“IS IT TRUE” AUG 05, 2024
IS IT TRUE that between the years of 2012 and 2022 the population of downtown tracts in the City of Evansville decreased by a staggering 15.6%?…during that same 10-year period the population of non-downtown tracts increased a smidgeon by 0.2%?…the income of the people who remained in the downtown tracts increased by 10.5% during that decade and the non-downtown tract dwellers only increased by 8.6%?…that according to the CPI inflation calculator on the website of the United States Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the cumulative inflation rate from 2012 to 2022 was 27.4% meaning that Evansville is not even keeping up with half of the cost of living inside or outside the downtown area?…this may reflect the obsession with fun and games projects instead of activities that are of substance that create wealth and pay living wages?…with a downtown that is shrinking in population in spite of an abundance of construction and conversions, does it really make sense to aspire to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on riverfront lifestyle projects?
IS IT TRUE that recent FBI data puts Evansville, Indiana the 22nd most violent crime-ridden city in the United States of America, with a violent crime rate of 8.15 per thousand residents?…that means that there are 21 more violent cities in the nation, and the list was headed by Memphis, Tennessee but included the legacy pain pits of Detroit, St. Louis, Cleveland, Baltimore, Kansas City, and other large places that typically have terrible neighborhoods?…there were even 5 medium-sized cities that are more violent than Evansville is and our midwestern neighbors like Peoria, Dayton and Flint all are more violent?…this is not good company to keep if efforts to grow the population with higher earning people is the goal?
IS IT TRUE that the current population of the City of Evansville is down to 114,651 from the 117,373 in the 2020 Census?… Evansville’s population peaked in 1960 at 141,500 and has declined ever since?…the current projection for 2028 is to lose additional people to a level of 111,300 souls?…these souls deserve more than gimmicks, meanless slogans, and parties if the population can stop the bleeding?…a comprehensive analysis of what has happened over the last 64 years to drive away nearly 20% of the population?… we hint that a declining base of jobs that pay a living wage, a rise in violent crime and leaders absorbed with trivial pursuits is the principle driving factors?…we hope that our Mayor Stephanie Terry will learn how to address these issues at her upcoming training sessions at Harvard University and paid for by Michael Bloomberg?
Today’s Readers Poll question is: How do you rate the overall current condition of America?
USI Rechnic Holocaust Series to feature award-winning author, explore Holocaust family history
The University of Southern Indiana Foundation is hosting the second annual speaker for the Edward D. and Regina Rechnic Holocaust Series from 7-8 p.m. Monday, September 18 in Carter Hall, located in University Center West on the USI campus.
The presentation, “My Family’s Holocaust Story and the Threats We Face Today,†will feature Margaret McMullan, author of nine award-winning books, followed by a Q&A session with audience members. A reception will follow, and the event is open to the public at no charge.
McMullan’s presentation will explore her memoir, Where the Angels Lived: One Family’s Story of Exile, Loss, and Return, and will share her family’s journey to Pécs, Hungary, where she uncovers her Jewish ancestry, a part of her past her grandfather kept hidden. In her memoir, the moment McMullan discovers the existence of Richárd Engel de Jánosi, a long-lost relative, at Israel’s Holocaust Museum, she begins her quest to uncover the forgotten history of her ancestors. In her presentation, she will also discuss Hungary, the spread of authoritarianism and what we, as a society, can do to put an end to it.
McMullan’s novels include When Warhol Was Still Alive; Aftermath Lounge; In My Mother’s House, a Pen/Faulkner nominee; Cashay, a Chicago Public Library Teen Book Selection; When I Crossed No-Bob, a Parents’ Choice Silver Honor, a School Library Journal Best Book, an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults, a Booklist Best Book For Young Adults, and a Mississippi Center for the Book selection at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C; among others.
Her work has appeared in USA Today, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Glamour and other national outlets. A 2007 Eudora Welty Visiting Writer at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, McMullan has taught in the Low-Residency MFA programs at USI’s Ropewalk Writers Retreat, Converse College, Stony Brook Southampton Writers Conference, Eastern Kentucky University and at Word Theatre’s Writing Retreat in Edale, England. She was the Melvin Peterson Endowed Chair in Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Evansville, where she taught for 25 years.
In addition to her USI presentation, McMullan will teach a series of master classes at USI and in the community the week of the presentation. She will also speak about the Holocaust at five Evansville high schools through CYPRESS, the Committee to Promote Respect in Schools, a committee of current and retired educators and community volunteers founded in Evansville in 1999.
An exhibition will be on display in the USI McCutchan Art Center (MAC)/Pace Galleries in collaboration with the Rechnic Holocaust Series August 21 through October 13. Utilizing prints exclusively from the University collection Multiformity: The Art of Leonard Baskin, the exhibition will feature pieces from Leonard Baskin, a significant 20th century Jewish American artist.
This series is made possible by the late Irene C. Rechnic, daughter of Edward D. and Regina Rechnic, and honors her parents’ struggle to survive the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp during WWII, where 960,000 Jews were executed.
Copies of Where the Angels Lived: One Family’s Story of Exile, Loss, and Return will be available for purchase pre- and post-presentation. For questions on the presentation, contact David Bower, President of the USI Foundation, at bower@usi.edu.
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Founded in 1965, the University of Southern Indiana enrolls nearly 9,200 dual credit, undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students in more than 130 areas of study. A public higher education institution, located on a beautiful 1,400-acre campus in Evansville, Indiana, USI offers programs through the College of Liberal Arts, Romain College of Business, College of Nursing and Health Professions and the Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education. The University offers study-abroad opportunities in more than 60 countries and hosts international students from around the globe. USI is a Carnegie Foundation Community Engaged University and offers continuing education and special programs to more than 15,000 participants annually through Outreach and Engagement. USI is online at USI.edu.Â
USI Awarded Nearly $250,000 Planning Grant From Lilly Endowment
The University of Southern Indiana has been awarded a nearly $250,000 planning grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its initiative, College and Community Collaboration. The purpose of the initiative is to challenge universities to “envision and undertake collaborative projects with community stakeholders that enhance the quality of life and place in their surrounding communities.â€
The planning grant was a collaboration between USI’s College of Liberal Arts, Romain College of Business and Outreach and Engagement. Known for its record of committing to the economic advancement and cultural betterment of southwest Indiana, USI has been recognized as a “community-engaged†institution by the Carnegie Foundation since 2008.
“We’re grateful that Lilly Endowment has presented us with another occasion to improve the quality of place in the community we serve—an ambition that has always been part of our mission at USI,†said Dr. Del Doughty, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and one of the grant’s three co-principal investigators along with Dr. Sudesh Mujumdar, Dean of the Romain College of Business, and Dawn Stoneking, Executive Director of Outreach and Engagement.
In the next phase, USI will work with the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership (E-REP) to conduct a needs assessment and develop a proposal for an implementation grant that would fund up to $25 million over five years for the project. The deadline for the proposal is March 1, 2024.
E-REP is the region’s leading economic development engine, coordinating the efforts of over 70 businesses, 20-plus non-profit organizations, and 20 government entities and schools. One of E-REP’s signature initiatives, Talent EVV, aims to establish the Evansville region as a “talent and economic region of choice in the Midwest.â€
“The College and Community Collaboration initiative enabled through the Lilly Endowment presents another opportunity for E-REP and USI to deepen our partnership, and our ability to serve and positively impact the Evansville Region,†said Tara Barney, E-REP CEO. “The partnership between USI and E-REP represents how the Evansville Region is intentionally aligning assets, connecting key initiatives and facilitating public/private partnerships to advance the Quality of Place for current and future residents.â€
Learn More About New State Laws Now In Effect
Learn More About New State Laws Now In Effect
by State Representative Wendy McNamara
AUGUST 5, 2023
From providing much-needed tax relief to prioritizing students, I supported new state laws during the 2023 legislative session that are now in effect.Â
Most legislation passed during the recent session took effect at the beginning of the state’s new fiscal year on July 1. This includes the state’s next budget, which is expected to save taxpayers an estimated $430 million over the next two years via tax relief. Thanks to the acceleration of individual state income tax cuts, hardworking Hoosiers will have one of the lowest rates in the nation by 2027.
Property tax dollars are collected and spent locally, and help pay for schools, police and fire protection, and other local government services. To help counter the rise in local property tax bills, the state took actions to provide about $100 million in property tax relief for homeowners beginning next year. Hoosiers can expect a temporary increase to the supplemental homestead tax deduction and additional limits on property tax levy growth.
Increasing High School Relevancy
To boost the number of career-ready students, I co-authored a new law so those in grades 10-12 can soon use Career Scholarship Accounts to pay for career training or industry-recognized certification while in high school. Additionally, the state will review graduation requirements to better accommodate work-based learning experiences. Public high schools will host annual career fairs to encourage connections between students and employers.
As your state representative, I’m committed to delivering results and working hard on your behalf. To learn more about new laws now in effect, click here.
SERIAL CAR PARTS THIEF CONVICTED
Evansville, IN –Daniel Eugene Payne, a habitual offender, was found guilty of catalytic converter theft this week in a jury trial before Magistrate Judge Celia Pauli of the Vanderburgh County Circuit Court. Payne faces a sentence minimum of 2.5 years up to 8 years in prison.
Payne’s conviction comes after a thorough investigation of catalytic converter thefts by Evansville Police Department Sergeant Anna Gray who was assisted by Detective Vonderscher, and Vanderburgh County Sheriff Sergeant Hertwick. Payne was developed as a suspect when his distinctive Chevrolet Blazer was caught on surveillance at the sites of the thefts. Payne was eventually linked to several thefts –stealing nearly $9,000 of car parts in three commercial vehicles during one sweep, as one example.
At trial, Deputy Prosecutor Joshua Hutcheson presented crime scene photos and surveillance videos to the jury. After the guilty verdict, Hutcheson thanked internal staff in the Prosecutor’s Office, especially legal secretary Tiffany Lubbehusen, Victim Advocates Melissa McCutchan and Teresa Wink, and Kennadi Hagan for assisting in trial preparation.
Prosecutor Diana Moers thanked her staff and law enforcement for a thorough investigation and prosecution of this theft: “While violent crimes concern us all, these thefts also affect the everyday life, peace, and dignity of Vanderburgh County in a negative way. We will continue to investigate and use all of the resources we have to drive out those who wish to take from others. At sentencing, we will argue for Mr. Payne to leave this county to reside in the Department of Correction where he will be unable to profit from our citizens by stealing.†Sgt. Gray responded: “This was a complicated case involving multiple agencies, but it is a great example of teamwork at its best. I would like to thank the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office, the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office, and my colleagues at the Evansville Police Department for the many hours spent working on these cases.â€
Sentencing is scheduled for August 30, 2023 in front of Magistrate Judge Celia Pauli of the Vanderburgh County Circuit Court.
Senator Mike Braun welcomes National Guard members home from Iraq in Evansville
Senator Mike Braun welcomes National Guard members home from Iraq in Evansville
JASPER, IN — Yesterday, Senator Mike Braun welcomed members of the 1st Battalion of the 163rd Field Artillery of the Indiana Army National Guard back home after a 9-month deployment in Iraq.
“It was my honor to help Brigadier General Lusk welcome home the 1st Battalion of the 163rd Field Artillery of the Indiana Army National Guard in Evansville. They’ve been in Iraq providing air defense support for the last year. Welcome home, God bless, and thank you for your service!†– Senator Mike Braun
Researchers Discover Young Hellbender In Blue River
Biologists with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Purdue University recently documented a very young hellbender salamander, a gilled larva, in the Blue River while conducting routine surveys in south-central Indiana. This discovery is significant because over the past three to four decades, only adult hellbenders have been documented in the Blue River. The presence of a young salamander suggests that conservation efforts and rearing programs are accomplishing their goals for the recovery of this endangered species.
The hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) is a large, fully aquatic salamander. Hellbenders do not reach sexual maturity until they are 7-8 years old and require specific habitats to thrive and reproduce. Their decline statewide has been documented as far back as the early-to-mid 1900s as a result of habitat loss and poor water quality. Hellbenders play an important role in aquatic ecosystems and are indicators of clean water.
“Finding hellbender larvae is a huge benchmark of the program’s success,†said DNR’s Nate Engbrecht, the state herpetologist. “It tells us that there has been successful breeding, hatching, and recruitment in the wild. It’s a wonderful sign that captive-reared and released hellbenders are doing what we want them to do at this site.â€
The Indiana Hellbender Partnership is a collaboration between the Indiana DNR and Purdue University with funding support from the Indiana DNR Nongame Wildlife Fund, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and partners in local governments, universities, non-governmental organizations, and zoos that are working to recover the state-endangered hellbender. Developed over 15 years, the Indiana Hellbender Partnership is the largest and most comprehensive group working to recover an imperiled amphibian in Indiana.
Since 2017, Purdue University’s Help the Hellbender Lab and its conservation partners have reared and released nearly 500 juvenile hellbenders into the Blue River. Lab director Rod Williams says, “This finding, the result of nearly two decades of collective effort, signifies a milestone for our conservation program. While we have much left to do, we have evidence our approach is working.â€
In the event anglers accidentally hook a hellbender, they are reminded to cut the line and let the salamander go unharmed.
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Screaming Eagles honored with OVC Medals of Honor
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles had 26 student-athletes recognized with Ohio Valley Conference Medals of Honor, six earning the award twice.
The OVC Academic Medal of Honor is given annually to the student-athletes who achieve the highest grade point average (GPA) in a conference-sponsored sport. Every Academic Medal of Honor recipient for the 2022-23 academic year carried a perfect 4.0 GPA.
Of the 291 award winners, 51 were awarded Academic Medals of Honor for multiple sports (and counted just once in the final recipients list). USI’s 26 Medal of Honor student athletes was fifth most in the OVC. Eastern Illinois ranked first in the OVC with 48 honorees.
The Screaming Eagles receiving of the OVC Medal of Honor awards are:
Academic Medal of Honor:
Baseball (2)
Tyler Hutson
Lucas McNew
Men’s Cross Country (2):
Mitchell Hopf*
Joseph Russler*
Women’s Cross Country (4):
Emma Brown*
McKenna Cavanaugh*
Carmen Rodriguez*
Aubrey Swart*
Women’s Golf (1):
Kelci Katterhenry
Women’s Soccer (5):
Madison Cady
Mia Rose Daly
Elizabeth Lippert
Peyton Murphy
Peyton Wilkinson
Softball (4):
Mackenzie Bedrick
Hailey Gotshall
Hannah Long
Jordan Rager
Men’s Tennis (2):
Omar ElSamahy
Lucas Sakamaki
Women’s Tennis (1):
Rachel McCorkle
Men’s Track and Field (3):
Tyler Garrett
Mitchell Hopf*
Joseph Russler*
Women’s Track & Field (5):
Emma Brown*
McKenna Cavanaugh*
Hadley Fisher
Carmen Rodriguez*
Aubrey Swart*
Volleyball (2):
Leah Anderson
Keira Moore