(Whitewater Valley)--Dr. David Jetmore on Tuesday announced a timeline and other details regarding a Covid-19 vaccine as it applies to our area.  "I think we were initially scheduled to have 2000 doses for this five-county area.  Now we're scheduled to get 4000 doses," Jetmore said.  That vaccine is expected as soon as next month from Pfizer, and here’s where it will go first.  "Distributed to first-line workers, as it should be.  They're the most at risk in our society," Jetmore explained.  Jetmore said that with light apparent at the end of the tunnel, it’s more important than ever to take precautions.  "You don't want to be the soldier that gets shot on Armistice Day," Jetmore added.  There’s no word yet on when vaccine will be available locally to the general public.

(Wayne County, IN)--Wayne County on Tuesday crossed the 3000-case mark for Covid-19 among its residents.  The 62 new cases reported Tuesday leaves Wayne County with 3013 cases.  From Wayne County’s first case in mid-March, it took 210 days to record the first 1000 cases.  It took only 28 days to record the second thousand, and has now taken just 14 days to record Wayne County’s third thousand cases.  Also Tuesday, the number of patients in Reid Health containment areas took a big jump.  That number stood at 96 Wednesday morning, and that’s the most hospitalized Covid-19 patients Reid has ever had.

(Richmond, IN)--Shots were fired overnight in Richmond.  Officers were originally called to the 300 block of North 19^th at just past midnight on Friday morning.  Residents in roughly a two-block radius reported hearing multiple shots.  RPD officers searched and were able to locate shell casings in an alley.  There were no reports of any injuries and, so far, there have not been any reports of rounds striking homes or cars.  No arrests have been made.  Law enforcement agents responded to Emerald Circle off of Round Barn Road late Thursday night on the report of an armed robbery.  According to scanner traffic, the victim reported that someone opened his truck door while he was inside and took some items at gunpoint.  That person described two suspects – one wearing a black hoodie and one wearing a white hoodie.  There were no reports of injury.

(Whitewater Valley)--The Whitewater Valley has now surpassed the 200-mark for people who have died with Covid-19.  That includes Wayne County’s two most recent deaths – both women over the age of 80.  2/3 of Wayne County’s 61 deaths have been with people over the age of 80.  Darke County has had the second-most deaths with 58.  The majority of those have occurred in nursing home or extended care facilities.

(Wayne County, IN)--Wayne County is getting close to having 10,000 jobless claims since the Covid-19 outbreak began.  New figures show that Wayne County has had 9891 claims in the 34 weeks since the outbreak became obvious on jobless claims.  By comparison, over the same 34 weeks last year, instead of having 9891 jobless claims, Wayne County had 605.  Other area counties have seen increases of a similar magnitude.

(Richmond, IN)--One of Richmond’s most beloved and philanthropic residents has died.  Richard “Jeff” Jeffers died late last week.  Jeffers was the former CEO of the J.M. Hutton Company, but was much more well known as someone who donated to multiple causes across the city.  Jeffers was a contributor to Habitat for Humanity, but was certainly most well-known for his involvement with the local Boys and Girls Club.  That included a half-million-dollar donation for a new facility that opened in 2003 and bears his name.  Services are pending.  Richard “Jeff” Jeffers was 89.

(Wayne County, IN)--Wayne County last week blew away its previous high for the weekly number of Covid-19 cases.  From last Monday until this Monday, Wayne County has added 505 more positive cases.  The previous high for a week was 380, and that was set the week before.  Over the last four weeks, Wayne County has averaged 55 new cases every day and will likely pass the 3000-case mark either Monday or Tuesday.  Reid Health this morning has 84 cases in its Covid-19 containment areas.  Two more deaths were reported on Saturday, bringing the county’s total to 61.

(Richmond, IN)--All of the online ordering that’s occurring now is leaving most people with lots of cardboard boxes.  Now, Richmond is announcing a new program to recycle that cardboard in hopes of extending the life of the New Paris Pike Landfill.  $440,000 in grants and matching funds will fund the purchase of a new truck and 2000 containers.  By next summer, Richmond will have curbside recycling geared specifically toward cardboard.

(Wayne County, IN)--Wayne County did something Thursday that it has not done since the outbreak of Covid-19…it reported a hundred new cases of the virus in a single day.  The hundred cases on Wednesday blows away Wayne County’s previous single-day record of 87 that was set on October 29.  It also marks the fourth time in the last three weeks that Wayne County has reported at least 75 cases in a single day.  The county’s positivity rate is just under eight percent.  Reid Health had 87 patients in Covid-19 containment areas Friday morning.

(Richmond, IN)--New trial dates have been set for the five Black Lives Matter marchers who were charged with misdemeanors following a September incident in Richmond.  An attorney represented the five in Wayne Superior Court III this week and requested continuances in all five cases.  Those continuances were granted.  All five have now been ordered to appear for pre-trial conferences on December 22 with a new trial date now set for January 22.

(Richmond, IN)--Much of the Seton family dressed in purple Wednesday and stuck to their TV’s Wednesday night as they awaited the announcement that Desmond Bane had been drafted into the NBA.  Bane is a longtime Richmond resident, Seton basketball standout, and now ranked among the greatest TCU players of all time.  Bane was drafted by Boston as the 30th and final pick of the first round and was then traded to Memphis.

(Wayne County, IN)--Indiana’s new Covid-19 map was released Wednesday and shows Wayne County still in the orange, which is the second-worst category for the spread of Covid-19.  Wayne County’s positivity rate now stands at 8.7%.  There has also been an additional Wayne County death, bringing the total to 52.  While Wayne County remained orange both Union and Fayette County improved from red to orange.  But, Franklin County has now jumped into the red with a positivity rate that has spiked up to nearly 18%.  Reid Health had 88 Covid-19 patients Wednesday morning.  Wayne County Wednesday reported its second-biggest single-day total of Covid-19 cases as it crossed the 2500-case threshold.  Wayne County added 80 new cases, second only to the 87 cases on October 29.  The county’s total of 2577 cases now means that there has been a positive test for one of every 25 residents.  Females in Wayne County are still significantly more likely to be tested and make up 57% of the positives.

(Richmond, IN)--Two teenagers were shot Tuesday night in an area of Richmond that has seen multiple shootings this year involving teens and young adults.  RPD officers were called to the 100 block of North West 3^rd at 8:30 Tuesday night.  There, they found 16-year-old Chance Saylor with gunshot wounds to the leg and neck and 16-year-old Jayden Wilson with a gunshot wound to the leg.  Wilson was taken to Reid Health.  Saylor was flown to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton in serious condition.  Earlier this week, we reported that Saylor is to be tried as an adult in connection with a recent armed robbery in Muncie.  No arrests have been made in connection with Tuesday night’s shooting.

(Richmond, IN)--Reid Health has implemented a no-visitor policy to combat the spread of Covid-19.  Reid issued a statement Tuesday saying that the policy will go into effect Thursday morning.  Visitors will be prohibited except in certain situations, such as end-of-life and at the Family Birthing Center.  Reid Health CEO Craig Kenyon said that the hospital has been at critical capacity for several weeks and had 91 patients in Covid-19 containment areas Tuesday afternoon.

(Richmond, IN)--The Model T Ford Club of America and the Model T Museum in Richmond have a new Executive Director.  She’s Rachel Hughes.  Hughes will be replacing Susan Yaeger, who is set to retire a month from Wednesday.  Hughes has a resume that includes several leadership roles with Whitewater Valley non-profits and is the co-owner of the Tin Lizzie Café in Richmond.  The Model T Museum has been rated by TripAdvisor as the #1 Thing to Do in Richmond.

(Richmond, IN)--The ordinance that would have assessed a $1000 fine to those who violate Covid-19 restrictions on gatherings in Richmond was dropped by Common Council Monday night.  Richmond Mayor Dave Snow asked council to drop the ordinance.  That’s because when the ordinance was drafted a few weeks ago, there was no enforcement at the state level.  Since then, Indiana has outlined a series of penalties for Covid-19 gatherings.  Snow indicated that the local ordinance would amount to double penalization.  Council members unanimously agreed to drop the ordinance.

(Wayne County, IN)--Five more Wayne County residents have died with Covid-19, and that includes the first person under the age of 60.  Wayne County Health Department Executive Director Christine Stinson said Monday that the total number of deaths now stands at 51.  36 of those 51 Wayne County deaths have come since the beginning of October.  The number of patients in Reid Health’s Covid-19 containment areas is at another all-time high.  That number stood at 86 Tuesday morning, breaking the previous high of 80 which was set over the weekend.

(Richmond, IN)--Pre-trial hearings will take place Tuesday afternoon for five people charged in connection with an incident at a Black Lives Matter march that occurred in Richmond in September.  The five marchers are charged with misdemeanors for obstructing traffic.  A couple of marchers suffered minor injuries when they were bumped by a car passing through the intersection of North 7^th and A.  Tuesday’s hearings will take place in Wayne Superior Court III.  Trial dates are set for next month, although it’s unlikely most cases will go to trial.

(Wayne County, IN)--There were two disturbing Covid-19 statistics Monday morning for Wayne County.  Reid Health Monday morning was up to 80 patients in Covid-19 containment areas.  That’s the highest the number has ever been.  Also, Wayne County has added 380 new cases since last Monday.  That’s also biggest increase from one Monday to the next since the outbreak began.  There has also been a huge increase in cases in the last week in both Union and Preble County.  Union County’s total increased by 32% in just the last week.  Preble County’s total number of cases went up by 25%.

(Richmond, IN)--When Richmond Common Council meets Monday night, it will revisit a controversial proposal.  An ordinance would allow fines to be imposed to people who violate limits placed on social gatherings due to Covid-19.  The ordinance was introduced two weeks ago and would result in a thousand-dollar fine if executive orders are violated and gatherings of more than 75 people take place.  Public comment will be taken Monday night.  You can catch Monday night’s meeting live beginning at 7 o’clock on WCTV.