December 31, 2020 at 4:48 a.m.
Top 10 stories of 2020
Pandemic dominated the year like no other story in recent memory
Top 10 stories of 2020
Each year, The Commercial Review’s staff sits down to discuss its top 10 stories of the year. The process is not so much about the rankings, but rather an effort to give our readers an accurate idea of what the year was like in our community.
Sometimes, there is debate about the No. 1 story. This year, there was no doubt.
The debate, instead, turned to how much of the top 10 should be devoted to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. After all, this was not just a major story that was occasionally in the headlines. The pandemic encompassed our lives for the better part of 10 months.
For that reason, not only is COVID-19’s impact on our health our selection for the top story of the year, but other aspects of the pandemic appear throughout the top 10.
The remainder of our 2020 list is as follows:
2. Coronavirus pandemic forces schools to close, delay start of 2020-21 year
3. Jay County residents were murdered in three separate incidents
4. Police shooting results in Muncie man’s death, protests by family and friends
5. State-mandated closures because of COVID-19 impact local businesses
6. Bitter Ridge Wind Farm construction is completed and facility goes online
7. Coronavirus pandemic forces cancellation and modification of annual events
8. High school sports spring season, other extracurriculars called off because of COVID-19
9. Arts Place begins construction on its multi-million dollar renovation and expansion project
10. Former NFL player and coach Pete Brewster, a Portland native, dies at age 89
1. 20 die of COVID-19
The numbers are staggering.
As of Wednesday’s report, 20 Jay County residents had died of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus.
The county was one of the last in the state to suffer a COVID-19 death, with the first coming Sept. 28. The worst stretch locally was from Nov. 30 through Dec. 3, with the county experiencing a death each day.
In addition to the deaths, the county has had 1,496 cases of COVID-19 thus far. Of those 1,077 have come in the final two months of the year.
2. Schools shut down
Students left school on March 13 and never returned for the remainder of the 2019-20 year. Classes were held virtually, with Jay School Corporation taking advantage of a waiver from the state and holding classes on alternating days. Jay County High School’s prom was canceled and Honors Day and graduation were held in a drive-in format.
The 2020-21 school year, the first with seventh and eighth graders moved to the high school building, was delayed by almost a month to allow staff extra time to prepare. Remote learning was implemented again following Thanksgiving.
3. Three murders
The murders of Zayne and Wayne Burroughs topped the 2019 story list. It took less than two weeks for Jay County to experience its first murder of 2020. Two more followed, just weeks apart this summer.
Shea Briar, 31, Portland, was shot early Jan. 12 on a bridge in northern Jay County and died later that day. On Aug. 22, Shanna Jones, 47, was shot and killed at her home in rural Dunkirk. Three weeks later, James Miller, 49, Montpelier, was shot and killed outside a home in Portland.
Arrests were made within days of all three murders.
4. Police shooting
On May 1, 21-year-old Spencer Calvert, Muncie, a 2017 Jay County High School graduate, was shot and killed in a confrontation with police on Portland’s west side.
An Indiana State Police investigation ruled officer Mitchell Rigby was “justified in using deadly force … in order to prevent serious bodily injury to himself or others in the area.” The investigation, and The CR’s review of police body camera footage, confirmed that Calvert was charging at Rigby with the knife when the shots were fired.
The incident resulted in protests against law enforcement and the newspaper from Calvert’s family and friends.
5. Statewide shutdown
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb issued an executive order March 23 ordering Hoosiers to stay home except for essential workers or necessary trips for food and medicine.
While grocery shopping and carryout food was still allowed, the order forced restaurants and bars to close to in-person service along with many other business. The stay-at-home order stayed in place until early May, when Holcomb issued a five-step plan for getting “back on track.”
As a result of losses, Jay County businesses received at least $9.5 million in assistance through the federal paycheck protection program (PPP).
6. Bitter Ridge completed
Construction of Jay County’s second wind farm began in 2019 and continued this year with the first delivery of components in April. The bulk of construction led by contractor M.A. Mortenson of Minneapolis was completed by the end of July, and Scout Clean Energy’s facility went into operation in September.
The wind farm features 52 turbines and produces 130 megawatts of power — enough to power 50,000 homes — that is sold to Baltimore-based Constellation.
Bitter Ridge joined NextEra Energy’s Bluff Point Wind Energy Center, which was completed in 2017, to give Jay County a total of 109 turbines.
7. Events affected
A list of traditional events in Jay County were canceled or postponed in an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Others, like the Jay County Fair and Tri-State Gas Engine and Tractor Show, were held in modified formats.
Canceled events included Tri-State’s May swap meet, demolition derbies, Dunkirk’s Community Glass Days, Fort Recovery Jubilee, Jay County Historical Society’s Heritage Festival, the annual Fourth of July celebration at Jay County Fairgrounds and the Fourth of July and homecoming parades.
The fair was cut back to four days from a planned nine with most grandstand entertainment eliminated.
8. Activities axed
The chips started to fall March 12 with the NBA announcing it would “pause” the remainder of its season.
The COVID-19 pandemic started to have local implications shortly thereafter as, most notably, the spring sports seasons in Indiana and Ohio were canceled. The IHSAA officially canceled its season on April 2. The OHSAA, which was holding out hope to have a season, followed suit 18 days later by ending any chance of having spring sports.
Other extracurriculars impacted were marching band, choir, winter guard and percussion competitions.
Sports in Jay County did not resume until June 16.
9. Arts Place expanding
A project six years in the making got underway Sept. 25 when Arts Place held a groundbreaking ceremony for its renovation and expansion project.
The renovation of the existing Arts Place building at 131 E. Walnut St., Portland, includes repairing structural and moisture issues, expanding the lobby and ticketing area, creating additional music rehearsal space and installing new lighting and sound equipment for Hall-Moser Theatre. The more than $2 million project also features the construction of a new visual arts building across the street.
Work led by Limberlost Construction of Geneva is expected to be complete by the summer.
10. Pete’s passing
Portland’s native son, Darrel “Pete” Brewster, passed away Jan. 3 at the age of 89.
Brewster was a Portland High School graduate, and played football and basketball for the Panthers. He later attended Purdue University on a basketball scholarship while also playing football.
He was a second-round NFL Draft pick in 1952, and played for the Cleveland Browns (1952-58) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (1959-60), during which he was a two-time Pro Bowl selection.
As a receivers coach for the Kansas City Chiefs, Brewster helped coach Hank Stram and the Chiefs win Super Bowl IV.
Sometimes, there is debate about the No. 1 story. This year, there was no doubt.
The debate, instead, turned to how much of the top 10 should be devoted to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. After all, this was not just a major story that was occasionally in the headlines. The pandemic encompassed our lives for the better part of 10 months.
For that reason, not only is COVID-19’s impact on our health our selection for the top story of the year, but other aspects of the pandemic appear throughout the top 10.
The remainder of our 2020 list is as follows:
2. Coronavirus pandemic forces schools to close, delay start of 2020-21 year
3. Jay County residents were murdered in three separate incidents
4. Police shooting results in Muncie man’s death, protests by family and friends
5. State-mandated closures because of COVID-19 impact local businesses
6. Bitter Ridge Wind Farm construction is completed and facility goes online
7. Coronavirus pandemic forces cancellation and modification of annual events
8. High school sports spring season, other extracurriculars called off because of COVID-19
9. Arts Place begins construction on its multi-million dollar renovation and expansion project
10. Former NFL player and coach Pete Brewster, a Portland native, dies at age 89
1. 20 die of COVID-19
The numbers are staggering.
As of Wednesday’s report, 20 Jay County residents had died of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus.
The county was one of the last in the state to suffer a COVID-19 death, with the first coming Sept. 28. The worst stretch locally was from Nov. 30 through Dec. 3, with the county experiencing a death each day.
In addition to the deaths, the county has had 1,496 cases of COVID-19 thus far. Of those 1,077 have come in the final two months of the year.
2. Schools shut down
Students left school on March 13 and never returned for the remainder of the 2019-20 year. Classes were held virtually, with Jay School Corporation taking advantage of a waiver from the state and holding classes on alternating days. Jay County High School’s prom was canceled and Honors Day and graduation were held in a drive-in format.
The 2020-21 school year, the first with seventh and eighth graders moved to the high school building, was delayed by almost a month to allow staff extra time to prepare. Remote learning was implemented again following Thanksgiving.
3. Three murders
The murders of Zayne and Wayne Burroughs topped the 2019 story list. It took less than two weeks for Jay County to experience its first murder of 2020. Two more followed, just weeks apart this summer.
Shea Briar, 31, Portland, was shot early Jan. 12 on a bridge in northern Jay County and died later that day. On Aug. 22, Shanna Jones, 47, was shot and killed at her home in rural Dunkirk. Three weeks later, James Miller, 49, Montpelier, was shot and killed outside a home in Portland.
Arrests were made within days of all three murders.
4. Police shooting
On May 1, 21-year-old Spencer Calvert, Muncie, a 2017 Jay County High School graduate, was shot and killed in a confrontation with police on Portland’s west side.
An Indiana State Police investigation ruled officer Mitchell Rigby was “justified in using deadly force … in order to prevent serious bodily injury to himself or others in the area.” The investigation, and The CR’s review of police body camera footage, confirmed that Calvert was charging at Rigby with the knife when the shots were fired.
The incident resulted in protests against law enforcement and the newspaper from Calvert’s family and friends.
5. Statewide shutdown
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb issued an executive order March 23 ordering Hoosiers to stay home except for essential workers or necessary trips for food and medicine.
While grocery shopping and carryout food was still allowed, the order forced restaurants and bars to close to in-person service along with many other business. The stay-at-home order stayed in place until early May, when Holcomb issued a five-step plan for getting “back on track.”
As a result of losses, Jay County businesses received at least $9.5 million in assistance through the federal paycheck protection program (PPP).
6. Bitter Ridge completed
Construction of Jay County’s second wind farm began in 2019 and continued this year with the first delivery of components in April. The bulk of construction led by contractor M.A. Mortenson of Minneapolis was completed by the end of July, and Scout Clean Energy’s facility went into operation in September.
The wind farm features 52 turbines and produces 130 megawatts of power — enough to power 50,000 homes — that is sold to Baltimore-based Constellation.
Bitter Ridge joined NextEra Energy’s Bluff Point Wind Energy Center, which was completed in 2017, to give Jay County a total of 109 turbines.
7. Events affected
A list of traditional events in Jay County were canceled or postponed in an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Others, like the Jay County Fair and Tri-State Gas Engine and Tractor Show, were held in modified formats.
Canceled events included Tri-State’s May swap meet, demolition derbies, Dunkirk’s Community Glass Days, Fort Recovery Jubilee, Jay County Historical Society’s Heritage Festival, the annual Fourth of July celebration at Jay County Fairgrounds and the Fourth of July and homecoming parades.
The fair was cut back to four days from a planned nine with most grandstand entertainment eliminated.
8. Activities axed
The chips started to fall March 12 with the NBA announcing it would “pause” the remainder of its season.
The COVID-19 pandemic started to have local implications shortly thereafter as, most notably, the spring sports seasons in Indiana and Ohio were canceled. The IHSAA officially canceled its season on April 2. The OHSAA, which was holding out hope to have a season, followed suit 18 days later by ending any chance of having spring sports.
Other extracurriculars impacted were marching band, choir, winter guard and percussion competitions.
Sports in Jay County did not resume until June 16.
9. Arts Place expanding
A project six years in the making got underway Sept. 25 when Arts Place held a groundbreaking ceremony for its renovation and expansion project.
The renovation of the existing Arts Place building at 131 E. Walnut St., Portland, includes repairing structural and moisture issues, expanding the lobby and ticketing area, creating additional music rehearsal space and installing new lighting and sound equipment for Hall-Moser Theatre. The more than $2 million project also features the construction of a new visual arts building across the street.
Work led by Limberlost Construction of Geneva is expected to be complete by the summer.
10. Pete’s passing
Portland’s native son, Darrel “Pete” Brewster, passed away Jan. 3 at the age of 89.
Brewster was a Portland High School graduate, and played football and basketball for the Panthers. He later attended Purdue University on a basketball scholarship while also playing football.
He was a second-round NFL Draft pick in 1952, and played for the Cleveland Browns (1952-58) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (1959-60), during which he was a two-time Pro Bowl selection.
As a receivers coach for the Kansas City Chiefs, Brewster helped coach Hank Stram and the Chiefs win Super Bowl IV.
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