Some health professionals call it the Superman booth.
Whatever you call it, a Bluffton-made product has immediate use for health care professionals testing persons who may have the COVID-19 virus.
A three-and-one-half week crash-course group effort by associates at GROB Systems resulted in creation of 11 testing booths that GROB is donating to area hospitals. The booths are being delivered this week.
The booths were created in GROB’s fabrication department, according to Emily Brock, GROB’s marketing coordinator.
With summer on the horizon, one question yet unanswered is: “Will the Bluffton Community Swimming Pool open?” Or, “When might it open, if not in late May?”
Jesse Blackburn, village administrator, told the Icon that no decision about the pool has been made by the village at this time.
“We will prepare for opening, but realize the final decision might not be ours to make,” he added.
No matter if, or when the Bluffton pool opens this summer, Bluffton council passed legislation on Monday setting positions and wages for the pool staff and rates for the 2020 season.
Monday evening's Bluffton council meeting via Zoom, with no members sitting together in the same room, poses the question, "Is this a legal, open meeting?"
The answer is "Yes." The answer comes from the the Ohio attorney general's office, which has issued guidance regarding this issue.
Elliott T. Werth, Bluffton solicitor, shared the following information to the Icon:
On March 13, 2020, Attorney General Dave Yost issued a letter of guidance in regards to the issue.
Bluffton police department’s K-9 Kato is on sick leave, according to Sergeant Tyler Hochstetler, his handler.
In a letter to Bluffton council, Hochstetler explains that on March 27 Kato showed signs of an illness.
“I took him to the vet because of his lethargic state,” wrote Hochstetler. The physician's exam, blood work and X-ray concluded that Kato is suffering from a pneumothorax (collapsed lung).
The Village of Bluffton will begin its the bi-annual flushing of the fire hydrants this week, according to Bryan Lloyd, assistant village administrator. The project should begin on Thursday, April 16.
"The process should take approximately two weeks to complete," he said, adding, "In the past, some residents have reported discoloration of the water during this process."
The discoloration usually subsides within a few hours of the flushing being completed in the area. Running a spigot for a few minutes can also help.
On April 13, Kenton Hardin Health Department is reporting the 8th and 9th confirmed cases of COVID-19. These are confirmed lab results of the virus.
According to Kelsey Ralston of the health department, "We at this time have not had a positive patient recover. We will however report those recovered cases as we have them in the county."
