Friday, January 22, 2021 The Commercial Review Portland, Indiana 47371 www.thecr.com $1 Redkey shifting to use Anthem Insurance change is expected to save $ for town and employees By ROSE SKELLY The Commercial Review The town’s new insur - ance policy will save Red - key several thousand dol - lars a year. Redkey Town Council voted Thursday to switch health insurance compa - nies, which will result in about $300 savings per month for the town and lower costs for employ - ees. It also discussed chang - ing its take-home vehicle policy for police after an officer was involved in an accident in his personal vehicle earlier this month. Redkey previously used UnitedHealthcare’s health insurance plan, which cost the town $4,474.75 per month in The Commercial Review/Ray Cooney insurance premiums. Council decided to look into cheaper plans after 4-H in the face changes to the town’s A pie falls away from Dru Mercer’s face after Collin Myron threw it at him Thursday evening in Bob Schmit Memorial employee roster brought Exhibition Hall at Jay County Fairgrounds. All 4-H members who were signed up before Jan. 15 were entered into a drawing its health insurance costs down. to get to throw a pie in the face of a 4-H leader. Registration for 4-H is still open by going online to v2.4honline.com, calling Aaron Walter of Bar - the office at (260) 726-4707 or visiting 126 N. Meridian St., Portland. “It’s not too late, never too late,” said 4-H member num Brown Insurance, Lucas Lyons, who hosted Thursday’s pie-in-the-face event on Facebook Live. the town’s insurance provider, told council that a plan from Anthem would cost $4,184.96 per month — saving $289.79 per month or about $3,500 Commission reviews its options a year. Changing the plan By RILEY EUBANKS the redevelopment com - would also result in sav - The Commercial Review mission put its money ings for the town employ - Portland Redevelop - toward school corpora - ees. The Anthem plan’s ment Commission has tions if it has “accumulat - maximum out of pocket nearly $1.4 million in the Portland redevelopment has ed more funds than neces - cost for an individual is bank. sary to pay for project $1,000, compared to the Now it just needs to use nearly $1.4 million in TIF funds costs.” previous plan’s maxi - it. The report continues, mum out of pocket cost The commission met for “Unfortunately, some TIF of $7,500. the first time Friday and districts capture property “That’s a big deal, and heard from city clerk-trea - “It’s beneficial from an Jay Schools superin - tions that overlap with the tax revenue without com - it’s something I suggest surer Lori Phillips that it economic standpoint to tendent Jeremy Gulley district. pelling or well-tailored you take advantage of,” has $1,389,203.51 in total have a good school corpo - called into the meeting to He referenced the uses for the funds. This Walter said. funds, with adviser Ed ration,” said Curtin, a discuss the ambiguity sur - state’s Next Level Teacher decreases property tax Additionally, the calen - Curtin saying those funds redevelopment expert rounding how tax incre - Compensation Commis - revenue flowing to dar year deductible is could go toward schools, hired in October to help ment financing (TIF) dis - sion report, which recom - schools, which shrinks $250, compared to $500 in flood prevention and the commission decide trict funds can be used mended that TIF district their available finances.” the old plan. other initiatives. how to spend its money. toward school corpora - governing bodies such as See Options page 2 See Redkey page 2 State is holding off By TOM DAVIES Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana health officials aren’t ready to start a further expansion of coronavirus vaccine eligibility Indiana doesn’t have enough as they said Thursday that the state isn’t receiving enough vaccines to expand eligibility doses from the federal govern - ment to take such steps. Indiana has made vaccina - tions available so far to health continue to get about 78 to 80,000 “We had started to make plans care workers and those ages 70 doses weekly.” to ramp up but hadn’t put any of and older since the first shots Many state officials across the those things into place quite yet, started being given in early country accused the Trump so we just adjusted back to what December. administration last week of our original plan was based on The Washington Post/Caroline Fernandez State Health Commissioner deceiving them about the amount what we were expecting which is Dr. Kristina Box said vaccina - of COVID-19 vaccine they could that close to 80,000 doses a week,” tion appointments will next plan on receiving after it became said Dr. Lindsay Weaver, the Swiss skiing open up for about 350,000 Indi - clear no national stockpile was health department’s chief med - Skiers ride the chairlift to the top of the ana residents between ages 65 available. President Joe Biden ical officer. and 70. has said he will emphasize boost - About 362,000 people have mountain in Morgins, Switzerland, on Jan. 16, 2021. “Right now, we are unable to ing vaccine supplies. received at least the first of the With French resorts closed because of the ongoing predict when that will happen,” Neither Republican Gov. Eric two-shot immunization so far in coronavirus pandemic, skiers and snowboarders arrived Box said. “We find out on a Holcomb nor his top heath advis - Indiana, according to state health in a continuous stream last weekend on the Swiss side Tuesday, what our allocation for ers criticized the Trump admin - department figures updated of the ski mountain region of Portes du Soleil. that week is, and we work based istration’s rollout during his Thursday. on those numbers. For now, we coronavirus briefing Thursday. See Holding page 5 Deaths Weather In review Coming up Jay County’s high tempera - Jay County Solid Waste ture reached 44 degrees Thurs - Tuesday — Coverage of Management District will day. The low was 30. Monday’s Jay County Com - have recycling trailers avail - Betty Evans , 96, Waverly, Tonight’s low is expected to missioners meeting. able Saturday. Trailers will be Ohio drop into the mid teens. Skies open from 9 a.m. to noon in the Details on page 2. will be mostly sunny Saturday Wednesday — Results from shopping center at 220 Lincoln with a high of 31. Tuesday’s JCHS swim meet St., Portland, and Dunkirk See page 2 for an extended against Blackford and Burris. City Park. outlook. The Commercial Review Page 2 Local Friday, January 22, 2021 Redkey ... Continued from page 1 May’s proposed policy change mean that officers would be ings grant program. Redkey construction, is due Feb. 1, with Copays for primary doctor’s was a result of an accident Jan. allowed to bring their depart - Economic Development Corpo - construction on the removal office visits, specialists, urgent 1 involving Chad Ridenour, a ment-issued vehicles home even ration will also give $25,000, system to start in November. care and emergency room care Redkey police officer respond - if they aren’t on-call. bringing the town’s match up to The engineering agreement are also lower. However, the pre - ing to a law enforcement call in “If they’re going to have to $50,000 for a potential $200,000 with Fleis and VandenBrink scription drug copays increased his personal vehicle. Because respond off-duty, or on-call, I project. The roads included in was $12,800. by $5 to $10 compared to the pre - he was conducting town busi - think they should have a town this round’s grant application •Announced departmental vious plan. ness, council voted to pay Ride - police car so you don’t find are Sheridan Street from Merid - assignments for 2021. Quaken - Council agreed to change its nour’s car insurance yourself in a hairy situation ian to Butler streets, Grandview bush, who was elected council health insurance provider to deductible, up to $2,000. where you’re fighting over cov - Avenue from Meridian to Butler president, will oversee the Anthem. The dental and vision Town marshal Todd Miller erage and who’s liable,” streets, Butler Street between parks and fire departments. plans will remain the same. expressed concern with the pro - Schemenaur said. Sheridan Street and Grandview Hammers, who was elected vice Also Thursday, council tabled posed policy change, stating Council decided to table the Avenue, High Street from president, will supervise the a decision on take-home vehi - that it might lead to delays in discussion, asking Miller to Meridian Street to Ash Street, water department. Gardner was cles for Redkey police officers, response times if officers were draft a take-home car policy to Railroad Street from Ash to charged with the wastewater along with a proposal to amend outside of Redkey and had to look over at February’s meet - Main streets and Oak Street department, while Pierce was the police department’s policy switch vehicles. With only three ing. from Main Street to Indiana 67. assigned the street department. on the use of personal vehicles. police officers, the department In other business, council •Signed an agreement with May will oversee the police Council member Randy May, is unable to be staffed 24/7 and members Erik Hammers, Gary engineering firm Fleis and Van - department. who was assigned earlier this has to rely on on-call officers. Gardner, John Pierce and May, denBrink to design a phospho - •Decided to look into setting month to oversee the police “This is not normal for police absent Dottie Quakenbush: rous removal system at the up a retirement plan for town department, proposed a policy departments,” Miller said.