☛ ☛ NTERPRISEt h e l i v i n g s t o n E Wednesday, April 7, 2021 •฀Livingston,฀Montana฀•฀Vol.฀115 No.฀77 $1.00 Nearly half of new US virus infections are in just 5 states By The Associated Press more successfully control- ling the virus might see less Nearly half of new coro- vaccine as a result. navirus infections nation- “You wouldn’t want to wide are in just five states make those folks wait — a situation that is putting because they were doing pressure on the federal gov- better,” Geng said. “On the ernment to consider chang- other hand, it only makes ing how it distributes vac- sense to send vaccines to cines by sending more dos- where the cases are rising.” es to hot spots. The spike in cases has New York, Michigan, Flor- been especially pronounced ida, Pennsylvania and New in Michigan, where the sev- Jersey together reported en-day average of daily new 44% of the nation’s new infections reached 6,719 COVID-19 infections, or cases Sunday — more than nearly 197,500 new cases, in double what it was two the latest available seven- weeks earlier. Only New day period, according to York reported higher case state health agency data numbers. And California compiled by Johns Hopkins and Texas, which have vast- University. Total U.S. infec- ly larger populations than tions during the same week Michigan, are reporting less n u m b e r e d m o r e t h a n than half its number of dai- 452,000. ly infections. Enterprise photos by Sam Klomhaus The heavy concentration Though Michigan has seen Grace Merideth, 6, reads to Dandy, a 3-year-old collie, and Mary Miller Tuesday at St. Mary’s Catholic School. of new cases in states that the highest rate of new account for 22% of the U.S. infections in the past two population has prompted weeks, Democratic Gov. some experts and elected Gretchen Whitmer has said officials to call for Presi- she does not plan to tighten dent Joe Biden’s administra- restrictions. She has blamed tion to ship additional vac- the virus surge on pandemic Reading with Dandy cine doses to those places. fatigue, which has people So far, the White House has moving about more, as well shown no signs of shifting as more contagious vari- By Sam Klomhaus from its policy of dividing ants. Enterprise Staff Writer vaccine doses among states “Taking steps back wasn’t based on population. going to fix the issue,” Whit- race Merideth, a 6-year- Sending extra doses to mer said as she got her first old first-grader at St. places where infection num- vaccine Tuesday at Ford Mary’s Catholic School, bers are climbing makes Field in Detroit, home of the takes a break from read- sense, said Dr. Elvin H. NFL’s Lions. “What we have ing aloud and shows the Geng, a professor in infec- to do is really put our foot Gcover of her book, “Merlin’s Mis- tious diseases at Washing- sions: Carnival at Candlelight,” to ton University. But it’s also her audience. complicated. States that are See Infections, Page 6 That audience, Dandy, a 3-year-old collie and very good listener, sniffs the book with great interest. St. Mary’s School students have started reading to Dandy to improve their skills. The students sit on a dog blanket on the floor of a classroom with Mary Miller, Dandy’s owner, and Dandy, and read aloud. Tuesday marked Dandy’s fifth ses- sion with St. Mary’s students. Stu- dents read with Dandy and Miller for about 15-20 minutes at a time. Who gets to read with Dandy, a range of students who need help in reading or social skills, is chosen by the teachers. Sometimes the kids choose which books to read and Mary Miller and Dandy walk with a St. Mary’s Catholic School student to sometimes the teachers pick. the room where the student will read to Dandy. The dog has to be registered, a process Miller said Dandy complet- ed in 2019. Dandy was named by her The results of the reading program social skills. husband, Miller said, who had a dog are significant, Miller said, and don’t “Hopefully we can encourage AP with the same name in his childhood. just include improvements in read- them to be better readers because a People wearing face masks as a precaution against the Miller has two children who teach at ing skills. The program is also avail- dog is not judgmental,” Dandy’s coronavirus wait in line to receive COVID-19 vaccines at a St. Mary’s. able to kids who are working on owner Mary Miller said. site in Philadelphia on March 29. Livingston City Commission approves green can fee By Sam Klomhaus “It’s a great program. It just ple are going to have to be patient have to pay for the program. units, 10,000 square feet of com- Enterprise Staff Writer hasn’t been fair and equitable to all because they won’t receive their Holmes said residents can have mercial space, 10,000 or more residents,” Public Works Director cans right away. green cans for less than the normal square feet of outdoor storage or 20 The Livingston City Commission Shannon Holmes said. There are about 900 green cans six-month green can period if, for or more parking spaces will be sub- approved Tuesday a $6 monthly fee The city’s implementation of the available, according to a staff example, they just want the green ject to site plan review. for the residential green waste col- green waste program has been lim- memo, and the city expects to add can for fall leaf pickup. They will Assistant Planning Director lection program starting in May. ited by equipment and staff num- about 600 more. still have to pay the $6 monthly fee Mathieu Menard said Livingston is City manager Michael Kardoes bers, Holmes said, and adding the The goal this year is to gauge how and the $3 administrative fee, he seeing some large-scale develop- said the green waste program, aka fee, which will allow residents to many residents will want to partici- said. ments, especially condo develop- the green can program, has been a have their own cans, is the first step pate in the program, Holmes said. In other business, the commission ments, that are having downstream good program but has never been in having a citywide green waste The billing will be effective only approved an ordinance revising the impacts on city services such as very equitable, with a small number collection program. during the months of the service, he city’s requirements for site plan street maintenance and stormwater. of people using the cans because The city anticipates having to put said. review. the cans were distributed among in an order for new cans to meed Also approved was a $3 adminis- Under the new ordinance, devel- multiple households. demand, Holmes said, so some peo- trative fee that participants will opments of 10 or more residential See Green can fee, Page 6 Woman is hurt in crash By Justin Post both vehicles came to rest on the west side of Enterprise Staff Writer the road, Kloster said. A life flight helicopter was placed on stand- A Park County woman suffered non-life- by after the crash was reported, but was later threatening injuries when her passenger vehi- canceled, according to the Montana Highway cle collided with a dump truck hauling gravel Patrol. Traffic on 89 South was temporarily Tuesday evening on U.S. 89 South in Paradise limited to one lane while a heavy wrecker Valley, authorities said. worked to recover the dump truck. The woman, who was driving a white Chevy Whistler Towing of Livingston used a 60-ton Aveo LS, was taken by ambulance to Livings- rotator to recover the dump truck. The rotator ton HealthCare following the 4:31 p.m. crash pivoted a long boom over the truck and used at mile marker 33 on U.S. 89 South, just south cables to remove it from the side of the road. of the Grey Owl Fishing Access Site. The Montana Highway Patrol is handling the The crash occurred when the woman’s pas- investigation. Law enforcement does not senger vehicle, which was traveling north believe speed or alcohol played a role in the toward Livingston, crossed the center line and crash, Kloster said. collided with the dump truck traveling south, said Sgt. Adam Kloster with the Montana Highway Patrol. Troopers with the Montana Highway Patrol Distracted driving may be a factor in the stand at the driver’s door of a passenger crash, Kloster said. vehicle involved in a collision with a dump The driver of the dump truck was uninjured, truck at approximately 4:31 p.m. Tuesday on he said. The dump truck and the pup trailer it U.S. 89 South in Paradise Valley, as a crew was pulling were both loaded with gravel. from Whistler Towing works in the back- The dump truck and the passenger car col- ground to recover the dump truck. lided in the southbound lane of 89 South, and Enterprise photo by Justin Post Page 2, Livingston Enterprise Wednesday, April 7, 2021 BRIEFS OBITUARIES •฀ The Livingston School virus-response-parkcounty. Cottages at 104 W. Reservoir or lost rural address num- Wesley Earl ‘Wes’ Bull District Calendar Committee hub.arcgis.com. The supply St. There are seven one-bed- bers for free.