Solid turnout
Bartholomew County’s first mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic went off without a hitch last weekend.
Over the course of nine hours, a total of 924 people received their first dose of the Moderna vaccine at the Bartholomew County 4-H Fairgrounds Pavilion on April 10.
Going into the day, health officials estimated they’d have 1,300 doses for the clinic. If those numbers proved accurate, around 72% of the available doses were used.
More than 18,000 county residents had received their first dose of the vaccine heading into the weekend, which is an encouraging sign as summer approaches.
Hopefully vaccination numbers will continue to increase so mass clinics aren’t needed in the near future.
An excellent fit
Bartholomew County’s loss has turned into a gain for the entire state of Indiana.
Earlier this week, Bartholomew County Clerk Jay Phelps, 31, announced that he was resigning from his post on April 16.
The reason? Phelps has accepted a job in the secretary of state’s office as director of election modernization, administration and special projects.
While Phelps has achieved much during his time as clerk — including transitioning the county from precinct locations to voting centers in 2015 — perhaps his greatest feat was putting on this past election cycle, which required a slew of changes to accommodate voters due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a February editorial, we said that the state would be wise to give Phelps a ring because his "talents could benefit Hoosiers at the state level for years to come."
We look forward to seeing Phelps continue to serve Hoosiers on an even larger scale.
Helping those in need
Over the last 13 months, thousands of local families have needed assistance in some form due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Whether it be for groceries or gasoline, the United Way of Bartholomew County has made sure to connect those in need with services to help them.
The United Way recently announced it had raised $613,574 for its COVID-19 Relief Fund since March 2020, which has helped 4,549 people amid the pandemic. Most of those people (2,041) received food assistance.
The United Way’s 17 member agencies have worked around the clock for the community.
All the nonprofit workers and volunteers that have gone above and beyond to help those in need deserve, as United Way President Mark Stewart said, a "thunderous applause."
