all the numbers released by the national, state and local health agencies, I look at them differently now opposed to before I dealt with COVID-19.  The numbers represent genuine personal pain by individuals and families.  I know no good way to properly measure that.

I do believe that Stephanie Ruhle’s take on all this is worth reading.  You may do so at this link.

In the meantime, my advice is to wear a mask outside your home when among others and distance as best you can. Some of our political and government leaders have reacted well to this crisis, others not so well.  That means we all need to look into our own souls and decide how to behave.  Just be kind and be safe.

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

Some folks have noticed that the courthouse clock has not been operating the past few weeks. But, not to worry, repairs are on the way.

Steve Wood, the buildings and grounds director for Hamilton County, says parts are hard to get but have been located and will be coming before long.

The clock and its huge cast iron bell designed to strike every hour are 140 years old. So, it’s not hard to understand that parts are hard to find.

But the clock, an iconic piece of local history, will definitely be back in service.

Thanks, Steve.

Hamilton County Reporter

Hamilton Southeastern got a victory at McCutcheon on Saturday, finishing a
four-game road trip by beating the Mavericks 56-33.

The Class 4A No. 4 Royals took control of the game early, leading 18-6 after
the first quarter. Southeastern extended its lead to 32-13 at halftime and was in front
39-22 after three periods. HSE scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to finish the
game.

Ryan Viele threw in four 3-pointers on her way to 18 points, one of three Royals
players to reach double figures. Makayla Hinshaw added 15 points, including a
pair of triples, while Lydia Self scored 10 points. Self had a great all-around game,
with seven rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots.

Southeastern is 5-2 and returns home on Tuesday to host Pendleton Heights.

Local film critic Christopher Lloyd joins the regular Grade A Movies Podcast crew of Adam Aasen, Alec Toombs and Larry Lannan.  We review the films Mank and Hillbilly Elegy, along with a few other films.  Christopher Lloyd talks about the best films he has seen so far this year.  We also talk about the future of the film theater in light of a recent decision by Warner Brothers studios.

I have always looked at the film Citizen Kane in awe.  How about the screenwriter for that legendary film production?  The film Mank is all about Herman Mankiewicz, the talented but flawed man behind that screenplay.  Here is my review of Mank…

“Cases continue to rise with the possibility that cases will dramatically increase through the end of the year.”  That statement was issued by the Fishers Health Department on COVID cases.  The city remains at Level 4, the highest risk category.  The Hamilton County COVID-19 positivity rate stands at 16.7%, a very high number.

In a video posted December 1st, Fishers Public Health Director Monica Heltz says in the latest 7-day measuring period, her department counts 95 cases….25 cases qualify for a red, or highest risk category.

Fishers recorded 610 COVID cases in October, a pandemic record at that time.  In November, there were 1,850 cases, more than triple the previous month.

“I will expect that number to continue to rise, because we still are waiting for reports to come in from people who were tested in November,” said Heltz.  “We are guessing, based on our projections, that (in the) the month of December, we’ll see double that number again.”

“This is serious,” she added.

Hospitals and Emergency Rooms are filling up with COVID patients, with local health facilities described as “strained.”

Appointments are available in 3 days for a COVID test at the Fishers testing site.  Same day testing may be available.  The Fishers testing site results are available 2-3 days after the test..

If you are highly symptomatic, Heltz recommends seeking a rapid test.

The city’s contract tracing capabilities are growing, according to Heltz.

The Fishers Health Department cannot update local dashboard data daily because state system is overloaded an some data is delayed.

Now that we have entered winter season and the month of December, the Fishers road construction listing is much smaller.  However, State Road 37 construction continues, and be aware of  a one-day closure of Atlantic Road in the Dell Webb neighborhood.

Below is the road construction listing, as provided by the City of Fishers:

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The pandemic has impacted so many of us in so many ways, we need to remember local artists have been struggling as well.  The Fishers Arts Council continues to support local artists with the Art Gallery at City Hall during December.

11 local artists will be displaying their work in Fishers City Hall through December 28th.  Featured artists include Liv Ash, Aparna Bhave, Ingrid Blount, Laura Crawford, Tony Elliott, Amy Johnson, Judy Mintze, Kenya Ferrand-Ott, Megan Rosta, Bob Shimer and Taylor Walker.

If you prefer not go out outside your home use this link to virtually peruse the artists’ work.

The City Hall gallery is open when City Hall is open, Monday-Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm.

In addition, Saturday, December 5th will feature a virtual online gallery of artistic work, all for sale.   The virtual event is 3pm-8pm.   Check out the art at this link.

Hamilton County Superior Court Judge Jonathon Brown has issued an order paving the way for a recount in the 2020 at-large Delaware Township election for Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board.  The final tally showed Sarah Donsbach winning the seat by 20 votes over incumbent Amanda Shera.

Attorney Jeff Heinzman, representing Ms. Shera, filed the petition for a recount and the judge issued the order allowing the recount December 2nd.  The recount encompasses all voting precincts in Delaware, Fall Creek and Wayne Townships.  In the at-large HSE school board elections, all voters in the three townships vote for all three at-large members.  Each candidate must reside within her/his township.

Judge Brown appointed the three-member recount commission.  The commission includes Joe Weingarten, Amy Summerfield and Jerry Liston.  The order calls for the recount to begin no later than December 8.  The deadline under state law to complete any recount is December 20, but local election officials indicate that once the recount begins, it should take only a few days to complete.

Only one middle school principal per year is bestowed with the honor of Principal of the Year for the State of Indiana – this year, Crystal Thorpe has taken that honor.  Dr. Thorpe is principal of Fishers Junior High School.  I had the chance to sit down with Dr. Thorpe to talk about the process of being selected as Indiana’s Middle School Principal of the Year.  We also talked about a number of other subjects.

Here is my podcast conversation with Dr. Crystal Thorpe.