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Todd Rokita Statement Regarding Dr. Caitlin Bernard Case

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The Office Of Attorney General Todd Rokita Today Released The Following Statement Regarding Dr. Caitlin Bernard’s Case

“This is what was said in court and in our filed paperwork:

If the doctor did not choose to use her patient, a 10-year-old rape victim, to further her own political agenda, we would not be here today.

There is no defensible reason for this doctor to shatter her 10-year-old patient’s trust by divulging her abortion procedure to a reporter so her traumatizing experience could be used in the polarizing abortion debate on the heels of Dobbs.

The evidence strongly suggests that the doctor violated the mandatory reporting law, which required her to immediately report the child’s abuse to Indiana authorities.

Only by reporting to Indiana authorities immediately, as called for by statute, might the little girl have been spared from potentially being sent back to her perpetrator.

This doctor demands immunity from all scrutiny, but her remedy is before the Medical Licensing Board, not an injunction from this Court.

We believe she has failed to carry her burden of proof and that the Office of the Attorney General should be free to continue its statutory duty to hold physicians and other practitioners to the standards of the law. “

Senator Becker: Involved In General Assembly Kicks Off 2023 Session

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STATEHOUSE (Nov. 22, 2022) — State Sen. Vaneta Becker (R-Evansville) today gathered with fellow legislators at the Statehouse for Organization Day — the ceremonial start of the 123rd Indiana General Assembly.

Organization Day includes the swearing in of new and returning members of the General Assembly. This day also marks the annual first roll call of all state lawmakers and gives each Senate and House of Representatives caucus the opportunity to organize in preparation for the 2023 legislative session.

During the first session of each General Assembly, lawmakers craft a comprehensive budget to fund government services for the next two fiscal years.

“It is always an honor to return to the Statehouse each session and represent my district,” Becker said. “The General Assembly will be working on our state budget this year, and it is important to me that we create legislation that assists Hoosiers where they need it most.”

As the 2023 session begins, Becker encourages residents of Senate District 50 to contact her with any questions or comments they may have by email at Senator.Becker@iga.in.gov or by phone at 800-382-9467.

 

High School Students Compete For Cash And Bragging Rights At Vincennes University Jasper CTIM Challenge

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JASPER, Ind., November 17, 2022

High school students put their skills to the test and demonstrated their knowledge of technology, innovation, and manufacturing to earn prizes in the Vincennes University Jasper CTIM Challenge.

The event provides a fun, engaging, and interactive competition focused on cooperation.

Approximately 144 high school students from 10 schools and one university participated in the challenge at the Center for Technology, Innovation and Manufacturing on the VU Jasper Campus on Wednesday, Nov. 9. Students from Forest Park, Heritage Hills, Jasper, Northeast Dubois, Perry Central, Pike Central, Shoals, South Spencer, Southridge, Tell City, and the VU Jasper Automation Robotics CTE program formed 24 teams.

The teams competed for $3,690 in cash prizes.

The eight challenges were sponsored by local companies: Farbest Foods, Inc; Jasper Engines; Jasper Group; Kimball Electronics; Kimball International; MasterBrand Cabinets; Wabash Valley; and Waupaca Foundry.

It is the first time Wabash Valley, which is located in Dubois, Indiana, has sponsored a challenge.

According to Wabash Valley Human Resource Director Bill Harris, “We wanted a chance to interact with local high school students and spread the word about our business and all the great things we have going on. We also wanted to see students in action and how they relate to challenges and how they handle the pressure and the stress. It’s almost like a pre-interview. Anytime you can interact with kids this age who are at a crossroads where they are getting ready to exit high school and take that next step, it’s just fun being around them and having 25 minutes of an influence on them.”

The competition was a practice in utilizing real-world skills like communication and problem-solving.

Students were challenged to use the resources they had and work well together.

The Wabash Valley challenge required groups to build the tallest tower capable of supporting a flat of plastic eggs with materials ranging from pipe cleaners to popsicle sticks while staying under budget. The Jasper Engines’ challenge involved building a filter to create pure water. Kimball International had students determine the best way to package a 3-D printed chair for delivery, then tested their methods using a collaborative robot or cobot.

Jasper High School Career and Technical Education Instructor Josh Dahmer brought 12 students making up two teams to the CTIM Challenge.

“The students like the challenge aspect,” he said. “They like to be able to show what they are made of and flex their brains. It’s impactful from a standpoint of pride and being able to solve problems. These are challenges they are going to be faced with in the job field. Being able to see potential employers at this Challenge is vital for them to make connections early for their careers. The employers are going to remember these students and what they are capable of.”

Cash prizes were awarded to the top three teams in each challenge and the top three teams overall. The Heritage Hills No. 2 team won first place overall. The second-place overall prize went to the Southridge High School No. 3 team. Third place overall was awarded to Forest Park No. 1 team. The winner of the Teamwork and Communication Award was the Northeast Dubois No. 2 team.

The CTIM Challenge is a perfect example of VU Jasper bringing industry and education together plus connecting local employers with potential future employees.

CTIM Director Jacob Berg said, “VU Jasper and CTIM staff are working hard to fill the gap that continues to exist between education and industry. We’re bringing both groups to the table via internships, plant tours, presentations, and events like the CTIM challenge. Stakeholders share a common vision. We want our students to know who we are and what employment opportunities exist before they graduate high school. Our students should never leave this regional area without exposure to the backbone of our community. We are fortunate to have industry partners who appreciate this critical piece to sustainability and progress.”

VU Jasper is at the forefront of connecting students from Dubois County and surrounding areas with transformative educational opportunities in high-wage, in-demand careers and collaborating with industry partners to develop a modern and uniquely skilled workforce. Students in the Career Advancement Partnership (CAP) program and the Automation and Robotics Academy are immersed in a hands-on learning environment and gain real-time work experience. VU Jasper also partners with the Patoka Valley Career and Technical Education Cooperative in pathway programs such as Construction, Law Enforcement/Criminal Justice, Certified Nursing Assistant, Human/Social Services, and more.

Direct Service Workforce State Plan Now Available

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we are excited to publish the Family and Social Services Administration’s Direct Service Workforce Plan, detailing an actionable path forward to support and build Indiana’s Direct Service Workforce. Rooted in FSSA’s Home- and Community-Based Services Spend Plan, the Direct Service Workforce Plan reflects our commitment to investing critical resources to create — and now to begin implementing — a person-centered, statewide plan to improve the recruitment, training, support and retention of direct service workers in home- and community-based settings.

The Direct Service Workforce Plan is the culmination of nine months of intensive and intentional work to bring together a broad and diverse group of stakeholders to help us to develop a holistic understanding of Indiana’s Direct Service Workforce, regardless of program, population served or funding source. This work started with hearing from individuals using home- and community-based services and understanding what they need from those providing direct service and support. Next, we created a first of its kind statewide Direct Service Workforce Advisory Board to serve as an essential partner in the plan development process. We also enlisted the Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy at the Indiana University School for Medicine – nationally recognized in health workforce policy – to develop and execute a robust research and stakeholder engagement strategy to serve as the plan’s foundation. Lastly, but importantly, we sought out feedback from stakeholders across the state, as well as from our colleagues in state government.

Using the research, feedback and perspectives gathered over the past year, the Direct Service Workforce Plan includes short-, mid-, and long-term strategies in three key areas – wages and benefits; training and pathways; and promotion and planning. The value of the plan is not necessarily in the specifics – many of which are not surprising – but rather in the power of having these strategies consolidated in a single plan that provides clarity on a path toward incremental improvements that are essential to effectively building and maintaining a robust, quality workforce.

We are particularly excited to include strategies such as our on-going HCBS waiver rate review to align rates with the value of providing these essential services and supports and our recently announced Direct Service Workforce Investment grants to provide immediate support and resources to help retain and maintain a quality Direct Service Workforce. More information about these grants, due Dec. 22, can be found on our HCBS Spend Plan webpage. Over the next few months, we look forward to building on these activities, along with other strategies detailed in the plan, in collaboration with individuals who utilize HCBS, our DSW Advisory Board, the Bowen Center, and many other partners and stakeholders.

Vanderburgh County Marriage Licenses Issued

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Vanderburgh County Marriage Licenses Issued

Free parks admission on Black Friday

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Spend time outdoors with Indiana DNR on Black Friday and win prizes as a part of #OptOutsideIN2022.

All DNR properties will offer free admission. To participate, visit a state park, state forest, state-managed reservoir, fish & wildlife area, nature preserve, or an off-road state recreation area.

Prizes you will become eligible to win by participating include DNR annual passes, lake permits, Outdoor Indiana subscriptions, Smokey Bear materials, gift cards and DNR staff-led outdoor experiences.

Attorney General Todd Rokita alerts Hoosiers of Black Friday and Cyber Monday scams

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Attorney General Todd Rokita warns Hoosiers of Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping scams this holiday season. While every consumer wants to get the best bang for their buck, it’s important to use caution and do some research before spending your hard-earned money.

According to the Better Business Bureau, financial fraud and identity theft reports increase at this time of year, largely due to online scams. In 2021, the BBB revealed 35% of fraud reports were the result of an online scam.

“For many Hoosiers, the holiday season is about showing your family and friends how much you care through generosity,” Attorney General Rokita said. “Sadly, these criminals view it as an opportunity to steal innocent people’s money and identities. I encourage everyone to be extra cautious while holiday shopping this year.”

Attorney General Rokita issued the following tips to help Hoosiers shop safely:

  • If a product is advertised at an unbelievably low price that sounds too good to be true, it likely is.
  • Be extra cautious when booking through an unfamiliar company. Check the Better Business Bureau ratings and reviews of the company to see if there have been any allegations of scams.
  • The other party insists on immediate payment, or payment by electronic funds transfer or a wire service. They may insist that you pay up-front for vouchers before you can access a cheap deal or a giveaway.
  • The social media-based store is very new and selling products at very low prices. The store may have limited information about delivery and other policies.
  • An online retailer does not provide adequate information about privacy, terms and conditions of use, dispute resolution or contact details. The seller may be based overseas, or the seller does not allow payment through a secure payment service such as PayPal or a credit card transaction.

Hoosiers are encouraged to contact Attorney General Rokita’s office regarding any suspected scams or scam attempts. You can file a complaint online by visiting indianaconsumer.com or by calling 800-382-5516.

Baseyila’s monster night gives Lady Blazers win in Region 24 opener

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CENTRALIA, Ill. – The Vincennes University Lady Trailblazers began their Region 24 schedule on the road Tuesday night against Kaskaskia College.

The Lady Blazers pulled away in the second half to pick up the big 102-58 win over the Blue Angels, behind a dominating 18-point, 18-rebound game from freshman Elikya Baseyila (Paris, France).

Vincennes set the tone early against the Blue Angels, scoring 13 of the first 15 points of the game.

Kaskaskia rallied back to end the opening quarter of the game, cutting the VU lead to five after the first 10 minutes of action.

Blazers continued to add to their lead in the second quarter, growing their advantage to 12 points at the break with a score of 45-33.

Coming out of the locker room was when the Lady Blazers really put some distance between them and Kaskaskia, using a 16-0 run in the third period to extend their lead.

VU outscored the Blue Angels 24-7 in the third quarter of play as the Blazers entered the fourth quarter looking to wrap up their first Region win of the season.

Vincennes continued to put the pressure on the Blue Angels, finishing the game with 12 steals as VU capped of their seventh win of the season, fourth win in a row and first win in Region 24 play by the final score of 102-58.

“We’ve been working on doing things correctly and this was the first time all year I thought we came out on the floor and did a really good job of executing what we’ve been working on,” VU Hall of Fame Head Coach Harry Meeks said. “Everybody got into the game. Everybody played meaningful minutes. They deserve to win this one and I’m really pleased with how well we played together.”

The Trailblazers were led offensively by Elikya Baseyila who came on strong in the second half on her way another double-double with 18 points and 18 rebounds.

Freshman Maycee Lange (Vincennes, Ind.) got the VU scoring started early, scoring 13 of her 17 points in the first half. Lange would also end the game with six rebounds and a pair of steals.

Sophomore Cherrelle Newsom (Indianapolis, Ind.) connected on a trio of three-point shots on her way to 17 points and four assists.

Freshmen Nyre Williams (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Najra Voloder (Konjic, Bosnia) each came off the bench to add 12 points, with Voloder just missing a double-double with nine rebounds and Williams grabbing three boards.

Sophomore Chanice Willis (Champaign, Ill.) finished her night with 10 points, six rebounds and a team-high five steals.

Eagles stumble at St. Bonaventure, 80-66 USI visits Bowling Green Saturday

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ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball could not get on track and stumbled at St. Bonaventure University, 80-66, Tuesday evening at the Reilly Center in St. Bonaventure, New York. The Screaming Eagles are 2-3 after tonight’s action, while the Bonnies are 3-2.
 
The Eagled spotted the Bonnies a 6-0 lead with a cool start to the offense, missing their first five shots. Senior guard Jelani Simmons (Columbus, Indiana) got the Eagles’ offense going with a dunk and a three-pointer as the deficit shrank to 8-5.
 
After the St. Bonaventure pushed the lead back to 14-9, USI surged on an 11-2 run to grab its first lead of the game, 20-16. The Eagles were a perfect four-of-four during the run, including three three-point bombs, and was led by sophomore guard Isaiah Swope (Newburgh, Indiana) with six of the points during the run to the lead.
 
The Bonnies would rally back before the end of the half on a 14-4 spurt and took a 30-24 lead into the locker room. Swope would lead the Eagles through the first 20 minutes with 10 points.
 
In the second half, the Bonnies extend their first half lead and never looked back. St. Bonaventure quickly extend the halftime margin to 14 points, 40-26, in the first three minutes before USI pulled back to within seven, 40-33, when junior guard Gary Solomon (Detroit, Michigan) connected on a driving layup with 15:01 to play.
 
The seven-point deficit would be as close a USI would come the rest of the way as St. Bonaventure took the lead back to double-digits at 43-33. The Bonnies would lead by as many as 21 points in the second half (63-42) before settling for the 80-66 final.
 
Swope and graduate forward Trevor Lakes (Lebanon, Indiana) would lead the Eagles in scoring with 21 points and 13 points, respectively. Swope posted his career-high 21 points on eight-of-16 from the field, three-of-seven from beyond the arc, and two-of-three from the stripe, while dishing five assists.
 
Lakes recorded his 13 points on four-of-eight from the field, three-of-seven from beyond the arc, and two-of-three from the line.
 
Next Up 2022-23:
USI completes action in the Gotham Classic series when it visits Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio, Saturday at 3 p.m. (CST). The game will be aired live on ESPN 97.7FM and 95.7 The Spin, in addition to being streamed live on ESPN+.
 
The Falcons and the Eagles will be meeting for the first time in the history of the two programs.
 
Bowling Green is 2-3 after losing to the University of Notre Dame, 82-66, Tuesday night. The Falcon were led in the guard Samari Curtis with 14 points.
 
For the season, guard Leon Ayers leads the Falcons with 19.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest. He is followed by Curtis with 13.8 points per game

Volleyball tripped up by Panthers

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Aces wrap up historic season

 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – An historic season for the University of Evansville volleyball team came to a close in a hard-fought match against top seeded Northern Iowa inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse.  The Purple Aces put forth a stellar challenge from the outset but it was UNI advancing to Wednesday’s Missouri Valley Conference Championship match.

The 2022 campaign was a memorable one that included a program record for MVC victories, MVC Championship wins and individual accolades that included Alondra Vazquez setting the all-time UE program kills record and Giulia Cardona setting the single-season mark with 574 kills.

Cardona was the top performer on Tuesday, posting 19 kills, 3 assists and 2 aces.  Vazquez added 12 kills and 9 digs.  Kora Ruff recorded 33 assists while Blakeley Freeman picked up 10 digs.

Set 1 – UNI 25, UE 19

After Northern Iowa opened up a 3-0 stretch, they extended their lead to 6-2.  Vazquez put the team on her back, giving the Aces pinpoint serving as the squad registered four in a row to tie it up.  Back-to-back kills from Vazquez saw Evansville take its first advantage at 12-10.

UNI responded with four in a row to jump back in front before pushing their lead to 18-15.  A Panther error saw the Aces get within a pair before UNI pulled away for a 25-19 win and a 1-0 lead.

Set 2 – UNI 32, UE 30

Game two was a battle that saw both teams have chances to pick up the win.  Out of the gate, Evansville put forth another battle, taking an 8-6 lead on a Cardona ace and Emilee Scheumann kill.  The tides turned the Panthers way as they wrestled away an 11-9 lead, but Evansville swung things back in their direction with a 4-0 run.  Maddie Hawkins tallied an ace as UE retook a 13-11 edge.

Back-and-forth play ensued with the Panthers going up 19-17 before a 4-0 UE run was capped off by a Laura Ruiz ace that made it a 21-19 game.  Northern Iowa reeled off three in a row for another lead change before UE countered with a Cardona kill to have set point at 24-23.  Each team had its shot to end the set, including the Aces having set point on four occasions.  Up 30-29, the Aces looked to take control but it was the Panthers who were able to hang on for the 32-30 win.

Set 3 – UNI 25, UE 21

Following their win in the second set, UNI sprinted out to a 6-1 lead.  The persistent Aces crew never gave up, make it a 3-point game at 12-9.  Northern Iowa responded to push the lead to eight points – 19-11 – but UE still would not bow out of the fight.  Scoring eight of the next 11 points, the Aces made it a 22-19 game on a Kate Tsironis kill.  Unfortunately, UE just ran out of time as the Panthers took a 25-21 victory to clinch the match.

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