NASHVILLE, Tenn. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Tennis (4-14, 0-5 OVC) completed its first-ever NCAA Division I regular season after falling to Tennessee State University, 7-0, at the TSU Tennis Complex. The Screaming Eagles will be the sixth seed in the upcoming Ohio Valley Conference Championship next week.  Doubles: USI could not find a rhythm in doubles play, dropping all three sets.  Singles: The Eagles had no success in the singles competition as the Tigers rolled to a 7-0 sweep. Junior Rachel McCorkle (Tulsa, Oklahoma) forced a third-set tiebreaker before falling to her opponent 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (10-6).  NEXT UP FOR THE EAGLES: The Eagles earned a bid to the OVC Tennis Championship on April 21 when USI faces Eastern Illinois University at 2 p.m. in Paducah, Kentucky. This is the first DI postseason bid in program history. Â
Schedule: Full Time, Days, Monday-Friday. Work in a customer service capacity providing administrative and clerical support to patients and customers in a…
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Greet and attend to patients in person and over the phone. Professionally assist doctors, staff, visitors, and patients. Ensure that stock levels are adequate.
Generous 401(k) matching retirement plans. Full-time salaried position that will consist of at least 40 hours per week. Wellness programs with employee perks.
FOOTNOTE: Â EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT information was provided by the EPD and posted by the City-County-County Observer without opinion, bias, or editing.
Bill increasing requirements for absentee voting heads to the governor
By Xain Ballenger, TheStatehouseFile.com
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The Indiana House concurred Tuesday with the Senate’s amendments to House Bill 1334, which would increase requirements for absentee voters, in a 64-30 vote, sending it to Gov. Eric Holcomb’s desk. The bill was authored by Rep. Timothy Wesco, R-Osceola.
Rep. Tonya Pfaff, D-Terre Haute, spoke in opposition to House Bill 1334, which passed 64-30. “It is unnecessary to make it more difficult for the elderly, people voting by travel board, or those serving in the military to vote. It won’t make elections safer and only serves to hamper democracy. Please vote no,†Pfaff said. Photo by Xain Ballenger, TheStatehouseFile.com
Under the bill, an agency of the state or political subdivision may not provide an individual with an application for an absentee ballot unless requested by the individual or family member.
The bill would also have the absentee ballot application require that applicants include certain identification numbers or a photocopy of the person’s photo identification.
Groups such as Indiana Vote by Mail and Common Cause Indiana opposed the legislation, saying it would limit voting in a state already plagued with poor turnout and penalize those most dependent on casting an absentee ballot.
“It creates a number of different pitfalls, and because Indiana’s vote by mail law is very restrictive; 66% of the people utilizing it are senior citizens or people with disabilities,’’ said Julia Vaughn of Indiana Common Cause.
Rep. Tonya Pfaff, D-Terre Haute, opposed the bill.
“It is unnecessary to make it more difficult for the elderly … or those serving in the military to vote. It won’t make elections safer and only serves to hamper democracy. Please vote no,†Pfaff said.
FOOTNOTXain Ballenger is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.Â
Memorial lighting ceremony honoring the victims of the Old National Bank shooting in Louisville, KY scheduled for Downtown Evansville
 Several landmark buildings and other lights will be coordinated to glow in blue and gold on Monday, April 17 to honor those killed and injured in the shooting at Old National Bank in Louisville on Monday, April 10. The one-night memorial lighting installation will be visible throughout many parts of Downtown Evansville and offer viewers an opportunity to quietly reflect on the lives of those lost:Â
Josh Barrick.Â
Deana Eckert.Â
Tommy Elliott.Â
Juliana Farmer.Â
Jim Tutt.Â
The lighting will also demonstrate support for the families and friends of all the victims of the shooting, and for their whole Old National Bank family.Â
The planned illumination includes Bally’s Evansville, CenterPoint Energy, Old National Bank, over 100 trees along Main Street, the Old Court House, and Old National Events Plaza. Residents, businesses, and property owners throughout the downtown area are encouraged to add to the display with additional blue and gold lighting on their home or business. The lighting installation begins at dusk. The EID thanks Bravo Media for their assistance in this project.Â
WHAT:Â
Memorial lighting installation honoring the victims of the Old National Bank shooting in Louisville, KY.Â
WHEN:Â
Monday, April 17, beginning at dusk.Â
WHERE:Â
Bally’s Evansville (421 NW Riverside Drive).Â
CenterPoint Energy (211 NW Riverside).Â
Old National Bank Headquarters (1 Main Street).Â
Main Street (from 2nd Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard).Â
Old National Events Plaza Skybridge (Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard at Locust Street).Â
The Old Courthouse (Intersection of Court and Fourth Streets).Â
###Â
About Downtown Evansville Economic Improvement DistrictÂ
Following a 2017 petition process of member property owners, the EID was formed in 2018 to provide benefits and services to member properties paid for by a special annual assessment on these properties. The EID builds a move active and inclusive Downtown Evansville. It enhances resident, consumer, investor, worker, and visitor experiences in Downtown Evansville. In 2023, the EID will lead over $1,800,000 in projects which improve the appearance of Downtown, in addition to marketing, advocacy and safety programsÂ
Education bill making collective bargaining optional sees tense exchange in House
By Xain Ballenger, TheStatehouseFile.com
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Tensions reached a boiling point inside the Indiana House Wednesday as Rep. Ed DeLaney, D-Indianapolis, shared a passionate argument against education-related Senate Bill 486 and its provision to make collective bargaining between school districts and teachers optional rather than mandatory.
Rep. Tonya Pfaff, D-Terre Haute, speaks during a hearing of Senate Bill 486 in the House Wednesday. “We teachers are the boots on the ground,” she said.  Photo by Xain Ballenger, TheStatehouseFile.com
Collective bargaining is a process by which people negotiate contracts with their employers, often through unions. DeLaney said the bill is eliminating the requirement to have these discussions and proposed an amendment to delete many lines in the bill.
“What of course happens in the real world is that if you don’t have ongoing discussions, if you don’t treat teachers fairly about things like class size or whatever disciplinary concerns they have, they will fester … They will be angry, ” Delaney said.
Other representatives shared their support for DeLaney’s amendment, including Rep. Pat Boy, D-Michigan City, Rep. Sheila Klinker, D-Lafayette, Rep.Chuck Moseley, D-Portage, and Rep. Tonya Pfaff, D-Terre Haute.
Pfaff referred to her 30 years of teaching.
“We teachers are the boots on the ground. We help the administration to address issues that arise on a daily basis … Taking this away will hurt communication. It will say maybe we can talk later and maybe we can’t,†Pfaff said.
Rep. Jake Teshka, R-South Bend, opposed the amendment, saying that during testimony, legislators heard from members of the Indiana School Board Association and other groups representing educators and administrators and while there were differing opinions on this issue, all of them indicated that these discussions will continue to happen.
“No superintendent worth their salt is going to tell the teacher that they will not discuss with them any concerns that they might have in their building,†Teshka said. He sponsored the bill, which was authored by Sen. Linda Rogers, R-Granger, Sen. Jeff Raatz, R-Centerville, and Sen. Stacey Donato, R-Logansport.
Teshka said that the real idea legislators are getting at is giving locals more flexibility to create their own structure for how these discussions take place, rather than the state’s prescriptive, formal process. He said the bill would help with regulatory relief and that if DeLaney’s amendment were accepted it would defeat the purpose of the bill.
“We are not, as the state legislature, responsible for the bad decisions of a few actors,†Teshka said.
DeLaney closed, saying he would have preferred to hear from at least one or more members of the Republican supermajority as to why they thought his opinion was wrong.
“What’s happening here today is a model of what can happen in our school districts. Somebody stands up and expresses their complaint, and it’s met with deafening silence. No debate, no response,†Delaney said. “This has gone on too long this year in this place. This is too important of a bill for all this silence.â€
The amendment failed 32-62; the bill is eligible for its third reading on Thursday.
FOOTNOTE: Xain Ballenger is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
Area lawmakers: Local road projects receive state funding boost
STATEHOUSE (April 13, 2023) – Vanderburgh County and the city of Evansville are set to receive over $1 million to complete much-needed road projects, according to area legislators.
Funding is available through the state’s Community Crossings Matching Grant Program, which can be used for road and bridge preservation, road reconstruction, intersection improvements and other items. In total, 224 towns, cities and counties will receive over $133.4 million in state matching grants.
“This program allows communities large and small to address their immediate infrastructure needs and make plans for future projects,” said State Rep. Wendy McNamara (R-Evansville). “These grants allow local governments to improve the lives of residents across our area, and I’m excited to see more improvements coming our way.”Area grant recipients include Vanderburgh County ($590,023) and Evansville ($493,462).
“Indiana’s fiscal strength continues to give us opportunities to improve our overall quality of life and bolster our economy,” said State Rep. Tim O’Brien (R-Evansville). “It’s great to see our local communities continue to compete for and receive these grants.”To qualify for the competitive grant, smaller municipalities provide a 25 percent match in local funds, while large communities provide a 50 percent match. State law requires 50 percent of the available matching funds be awarded annually to communities within counties with a population of 50,000 or fewer. Since 2016, Community Crossings has awarded more than $1.27 billion to improve local roads and bridges.
“Investments in infrastructure are critical to helping our communities thrive,” said State Rep. Matt Hostettler (R-Patoka). “This program is a great example of state and local governments working together to ensure our roads are maintained.”
A list of all communities receiving matching funds in the latest round is available here. Visit in.gov/indot/communitycrossings to learn more about the Community Crossings Matching Grant Program and the next call for projects opening in July.
Attorney General Todd Rokita has won a round in the legal fight to protect Indiana sovereignty against the federal overreach of the Biden administration’s U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
He and 23 likeminded attorneys general successfully obtained a preliminary injunction against the enforcement of an EPA rule redefining “waters of the United States†under the Clean Water Act.
The new Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule would force Indiana landowners to beg the permission of federal bureaucrats before using their own property in ways deemed to impact certain ponds, streams, ditches or other wet areas of ground.
“With our lawsuit, we aim to protect Hoosiers’ jobs, property and freedom from the Biden administration’s excessive regulations,†Attorney General Rokita said. “Our legal victory in U.S. district court proves that our cause is justified and valid. We will continue fighting for free enterprise and individual liberty.”
“We all want to conserve and preserve our natural resources,†Attorney General Rokita said at filing. “At the same time, exercising wise stewardship over the environment does not require citizens to surrender their legitimate liberties and rights to the federal government. And, in fact, we cannot tolerate edicts designed to subjugate free people in such a manner.â€
Attached is the court order granting the preliminary injunction.