EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT
Otters win their first sudden death game
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – It took 10 plus innings to decide a winner Wednesday night, as the Evansville Otters won their first Frontier League sudden death game over the Joliet Slammers, 2-2.
Starters Ryan O’Reilly and Cam Aufderheide impressed in the contest, each starting the game with four scoreless innings.
Finally, the Slammers broke the ice in the fifth, using an earlier error to their advantage. After getting a couple men on, Matt McGarry delivered with a two-out, two-run single to left center to put Joliet up 2-0.
The Otters answered in the bottom half, using a leadoff Elijah MacNamee double to kickstart the offense. After a stolen base, a wild pitch from Aufderheide allowed MacNamee to grab home as well, bringing the Otters to within one.
Evansville evened the game in the sixth when the Otters’ RBI leader J.R. Davis brought in George Callil with an RBI single, good for his 50th RBI of 2022.
The 2-2 score held through the full nine innings and through the tenth as well. Each side attempted to bunt the ghost runner over in the tenth inning but a bunt pop-out ended both attempts.
In the eleventh, the Otters elected to field and bring out Logan Sawyer once again. Despite advancing the runner to their, Sawyer held the Slammers scoreless, delivering Evansville a win in their first Frontier League sudden death game.
With the win, Evansville has won three straight series and maintains second position in the West Division.
The series concludes on College Night on Thursday night with a 6:35 p.m. first pitch from Bosse Field. All college students get in free with student ID.
Gov. Holcomb-Led Delegation Advances Innovation, Semiconductor Industry in Taiwan
INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 24, 2022) – Governor Eric J. Holcomb concluded an economic development trip to Taipei today, fostering economic and academic ties between Indiana and Taiwan. During the trip, the Gov. Holcomb-led delegation including Indiana Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers and Purdue University officials discussed opportunities for collaboration across industry, academia and government, and established four new partnerships designed to advance innovation, high-tech industries and the economy of the future.
“Indiana’s global economy is growing, with more than 1,050 foreign-owned businesses operating here today, because of our intentional commitment to developing relationships with partners like Taiwan,†said Gov. Holcomb. “Taiwan is a world leader in chips and microelectronics, while Indiana boasts a skilled ecosystem of engineering talent and innovators. Together, we can advance discoveries, encourage investment and power the products and solutions of tomorrow.â€Â
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In Taipei, Gov. Holcomb met with Taiwanese government officials, including Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen; Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Wu; and Minister of Economic Affairs Mei-hua Wang; to strengthen innovation-driven cooperation between Indiana and Taiwan. On Monday, Gov. Holcomb solidified this commitment in a memorandum of understanding between the state of Indiana and the Taiwan Ministry of Economic Affairs, outlining a vision for future collaboration and establishing a framework to work together to advance academic cooperation, economic development and investment, and supply chain resiliency in key sectors, including advanced manufacturing, agriculture, semiconductors and technology.
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“Indiana and Taiwan share a bold vision for innovation and building the future economy,†said Sec. Brad Chambers. “I’m encouraged by our progress in Taipei the last two days and am confident these new partnerships will create future-focused, action-oriented plans for collaboration that will benefit the industries and people of both Indiana and Taiwan.â€
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Additionally, the delegation spent time with business executives and industry leaders, including MediaTek, which announced plans in late June to partner with Purdue University to create a new semiconductor design center in Indiana. Gov. Holcomb and Sec. Chambers also met with a number of high-tech Taiwanese and global business prospects to highlight the state’s leadership in future-focused industries and its commitment to growing the semiconductor supply chain in Indiana, noting recent industry announcements from MediaTek and SkyWater Technology, as well as Indiana’s new Accelerating Microelectronics Production and Development (AMPD) task force, and the recent signing of the federal CHIPS Act.
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This trip marks Gov. Holcomb’s first trip to Taiwan, making him the first U.S. governor to visit since 2019 and the first Indiana governor to go to Taiwan in 17 years. Today, the Governor will travel to the Republic of Korea to bolster ties between Indiana and South Korea before returning to Indianapolis on Saturday.
Attorney General Todd Rokita Warns Consumers Of Rise In Crypto-Related Real Estate Scams
 Attorney General Todd Rokita recommends that Hoosiers proceed with caution when using cryptocurrency in any transaction involving the sale or lease of real estate.Â
“Cryptocurrency has become increasingly popular due to its ease of use and other factors,†Attorney General Rokita said. “But scammers have jumped on this bandwagon as well, and we want to help Hoosiers avoid becoming unwitting victims.â€Â
Attorney General Rokita’s Homeowner Protection Unit has recently dealt with two specific scams involving cryptocurrency and real estate:Â
- In one scam, a fraudster copies a description of a local property that was recently listed for rent on a legitimate website to create a false real estate listing. The fraudster then engages with consumers and requests a security deposit and/or first month’s rent to be paid to them in Bitcoin using a Bitcoin ATM. Once the money has been exchanged, the scammer either avoids contact with the consumer or seeks additional funds from them. Â
- In another scam, the fraudster targets would-be real estate investors while posing as a legitimate Indiana-based business. The fraudster may even provide false identity documents in an effort to depict a readiness to provide capital for real estate investments. The scammer often requests significant sums of money in Bitcoin or a similar cryptocurrency to close transactions. If successful in bilking victims of initial payments, the fraudster will often seek additional sums from the victim by claiming that more money is needed to close.Â
Some consumers have lost thousands of dollars in these scams. Complicating efforts to catch perpetrators of these scams is the fact that it is easy to transfer cryptocurrency to a crypto wallet that is not easily linked with individual identity. Â
Attorney General Rokita advises Hoosiers to follow these tips before engaging in any cryptocurrency payments in exchange for products or services:Â Â
- Exercise caution. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is. Â
- Be wary of social media advertisements for real estate listings. Â
- Only send cryptocurrency to trusted third parties. Search for publicly verifiable reviews or articles involving the recipient.  Â
- Watch for grammatical errors and spelling mistakes in communications or on websites. Many scammers operate scams from overseas while pretending to be based in the United States.Â
Inflation Relief On Way To Hoosier Taxpayers
STATEHOUSE (Aug. 23, 2022) – Hoosiers should be on the lookout for an additional automatic taxpayer refund thanks to a new law supported by State Reps. Wendy McNamara (R-Evansville) and Tim O’Brien (R-Evansville).
Individual filers will receive $200, or $400 for a married couple filing jointly. O’Brien said unlike Washington, D.C., Indiana is responsibly using the state’s surplus, which experienced higher-than-anticipated revenue collections, to return $1 billion to taxpayers.
“Hardworking Hoosiers are feeling the weight of record inflation,” O’Brien said. “Not only will this money provide some relief from rising costs, but returning it to taxpayers where it belongs is also the right thing to do. Indiana residents earned this money and it’s only fair to return it to them.”
According to the Indiana Department of Revenue, direct deposits along with mailed checks will be sent out to Hoosiers starting mid-August. The Indiana auditor’s office can print 50,000 checks per day and is aiming to have all checks printed by early October. Hoosiers should allow until Nov. 1, 2022, to receive their refund.
“Whether it’s buying school supplies or paying your electric bill, every little bit helps,” McNamara said. “We are also working on other opportunities to provide additional relief to Hoosiers as we head into the next legislative session in January.”
McNamara said the $200 automatic taxpayer refund is separate from the $125 refund issued earlier this year. The state will issue a combined check for both refunds to taxpayers who were eligible for and have not yet received the initial $125 refund by direct deposit. Hoosiers on Social Security who did not qualify for the $125 taxpayer refund because they did not have to file a state tax return can still qualify for the $200 refund, if they file their tax return in the calendar year 2023.
For more information on the automatic taxpayer refund, visit in.gov/dor and scroll down to click on “Automatic Taxpayer Refunds.” To learn more about Senate Enrolled Act 2 (ss), click here.
Senator Braun Statement On President Biden’s Student Loan Debt Announcement
 HUNTINGTON, Ind. – Senator Mike Braun released the following statement in response to President Biden’s plan to shift student loan debt onto Americans who chose not to pursue college degrees.
“President Biden isn’t ‘canceling’ debt, he’s shifting it onto everyone, including the majority of Americans who chose not to get a degree.
This will make inflation worse, and we should focus on getting more value out of colleges rather than giving them another reason to hike prices.†–Senator Mike Braun
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