Daily Archives: June 20, 2022

Mike Stucka USA TODAY NETWORK| Gonzales Weekly Citizen

Louisiana reported far fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending Sunday, adding 6,649 new cases. That's down 16.1% from the previous week's tally of 7,921 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Louisiana ranked 38th among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 0.7% from the week before, with 730,572 cases reported. With 1.4% of the country's population, Louisiana had 0.91% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 15 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.

Ascension Parish reported 178 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 181 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 34,089 cases and 293 deaths.

Across Louisiana, cases fell in 34 parishes, with the best declines in Bossier Parish, with 292 cases from 644 a week earlier; in Jefferson Parish, with 659 cases from 928; and in Orleans Parish, with 612 cases from 831.

>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases

Within Louisiana, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in St. James Parish with 280 cases per 100,000 per week; De Soto Parish with 240; and Bossier Parish with 230. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.

Adding the most new cases overall were East Baton Rouge Parish, with 727 cases; Jefferson Parish, with 659 cases; and Orleans Parish, with 612. Weekly case counts rose in 26 parishes from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Rapides, Lafayette and Ouachita parishes.

In Louisiana, 17 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 15 people were reported dead.

A total of 1,210,760 people in Louisiana have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 17,373 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 86,246,101 people have tested positive and 1,013,413 people have died.

>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States

USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, June 19.

Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:

Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:

Hospitals in 29 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 25 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 31 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.

The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.

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Ascension Parish reported 178 additional COVID-19 cases this week - Weekly Citizen

TECUMSEH, Ontario (PRWEB) June 15, 2022

I have been exploring comparative religions for the last 20 years in search of the real story of Jesus Christ away from preconception influences. Finding pieces of information that were missing here and there and connecting them correctly on the jigsaw puzzle to complete part of the picture gives an incredible sense of satisfaction. This book is a way to present the hard work I went through to the reader on a silver platter, Ezzat Hegazi states.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus Christs ascension into heaven is never stressed on in church sermons, or why there is not enough information about it in the canonical literature? Hegazi asks. In The Ascension of Jesus Christ into Heaven: The Hidden Context (published by Partridge Singapore), he takes readers on a short journey to see how Jesus ascension was the exact antithesis of the belief about his rising from the dead and to hear about the story of Jesus Christ as it was most likely told by the earliest Judeo-Christians. This book also brings to light what Hegazi believes is the real reason behind the persecution of the early Judeo-Christians, culminating with the murder of James the Righteous: it has everything to do with the early Judeo-Christians steadfast belief in Jesuss ascension into heaven, against what was being publicized about Jesus.

The arguments of this book are unique in the sense that they attach the belief of the earlier Judeo-Christians to Jesuss ascension rather than to the prevailing passion narratives of the canonical Gospels. This is then used to show how the canonical Gospels could have been created out of two opposing traditions, and how the end of Jesus story could have been told by the earliest of those two traditions, Hegazi points out. He adds, The evidence, the arguments, and the conclusions of this work is quite different from those of the other books in the market.

When asked what he wants readers to take away from the book, Hegazi answers For them to read and learn something about Jesus that they do not usually hear about in sermons; the original significance of Jesus ascension into heaven and the drastic impact of this missing piece of information on our understanding of Christianity. With this book I aim only to open a window which has been kept shut and covered for all these centuries in the hope that the view from that window will now be seen clearly. For more details about the book, please visit https://www.amazon.com/Ascension-Jesus-Christ-into-Heaven/dp/1543757111/ref

This book will be featured at the 2022 American Library Association Annual Conference in Washington D.C., on June 24 - June 27, 2022.

The Ascension of Jesus Christ into Heaven: The Hidden ContextBy Ezzat HegaziHardcover | 5.5 x 8.5in | 112 pages | ISBN 9781543757125Softcover | 5.5 x 8.5in | 112 pages | ISBN 9781543757118E-Book | 112 pages | ISBN 9781543757132Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the AuthorEzzat Hegazi has a doctorate degree in science from the University of Windsor, Canada, and works as a research science consultant. In the last two decades, he has been self-exploring comparative religions to search for the real story of Jesus away from all preconception influences. He published his first book four years ago about the different beliefs among the three Abrahamic religions concerning the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Partridge Publishing, an imprint of Author Solutions, LLC, aims to help writers in Singapore, Malaysia, India and Southern Africa become published authors. Partridge gives authors in these region direct access to a comprehensive range of expert publishing services that meet industry standards but are more accessible to the market. For more information or to publish a book, visit partridgepublishing.com or call +65 3165 7531 (Singapore), +60 3 3099 4412 (Malaysia), 800014971 (Africa) or 000 800 919 0634 (India).

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New book shows that Jesus' ascension into heaven was exactly the antithesis of the belief about his crucifixion and resurrection - PR Web

After a 34-year career in education, Ascension Public Schools Director of Secondary Schools Mia Edwards is retiring on June 30.

"There is so much I could say about the talents, competencies, and professional accomplishments of Mia Edwards," said Superintendent David Alexander."She has led countless successful initiatives at each juncture of her career. I admire her genuine passion and courage to embrace the mission, calling, and purpose of our work in education.

"She successfully supported ongoing effective practices, created change where it was needed, and could stay the course even in difficult times while leading others to stay the course, as well," he said. "She is a great example of leadership in so many ways. But most of all, she is just a good person that genuinely cares about others. She will be missed but also warmly remembered for all that she has done to make Ascension Public Schools a great place for kids and a great place to work."

Born and raised as Mia Griffin in Donaldsonville, the Griffin family has a long history of service and leadership in the Donaldsonville community. Her grandfather was a former mayor and state representative and her father served as a police juror. She graduated from Ascension Catholic School, where she attended from first to 12th grades and was inducted into the school's Hall of Distinction.

Although a good student who graduated with a 3.9 GPA, Edwards never considered herself as college material. In fact, she attended Nicholls State University with the intention of obtaining an associate degree so she could become a secretary. Once on the Thibodaux campus, an adviser recommended she major in business education so she would have more options after college. That decision changed her career trajectory.

After obtaining an undergraduate teaching degree, Edwards taught for one year at Donaldsonville High School before taking a nine-month teaching position at Baton Rouge Community College. She married her high school sweetheart, Sammy Edwards and they moved to their hometown, Donaldsonville

This coincided with her return to Ascension Parish to run the Job Training Partnership Act program at Lowery Middle School, which focused on remediating kids struggling in math and reading and providing them business and job placement skills. It was during her time teaching in Donaldsonville that she found her calling for education.

"It is the clich that it is all about the kids," said Edwards. "I inherited the DECA sponsorship at Donaldsonville High School and having the kids place in a competition filled me with so much pride and ownership. I sponsored Junior BETA and cheerleading at Lowery and learned that I just had a knack for working with and developing kids."

Under the leadership of then Lowery Middle Principal Jessie Sanders, Edwards worked on a master's degree in curriculum and instruction from Nicholls and recertification for math and science.

In 1993, Edwards and her husband built a house in St. Amant and she transferred to Galvez Middle School to teach sixth grade math and science.

She took a leave from her teaching position in 1998 to become the coordinator of the Louisiana Systemic Initiative Program grant, a partnership between LSU, Ascension and Iberville parishes, to further science education. After two years, she returned to Galvez Middle School and in 2002, Edwards became one of the first teacher coaches in Ascension Parish. In that capacity, she supported Dutchtown Middle and Prairieville Middle schools.

"Serving as a teacher coach was interesting and similar to my experience on the LaSIP grant. It stretched me because I had to support teachers in all content areas, not just math or science. However, I learned that good teaching is good teaching, no matter the content," said Edwards.

Edwards' diverse experience teaching in various public schools prompted her to make the difficult decision of moving her two sons, Sammy in fourth grade and Griffin in kindergarten, from the catholic school system to public schools.

"I always taught in public schools and knew we were providing a good education for students. Becoming more involved in the teacher coach concept allowed me to see teachers working to do what is best for kids, providing good academic feedback so students could grow. It wasn't just something that I believed in, it was what I thought was best for my own children," said Edwards.

She transferred to teach eighth grade at Lake Elementary for a year while her children made the transition to public school, then she returned to a teacher coach position supporting St. Amant Middle.

In 2007, Edwards became the staff development coordinator for teacher coaches and was in charge of implementing benchmark exams. Later that year, she was hired as an assistant principal at St. Amant High School.

"I felt high school would be exciting because of the long-term career impacts it could have on a student's life. I wanted to be a part of that," said Edwards. However, having spent most of her career in middle schools, she admits there was a learning curve.

"High school is beyond classroom curriculum. There are specific credits to graduate, TOPS curriculum alignment, block schedules, and the vast number of kids and teachers. One of the most difficult transitions was working with kids and parents on discipline issues," said Edwards. "Education at school is important to parents, but the way their children are treated at school is even more important."

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She became principal of St. Amant High School in 2011.

"My decisions have to be what is best for kids because that is why we are here. I always ask myself 'Is this best for kids?.' If the answer is yes, then I feel confident and justified in my decisions," she said.

Edwards believes the community placed their trust in her not only because of her consistent focus on students but also because her own children attended the high school. Her oldest son, Sammy, was in tenth grade when she became assistant principal, and her youngest, Griffin, graduated in 2017. "My kids were in the same classes in the school. It added to my drive because I expect the best for all."

The 2016 flood devastated St. Amant, and Edwards was impacted both personally and professionally. She led the largest affected school while dealing with her own flooded home.

"The flood was by far the hardest event I have dealt with because the impact it had on so many people. It was just unbelievable that it happened to this community," said Edwards. "We had to reassure everyone that we were going to be OK, and we worked tirelessly to make that true."

St. Amant High's 2,000 students and staff spent six months on Dutchtown High School's campus holding classes from 12:30 p.m. until 5:10 p.m. This meant extracurricular activities like athletics had to take place in the mornings. Edwards and her staff had to put in extra effort to secure logistics for normal activities like homecoming and holding pep rallies in the rival team's gymnasium.

"We could have said we were not going to do activities outside of the classroom because we were flooded, but we were not going to do that this year. This adversity stirred a competitive drive in everyone who instead said this is not going to beat us," she said.

Although the Dutchtown High teachers and staff were welcoming and accommodating, St. Amant High teachers had to bring their materials to school each day and were basically teaching out of backpacks. Because of the half-day shared schedule, both schools lost 45 minutes of instruction time each day.

According to Edwards, the half-day schedule was also a blessing for the flood-ravaged community because it allowed time in the mornings for families to work on repairing their homes and for students to be with their parents. The flood also taught students that good can come from bad things.

Less than one year after the flood, Edwards was named a semifinalist for Louisiana Principal of the Year and stepped into a new leadership role: director of secondary schools. In this new position, she oversaw the district's four high schools, APPLe Digital Academy, the Early College Option program and career and technical education.

Looking back at the past five years, Edwards is especially proud of the following accomplishments:

There were three people who had profound impacts on Edwards: Patrice Pujol, Steve Westbrook and David Alexander. Each guided her during pivotal moments in her career.

Pujol inspired Edwards to become a teacher coach. "Through her leadership and guidance, she showed me how I can influence the work of others. Her passion and drive were admirable, and I didn't feel like I could rest because she couldn't rest," said Edwards.

When Westbrook was principal of St. Amant High School, he hired Edwards to be an assistant principal.

"He took a chance on me," said Edwards. "He ran a very effective school that allowed students and teachers to grow and keep academic focus. He was the first to open my eyes to how administrators balance so many plates and how to best utilize your people to achieve your goals."

When Edwards was principal of St. Amant High School, Alexander was director of secondary schools.

"As my director, he was my personal support system. His experience running Dutchtown High and sharing the good and struggles made me feel good about what I was doing," said Edwards.

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Director of secondary schools Mia Edwards to retire after 34 years in education - The Advocate

After the Fox Valley saw temperatures in the high 90s last week, and with the forecast calling for more scorching weather beginning Monday, officials at Auroras hospitals are advising residents to take caution and stay hydrated.

Both Rush Copley Medical Center and Ascension Mercy in Aurora saw cases of heat exhaustion and heat stroke due to the recent hot weather, officials said.

At Ascension Mercy, Tom Caraballo, medical director for the emergency department, said they were seeing four to five people a day in the ER with heat-related issues during the hot spell.

He said the situation often starts with heat exhaustion, with people feeling tired, lightheaded and dizzy, before moving to heat stroke, where patients are often confused and can lose consciousness.

A high in the mid-90s is predicted for Monday and 98 degrees on Tuesday in Aurora.

Caraballo said the heat is particularly dangerous for elderly people, but he also sees small children impacted because they are outside, often playing sports during the summer.

When someone arrives at the hospital, medical staff tries to cool them down as soon as possible by giving them fluids, getting them in wet clothes and wet towels and using ice packs, Caraballo said.

Heat-related illness can develop in less than 30 minutes of strenuous outdoor activity. Caraballo recommends people who are outside drink water and jump in a pool or take a cold shower if needed.

If you start having really bad weakness, lightheadedness and nausea or vomiting, you should go to the hospital, Caraballo said. If you are at all concerned, you can err on the side of caution and come. The biggest thing is not to wait too long because the sooner we catch it, the easier it is to treat.

In Will County, a 33-year-old man died from possible heat exposure during the heat wave last week, the Will County Coroners Office said.

The biggest thing is just to be aware of it, Caraballo said. A lot of people think being in Chicago, it only happens in Florida, but it still gets pretty hot up here and we have to be mindful.

mejones@chicagotribune.com

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With another heat wave predicted, Aurora hospitals advising residents to take caution and stay hydrated - Chicago Tribune

On May 18, River Parishes Community College in Gonzales awarded 486 credentials to 410 graduates.

In two separate ceremonies, RPCC celebrated its 21st annual commencement exercises at Household of Faith Church in Gonzales. Graduates, family and friends are able to view pictures and videos of the ceremonies on RPCCs Facebook page.

Prairieville resident James Moore, owner of Expert Maintenance & Construction Services LLC, and graduate from RPCCs inaugural Class of 2001, served as the commencement speaker. He shared his experiences as one of the first students at RPCC as well as his secrets to business and personal success with the graduating class.

During the ceremonies, 14 graduates were honored for earning the Chancellors Award. Students who receive this award maintained a cumulative 4.0 GPA and completed all the requirements for earning an associate degree or their programs highest credential. The following students were recognized during the ceremonies:

Rola H. Ahmad: certificate of applied sciences in medical coding, Gonzales campus

Seth Baye: AAS in process technology,Gonzales campus

Emma Carlo: AA Louisiana transfer degree,Gonzales campus

Alexia K. Cobb: associate of general studies,Gonzales campus

Stevi Dugas: AA Louisiana transfer degree,Gonzales campus

Dalton Duhon: AAS instrumentation and electrical technology, Reservecampus

Audrey Freeman: AA Louisiana transfer degree, Gonzalescampus

Wendy Gonday: AAS in process technology, Gonzalescampus

Kade Goodman: AAS instrumentation and electrical technology, Gonzalescampus

Aubrey Green: associate of arts/Louisianatransfer degree, Gonzalescampus

Alex M. Leborgeois: AAS in instrumentation and electrical technology, Reservecampus

Dondi McNulty: TD heating ventilation and air conditioning, Reservecampus

Marcel Milain: AA Louisianatransfer degree, Gonzalescampus

Nicholas Verret: AAS instrumentation and electrical technology, Westsidecampus

Graduates from the area include:

Darrow

Whitley Starks

Skyler Stewart

Donaldsonville

Felicia Rodriguez

Laquinta Johnson

Shemika Landry

Kyle Hughes

Laila Cost

Donalynn Daniels

Ja'Kayla Landry

Alexandra Martin

Jenny Mitchell

Talia Watson

SaNiya Batiste

Charles Brown

Kierra Victor

Duplessis

Tyler Cambre

Geismar

Matthew Farrelly

Denisha Wolfe

Megan Allen

Quentin Moran

Emma Carlo

Paulina Church

Cole Doiron

Audrey Freeman

FeRoss Abudayyeh

Tyler Tatsch

Danielle Foster

Parker Smith

Aubrey Green

Corrine Foley

Emily Menesses

Johana Cardona

Joshua Harris

Ashley Graves

Gonzales

Antonio Variste

Tamara Conish

Lacey Gautreau

Miressah Lessard

Lisa Parker

Dianna Bivin

Cailey Aguilar

Malayia Stell

Callie Letulle

Wendy Gonday

Jennifer Pacheco

Jachelle Ursin

Aida Ponce Briseno

Quenisha Green

Seth Kern

Sarai Morales

Abigail McBride

Kory LeBouef

Rhett Tortorich

Rekha Braud

Jordan Badame

Brendan Brunet

Layla Madrid

Kayla Hester

Carrie Holliday

Brittany Washington

Jennifer Cagnolatti

Brianna Cooley

Brandon Crandall

Skylar Dewerff

Stevi Dugas

Carsen Griffon

Jonathan Hebert

Anthony Lecour

Molly Matthews

Raegan Melancon

Destyne Nethken

Annelle Sedotal

Luke Williams

Shimra Ramgarib

Evan Smith

Jaylah Blank

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River Parishes Community College Class of 2022 | Ascension | theadvocate.com - The Advocate

71% of people agree that its important to work for an organization that values diversity, yet they dont see people who represent them on the agency roster. Devin OLoughlin, global chief of diversity, equity and inclusion and communications officer at RAPP, explains why representation remains an issue for agencies, and how retention and ascension plans can make the difference.

Its shocking that an industry tasked with promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) to the masses remains painfully homogenized behind the curtain, but thats the truth in advertising halfway through 2022. What, then, can agencies do to reverse this wretched reality and infuse themselves with the DE&I necessary to accurately reflect the society we live in?

Where are the depictions of older people, disabled people or the LGBTQ+ community in mass marketing? Agencies obviously havent nailed the wide spectrum of representation. But it is improving, and plenty of major agencies have started to lay the necessary groundwork for bringing talent with more diverse backgrounds and perspectives into their creative teams through initiatives such as building relationships with target universities, academies and other groups. But its obvious that most agencies are still predominantly white.

If an agency has done a decent job at bringing representation into its organization, its likely still woefully behind on equitable practices that will ensure retention. Some of the biggest issues stem from leadership buy-in (or lack thereof). If leadership isnt taking these systemic shifts seriously, theyll be slower to happen, if they do at all.

Simply put, most people dont want to enter spaces where they dont see themselves and the real world reflected. Folks are no longer putting their energy into pushing against the tide; theyd rather join organizations that are already doing the work and have results to show for it.

Retention and ascension plans are key to keeping diverse and skilled talent, particularly in a job market where competition for great workers has never been so fierce. Top-quality candidates know they have control. This means that, at all levels, its almost impossible to woo new talent into your agency (especially when the competition is often sexier and better-paying, such as flashy tech companies). As such, agencies prefer to promote from within, grow their talent and keep shining stars on their team.

Crafting thoughtful and relevant growth plans for talent makes that more of a possibility. Plus, creating a culture where talent is equitably acknowledged (and advanced) for their contributions to the business improves morale and fosters genuine camaraderie and, frankly, better work.

In short, agency and marketing leaders must create effective retention and ascension plans to work toward more representation and to maintain top talent amid increasing competition. Here are a few important places to start:

Figure out where your gaps are. Create various forms of programming coaching, sponsorship, training that focus specifically on Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) talent, as well as other underrepresented workers. We collectively know that were not where we want to be from a representation perspective, and we understand that our BIPOC talent needs to be supported in order to stay put amid competition. Find out specifically where your companys gaps are by looking at your employee data: whos staying and leaving, which levels and disciplines are seeing the highest turnover, whos being promoted and having one-on-one conversations with employees from underrepresented communities so that, as a leader, you can educate yourself and nurture your people accordingly.

Dont assume you know what your people need. Dont be afraid to ask questions that could prompt uncomfortable answers, such as:

Where do you feel least supported within the agency?

Where do you see the agency has the most room for growth overall?

Do you see yourself here in a year?

If the company had to focus on one initiative to foster the evolution of our culture and continue our pursuit of equity, what should it be?

Leaders then need to act on the feedback they get because the only thing worse than not asking the questions is asking them and then not actioning on what your people need. Open communication is key. When teams feel neglected and unheard, engagement suffers and poor business results follow.

Prioritize sponsorship over mentorship. Your people need someone to speak their name and help them grow. This may seem like splitting hairs, but the promotion that comes with sponsorship is often the missing piece in ensuring diverse talent feel happy and supported at their agencies. According to Rosalind Chow writing for Harvard Business Review, sponsorship can be understood as a form of intermediated impression management, where sponsors act as brand managers and publicists for their protgs. This work involves the management of others views on the sponsored employee. Thus, the relationship at the heart of sponsorship is ... between sponsors and an audience the people they mean to sway to the side of their protgs.

Ultimately, too, the whole industry needs to do a better job at training and upskilling managers to support direct reports who may not look like them or have similar backgrounds or perspectives. Its the elephant in the room to acknowledge that these gaps create inequities for different people within an agency structure, but its resoundingly true. We need a level playing field, which requires managers who know how to create that safe space and clear those pathways for growth.

Devin OLoughlin is global chief of diversity, equity and inclusion and communications officer at RAPP, where she also serves as global co-chair of Omnicoms LGBTQIA+ employee resources group Open Pride.

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Adland Says Representation Matters, So Why Isn't The Talent In The Room? - The Drum

EVANSVILLE, Ind. COVID-19 cases are trending downwardas the current wave of infections reach its peak and masking and social distancing have largely faded from memory.

But now Hoosiers could enter a new era of unknown health effects.

The transition comes as case counts and public data become less reliable due to people movingto home-based testing. Officially, fewer deaths are being reported, and hospitalizations are far lower than they were during any previous wave of infections.

But some danger still remains, experts said.

"I think we're seeing a shift away from worrying so much about deaths and hospitalizations and more about secondary issues like longer health consequences from long COVID," said Micah Pollack, an Indiana UniversityNorthwest economics professor and COVID-19 data analyst.

Local news: Kentucky power plant workers who died Tuesday 'likely' killed by fumes, coroner says

"You can take some solace in that your risk of being hospitalized or dying, if you catch COVID now, is much lower. But there still are a lot of long-term health consequences that we're only just learning about."

Pollack saiddoctors have seen patients battle vascular problems and blood clots. More issues could arise as the medical community learns more about the virus and its long-term effects.

As of Wednesday, there wereonly 22reported COVID-19 cases in Vanderburgh County according to the Indiana state COVID-19 dashboard. Of those, 13 are first-time infections.

But self-tests could be keeping those numbers lower.

The Indiana State Department of Health encourages Hoosiers to report their positive test to their local health department. But that doesn't always happen.

Plus, self-tests don't trace antibodies that would detect a previous infection, according to the CDC.Pollacksaid case data has been imperfect from the beginning due to people having COVID-19 and not knowing.

"We have to remember that the cases that are being picked up and reported by the state have always been a fraction of the true infections that are out there," Pollack said. "With at-home testing, it's probably even more imperfect."

Hospitalizations in the Evansville area have decreased significantly since the peak of the omicron variant. At both Deaconess and Ascension St. Vincent, COVID patients make up only 1% of admissions.

"There are very few admissions of COVID right now,"said Jennifer Chiusano,Deaconess' chief nurse executive.

Dr. Heidi Dunniway, chief regional medical officer for Ascension St. Vincent, said her facility is experiencing similar conditions. St. Vincent has seena huge drop in hospitalizations since April.But that doesn't mean COVID is gone.

More: Rebuilding after Kentucky tornado hasn't been easy. Regulations, economy make it tougher.

She said the omicron variantis still highly transmissible, but people are not getting as sick.

"We have more understanding and more options to treat people than we did at the start," she said.

According to the CDC,58% of Vanderburgh County residents are fully vaccinated as of Monday. That entails people who have received a full slate of the original vaccines, butdoes not include a booster.

Appointments must be made for testing at Ascension St. Vincent Evansville.Call 812-485-2273 to schedule one.

Deaconess Health System's testing and vaccine center is available by appointment with afew locations offering drive-through services. Appointments can be made through their website or by calling 812-450-6555.

The Vanderburgh Health Department holds COVID-19 vaccination clinics on Tuesdays for those 12 and older, and Wednesdays for ages 5 to 11. It's byappointment only, and patients can call 812-435-2400.

It is something people have to protect themselves against going forward, said Joe Gries, the administrator of the Vanderburgh County Health Department, said of COVID.We still have treatments for people with underlying conditions and methods to protect ourselves.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved the Pfizer booster shot for children ages 5 to 11. The CDC and FDA are also looking for approval for a vaccination for children 6 months and older.

The FDA will meet June 15 for an emergency-use authorization request for a Moderna vaccine for children 6 months to 5 years old, and for a a Pfizer vaccine for children 6 months to 4 years old.

"There could be a new variant that pops up any day that is totally different than what we got right now," Pollack said."We're in another wave of COVID that started early April and it's probably close peaking in terms of cases. So people shouldn't think that COVID is gone."

Overall tallies as of June 7:

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COVID cases are declining in Evansville, but shaky stats and health effects remain - Courier & Press

Matthew Ehler| Grand Haven Tribune

SPRING LAKE Dave Miller has always been wired to swing for the fences, meet the target and achieve the objective.

Growing up the son of teachers, the 1982 Spring Lake High School graduate was often told he wasnt capable of achieving things. But Miller says he found a way to turn that hate into jet fuel and prove doubters wrong. Otherwise, distractions, or fumes as he calls it, get in the way.

So when Miller, 58, received an invitation to trek to the base of Earths highest mountain above sea level, all it took was one naysayer to fire him up.

There were some rough times back then and kids would tell me, Youre no good, you cant do this or that, Miller said. Kids would pick on me, and I developed a very self-deprecating sense of humor.

But instead of those kids laughing at me, they were laughing with me. I could control the narrative, he added.

That narrative came in handy on a 10-day ascension to Mount Everests South Base Camp in Nepal last month, at an altitude of 17,598 feet.

There was some apprehension at first. But after talking it over with his wife, Karen, his boss and doctor, the consensus was that it would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Miller says hes never been one for bucket lists, but close ties with Kevin DeVries the founder of Base Camp Nation, a ministry group gave Miller the opportunity, along with 12 others that commenced on April 21.

In early October 2021, Miller began his training regime with 6-mile walks something he thought was sufficient as a starting point.

After conversations with the trekking company, Miller was told to train verticality, and a lot of it. Several maxed-out inclined treadmill and stair stepper sessions later, Miller quickly shed more than 30 pounds.

As I got further along, I started wearing my hiking boots and gear on the treadmill, he said. I kept a spreadsheet and, over six months, Id walked 296 miles and 206,000 feet vertical.

Thats equivalent to summiting Mount Everest more than seven times, as Everests summit is just over 29,000 feet. Needless to say, Miller was ready but continued to swing like a pendulum between emotions as anticipation built toward the trek.

Exactly four weeks before I left, God reminded me of all the things he got me through, Miller said. He said, Why would this be any different?

After being told he couldnt build his own house by his then in-laws, Miller instead built two and gutted one, and helped three others in building theirs.

Id never done anything with houses, but I grabbed onto it and I owned it, he said. It was like game on. They may be right, but Im betting that theyre wrong.

Hes tallied 37 years in the engineering industry, and tacked on several more helping his youngest son, John, through his journey earning Eagle Scout status.

Miller has a rich family history in the Spring Lake area, renovating and now living in a house his great-grandfather lived in during the 1940s.

But even with his previous experiences, Miller says facing the trek up Everest was like nothing else hes ever done.

Several days of travel on little to no sleep made for a brutal kickoff, and the crews connecting flight in Nepal from Katmandu to Lukla was particularly fraught. Coined the most dangerous airport on the planet, the runway design, terrain and length combine for difficult takeoffs and landings.

When you land, the whole plane cheers because you lived, Miller said. Winston Churchill once said, Nothing is so exhilarating as to be shot at without results.

By now, Miller said his lack of sleep was starting to catch up with him. A six-hour hike to Monjo, Nepal, didnt make things any better, as Miller said he was 20 minutes behind the pack.

In spite of that, Miller said it was an enlightening experience to be flying solo for the first hike of the trip.

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It becomes very personal, and I dont have that support network, he said. Its a lot more work, and half of it is mental. It makes you look a lot at life in the same way youre trying to do it all by yourself, but that can be really difficult.

The crew trekked toward the Sherpa capital of Namche Bazaar, with sights set on Dingboche (13,980 feet). Stops in Tyengboche and plenty of suspension bridges were highlights, Miller said, and led to several days of getting acclimatized.

The trek to Tyengboche delivered dramatic scaling in elevation, with the finale dropping 1,000 feet to then climb back up 2,300 feet.

The views during this portion? Miller believes they were impeccable.

Its mind blowing all the time, he said. You hear groaning music in the morning by the monks with their massive horns, and its the welcome to the morning. It reinforced the idea that Im a speck.

Miller and the crew would finish their ascension through Lobuche and Gorokshep, before forking up to Kalapathar an elevation of 18,192 feet all in one day.

After eclipsing the 18,000-foot threshold, Miller said he knew that was as high as he wanted to go.

At that point, youre at 50 percent oxygen and things are starting to swell up because of the air pressure, he said. I wanted to make sure I got home, and I think that was the smarter move. I was stoked about that.

Several 10-degree nights made for less-than-ideal sleeping conditions in tea houses, but some immaculate pictures of the Milky Way made up for it, Miller said.

Some of the most beautiful scenery in the world is the hardest to get to, he said. Thats what my roommate told me.

A planned documentary of Millers trip is expected to be released in November.

Millersays the Base Camp expedition changed a lot of different perspectives, and it reinforced the power and perseverance of God.

A lot of inward perspective in, if I can do that, itll set me up for later on, he said. Ive been through financial issues, divorce. But it all comes back to God saying, Why would this be any different?

And, of course, it was just another opportunity for Miller to prove others wrong something he photographed, printed off and handed to one more nonbeliever as proof of flipping the script.

He said I couldnt do it, Miller said. I wasnt mad at the guy I just took it as a challenge and I owned it.

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Spring Lake reflects on training, journey to base of Mount Everest - HollandSentinel.com