During the Victorian Era in the United States, Christmas celebrations looked different than they do today. The very wealthy had beautiful, elegant and elaborate celebrations, while those less fortunate created beautiful and memorable Christmas traditions of their own.
Come and learn more about the way Christmas was celebrated in those uncertain days around the Civil war.
5:00-6:00:
Photo op with Father Christmas and Krampus
Live Music
6:00-7:30:
Learn about Victorian Christmas Traditions
Tree Decorating &Â Refreshments
Registration is requested, as an accurate count is needed for setup.
If you have questions, please contact the Special Collections Department
812-425-4309
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 >>Â https://willard.lib.in.us/donate/
CONSENT AGENDA:Â FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS
A.
ORDINANCE G-2022-27 An Ordinance Granting Certificates of Convenience and Necessity for the Operation of Taxicabs for the Year 2023 (Dave’s Taxi Service) Sponsor(s): Mosby Discussion Led By: ASD Chair Mosby Discussion Date: 12/12/2022 Notify: Dave Goldblatt, Dave’s Taxi Service
ORDINANCE G-2022-28 An Ordinance Amending Chapter 9.30 (Regulation of Noise) of the Evansville Municipal Code Sponsor(s): Burton, Elpers, Moore Discussion Led By: ASD Chair Mosby Discussion Date: 12/12/2022 Notify: Josh Claybourn, Jackson Kelly
ORDINANCE F-2022-25 An Ordinance of the Common Council of the City of Evansville Authorizing Transfers of Appropriations, Additional Appropriations and Repeal and Re-Appropriation of Funds for Various City Funds Sponsor(s): Moore Discussion Led By: Finance Chair Moore Discussion Date: 12/12/2022 Notify: Russ Lloyd, Jr, Controller
REGULAR AGENDA:Â SECOND READING OF ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS
A.
ORDINANCE G-2022-26 An Ordinance to Vacate Certain Public Ways or Public Places Within the City of Evansville, Commonly Known as 412 S Runnymeade Ave, Evansville, INÂ 47714 Sponsor(s): Heronemus Discussion Led By: Public Works Chair Brinkmeyer Discussion Date: 12/5/2022 Notify: Christopher Wischer, Stoll Kennon Ogden, PLLC
RESOLUTION C-2022-23 A Resolution of the Common Council of the City of Evansville Approving the 2023 Budget of the Downtown Evansville Economic Improvement District, Inc Sponsor(s): Heronemus, Trockman, Mosby, Burton, Weaver Discussion Led By: President Heronemus Discussion Date: 12/5/2022 Notify: Josh Armstrong, Downtown Evansville EID
RESOLUTION C-2022-27 A Confirming Resolution of the Common Council of the City of Evansville Declaring an Economic Revitalization Area for Property Tax Phase-In for the Rehabilitation of Real Property at 1501 W. Franklin St, Evansville, IN 47710 (Heritage Petroleum, LLC) Sponsor(s): Beane, Heronemus, Trockman Discussion Led By: President Heronemus Discussion Date: 12/5/2022 Notify: Bob Grewe, Evansville Regional Economic Partnership
RESOLUTION C-2022-28 A Confirming Resolution of the Common Council of the City of Evansville Declaring an Economic Revitalization Area for Property Tax Phase-In for the Rehabilitation of Real Property and Installation of New Equipment 5401 Highway 41 N (Ultima Plastics, LLC) Sponsor(s): Elpers, Heronemus, Trockman Discussion Led By: President Heronemus Discussion Date: 12/5/2022 Notify: Bob Grewe, Evansville Regional Economic Partnership
After four years of public service as Vanderburgh County Commissioner and President of the Board Of Commissioners, Jeff Hatfield, District 2 (D), will finish his term this month.Â
In December 2017, Former Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel asked Jeff to consider running for County Commissioner. Jeff said he would consider it, not knowing that conversation would lead to a quick political campaign, winning an election, and years of selfless, reliable service to Vanderburgh citizens.Â
Jeff came into office with three goals: public safety, good roads, and being accessible to his constituents.Â
Keeping his promise to the people Jeff worked with the commissioners and county council members to get 85 miles of roads paved and raised the salary for County Deputies by 41% from 2021 through 2026.Â
 “Our law enforcement deserves professional pay,â€Â said Jeff. “I didn’t do any of this on my own, every issue to solve or change in the County government must involve many people. It takes a lot of agreement and collaboration with people to make anything happen in County government.â€Â
He said his approach to being County Commissioner was to get as many people involved as possible, to listen to them, speak with them and make decisions together.Â
He also promised citizens he would be accessible, something he is very proud of working on every day.Â
“It starts with simply answering the phone,†said Jeff. “A county commissioner, to me, is most citizens’ first line of defense. Meaning any problems that they have, most often, they should be able to call a county commissioner to get help.â€Â
He does not want people to lose faith in their officeholders. Â
“I met some very committed officeholders these last 4 years,†said Jeff. Â
He emphasized that aspiring officeholders and current officeholders must always remember who they work for. Â
“They need to listen more. Talk less. Decide what is in the best interest of the most people, not special interest groups,†said Jeff.Â
He noted that the job of County Commissioner is time-consuming–if you do “the workâ€.
Jeff wants to continue serving the community but in a way that allows him to keep his own business commitments going. Jeff is the Owner of Core Contractors, Inc. a Commercial and Multi-Family Construction company in Evansville, Indiana.Â
He had to make a tough choice when it came to re-election.Â
“I decided early in my term to give this four good full years. I’m not going to care if anyone even knows who I am,†said Jeff. “I am just going to help solve problems, so I’m proud of that.â€Â
Leading, communicating, listening, and being present in the community came naturally for Jeff. He wants voters to always expect politicians to solve problems collaboratively, no matter their political affiliation. He noted he may have future involvement in politics or even running for office again, but for now, he is focused on his family, and his customers and continuing to serve the community in other ways.Â
“I can’t thank this community enough for giving me this opportunity to help out. I will always look back on this time as one of the highlights of my life,†said Jeff. “I can’t thank them enough, for trusting me enough, to give me that opportunity.â€Â  Â
Dr. Caitlin Bernard, asking the Indiana Medical Licensing Board to discipline the Indianapolis doctor.
Bernard has spoken publicly over the last six months about the abortion she performed for a 10-year-old rape victim who traveled from Ohio, where a restrictive abortion law took effect in June.
Rokita’s complaint alleges Bernard violated both state law and patient privacy laws by not reporting the 10-year-old rape victim’s child abuse to the proper authorities and by telling a newspaper reporter about the patient’s treatment.
This complaint comes after several back-and-forth legal proceedings between the two.
In July, Bernard spoke to The Indianapolis Star for an article about the 10-year-old rape victim who crossed state lines to receive abortion care. The story became the center of a national debate on abortion access in the aftermath of two related U.S. Supreme Court decisions that overturned the longstanding abortion-rights precedent and triggered talk of near-total abortion bans around the country.
Rokita launched his initial investigation into the legality of Bernard providing the abortion shortly after the story gained public and media attention. In that complaint, Rokita claimed that the physician had a history of failing to report abortions as required under Indiana law.
However, on July 15, officials from the Indiana University Health Medical Center, where Bernard provided the medication abortion to the 10-year-old patient, provided documentation showing that the doctor filed correctly and within the required three-day window. Bernard’s July 2 report noted that the girl’s pregnancy occurred as a result of abuse and estimated that the patient was six weeks pregnant at the time of the abortion.
Less than a week later, Bernard’s attorney, Kathleen DeLaney, filed a tort claim notice—the first step to filing a defamation lawsuit against Rokita. DeLaney also sent a cease-and-desist letter to Rokita for “making false and misleading statements about alleged misconduct by Dr. Bernard in her profession.â€
Over the next couple of months, Bernard and her medical partner, Dr. Amy Caldwell, filed a separate lawsuit against Rokita and Scott Barnhart, the director of the Consumer Protection Division in the Office of the Indiana Attorney General, over their investigation into consumer complaints. Bernard said the consumer complaints have no merit and many were from non-Indiana residents who only read stories about the case.
More recently, Bernard filed a preliminary injunction to block the attorney general’s subpoenas for medical records and information on Caldwell’s and Bernard’s patients as part of their investigation into consumer complaints. Marion County Superior Court Judge Heather Welch held hearings on the injunction request on Nov. 18 and Nov. 22.
Evidence heard in court on Nov. 18 revealed that Bernard alerted law enforcement in Ohio about the situation prior to even seeing the patient and that she also contacted the Indiana Department of Child Services after the abortion.
In his newest complaint, Rokita said Bernard violated the patient’s privacy rights and claimed she failed to “immediately†report to DCS or local law enforcement in Indianapolis. State law does not define “immediate†when it comes to reporting instances of child abuse.
FOOTNOTE: Document BY Provided by the Office of Indiana Attorney General.
A public statement from the Office of the Attorney General, released after filing its complaint to the Indiana Medical Licensing Board, read, “Dr. Bernard violated the law, her patient’s trust, and the standards for the medical profession when she disclosed her patient’s abuse, medical issues and medical treatment at an abortion rights rally to further her political agenda. Simply concealing the patient’s name falls short of her legal and ethical duties here.
“As the Office of the Attorney General, it is our duty to ensure that doctors meet the standard of care. In our opinion, Dr. Bernard fell short in this situation. Now, it is up to the Medical Licensing Board to determine whether there are consequences for violating a patient’s privacy rights and the obligation to immediately report child abuse to Indiana authorities.â€
DeLaney, Bernard’s lawyer, said in a statement that the doctor has consistently and fully complied with the law and referred to the complaint as a “last-ditch effort†to intimidate Bernard and other abortion care providers.
“Though I am disappointed he has put my client in this position, we are not surprised given Mr. Rokita’s consistent effort to punish those with whom he disagrees at the expense of Indiana taxpayers,†DeLaney said.
On Wednesday, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a professional organization, tweeted about the situation, saying, “Doctors such as Caitlin Bernard, M.D., FACOG, who provide respectful, appropriate, patient-centered care to women, children and people needing abortion care are being targeted and attacked. Legal intimidation and unchecked aggression against medical professionals are unacceptable.â€
Once again, the story has gained national attention—in a Thursday morning press conference, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, “It’s a horrifying situation.â€
“A doctor who provided reproductive care to a child that was raped is now being accused of violating patient privacy by an elected official—that is what we’re seeing and that is what is currently happening,†Pierre said. “And if that was not enough, if that weren’t enough, he is asking the state medical board to discipline the doctor for speaking out about patients in desperate need of care. This is not about the concerns of the victim, this is not about the victim at all.
“This is something that the American people care about, this is something that women care about. They want us to continue to fight for their rights, to fight for the freedom that they’ve had for almost 50 years while Roe was in place,†she said. “So the fact that Americans do not want politicians making their health care decisions for them … but we continue to see from Republican officials across the country is that they want to take away that right, to take away that freedom.â€
Currently, it remains uncertain when the Indiana Medical Licensing Board will take up the complaint against Bernard. However, the judge holding the hearing on Bernard’s injunction is expected to make a ruling on the request this week.https://city-countyobserver.com/wp-admin/post-new.php#category-add
FOOTNOTE: Sydney Byerly is a reporter at TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
CHICAGO, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball started fast but could not hold the momentum in falling to Chicago State University, 78-61, Sunday afternoon at the Jones Convocation Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Screaming Eagles are 3-5 after today’s action, while the Cougars rise to 3-7.  The Eagles jumped out to the early lead, 14-3, before eight minutes were gone as five players posted the 14 points. USI would lead by many as 11 points three times in the first 10 minutes with the last coming at 9:37, 20-9, when sophomore guard Jeremiah Hernandez (Chicago, Illinois) drove through the lane for a bucket.  Chicago State rallied with a 17-6 run to knot the game at 26-26 with 6:09 left in the half and would outscore USI, 12-8, to take a 38-34 lead into the break.  The second half belonged to Chicago State, who busted out of the locker room with a 22-7 run to post a 60-41 advantage before 10 minutes were gone. USI tried to right the ship with an 11-4 run to cut the deficit to 12 points, 64-52, with 5:18 left, but could come no closer the rest of the way.  The Cougars would re-expand the led to as many as 20 points (78-58) before the buzzer sounded for the 78-61 final.  USI senior Jelani Simmons (Columbus, Ohio) led three players in double-digits with 14 points. Junior guard Tyler Henry (Brooklyn, New York) and sophomore guard Isaiah Swope (Newburgh, Indiana) rounded out the double-digit scorers with 12 points and 11 points, respectively.  Next Up 2022-23: USI starts a three-game homestand at Screaming Eagles Arena Wednesday when it hosts Anderson University (Indiana) for a 7 p.m. contest. The remainder of the homestand includes a match-up with Indiana State University December 11 at 3 p.m. and St. Mary’s of the Woods College December 15 at 7 p.m.  Anderson is 3-5 overall in 2022-23 after snapping a four-game losing streak with a 67-65 victory over Mt. St. Joseph University Saturday. The Ravens were led in the victory by guard/forward Tate Ivanyo, who had 16 points. Ivanyo also leads the Ravens for the season with 16.3 points per outing.  USI won the only meeting with Anderson in 2004-05, 94-61, in the Physical Activities Center. Center Randy Holbrook led the Eagles in the victory with 23 points, while forward Chris Thompson had 15 points and 10 rebounds.  Â
The Indiana Chamber of Commerce released a report called “Indiana’s Leaking Talent Pipeline†this week. This report includes findings about Hoosiers going to college, taking advantage of government programs like the FAFSA, and utilizing unemployment, concluding that Indiana needs to “lift up the educational attainment and workforce skills of its citizenry.â€
Photo from Pexels.
“We hear it from employers, and we see it in virtually every education and workforce statistic. It’s that Indiana has a massively leaking talent pipeline,†declares Indiana Chamber President and CEO Kevin Brinegar.
The report found that fewer than half of all Hoosiers have an associate degree or high-quality credential (a certificate or certification), ranking the state 37th in the nation and lower than the U.S. average of 51.9%.
Of Indiana’s almost 80,000 high-school freshmen, only 89.6% graduated four years later. Of that number, 43.3% went on to enroll in college, and only 22.8% of that number completed college.
The report notes that, in 2022, ILEARN results show only 30.2% of students were proficient in math/English—an increase from 28.6% in 2021. However, the Chamber notes that the “results from 2021-22 show that nearly one in five students (18%) has not mastered foundational reading skills by the end of third grade.â€
“Students who are poor readers at the end of third grade are likely to remain poor readers throughout their life. They even are less likely to graduate on time or may never receive their high school diploma,†said Lynn Schemel, director of assessment for the Indiana Department of Education.
Reactions came from the Indiana Coalition for Public Education, a nonpartisan advocacy organization made up of parents, grandparents, educators, retired superintendents and community members, including three former state superintendents: Dr. Suellen Reed, Glenda Ritz and Dr. Jennifer McCormick.
“How does the Chamber claim the ILEARN as a reflection of failure when this is a new test (2019? just before Covid?) and the scores can’t be compared with the ISTEP when it’s a different test? Also, how valid are any test scores during the massive disruption and crisis of the worldwide pandemic?†said Cathy Fuentes-Rohwer, president of the Indiana Coalition for Public Education, in an email to TheStatehouseFile.com.
One section of the report is titled “Too Many School Districts.†This section goes on to state that the 289 school districts in Indiana are “far too many†and “serve to restrict student achievement.â€
However, Fuentes-Rohwer disagrees.
“I also find it ironic that the Chamber (and I lump them in with the state legislature because they have been very supportive of what they call ‘education reform’: the laws affecting the classroom, the expansion of ‘school choice’ and public tax dollars going into private hands through vouchers or privately run charter schools, online schools, Education Savings Accounts, and more) is concerned with the number of school districts in Indiana and its consequences for Hoosier students,†she said.
“The number of schools and ‘systems’ of schools has skyrocketed since 2011. Charter schools open and close with the supposed whim of the ‘market,’ leaving children scrambling for other schools, uprooting them and disrupting their learning. Where is the consequence for this? Where is the $154 million that has been stolen from Indiana taxpayers by the Indiana Virtual School and Indiana Pathways Virtual Academy?â€
Meanwhile, two of the government programs highlighted in the report that is offered for students who are interested in attending college are not being utilized. These two programs are FAFSA, the Free Application For Student Aid, and 21st-Century Scholars.
FAFSA is a free application that students seeking higher education can fill out to determine if they are eligible to receive financial aid. Indiana has one of the lowest completion rates in the country at not quite 44%, compared to the national average of 57%.
“Successful 2022 legislation will ensure that families receive information about the FAFSA and its importance in accessing resources to pay for postsecondary education,†the report states. “However, the Legislature once again failed to enact legislation to make completing the FAFSA a default expectation for high school seniors (even with multiple opt-outs).â€
Indiana offers a 21st Century Scholars program that provides free college tuition for low-income students who graduate from high school and have completed the preparatory activities. However, this report found that only 40% of income-eligible students enrolled in the program and that fewer than 50% of those students completed the requirements in order to earn the scholarship.
“That participation level is shockingly low because students don’t know about it or have the support to apply. What needs to happen is for every qualified student to be made aware and automatically enrolled,â€Â Brinegar asserts.
The report states that 29% of 18-year-old Hoosiers will finish college and stay in Indiana. Of the 60,370 postsecondary graduates in Indiana, nearly 40% will leave within one year of graduation and over half within five years. The report states that those lost graduates “could go a long way towards addressing Indiana’s talent shortages†and that the “incentives for graduate retention should be seriously considered.”
“It is troubling to me that the Chamber of Commerce and the Indiana legislature aren’t taking any responsibility for the “brain drain” and failure of our state to provide employers with a college-educated workforce,†Fuentes-Rohwer said.
FOOTNOTE: Tabby Fitzgerald is a reporter at TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
(Aces Pace The League For 5th Consecutive Season)
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – With a score of 97, the University of Evansville once again paced the Missouri Valley Conference in Graduation Success Rate (GSR) as the NCAA released its most recent report. This marks the 5th year in a row that the Purple Aces have recorded or tied for the top score in the league.
Evansville’s score marked the best among all current MVC schools who competed in the league during the period of time that was measured by the NCAA. The NCAA GSR report gives graduation information for students and student-athletes who entered college in 2015, the most recent class for which the required six years of information is available. It also breaks down the GSR by sport, using a four-year class average (2012-2015) called a cohort rate to provide a big enough sample.
“I am so proud of our coaches and student-athletes for this accomplishment. Academics are at the forefront of being a student-athlete at the University of Evansville and this recognition shows the commitment that we have towards that goal,†UE Athletics Director Dr. Kenneth “Ziggy†Siegfried stated.
Perfect scores of 100 were achieved by multiple Purple Aces programs including men’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country/track and field, men’s and women’s golf, women’s soccer, women’s swimming and diving, and volleyball. Beginning in the Spring 2020, a portion of Division I revenue was distributed to member schools based on the academic achievement of student-athletes. The model allows schools with higher graduation rates and academic success to qualify for more funds.
“This is accomplished with the commitment of our coaches recruiting high quality student-athletes and our University’s team effort in supporting our student-athletes in their pursuit of academic excellence,” UE Senior Associate AD for Internal Operations Sarah Solinsky exclaimed. “We are quite proud of this achievement sitting atop the MVC for a fifth consecutive year.”
THE CRITERIA
A school earns an academic unit by meeting any ONE of the three standards.
The graduation Success Rate for the most recently available year is equal to or greater than 90 percent. The average of single-year rates for all teams is used.
The difference between student-athlete and student-body percentages in the most recently published Federal Graduation Rate is equal to or greater than 13 percentage points.
Academic Progress Rate for the previous year is equal to or greater than 985. The average of single-year scores for all teams is used to determine eligibility for this standard.
NCAA GSR INFORMATION
All colleges and universities are required by NCAA legislation and federal law (the Student Right-to-Know act from 1990) to report student graduation rates, and those institutions offering athletics aid are required to report for their student-athletes as well. The NCAA acquires student-athlete graduation rate data from the Department of Education’s Integrated Post-Secondary Data System Graduation Rate Survey (IPEDS-GRS).
The student-athlete graduation rate calculated directly based on IPEDS-GRS (which is the methodology the U.S. Department of Education requires) is the proportion of first-year, full-time student-athletes who entered a school on athletics aid and graduated from that institution within six years. This federal rate does not account for students who transfer from their original institution and graduate elsewhere; they are considered non-graduates at both the college they left and the one from which they eventually graduate.
The NCAA GSR differs from the federal calculation in two important ways. First, the GSR holds colleges accountable for those student-athletes who transfer into their school. Second, the GSR does not penalize colleges whose student-athletes transfer in good academic standing. Essentially, those student-athletes are moved into another college’s cohort.
