A couple of closings

This week the Jasper County Hospital announced that it would be closing its obstetrical unit:

The many changes in the national health care system and the rapid reduction in the supply of local physicians have led to a decision that Jasper County Hospital will no longer provide obstetrical delivery services effective May 31, 2014.
...
Talks are underway with Franciscan St. Elizabeth Health in Lafayette, Indiana, and the Franciscan Physician Network, to provide an obstetrical clinic in the Hospital’s Outpatient Department. Such a clinic would allow an obstetrician and a nurse practitioner to see obstetrical patients in Rensselaer with deliveries to occur in Lafayette. The obstetrician and nurse practitioner would work closely with the local family medicine physicians to assist patients.

Read the whole thing here.

Already closed is Family Auto Sales, across from White's on North McKinley. All this is left are a few signs. I think the family that owned the dealership is constructing a new Ford-Lincoln facility in Watseka--when I drove past a week ago, a new showroom that I think is theirs was almost complete on the far east side of the town.

On the upside, we will soon have a Taco Bell near the Interstate.

Summer arrived suddenly. Because of the forecast for rain today, the farmers have been pulling all-nighters in the fields. I talked to a farmer in Newton County last night who was happy that he had finished planting his corn thanks to some very extended hours.