Riverview Park to reopen for camping

Riverview Park is reopening.

Crittenden County Judge-Executive Perry Newcom announced today that Riverview Park at the Dam 50 area will reopen for camping this weekend.

The park on the Ohio River with seven camper sites has been closed for a few weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Newcom said he received the okay from the Kentucky Department for Public Health to allow camping to return. The judge stressed that hygiene and social distancing should be strictly observed by those using the facility.

Camping sites must be reserved at the Marion Welcome Center and there is a small fee for overnight usage.

Look who's on our show Friday!

Friday's CrittendenPress NewsTalk will be broadcast earlier than normal this week to accommodate the schedule of our guests – Classy and Grassy.

The local bluegrass music trio will join The Press at historic Fohs Hall for a sit-down interview about music, cars and coronavirus. They will be promoting their Saturday classic car parade that will drive by nursing homes in Marion and Salem, and discussing their weekly live concert that is broadcast Saturday nights while the virus has us homebound.

Don't miss CrittendenPress NewsTalk at 11am Friday LIVE from Fohs Hall on Facebook. You can watch the re-run, too, on YouTube, The-Press.com and Facebook.

This week's show is sponsored by 

Tom Potter your Marion State Farm Agent 

and Frazer and Massey Law Firm.

Cruce Rock Yard opens south of Marion

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Gary Cruce Hauling, Inc. now includes a rock yard on the outskirts of Marion. Located on U.S. 641 about a half mile from the southern Marion city limit, the rock yard contains several sizes of rock, sand, mulch and dirt.

Evan and Gary Cruce recently purchased land on at the intersection of Coleman Road and expanded the family's long-time hauling service to include the rock yard. Pick-ups are required with loads priced by the skid steer bucket.

For more information or to arrange pick-up time, call Evan or Gary Cruce.

Outline for Reopening Kentucky

Following is a timeline for a number of businesses to reopen, according to Gov. Andy Beshear's plans revealed this week. As the state slowly reopens, those places of business will be required to follow the 10 Safe at Work Rules, which are also below.

Opening May 11
Manufacturing facilities
Construction sites
Car Dealerships
Professional Services with restrictions
Horse Racing with no fans
Dog Grooming / Boarding

Opening May 20
Retail shops, with limitations
Churches with no Sunday school and other limitations

Opening May 25
10-Person Social Gatherings
Barbers, salons, cosmetology businesses and other similar services

Here are businesses that are NOT reopening under Phase 1

• Restaurants
• Gyms
• Movie theaters
• Campgrounds
• Youth sports
• Public pools
• Day care facilities
• Summer camps

10 "Healthy at Work" rules:

1. Continuing teleworking where possible
2. Phased return to work (not everyone comes back to the office at once)
3. Onsite temperature/health checks 
4. Universal masks and any other necessary personal protective equipment 
5. Close common areas (no break rooms or cafeterias)
6. Enforce social distancing
7. Limit face-to-face meetings
8. Sanitizer/hand wash stations
9. Special accommodations (those who in high-risk groups don't return to work)
10. Testing plan (What will happen if an employee tests positive after coming into the workplace?)

Beshear announcing plans for state re-opening

Gov. Andy Beshear will unveil plans for re-opening the state today during his 4 p.m. live update.

Can we expect little league baseball, softball?

Local little league baseball and softball organizers say there’s still plenty of hope that leagues will be able to organize and play ball this summer.

Spring soccer has already been cancelled.

Tanner Tabor, president of the Crittenden County Dugout Club, said there are no current plans to cancel recreational baseball and softball. However, there will clearly be a delay in the start of the season, which would have been starting now.

“We plan to play in June and July, and if we .... for the rest of this article, see this week's printed edition of The Crittenden Press or subscribe to the full online e-Press here for as little as $2.95 a month.

CCHS graduation plans coming together

In an attempt to honor seniors’ wishes and comply with requirements to social distance, Crittenden County High School is moving forward with plans for a virtual graduation ceremony on May 22.

However, principal Amanda Irvan is still holding out hope that the district can host an in-person graduation at a later date when restrictions caused by COVID-19 are relaxed.

“We think this will meet a lot of wishes of the senior class,” Irvan told the Crittenden County Board of Education Tuesday night, via a remote presentation.

“We will have a fully virtual graduation that will air live at 7 p.m., May 22,” she said. “There will be some live elements, but the majority will be pre-recorded and it will be available on DVD.”

Several details must still be worked out, but Irvan also described student interest in some form of a parade, perhaps also on May 22. 

“The class of 2020 is missing out on the opportunity for a processional, recessional and the fanfare and pomp of graduation, and the spotlight of that night,” the principal said.

“We are working on a Google form that will let kids know where they fall in the in line-up and the parade route,” she said. “We are asking for volunteers for kids who don’t have vehicles, but students may ride with their families.”

Attending the parade is not mandatory for seniors, she added.

Commission focuses money on city only

No longer will the Marion Tourism Commission include restaurants outside of the corporate city limits in its marketing materials.

In an recent meeting, commissioners met remotely to discuss a number of items on the tourism department’s agenda. Among decisions made during the 30-minute meeting was a measure to restrict the tourism’s marketing strategy.

The commission decided that it wouldn’t be prudent to spend money raised from tax revenue derived from restaurants inside the city to promote those outside its boundaries. Currently, the resolution adopted by the board will affect just ... for the rest of this article, see this week's printed edition of The Crittenden Press or subscribe to the full online e-Press here for as little as $2.95 a month.

AG says governor's travel ban too broad

Attorney General Daniel Cameron has notified a federal court of his position that Gov. Andy Beshear’s travel ban unconstitutionally infringes on the rights of Kentuckians to travel across state lines. In a filing in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Attorney General Cameron asks the court to realign him as a plaintiff to represent the people of Kentucky and protect their constitutional right to travel from infringement by Governor Beshear’s travel ban. “Kentuckians have a fundamental and constitutional right to freely travel from one state to another,” said Attorney General Cameron. “While the spread of COVID-19 requires Kentuckians to follow CDC recommendations for social distancing and use caution when traveling, the Governor’s order is overly broad by banning nearly all travel.  If the Governor is going to ask Kentuckians to surrender their constitutional right to freely travel as part of the fight against COVID-19, such a restriction must be narrowly tailored.  The sweeping scope of his travel ban, if left unchecked, creates a dangerous precedent.” Governor Beshear’s March 30 and subsequent April 2 executive orders instruct Kentuckians not to travel to other states during the pandemic, except for limited reasons.  If Kentuckians violate the order by traveling to another state for an unapproved purpose, Beshear’s order requires them to self-quarantine for 14 days.  Violating the order could be prosecuted as a Class A misdemeanor pursuant to KRS 39A.990. Governor Beshear’s executive order mandates a one-size-fits-all approach that Kentuckians must follow if they desire to travel, despite the incidence of COVID-19 varying greatly in each county and in each state.   To view a copy of the motion, click here.

Masked is the only way to go

Effective May 11, Gov. Andy Beshear says Kentuckians will be asked to wear face masks in public, as the state begins to slowly reopen.

This new requirement will be for people working in areas of the economy that have restarted. Workers, shoppers and consumers will need to be masked any time they will be around other people.

The governor said the move to requiring masks is part of a new normal that will likely be around for months, at least until there is a COVID-19 vaccine. Beshear said masks are key to personal protection. It will keep the wearer and others nearby protected.

Medical-grade masks are not necessary, only cloth ones. Many in the community are starting to make them. Read more about this and get other COVID updates and local news in this week's printed edition of The Crittenden Press.

New case of COVID in Crittenden

Crittenden County officials have confirmed today that a fourth positive case of COVID-19 has been confirmed here.

The patient is a 70-year-old male who is self-quarantined at home.

Of the four known confirmed cases in Crittenden County, one is deceased, one is recovered, one is hospitalized and one is at home.

For updates on the COVID-19 crisis, see this week's printed edition of The Crittenden Press.

How close is KY to meeting benchmarks?

FROM KYHEALTHNEWS

So how close is Ky. coming to benchmarks needed to reopen? It's hard to tell, but Beshear says he will discuss possible dates Mon.

Gov. Andy Beshear says he is following benchmarks "to guide his decisions about re-opening Kentucky’s economy during the covid-19 pandemic, but figuring out how to measure the state’s progress has been difficult," reports Lexington Herald-Leader political writer Daniel Desrochers. "The Democratic governor and his administration have provided scant information about how it is defining and tracking each indicator."

Beshear said at his daily briefing Sunday that he would talk Monday about possible dates for reopenings, but "It's gonna be a fluid situation."

The seven benchmarks, Desrochers writes, "really boil down to four things: how many people are getting sick from the coronavirus, how many people can be tested for the virus, how many people are available to trace the contacts of infected people, and how much personal protective equipment is available to those who need it."

The benchmarks follow guidelines recently issued by the White House and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one of which is "Downward trajectory of documented cases within a 14-day period." Beshear said Saturday that doesn't mean the number of cases has to decline each day; he previously spoke of looking at three-day averages, noting that the numbers can vary depending on lab reports, especially on and around weekends. Read the Rest of this Article here.

Practitioners starting to reopen today

Local healthcare practitioners – including chiropractors and the eye doctor – who had previously been forced to close by state guidelines due to the COVID-19 pandemic are starting to reopen.

On Thursday Gov. Andy Beshear announced that health care facilities can resume non-urgent/emergent health care services, diagnostic radiology and lab services. Also, physical therapy settings, chiropractic offices and optometrists may restart today. Dental offices may also, but there are added restrictions in place for dentists.

Most in Marion have now reopened, and some on different hours than normal. You may contact your local practitioner by phone to set up an appointment and to find out what special guidelines might exist for office visits.

Scam Alert: Sheriff urges caution

Crittenden County Sheriff Wayne Agent says calls from local residents with regard to scam attempts are on the rise.

The sheriff said it appears scammers are alleging they are from the Social Security Department when the contact local citizens by phone.

"Never give your Social Security number, or any personal information to someone who calls on the phone," the sheriff said.

Agent said the phone number 833-597-8772 has recently been associated with scam calls.

Southside development begins

Site development has begun for new construction on South Main Street in Marion.

Early indications are that this will be a second location for Dollar General. Officials at DG told The Press last October that it was looking for a location to build a second store in Marion.

The lot was recently purchased by a development company in Jackson, Tenn., which has previously built a number of Dollar General stores. 

The Press has reached out to DG and the contractor. We should have additional details for next week's printed edition of the newspaper.

Marion already has a 9,100 square foot Dollar General store on Sturigs Road, which opened in August 2008.

What's Making News this Week...

This week's printed edition of The Crittenden Press is on sale now at area newsstands and online. Click here to subscribe.

Due to challenges facing local businesses, including The Press, the paper is smaller this week. For the first time in more than 40 years, The Press printed edition is only eight pages. With businesses temporarily closed due to concerns and mandated protocol surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, advertising has slowed dramatically. Our advertisers key partners in helping The Press continue to report reliable news, and we appreciate them and understand the challenges they are facing.

Despite having fewer pages than normal, The Press printed edition will continue to meet its obligation to the community. We're here to serve Marion, Crittenden County and beyond through this and other difficult times. Know that you can rely on us being there for news, sports and other important information as we all push through these very trying times together.

In this week's newspaper you will find these articles and more:

• A local legislator says it's time to get back to work
• There's a parade planned for next week
• Schools begin to prepare for what's next, including graduation and the fall semester
• Several local athletes are being wooed by colleges, and one has already signed
• Turkey hunting results
• Historian Brenda Underdown examines some of Marion's early leaders 
• New details on the missing Salem man, whose body was found Sunday
• And a sad profile on Marion's first COVID death

Illness can affect blood sugar

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People with diabetes should pay close attention to their blood sugar if they are sick. Numerous illnesses can cause the body's blood sugar to increase, and it is more difficult to manage diabetes during an illness.

Diabetes educators advise that a sick day plan is important, and that plan includes having the proper medicines on hand and knowing when to call a doctor.

It is important that diabetics eat a normal diet when sick and to routinely check blood sugar.

To learn more about managing diabetes, contact the Pennyrile District Health Department or specialists Kelly Dawes or Ali Perryman.

Hunt Law Group provides local services

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Hunt Law Group in Marion provides a wide range of legal services.

Some areas of practice include estate planning, will preparation, probate cases and preparation for long-term care.

Contact attorney Wesley A. Hunt to discuss any of these legal needs.

Hunt is a Crittenden County native whose practice is located on East Carlisle Street in Marion.

Honor grads with yard signs

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Do you have a high school or college senior you would like to recognize? Show your graduate you are proud of them with a durable, two-sided yard sign.

Provide a photo and the name of the school and we will create a custom yard sign for you to place in your yard, your business' yard or in your storefront.

Signs are $45 each or two for $80.

The Crittenden Press also prints graduation announcements. Call for details.

No more school this academic year

Gov. Andy Beshear has said Kentucky classrooms will remain shut down for the remainder of this academic year.

Crittenden County Supt. Vince Clark cautions students and parents, however, that NTI days will continue.

Clark said state law requires every school district to meet a minimum of 1,062 instructional hours. The superintendent said students here should reach that threshold sometime in mid May. Until then, remote-learning programs will continue.

Further details will be rolled out later, including how teachers will administer grades and end-of-year events like graduation. Crittenden County had hoped to delay long enough for an in-person graduation ceremony, but new guidelines announced by the governor today eliminate any in-person school active until after June 30 at the earliest.

See this week's printed edition of The Crittenden Press for details.