COVID-19 vaccinations are moving along smoothly, prison cases are declining, the new casino groundbreaking could still be in a couple weeks, and the city laid out four Community Crossings projects.
On this week’s installment of Ask The Mayor, Terre Haute Mayor Duke Bennett addresses these issues and more on a Zoom conference call. Listen to the full conversation with Indiana Newsdesk anchor Joe Hren by clicking on the play button above, or read some of the questions and answers below. A portion of this segment airs 6:45 and 8:45 a.m. Wednesday on WFIU.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
Hren: Let's just get an update on the vaccination process. The state is now allowing age 65 and up to register to be vaccinated. What's the process like going there in Vigo County?
Bennett: Yeah, I've heard all positives about that. The first few days is always kind of chaotic, because everybody tries to hit it at the same time. But I know that Union Hospital just passed their 10,000 vaccination that they had given out there with the new expanded clinic. The county is doing kind of a drive through the old Sears store at the mall. So you drive and get your shot, pull off outside, wait a few minutes before you leave. And it's been going very, very well.
READ MORE: IU Health Official: Vaccine 'Amazing' At Stopping Virus Hospitalizations, Deaths
I know that many of our policemen and firemen have, we're well into getting into the 70% range now at least with their first shot. And so I feel really good about accessibility. And whether the supplies last, that's always the part I don't hear about until it gets more of a crunch time because they want to keep everybody in a positive frame of mind. And so the key will just be having plenty of vaccinations.
Hren: Do you agree with the way the state is administering the vaccine through age? I know a lot of people are upset that some who are younger, who are more ill, or even professions, like teachers are not getting it first?
Bennett: You know, that's a great question. I hear that argument. Across the United States, some states are giving it to teachers, some states are giving it to other groups of people. I guess that's what we count on our governor and his staff to make those kind of decisions. The more people who interact with people having the shots, obviously, is the best scenario. I don't want to second guess anybody. But my thinking is, we just don't have enough vaccines yet. And they want to give it to the people who are most prone to face a reaction to COVID versus somebody who's healthy.
And the sooner we can get it to teachers and others, that's what our target has to be. And so I get why they're doing what they're doing. But it's all about that volume. It's all about expanding that.
Hren: We've been reporting on COVID-19 in prisons, almost 50% tested positive in the jail in Columbus. I'm not sure if you saw, we reported two of our reporters tested positive after covering the executions there at the penitentiary in Terre Haute. Of course, that's federal, which is not under your jurisdiction. But but we can take this to the city/county jail there. Is this being managed correctly?
Bennett: It seems to be. I think there was a little bit of an issue a little while back that made some headlines, an inmate passed away that apparently had COVID here. But I don't know all the technical details. And, and I think that, it's just a matter of time till it gets into a situation like that. And with everybody being in such close, close quarters to each other. It's impossible to keep it from spreading. You just have to find ways to mitigate that spread and try to not let it go totally rampant. And I think they've done that over here. The numbers are way down.
READ MORE: 82 Advocacy Groups Call On Biden To End Federal Executions
The numbers are way down at the federal penitentiary now. You know, they just went through that big deal where it was hard to contain it no matter what exercise you go through. I don't really think there's an answer to that. Some say let everybody out of jail or whatever. But in some cases, you just can't do that.
Hren: Last week, Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop mentioned he wasn't sure he would sign to support the COVID relief bill from the president. But he said he'd have to see it and they haven't been affected like many cities because they're based on manufacturing. What about there in Terre Haute, would you welcome COVID relief?
Bennett: Yeah, but just really for revenue loss. I think if Congress does it right, they should look at actual impacts on communities. And so if there was something out there, I can easily show and justify how much revenue we've lost that we'll never get back. We've got some reimbursement, the original COVID monies that came to Terre Haute and all the other communities in Indiana, but there's an ongoing loss of some revenue. And so if there is money to come, let's make sure it's targeted to actual loss of revenue and not just budget shortfalls.
Hren: There's been more news with the gaming industry, just to kind of quickly recap, but it all started with Spectacle Entertainment making news for funneling money to different accounts and improper job offers to government lobbyists. That broke off though from the Terre Haute casino part last year and became Spectacle Jack with a casino opening September of this year with Hard Rock International. But now I believe it's known as Lucy Luck Gaming with still the Rocksino. What's next?
Bennett: You've got that exactly right, Joe. Okay. So it's been kind of a moving target. I really feel for Greg Gibson who put himself in this position to bring a casino to Terre Haute. And some of that stuff that happened before he even knew most of these people. And so that's got to be cleaned up and dealt with here locally, he renamed it because it was still connected to the old guard, if you will, by name and by people that were involved a little bit.
So now his focus is on getting this casino under construction. So just waiting on the Gaming Commission, but it's getting there. And then he'll have some more work to do up at the Gary casino. These things are complicated when you put them together, and they're just as complicated to take apart. And so it's gonna happen. I'm not worried about that. There's just more legal cleanup work to be done in order to totally separate Greg and all his interest from those folks from the previous partnership.
A groundbreaking could be in the coming weeks. It obviously could get delayed again, it's been delayed for several months. But things I think the fog is beginning to lift a little bit and the tasks are at hand that will get resolved.
For the latest news and resources about COVID-19, bookmark our Coronavirus In Indiana page here.
