A Firefighter Privacy Protection Bill Heads To Senate Thanks To A Evansville Firefighter
A Firefighter Privacy Protection Bill Heads To The Senate Thanks To A Evansville Firefighter
On June 12, 2021, Jonathan Wright, a private in the Evansville Fire Department, was attacked while on a medic run.
Wright said the individual that the fire department was responding to had overdosed on heroin and was given two doses of Narcan prior to their arrival. The computer on the rescue vehicle was down at the time, so they weren’t provided that information.
“On an unassuming day and what we believe to be an unassuming call, my family’s life was flipped upside down,†Wright said in the Senate Local Government Committee Thursday. The committee discussed House Bill 1578, which “protects the privacy of Hoosier firefighters,†said the author of the bill, Rep. Timothy O’Brien, R-Evansville.
The individual Wright and his crew were responding to stabbed Wright in the face with a large kitchen knife.
Pictured: Jonathan Wright, a private in the Evansville Fire Department, testifies in favor of HB 1578 before the Senate Local Government Committee. Wright gave an emotional testimony, sharing his story of being attacked on the job. The bill passed 10-0. Photo by Xain Ballenger, TheStatehouseFile.com
He also attempted to stab Wright in the chest but failed after being subdued by Wright and a member of his crew. Wright said the individual tried again to stab another firefighter while refusing to give up the knife.
Wright said he became a firefighter to serve his community and to “prevent the loss of life within it.†He chose this career over law enforcement because of his time “behind the trigger†while serving in the military.
He said he wanted to leave the “violence of humanity†behind him but he was thrust back into the “sad realityâ€â€”and that firefighters are not immune to situations that cause immense stress and trauma.
“My wounds have all been healed from that day, and even though I’m reminded every time I look in the mirror, I myself have moved on from it. However, I will not forget the sheer panic and worry that I could see in both my daughters as well as my wife’s eyes,†Wright said.
O’Brien said the bill would add firefighters, both paid and volunteer, to the list of people who can conceal their personal information on public data websites.
Wright was fearful of a follow-up attack and tried to have his address withheld from public record, but his request was denied due to current statute.
Wright said in his testimony that firemen can be away from their homes for at least 24 hours, and under current law, his residence and other properties could easily be found on a county assessor’s website as public records.
“I’d like to believe that these new rules, were they put in place, would help to protect and give peace of mind to future victims and their families,†Wright said.
The bill passed the Senate Local Government Committee unanimously, with Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores, and Sen. Rodney Pol, D-Portage, asking to be added as sponsors of the bill.
It heads to the full Senate next.
FOOTNOTE: Xain Ballenger is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
Emotions stir the House before the committee’s approval of the bill banning gender-affirming care
Emotions stir the House before the committee’s approval of the bill banning gender-affirming care
A tearful parent said these procedures are the reason for her son’s only recent “moments of pure happiness.â€
A man who transitioned just years ago cried out to parents that gender-affirming health care is only harmful.
Standing just barely tall enough to speak at the podium, a 14-year-old trans youth shared their trauma before a sea of lawmakers.
Physicians, transgender Hoosiers and parents all testified Tuesday before the House Public Health Committee, which heard over four full hours of discussion before its approval ofSenate Bill 480, which would ban gender-affirming health care for Hoosiers under 18. Protestors yelled chants outside the Chamber like “kill the bill†and “hate is not a Hoosier value.â€
The bill has garnered multiple protests from both sides of the aisle as it has made its way through the Senate and now the House.
Fourteen-year-old Silver Farrell stood up before the House Chamber Tuesday, having to lower the microphone to deliver his testimony. He said he has experienced extreme bullying at his school due to his gender identity.
“During my struggles, my mental health has not been great. I’ve battled with anxiety and depression leading to insomnia. The reason behind this is all the hate at school towards my gender. I won’t go too deep into that, but all the slurs, death threats and name calling have caused my mental health to suffer,†Farrell said.
“I’m trying to say I never thought the government—grown adults— would turn into my middle-school bullies.â€
Farrell said that since beginning hormonal therapy, his mental health has improved and he has become much happier. He urged legislators not to push forward with SB 480.
Meanwhile, George F. Kane, a family medicine physician, said his oath to protect his patients and do no harm contradicts participating in gender-affirming care. He said Indiana should follow the lead of other countries that have walked away from offering hormonal therapy or procedures for minors.
“Gender-affirming therapies are so poor that those medical organizations which first pioneered puberty blocking therapy and surgeries, including those in the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden and the UK, all in the last 18 months have radically walked back the recommendations for considering this treatment strategy,†Kane said.
Sweden halted gender-affirming care for minors in February 2022 after being the first country to legalize gender reassignment. According to health officials, the rollback was due to the unknown effects that hormonal treatments could cause years from now.
Kane said SB 480 is a good law, one that protects Indiana’s children.
Rather than being good, Larisha Hanks, the parent of a transgender son, said the bill would be life threatening.
“According to this bill, I only have a few months left to enjoy having my son back,†Hanks said. “A few months of smiles and laughter before the consequences of this bill will suck the life out of him.â€
With over 50 people on the schedule to speak before the committee, each person testifying was kept to a limit of three minutes, which eventually decreased to two minutes.
Scott Newgent, a transgender man and parent to three children, shared how harmful transitioning was for him.
“I underwent more than $1 million worth of surgeries and hormone therapies to change from Kelly to Scott,†Newgent said. “And I almost died in the process. The reason why I know this is experimental is that I had to figure out my own problem. I currently get infections and will for the rest of my life. And a lot of transgender people do.â€
Newgent said he doesn’t blame other parents for testifying against the bill because he used to think just like them.
“I understand. I was part of it. And I get that,†Newgent said. “But at some point, we’ve got to tell the truth, and the truth is that when you’re told you’re born in the wrong body and you don’t fit in, we’re targeting all the kids that don’t belong.â€
Pastor Chris Duckworth of New Joy Lutheran Church in Westfield testified against the bill on behalf of a larger group of faith leaders, saying that the bill was hurting and targeting children rather than the health care itself.
“SB 480 does not meet that standard of love. SB 480 will harm young trans people in our communities,†Duckworth said. “We know that this bill will threaten their physical safety and their mental health by denying them access to evidence-based health care.â€
SB 480 follows a string of bills in the Indiana legislature on transgender rights, such as House Bill 1407, a bill on “parental rights,†and House Bill 1608, which would ban discussions on “human sexuality†in the classroom for children in kindergarten through third grade.
After four hours of conversation and multiple compliments from the committee chair, Rep. Brad Barrett, R-Richmond, on how considerate those testifying were, the bill ultimately passed 8-5.
Rep. Ann Vermillion, R-Marion, went across party lines as the only Republican to vote against the bill. She said she just didn’t think the bill was where it needed to be to pass.
“I don’t think we’re getting the full picture from the standard care of how does a Hoosier with this diagnosis work through the system,†Vermillion said.
The bill will now go to the House floor for second reading.
FOOTNOTE: Ashlyn Myers is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
The Southwest Indiana Builders Association “BUILD PAC” Announces Their Endorsement OF Cheryl  Musgrave For Mayor Of Evansville!
The Southwest Indiana Builders Association “BUILD PAC” Announces Their Endorsement Of Cheryl  Musgrave For Mayor Of Evansville!
Written by SIBA Staff
SIBA “BUILD PAC” represents the interests of the Southwestern Indiana Builders Association, a group that brings together members of the home building industry. SIBA supports leaders who will work effectively for safe and affordable housing. And they think that Cheryl is the right choice because:
- She is pro-development, displays great teamwork in her relations with SIBA, and has an impressive list of achievements
- She supports fair and appropriate licensing and testing for the building industry
- She has worked to remove unnecessary and costly obstacles to development and will continue to benefit future homeowners and builders alike.
Cheryl welcomed the endorsement. “SIBA is a big part of our future path forward to improve housing in Evansville and make us an attractive city for economic development and a safe and secure place to raise families,” she said.
FOOTNOTE: Â Posted by the City-County Observer without bias or editing.
BASEBALL ACES COMPLETE SERIES SWEEP AT MISSOURI STATE WITH 7-4 WIN
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – University of Evansville fifth-year outfielder Eric Roberts was a one-man wrecking crew on Sunday, as he launched two home runs and drove in five runs to help the Purple Aces complete a Missouri Valley Conference series sweep at Missouri State with a 7-4 victory.
“What a special weekend this weekend at the ballyard by our club,†said UE head coach Wes Carroll.  “To come on the road and sweep a very good ballclub in Missouri State is a great feather in the cap for our team, and a great way to start Missouri Valley Conference play.
“Today, it was fun to watch Eric Roberts hit, as he was really dialed in.  But, like all weekend, we had different guys up and down the lineup come through in big spots today to pick up this win.  It will be good to return home this week, and hopefully, we can keep this winning streak going.â€
Evansville (16-7 overall, 3-0 MVC) won its ninth-straight game behind the bat of Roberts, who homered in back-to-back at-bats in the fourth and sixth innings to help UE overcome an early 2-0 deficit.
The Bears grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second inning on a two-run home run by freshman outfielder Zack Stewart, his fifth home run of the year.  UE would get a run back in the third inning on an RBI single by fifth-year first baseman Chase Hug.  Then, Evansville would plate four runs in the fourth inning to take the lead for good.
Sophomore DH Ben Stuart tied the game at 2-2 with an RBI ground out.  Then, after a more-than 10-pitch at-bat by sophomore outfielder Ty Rumsey led to a walk with two outs to put two men on base, Roberts crushed his first home run of the day onto the roof of the indoor facility in right-center field to give UE a 5-2 lead.  Roberts would then launch another two-run home run in the sixth inning to help UE build a 7-2 cushion.
The Bears would score two runs in the eighth inning on a two-run double by Stewart to cut the lead to 7-4.  UE closer Nate Hardman would get a strikeout against the potential tying run in the eighth inning, and induced a key double play in the ninth inning to earn his second save and make a winner of starter Donovan Schultz.  Schultz (4-1) allowed just two runs on four hits in 5.0 innings of work, while striking out four.
Roberts finished the game going 2-for-3 with two home runs and five RBI.  Hug also had a two-hit day for UE.  Stewart went 3-for-4 with four RBI for Missouri State (11-11, 0-3 MVC).
Evansville will now return home to German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium to host Southeast Missouri State on Wednesday evening at 6 p.m.  The game can be heard live in the Tri-State area on the Old National Bank/Purple Aces Sports Network courtesy of 107.1 FM-WJPS.
Virtual Author Talk: Pam Jenoff March 28, 2023 At Willard Library
|
Virtual Author Talk: Pam Jenoff Tuesday – March 28th @ 6:00PM |
|
Join us for an exciting trip through time as we chat with New York Times bestselling historical fiction author Pam Jenoff about her newest book Code Name Sapphire! In Code Name Sapphire, A woman must rescue her cousin’s family from a train bound for Auschwitz in this riveting tale of bravery and resistance. It’s 1942 and Hannah Martel has narrowly escaped Nazi Germany after her fiancé was killed in a pogrom. When her ship bound for America is turned away at port, she has nowhere to go but to her cousin Lily, who lives with her family in Brussels. Fearful for her life, Hannah is desperate to escape occupied Europe. But with no safe way to leave, she must return to the dangerous underground work she thought she had left behind. Seeking help, Hannah joins the Sapphire Line, a secret resistance network led by a mysterious woman named Micheline and her enigmatic brother Mateo. But when a grave mistake causes Lily’s family to be arrested and slated for deportation to Auschwitz, Hannah finds herself torn between her loyalties. How much is Hannah willing to sacrifice to save the people she loves? Inspired by incredible true stories of courage and sacrifice, Code Name Sapphire is a powerful novel about love, family and the unshakable resilience of women in even the hardest of times. About the Author: Pam Jenoff was born in Maryland and raised outside Philadelphia. She attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and Cambridge University in England. Upon receiving her master’s in history from Cambridge, she accepted an appointment as Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Army. Following her work at the Pentagon, Pam moved to the State Department. Pam left the Foreign Service in 1998 to attend law school and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. She now teaches law school at Rutgers. Pam is the NYT bestselling author of The Woman With The Blue Star, The Lost Girls of Paris, The Orphan’s Tale, The Kommandant’s Girl, The Diplomat’s Wife, The Ambassador’s Daughter, The Last Summer at Chelsea Beach, The Winter Guest, The Things We Cherished, Almost Home, and A Hidden Affair. She also authored a short story in the anthology Grand Central: Original Postwar Stories of Love and Reunion. She lives outside Philadelphia with her husband, three children, dog, cat, lizard and bird. Willard Public Library is a non-profit organization (501c3) and encourages patrons and visitors of WPL to donate to help support events like this one for years to come >> https://willard.lib.in.us/donate/ Watch the Grey Lady Ghost at Willard Public Library on our World-Famous Ghost Cams >> https://www.willardghost.com/ |
Hoosiers Finish Fourth Nationally, Tyler Takes Platform Title
MINNEAPOLIS – Indiana men’s swimming and diving is bringing a trophy back to Bloomington after finishing as the No. 4 team in the nation at the 2023 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships on Saturday (March 25) inside the Jane K. Freeman Aquatic Center.
The Hoosiers scored 379 points to earn their fourth top-five finish of the last five championships. Indiana remains among college swimming’s elite – in the last five years, only four team have consistently finished top six nationally: Cal, Texas, Florida and the Indiana Hoosiers. IU finished just short of third, five points back of Texas.
Over the week, three different Hoosiers won individual national championships, six program records were smashed, 10 medals were earned, and 10 IU athletes combined for 37 All-America honors. Indiana outperformed its No. 6 CSCAA national ranking as well as the psych sheet projections, which simulated a fifth-place performance.
“It was one of the major goals for the boys all year long to get a trophy, and what a battle,†IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said.†You really had six elite teams that the meet revealed, and we just feel so grateful that the guys just laid it on the line all day today. All the way from prelims to finals, and then the divers really gave us a shot with the way they performed.
“Final four, baby! We got a trophy, and that means you’re one of the best teams in the country, I’m so proud of them. It’s so gratifying that we can bring this home to Indiana University.”
Sophomore Carson Tyler joined the legendary list of Hoosier national champions on Saturday when he won the program’s first platform diving title and 21st diving total overall. Tyler scored 476.30 points to outduel Tennessee’s Bryden Hattie with 455.10. On his fifth dive, Tyler created space with a perfect score on his Back 3 ½ Somersault Tuck to earn a 99.00. He clinched the title with an 81-point dive in round six.
“What an amazing ending to an unbelievable week,†IU head diving coach Drew Johansen said. “Carson was spectacular tonight. His fifth-round dive was not only a perfect it, but it was done at the most critical moment of the event. Absolutely clutch!â€
Tyler was joined in the top three buy bronze medalist and fellow sophomore Quinn Henninger, who tallied a 408.60. Indiana’s 36 points in the platform diving event were crucial to the team’s top-four finish at the end of the night. Totaling five medals and two national titles, Indiana diving accounted for 104 points in just three events.
Senior Andrew Capobianco’s collegiate career ends after winning his third-career NCAA 3-meter title Friday which followed a runner-up performance on 1-meter the day before. The Olympian closes this chapter of his career a three-time national champion, six-time NCAA medalist and 12-time All-American.
“Quinn’s third-place finish helped secure the team’s overall fourth-place finish,†Johansen said. “This is the future of IU diving. I’m so happy for the team and so excited to see what comes next.â€
“Quinn and Carson were just remarkable,†Looze said, “and I have to give them a lot of credit for putting us in a position where our relay could do something.
Indiana was solid in all three disciplines all week: swimming, diving and relay. All five of IU’s relays had top-10 performances for the first time since the team’s third-place finish in 2019 and accounted for 136 points and all five finished higher than their seeding. On Saturday, the 400-yard freestyle relay quartet of senior Van Mathias, junior Tomer Frankel, junior Gavin Wight and sophomore Rafael Miroslaw placed sixth in 2:47.17, just six hundredths shy of the program record.
Individual swimming accounted for the remaining 136 points. IU swimmers earned eight first-team All-America (top eight) finishes and four medals. Senior Brendan Burns became the NCAA 100-yard backstroke champion on Friday with a program record 43.61. It was his first title in the event but second overall after winning the 200-yard butterfly a year ago. On Saturday, he followed that up with a national runner-up placement in the 200 fly.
Van Mathias’ fifth-year senior season of drastic time drops ended with three All-America finishes and a silver medal. Prior to this week, Mathias had never finished higher than 26th at the national meet.
Tomer Frankel was the only swimmer in the field to finish top-five in both the 100-yard and 200-yard butterfly events. The junior from Israel set personal bests in both races and earned a bronze medal in the 100 fly with a program record 44.04.
RESULTS
100 FREESTYLE
- Van Mathias – 41.39 (All-America)
200 BREASTSTROKE
- Josh Matheny – 1:50.12 (All-America, Career Best)
200 BUTTERFLY
- Brendan Burns – 1:38.97 (NCAA Silver, All-America)
- Tomer Frankel – 1:40.34 (All-America, Career-Best)
PLATFORM
- Carson Tyler – 476.30 (NCAA Champion, All-America, Career Best)
- Quinn Henninger – 388.05 (NCAA Bronze, All-America)
400 FREESTYLE RELAY
- Van Mathias, Tomer Frankel, Gavin Wight, Rafael Miroslaw – 2:47.17
HOOSIER ALL-AMERICANS
Finn Brooks (200 Freestyle Relay*)
Brendan Burns (200 Medley Relay, 800 Freestyle Relay, 100 Butterfly*, 100 Backstroke, 400 Medley Relay, 200 Butterfly)
Andrew Capobianco (1-meter, 3-meter)
Tomer Frankel (200 Medley Relay, 800 Freestyle Relay, 100 Butterfly, 400 Medley Relay, 200 Butterfly, 400 Freestyle Relay)
Quinn Henninger (3-meter, Platform)
Josh Matheny (100 Breaststroke*, 400 Medley Relay, 200 Breaststroke)
Van Mathias (200 Medley Relay, 800 Freestyle Relay, 50 Freestyle*, 200 Freestyle Relay*, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Freestyle, 400 Freestyle Relay)
Rafael Miroslaw (800 Freestyle Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay*, 200 Freestyle*, 400 Medley Relay, 400 Freestyle Relay)
Carson Tyler (3-meter, Platform)
Gavin Wight (200 Medley Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay*, 400 Freestyle Relay)
* -Â Denotes Honorable Mention