WEEKLY DEATH REPORT NOV 10 TO NOV 16, 2025

Indiana high school seniors and college students planning to pursue a career in teaching can now apply for a Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship, according to Vanderburgh County legislators.

State Rep. Tim O’Brien (R-Evansville) said this renewable scholarship, established in 2016 through legislation passed by the Indiana General Assembly, pays $10,000 per year for up to four academic years for students who commit to teaching in Indiana for at least five years.

“These scholarships are direct investments in our teachers, students and communities,” O’Brien said. “Anyone who wants to pursue a career in education should consider applying.”

State Rep. Matt Hostettler (R-Patoka) said scholarships will be awarded to high school and college students who have graduated or will graduate from an Indiana accredited high school or non-accredited nonpublic high school. Applicants must also rank in the top 20% of their high school graduating class, have a top 20% ACT or SAT score, or have a cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

“Indiana’s continued educational strength relies on having great teachers leading our classrooms,” Hostettler said. “Future generations will benefit from having the best and brightest teachers right here in Indiana.”

State Rep. Wendy McNamara (R-Evansville) said the 2026-2027 application is available online atscholartrack.che.in.gov through Jan. 31. Applicants will be notified of their scholarship status by April 2026. For questions, email the Indiana Commission for Higher Education at NextTeacher@che.in.gov.

“It is hard to overstate the role teachers play in students’ development and progress, so we should want the best educators working in our state,” McNamara said. “The Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship helps fulfill this need by providing funding for prospective teachers’ education while ensuring our state retains top talent.”

In 2023, the legislature passed a law that increased the scholarship award amount from $7,500 to $10,000 and removed the annual 200-recipient cap. Last year, more than a thousand students applied for the scholarship, a new record, with nearly 300 scholarships awarded.

To learn more about the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship, visit in.gov/che.

GAVEL GAMUT

By Jim Redwine

www.jamesmredwine.com

(Week of 15 December 2025)

TIME IS ON OUR SIDE

Over the two or three hundred thousand years we homo sapiens have created and destroyed countless cultures there has been a recurring philosophical debate over whether time is linear or circular. Do things occur once or do events repeat themselves? Is life finite or eternal? Will we find life after life has always been the great mystery. Most people are hesitant to test their hypothesis whichever they believe, hope or dread. Also, most of us who puzzle over the conundrum of time, who are most of us, agree with Viking Cruise Line Chairman Torstein Hagan who says, “Time is the only truly scarce commodity, so spend it wisely”.

Of course, whether we are investing our time or squandering it is about as difficult for us to determine as The College Football Playoff Selection Committee found the choices of which teams should be one of the twelve chosen to vie for the national championship. But one choice was as non-controversial as history made it absolutely phenomenal: THE Indiana University is not only IN, it is at the top of the class!

I attended my first class at IU in the autumn of 1963 when the United States Air Force sent me there for foreign language training. That was my introduction to IU’s reputation as the doormat of college football. By the time I had completed my law degree in Bloomington in 1970 I fully understood. Each year began with hope and ended with despair. We almost always found a new way to snatch defeat from the jaws of a narrow victory. Regardless, Peg and I fell victim to each ray of hope engendered by the rare bright spots such as the 1967-68 Rose Bowl; we lost. She and I were born too late to celebrate the 1945 championship season; well ok, Peg wasn’t even born yet.

As you can tell, Gentle Reader, in the 130 years of IU football the field has remained quite barren. Yet, Peg and I always donned our cream and crimson along with our rose-colored glasses. We just knew if we lived long enough time would reward us. It only took from 1963 to 2024-25. Now, what are we to believe about eternity, if there is such a thing?

For more Gavel Gamut articles go to www.jamesmredwine.com

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• Southwestern Indiana organizations can enroll and be compensated for reducing their electricity usage during times of power grid stress through a new program from CenterPoint Energy and Enel North America.
• Demand response incentivizes energy users to incorporate energy flexibility strategies and support overall grid reliability.

Evansville, Ind., and Andover, Mass., December 11, 2025 – CenterPoint Energy and Enel North Americahave launched a new demand response program for commercial, institutional, and industrial organizations in southwestern Indiana. This initiative, called the CenterPoint Energy Aggregated Demand Response Program, enables organizations to earn incentive payments for making targeted energy reductions that help CenterPoint Indiana Electric maintain local grid reliability.

“Our focus remains on delivering reliable service to our customers and communities every day,” said Muss Akram, Vice President of Utility Strategy at CenterPoint. “Through this program, we’re working with Enel to strengthen reliability, manage demand and provide our customers an opportunity to be compensated for supporting the grid when it’s needed most.”

Demand response programs provide an opportunity for organizations to earn incentive payments while helping maintain a reliable electric system. When utilities or grid operators experience supply and demand constraints, they dispatch local organizations that have agreed to reduce energy usage during these times of high demand.

Commercial, institutional and industrial organizations in the CenterPoint Indiana Electric service territory are eligible to enroll in the new program. As the exclusive demand response provider for this program, Enel will work with organizations to define participation strategies, manage enrollment and execution, and maximize revenue from participating. During a demand response dispatch, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) will instruct Enel’s network of participants to curtail electricity usage in anticipation of emergency conditions on the grid. Common reduction strategies include modifying manufacturing processes, adjusting HVAC equipment and reducing non-essential lighting.

This program builds on CenterPoint’s existing Smart Cycle demand response program for residential customers. Those participating in the Smart Cycle program can earn a one-time $75 enrollment credit and a $7.50 bill credit each month from March through November for participation. To learn more about this program, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/SmartCycle.

Enel is the world’s largest demand response provider. In North America, Enel’s demand response customers have earned over $1.9 billion in payments since 2011.

[Evansville, IN] Youth First, Inc. is celebrating a $20,000 grant award from Ascension St. Vincent Evansville for Youth First mental health services and prevention programs in partner schools throughout the Catholic Diocese of Evansville.

The check presentation was hosted at Mater Dei High School to represent the 27 Youth First partner schools in the Catholic Diocese of Evansville. Youth First’s impactful work would not be possible without tremendous support from community partners like Ascension St. Vincent Evansville.

Ascension’s mission of delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to those most vulnerable, aligns with Youth First’s mission of strengthening youth and families by providing evidence-based programs that promote mental health, prevent substance misuse, and maximize student success.

Alex Chang, Ascension President, South Region, says, “Ascension St. Vincent’s collaboration with Youth First strengthens the safety net around students in the Evansville Catholic Diocese. By supporting Youth First’s mental health services within the parochial schools, this partnership ensures that young people have the guidance, resources, and encouragement they need to thrive—academically, emotionally, and spiritually.”

The grant to Youth First will allow for continued mental health support for students in partner Catholic Diocese of Evansville schools. Across its service footprint, Youth First partners with 130 schools in 14 Indiana counties to embed substance misuse prevention programs and over 100 skilled mental health professionals (primarily master’s level social workers) in school buildings, where they provide caring mental health support for students and prevention coaching for parents and teachers. Youth First Mental Health Professionals build caring relationships, foster readiness for positive change, and boost resiliency, along with other valuable life skills.

Youth First’s positive work and strategies are driving growth, with more schools seeking their valuable expertise to address the growing need for mental health support for students. As Mater Dei High School Principal Darin Knight says, “For the past 25 years, Mater Dei has been truly blessed by the support Youth First has provided our students. Valorie Dassel, LCSW, LCAC, has faithfully served as our Youth First Mental Health Professional, positively impacting hundreds—if not thousands—of students through her expertise and compassion. From mental health challenges to family struggles and substance abuse, she helps our students navigate real-world issues and develop the values and resilience they need for adulthood. We are deeply grateful to community partners like Ascension for recognizing the importance of these programs in our Catholic schools and continuing to support Youth First.”