Superintendents across the commonwealth tuned into a phone call Dec. 15 with Gov. Andy Beshear and officials from the Department of Public Health and the Kentucky Department of Education to hear about how to COVID-19 vaccine will be delivered to school district employees when it becomes available.
During that virtual meeting, the governor told superintendents that the Pfizer vaccine may be available to educators in early February, but it âcould happen sooner, depending on the availability of the vaccine.â
Dr. Connie White, deputy commissioner for the Department of Public Health, who was also present in the webcast meeting, told superintendents the vaccine is safe and has been fully tested, and that she would be comfortable taking it.
Owensboro Community & Technical College will be offering two online social work courses for the spring semester that will both be transferable to both Brescia University or Western Kentucky University.
The courses, introduction to social services and crisis intervention, are both three-hour classes that will begin Jan. 11 and run through May 1. Introduction to social services also includes a lab and provides an overview of the programs and challenges faced by professionals in the field. Crisis intervention focuses on intervention theory, suicide prevention and risk assessment techniques, according to OCTC.
Both courses are taught by Cori Douglas and Amanda Greenwell, who are licensed and working in the field of social services.
Itâs been a long time since RiverPark Center volunteers have had the opportunity to interact with the public and help the facility do what it does best â entertain the community.
The group decided they still wanted to give back in some way, and so created the RiverParkâs Giving Tree. The Christmas tree is decorated in the RPCâs lobby, and underneath volunteers have placed scarves, hats, gloves and socks for those in need during this cold season.
Rich Jorn, the RiverParkâs executive director, said the center wanted to give back to the community in some way.
âThis community sticks together, looks out for each other and provides for one another,â he said, adding that he hopes this small token of charity will help those struggling to stay warm as winter is upon us.
Owensboro Public Schools Superintendent Matthew Constant on Thursday said it will be hard to make a decision about returning to in-person instruction in January before receiving further guidance from the governorâs office.
During the December board meeting, Constant said there are a still a lot of uncertainties regarding both the return to classrooms, and the issuance of vaccines against COVID-19 by the state to district employees.
He said Gov. Andy Beshear is expected to release some executive orders regarding mandates and recommendations for schools to reopen.
âUntil we know just what that will be, it will be hard to make a decision about January, but we hope to do so quickly,â he said.
Vaccine could be available to educators by early February or sooner messenger-inquirer.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from messenger-inquirer.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.