Hancock Co. has D’Wayne Eskridge virus outbreak Area State drafted by Seahawks Page 3 Bluffton High School graduate D’Wayne Eskridge’s dream of being a National Football League player offi- ‘Frozen, Jr.’ opens here cially became a reality Friday. He was chosen as the 56th overall pick during Friday’s second round. Story in today’s Sports, page 6 Thursday, May 6 Entertainment Guide The News-Bannerwww.News-Banner.com SATURDAY, MAY 1, 2021 BLUFFTON, INDIANA • Wells County’s Hometown Connection $1.00 State grants go to Ossian, Wells By JESSICA BRICKER Wells County and the Town of Ossian received roughly the same award in the latest announcement for the Commu- nity Crossings Matching grant funds. According to the list, those are the only two local appli- cations awarded this cycle. Wells County will receive $587,907.65. County Engineer Nate Rumschlag said it is for a bridge project on Hoosier Highway north of Ash Road. “We will widen the bridge and adjust the curve,” he said via email Friday. “INDOT only funded the bridge so I will need to fix the road to the south with some of the local funds. But it is hard to complain since they are paying for 75 percent of the bridge and north approach.” Ossian’s award of $587,658.84 is for roadway work on Greenwood Trail. The Indiana Department of Transportation announce- Preparing for the big show ment this week included the awards of 218 applications “The Toymaker’s Daughter: a Coppelia totalling more than $100 million. Ballet” will be danced on Friday and Sat- “Community Crossings is a major asset to Indiana cities, urday at Bluffton High School by students towns and counties as they build and modernize local roads from the Creative Arts Council’s School of and bridges,” INDOT Commissioner Joe McGuinness said Ballet. The students practiced during tech in a statement. “The state’s funding partnership allows local week for the sold-out show. At left, village maidens danced the Mazurka as the tale partners to tackle larger scale project more quickly than was told about the lonely showmaker’s would otherwise be possible, maximize their resources to daughter wishing for a friend and a doll complete more projects and achieve the best possible value comes to life as a girl (Coppelia). Instruc- for Hoosiers.” tors for the dancers have been Davina View the full list online at: www.in.gov/indot/communi- Schnaars, Jeni Meeks and Janiece tycrossings Lipsey. (Photos by Barbara Barbieri) The next call for projects through the grant program will be in July. [email protected] BRMC earns top safety rating from national group Bluffton Regional Medical to all general hospitals across the isfaction of our patients. It is our on patients and their peer-reviewed and Center received an “A” grade in country and is updated every six privilege to care for those in Bluff- safety, no matter what More ratings ... fully transparent, the spring 2021 Leapfrog Hospital months. It is the only hospital rat- ton and surrounding areas,” said it takes.” and the results are Safety Grade, a national distinc- ings program based exclusively on BRMC Chief Administrative Offi- Developed under • Parkview Regional: A free to the public, tion recognizing Bluffton Region- hospitals’ prevention of medical cer Julie Thompson, BSN, RN. the guidance of a • IU Health Ball Memorial: B the release said. al Medical Center’s achievements errors and other harms to patients Added Leah Binder, president national expert panel, • Dupont Hospital: C Bluffton protecting patients from errors, in their care, according to a press and CEO of The Leapfrog Group: the Leapfrog Hospi- • Lutheran Hospital: C • St. Joseph Hospital: D Regional Medical injuries, accidents, and infections. release. “An ‘A’ safety grade is an elite tal Safety Grade uses Center was award- The Leapfrog Group is an inde- “At Bluffton Regional Medical designation that your commu- two dozen measures ed an “A” grade pendent national watchdog orga- Center, we are honored to receive nity should be proud of. The past of publicly available hospital safe- this week when Leapfrog updated nization committed to health care the Leapfrog Hospital Safety year has been extraordinarily dif- ty data to assign grades to more grades for spring 2021. To see the quality and safety. The Leapfrog Grade of ‘A.’ Our team of dedi- ficult for hospitals, but Bluffton than 2,700 U.S. acute-care hospi- full grade details, visit hospital- Hospital Safety Grade assigns an cated, experienced professionals Regional Medical Center shows us tals twice per year. The Hospital safetygrade.org “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “F” grade is focused on the safety and sat- it is possible to keep a laser focus Safety Grade’s methodology is Greenfield tree advocacy U.S. wages and benefits group nurtures urban forest jump as economy reopens By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER Index, which measures pay chang- By SHELLEY SWIFT Arbor Day is celebrated around the world AP Economics Writer es for workers that keep their jobs. (Greenfield) Daily Reporter as a special time to plant, nurture and celebrate WASHINGTON (AP) — Wages Unlike some other measures of GREENFIELD — Marciann McClarnon trees. and benefits grew quickly for U.S. Americans’ paychecks, it isn’t Miller was beaming when she saw the long line There’s a lot to celebrate in Greenfield, workers in the first three months of directly affected by mass layoffs of people waiting to pick up free tree saplings according to Sally Parsons, president of the year, a sign that businesses are such as the pandemic job losses that on Courthouse Plaza last weekend in downtown Regreening Greenfield. starting to offer higher pay to fill occurred last spring. Greenfield. The nonprofit recently won a grant that newly-opened jobs. The figures suggest that as the All 700 trees were quickly distributed at the allowed it to have internationally certified arbor- U.S. workers’ total compensa- economy is reopening and more city’s annual Arbor Day tree seedling giveaway, ists from the Davey Resource Group come to tion rose 0.9 percent in the Janu- Americans are willing to venture out hosted each spring by Regreening Greenfield, a town to do a formal inventory of the trees plant- ary-March quarter, the largest gain to restaurants, bars, and shops, busi- nonprofit focused on promoting the planting and ed in the city’s right-of-way areas, like in medi- in more than 13 years, the Labor nesses are having to provide higher nurturing of trees in town. ans or along curbs. Department said Friday. That’s up pay and benefits to pull workers Miller founded Regreening Greenfield in The grant included one year’s access to the from 0.7 percent in the final three back into the job market. Many busi- 1988 for a student project while a teacher at Tree Tracking software online, which displays months of last year. Still, the increase nesses have struggled to find people Weston Elementary School. With her father as not only the number and location of trees, but is just barely above 0.8 percent gains to take jobs, despite still-high unem- mayor, a Mayor’s Task Force was created and also details each one, right down to the size, in two quarters in 2018. ployment. the project evolved into a non-profit. species and special circumstances, like a double The solid rise comes after weaker Some Americans are reluctant to Six years later Greenfield was designated as a trunk, for example. increases during the pandemic, when take jobs in industries like restau- Tree City USA, a prominent designation issued The database can be used to track the growth the unemployment rate initially shot rants, hotels and bars for fear of con- by the Arbor Day Foundation, which Greenfield of the city’s trees and monitor which ones need to nearly 15 percent before declining tracting the coronavirus. Others, par- has maintained each year. or receive maintenance, such as pruning. steadily to 6 percent in March. As a ticularly women, are constrained by Miller and other members of Regreening All you need to do is tap on the app to see result, workers’ pay and benefits rose child care obligations. And a gener- Greenfield hope the public uses today (April 30) the specifics about any given tree, said Parsons, just 2.6 percent in the year ending in ous federal supplement to unemploy- — National Arbor Day — as a time to recognize who loves having the detailed information easily March, down from 2.8 percent a year ment benefits of $300 a week may and appreciate the city’s own urban forest, not accessible on her cellphone. earlier. also be keeping some unemployed only the trees in the parks and around people’s In the past, Parsons would walk the streets of The data comes from the Labor on the sidelines. That benefit ends homes, but the hundreds of trees Regreening Greenfield with a pen and paper, cataloging the Department’s Employment Cost (Continued on Page 2) volunteers have helped plant along the curbs and city’s tree inventory by hand. The new method right-of-ways throughout town. (Continued on Page 2) Inside Outside Online DETAILED DENTAL CARE How to contact us: • General Dentistry Call us: 824-0224 Local/Area • Sedation Dentistry or 1-800-579-7476 Follow us on Facebook! Obituaries. 3 • Root Canal Fax us: 824-0700 Police Notebook . .2 Go to www.facebook.com/ newsbanner • Immediate Dentures [email protected] ————— On the Web: Opinion • Wisdom Teeth More sun, higher temps, Place Your Classified Removal www.news-banner.com Saturday Sub .