CAC’s Fall Art Fest Wildfire smoke is Big Ten changes participants listed making its way east its football mind Area State Page 2 Page 5 Sports Page 6 The News-Bannerwww.News-Banner.com THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 BLUFFTON, INDIANA • Wells County’s Hometown Connection $1.00 Markle council extends unsafe building order By JESSICA BRICKER Markle officials have extended the deadline for compli- ance regarding an unsafe building order at a hotel off of I-69. During a second public hearing Wednesday, the town council was told a couple of the 16 corrective measures have been taken care of at 730 Logan St. since the last meet- ing when the con- cerns were first publicly announced. Council Presi- dent Aaron McClary said the council did not see a copy of the Bird’s eye view order prior to last month’s meeting so Portland, Ore, artist David Rice clears a can the council didn’t of orange spray paint feel they could act The OYO hotel in Markle near I-69 has as he adds the finishing on it at that time. been closed since late July after it was touches to what appears Wednesday’s meet- cited as an unsafe building. (Photo by to be a Baltimore oriole ing allowed the Jessica Bricker) at the Parlor City Plaza council members to Wednesday. The pastoral ask questions about the order. scene is getting closer Jessica Campbell of the Huntington Department of Com- to completion as part of Bluffton’s Mural Fest Fri- munitywide Development said if progress on the property day and Saturday at the continues, the town can keep extending the enforcement plaza. order every 30 or 60 days, depending on what the council (Photos by Glen Werling) wanted to do. That can continue until progress stops alto- gether and the matter has to be readdressed. The property is up for a sheriff’s sale next month, and the council was told that has no bearing on the compliance requirements; the order follows the property, not the owner. Council member Nick Lund said he has no problem extending the order until the end of the year. The hotel is currently locked by police and such an extension will give the new owners time to comply. He said the new owners should be advised following the sale that these issues should be handled right away. Council Vice President Matthew Doss said it’s a matter of weighing a possible fire hazard versus having a business return in Markle. He was in favor of extending the order — (Continued on Page 2) Wells County’s positivity rate for COVID-19 tests drops to 4.8% By DEVAN FILCHAK the seven-day positivity rate was A total of 237 people have got- two deaths in the county due to cent, followed by people ages The recent positivity rate for 12.7 percent. The seven-day posi- ten COVID-19 in Wells County COVID-19. 20-29 with 16.5 percent. COVID-19 cases in Wells County tivity rate released Wednesday since the beginning of the pan- The demographics for positive More women than men who has come down. was 4.8 percent, which brings the demic. Of those, 198 have recov- cases remain largely the same as have been tested were found to The last time the Wells County total positivity rate since March to ered. There are 37 active cases they have. The age group to be have COVID-19 with a total of Health Department released the an even 6 percent of people being with no one currently hospitalized affected by the virus the most is 56.1 percent being women. current status was on Sept. 3, and tested having the virus. as of Wednesday. There have been people ages 50-59 with 19.8 per- [email protected] IU, BSU counties HVAC training at a at highest risk school near you Southern Wells Junior-Senior High School cut the ribbon Monday on its new HVAC for coronavirus classroom space, which is located in the newly renovated athletic and agriculture By CASEY SMITH building. The HVAC program is open to the Associated Press/Report for America schools in the Area 18 Career and Techni- INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The counties cal Education Cooperative, which includes that include Indiana and Ball State universi- Bluffton and Norwell high schools. Pictured ties are listed as the highest-risk locations above are, from left to right, Kati Todd, Jim for coronavirus infections on the state health Sturgeon, James Foss, Austin Harris, Brad department’s updated county-by-county map Gardner, Dillon Hanni, Ethan Dunnuck, Carson Smithley, Ryan Ottinger, Caine released Wednesday. Clark, Colton Holmes, Aj Wright, Chad Monroe County, which includes the main Roush, Keith Miller, Superintendent Brian Indiana University campus in Bloomington, Sloan, Ryan King, Tom Felger, and PJ Fel- and Delaware County, which includes Ball ger. (Photo submitted) State in Muncie, are the only two listed with the health department’s orange rating for mod- erate to high coronavirus spread after seven counties had that rating last week. No counties were listed with the highest-risk red rating in Hundreds are rescued from Sally’s floodwaters either week. By JAY REEVES, ANGIE as a person can walk, the storm made Columbus’ ship the Nina that had been The remaining 90 counties received yellow WANG. and JEFF MARTIN landfall at 4:45 a.m. close to Gulf Shores, docked at the Pensacola waterfront was or blue ratings based on the number of new Associated Press Ala., about 30 miles from Pensacola, Fla. missing, police said. cases per 100,000 residents and the percentage PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — Hurri- It accelerated to a light jog as it battered Sally tore loose a barge-mounted con- of tests confirming COVID-19 infections. cane Sally lumbered ashore near the Flor- the Pensacola and Mobile, Alabama, met- struction crane, which then smashed into State health commissioner Dr. Kristina Box ida-Alabama line Wednesday with 105 ropolitan areas encompassing nearly 1 mil- the new Three Mile Bridge over Pensacola attributed the ratings for Monroe and Dela- mph winds and rain measured in feet, not lion people. Bay, causing a section of the year-old span ware counties to congregate living settings and inches, swamping homes and forcing the Sally cast boats onto land or sank them to collapse, authorities said. The storm also large-scale university testing within the coun- rescue of hundreds of people as it pushed at the dock, flattened palm trees, peeled ripped away a large section of a fishing ties. inland for what could be a slow and disas- away roofs, blew down signs and knocked pier at Alabama’s Gulf State Park on the Health officials are now “especially con- trous drenching across the Deep South. out power to more than 540,000 homes very day a ribbon-cutting had been sched- (Continued on Page 2) Moving at just 3 mph or about as fast and businesses. A replica of Christopher (Continued on Page 2) Inside Outside Online Detailed How to contact us: Call us: 824-0224 Local/Area Dental Care or 1-800-579-7476 Obituaries. 3 Follow us on Facebook! • Wisdom Teeth Removal Go to www.facebook.com/ • Fax us: 824-0700 Police Notebook . .3 Immediate Dentures [email protected] newsbanner • Sedation Dentistry ————— • General Dentistry On the Web: Opinion A few cooler days Place Your Classified www.news-banner.com Leo Morris. .4 • Root Canal are on tap for us Ads 24/7 Follow us at: Today Friday Saturday Call Dr. Hott! twitter.com/newsbanner Also... High 68 High 65 High 65 Vol. 91 No. 270 706 N. Main St. Sports. 6-7 Low 42 Low 39 Low 41 Blu ton, IN Classifieds . 7-8 THURSDAY Diversions . .9 More Weather on Page 2 September 17, 2020 260.824.2442 • www.BlufftonDental.com Page 2 • The News-Banner • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 LOCAL/NATION Markle council Weather (Continued from Page 1) expects to do it yet this year. Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020 which was originally set to E&B Paving is also doing (24-hour observations at 8:45 p.m. Wednesday) expire next month — espe- the related Ind. 116 repav- High: 78; Low: 49; Precipitation: None cially since current lien- ing project for the Indiana Wabash River Level (at the Main Street bridge): 1.48 holder Kevin Patel spoke Department of Transporta- feet at 8:45 p.m. Wednesday in favor of an extension last tion. month. Other quotes were Town Marshal John Mar- $58,000 from Burnau Con- Wells County forecast kley, who has been involved struction and $53,838.50 from Witmer Concrete. Thursday: Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming in the process, suggested mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 60s. Northeast winds 10 to the council check back with • Approved by consensus a $9,800 bid from Goeglein 15 mph. Huntington County DCD Thursday Night: Mostly clear. Colder. Lows in the officials in November. That Construction for projects at lower 40s. Northeast winds 5 to 15 mph. would give the council time town hall. The other quote to check in with the new came from C.A. Harris Con- Friday: Sunny. Highs in the mid 60s. Northeast winds 5 owners after the sale. struction for $11,715. to 15 mph. Campbell said it was the • Learned the cost of pav- Friday Night: Clear. Lows in the upper 30s. Northeast recommendation of DCD to ing the fire station parking winds 5 to 10 mph. bring it back in November lot is $10,500. The work will Saturday: Sunny.