Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
STATE TESTING – If you haven’t been tested yet for COVID-19 and still want to – for free! – the Indiana State Department of Health COVID-19 testing site is down at Central Park today and next week, Tuesday through Saturday, Aug. 4-8. It’s drive-thru so you don’t even need to leave your car.
Friday afternoon, the city of Warsaw received word that the ISDH testing site will be able to start testing children 2 years and older beginning Tuesday, Aug. 4. This is an important update, as it was previously 12 and older.
Testing is available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
WORLD TRAFFICKING DAY EVENT – During the World Trafficking Day event Thursday, a silent auction was held, T-shirts were sold and donations were taken. The proceeds went to Operation Underground Railroad.
According to an e-mail from organizer Mikayla Koontz Friday morning, the event raised $4,000 and donations were still being counted.
APP CHALLENGE – On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.) announced the 2020 Congressional App Challenge and invited middle and high school students throughout Indiana’s 2nd District to submit their original app by Monday, Oct. 19.
“Our nation’s future will be driven by a creative and innovative workforce, and I know the next generation of Hoosiers will be leading the way,” Walorski said. “The Congressional App Challenge is an incredible opportunity for local students to showcase the STEM skills and programming talent that will keep America at the forefront of technological development. I encourage 2nd District middle and high school students of all coding levels to participate, and I can’t wait to see what they come up with!”
Interested students should register online by Thursday, Sept. 10. The deadline for final submissions for the 2020 Congressional App Challenge is Monday, Oct. 19. Information about submitting an app, including rules and guidelines and key dates can be found at https://www.congressionalappchallenge.us/.
The annual Congressional App Challenge, launched by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2015, is an opportunity to recognize the achievements of young people in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and to showcase the importance of computer-based skills for middle and high school students. The CAC accepts computer programs (or apps) written in any programming language, such as C, C++, Java, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, or "block code, for any platform (desktop/PC, web, mobile, raspberry Pi, etc.).
The winning submission will be eligible to be featured on display in the U.S. Capitol Building, on the House of Representatives website and on the Congressional App Challenge website alongside winning apps from other congressional districts nationwide.
Walorski represents the 2nd Congressional District of Indiana, serving as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee.
PLANTING SEEDS – The following came from a news release from the office of Congressman Jim Banks (IN-3):
“You may have heard that some Hoosiers, and residents of many other states, have received suspicious packages of seeds from China in the mail. If you’ve received a package of seeds, Indiana’s Department of Agriculture has stated you should not open it, throw it away, or plant it. They are encouraging recipients to send the packages to the Indiana State Seed Laboratory at Purdue for further study.
“It’s not clear who is sending them or why, but there’s a small possibility that they’re malicious and contain invasive species or are intended to spread diseases. The Communist Party has sabotaged several U.S. industries ranging from defense manufacturing to pharmaceutical drugs so it wouldn’t be out of character for them to target our agricultural sector.
“It’s not proven that these packages are meant to harm Hoosier farmers, but agriculture is a crucial part of Indiana’s economy and we need to protect it vigilantly.”
