COVID-19 || The Sound of COVID

We are in for a quiet couple of weeks … and that is a good thing. 14 days to Slow it Down and Do Our Part. Our additional county-wide measures will last until midnight on Sunday, April 12 – the state mandated self-isolate order currently lasts through April 15th. CLICK HERE to see the state order and HERE to see the additional measures that we have in place. You know the drill - keep your distance and only do essential stuff.
 
Meanwhile, our work continues – fire stations and financial support.  50% of our local option tax (LOT) goes to emergency services so we are looking for additional funding for these activities as we anticipate a plunge in LOT revenues. We are also looking to identify funding for those that have lost their jobs and for small businesses. Please CLICK HERE for our link to business and employee resources.  We will continually add to this page as more information and financial aid programs become available. Regarding the fire station, design work continues. Many fire stations around the country have realized there are additional features they would like to have had to deal with this pandemic. We have added these features in our design.
 
Airport questions continue - we have added them to our FAQs HERE.  Please note that a substantial number of commercial and private flights no longer come into the Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN) - many have discontinued services. The majority of those traveling by plane into our area are our residents. Furthermore, flights into Blaine County represent a fraction of the number of people entering our county - most drive here. Also note that local and state officials, including the governor, cannot restrict aeronautical activity at a federally obligated airport such as SUN. Thus far, no federally-obligated, public-use airport in the U.S. has been closed during this emergency. Airports are critical to transporting supplies and equipment during this time of crisis. While things could change in the future, I do not expect the Federal Aviation Administration to change their position anytime soon.
 
We can lead the nation through this. We have had much national coverage for having one of the highest concentrations of COVID-19 in the country. While in many ways it is unwanted notoriety, it has had the positive effect of reducing travel into our area. Let’s be a model for other communities - let’s show others that we can pull through this with discipline and best practice. By doing so, we will not only help ourselves, but with all eyes on us, the results of our actions could prove to be uplifting for the rest of the country.
 
Let’s make some noise for all the workers who continue to serve this community #KetchumKind
 

Cheers,
Neil