SO YOU KNOW

A news conference is scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 17, to inform Boyle County residents about efforts to curtail the spread of COVID-19. Judge-Executive Howard Hunt, Boyle County officials, city officials, the Boyle County Health Department, Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center, Boyle County EMS and Centre College will all be participating. The conference can be watched live beginning at 10 a.m. by visiting  youtube.com/watch?v=mxcZYMdflZo.

 

 

Water service

The City of Danville announced Monday it would suspend disconnects of water service until further notice.

Customers whose service has been turned off recently due to non-payment may call the city at (859) 238-1200 to have it turned back on, however staff is proactively running routes to turn service back on for water customers who have been recently disconnected.

Kentucky Utilities announced Monday it would be suspending disconnects until May 1. The change is intended “to assist residential customers who may be facing financial difficulties in the near-term due to impacts from COVID-19,” according to KU.

“While we’ve historically taken similar measures during extreme weather conditions, we are in unprecedented times with this virus and we want to ensure that our residential customers, who may need some extra time to make payments, have the additional grace period,” said Eileen Saunders, vice president of customer services. “We are committed to working with our customers who may be having difficulty paying their energy bills and connecting them with available resources that can further assist them.”

Atmos Energy similarly announced plans to suspend disconnects of natural gas service, in order to help customers who “experience financial difficulty, whether because of illness, quarantine or a disruption at work.”

An emergency meeting was scheduled to be held by Danville City Commission the morning of March 17 to declare a state of emergency. The meeting was open to the public, but City Manager David Milliron said future meetings of the commission will be held “online … until further notice.” (This paragraph has been corrected to reflect the correct date for the emergency meeting)

 

Library closed to public 

 

The Boyle County Public Library closed its door early Monday, and will remain closed until further notice. Jen Boutin, public relations coordinator, says the decision was made to limit crowds and gatherings in response to COVID-19. 

The board will hold a special-called meeting 4 p.m. Tuesday to discuss and confirm library operations during this closure. Additional details will be announced as soon as possible. Boutin said the situation will continue to be monitored and the library’s leadership will make adjustments as circumstances warrant. 

Check-outs have been extended to 14 days for DVDs and 28 days for all other materials. There will be no fines for overdue materials through the end of April.

The library is also working on the details of offering curbside pickup on a limited basis, which will be announced on its website and social media. 

“All materials returned to the library will be treated with EPA- and CDC-approved cleaning protocol, quarantined and then cleaned again. The facility will undergo deep-cleaning prior to reopening,” Boutin said. 

Customers are encouraged to take advantage of the Library’s online resources at boylepublib.org/online-resources and the online library collection at boylepublib.org/emedia. The library has increased the numbers of items that patrons can check out on Kentucky Libraries Unbound, which can be accessed with the Libby or Overdrive apps. For any questions, call (859) 238-7323 or email library@boylepublib.org.

 

Arts Center of the Bluegrass closed to public

 

In light of Governor Andy Beshear’s strong recommendation that everyone practice social distancing, the Art Center building will be closed for at least the next couple weeks.

The staff can still be reached at (859) 449-3687 or by emailing info@artcenterky.org.

The center will be sharing “art-at-home” resources over the next couple weeks on its Facebook page.

“Hunkering down at home can be a great opportunity to tap into your inner creativity. In the coming days, I hope you will read, write, draw, paint, sew, or bake. Connect with your family, call your friends to be sure they’re okay, and don’t forget to breathe,” wrote Director Niki Kinkade in an email to ACB patrons on Monday.

 

Farmers National Bank closes main branch

 

As a public health safety measure, Farmers National Bank is temporarily closing its main office location to the public (304 W. Main Street, Danville), effective today. All other branches will remain open during normal business hours. However, the bank asks customers to use the drive-thru lanes, if possible, to practice responsible social distancing. 

“We care about our customers, employees and our community. After careful consideration, we believe this is the right thing to do,” said Greg Caudill, Farmers National Bank CEO. “We made this decision based on information from health officials in order to prevent the community spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). We remain committed to providing outstanding service and we appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding.” 

Should Farmers National Bank customers or community members need to meet with a main office bank representative in-person, they can do so by calling to set an appointment. 

 

Meeting cancellations

• The Danville-Boyle County Economic Development Partnership canceled its regular March meeting, which would have been held Wednesday morning at Denyo Manufacturing Inc.

“As this situation develops over the next two weeks, a decision will be made to reschedule or reconvene at our regularly scheduled time in April,” according to a letter sent by EDP President and CEO Jody Lassiter. “This decision was not made lightly.  EDP board members are recognized leaders in our community’s economy, so it is important that we project confidence and proceed with our important work as we experience unprecedented conditions in modern times. However, we also have to recognize and respect federal/state policies to limit group interactions as a means to slow the spread of the virus.”

Lassiter said the EDP will be consulting with other economic development agencies about best practices for meeting in the wake of the pandemic.

“We are by no means slowing down,” Lassiter wrote. “In fact, it’s quite the opposite. In addition to our regular work, this situation feels similar to the EDP’s coordination of emergency response with industries and businesses during the 2009 ice storm.”

• The Danville Architectural Heritage Board and City of Danville have canceled their joint work session scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 17. The cancellation was made out of “an abundance of caution and following guidance from the Kentucky Department for Public Health,” according to a news release.

“KDPH has advised that all community gatherings should be canceled, postponed or done virtually,” according to the release. “Meetings, even small ones, should be done virtually.”

• The Boyle County Fire Department canceled its monthly board meeting, which would have been held Tuesday, March 17.

 

More COVID-19 updates

 

• The Norton Center for the Arts at Centre College will close its public spaces beginning today, March 16, according to an announcement from the center. The center’s administrative and box offices will remain open by phone and email at (859) 236-4692 or nortoncenter@centre.edu. Tickets remain available for purchase at nortoncenter.com

“While the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, we are looking forward to presenting future Norton Center events as scheduled, including the May 6 Alison Krauss show and the May 10 performance by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra,” according to the release. “Any changes to these performance schedules will be communicated directly to ticket holders by email and phone.”

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidance over the weekend asking for all “large events and mass gatherings” of 50 people or more to be canceled for the next eight weeks.

“Examples of large events and mass gatherings include conferences, festivals, parades, concerts, sporting events, weddings, and other types of assemblies,” according to the CDC. “These events can be planned not only by organizations and communities but also by individuals. … Events of any size should only be continued if they can be carried out with adherence to guidelines for protecting vulnerable populations, hand hygiene, and social distancing.  When feasible, organizers could modify events to be virtual.”