Jay County Shifts to Orange
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Thursday, December 24, 2020 The Commercial Review Portland, Indiana 47371 www.thecr.com $1 Jay County shifts to orange RAY COONEY “The numbers have been are second during the pandem - The Commercial Review dropping locally here in Jay ic only to the 684 it recorded Two days before Christmas, the County and in the state as far last month. (The next highest “red” designation is gone. as the cases per 100,000 and the was 221 in October.) Jay County shifted to “orange” Reduction in positivity rate leads positivity … which is a good The county still has the high - (high risk for spread of coron - thing,” said Jay County Health est positivity rate in the area at avirus) in Indiana State Depart - to drop from highest level of risk Department environmentalist 13.7% Wednesday, ahead of ment of Health’s weekly update and administrator Heath Butz. Wells County (13.1 percent). of its county metrics Wednesday. “I’m happy to see that. Hopeful - “We still have a lot of cases The county had first moved ly we can maintain that trend.” throughout the state of Indi - into red (severe risk) on Nov. 25, That said, the numbers ana and in Jay County,” said the day before Thanksgiving. It Jay County remained above the based on Sunday numbers, with remain high. Butz. “While the cases have remained there for the next four weekly cases threshold this week changes announced on Wednes - Jay County’s average cases dropped, they’re still high. weeks, consistently posting num - with 366 per 100,000 residents. But days.) per day have dropped to 9.14 There are still a lot of cases in bers well above the thresholds of its positivity rate dipped to 13.6% It was one of 68 counties in the over the last seven days and 16 our community and surround - 200 weekly cases of COVID-19 per for an average score of 2.5 on a state that came in with an orange in December, down from 22.8 ing. We still need to do our dili - 100,000 residents and a 15% posi - three-point scale for an orange rating this week. The other 24 during November. But its 353 gence …” tivity rate. rating. (The county metrics are were red. cases of COVID-19 in December See Orange page 2 Ludy leaving bench Superior Court judge looks back Seasonal at 12 years scene A nativity scene By RILEY EUBANKS shines brightly The Commercial Review Wednesday evening For the first time in 12 in a yard at the years, Jay Superior Court southeast corner of will have a new judge. Race and Morton Judge Max Ludy has heard his last jury trial as streets in Portland. It superior court’s judge was a windy evening and will relinquish the that was expected to bench next week to lead to more windy Judge-elect and longtime conditions today. public defender Gail Temperatures are Dues. expected to dip Is he ready for retire - tonight with the ment? “Yes and no. I’ve possibility of some worked for a long time,” snow in the evening. said Ludy, 67, adding that part of him wants to con - tinue to work but that he’s satisfied of his 43 combined years practic - ing law as an attorney and running Jay Superior Court. “I have a lot of respect for Judge Ludy,” said Jay Circuit Court Judge The Commercial Review/Ray Cooney Brian Hutchison. “He’s been helpful to me … and I hope I’ve been helpful to him.” Ludy called his last year as judge “especially difficult” because of the Time for a change ongoing coronavirus pan - demic, which has caused nothing short of a sched - Watson leaving county engineer post for BLN after 32 years uling fiasco with post - By BAILEY CLINE Former commissioner Walt ponement of jury trials The Commercial Review Rogers asked him to sign a four- and social distancing Dan Watson is ready for a year contract, Watson said, and requirements in his change. the rest is history. courtroom. He’s packed most of his belong - “I never dreamed I would have “I told (Dues) this is ings from the office; he’s briefed the opportunity to be an engineer worst time in the world to the highway superintendent. And in Jay County,” he said, adding become a judge,” Ludy now, the Jay County engineer that he didn’t expect to stay in the said. resigning after more than 30 same position for so long. “It was She’ll inherit a court years in his position has got a just the right time, and the right that won’t be able to con - new job. place.” duct a jury trial until at “This will be something differ - When he started, bridges were least March because of ent,” said Watson on Monday. his main concern. Many were in coronavirus restrictions “I’ve done this for 32 years, and bad shape or closed. Out of 165 from the Indiana it’s like, wow, I’m actually taking bridges, he estimates about 100 Supreme Court. the big step and moving on.” were replaced. Ludy chose not to con - By Wednesday, he was beaming After bridges, he worked on duct any jury trials in the like a kid on Christmas morning installing large culverts, doing midst of the pandemic as he finished his work at the Jay sign and road inventories, prior to the Indiana County Highway Department expanding the waste manage - Supreme Court order ear - garage. The Commercial Review/Bailey Cline ment landfill, and reviewing road lier this month. He said He starts in January as a proj - asset management plans. he’s fine with leaving the ect coordinator for Beam, Longest Jay County engineer Dan Watson has worked for the Watson worked with Jay Coun - court when thinking and Neff, one of the largest engi - county for more than 30 years. He will be starting as a project ty Sheriff’s Department in the about the risk of con - neering firms in Indiana. He’ll be coordinator in January for Beam, Longest and Neff, one of the 1990s to renumber all roads, cre - tracting COVID-19 while working from home and checking largest engineering firms in Indiana. ating a central grid system. He running Superior Court. in with seven or eight different also inspected wind turbines and He reflected on when he counties regularly. projects for wind farm develop - became took over Superi - Watson, 59, wanted something 2016. He’s also a current board of versity (now Trine University) in ment in the county. or Court after longtime to do for the next five or six years works member. Angola. Watson graduated from In the last couple of years, Wat - Judge Joel Roberts before he retires, he said. His fam - “Dan Watson is … an important college in 1983 with a bachelor’s son applied for and received retired in 2008, saying, “I ily plans to stay in Dunkirk at piece of our puzzle here in degree in civil engineering and about $2.5 million in Community just kind of fell into it” least until his son, Jaiden, gradu - Dunkirk,” said Mayor Jack Rob - started working for Indiana Crossings grants from INDOT for because there were so few ates high school in two years. He’s bins. Department of Transportation in reconstructing Como and Mt. options in Jay County to been actively involved in the city The son of a Dunkirk native, Indianapolis. He received his engi - Pleasant roads and Boundary replace him. for years, having previously Watson graduated from Delta High neer’s license in 1987 and started Pike. See Ludy page 5 served as its mayor from 2013 to School and attended Tri-State Uni - working for Jay County in ’89. See Change page 5 Deaths Weather In review Coming up Jay County had a high tem - perature of 34 degrees There will be no newspaper Saturday — Portland busi - Wednesday. Friday in observance of the ness going strong after 75 Today’s forecast calls for a Christmas holiday. years. Richard Hull , 88, Fort high of 27 with winds at 15 to The Commercial Review Recovery 25 miles per hour. The Christ - will publish an afternoon edi - Wednesday — Results Details on page 2 mas Eve low will dip to 14 with tion Saturday with delivery from the JCHS boys basketball flurries and snow showers expected no later than 4 p.m. team at the Holiday Hoops possible. We will resume our regular Tourney. See page 2 for an extended publishing scheduled Tuesday. outlook. The Commercial Review Page 2 Local/Indiana Thursday, December 24, 2020 Obituaries Richard Hull for those with a connec - tion to our coverage area Richard D. Hull, 88, free of charge. They Fort Recovery, died include the name, city of Wednesday at his home. residence, birth/death Arrangements are date and time/date/loca - pending at Brockman- tion of services. Boeckman Funeral There is a charge for Home, Fort Recovery. obituaries, which are •••••••••• accepted only from funer - The Commercial Review al homes or mortuary publishes death notices services. CR almanac Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday 12/25 12/26 12/27 12/28 12/29 The Commercial Review/Riley Eubanks 20/17 36/27 45/29 33/19 31/24 Christmas Warmer Warmer Cooler Mostly Day will be and sunny under mostly with a 30% sunny with a Retirement recognition cooler with a with tempera - cloudy skies chance of 40% chance El Camino Real hosted a ceremonial lunch Wednesday for Portland Police Department, projected high tures project - with a 30% snow.