Tracks of Faith Radio

26/02/2021

Hallelujah!

Kingston was born in April 2020 at only 24 weeks and weighed one pound, seven ounces. He spent the first seven months of his life in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at a hospital in Louisville.

26/02/2021

Last weekend in February is looking good! 2 small chances of rain, 1 late tonight and one early Sunday morning. Both times only scattered, light rain at best. Daylight hours will be dry and sunny with 50s!

26/02/2021

Varney and Varmah Voker, known as the "Bentley Twins," joined the Black Disciples and become two of the most legendary gangsters -- until they met Pastor Corey Brooks

25/02/2021

Everyone in northern Indiana’s 574 and 219 telephone area codes will be required to use 10 digits, rather than seven, to make local phone calls beginning later this year.

25/02/2021

ICY ROADS! Two things happening this morning. Light fog is freezing into a light layer of ice on cars, roads, trees etc. In addition, all the snow melt from yesterday is now refrozen into an slick layer. Be especially careful at intersections, bridges, roundabouts.. any area you may need to slow down is likely not just wet but rather icy this morning. It'll melt by lunchtime.

25/02/2021

24/02/2021

Officials say Trooper James Montgomery, better known as “Brent,” of Troop C District 4 - Vance County has been in intensive care for the last 12 days at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill battling the virus.

24/02/2021

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR ECS FAMILIES

On February 23, the Elkhart Community Schools Board of School Trustees approved the return to a Monday through Thursday (4-day) in-person school week for current hybrid students.

Please note the following schedule and changes:

March 1 (Monday):
Stays as scheduled (in-person for Group A, eLearning for Group B)

March 2 (Tuesday):
Stays as scheduled (in-person for Group B, eLearning for Group A)

March 3 (Wednesday):
eLearning day for all students (no in-person school)

March 4 (Thursday):
Stays as scheduled (in-person for Group B, eLearning for Group A)

March 5 (Friday):
eLearning day for all students (no in-person school)

March 8 (Monday):
Elementary hybrid students return in person, Monday through Thursday

March 15 (Monday):
Secondary hybrid students return in person, Monday through Thursday

May 21 (Friday):
Make-up day for weather-related closing. All hybrid students will attend in person. All virtual students will learn virtually.

June 3 (Thursday):
Make-up day for weather-related closing. All hybrid students will attend in person. All virtual students will learn virtually.

Why is the district making this change?
Elkhart Community Schools recognizes that the best place for a child to learn is in a school building with school staff. The district has closely monitored the infection rates in Elkhart County for nearly a year and has worked with the Elkhart County Health Department to create a plan that optimizes learning while minimizing risk. To date, the district has had very few (6) cases of COVID that could possibly be attributed to spread within schools, out of a total of 584 individuals identified as close contacts with positive cases. Additionally, the district has taken staff and parent feedback about the return to school into heavy consideration.

What does this change mean for students who are learning 100% virtual?
Students who are currently registered as 100% virtual students will stay as 100% virtual students.

Can my hybrid student transition to a 100% virtual student? Can my 100% virtual student return to in-person instruction? All requests for changes should be made through Instructional Leadership and will be handled on a case by case basis. Please note that a great deal of planning has gone into ensuring our classrooms are socially distanced and many may be at space capacity. Changes from virtual to hybrid will be limited due to physical space and staffing availability. Please email [email protected] if you would like to change your child’s plan.

Why was March 5 changed to an eLearning day?
The change of March 5 to an eLearning day is to provide ECS staff with additional time for planning curriculum and classrooms to prepare for students to return to school.

Why is the district staggering the return of elementary and secondary students?
Returning elementary students on March 8 will provide our district with time to adjust our support systems, like transportation and food services, before all students return. For secondary students, March 15 aligns with the start of the last grading period and scheduled/planned mini-mesters.

Why is there still no in-person school on Fridays?
Friday will remain an eLearning day to provide time for additional cleaning of facilities, to allow virtual students to come in for required testing, and to provide time for scheduled teacher meetings and professional development.

Where can I see the most recent school year calendar?
The most updated version of the 2020-2021 school year calendar can be found on the homepage of the Elkhart Community Schools website (look for the green bullets).

Will students and staff be required to wear masks at all times?
Because of the increased number of students in buildings, ECS will follow CDC guidance and require masks be worn at all times except for when eating or engaging in high intensity activities. Masks need to fit snugly and cover the person’s nose and mouth. The CDC states the following core principle: “Require consistent and correct use of face masks, by all students, teachers, and staff to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission through respiratory droplets. Masks should be worn at all times, by all persons in school facilities, with exceptions for certain persons who, because of a disability, cannot wear a mask or wear a mask safely, or for certain settings such as while eating or drinking. Masks should be required in all classroom and non-classroom settings, including hallways, school offices, restrooms, gyms, auditoriums, etc.”

How will students be distanced from other students and staff? What about buses?
Indiana State Department of Health guidance recommends 3 feet of separation between individuals for contact tracing. Elkhart Community Schools conducted an audit of classrooms and found that about 2/3 of classrooms are able to space out at least 3 feet or more. The district will make every effort possible to maintain maximum possible distance, including use of all classrooms and large spaces within the building as needed. Students on buses will be required to wear masks (per federal guidelines for bus transportation) and sit with same-household students when possible. Every effort will be made to distance students on buses.

What will the district do if cases rise in the community or if there is spread at a school building?
Elkhart Schools will maintain this schedule through the rest of the academic year as long as there is no serious community spread or an order to change from county or state health officials. We will follow guidance from county and state officials if there is a community outbreak. If any one building or buildings experience spread, the district will target temporary closures to those sites as we did in the fall.

Will the district be performing COVID testing at the schools?
ECS will not be performing COVID testing at our buildings at this time. We will continue to supply parents/guardians and staff with a list of options for testing sites around the county.

Is there anything that I can do to help?
YES! Elkhart Community Schools is in great need of caring adults to fill important roles in our food services department (servers, commissary, managers), transportation department (drivers, helpers, mechanics), and instructional department (paraprofessionals). Hours per day range from 1.5 hours to 8 hours, with many positions able to accommodate a child’s school schedule. For those not ready to commit to a regular schedule, we are also in need of substitutes in all areas - teaching, food service, and transportation. When these important positions are underfilled, then compounded by illness or quarantine, the operation of our schools is put in jeopardy. We need your help! Please visit the ECS website, then click on “Employment” at the top of the page to view our open positions.

Additionally, the district needs your help with keeping COVID out of our buildings. If anyone in your household has symptoms of COVID or has been told they are a “close contact,” please be aware of the district’s guidance for quarantine. This information can be found on the ECS website by visiting the homepage and looking for the COVID Dashboard link (green bullets). As we take mitigation strategies seriously within our buildings, we ask that you please follow CDC guidelines for wearing masks, handwashing and sanitizing, and social distancing in your own lives outside of our school buildings. Our efforts inside the school buildings are made stronger by your efforts outside of the school buildings. With additional people in our buildings, it becomes more critical than ever for all of us to follow CDC guidelines for mitigation and for symptomatic individuals to stay home to recover.

23/02/2021

23/02/2021

BREAKING: Hoosiers 60 and older are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

https://events.in.gov/event/hoosiers_age_60_and_older_now_eligible_for_covid-19_vaccine

22/02/2021

22/02/2021

New Playlist....world CHH
Praise HIM Every Day....Tune in....share

https://iradeo.com/station/113872

19/02/2021

Did you know? Freezing fog (or Diamond dust!) forms when air temperatures are consistently below freezing and the water droplets of a fog cloud are ice crystals! Those crystals can stick to local surfaces causing slick roads to develop.

18/02/2021

The 2021 South Bend Cubs schedule was announced today, and the season opener is just 75 days away.

17/02/2021

"America Again" salutes this great country. Please subscribe to the channel (link below) as we will be putting a couple of these out each week and you don't ...

15/02/2021

Go to sister station SME Community Radio group for snowstorm information and closings. This needs taken seriously, but not panicked.

15/02/2021

New tracks added to our station this weekend. If you have any...email them to [email protected]

15/02/2021

15/02/2021

15/02/2021

Take it slow if you are out driving today. Road conditions will be rapidly deteriorating this afternoon with snowfall rates of over an inch an hour.

15/02/2021

Light snow will continue this morning, but a lull in the more widespread light snow is expected to develop later this morning into early this afternoon. An area of heavy snow is then expected to lift northward across the region late this afternoon into tonight. Snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour will be possible this evening. Storm total snow accumulations of 6 to 12 inches are expected in the winter storm warning area with the highest amounts generally east of Interstate 69 and south of US Route 24. In addition, some blowing and drifting snow will develop tonight as north winds strengthen to 15 to 20 mph with some gusts to 25 mph. Winter Storm Warnings remain in effect for the area highlighted in pink, through Tuesday morning with Winter Weather Advisories across northwest Indiana into southwest Lower Michigan. Snow will taper off overnight tonight, but the Tuesday morning commute will likely be very hazardous due to snow covered roads. Looking ahead, another system may bring some significant snowfall to the region by late Wednesday into Thursday. Stay updated on the latest forecasts this week at http://www.weather.gov/iwx.

15/02/2021

14/02/2021

The latest snowfall forecast has shifted northwest and most of the area is now under a winter storm warning for tonight through Tuesday morning. Storm total amounts of 8-12” are expected south of US-24 with 6-10” north of there and 4-7” closer to Lake Michigan where a winter weather advisory is in effect. Light lake effect snow is ongoing but more widespread snow will expand from southwest to northeast this evening and will continue into Monday morning. There will be a lull Monday afternoon before more widespread snow moves back into the area again Monday night. The heaviest snow will be 7pm-1am Monday night. Travel will be hazardous tonight into Monday morning but the worst conditions will be Monday night into Tuesday morning. Then, looking ahead to Wednesday night to Thursday night, another system will have to be watched for the potential for more snow.

14/02/2021

ALERT: As we've been expecting, a Winter Storm Warning is now in effect for almost every county in Indiana and Northwestern and Western Ohio ahead of a major winter storm which will begin to impact the area late tonight through Tuesday Morning.

The only counties in the state not included in the warning are LaPorte and St. Joseph where a Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for 5-7" of snow. is expected.

For our latest SnowCast and update, see our post from earlier this afternoon.

We will have another complete update later tonight. Stay tuned to IndianaWeatherOnline.

13/02/2021

The South Shore Line will be transporting passengers via bus this weekend due to predicted extreme cold weather.

09/02/2021

Kodak Black, who recently received a sentence commutation from former President Donald Trump, has reportedly offered to pay for the college tuition of the three children whose FBI agent parents were recently killed on duty in Florida.

05/02/2021

ELKHART — Seeking to make the most of beautiful days in city neighborhoods, the Parks and Recreation Department is asking the neighbors of several parks to engage with the city

04/02/2021

Snow arrives by late afternoon accumulating 1 to 3 inches in most areas and 4 to 7 inches closer to the lake. Lake effect snow will linger for west wind favored locations, mainly north of the Toll Road Friday, with greatest accumulations near Lake Michigan. Gusty winds to 40 mph will cause blowing and drifting of snow and low visibility at times. Through the night, cold air continues to come in and temperatures quickly fall allowing roadways that have remained wet to ice up. Areas like bridges, overpasses and lesser traveled roadways have the best chance to see icy conditions.

04/02/2021

A strong front will bring a rain and snow mix today, changing to all snow tonight with the highest accumulations near and north of the Michigan line. Behind this front, arctic air will pour into the area tonight, bringing a flash freeze as temperatures fall to 15 degrees by daybreak. Bitterly cold air will be over the area for most of the next 7 days with wind chills below zero much of the time. System snow is expected late Saturday and Saturday night and then again on Monday night.

02/02/2021

The coldest air of this winter will surge into the northern Plains and Great Lakes region this weekend. The cold air will remain in place through next week with temperatures well below normal. Additionally, with any wind that occurs, dangerously cold wind chill temperatures are expected. Overnight lows Monday morning will be in the single digits above and below zero and wind chills will plummet -20 degrees and colder. At these temperatures, exposure to the elements will put animals and people at grave risk of hypothermia. Make plans now to prepare. More information about cold weather safety can be found online at: https://www.weather.gov/safety/cold

02/02/2021

Bitterly cold air will be arriving late this week which will bring air temperatures below zero Sunday night and wind chills as cold as -25. Until then, light lake snow showers will end today with plenty of sun away from the lake. Mostly sunny skies will prevail Wednesday with highs near 30. A wintery mix is expected Thursday before the arctic air arrival.

01/02/2021

ARCTIC BLAST!! The coldest air of the season...BY FAR...will blast it's way into Michiana this weekend and into early next week. I have been talking about this for a week, and now it's showing up on the computer models. Ready or not, here it comes! And, if you're like me, when it comes to bitter cold, you're never ready...

30/01/2021

***NOTE: This post contains outdated information.***

Wet snow arrives tonight with 4 to 9 inches expected. Drive carefully if you must be out. Snow continues on Sunday before dissipating Sunday night.