Saturday, May 29, 2021 The Commercial Review Portland, Indiana 47371 www.thecr.com $1 Holcomb extends school mask policy Rules will stay in place through the end of June INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana’s mask mandate for those inside schools will last for another month as the governor has issued a new extension of the statewide COVID-19 public health emergency. The executive order signed Friday by Gov. Eric Holcomb ends the indoor mask requirement for stu- dents and K-12 school work- ers on June 30. The order says it will be up to local school boards to decide The Commercial Review/Ray Cooney whether to adopt mask rules or other restrictions Light reflects off Lester Huelskamp’s glasses a moment after he pressed the button Friday evening to illuminate for the upcoming school the Fort Recovery Monument. Huelskamp, who turned 98 Thursday, was selected for the lighting duty as he is the village’s year. only remaining World War II veteran. With the governor’s pre- vious school mask mandate scheduled to expire Mon- day, Jay School Corpora- tion superintendent Jere- my Gulley last week had announced that masks would no longer be All lit up required beginning Tues- day. He could not be reached Friday evening for a response to the extension Dreary Friday was brightened up by of the executive order. Holcomb ended the lighting of the Fort Recovery Monument statewide mask mandate in By RAY COONEY for the evening was Delphos early April while keeping The Commercial Review resident Shannon Wagner, mask requirements in A dreary Friday was marked who serves as Ohio Veterans place for schools and state by rain, wind and cold. of Foreign Wars District II buildings. By late in the evening, though, commander. The new order taking the light came shining through. ‘... we gather here unified “Regardless of race, creed effect Tuesday lifts mask Lester Huelskamp pressed in solemn remembrance to honor or political persuasion, we requirements for state the button about 8:45 p.m. Fri- gather here unified in solemn buildings, except for pris- day to turn on the new lights at the sacrifices of those remembrance to honor the ons, state hospitals, the the Fort Recovery Monument at who answered their nation’s call sacrifices of those who Indiana Veterans Home the conclusion of the village's answered their nation’s call and the Indiana Law annual Memorial Day ceremo- and who have willingly laid and who have willingly laid Enforcement Academy. ny. down their lives for our freedom.’ down their lives for our free- Masks will also remain Huelskamp, who celebrated dom,” he said. required inside COVID test- his 98th birthday Thursday, is —Shannon Wagner The service was also an ing and vaccination clinics. the village’s lone remaining VFW District II commander opportunity to thank those Holcomb signed his 15th World War II veteran. who were involved in raising renewal of the statewide “I don’t know who came up money and organizing the public health emergency with the idea of having Lester lighting project, which has that was first issued in turn on the lights, but I tip my been discussed for decades. March 2020. It now runs hat to you,” said Fort Recovery Huelskamp’s lighting of the A crowd of about 200 gath- The project was actually two until July 1. Mayor Dave Kaup. “Who could monument concluded Fort ered in Fort Site Fieldhouse parts — one the replacement In that time, the state possibly be a better man to turn Recovery’s annual Memorial with various speakers paying of lighting in Monument Park health department has that switch on than our last Day ceremony, which was most- homage to those who have and the other the lighting of recorded nearly 13,600 coro- World War II veteran here in our ly moved inside because of the given their lives in military the monument itself. navirus-related deaths. The community.” inclement weather. service. The featured speaker See Lit page 2 health department has added 48 deaths to that toll over the past week. Retrospect Restoration process began Twenty-five years ago this Matching funds were provided that had been farmed,” said week, a local swamp started its by Friends of the Limberlost Brunswick. “Historically, a lot comeback. and Ropchan Foundation. Jay of areas that can’t be farmed The May 29, 1996, edition of County Soil and Water Conser- now were farmed before upland The Commercial Review fea- vation District was also drainage was improved.” tured coverage of a ceremony involved in the project. Among those in attendance during which state and local The swamp once stretched was Richard A. Gantz, execu- officials broke drainage tiles to across almost 13,000 acres of tive director of Indiana State allow the flooding of 188 acres Jay and Adams counties and Museum and Historic Sites. of the Limberlost Swamp as was the source of inspiration “Our division hopes to see part of a wetlands restoration for Hoosier author and natural- marked changes in about one project. ist Gene Stratton-Porter. It had year’s time,” said Gantz. “I feel good about it,” said been drained around the turn He said the swamp would rural Bryant resident Ken of the century to allow for agri- eventually host education pro- Brunswick, who spearheaded cultural production. grams and nature hikes. The Commercial Review/Jack Ronald the effort. Brunswick noted that “With it restored, we’re Heavy rains during spring 1996 led to areas of A Heritage Trust grant advances in farm drainage had going to have an area to make allowed the purchase of 188 resulted in new flooding prob- use of to educate the public the former Limberlost Swamp reverting back to their old acres of the former swamp to lems for the area. about the Limberlost and wet- ways. On May 28 of that year, a drainage tile was broken be purchased as part of a wet- “Upland drainage has put lands and general,” agreed to allow a section of the former swamp to return to its lands restoration project. water back into bottom land Brunswick. original wetland conditions. Weather In review Coming up Memorial Day services Monday are scheduled for 9 Tuesday — Photos from The high temperature in Jay gusting to 30 miles per hour. a.m. at Claycomb Cemetery in Monday’s Memorial Day cere- County on a chilly Friday peaked Expect mostly sunny skies Sunday Redkey, 10 a.m. at the Redkey monies. at 59 degrees just after midnight with a high of 66. The high will War Mother’s Monument, 11 and dropped throughout the day climb into the low 70s Monday for a.m. at Green Park Cemetery Thursday — Coverage of into the mid 40s. Memorial Day with mostly sunny in Portland, I.O.O.F. cemetery Wednesday’s Jay County Com- There is a chance of showers skies. in Dunkirk and Hillcrest missioners and Jay County this morning. Skies will be mostly See page 2 for an extended out- Cemetery in Redkey and 2 p.m. Council joint session. cloudy with a high of 58 and winds look. and Pennville I.O.O.F. Ceme- tery. The Commercial Review Page 2 Local/World Saturday, May 29, 2021 GOP blocks creation of Jan. 6 panel By MARY CLARE JALONICK police who fought the mob, the could continue to be filtered supporters to “fight like hell” to requires 60 votes to move ahead, and LISA MASCARO family of an officer who died and through a partisan lens — in con- overturn his defeat before the rather than a simple majority in Associated Press lawmakers in both parties who gressional committees — rather siege and continues to falsely say the 100-member Senate. With the WASHINGTON — Senate fled Capitol chambers in the than addressed by an outside, he won the election — claims Senate evenly split 50-50, Democ- Republicans on Friday blocked worst attack on the building in independent panel modeled after shouted by his supporters as they rats needed support from 10 creation of a bipartisan panel to two centuries. the commission that investigated stormed the building. Trump Republicans to move to the com- investigate the deadly Jan. 6 The Republicans were mostly the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. called the commission legislation mission bill. attack on the Capitol, displaying but not totally united: Six voted “The investigations will hap- a “Democrat trap.” Speaking to his Republican col- continuing party loyalty to for- with Democrats to move forward. pen with or without Republi- Friday’s vote — the first suc- leagues, Senate Democratic mer President Donald Trump Eleven senators — nine Republi- cans,” declared Louisiana Sen. cessful use of a Senate filibuster leader Chuck Schumer said after and firm determination to shift cans and two Democrats — Bill Cassidy, one of the Republi- in the Biden presidency — was the vote they were “trying to the political focus away from the missed the vote, an unusually cans who voted to move forward. emblematic of the profound mis- sweep the horrors of that day violent insurrection by his GOP high number of absentees for “To ensure the investigations are trust between the two parties under the rug” out of “fear or supporters. one of the highest-profile votes fair, impartial and focused on the since the siege, especially among fealty” to Trump. He left open the The Senate vote was 54-35 — of the year. At least one of the facts, Republicans need to be Republicans, with some in the possibility of another vote in the six short of the 60 needed — to missing Republicans would have involved.” party downplaying the violence future on establishing a biparti- take up a House-passed bill that voted in favor of considering the The vote was in part a GOP and defending the rioters.