Community News Archives for 2022-10

American Red Cross urges blood donations ahead of the holiday season

The American Red Cross urges blood donors of all types and those who have never given before to book a time to give blood or plateletsnow and help keep the blood supply from dropping ahead of the holidays.

 

People of all blood types are needed, especially platelet donors and those with type O blood – blood products that are critical to keeping hospitals ready to help patients depending on transfusions in the weeks ahead.

 

Book now by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). As a thank-you for taking the time to give this fall, all who come to give Nov.1-22 will receive a $10 e-gift card by email to a merchant of choice.

 

Details are available at rcblood.org/perks.

USDA launches loan assistance tool to enhance equity and customer service

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched a new online tool to help farmers and ranchers better navigate the farm loan application process. This uniform application process will help to ensure all farm loan applicants receive equal support and have a consistent customer experience with USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) regardless of their individual circumstances.  

 

“USDA recognizes more must be done to ensure all customers have equal access to our programs and services,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “The Loan Assistance Tool is another example of USDA taking accountability and ensuring we update our existing systems, processes, and policies to make them equitable for all customers. The tool will help loan applicants better understand the application process and gather the needed documents before the process even begins.”  

 

USDA experiences a high rate of incomplete or withdrawn applications, particularly among underserved customers, due in part to a challenging and lengthy paper-based application process. The Loan Assistance Tool is available 24 / 7 and gives customers an online step-by-step guide that supplements the support they receive when working in person with a USDA employee, providing materials that may help an applicant prepare their loan application in one tool. 

 

Farmers can access the Loan Assistance Tool by visiting farmers.gov/farm-loan-assistance-tool  and clicking the ‘Get Started’ button. From here they can follow the prompts to complete the Eligibility Self-Assessment and start the farm loan journey. The tool is built to run on any modern browser like Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or the Safari browser, and is fully functional on mobile devices. It does not work in Internet Explorer.

 

The Loan Assistance Tool is the first of multiple farm loan process improvements that will be available to USDA customers on farmers.gov in the future. Other improvements and tools that are anticipated to launch in 2023 include: 

 

A streamlined and simplified direct loan application, reduced from 29 pages to 13 pages. 

 

An interactive online direct loan application that gives customers a paperless and electronic signature option, along with the ability to attach supporting documents such as tax returns.  

 

An online direct loan repayment feature that relieves borrowers from the necessity of calling, mailing, or visiting a local Service Center to pay a loan installment. 

Clorox® recalls Pine-Sol® Scented Cleaners due to risk of exposure to bacteria

Pine-Sol® Scented Multi-Surface Cleaners in Lavender Clean®, Sparkling Wave®, and Lemon Fresh scents, CloroxPro® Pine-Sol® All Purpose Cleaners, in Lavender Clean®, Sparkling Wave®, Lemon Fresh, and Orange Energy® scents, and Clorox® Professional™ Pine-Sol® Lemon Fresh Cleaners.

 

Original Pine-Sol® (Pine scent) is not included in this recall.

 

The recalled products may contain bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an environmental organism found widely in soil and water. People with weakened immune systems or external medical devices who are exposed to Pseudomonas aeruginosa face a risk of serious infection that may require medical treatment. The bacteria can enter the body if inhaled, through the eyes, or through a break in the skin. People with healthy immune systems are usually not affected by the bacteria. 

 

This recall involves Pine-Sol Scented Multi-Surface Cleaners in Lavender Clean, Sparkling Wave, and Lemon Fresh scents, CloroxPro Pine-Sol All Purpose Cleaners, in Lavender Clean, Sparkling Wave, Lemon Fresh, and Orange Energy scents, and Clorox Professional Pine-Sol Lemon Fresh Cleaners, with date codes beginning with the prefix “A4” and followed by a five-digit number less than 22249. The products are sold in bottles of 28, 48, 60, 100, 144, and 175 fluid ounces. In an abundance of caution, Clorox is recalling all of the above-described products manufactured at its Forest Park, Georgia facility through September 2022.

 

To date, testing has identified bacteria in certain recalled products, including those produced between January 2021 and September 2022. Clorox produced approximately 37 million recalled products in that period.

 

Consumers should immediately stop using Pine-Sol Scented Multi-Surface Cleaners in Lavender Clean, Sparkling Wave, and Lemon Fresh scents, CloroxPro Pine-Sol All Purpose Cleaners, in Lavender Clean, Sparkling Wave, Lemon Fresh, and Orange Energy scents, and Clorox Professional Pine-Sol Lemon Fresh Cleaners that have date codes printed on the bottle beginning with “A4” and followed by a five-digit number less than 22249, which represents products produced prior to September 2022. Consumers should take pictures of the 12 digit UPC code and the date code, dispose of the product in its container with household trash, and contact Pine-Sol for a full refund of the purchase price, with receipt, or of the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, without receipt.  

 

Consumer Contact

Pine-Sol toll-free at (855) 378-4982, by email at PineSolRecalls@inmar.com, or online at pinesolrecall.com and Pinesol.com by clicking on “Recall Information.”

 

Sold At:

Online at Amazon.com and additional retailer websites and at Walmart, Sam’s Club, Dollar General, Target, Home Depot, BJ’s, Kroger, Dollar Tree, Lowe’s, Publix, and other major retailers nationwide, for between $2.50 and $12.50.

Shelby Co. Commissioners pass ordinance for off-road vehicles; burn ban continues at discretion of Emergency Management , rainfall

Shelby County Commissioners have seen plenty of off-road vehicles of varying types on county roadways.  Enough that they felt it was time to have something on the books to enforce them properly.

 

County Commissioner Chris Ross.

 

 

The four pages of the ordinance can be seen below.

 

Also, county commissioners left the now week-long burn ban in place.  It can now be lifted at the discretion of Emergency Management Director Denis Ratekin.

It's hoped Tuesday overnight into Wednesday will bring some much needed rainfall to alleviate the current dry conditions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shelbyville paving scheduled for Wednesday

Crim Paving will be patching the areas in Shelbyville listed below on Wednesday, October 26. 

 

These areas will be closed from 8:30 am - 3 pm,Wednesday.

 

*Weather permitting*

 

 - Intersection of N Michigan Road & 100 N orth

 - Evans Street closed between Meridian & Tompkins Street

Bob Evans Farms recalling Italian pork sausage

Bob Evans Farms Foods, Inc., a Xenia, Ohio establishment, is recalling approximately 7,560 pounds of Italian pork sausage products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically thin blue rubber, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced.

 

The raw, Italian pork sausage items were produced on September 8, 2022. The following products are subject to recall [view labels]:

 

  • 1-lb. chubs containing “Bob Evans Italian Sausage” with lot code XEN3663466 and a “USE/FRZ BY” date of 11/26/22, with a time stamp between 14:43 and 15:25.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 6785” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail locations nation-wide.       

            

The problem was discovered after the firm notified FSIS it had received consumer complaints reporting thin blue pieces of rubber in the product.

 

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.  

 

FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

 

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers.

 

Consumers and members of the media with questions about the recall can contact Geo Money, Director of Communications, Bob Evans Foods, Inc. at 440-463-3264 or George.money@bobevansfoods.com.

 

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Indiana State Police safety tips for avoiding deer on the roadway

It’s that time of year again for drivers to be aware of deer darting into and crossing the roadways. 

 

Last year in the state of Indiana there were over 15,000 accidents involving deer.  Out of those accidents there were 366 with injuries and two fatalities.

 

The Indiana State Police  would like to pass along a few safety tips to help you avoid a possible collision with a deer this year.  

 

  • Be cautious while driving during dusk or dawn hours 

Deer are most active at dawn and dusk, but can appear at any time, especially during the mating season, which is in full swing from October through December. Please remember though that deer can appear at any time.  Ensure that you and your passengers are wearing seat belts at all times, in case you need to make a sudden stop. 

  • Pay attention to deer crossing signs

Be alert and observe your surroundings for any signs of deer while on the road. Deer are abundant in forested areas, so it’s important to drive cautiously even if you’re no longer in a deer-crossing zone.

  • Stay alert if you spot a deer

Deer tend to travel in packs so if you see one deer, slow down and proceed with caution, be prepared for more to follow.  If you see a deer, slow down, tap your brakes to warn others, or flash your lights and sound your horn to warn other motorists. It will give everyone an opportunity to slow down. 

  • Take precautions when driving at night

If there is no oncoming traffic, turn on your bright lights. You’ll not only be able to see clearer, but you’ll have a greater chance of spotting a deer from a distance and allow you to react accordingly. 

  • Don’t swerve to avoid hitting a deer

Do not swerve to avoid a deer collision. By swerving you put yourself at risk for a worse collision with another motorist or running off the roadway.  Brake firmly and stay in your lane.  

  • Report the deer-vehicle collision

If you happen to get involved in an accident, contact local authorities to report it so you can get an accident report for your insurance company.   

Remember deer are unpredictable and could dart into traffic at any time, so be alert at all times!  

 

USDA provides payments of nearly $800 million in assistance to help keep farmers farming

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that distressed borrowers with qualifying USDA farm loans have already received nearly $800 million in assistance, as part of the $3.1 billion in assistance for distressed farm loan borrowers provided through Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

 

The IRA directed USDA to expedite assistance to distressed borrowers of direct or guaranteed loans administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) whose operations face financial risk.

 

Today’s announcement kicks off a process to provide assistance to distressed farm loan borrowers using several complementary approaches, with the goal of keeping them farming, removing obstacles that currently prevent many of these borrowers from returning to farming, and improving the way that USDA approaches borrowing and servicing. Through this assistance, USDA is focused on generating long-term stability and success for distressed borrowers.

 

“Through no fault of their own, our nation’s farmers and ranchers have faced incredibly tough circumstances over the last few years,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “The funding included in today’s announcement helps keep our farmers farming and provides a fresh start for producers in challenging positions.”

 

Work has already started to bring some relief to distressed farmers. As of today, over 13,000 borrowers have already benefited from the resources provided under the Inflation Reduction Act as follows:

 

  • Approximately 11,000 delinquent direct and guaranteed borrowers had their accounts brought current. USDA also paid the next scheduled annual installment for these direct loan borrowers giving them peace of mind in the near term.
  • Approximately 2,100 borrowers who had their farms foreclosed on and still had remaining debt have had this debt resolved in order to cease debt collections and garnishment relieving that burden that has made getting a fresh start more difficult.

In addition to the automatic assistance already provided, USDA has also outlined steps to administer up to an additional $500 million in payments to benefit the following distressed borrowers:

 

  • USDA will administer $66 million in separate automatic payments, using COVID-19 pandemic relief funds, to support up to 7,000 direct loan borrowers who used FSA’s disaster-set-aside option during the pandemic to move their scheduled payments to the end of their loans.
  • USDA is also initiating two case-by-case processes to provide additional assistance to farm loan borrowers. Under the first new process, FSA will review and assist with delinquencies from 1,600 complex cases, including cases in which borrowers are facing bankruptcy or foreclosure. The second new process will add a new option using existing direct loan servicing criteria to intervene more quickly and help an estimated 14,000 financially distressed borrowers who request assistance to avoid even becoming delinquent.

More details on each of the categories of assistance, including a downloadable fact sheet, are available on the Inflation Reduction Act webpage on farmers.gov.

 

Similar to other USDA assistance, all of these payments will be reported as income and borrowers are encouraged to consult their tax advisors. USDA also has resources and partnerships with cooperators who can provide additional assistance and help borrowers navigate the process.

 

The announcement today is only the first step in USDA’s efforts to provide assistance to distressed farm loan borrowers and respond to farmers and to improve the loan servicing efforts at USDA by adding more tools and relaxing unnecessary restrictions. Additional announcements and investments in assistance will be made as USDA institutes these additional changes and improvements.

 

This effort will ultimately also include adding more tools and relaxing unnecessary restrictions through assistance made possible by Congress through the IRA. Further assistance and changes to the approach will be made in subsequent phases.

 

Background

 

USDA provides access to credit to approximately 115,000 producers who cannot obtain sufficient commercial credit through direct and guaranteed farm loans, which do not include farm storage facility loans or marketing assistance loans.  With the funds and direction Congress provided in Section 22006 of IRA, USDA is taking action to immediately provide relief to qualifying distressed borrowers whose operations are at financial risk while working on making transformational changes to how USDA goes about loan servicing in the long run so that borrowers are provided the flexibility and opportunities needed to address the inherent risks and unpredictability associated with agricultural operations and remain in good financial standing.

 

In January 2021, USDA suspended foreclosures and other adverse actions on direct farm loans due to the pandemic and encouraged guaranteed lenders to follow suit. Last week, USDA reiterated this request to guaranteed lenders to provide time for the full set of IRA distressed borrower assistance to be made available before lenders take irreparable actions.

 

Producers can explore available loan options using the Farm Loan Discovery Tool on farmers.gov (also available in Spanish) or by contacting their local USDA Service Center. Producers can also call the FSA call center at 877-508-8364 between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. Eastern. USDA has tax-related resources available at farmers.gov/taxes.

Shelby Co. Lilly Endowment Scholarship finalists announced

The Blue River Community Foundation has released information regarding finalists for the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship finalists.

 

Congratulations to the 2023 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Finalists for Shelby County. These six students were recently selected by BRCF’s Scholarship Committee through their blinded application evaluation process. 

 

These finalists have moved on to the personal interview phase; which is scheduled for next week.

 

The recipient of this prestigious award will be announced in December.

 

 

 

INDOT reminds candidates to keep election signs out of right-of-way

With election season upon us, here's a reminder to keep campaign signs out of the state highway rights-of-way.

 

Campaign signs in state highway right-of-way are prohibited by Indiana Code 9-21-4-6. Campaign signs are not permitted in state rights-of-way any time of the year, whether it is a primary or general election cycle.

 

Areas that should remain sign-free include:

 

- Intersections

- Interchanges

- Rights-of-way that run parallel to highways, including medians, shoulders and roadside areas

 

Public input sought for State Fair Advisory Committee meeting

The State Fair Advisory Committee is seeking public input to discuss the needs and issues pertaining to the State Fair's continued success, said State Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg), chair of the committee.

"The Indiana State Fairgrounds is a symbol of our state's heritage and continues to serve as a hub for residents to learn about and celebrate the Spirit of Indiana," Leising said. "It is important for the commission to strategically uphold this foundation, and receiving input from residents will provide insight on concerns regarding visitor experience at the fairgrounds."

The advisory committee serves as non-voting members of the Indiana State Fair Commission to provide legislative insight in ensuring successful representation of the state and partnership with the agricultural community.

The commission sets governing policy over the Indiana State Fair and provides strategic direction for the year-round operation of the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center.

The advisory committee will meet at the Indiana Statehouse in room 233 on Thursday, Oct. 13 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Public comments will be received following presentations. 

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