O’Brien’s Law Allow Hoosiers To Be Heard At School Board Meetings
STATEHOUSE (March 15, 2022) – State Rep. Tim O’Brien’s (R-Evansville) first law on the books ensures Hoosiers’ voices are heard at local school board meetings.
The new law recently signed by the governor requires school boards to allow time for public comment from those physically present at a meeting. O’Brien said school boards can limit time for those speaking, take reasonable steps to maintain order in meetings and set an overall limit on the allotted time for total testimony.
“When it comes to the critical issue of our children’s education, input and ideas from parents, students, teachers and community stakeholders play an important role,” O’Brien said. “Listening to feedback helps inform decision making and leads to better policy. While this isn’t an issue in all communities, we have seen some school boards temporarily eliminate public comment and now is the time to act.”
Supporters of the new law effective July 1 include the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents and the Indiana School Boards Association.
Gov. Holcomb Announces Site Selections For Two Capital Projects
INDIANAPOLIS-Gov. Eric J. Holcomb today announced that sites have been selected for a new state archives building and a co-located site for the Indiana School for the Deaf (ISD) and the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ISBVI).
The archives building will be constructed in downtown Indianapolis, adjacent to the Senate Avenue Parking Garage on the canal. The current home of the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired will become the home for both schools.
“These are two projects that play crucial roles in our state’s future,†said Gov. Holcomb. “The location of the archives building will bring further opportunities to showcase our state’s history and provide new partnership opportunities with the Indiana State Museum, Indiana State Library, Indiana War Memorials and other entities all in the same area.â€
The state owns the archives site which will offer easy access for visitors, staff and other government entities. The new building will be approximately 59,000 square feet and will provide proper storage, maintenance and restoration capabilities for archival documents. The General Assembly appropriated $35 million toward building a new facility.
The Indiana Department of Administration will move forward with a feasibility study to determine the future of the former Indiana Department of Correction Indianapolis Re-Entry Facility (IREF), located at New York and Randolph Streets on Indianapolis’ near east side, which also was considered as a site for the archives facility. The first step will be to demolish a number of buildings on the site.
“The modernization of both schools are long overdue. This new campus will have facilities that promote safer and positive learning experiences for future ISD and ISBVI students,†said Holcomb. “I couldn’t be more excited about what will become a signature, state-of-the-art campus.â€
After an extensive search for potential new locations for the combined campus, a feasibility study of the two existing campuses was conducted, leading to the decision to use the current ISBVI site. The site can support each school independently yet allow for sharing of resources while maintaining their unique identity. ISBVI is located on 67 acres near North College Ave. and East 75th St. Current facilities will be renovated, and new buildings added with dedicated programming for each entity. $225 million was appropriated for this project.
The projects were authorized in the biennium budget passed by the General Assembly during the 2021 legislative session.
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Help Create A New Local Homelessness Plan
This week, from March 14-18, Evansville’s Department of Metropolitan Development will host a public conference to update our community’s 10-year plan to end homelessness. During the week, we’ll be gathering insight from Evansville residents and local nonprofit agencies to create a new 2022 homelessness plan, while also helping our community access greatly needed housing funding by meeting the requirements of the American Rescue Plan. It’s important to have your participation!
Thank you to everyone who participated on Monday, we had some great discussions. This Tuesday, we have Prevention, Homeless Youth, and Vulnerable Populations.
Please join us for all or any part of this week-long event by either Zoom or in person. The conference is designed so that you can pick and choose topics that interest you.
Sessions will be held daily from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (CDT) at the C.K. Newsome Center, Room 118, located at 100 E. Walnut Street in downtown Evansville.
Or participate via Zoom here daily: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83578946208?pwd=RVdhMUdYdSszUVFVeDkvYUd5V1VnZz09
Meeting Name: HOME ARP Event
Meeting ID: 835 7894 6208
Passcode: 903533
Add it to your calendar here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZcocOGhqj0oGtyoIbzfXDd5g-bW0wwy9_A4/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGrqzwiE9CTshmPRpwqGY_CWfPwiCFBjbdEkzbnGSZrRgejMa9ABeJoB8GJ
Historic New Harmony’s 38th Annual Heritage Artisans Days Going Virtual
Historic New Harmony’s 38th annual Heritage Artisans Days will take place virtually April 18-22. Artisans will hold interactive sessions with school classes via Zoom to demonstrate 19th-century arts, crafts and industry. Students from Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky will experience what life was like in the 1800s through the eyes of a variety of period artisans.
“This program shows students what New Harmony was like 200 years ago and teaches how artisans were vital in making it a thriving, self-sustainable town,†said Paul Goodman, Historic New Harmony Experience Coordinator.
This year’s artisans include a potter, fur trader, paper marbler and more. The virtual event is free for schools to participate in, but teachers must register their classes online by April 13. Attendees will also receive digital lesson plans and classroom activities.
School groups with any questions should contact Paul Goodman at pigoodman@usi.edu or 812-682-4488. For more information on Heritage Artisan Days, visit USI.edu/heritage.
Historic New Harmony is a unified program of the University of Southern Indiana and the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites. By preserving its utopian legacy, Historic New Harmony will inspire renewal and fellowship between people and communities through its programs and collections. Its office is a part of USI’s Outreach and Engagement.
Join Todays IDEM Recycling Roundtable Discussion
Meeting to identify issues, brainstorm solutions, and encourage resource sharing for recycling challenges in Indiana
IDEM is hosting a series of meetings to discuss issues, share resources, and find solutions to current challenges facing recyclers and Indiana’s recycling industry. The purpose is to facilitate solutions to help Indiana meet its goal of a 50% recycling rate while helping to spur economic growth in recycling markets.
Recycling stakeholders across Indiana are invited to attend, including solid waste haulers, municipalities, recyclers, manufacturers, composters, educational institutions, non-profit advocacy groups, solid waste management districts, environmental contractors, industry groups, and others.
Join us Wednesday, March 16 from 2 to 4 p.m. via Zoom for the next discussion on the elements of a successful recycling program and issues that can lead to disruptions in service.
A panel of speakers will discuss best practices that have helped their recycling programs succeed as well as the current challenges programs are facing and tactics to avoid disruptions in service. Continued discussion by a second panel will revolve around current recycling trends and what recycling programs will look like in the future as we work towards a circular economy.
To RSVP for this free event, visit our Eventbrite registration page. To register for notifications of future meetings, please visit:Â public.govdelivery.com/accounts/INDEM/subscriber/new?topic_id=INDEM_104.
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