Gov. Mike Braun, Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith and Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Don Lamb gathered at the Indiana Statehouse with poultry and egg farmers representing the Indiana State Poultry Association (ISPA) for the 78th annual Governor’s Poultry Presentation.

The event recognized the efforts of Indiana’s poultry and egg companies to ensure those experiencing food insecurity have access to nutritious poultry and eggs at food pantries across the state. It also highlighted the work those companies do to support charitable organizations in their communities.

Poultry and eggs are always in demand at food pantries across the state. Over the past year, $620,000 worth of chicken, duck and turkey have been donated to Indiana food banks and community organizations by Indiana poultry producers to help Hoosiers in need. Indiana egg producers have also provided 833,000 dozen eggs to their Hoosier neighbors, with an additional 1 million dozen being distributed across the nation.

Beyond giving of their poultry products, poultry companies provided in excess of $650,000 in direct contributions to various non-for-profit and charitable organizations.

“Indiana’s poultry and egg farmers are a vital part of our state’s economic strength,” said Gov. Mike Braun. “Their leadership in supporting communities and stepping up for their neighbors make a real difference across Indiana, and I’m proud to recognize their continued generosity and commitment.”

The ceremony also included reflections on the size of Indiana’s poultry sector. Indiana is one of the top poultry-producing states in the country. According to the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service, Indiana ranks first in duck production; third in egg production; fourth in turkey production; and notes its broiler chicken production as well. Indiana’s size across multiple poultry sectors is unique in the country. Further, it contributes over $18 billion in total economic activity, and it directly employs more than 12,700 Hoosiers.

“I grew up working with my dad in the dairy industry, so I know the kind of grit it takes to feed people,” Lieutenant Governor Beckwith said. “Our poultry and egg farmers show that same kind of commitment in Indiana, but they also demonstrate Hoosier hospitality through their generosity.”

ISPA President Rebecca Eifert Joniskan shared, “Poultry farming in Indiana is a family affair. The companies represented here today all started as small, family-owned operations, committed to producing quality products. They know families cannot thrive without healthy food, and they are humbled to be able to make a difference in the lives of other Hoosier families.”

The poultry and egg products on display today were donated to Second Helpings, a hunger relief agency in Indianapolis. The ceremony marks an annual tradition that dates back to the late 1940s. Organized by ISPA, one of the oldest poultry organizations in the nation, it was designed to celebrate the strength and generosity of Indiana’s poultry farmers, as well as the annual donations made by its members, who are responsible for more than 95% of the chicken, duck, turkey and eggs produced in Indiana.

WEEKLY DEATH REPORT OCT 27 TO NOV 2, 2025

DRAFT AGENDA

Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners

December 2, 2025 – 9:30 a.m.

Room 301, Civic Center Complex

1. Call to Order

2. Attendance

3. Pledge of Allegiance

4. Action Items

A. Engineer

1. 2. 3. Financial Commitment Letter for Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT)

Community Crossings Matching Grant Application: Darmstadt Road Bridge #400

Change Order #13: Oak Hill Road Reconstruction

Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) Report of Contract Final

Inspection and Recommendation for Acceptance

i. Oak Hill Road Reconstruction

ii. Boonville-New Harmony Bridge #252

B. Auditor

1. C. Burdette Park

1. D. Clerk

1. 1. Service Agreement with Nyhart Company, Inc.

Three i Design Proposal for Restroom Building Design Services

Collection Agreement with Eagle Accounts Group

E. Superintendent of County Buildings

Amendment #2 to Old Courthouse Lease Agreement: David Miller and Zach

Evans

2. Old Courthouse Lease Guaranty and Agreement: Kristen Elise Photography

F. 2026 Contractual Services Agreement with Purdue Cooperative Extension Service

5. Department Head Reports

6. New Business

7. Old Business

8. Consent Items

A. Approval of November 18, 2025, Board of Commissioners Meeting Minutes

B. Employment Changes

C. Auditor

i. 1. Claims Voucher Reports

November 17, 2025 – November 21, 2025

November 24, 2025 – November 28, 2025

ii. D. Circuit Court

1. Surplus Request

E. Engineer

1. Report and Claims

F. Superintendent of County Buildings

1. Amended Amendment #3 to Old Courthouse Lease Agreement: Laura Symon

d/b/a Into the Light Mental Health and Consulting Services, Inc.

Drainage Board Immediately FollowingG. Treasurer

1. October 2025 Innkeeper’s Tax Report

H. Board Appointments

1. Board of Examiners of Construction and Roofing

i. D.G Asay

ii. Matthew Pruiett

iii. Peter Winzeler

2. Burdette Park Advisory Board

i. Christen Mogavero

ii. Denise Peyronnin

iii. Kyhle Moers

iv. Ryan Kremer

3. Evansville-Vanderburgh County Emergency Management Advisory Council

i. Deavron Farmer

ii. Noah Robinson

4. Vanderburgh County Redevelopment Commission

i. Hobart Scales

ii. Wayne Kinney

9. Public Comment

10. Adjournment

12. Members of the Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners

i. Justin Elpers, President – District 2

a. Term: January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2026

ii. Amy Canterbury, Vice President – District 3

a. Term: January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2028

iii. Mike Goebel, Member – District 1

a. Term: January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2028

Drainage Board Immediately Following

G. Treasurer

1. October 2025 Innkeeper’s Tax Report

H. Board Appointments

1. Board of Examiners of Construction and Roofing

i. D.G Asay

ii. Matthew Pruiett

iii. Peter Winzeler

2. Burdette Park Advisory Board

i. Christen Mogavero

ii. Denise Peyronnin

iii. Kyhle Moers

iv. Ryan Kremer

3. Evansville-Vanderburgh County Emergency Management Advisory Council

i. Deavron Farmer

ii. Noah Robinson

4. Vanderburgh County Redevelopment Commission

i. Hobart Scales

ii. Wayne Kinney

9. Public Comment

10. Adjourn

BY: LESLIE BONILLA MUÑI

Cigarette consumption in Indiana dropped 40% during the first three months of a long-sought tax increase, according to the Indiana Department of Health. Enrollment in the agency’s smoking cessation program jumped almost 40% over that time.

“(Cigarette) use impacts, really, every aspect of health,” said Miranda Spitznagle, director of IDOH’s Division of Tobacco Prevention and Cessation. But it’s a risk factor that is “fully preventable.”

Using taxes to raise the price of tobacco helps current users quit and may dissuade others from starting, Spitznagle said.

“It’s a huge policy factor for public health,” she added.

State legislators stuck a $2-per-pack hike into the two-year budget, House Enrolled Act 1001. They also proportionally increased taxes on electronic cigarettes and other tobacco products.

Spitznagle said that across-the-board approach prevents users from switching products instead of quitting or pulling back.

“This year, Indiana lawmakers stood up to Big Tobacco” by boosting the taxes, said Allie Kast Gregg, government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

But public health wasn’t the only motivation.

The Indiana Senate resisted for years, but in the wake of a dismal budget forecast, agreed to include the hikes in the budget’s final draft.

The boost to a nearly $3-a-pack tax on cigarettes went into effect July 1. And it is already paying off.

Indiana has collected $188 million in cigarette taxes from July through October, according to the State Budget Agency’s latest monthly revenue report. That’s almost three times the $68 million earned over that time period last year.

IDOH used the first three months of data — July, September and October — to calculate a 40% drop in consumption.

Meanwhile, Hoosiers are flocking to the state’s cessation help program, Quit Now Indiana.

“The month of July specifically, we doubled our enrollments,” Spitznagle said, compared to that month last year.

Participation was up 38% over those first three months, rising from 620 to 1,241 people.

Quit Now Indiana is up to eight times more effective than solo efforts, Spitznagle noted. Going it alone has a single-digit success rate, while the state program has a 32% quit rate.

“What Quit Now Indiana offers is multiple touch points with a trained quit coach who knows how to talk through and make a quit plan … that understands nicotine addiction,” she said.

The program can also provide two weeks of nicotine patches or gum and helps enrollees see if their employers or health plans can offer further medical support.

The American Cancer Society also runs an email-based Empowered to Quit program.

Nearly 15% of adults in Indiana smoke, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from 2023.

Thousands of Hoosier deaths annually are attributable to smoking. An oft-cited CDC estimate from 2014 places the death toll at 11,000 a year.

Spitznagle said that for every one death, however, 30 people live with chronic health conditions linked to their smoking.