The Vanderburgh County Health Department will be holding the first ever local Infant Mortality Summit on February 17th, at the Old National Events Plaza. This day long event will be a community call to action to work to improve our fetal, infant, and maternal health outcomes. The keynote speaker will be former Indiana State Health Commissioners and former U. S. Surgeon General, Dr. Jerome Adams. Other distinguished speakers include Lt. Governor, Suzanne Crouch and City of Evansville Mayor, Lloyd Winnecke.
The Vanderburgh County Health Department has prepared a full day of speakers and panelists that will highlight the issues of infant mortality, especially with in our African American population. The event will start at 9am and conclude at 2:30pm CST. The event is free and open to the public. We hope to bring awareness to this issue and potentially find new and varied resources that our local health care organizations can utilize, improving the health of the most vulnerable in our communities. This summit would not be possible without help from our two largest sponsors, Deaconess’ Perinatal Center of Southern Indiana and St. Vincent’s Evansville.
EVANSVILLE, IN (01/26/2023) The University of Evansville (UE) Theatre commences its Spring 2023 season with Annie Baker’s Circle Mirror Transformation, which opens at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 2, in the May Studio Theatre. Additional performances are at 7:30 p.m. on February 3-4; and at 2:00 p.m. on February 4-5.
Led by a charismatic instructor, a group of adults convene in a community center to seek connection through a creative drama class. Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Annie Baker explores the pathos and comedy inherent in everyone’s efforts to find joy in the journey towards transformation.
Circle Mirror Transformation is directed by Jimmy Guest, a senior Theatre Studies major from Bettendorf, Iowa; Zoe Paraskevopoulos, a senior Stage Management major from Flower Mound, Texas, serves as the scenic designer; Avery Finn, a junior Theatre Studies major from Terre Haute, Indiana, is the costume designer; Jamey Pearson, a junior Design and Technology major from Moody, Texas, is the lighting designer; Blake Cooper, Assistant Technical Director/Scene Shop Manager, serves as the sound designer; Spencer Marfy, a junior Performance major from Tallmadge, Ohio, is the dramaturg; Madison Wilson ’22, a guest artist, is the stage manager, and Vi Lecklider, a senior Design and Technology major from Columbus, Indiana, serves as the technical director.
The cast features Umbra Person, a first-year Performance major from Jonesboro, Georgia, as Marty; Nathan Viscaino, a senior Performance major from Redmond, Oregon, as James; Garrett Hale, a junior Performance major from Haslet, Texas, as Schultz; Lillian Grace Carlson, a junior Performance major from Minneapolis, Minnesota, as Theresa; and Sophia McGuire, a first-year Performance major from McKinney, Texas, as Lauren.
Pike County – Wednesday night, January 25, at approximately 7:40 p.m., Trooper Stein stopped the driver of a 2006 Ford on I-69 near the 46 mile-marker for a headlight violation. The driver was identified as Michael Doades, 42, of Otwell. The passenger was identified as Haley Alexander, 31, of Indianapolis. Due to suspicious activity and Doades displaying signs of impairment, Trooper Stein requested assistance and a K-9 unit. While waiting for assistance to arrive, Stein was able to determine Alexander had an active warrant out of Hendricks County. After additional officers arrived, Doades submitted to field sobriety tests and failed. When officers searched Doades they discovered a black pouch inside his shoe containing approximately 20 grams of suspected methamphetamine and several syringes. A search of the vehicle revealed additional syringes and a smoking pipe. Further investigation revealed Doades tested positive for methamphetamine and marijuana. Doades and Alexander were transported to the Pike County Jail where they are currently being held on bond.
Arrested and Charges:
Michael Doades, 42, Otwell, IN
Possession of Meth, Level 4 Felony
Possession of Syringes, Level 6 Felony
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Class A Misdemeanor
Driving While Intoxicated, Class C Misdemeanor
Haley Alexander, 31, Indianapolis, IN
Warrant – Failure to Appear for Invasion of Privacy
Arresting Officer: Trooper D. Stein, Indiana State Police
Assisting Officers: Trooper C.J. Boeckman and Trooper B. Marsee, Indiana State Police
Assisting Agencies: Pike County Sheriff’s Office and Washington Police K-9 Team.
 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Giving one of the top teams in the Missouri Valley Conference everything it could handle, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team put up a strong fight on Wednesday evening before dropping a 73-64 decision against Belmont inside the Ford Center.
Marvin Coleman II and Yacine Toumi recorded 15 points apiece. Both connected on six field goals with Toumi tying for the team lead with nine boards. Antoine Smith Jr. recorded 14 points while hauling in a career-best nine rebounds. Ben Sheppard paced Belmont with 23 points and 10 caroms, both game highs.
“Our staff has put an emphasis on getting off to a better start and we were able to do that tonight. Having seven assists and one turnover led to a 9-point lead,†UE head coach David Ragland said. “One thing to work on is that 6-8 minute stretch where teams respond and punch back. We did a nice job of playing a good 32 minutes, but we need to make it 40 minutes. I think we gave ourselves a chance to win and a chance to teach.â€
Hitting their first three attempts, Belmont scored the first five points on their way to an 8-3 lead. Antoine Smith Jr. got the Aces on the board with a 3-point play. The early run by the Bruins saw them open the night 5-of-6 from the field and 3-for-3 from outside as they took a 13-8 lead.
Evansville countered in a big way as a pair of 3-pointers by Yacine Toumi highlighted a 14-0 run that saw the Purple Aces take a 22-13 lead. Smith finished the run with two triples of his own as UE connected on five field goals in a row. Trailing by a score of 24-16, the Bruins posted eight in a row to tie it up midway through the period. UE’s offense missed nine shots in a row while turning it over three times over a span of 5:32.
Toumi and Marvin Coleman II converted baskets that put the Aces back in front at 28-24 but Belmont completed the period on a 12-4 run to hold a 36-32 advantage at halftime. Smith had 14 points and 6 rebounds in the first 20 minutes while Ben Sheppard paced Belmont with 16 points at the break.
Gage Bobe hit a jumper for the first points of the second half before Belmont scored the next seven to go up 43-34. The Aces remained within striking distance when a putback by Toumi made it a 58-51 as the game entered its final nine minutes. Belmont responded with consecutive triples that solidified a 64-51 lead.
Coleman kept the Aces in the thick of it, posting consecutive 3-point plays to keep the deficit around 10 points but the Bruins continued to hold strong and took the game by a final score of 73-64. Belmont finished the game shooting 49.1% while the Aces shot 39.7%. The Bruins outrebounded UE by a 38-33 tally.
On Saturday, the Aces return to the road for a 6 p.m. game at Valparaiso.
Physicians And Employers Set To Spar Over SB 7 And Noncompete Agreements
By Kyra Howard, TheStatehouseFile.com
The Senate Health and Provider Services Committee voted 9-3 on Wednesday to move Senate Bill 7 on to the full chamber, where it’s likely to draw intense interest from the state’s healthcare community.
Sen. Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, and other members of the Senate Health and Provider Services Committee discuss aspects of SB 7, which would eliminate noncompete agreements between physicians and their employers.  (Screenshot by Kyra Howard, TheStatehouseFile.com.)
A major component of SB 7 would prohibit physicians and employers from entering noncompete agreements. Indiana Sen. Justin Busch, R-Fort Wayne, and Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso, authored the bill.
Noncompete agreements typically keep physicians from working in the same industry within a certain radius of their previous employer and/or within a certain time frame. This can force doctors to move out of the area—sometimes out of state—to be able to work after leaving their previous position.
Meanwhile, employers like hospitals are concerned that the elimination of noncompete agreements could impact the investment they put into their workers through training and recruitment.
Senators weighed both sides when voting for the bill.
“Everything we get into in the health-care area is difficult for a whole bunch of reasons,†said Charbonneau. “I have flip-flopped on this over time. But something needs to be done.â€
He voted yes but noted his expectations for Busch to keep working to make the bill better for both physicians and employers.
After hearing public testimony from representatives of both doctors and hospitals, most committee members chose to explain their votes.
“We need to look at both sides. Indiana does have an access and affordability problem, and I am going to vote yes to continue making this better and hopefully find a way,†said Sen. Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington.
The major concern for some committee members seemed to reside with the impact more competition could have on rural hospitals.
“I am very committed to my small rural hospitals that I was a no on this bill; I have to remain so,†said Sen. Jean Leising, R-Oldenburg.
Leising said she wished Busch would have made exceptions for rural hospitals within the bill so she could have given her support.
FOOTNOTE:  Kyra Howard is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
“If Congress Doesn’t Make A Budget, We Shouldn’t Get Paidâ€: Senators Reintroduce Bipartisan No Budget No Pay Act
WASHINGTON — Senators Mike Braun, Joe Manchin, Rick Scott, Maggie Hassan, Shelley Moore Capito, and Katie Britt have reintroduced the bipartisan No Budget, No Pay Act.
The bill simply states that if Members of Congress don’t fulfill their basic job requirements and pass the annual budget resolutions and appropriations bills by the start of the fiscal year (October 1), they will not receive pay until they do. The bill also prohibits retroactive pay for the period.
“Every business and family makes a budget, but Congress doesn’t. If your representatives refuse to do a basic part of their job like passing a budget resolution and appropriations bills in time, we shouldn’t get paid. That’s why I’m reintroducing the bipartisan No Budget, No Pay Act, to hold D.C. accountable for the budget dysfunction that’s put us on a collision course with fiscal disaster.â€Â — Sen. Braun.
“Every American, every business and every state has to live within a budget in order to operate successfully. This has been a top priority of mine since my time as Governor. If Congress is unable or unwilling to work in a bipartisan manner to pass a budget, we should not get paid as lawmakers. I’m proud to reintroduce the bipartisan No Budget, No Pay Act and I will continue to work with my colleagues across the aisle to find a commonsense pathway toward fixing our long-term spending and debt problems.â€Â — Sen. Manchin.
“Our nation is over $31 trillion in debt after years of Washington failing the American people and shirking its responsibility of passing a real, balanced budget that prioritizes the needs of American families. Now more than ever, we need to bring fiscal sanity back to Washington, and that starts with holding Congress accountable to do one of its most basic duties: passing a budget. There is no reason members of Congress should be held to a different standard than any other American family or business. In the real world, if you don’t do your job, you don’t get paid. Our No Budget, No Pay bill simply requires Congress to pass an annual budget and meet appropriations bill deadlines, or forgo their taxpayer-funded salaries until the job is done.â€Â — Sen. Scott (R-FL).
“Families and small businesses across West Virginia have to balance their budgets, and Congress shouldn’t be any different. I am proud to serve on the Senate Appropriations Committee that is responsible for writing these bills, and we must make sure to prioritize passing responsible appropriations bills, under regular order, every year.â€Â — Sen. Capito.
“Our national debt is an economic and security crisis that threatens the future of our children and our children’s children. Ending deficit spending starts with returning to regular order. This bill is a simple yet effective way to incentivize Congress to do just that: no budget, no paycheck.â€Â — Sen. Britt.
 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – On January 25-26, 2023 Evansville will conduct its annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count of people experiencing homelessness in the community, including sheltered and unsheltered homeless men, women, children, and families. Mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the count provides a snapshot of the number and characteristics of people experiencing homelessness in Evansville. The Aurora Homeless Outreach Team conducts the count with support from area homeless shelters and agencies, in conjunction with the Region 12 Homeless Services Council and Commission on Homelessness for Evansville and Vanderburgh County.Â
WHO – Aurora Homeless Outreach Team and other agencies, including United Caring Services, Ozanam Family Shelter, House of Bread and Peace, Evansville Rescue Mission, YWCA Evansville, Salvation Army and others.Â
WHEN – The count begins Wednesday, January 25, 2023, at 7:30 p.m., and concludes the morning of Thursday, January 26, 2023Â
WHEREÂ
• Shelters: Evansville initiates a white flag, so any and all can come to the shelter for the day (it makes counting the majority easier). The shelter staff completes the survey forms for each person and enters the info into HMIS (Indiana’s homeless data tracking system). Shelters not on the HMIS system receive paper forms to complete and send to Indianapolis for entry into HMIS.Â
• Street: Aurora’s Homeless Outreach Team goes out on the streets with survey forms in hand, to places where it is known that homeless people congregate or stay. The outreach team completes the forms and enters the information into HMIS.Â
About the Point-in-Time Count The annual point-in-time count is mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for communities receiving its funds for programs to aid people experiencing homelessness. The count includes sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January, including emergency shelters and transitional housing, as well as locations unfit for habitation. HUD aggregates the local data each year as a snapshot of homelessness nationally. HUD utilizes PIT data in its strategic planning for future programs to address homelessness.Â
About the Commission on HomelessnessÂ
The Commission on Homelessness for Evansville and Vanderburgh County was formed in 2005 to direct and facilitate the implementation of strategic actions to prevent and end homelessness locally. The Commission includes representatives of local non-profit and civic organizations, City and County government, the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation, the United Way of Southwestern Indiana, the Evansville Housing Authority, and homeless services and housing agencies, among others. Together, they provide leadership for local implementation of national programs and resources to address homelessness, including housing initiatives, coordinated entry and other community-wide homeless processes, homeless diversion and prevention programs. For more: evansvillehomeless.org/ and facebook.com/
