Welcome to the WFHB Local News for Monday, April 27th, 2020.

Later in the program, Sydney Foreman talks to Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton in her recurring segment, “A Few Minutes with the Mayor." Also coming up in the next half hour, Kade Young continues his conversation with Matt Houser, an IU Researcher who co-led a survey breaking down public opinion in the state on climate change.

But first, your local headlines:

Numbers courtesy of Indiana State Department of Health.

Indiana State Department of Health reported 963 new positive cases and 31 new deaths. Total positive cases nearly hit 16,000 people with 844 total deaths.

The state tested 84,476 total people. 18.9 percent of total tests came back positive with coronavirus.

Monroe County has 120 total positive cases. 7 total deaths were reported in Monroe County.

Almost half of the new positive case count in the state come from Cass County after a meat packing plant experienced a covid-19 outbreak.

Tyson Fresh Meats Plant in Logansport temporarily closed its doors after 146 employees tested positive for novel coronavirus. Cass County now has over 1,000 total positive cases.

Photo courtesy of Monroe County.

Monroe County Commissioners considered 10 local businesses to receive Food and Beverage Emergency Grants due to COVID-19 impacts. County Attorney Jeff Cockerill presented the businesses under consideration during their April 22nd meeting.

Cockerill said the total from all applications is approximately 68 thousand 400 dollars. Cockerill said all applicants were interviewed by a commissioner before being presented for approval. Suzanne Sharpe of Back to Nature Cabins shared some of her businesses’ struggles.

Commission members unanimously approved the 10 requested grants. Cockerill said individualized agreements will be sent to each business.

The CDC says at 3:00 PM today, CDC’s Division of Laboratory Systems will host a call to discuss hot topics and to solicit the laboratory community’s questions about the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These Clinical Laboratory COVID-19 Response Calls will take place every Monday at 3:00 PM EDT.

Information for the Zoom invitation is available on the CDC’s website.

Photo courtesy of Idaho Press.

Indiana State Department of Correction said two Indiana prison guards died over the weekend from coronavirus-related deaths.

The Associated Press reported “One guard, 67-year-old Gary Weinke, worked at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility near the town of Carlisle in southwestern Indiana’s Sullivan County died Saturday from COVID-19 complications and had last worked at the prison on March 29."

AP reported that A guard from the Indiana Women’s Prison in Indianapolis also died Saturday with a presumed coronavirus illness.

Four prison inmates have died in Indiana. According to the state department of correction, total prison staff members made up 133 of positive cases. State corrections department said 298 people in prison were positive with novel covid-19.

The Monroe County Board of Trustees discussed a compensation and working from home proposal during their April 17th meeting. Board member Marilyn Wood said the library has been running under its emergency plan which pays essential workers time and a half.

Wood said the work from home proposal will pay employees at their regular rates. She said only a small portion of employees were working on time and a half. She said income tax drops will affect future library funding.

Wood said the library still offers many online and virtual services. Board members unanimously approved the work from home proposal.

Photo courtesy of Bloomington Transit.