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The year 2020 definitely defied the thought of a year of perfect vision.
Who, in their right mind, saw it coming?
After a relatively quiet, rather "normal" first quarter, we all learned of a "new normal" that would reshape just about every aspect of daily life -- for those lucky enough survive the global pandemic known as COVID-19.
But first a little happiness arrived before the sorrow.
Following the New Year's celebrations and promise to commit to resolutions, the first baby of the year was born at UPMC Susquehanna.
The baby arrived shortly before 5 a.m. Jan. 2. The story, aptly written by veteran newspaper man Philip A. Holmes, the lead police and fire reporter for the Sun-Gazette, described how Dusty Harkey was 37 weeks pregnant when she walked into the Williamsport Regional Medical Center's Birthplace.
She had a routine stress test as part of her prenatal medical care. That is care given to a pregnant mother to ensure a healthy baby, mother and delivery. However, the stress test did not go well for her.
"My blood pressure went very high," Harkey said. "When I came in here, I felt great. I wasn't prepared to stay."
About 90 minutes into the stress test, the medical staff told her she was going to be admitted. Not long after, Harkey and her boyfriend of 10 years, Nickolas Laubach, of Williamsport, became the proud parents of Lyncoln Joseph Laubach, the hospital's first newborn of the New Year. A very healthy brown-eyed Lyncoln, entered the world weighing 5 pounds and 6 ounces and 18 inches long.
The following day, as was a longstanding tradition, the Community Arts Center served as a host venue for the inauguration ceremonies for city and county elected officials.
It was the first Friday of 2020, and people were feeling upbeat. The ceremony began on with dignified appearances of judges from the county Court of Common Pleas, each wearing their long black robes.
Several new faces were taking oaths. Among them, Derek Slaughter, a mathematics teacher for Williamsport Area School District, who was elected the previous November to be mayor of the city, handily defeating Eric Beiter, a Republican, and write-in candidate and former Mayor Gabriel J. Campana.
Newly elected Republican Scott Metzger took the oath of office to become one of the three county commissioners along with Republican Ryan Gardner, who became district attorney.
Then, about at mid-point through the ceremony, chaos broke out.
Chants of, "What do we want? Access. When do we want it? Now!" were heard in the auditorium.
Sawyer tried to interject. "We hear you," he said.
The protestors' demand was for accessibility to City Hall and city buildings and programs.
It was not a complete shock to city Police Chief Damon R. Hagan, who said he noticed the groups go into the theater with their signs and move to the front row.
The groups previously made their intentions known by disrupting City Council sessions in a similar manner and carrying signs of protest.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney Office of the Middle District of Pennsylvania had officially begun an investigation of accessibility issues in the city last fall.
The groups wrote to the Justice Department and asked them to determine the accessibility of the city buildings, parks, programs and services. The group later filed a federal lawsuit against the city.
Novel coronarvirus appears
By mid-January, the year took on a different meaning.
An emerging virus in Wuhan, China, a mega-city with 11 million population, was killing its residents and causing panic. American television news and newspapers were reporting on the disease. The Chinese city was headquarters of an institute specializing in studying infectious diseases, along with numerous "wet markets," where vendors sold creatures - many not eaten by anyone but those accustomed to the food -- as part of their daily consumption.
COVID-19, a novel variety of coronavirus SARS, named for the year it was discovered 2019, began to creep across Wuhan, and footage of Chinese nationals dropping dead in front of cameras, and bodies were carried on stretchers was apocalyptic and frightening.
The virus soon showed up in other parts of China, as reported by The Associated Press.
By the end of January, China had only reported a little more than 300 cases and nine deaths, a wire story said.
On Jan. 16, the U.S. announced its first case of the coronavirus or COVID-19, a disease so named because the virus was discovered the previous year, according to the Associated Press.
Then, as was expected, a U.S. citizen, one who recently traveled from China, was being treated in late January at a hospital in Seattle, Washington, according to cable and local news.
Three days later, a second case was confirmed. This was a woman who traveled back to Chicago,
Illinois from China.
President Donald J. Trump said he would begin to consider evacuating U.S. citizens in Wuhan, China, which was the focal point of where scientists believed the virus originated.
On Feb. 4, China experienced its deadliest day since the novel coronavirus was deemed a public health emergency. The total number of cases in China alone was 20,438, with 425 deaths.
COVID-19 quickly spread to other countries. At least 207 cases were reported across 12 counties, the AP reported.
Hits home
The virus, and its impact on Williamsport, Lycoming County and this region, would be seen just around the corner and affect the entire year to date and 2021.
Impact was felt by those providing air travel. Richard Howell, the new executive director of the Williamsport Regional Airport, was overseeing an airport that had seen a rebound and rebirth.
Through the U.S. Department of Transportation dollars and county investment, the airport had a modern $17 million terminal.
The airport hosted Trump's 2019 visit and had American Airlines as the sole commercial passenger carrier.
But as the virus was sweeping around the globe, Howell received word that American Airlines, now the only flight at the regional airport, would be going down to one trip daily.
But despite the flight concerns, there was this virus sweeping across the globe. Coronavirus had begun to stop everything on the highway, with supply chains suffering from workers who were quarantined or working from home and airports.
The virus did not abate. By early March the virus was across the Pacific and making its way west, east and south and north. Japan announced that it would have to quarantine visitors from China and South Korea due to the coronavirus.
As that side of the world began to shut down its borders, Australia banned visitors from South Korea in an attempt to curb the virus, and the world soon discovered how little could be done to contain its spread.
On March 5, Italy's leadership said it would be shutting down its public schools for a few weeks and professional sporting events would not have any fans in stadiums. Italy was getting hit by a strong mutation of the virus, and had more than 100 people dead from it overnight.
On March 6, the total number of virus cases worldwide had topped 100,000, according to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, which kept a running track on the confirmed cases.
The virus was getting plenty of coverage locally, too.
Dr. Rachel Levine, the secretary of the state Department of Health, joined with Gov. Tom Wolf, to begin giving live daily broadcasts over television and the state and department websites.
They talked daily about the present number of positive cases and urged people to take precautions and wash hands frequently, use hand sanitizer and wear a mask.
Then, the hammer was dropped. On March 15, Wolf issued an executive order to close any non-essential business down and keep essential operations going.
A list of essential operations was provided by the state. Police, firefighters, streets and public works employees for the city and other essential workers continued to report to work, Slaughter said.
Wolf implemented a color-coded plan to control the coronavirus spread and to get non-essential businesses back in operation. The state put in place color-coded phases starting with the red phase and would move to a yellow and green phases before reopening fully.
Cases grow, impacts get worse
As the red phase took effect in mid-March, UPMC Susquehanna and Geisinger Medical Center medical experts instructed anyone with symptoms -- sudden onset of fever, chills, body aches, a dry cough -- to self-isolate until they were able to get an appointment with a doctor.
Across the world, the virus was surging and millions of people were placed on lockdown in countries such as India and across Africa.
Another impact of the virus, the much-anticipated Summer Olympics, to be held at Tokyo, Japan, would be postponed. On March 23, the International Olympic Commission decided that the Olympics, would be delayed one year, and will take place in the summer of 2021.
On March 24, it was also noted that nearly a quarter of the world's population was under quarantine.
On March 28, Italy's fatality rate due to coronavirus surpassed 10,000, making it the highest death toll worldwide.
Then, on March 31, Russia came out with a law that could lead up to seven years in prison for those who break quarantine rules.
The virus was considered to be a global health emergency, a pandemic.
On April 3, it was announced that the global number of coronavirus cases has surpassed 1 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University and Hospital study. Nearly 53,000 people have died from the virus.
COVID-19 puts limits on city
Slaughter issued a proclamation prohibiting any event in city limits with more than 250 people over the next five days. No social gatherings or events with more than 250 people were allowed. The number changed and dropped so that no conference or rally could take place without being a violation of the mayor's order. The decision went before council, which approved it. Slaughter said it was done to protect individuals from catching the virus and in keeping with the guidelines from state Health Department and Centers for Disease Control's medical experts.
Activities stopped, including conferences, churches, movie theaters and the widely popular Home Show, sponsored by the West Branch Susquehanna Builders Association, which was unable to bring the thousands of visitors to the vendors at Lycoming College's Rec Center.
In late March, medical professionals at UPMC Susquehanna in Williamsport and Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, issued a warning the region had to prepare for the roughest weeks ahead. The hospital's top doctors on infectious diseases predicted the virus cases would begin to peak.
By now, UPMC Susquehanna had directed its patients with COVID-19 symptoms to an outpatient building along Brandon Avenue. The site was not open to the public, with walk-in patients unable to be tested.
The peak or upswing of the cases, and hospitalizations, including those having to go to the intensive care unit, was expected to increase, said Dr. Rutul Dalal, an infectious disease expert with UPMC.
Doctors urged anyone who left their house to wear a mask, especially when going into stores.
On April 13, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a warning that coronavirus cases were spiking in Russia, specifically in Moscow. Russia had 2,550 new cases in 24 hours, the largest jump for the country.
On April 14, France ordered Amazon to only deliver the essentials to customers in an attempt to protect delivery drivers.
On April 15, Putin admitted that he was less confident, as Russia experienced more problems than anticipated. Russia's cases surged. In Denmark, children under the age of 11 were able to return to school on April 15, making it the first European country to relax some of the restrictions set in place.
On April 16, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro fired his health minister after weeks of tension stemming from coronavirus actions.
On April 17, officials in Wuhan edited the original coronavirus numbers, marking a 50 percent increase in coronavirus deaths than what had been previously recorded, the AP reported.
The virus was about to slam Williamsport and the region's economy.
Steve Keener, the president and CEO of the Little League International, said it was decided there will be no Little League World Series in August. The breaking news caused gasps throughout the city and region.
The annual 11-day international event typically brought in $40 million to the area businesses, said Jason Fink, president of the Williamsport/Lycoming County Chamber of Commerce.
The devastation from the virus and bad news for hotels, restaurants and businesses downtown and throughout the region and state, was hard to take and the series cancellation was historic and compounded a rough year.
Besides the monetary gain, the series attracted more than 70,000 people and put Lycoming County, Williamsport and South Williamsport and the complexes in the global spotlight, Fink said.
Business has already been slow because of the coronavirus, and many hoped the series would make up for the losses.
At City Hall, Slaughter had created a COVID-19 task force as a way of stimulating the economy and rebounding once the virus disappeared or a cure was found.
The economic and strategic long-term plan would be nothing close to the Series but it would be used to mitigate the losses, Slaughter said.
At UPMC and elsewhere, medical professionals were tackling the treatment of patients with the virus, concerned about the need for extra personal protective equipment and trying to find out more about how to kill or cure the virus.
By now, thousands of Pennsylvania's business owners were losing their livlihoods. Numerous protests were held outside of the Capitol building in Harrisburg, most of those not wearing masks and showing the anger against Wolf's shut down order of non-essential businesses.
The yellow phase, based on the details provided by the state Health Department, was not much different than the red phase, and would keep most businesses closed and unable to function.
At Executive Plaza on Pine Street, the Lycoming County commissioners weighed in on Wolf's order.
At least two of the commissioners, Scott Metzger and Tony Mussare, said they thought Wolf was treating the county population as children, and business owners as if they were unable to determine for themselves how to keep employees and customers safe and to determine how to reopen safely.
On May 8, Lycoming County finally went into the yellow phase, after it turned red March 15.
Still, throughout the state, cases of the virus continued to increase.
On May 13, the Department of Health reported there were 58,698 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania. There were at least 3,943 reported deaths from the virus.
By near the end of the month, the county commissioners had enough.
They said at meeting they were hearing the urgent pleas of business owners, many of whom were unsure if they could rebound from the closures and others who went out of business.
The COVID-19 crisis was about to ruin many of the summer spots for children and their families operated by municipalities.
Virus shuts down summer fun
At City Hall, the city recreation department announced that Memorial Pool would no open this swim season.
Slaughter faced grief from social media comments in authorizing the decision and explaining his rationale for keeping the water park for children and families closed.
"You know we don't make these decisions lightly, they are very difficult decisions, and we understand that they have an impact on our community, but we absolutely have to take the health and safety of everyone into consideration," Slaughter said.
Slaughter also ordered the cancellation of all summer recreational programs to protect children and their families from the virus.
Still, Slaughter encouraged residents to get out of the house.
"There is still a lot of recreational opportunities that kids can partake in, and families can partake in that are safe right now," Slaughter said. "You can get out and walk, jog, bike, go get on the trails, and the bike trails."
Finally, Wolf said on June 5, Lycoming and Clinton counties would enter the green phase. That would allow businesses to reopen with continued restrictions.
Commissioners were satisfied but Mussare and Metzger, both Republicans, pushed for more of the restrictions to be lifted.
Lycoming County Coroner Charles E. Kiessing Jr. said that was the case at the area nursing homes.
Trump was blasting health agencies upset with what he called giving false information. He said the U.S. was cutting ties with the World Health Organization, claiming the WHO was a "puppet of China."
On June 3, various Walmart and Quest Diagnostics drive-thru testing locations across the state, including the Walmart parking lot in Montoursville, opened to help those with COVID19 symptoms.
The Wolf administration promised the tests would be provided at no cost to the state residents.
The test sites were open for two hours a day, three days a week and could test up to 50 registered patients.
Patients tested received an email with their test results within 24 to 48 hours, and physicians called any patient who has a positive test result.
Unemployment compensation,
as summer heatwave hits
In a weekly update by officials with the state Department of Labor and Industry unemployment rates and compensation and benefits include an extra $600 a week in addition to the regular unemployment compensation to help those out of work make ends meet.
However, the recipients are made aware by the department the extra cash is expected to end within weeks.
"The additional $600 from the federal government officially ends on July 31, but states can only pay through the week ending on July 25 or July 26," said Jerry Oleksiak, secretary of the state Labor and Industry Department.
The $600 payment, which is in addition to each states' normal unemployment benefits, was included in the CARES Act stimulus package.
"The CARES Act specifies that federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation benefit payments will end after payments for the last week of unemployment before July 31, 2020," the department said.
City-based Miele Manufacturing, who handle skill games, recently purchased the outparcel building at 66 Mall Parkway.
It's a huge building vacated since December, 2019, after Gander Outdoors had a liquidation sale.
On July 15, the new City Hall Building Ad Hoc Committee came up with an estimate to fully repair the building.
It was about $5 million and that would be necessary to upgrade heating, air conditioning, replace a portion of the roof, upgrade restrooms and provide a wheelchair ramp.
A meeting was scheduled in August between UPMC Susquehanna, city police administration and the county to discuss a public safety facility location.
On July 16, Wolf puts out new statewide restrictions on bars and restaurants and larger indoor gatherings.
The new orders for targeted mitigation efforts were in response to an increase in COVID-19 cases.
The Health Department projected the surge could surmount what was seen in April.
The new orders include reducing restaurants' indoor dining capacity to 25 percent, limiting on-premises alcohol consumption to meals only, limiting indoor gatherings to 25 people and telework whenever possible.
On July 28, families in the Jersey Shore Area School District were told they could see the school's health and safety plan on the district website after the school board approved it during a virtual meeting. According to the Sun Gazette, district superintendent, Dr. Brian Ulmer, it would lay out how the students would return to school safely in the pandemic.
On July 29, The Bloomsburg Fair Association said it decided to cancel this year's Bloomsburg Fair after reviewing all the factors surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
The board took into consideration the local community and government concerns in the process and ultimately do not want to jeopardize the health of thousands of patrons, participants and guests.
Once August arrived, school districts were on their final touches of reopening the schools for the year.
On Aug. 4, Williamsport Area School Board met and agreed on a plan for a return to school Sept. 1. using a hybrid alternate phase of education.
Dr. Timothy S. Bowers, superintendent, said students will attend classes on site and remotely on a staggered schedule based on the alphabet - with all students learning remotely on Fridays.
More than 4,500 families responded to a survey sent to 5,000, with only 40 percent of the parents preferring in-person instruction.
Bowers told the board that the district's plan would be designed to be flexible, so if infection rates go down or another district comes up with a better plan, the district would review that.
On Aug. 8, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association decided to delay the start of fall sports until Aug. 24 in order to discuss in further detail of local sports with Wolf.
The decision was made by the PIAA after a recommendation from Wolf recommending that sports be suspended until Jan. 1.
The PIAA made no statewide decision and kept the two-week delay intact.
On Aug. 18, the Williamsport Regional Airport began flights to Charlotte, North Carolina.
Charlotte is one of the busier hubs on the East Coast and satisfies customers who don't want to go through Philadelphia. Williamsport Regional offered two outgoing and two returning flights per day to Charlotte Douglas International.
On Aug. 19, Williamsport Area School District made changes ahead of school opening for the year. Bowers said students will receive five days of new instruction as an in-person student or as remote hybrid student. Williamsport holds town meetings for each of their schools this week, you can find the schedule of ZOOM virtual meetings at wasd.org.
Officials from the Pennsylvania Farm Show said the state's agriculture event will be held over video screens in order to mitigate against spread of COVID-19.
In an analogy comparing the break from the traditional in-person event to a fallow field, Russell Redding, Agriculture secretary, said a virtual celebration is the way to prepare for a productive future. The theme will be "Cultivating Tomorrow" and virtual events will be focused on education and awareness.
It is during this month that city council and Loyalsock Township officials worked on a memorandum of understanding to the state Department of Environmental Protection in which they propose best practices to remove 10 percent of the sediment heading into the waterways leading to the Chesapeake Bay. The five-year Chesapeake Bay Pollution Reduction Plan, could cost up to $5 million dollars. There were an estimated 25 primary and 16 secondary projects that will help to reduce sediment, such as wood chip infiltration and swale construction.
On Aug. 6, temperature screening checkpoints were started at the Lycoming County Courthouse entrance due to the current virus outbreaks. The order said that temperature screening was required for all persons (potential jurors, visitors, and employees) entering the building. Anyone whose temperature is higher than 100.4 will be denied entry.
On Aug. 21, American Airlines changed its schedule for the fall and said it would be suspending flights starting in October from 15 markets including Williamsport. The airline was dependent on the CARES Act funding, which was about to expire and the transportation giant made cuts because of lower demand for flights.
The changes were expected to run through Nov. 3, or Election Day.
The virus would not have mercy on the organizers of the 9/11 Memorial Coalition's motorcycle ride, which typically draws thousands of people to Lycoming County.
Wolf orders such potential superspreader events to be required to hold a special permit. It is a blow to those who have for the last 20 years on the 9/11 Memorial Coalition, held the 42-mile motorcycle ride to remember the lives lost in 2001.
"We've had a high of … 9,000 motorcycles," said coalition president Tank Baird.
"Basically made it impossible to permit this ride and if you can't permit the ride you can't do traffic control," Baird said.
Eric Trump, son of the president, visited Cogan Station to campaign on Sept. 19. Trump arrived on time at the Williamsport Regional Airport and greeted wellwishers after jumping out of the Secret Service guarded caravan. He then went on to Cogan Station for a fundraiser. Trump, who is the executive vice president of the Trump Organization, spoke about natural gas drilling and how his father was the best suited to keep taxes low and oversee an economy that would rebound after the COVID-19 pandemic, said Vincent Matteo, chairman of the Lycoming County Republican Committee.
On Sept. 28, a UPMC doctor called finding a cure for coronavirus "our generation's moon shot."
A vaccine to prevent COVID-19 before the end of the year would not likely be discovered and distributed, said Dr. Graham Snyder, medical director of Infection Prevention and Hospital Epidemiology for UPMC.
Snyder was joined in a news conference by Drs. Donald Yealy, senior medical director and chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine, UPMC and University of Pittsburgh, and David A. Nace, chief medical officer, UPMC Senior Communications.
Each expressed hope about a vaccine to be discovered and distributed but said the chances were nil one would be developed before 2021.
"Rolling out a vaccine, proven to be safe, which helps to improve the immune system and reduce chance of the disease, would be unprecedented," Nace said.
"We're not content to see what the future holds," Yealy said.
UPMC has developed its own test, using nasal swabs and did not wait for government or industry to do the work.
Instead, Yealy said, through adaptive and platform clinical trials, UPMC helped sick patients before results went to the peer review stage.
On Oct. 1, a story on the giant craft retailer Hobby Lobby appears on the front page. The former Kmart, which is a large vacant storefront in perhaps the busiest commercial area of Lycoming County will be getting Hobby Lobby in late spring, with the corporation confirming it signed a lease to locate in the former Kmart building along the Golden Strip in Loyalsock Township.
On Oct. 10, Sun-Gazette reporter Mike Reuther wrote a story that Lycoming County officials agreed that the time for finding new facilities for work done by the county coroner is long overdue.
Rising death rates from drug overdoses, suicides and even COVID-19 were only making the issue more urgent.
"We are near capacity out there for morgue space," Coroner Charles E. Kiessling Jr. said of the site at the Williamsport Regional Medical Center.
The cramped morgue is only part of the problem, however.
Kiessling noted that among the principal concerns are inadequate decontamination capabilities and space for vehicles.
On Oct. 14, the board of governors for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education approved the system's efforts to integrate six of its universities. The system is exploring two possible combinations -- California-Clarion-Edinboro and Bloomsburg-Lock Haven-Mansfield -- and each integration would operate as "a single accredited entity with a single leadership, faculty, enrollment management strategy, and budget while honoring local identity.
On Oct. 14, council approved a contract for firefighters that included 9 percent pay increases over the five year term. City firefighters are going to receive pay increases in four out of five years over the life of a recently negotiated five-year contract between their union and the city.
Firefighters will receive no salary increase this year on the contract that is retroactive to Jan. 1, and goes through Dec. 31, 2024. They get 1 percent in 2021, 2 percent in 2022, 3 percent in 2023 and 3 percent in 2024, said Norman Lubin, city solicitor.
In mid-October, Dr. Rutul Dalal, medical director, infectious diseases, UPMC Susquehanna Region, said the COVID-19 pandemic is going to merge with influenza season, prompting a warning to cover up and take preventative measures after heading indoors. "We can't predict what the future holds for this virus in terms of its spread and severity, especially as we enter the flu season and spend more time indoors," Dalal said. "You should wear a facemask in situations where you are around people who are not members of your own household and can't consistently maintain other preventative measures like social distancing," Dalal said. "When you can't consistently maintain 6 feet of social distancing," he said.
Looking at the hospital network's case positive rates, the amount of time patients spend in the hospital, their need for intensive care or use of ventilators and death rates -- all are far lower now than in the earlier part of the pandemic.
"We have found better treatments, like steroids and more effective clinical protocols," Dalal said of COVID-19.
For months, health officials have discussed a fall resurgence of COVID-19.
Now, that the weather is cooler, officials at UPMC were seeing an increase in positive cases. Doctors discussed a combination of people spending more time indoors and people becoming complacent.
State Rep. Garth Everett, R-Pennsdale, after 14 years representing the 84th House District, said good-bye to his colleagues in the state Legislature.
He looked back, he said, on a time of much change in state government. The 66-year-old said overall he's happy to have had the opportunity to have served the people.
Presidential visit and Election Day
President Donald J. Trump visited Montoursville, stopping at Williamsport Regional Airport on the last destination on a Saturday rotation of non-stop visits to get as many voters in his favor ahead of Election Day.
One highlight by Trump at the event was how he blasted his challenger, Joe Biden, showing the audience a sarcastic video, displaying Biden's lesser astute moments on the stump, and the former vice president in costume only to reveal it actually was Kamala Harris, Democratic senator and vice presidential candidate.
Many lines were long in Lycoming County depending on the time of day. Some polling places were easy to access for voters. In and out and it was over a few minutes, but others took a longer wait in line, sometimes 45 minutes or more in locations in Wolf and Loyalsock townships and the city.
On Nov. 4, newly elected state Rep. Joe Hamm, R-Hepburn Township, was a plaintiff in a lawsuit filed alleging illegal ballot manipulation. The Trump campaign, set to lose the electoral college vote, launched several lawsuits thoughout the key states that were close, claiming the election boards should not certify the vote count because many mailed ballots were illegal. He also alleged fraud vote took place with a Democratic-led plan hatched to reverse the Election night totals, which had Trump winning the race.
But as of Nov. 9, U.S. Middle District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann became front and center in the presidential election as the Trump releection campaign files a federal lawsuit asking the judge to stop the certification of ballots in seven counties, most of which are Democrat-heavy voters.
Trump lawyers said in the lawsuit they believe the ballots cast by mail, provisional and absentee votes were not postmarked by Nov. 3 and the counting which went through Nov. 6 was done illegally.
Just before Thanksgiving, Slaughter presented City Council with a 2.5-mill tax-hike $29.7 million budget.
December arrived with a surge of coronavirus cases. For the first time, the positive case numbers exceed the three digits.
Nursing homes were hit hard, as are independent living centers. Those going to work are asked to remain vigilant washing hands and wearing masks when moving around their office spaces.
Council took $777,000 out of Slaughter's budget, reducing the tax rate hike to 1.5 mills.
Council promised another round of slashing the budget and this time considering amendments to outsource key departments such as information technology, human resources and look hard a recreation department cuts such as programs that may or may not be impacted in the new year by the virus.