 IDEM issues statewide Air Quality Action Day for ozone on Friday
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has forecasted another statewide Air Quality Action Day (AQAD) for ozone for Friday, June 30.
Note: IDEM forecasts are based, solely or in part, on data from air quality monitors located throughout the state. IDEM encourages residents to heed the forecast. Air quality information for all Indiana counties can be found at SmogWatch.IN.gov.Â
Some municipalities have additional open burning restrictions on AQADs. For more information, see idem.IN.gov/openburning/laws-and-rules.
Hoosiers are encouraged to visit SmogWatch.IN.gov to view current and forecasted conditions and subscribe to email alerts.
IDEM encourages everyone to help reduce PM2.5 by making changes to daily habits. You can:
- Carpool or use public transportation.
- Avoid using the drive-through and combine errands into one trip.
- Turn off engines instead of idling for long periods of time.
- Avoid using gas-powered equipment.
- Conserve energy by turning off lights and setting the air conditioner to a higher setting;
- Use propane gas instead of charcoal when grilling outdoors;
- Reminder: Indiana’s open burning laws make it illegal to burn trash and generally prohibit open burning, visit IN.gov/openburning for more information.
Air Quality Action Days are in effect from midnight to 11:59 p.m. on the specified date. Anyone sensitive to changes in air quality may be affected when ozone levels are high. Children, the elderly, and anyone with heart or lung conditions should reduce or avoid exertion and heavy work outdoors.
Ground-level ozone is formed when sunlight and hot weather combine with vehicle exhaust, factory emissions, and gasoline vapors. Ozone in the upper atmosphere blocks ultraviolet radiation, but ozone near the ground is a lung irritant that can cause coughing and breathing difficulties for sensitive populations.
IDEM examines weather patterns and current ozone readings to make daily air quality forecasts. Air Quality Action Days generally occur when weather conditions such as light winds, hot and dry air, stagnant conditions, and lower atmospheric inversions trap pollutants close to the ground. To learn more about ozone or to sign up for air quality alerts, visit SmogWatch.IN.gov.
Neglect of Dependent Arrest 100 blk Althaus Ave.
 On June 28th, around 5:20 p.m., Evansville Police Officers were dispatched to a residence in the 100 block of Althaus Ave. in reference to a medical emergency. The reporter told arriving officers that she arrived at the babysitter’s house and found her three children unconscious inside the house.Â
The officers entered the residence and began to render aid to the children, ages 8, 9, and 15-years old, until AMR arrived. The younger children regained consciousness while they were still at the residence but were stumbling and falling down. While officers were inside the residence attending to the victims, they observed orange pill capsules, which were broken in half, with powdery substance on the upstairs bedroom dresser. This is where the 15-year-old had been located unconscious.Â
All three children were transported to a local hospital for further treatment. Once at the hospital, the 15-year-old did regain consciousness.Â
The children told detectives that their babysitter, Deana Byrd, gave them pills. Byrd also showed them how to break the pills open and snort them. The children also told detectives that they each ingested about 3-4 pills each of the three different types of pills.Â
The reporter told officers that she dropped her three children off at Byrd’s residence around 10:30 p.m. on June 27th so they could stay the night with Byrd. Byrd was supposed to watch them until she got off work around 5:00 p.m. on June 28th. The reporter said when she arrived at Byrd’s house to pick up the children, Byrd was sitting on her porch and seemed impaired. She walked in the house and started yelling for her children. None of them responded and she got nervous. She ran through the house and found all three of her children unresponsive and called 911.Â
Detectives secured a judicially signed Search Warrant for Byrd’s residence. They located aÂ
prescription pill bottle for Adderall on the dresser next to the orange pill capsule with the powdery substance. A prescription pill bottle for Klonopin and another prescription bottle for Lyrica were also located. The Lyrica pill bottle contained the same orange pill capsules that were observed on the dresser. Three loose Klonopin pills were found in Byrd’s coin purse.Â
Adderall is a Schedule II controlled substance, Klonopin is a Schedule IV controlled substance, and Lyrica is a Schedule V controlled substance. These prescription pill bottles were found to belong to other individuals who were not at the residence and Byrd did not have permission to have them.Â
Byrd told detectives that she did not know what had happened to the children, but did admit that it was possible that they got into some of her pills. While speaking with detectives, Byrd was lethargic, spoke softly and slowly, and slurred her speech. She appeared to be impaired. Detectives were granted a judicially signed search warrant for a sample of Byrd’s blood. She was transported to a local hospital for a blood draw and jail clearance before she was transported to the Vanderburgh County Confinement Center.Â
Byrd’s charges include three counts of Neglect of a Dependent resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, Dealing a Schedule I/II/III Controlled Substance, Dealing a Schedule IV Substance, Dealing a Schedule V Controlled Substance, and two counts of Theft.Â
CenterPoint Energy assessing damage and working to restore power
CenterPoint Energy assessing damage and working to restore power after severe weather impacts southwestern Indiana
- Severe weather caused significant widespread damage to the company’s electric system
- Crews working around the clock to complete system damage assessment and restore service to impacted customers as safely and quickly as possible
- Remaining impacted customers should plan to be without power overnight as severe weather continues to impact the area
Evansville – June 29, 2023 – Following today’s severe weather that impacted CenterPoint Energy’s southwestern Indiana territory, the company’s electric system experienced extensive damage resulting in outages peaking at nearly 17,000 customers. As severe weather continues to move through the area, it will impact the progress of repairs stemming from this morning’s severe weather and cause additional outages.
Assessments of CenterPoint Energy’s electric system are ongoing. Crews will work overnight to continue restoring power to impacted customers, tackling widespread damage to poles, cross arms, downed wires and trees. However, due to expected high winds throughout the night, the outage count is likely to fluctuate. As of 9 p.m., there were approximately 13,000 electric customers without power.
“We will continue our system damage assessments overnight, and we ask our customers for patience as restoration estimates may fluctuate due to severe weather impacting the area throughout the night,†said Richard Leger, Senior Vice President, of Indiana Electric at CenterPoint Energy.
CenterPoint Energy reminds customers to remain safe and remember:
- Stay at least 35 feet away from downed power lines and report them to CenterPoint Energy at 800-227-1376. Be especially mindful of downed lines that could be hidden and treat all downed lines as if they are energized.
- Flood waters can be hazardous. Always use extreme care when stepping into flooded areas.
- Be cautious around work crews and give them distance to assess damages and make repairs.
- If your power is out, don’t open freezers and refrigerators any more than absolutely necessary. Opening these appliances will allow food to thaw more quickly.
- If you smell natural gas, get to a safe area and call both 911 and CenterPoint Energy at 800-227-1376.
For the latest information on power outages*:
- Report outages by texting the word “OUT†to 83212.
- Sign up for Power Alert Service for information on individual outages.
- Follow @CNPAlerts Indiana and visit our outage map for general outage locations; and
- Visit CenterPoint Energy’s Electric Outage Center for electric safety tips and other resources.
*Please note: Restoration times may be delayed as crews continue to assess damages.
Letter To Editor: What will we do when the CCP takes Taiwan?
What will we do when the CCP takes Taiwan?
Freedom, Indiana – June 29 2023, Andrew Horning, seeking the Libertarian Party of Indiana’s nomination for Indiana’s US Senate seat in 2024, made the following statement regarding our dangerous, pivotal time:
After my decades of appeals through columns, Op-eds, protests and political campaigns, about the bipartisan (meaning only two unconstitutional parties), pandemic, and destructive corruption of our government, I’m glad that at least a little of this existential problem is starting to emerge from behind the major media veil. …At least with puppets like Biden and bit-players like the FBI.
But the depth and length of our system-wide corruption have left us in a fragile, overextended, indebted, self-deceived and precarious state, at a very bad time. Our collective inattention and torpor has caused a number of serious problems that need attention. For example, the CCP is moving stepwise and relentlessly against Taiwan What are we going to do about it?
Ever since the Carter administration canceled the Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty (SAMDT) with Taiwan (formally the Republic of China – ROC), there has been no formal agreement to defend Taiwan from takeover by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that rules the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Officially, since recognizing the PRC and de-recognizing the ROC in 1979, the USA supports a “One China†policy, with no regard toward the ROC’s existence as a sovereign nation. NATO only unofficially treats the ROC as a “major non-NATO ally†as defined in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. Ukraine was never given even this status by NATO, yet much of the world is assisting the legendarily corrupt Ukraine both financially and militarily in our insane proxy war against Russia. And much of the world depends upon the ROC’s semiconductor industry for both civilian and military purposes. Russia has been losing population, resources, and strength for some time, while China has been very cleverly winning a war of subversion and dissipation against the USA since at least 2012. Yes, China has lots of internal problems. So does Russia. And so do we.
However, the PRC wants Taiwan, and they mean to take it as their own. What’s our calculus now?
Generations ago the USA abandoned Jefferson’s “peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none.â€Â It’s no secret that the USA is backing away from Social Security and Medicare obligations. We are internally fragmented by a crony network veiled by the two-sock puppet show called the Two-Party System. We are nearly paralyzed in a cultural, psychological, and moral hot mess that’s tearing even our families and societal support organizations apart.
It’s not true that the USA spent the USSR to collapse under President Reagan. It is quite true, however, that we’re spending and spreading ourselves toward calamitous dissolution. This will end badly if we don’t control ourselves.
So, what can we do when the PRC takes the ROC? We could collapse. Empires always crumble. Our endless asymmetrical wars and cultural disintegration have made us weak in ways we clearly do not see.
Maybe, we can do nothing.
We need national defense. Not the global meddling with the CIA and regular military fighting each other worldwide that has become our literal stock in crony trade. Real, serious, constitutional defense of what’s both important and possible, even now.
Ask me how.
Liberty or Bust!
Andy Horning
Freedom, Indiana
UE Announces Hiring of Evansville Promise Neighborhood Leadership Team
UE Announces Hiring of Evansville Promise Neighborhood Leadership Team
JUNE 30. 2023
EVANSVILLE, IND. (06/29/2023) The University of Evansville (UE) has announced the hiring of five full-time employees including a director to lead the Evansville Promise Neighborhood team. In March, UE announced the receipt of a $30 million federal grant program through the United States Department of Education (DOE) that will establish the Evansville’s Promise Neighborhood (EPN). UE was part of a new cohort founded this year and one of only three Neighborhoods in the nation to be awarded in 2023.
In recent months, UE’s Center for Innovation & Change, where the Promise employees will be housed, together with the Promise Neighborhood partners, dedicated significant efforts to procuring applications and conducting interviews for potential candidates. UE is delighted to extend a warm welcome to these new additions who have joined our family.
“We are confident that these new team members will play a pivotal role in advancing our mission and making a meaningful difference in the lives of our community,” said UE President Christopher Pietruszkiewicz. “Their expertise and passion for community development will greatly contribute to the success of the Evansville Promise Neighborhood. I’m looking forward to seeing the positive impact this project will have on our community, fostering opportunities for education, growth, and prosperity.”
Director – Derek McKillop
McKillop is the immediate past Director of Community Learning Centers for the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation. He brings a wide range of knowledge on how to leverage federal grant opportunities for the youth, how to manage resources in a way that builds capacity, and how to lead by empowering the people he serves. McKillop has been a core team member on several EPN applications. He received his bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of Strathclyde in Scotland, with graduate training from Harvard in building partnerships for equity, justice, and student success.
Program Coordinator – Lisa Allen
Allen joins us with a wealth of experience and a service-oriented mindset. Previously serving as an Employment Specialist for Work One Southwest in Evansville, Allen’s well-connected nature and empathetic approach will be instrumental in coordinating programs and managing calendars. She has been actively involved in various neighborhood organizations such as Head Start, Catholic Charities, Job Works, and Youth Build. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Southern Indiana.
Marketing Coordinator – Irais Ibarra
Ibarra just graduated from the University of Evansville with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing. She brings a great deal of experience in innovative marketing techniques as the former Chief Executive Officer of Embrace Marketing Agency, a student-run ChangeLab at UE. Embrace has worked with Jacobsville Advantage, Gayla Cakes, Foster Care in the U.S., and many other Promise Neighborhood organizations and partners. This work helped her develop a passion for serving nonprofits, and we’re thrilled to keep one of UE’s best and brightest right here in our community.
Data & Program Evaluation Manager – Dr. Stephanie Doneske
Dr. Doneske, a research scientist and PhD-trained chemical engineer, brings a unique blend of expertise to the team. Previously, she taught math and chemistry in the local school system while working at a biotech start-up in Houston. Driven by a passion for community improvement and a deep love for learning, we are confident she will be an exceptional partner for our data team at UE and with Diehl Consulting.
Grant Accountant – Renee Heil
Heil, previously the Finance and Operations Senior Manager for Junior Achievement, joins us as the Grant Accountant. With her master’s degree in Accountancy and proven ability to ask the right questions and develop effective solutions, she will be an invaluable asset in managing the funds necessary to complete the work of the Promise Neighborhood.
The Center for Innovation & Change will be working hard to onboard these team members through the next month. All employees are expected to begin by August 1.
The aim of the Promise Neighborhood funding is to assist children and youth who are growing up in Promise Neighborhoods, providing them with access to outstanding schools as well as robust family and community support systems. These resources will help prepare them to achieve academic excellence, make the transition to college, and, ultimately, embark on a successful career.
Headshots of the new team members are attached.
To learn more about the Evansville Promise Neighborhood, please visit evansville.edu/PromiseNeighborhood.
The University of Evansville is a private, comprehensive university located in the southwestern region of Indiana. Established in 1854, UE is recognized across the globe for its rich tradition of innovative, academic excellence and vibrant campus community of changemakers.
Home of the Purple Aces, UE offers over 75 majors, 17 Division I sports, and a unique study abroad experience at Harlaxton College, a Victorian manor located in the countryside of the United Kingdom. For more information, please visit evansville.edu.
With billions lost each year, shame keeps much elder fraud from being reported
With billions lost each year, shame keeps much elder fraud from being reported
Elder abuse can be more than physical abuse or neglect. Financial exploitation is a common—and harmful—form.
According to a press release from American Senior Communities, seniors lose over $5.9 billion each year to identity theft, promises of goods or services, scams such as posing as a family member in need, and more
American Senior Communities partnered with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana to host educational sessions informing people of common scams and how to avoid them. A list of upcoming public sessions can be found here.
Adam Eakman, assistant United States attorney, presents common scams and how to avoid them during the ASC events.
“When targeting the elderly, all the scams try to get the victims to make a decision out of emotions rather than logic or reasons,†Eakman said. “So all the scams either target some strong emotion like love, greed or fear.â€
The Department of Justice has an elder justice site that states the difference between financial abuse and financial fraud, both of which are forms of financial exploitation.
Financial abuse could be a family member using money meant for care costs on their own expenses. Trusted business professionals such as an accountant can also commit financial abuse by unauthorized use of personal funds.
Financial fraud occurs when strangers deceive older people. This may be someone pretending to be a romantic interest asking for money, a stranger posing as a family member in need of money, or phishing emails, texts and calls asking for personal information to gain access to funds.
Eakman said in one common financial fraud scam, individuals make fake profiles to start an online relationship with older people.
“They might create a profile on Facebook or something like that in which they start to create somewhat of a relationship online. Maybe it’s a few weeks, a few months, but they don’t actually meet because it’s a scam,†Eakman said.
“Eventually that person will say, ‘Oh, my aunt is in the hospital and needs money. She has an important surgery,’†Eakman said. “That’s targeting love in the sense that they think they really know this person, so they’ll send them money, when really, instead of being like a 70-year-old person living in Texas, it’s a 20-year-old person living in India.â€
He added other scams target hope—maybe stating people have won a fake sweepstakes or lottery. Fear-based scams may be fake calls where a stranger pretends to be someone’s grandchild in need of bail money.
The Office for Victims of Crime site states fraud and romance scams aimed at older adults resulted in losses of more than $184 million in 2018. Many crimes go unreported because victims are scared, embarrassed, or don’t know who to call.
Kelly Partin Plainfield says her elderly mother has been a victim of financial exploitation. Partin submitted a photo of the instructions “David” gave her mother to send him money. Her mother often wrote the instructions given over the phone down in her notebook.
Kelly Partin, 54, of Plainfield, has watched her elderly mother fall victim to multiple scams over the past few years. These scams began through Facebook profiles building relationships with her mother, then eventually asking for money. She and her siblings have worked tirelessly to stop the financial losses.
“Upwards of $350,000 lost to scammers,†Partin said. “We’ve been to the police, Social Security office, Adult Protective Services, the banks, a lawyer, and nothing has worked.â€
Despite reporting the fraud, Partin said her mother has continued to be taken advantage of by the fake profiles as she believes she is truly helping them. She said the scammers use loneliness as a way to manipulate older people.
“Stay deeply involved with your family. Be more involved in our elders’ communities’ lives,†Partin said. “They’re sitting at home alone, and there are people that are preying on that. They’re preying on that loneliness.â€
The cost of financial scams is often more than monetary. Older people can experience emotional and physical symptoms as a result of being scammed, especially feelings of shame. The DOJ has a roadmap to help in the reporting process.
Partin hopes by sharing her family’s story others may become more aware of the severity of these scams. She wishes there was more she could do to protect her mom and rebuild their relationship.
“I had to cut her out of my life because it was detrimental to my mental health. I can’t trust her. It has left scars,†Partin said. “I want to forgive her and be in her life because she is my mother, but she is desperate for money for these men.â€
Eakman said his No. 1 piece of advice to avoid any scam is to slow down and consider discussing the situation with a trusted friend or family member.
“Scammers want you to hurry up and send money. ‘He’s going into jail now, they’re going into surgery now, you’ve won the lottery and you’ve got to claim it now, act now or your account will be closed, you have for 24 hours or your account will be closed,’†Eakman said. “They want you to act fast. So that’s when anyone who sees that or is told that should slow down. Take a day, take two days to think about it.â€
If you or a loved one believes they are experiencing elder fraud, contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-373-8311.
FOOTNOTE: Â Kyra Howard is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.Â
Governor’s Public Service Achievement Award returns to honor exemplary state employees
INDIANAPOLIS- Governor Eric J. Holcomb announced today his administration will reintroduce the Governor’s Public Service Achievement Awards, the highest recognition for exceptional public service among State of Indiana employees and teams.
“Indiana state employees serve as our number one resource, assisting citizens all across our great state,†Gov. Holcomb said. “It’s important to acknowledge their meaningful ongoing contributions, which in turn inspires others to hear the call and strive for excellence in service to others. I always look forward to the opportunity to show just how proud I really am of these exceptional public servants.”
The Governor’s Public Service Achievement Awards were first established in 2005 by Governor Mitch Daniels. The prestigious awards celebrate the dedication and innovation of State of Indiana employees and teams who have made a significant and positive impact on their agency’s finances, operations, or the communities they serve.
Governor Holcomb will publicly acknowledge awardees for their outstanding contributions in a special ceremony. In addition, individual awardees will receive a bonus in recognition of their exceptional achievements.
Awards may recognize individual or team achievements. Individuals will be eligible for up to a $1,000 bonus.
Agency Heads or designated representatives are encouraged to submit nominations by August 1, 2023. Nominees must have commenced full-time employment before January 1, 2023, and still be employed by the state at the time the award is announced to be eligible. A strong consideration will be given to nominations that include quantitative data showcasing measurable, positive outcomes.
THUNDERBOLTS ANNOUNCE 2023-24 PROMOTIONAL SCHEDULE
Evansville, In.: The Evansville Thunderbolts are pleased to announce the promotional schedule for the 2023-24 season, featuring several returning promotion favorites along with several new promotions as well.
Returning promotions from previous seasons include Military Night on Saturday, November 11th, the annual Education Day morning game on Tuesday, November 14th, Dogs Night Out on both Saturday, December 2nd and Friday, March 1st, Teddy Bear Toss Night on Saturday, December 9th, Jurassic Night on Saturday, December 16th, the annual New Year’s Eve game on Sunday, December 31st, Gamer’s Night on Saturday, January 6th, Star Wars Night on Saturday, January 20th, Faith Night on Friday, January 26th, Wizards Night on Saturday, February 3rd, Superhero/First Responders Night on Friday, February 9th,
Nickelodeon Night on Saturday, March 2nd, and Fan Appreciation Night on Saturday, April 6th.
Fans can also look forward to several new promotions, many of which were implemented with the valued input and suggestions of our fans, including Zombie Night on the home opener of Saturday, October 21st, Game Show Night on Saturday, November 4th, Hockey Fights Cancer Night on Saturday, November 18th, 90’s Night on Saturday, February 24th, Princess & Pirates Night on Friday, March 22nd, Hawaiian Night on Saturday, March 23 rd, Country Night on Friday, April 5th, and Free Kids Fridays on November 3rd and December 15th.
Season tickets and group packages for the 2023-24 season are now on sale. Call 812-422-BOLT or visit our all-new website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.com) for details.