Bridge Work Starts Monday by RAY COONEY the Commercial Review Traffic Patterns Through Portland Will Be Different Beginning Next Week
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Thursday, April 1, 2021 The Commercial Review Portland, Indiana 47371 www.thecr.com $1 Bridge work starts Monday By RAY COONEY The Commercial Review Traffic patterns through Portland will be different beginning next week. U.S. 27 will be Milestone Contractors informed local officials closed between Wednesday that U.S. 27 (Merid - ian Street) would be closed Water Street beginning Monday for an Indi - ana Department of Trans - and county portation project involving two bridges on the highway. road 200 South The closure affects the area between Water Street and county road 200 South. The INDOT work being com - Salamonie River near Portland pleted by Milestone involves Country Club. repairs to the Meridian Street The arch bridge project is The Commercial Review/Ray Cooney arch bridge that spans the the more extensive of the two, Salamonie River near East Jay with work expected to last The Meridian Street arch bridge over the Salamonie River will be rehabilitated next Elementary School and the about 45 days. week as part of an Indiana Department of Transportation project. The street will be paved, U.S. 27 bridge over the Little See Bridge page 2 steel railings removed and painted, masonry cleaned and repaired and light fixtures upgraded. City is out of running to buy building School property had been considered for new police station By RAY COONEY The Commercial Review Jay School Board is expected to make a deci - sion Monday on the sale of its administration building. The City of Portland will not be the buyer. In a letter sent Wednes - day morning, Portland Mayor John Boggs The Commercial Review/Bailey Cline informed the school board that the city would not be submitting a final bid for the property. Sixth sorting The deadline for final Sixth graders from Tracy Christman’s class at Westlawn Elementary School in Dunkirk sort through their eggs bids was noon Wednesday. Wednesday during an easter egg hunt. Dunkirk Public Library held the hunt at the school this year and brought nearly 2,500 By state statute, a eggs for the event. Pictured, from left, are Austin Best, Jenna Bricker, Ella Littler and Chelsea Bessesen. Several Easter municipality is limited to events are scheduled for this weekend. The Easter bunny will visit Jay Community Center and be available for photos from offering the average of 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. Easter egg hunts are slated for 10 a.m. Saturday at Redkey Elementary School and 11 a.m. at two appraisals when pur - chasing real estate. After Redkey Church of the Nazarene. A “Drive Thru Easter EGGstravaganza” will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at Pennville the city had already put in Park. Dunkirk is holding an Easter egg hunt at 2 p.m. April 10 at Dunkirk City Park. an initial offer, Portland City Council on March 15 authorized Boggs to seek the necessary appraisals. Those were completed and discussed during a coun - Jay County is rated yellow again cil executive session Tues - day. By RAY COONEY Delaware and Adams counties spread of COVID-19. Indiana has Boggs’ letter to the The Commercial Review remained blue. been under capacity restrictions school board indicated After five weeks in the blue, Jay On Wednesday, coronavirus vac - since March 2020 and a mask man - County is yellow for the second that the appraisals came cine appointments were opened to date since July. Those restrictions in at an average of week in a row. Positivity all Hoosiers 16 and older. Jay are scheduled to be lifted Tuesday, Jay County was rated “yellow” $297,500, well below the County currently has coronavirus with restaurants, bars and other asking price of $325,000. (moderate risk for the spread of vaccination clinics available at venues to be allowed to open at full rate has Therefore, the city was coronavirus) in the Indiana State Jay County Health Department capacity. The state will move to a unable to move forward Department of Health update climbed and IU Health Jay. Appointments “mask advisory,” meaning masks released Wednesday. can be made online at will be recommended but not with the process. The state’s COVID-19 metrics to 7.5% ourshot.in.gov or by calling the required. “The City of Portland map became more yellow this state’s 2-1-1 telephone assistance Coronavirus is mainly spread wishes to extend its appre - week, with 37 counties at that rat - service. through respiratory droplets or ciation for the opportuni - ing as compared to 25 last week. As of Wednesday, more than small particles from an infected ty to bid on the above- Two — Blackford and Wells — came in at 63 last week and was 68 7,600 doses of coronavirus vaccine person coughing, sneezing, talk - mentioned building and were rated orange (high risk) in the March 17 update. It had had been administered in Jay ing or breathing. The CDC reports property,” Boggs said in while the other 52 were blue (low been as low as 23 in the March 3 County. Nearly 3,100 individuals that it may be possible those parti - the letter. “We felt that risk). update. were fully vaccinated. cles and droplets remain suspend - moving the police station Jay County’s rating remained at Blackford County’s orange rat - Statewide, nearly 2.8 million ed in the air for an unknown peri - to the school administra - yellow as its positivity rate contin - ing came as its positivity rate was doses had been administered with od of time and travel beyond 6 feet, tion building on Tyson ued to increase. It came in at 7.5% above 10% for the second week in 1.13 million fully vaccinated. especially indoors. Road would provide the this week, up from 5.59% the pre - a row. Both Blackford and Wells Centers for Disease Control and The virus causes a range of best value to the commu - vious week. It had been as low as counties had more than 200 cases Prevention guidelines encourage symptoms, which can appear two nity for the building in 1.87% last month. per 100,000 residents this week. wearing a mask, avoiding close to 14 days after exposure. Older terms of taxpayer savings The county’s cases per 100,000 Randolph County shifted from contact when around others, fre - adults and those with pre-existing on a much-needed facili - residents — 68 — was about the blue to yellow this week as its pos - quent hand washing and surface health problems are susceptible to ty.” same for the third straight week. It itivity rate jumped to 7.5%. cleaning as ways to prevent the more severe illnesses. See Building page 2 Weather In review Coming up Indiana Sen. Mike Braun’s Friday — Coverage of Jay County had a high temper - with a low of 21. The forecast staff will hold virtual office tonight’s Portland Plan Com - ature of 54 degrees early Wednes - calls for sunny skies Friday with hours from 10 a.m. to noon mission meeting. day. The low dropped to 26. a high of 45. Tuesday. Those interested in There is a chance of snow See page 2 for an extended out - participating should email Tuesday — Results from showers before 7 p.m. tonight look. [email protected] - Monday’s JCHS softball sea - ate.gov. son opener against Blackford. The Commercial Review Page 2 Local/Indiana Thursday, April 1, 2021 Bridge ... Continued from page 1 creted will be removed and South, Blaine Pike and Floral enter from Water Street. Stu - parking parallel on one side of According to an INDOT proj - patched. Avenue for the bridge near the dents are not to be dropped off the street and “reverse angle” ect information packet pre - •The sidewalk and curbs will golf course, and Seventh, on the west side of the build - on the other and removing traf - pared in August, it will include: be sealed. Wayne and Water streets for ing. Jay School Corporation fic signals at Meridian Street’s •Milling and patching of the •Meridian Street will be the arch bridge. suggests building extra time intersections with Walnut and bridge deck. A new “flexible paved 50 feet in each direction The shutdown of the section into the pick-up/drop-off High Streets. polymeric concrete bridge deck from the bridge. of U.S. 27 will also require process as delays are expected Portions of that project — overlay” will then be installed. The bridge over the Little some different traffic patterns during the construction mainly the reduction in lanes, •Removal of steel railings Salamonie near the golf course for East Jay Elementary process. reverse-angle parking and and light fixtures. Paint will be will get a new concrete overlay. School. The bridge work was initial - removal of traffic signals — removed, and steel components That work is expected to take School parents will be pro - ly included as part of a larger drew significant public opposi - will be galvanized and painted 15 days. vided with an entry pass to dis - U.S. 27 project that called for tion after they were introduced in a black matte finish. They The official INDOT detour play in their vehicle to allow paving the highway through in 2019. will be reinstalled with new will re-route traffic along Indi - temporary access via Meridian Portland, “right-sizing” Merid - The bridge work is now its hardware. ana 28, Indiana 1 and Indiana Street during morning drop-off ian Street between Water and own project. Portland Mayor •Masonry on the arch, 67. (Semis must follow the offi - and afternoon pick-up times Votaw streets to one lane in John Boggs said last week that columns and other areas will cial detour.) Detours for local only.