Elkhart County

Elkhart County Health Officer Dr. Bethany Wait says the county’s COVID-19 situation has gotten significantly worse over the past three weeks.

Elkhart County officials will vote on a large-scale proposed solar project this weekend.

The Elkhart County Sheriff is requesting any information from the public related to a recent string of barn fires.

Two separate barn fires occurred last Friday, Oct. 1. They were the most recent in a string of eight incidents across the county dating back to April 2021. Residents and law enforcement officials suspect the fires may be the result of arson.

Here are the eight fires the sheriff’s office is seeking information on:

Elkhart County boat manufacturer Smoker Craft, Inc. announced plans Sept. 28 to expand operations and create up to 100 new jobs by 2024.

The New Paris based company will invest $12 million to construct a new, 200,000 foot space on its current 600,000 square foot production campus located at 68143 Clunette St.

In a news release, the company said the expansion will allow them to serve growing consumer demand and the additional space will be operational by April 2022.

Starting next month, Elkhart County residents who need rental assistance will have to apply through the state, rather than the county. 

The county has managed its own program since March, but county commissioners announced Monday they would be closing out the local rental assistance program. 

Board of Commissioners President Suzie Weirick said that doesn’t mean rental assistance won’t be available.

Elkhart County Health Officer Dr. Bethany Wait said Friday she expects the county’s rise in COVID-19 cases to continue for at least the next three weeks. 

According to the state’s COVID-19 dashboard, Elkhart County has a 7-day positivity rate of 8.6 percent, and recorded 236 cases per 100,000 residents over the last week. The county recently moved to the state’s “orange” category, which indicates high spread of the virus.

Ahead of the Labor Day holiday on Sept. 6, the Indiana Department of Health will be offering COVID-19 tests and vaccines in Goshen. 

A spokeswoman for the Elkhart County Health Department says the clinic is in response to the county’s rising positivity rate and recent move to the state’s “orange” category, which indicates high community spread of the virus.

After 18 months, the Elkhart County Drug Court graduated its first class Monday afternoon. 

Established in 2019, the problem-solving court is a collaborative program for non-violent offenders with felony drug charges. It offers participants treatment plans and recovery resources to help prevent repeat offenses and continued addiction.

Starting Monday, Aug. 23, Goshen Community Schools students at the following schools will have to wear a mask indoors: 

Northern Indiana is adding another recreational vehicle maker to what is known as the “RV Capital of the World.” Ember Recreational Vehicles announced it will invest $4 million to build a facility in Elkhart County.

The Elkhart County Health Department is recommending that all residents wear a mask indoors, regardless of vaccination status.

The Centers for Disease Controls has labeled the county as having “substantial” spread of the Delta variant, which is more contagious and more transmissible than other variants of the coronavirus.

With fewer people needing a COVID-19 test due to the vaccine, Elkhart County is making some changes to its testing sites. 

The free testing site in the Concord Mall parking lot will permanently close at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 30. 

A new drive-up location will open at Elkhart Central Fire Station (500 East St. Elkhart, IN 46516) on July 6. That site will operate from noon to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and from 9 a.m. to noon on the first and third Saturday of each month.

Elkhart County leaders announced details for the county's new consolidated courts facility, which will be located between Elkhart and Goshen. 

(Read more in the release below.)

The Elkhart County Health Department has announced several COVID-19 vaccination clinics over the next month, the first of which will be held tomorrow: 

May 11 (Tuesday)

The Elkhart County Health Department kicked off a drive to persuade more county residents to get vaccinated Wednesday. 

“The better we do as a community and as a state in keeping COVID numbers down, the better we can do getting back into our businesses and supporting those people – the workers and the business owners – and really starting to get back to life as we know it,” Goshen Mayor Jeremy Stutsman said.

Elkhart County health officials announced Wednesday the more contagious California variant of the coronavirus has been detected in the county. 

County Health Officer Dr. Bethany Wait also said Wednesday that she was awaiting the release of Governor Holcomb's executive order to make a decision about the county's mask mandate. 

(Read the full release from the health department below.)

Elkhart County’s health officer said she feels the state department of health’s COVID-19 metrics for the county are “slightly deceiving.” 

At the county board of health meeting Thursday night, Dr. Bethany Wait said that while Elkhart County is in the state’s “yellow” designation, which indicates moderate spread of the virus, the county’s positivity rate has risen steadily over the last few weeks.