City Sinks $17,000 Into Center St
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75¢ Friday/ Saturday February 12-13, 2021 www.perrynewspapers.com $900,000 for more COVID assistance? Local residents and business owners could soon be able to apply for a share of some $900,000 in federal CARES Act funds to be distributed during a second phase of individual and small-business assistance programs administered by the Taylor County Commission. The programs are intended to help those affected by the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and its economic impacts. Although the specific requirements are not yet available, they are expected to be less strict than the programs offered last year, which resulted in less than half of the individuals who applied receiving approval. The CARES Act programs will be on the agenda for the board to consider during the county commission’s ➟ Please see page 2 BBTC students receive $99,000 Barn fire Big Bend Technical College (BBTC) distributed Local EMT Will McLeod said he experienced one of the worst moments of his life Wednesday approximately $99,000 to all of its full-time and part- night when he heard an emergency call dispatching fire engines to a fire at his parent’s home time students Wednesday – the second round of direct on Grambling Lane. Fortunately, the fire was contained to a barn on the property and not the disbursements to students from the local school thanks to main residence. While no injuries were reported, the barn was declared a total loss. Taylor two separate CARES Act grants awarded to the school. County Fire-Rescue was dispatched to Danny and Michele McLeod’s home at 7:06 p.m., and “The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II arrived just six minutes later. While the cause of the fire remains undetermined, the couple (HEERF II) is authorized by the Coronavirus Response reported experiencing a power surge before noticing the barn on fire. The City of Perry Fire and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 Department also had a unit on scene for mutual aid. (CRRSAA), Public Law 116-260, signed into law by ➟ Please see page 2 Instead of statewide online appointment system Seniors asked to call local health dept. for vaccine Local residents ages completed the online Health (DOH) Operations “We are encouraging list – compared to the 3,900 65 or older who want to process and has not Manager Martine Young those that have not people who were on the list register for the COVID-19 transitioned to utilizing said. registered with our asoffice of Tuesday this week. vaccine are asked to contact this system for vaccine Because vaccines are and meet these parameters “On Tuesday, the waiting the local health department appointments. If you, still limited, Taylor County to contact us at (850) 584- list had 3,900 people on directly, rather than or someone you know, is continuing to prioritize 5087 to be added to our it. But through calling and registering through the new registered under this those 65 years of age and in-house waiting list,” she reaching out, we were able statewide website. system, please contact our older, as well as health said. to clear about 1,000 of “At the current time, office at (850) 584-5087,” care personnel with direct Currently, there are some those individuals. In some Taylor County has not Taylor Department of patient contact. 2,900 names on the waiting cases they were from out of town, had forgotten they had registered with us and had gotten the vaccine elsewhere. We have also Should you get vaccine? been able to clear names as we get them scheduled For every person waiting (DOH) Operations Manager she said. also seeing how people are to receive vaccines here,” to receive a COVID-19 Martine Young said. “For me personally, this dealing with issues from Young said. vaccine, there is another “We have had people (the vaccine) is my light the long-term affects of the The health department is person holding back and register to get their vaccine, at the end of the tunnel. virus,” Young said. holding a mass vaccination questioning whether or notand then at the last minute, The number of deaths due “This has been a very, clinic today (Friday) at CERT volunteers getting the shot is the right change their minds. And to COVID is continuing very long year (2020-21), Forest Capital Hall, where welcomed patients decision for them. that’s okay – it is absolutely to rise, and this is the way and we are not done yet. 500 residents are scheduled and collected forms And that’s okay, Taylor- their decision to make on to stop them. We here at ➟ ➟ at Wednesday’s mass Department of Health what is right for them,” the health department are Please see page 2 Please see page 6 vaccination clinic. To diagnose cause of Rosehead Park sinkhole: City sinks $17,000 into Center St. The City of Perry investigation” services has agreed to pay an of the area around a box environmental engineering culvert at Rosehead Park firm $17,000 to diagnoseand Center Street. the cause and extent City Manager Taylor of erosion problems at Brown recommended the Rosehead Park near Center city council approve a Street in downtown Perry. “discounted not-to-exceed” An apparent sinkhole near cost estimate proposal of a Rosehead Park walking $17,000 submitted by EGS. path has caused the city to The proposal would close a nearby section of include the following Center Street and diverted services: traffic to an already-busy • four (4) 30-foot parallel section of Jefferson soil borings, Street running through the • one day of ground heart of the city since early probes around the park January. and adjacent roadway At the city’s Feb. 9 to evaluate if voids are meeting, council members present, were presented with a • one day of ground- $20,207.66 cost estimatepenetrating radar, particle from Environmental and size analysis every 10 feet Geotechnical Specialist (12 tests), An apparent sinkhole in the middle of a Rosehead Park walking path threatens the stability of (EGS) to perform nearby Center Street, prompting the City of Perry to hire an environmental and geotechnical firm “preliminary geophysical ➟ Please see page 6 to investigate the cause and extent of the problem. Index One section 132nd Year, No. 7 Weather Religion .................. A-4 Looking Back ......... A-8 Friday 72˚ Saturday 67˚ Sunday 65˚ Sports ................... A-5 Entertainment ....... A-9 61˚ 62˚ 61˚ Community ........... A-7 Classifieds .......... A-10 70% 80% 70% A-2 Perry News-Herald February 12-13, 2021 Programs expected to have less restrictions COVID ASSISTANCE on assistance programs, original CARES Act the State Housing Initiatives by the U.S. Department workshop, Commissioner along with food programs allocation was $3.7 million, Partnership (SHIP) program, of Treasury on how that Thomas Demps proposed an Continued from page 1 and helping the Florida it was to be doled out in three which added requirements funding can be spent. alternative use of the funds, Tuesday, Feb. 16 meeting set Department of Health in phases, with the second and and restrictions on who As such, the new namely giving everyone in to begin at 9 a.m. Taylor County (DOH- third phases only available could apply. As a result, less programs will be less strict, the county $100 in ensure no Currently, the county has Taylor) with its COVID-19 on a reimbursement basis, than half of those individuals with the specific guidelines one was left out. approximately $2.4 million vaccination and testing meaning the county would who applied received expected to be part of the Jahowsky said such an available from the $3.7 efforts. have to spend the money funding, with 62 being CARES Act Committee’s distribution was specifically million received through The commission before it would receive those approved and 71 denied (a recommendations the disallowed by Treasury, but the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, subsequently voted at its federal dollars. 46% approval rate). commission will consider at since the county has already and Economic Security Feb. 1 meeting to provide up In October, those Since the county has next week’s meeting. received the funding, that (CARES) Act, which, in to $10,000 to DOH-Taylor limitations, combined with a already received its CARES Although most of restriction no longer exists. part, provided funding to cover personnel costs very tight window in which to Act funding using the public the recent CARES Act However, he said it would to local governments to associated with answering spend the money, prompted safety personnel costs as discussion has revolved still depend on county’s respond to the economic vaccination appointment the county commission to justification, local officialsaround the possibility of a spending policies and any impacts of the coronavirus phone calls. approve a modification to itsno longer have to follow the second phase of assistance state laws governing county outbreak. Meanwhile, the CARES spending plan, under which strict guidelines put in place programs, at the Jan. 28 expenditures. The county commission Act Committee has met the county would claim most recently discussed the several times since the Jan. the costs associated with possibility of a second phase 28 workshop, most recently “substantially dedicated” Full-time students get $1,005 of assistance programs on Monday, Feb. 8. At that public safety personnel at its Jan. 28 workshop, meeting, the committee employed by the county BBTC Wednesday to every adult coronavirus, such as tuition, during which it received discussed the individual and through 2020, potentially full-time and part-time CTE food, housing, health care several recommendations small business assistance allowing the county to Continued from page 1 student.