This is the WFHB Local News for Wednesday, August 12, 2020.

Later in the program, you will hear from Jeff Baldwin, executive director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bloomington. Baldwin discusses low-cost childcare options available for families in Monroe County.

Also coming up in the next half hour, two protests took place over the weekend - one in Bloomington and another in Martinsville. More on those protests later in the program.

But first, your local headlines.

Here are three headlines you need to know today. WFHB Correspondent Aaron Comforty filed today’s local news brief.

667 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Indiana on Tuesday, according to the Indiana State Department of Health. 15 new deaths were added to last week’s Covid-19 death tally, including one in Monroe County.

Locally, Monroe and Brown Counties each saw one new confirmed case yesterday, while Lawrence County saw five.

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Monroe County students begin the school year today, one hundred percent online.

To help students who don’t have internet access or a computer at home, the school district is taking a few steps to expand students’ access to technology.

The district is distributing tablets to elementary and middle school students, and laptops to high schoolers. It’s offering a number of free wifi options for students and parents as well, including eleven local schools which have wifi in their parking lots, wifi connected buses that are parked at five or six neighborhood locations around Bloomington, and cellular hotspots are available to families and teachers.

Even with all the extended options for wifi access, some students, who don’t have wifi and whose family can’t bring them to one of the wifi options are at risk of falling behind.

The Monroe County School Corporation is also offering other services like meal delivery and virtual counseling. To learn more about the reopening plan you can go to their website at mccsc.edu.

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Pantry 279 will be closed today, August 12th, due to a nearby gas leak. Pantry 279 director Cindy Chavez encourages people to check the food pantry’s Facebook page for further announcements. You can find more info on Pantry 279 and their services on their website at pantry279.org.

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The Monroe County Community School Board discussed their 2021 school year budget during their August 11th work session meeting. Assistant Director of Business Operations Adam Terwilliger said the Average Daily Membership state payments have been trending upward since 2012.

Terwilliger presented 2021 tax levy rates. He said tax levies are the overall monies raised from property tax. Director of Business Operations John Kenny said the advertised number is likely to reduce before final approval.

Terwilliger said MCCSC school’s overall tax rate ranks in the bottom 10 of Indiana schools. Board member Sue Wanzer asked Kenny how the current economic status would affect school funding.

Superintendent Dr. Judith DeMuth said no definite funding cuts for schools choosing to teach online, as in Senator Rod Bray’s letter, have been announced. However, she said Governor Eric Holcomb has mentioned he would not let schools teaching online lose funding. Kenny said the next budget hearing will be September 24th.

Bloomington mayor John Hamilton will join city and community partners in another conference call on Wednesday, August 12th discussing Mayor Hamilton’s Recovery Forward Initiative.

Tomorrow’s conference will include Adam Wason, Director of Public Works; Tina Peterson, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County; the City’s Assistant Director for Sustainability Lauren Travis; the City’s Local Food Coordinator Rachel Beyer; and Steve Kramer,