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VANDERBURGH COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT LAUNCHES, “BACK THE VAX … WITH FACTS” VACCINATION CAMPAIGN

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Evansville, IN – The Vanderburgh County Health Department (VCHD), in partnership with several local community and healthcare organizations, is preparing to launch a new vaccine awareness campaign entitled, “Back the Vax … with Facts.”

The campaign, funded largely through a FEMA Public Assistance grant, will focus on identifying traditionally underserved populations in Vanderburgh County, and creating convenient and accessible opportunities for those residents, and the community at large, to obtain COVID-19 vaccines.

The campaign is designed to address specific concerns and questions among the unvaccinated in our area.  Research was previously conducted to carefully assess those factors that have motivated people to obtain vaccines, as well as those that have dissuaded people from seeking COVID-19 inoculation.

The VCHD Mobile Vaccination Unit will continue to play a major role in vaccination efforts across Evansville and Vanderburgh County, and “Back the Vax … with Facts” will market to awareness of the bus’s weekly schedule throughout the summer.  The mobile unit will also feature prominently at several upcoming community events, a number of which the campaign will help sponsor and promote.

“It’s exciting to launch a major marketing and advertising campaign around vaccine awareness, especially as uncertainty regarding the Delta variant grows, and there remains concern about returning to work and school this fall.  The best thing we can do for our families and our neighbors is get vaccinated, and this very inclusive campaign will help answer any questions for those who remain unconvinced,” said Joe Gries, VCHD Administrator.

Community partners include Old National Events Plaza, the Evansville Chapter of the NAACP, ECHO Community Healthcare, Deaconess, Ascension St. Vincent, Skyline Media, the Centro Center and WFIE Channel 14.  The VCHD Mobile Vaccination Unit will release its weekly schedule every Monday throughout the summer, and a calendar of events can also be found on the following digital platforms:

Alex Burton And Lisa Vaughan Selected “CCO Community Service” Winners For 2021

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Alex Burton and Lisa Vaughan Co-Chairpersons Of “Feed Evansville Task Force” Selected CCO Community Service Winners For 2020

By CCO Staff

September 29, 2021
The City-County Observer is pleased to announce that Evansville City Council President  Alex Burton and community activist Lisa Vaughan have been selected as co-winners our Annual “Outstanding Community Services Award” winners for 2020.

 

When Covid-19 impacted Evansville, Indiana in mid-March, Community Activist Lisa Vaughan and Evansville City Council President Alex Burton started a grassroots effort to ensure the Tri-State had food access during the Covid-19 Government Shut down.

The effort was so successful it led to the Mayor of Evansville deeming the Feed Evansville Group the official government Food Security task force of the area and named Lisa and Alex the co-chairs.

These efforts also shined a light that Food Security is an issue within the area and the Mayor officially announced that work will need to be ongoing after the pandemic is over.

Feed Evansville organized a communication hub and tracked what every organization was doing (both Businesses and Non-profit). The task force created and shared a weekly food access flyer so community members would know where to receive services and published grocery & restaurant hours through social media, TV, radio, and emailed organizations to spread the word.All services have been provided through fundraising and in-kind donations.

Activities Of “Feed Evansville Task Force” 

• Feed Evansville delivered groceries to those in need or having health concerns. • Assisted community members that have low income and circumstances that prevent them from grocery store access to receive delivered grocery boxes and worked with the federal government to be able to accept SNAP and Credit Cards for that delivery service.March through the month of October.

• Delivered many thousand pantry boxes weekly and will continue through the end of December.2020.

• Spoke with both Senators, our Congressman, and our Governor’s office about food access needs in our community.

• Developed a recovery and restoration plan for food service that will take the city through the end of December-2020.

• Developed a marketing plan so community members that have never had to receive services before Covid-19 and were laid off for two months would understand the resources that are available to them.• Created a survey to better understand the needs of community members and neighborhoods as the Tri-State reenters from shut down

• Outlined the need for Food Coalition that will support the Food Security efforts and assure the ongoing work.

• Worked with State Government and advocated for the more efficient SNAP application process and food programming for community members.

• Educated the public on sensitive language and the common ground that all community members have with Food Security as well as explain what food security is and is not.

• Worked with community partners and nonprofit to ensure the grocery delivery system is continued after the pandemic and that families in need can enter a food co-op and gain insight on food nutrition budgeting and other resources to ensure stability.

  • Feed Evansville Task Force has secured the Farm to Families program for the Evansville area. Evansville will start to receive 3,000 Diary Boxes and 3,000 Produce Box each week till the end of August. The boxes will be distributed to nonprofit agencies who will in return handed boxes out to their clients and guest as well as individual families through a truck to trunk event weekly.

 

Evansville to Switch Water Disinfectant August 16 Through October 4

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                                                                                                                                                                          EVANSVILLE, IND. – Starting in mid-August and continuing for about seven weeks, you may notice a slight change to the odor of your tap water. The change is related to a switch in the disinfectant in the water treatment process to ensure the delivery of high-quality, safe drinking water to Evansville Water and Sewer Utility (EWSU)  customers.

The switch to free chlorine from the regularly used disinfectant chloramine will begin on Monday, August 16, and continue until Monday, October 4. Many water utilities use this common preventive maintenance practice to keep water mains clean and free of potentially harmful bacteria throughout the year. EWSU switches disinfectants twice a year. The first switchover happened in May and June.

Here’s what you should know

 What is Chloramine?

Chloramine is a disinfectant used in drinking water to remove bacteria and viruses that can make you sick. It is made up of chlorine and ammonia. EWSU has used chloramine as the disinfectant in its water treatment process since 1999.

What is Free Chlorine?

Free chlorine is a slightly more potent disinfectant than chloramine, and it is used to remove more resistant bacteria and viruses that may be found in the water distribution system.

Why would EWSU Convert from Chloramines to Free Chlorine?

State drinking water guidelines recommend that utilities using chloramine periodically switch to free chlorine for a while. The temporary use of chlorine will ensure that a proper disinfectant level is maintained throughout the network of water mains and pipes that deliver your drinking water.

Free chlorine is a more aggressive disinfectant than chloramine. This temporary change in the water treatment process denies bacteria the ability to form resistance to the usual disinfection treatment process. Switching to free chlorine is a proactive step to maintain optimal disinfectant levels in the water distribution system.

As always, the drinking water will be regularly monitored to ensure that the water delivered meets or exceeds federal Safe Drinking Water Act standards.

Why Does EWSU Use Chloramines Most of the Year?

While chlorine is an effective disinfectant, chlorine alone creates byproducts that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulates. These byproduct levels can be significantly and cost-effectively reduced through the use of chloramine. Also, chloramine has less smell than chlorine and remains in the distribution system longer to prevent bacterial growth. As such, chloramine is a better long-term choice as a regular disinfectant.

Will I Notice a Difference in My Water?

During this period, some customers may notice a slight change in the taste or odor of their tap water. Free chlorine may have more of a chemical odor, slightly like that of swimming pool water. Each customer has their sensitivity level to the taste or odor of free chlorine. Many detect no change at all. The mild chlorine taste and odor are typical and pose no health risk.

Are Free Chlorine and Chloraminated Water Safe?

Yes, chlorine and chloramine are effective and safe for people and animals for drinking, cooking, bathing, watering the garden, and all other standard uses. However, precautions should be taken to remove or neutralize chloramine and free chlorine during the kidney dialysis process, when preparing water for fish tanks and ponds, and businesses requiring highly processed water. A dechlorination procedure optimized for chloramine removal will work equally well with free chlorine.

People and businesses that typically take special precautions to remove chloramine from tap water (such as dialysis centers, medical facilities, and aquatic pet owners) should continue to take the same precautions during the temporary switch from chloramine to free chlorine.

Most customers will not need to take precautions as the water remains safe to drink and is treated according to state and federal standards.

Information for Kidney Dialysis Patients

Just like chloramines, free chlorine must be removed from water used in kidney dialysis machines. EWSU has contacted representatives from the medical community to inform them of this temporary conversion. We advise dialysis patients to call their physicians or dialysis centers if there are any questions.

Information for Fish Owners

Like chloramine, free chlorine is toxic to fish. Therefore, fish owners need to remove chlorine, ammonia, and chloramine from the water before using it with tropical fish. Local pet stores carry water conditioners that remove chloramine and free chlorine. If customers have questions, we recommend contacting their pet store for information and detailed instructions.

 

 

VCDP Golf Scramble

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Learn More
Join Hoosier Democrats at the 140th annual IDEA Convention in French Lick, IN from August 19-21, 2021.

For a complete list of events and times look HERE.

Book your room HERE.

See you on the porch! 
Thank you to Edie Hardcastle, Todd & Mindy Kranpitz, Shawn Russell, Shannon Dierlam, Karen & Rick Reising, the Jason Ashworth Team, Jean Webb, Aaron Rodenberg, Robert Heiman, Katherine Rybak and the Noah Robinson Team for manning our booth last week for the 100th Vanderburgh County 4-H Fair!
One of the primary functions of the local Democratic Party is getting candidates elected!  We have many offices up for election in 2022 and our candidates need your help. If you would like to serve as a campaign manager or campaign treasurer (training will be provided), digital or social media aide, website designer, marketing strategist or campaign support member (canvass, phone bank , communications, etc), please contact Cheryl Schultz, 812-459-7645.  We want to provide our candidates the best support possible to run and win in 2022!

HOOSIER WOMEN FORWARD WELCOMES
TWO FROM INDIANA’S 8TH DISTRICT
FOR CLASS OF 2021 – 2022

The goals of Hoosier Women Forward are to
  • Empower Democratic women to become more active, confident and valuable participants in politics and community leadership;
  • Grow a powerful network of engaged Democratic women across Indiana;
  • Develop Democratic women to run for office at the local, state and federal levels;
  • Increase the number of Hoosier Democratic women of influence in every level of government, and in seats at the tables where decisions are made.
Congratulations to these two remarkable Democrats!

Melissa Moore (Morehead) is a native of Evansville. Following her high school graduation she was honored to spend 9.5 years in the U.S. Navy and upon returning home began her career as a public servant, empowering and encouraging everyone she meets. An alumna of University of Evansville with a BS in Organizational Leadership, Melissa is also a graduate of Leadership Evansville, a CASA volunteer, a published author of the anthology, If These Walls Could Talk, a licensed minister serving Greater Hope Church in Evansville, and is the voice of Community Chat on 98.5FM WEOA Radio.

Melissa sits on the Board of Directors for Legal Aid Society, Evansville, ARG, CAPE, EVSC Foundation. She is currently the Secretary for the Vanderburgh County Democratic Party. She is also a Commissioner with the Social Status of African American Males, a member of the NAACP where she chairs the WIN and Veterans division of the local chapter, and a 2017-2018 recipient of the University of Evansville Office of Diversity Initiatives UEAAA Mentor of the Year Award.

Melissa has volunteered for several political campaigns and ran for EVSC School Board Trustee in Evansville, Indiana. She is a Fear Fighter Life Coach and the CEO/Founder of Melissa Morehead, LLC.

In her downtime, she loves reading, cooking, and journaling. Melissa lives in Evansville and is the mother of 3 children, Ashley, James, and Branden and grandmother to Marlee Lynn.
Stephanie Gerhardt is a travel advisor and owner of India Elaine Travel, co-owner of Gerhardt Farms, current member of the Warrick County School Corporation Board of Trustees, and Chair of the Warrick County Democratic Central Committee.

Stephanie has been a member of several local non-profit organizations. She currently sits on the board of ANEW, and the Warrick County Women’s Fund.  She is also a member of the ISBA’s legislative committee.

In her spare time, and when not traveling, Stephanie enjoys spending time with family and friends. She lives in Chandler, IN, on the family farm, with her husband and son.

 

Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – Swimming and Diving Recap

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 BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana University swimming and diving program sent 13 current, former, and Indiana Swim Club trainees, and two coaches to the Olympic Games 2020 Tokyo. The athletes returned with 11 medals.

IU head diving coach Drew Johansen served as the head coach for Team USA’s diving program that won three medals (2S, 1B) and counting, including the first ever medal in the women’s 10m Synchro Platform and women’s 3m Springboard events. Hoosier head swimming coach Ray Looze was an assistant swimming coach for Team USA. The Americans claimed 30 medals (11G, 10S, 9B) during the swimming stages of the Olympic competition, 10 more than Australia (20), the next closest country in the standings.

Current Hoosier student-athletes or alums combined to earn 10 medals (4G, 5S, 1B), led by relay golds from Zach Apple and Blake Pieroni and three silver medals from the diving well.

The total medal count (10) is the highest produced by the Indiana swim and dive program since Mark Spitz led the way during the historic Olympic Games 1972 Munich. IU athletes would earn 16 medals (12G, 3S, 1B) in ’72. Spitz set a then Olympic record with seven gold medals and seven world records.

FINAL RESULTS BY ATHLETE

Bailey Andison – 200m IM (18th)

Zach Apple – 100m Freestyle (11th), 400m Freestyle Relay (Gold), 800m Freestyle Relay (4th), 400m Medley Relay (Gold)

Michael Brinegar – 800m Freestyle (17th), 1500m Freestyle (17th)

Andrew Capobianco – 3m Springboard (10th), 3m Synchro Springboard (Silver)

Marwan Elkamash – 400m Freestyle (14th), 800m Freestyle (16th)

Tomer Frankel – 100m Butterfly (21st), 800m Freestyle Relay (10th)

Mike Hixon – 3m Synchro Springboard (Silver)

Ali Khalafalla – 50m Freestyle (t-24th), 100m Freestyle (t-30th)

Lilly King – 100m Breaststroke (Bronze), 200m Breaststroke (Silver), 400m Medley Relay (Silver)

Vini Lanza – 100m Butterfly (26th), 200m IM (25th)

Annie Lazor* – 200m Breaststroke (Bronze)

Jessica Parratto – 10m Synchro Platform (Silver)

Blake Pieroni – 400m Freestyle Relay (Gold), 800m Freestyle Relay (4th), 400m Medley Relay (Gold)

 

Redistricting Meeting Scheduled At Ivy Tech-Evansville

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Shop Local in the Indiana Grown Marketplace at the Indiana State Fair

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INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 3, 2021) —The Great Indiana State Fair is in full swing now at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and Event Center. The multi-week fair has many more days of operation left and plenty of opportunities to shop local at the Indiana Grown Marketplace in the Agriculture/Horticulture Building.

“The Indiana Grown Marketplace is one of my favorite stops at the Indiana State Fair,” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch. “Not only can I find Hoosier made products, but I can also try new products and occasionally meet the makers themselves who are roaming the store. The store isn’t just a place to shop, it is an experience.”

Shoppers can be immersed in a storefront featuring only Indiana grown, processed, packaged or produced products. In addition to shopping, the store also features educational displays and artisan demos showcasing their craft, like yarn spinning, soap carving and more.

The Indiana Grown Marketplace at the state fair has over 80 vendors and contains nearly 500 products, like hand crafted sauces, salsa, drink mixes, dried pastas, spices and more. Shoppers can also find ready to eat products like cured meats, chocolate and candy. The August heat got you down? Stop at the Indiana Grown store for cold local root beer, kombucha or ice cream. There are also plenty of artisan made products you can use daily like, wool dryer balls, yarn, skincare regimes, hand poured candles and more.

“The Indiana Grown Marketplace is a wonderful experience for both shoppers and Indiana Grown members,” said Bruce Kettler, director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. “Our members are the heart and soul behind the storefront and without them this experience wouldn’t be possible. I encourage everyone to shop local this fair season at the Marketplace, there is something for everyone!”

There is plenty of time left to shop and explore at the Indiana Grown Marketplace at the great Indiana State Fair. The Indiana State Fair runs until Aug. 22 (closed Mondays and Tuesdays) and the Agriculture/Horticulture building, where the Indiana Grown Marketplace is located, is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Learn more about Indiana Grown at indianagrown.org.

2021 American Association of State Troopers “Best Looking Cruiser” Contest Results

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Congratulations! To the Kentucky State Police for being voted “2021 America’s Best-Looking Cruiser”.

During the two-week voting period Kentucky received 77,944 of the 392,789 votes. Thank you to all the state police agencies that participated and the public for endorsing and supporting our contest. We love to see the positive interaction between the public and the state agencies across our great country.

The 2021 top 13 finishers:

1st Kentucky State Police
2nd Ohio State Highway Patrol
3rd Georgia State Patrol
4th Texas Dept. of Public Safety Highway Patrol 5th Nebraska State Patrol
6th Indiana State Police
7th California Highway Patrol
8th Tennessee Highway Patrol
9th New York State Police
10th Mississippi Highway Patrol
11th West Virginia State Police
12th Michigan State Police
13th New Hampshire State Police

The back of the calendar will feature a collage of all submitted photos.

The 2022 Calendars will be available to purchase at www.statetroopers.org The sale will begin mid-September 2021. Watch for the announcement on the AAST Facebook page.

Net proceeds of the calendar sales will benefit the American Association of State Troopers Foundation that provides educational scholarship to dependents of AAST members.

We would like to thank our corporate calendar sponsors:

AT&T FirstNet – Tremco Police Products – MARK 43 – SIG SAUER – Federal Signal Searcy, Denny, Scarola, Barnhart and Shipley, Attorney’s at Law

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FREE SUBSCRIBERS TO THE CCO COULD WIN A $100 GIFT CERTIFICATE AT CAVANAUGH’S

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FREE SUBSCRIPTION APPLICATION TO THE CITY-COUNTY OBSERVER COULD EARN YOU  A $100 GIFT CERTIFICATE TO CAVANAUGH’S RESTURANT
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Build, Learn, Grow Scholarship Program Extended Through March 2022

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Build, Learn, Grow Scholarship Program Extended Through March 2022

As school year approaches, more than 40,000 scholarships are available to help working families pay for early care and before- and after-school programs

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana’s Build, Learn, Grow scholarship program is extending assistance to pay for a portion of before- or after-school care or early childhood education for qualified families through March of 2022.

Scholarships cover up to 80% of a child’s early care and education, summer learning or before- and after-school care, ensuring families can connect to the care and education children need. More than 40,000 scholarships are still available for children – from birth through age 12 – who have a family member who works in an essential industry. Families with at least one adult working in an essential business are encouraged to apply, regardless of their income. The amount of assistance provided will be based on the family’s income. Learn more at Families.BuildLearnGrow.org.

“As children return to school, before- and after-school care and education becomes just as important to parents as child care and early childhood education,” said Nicole Norvell, director of the Indiana Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning. “Even if parents continue to work from home, their children may benefit from the structure, teaching and socialization that early care and out-of-school programs provide.”

For families to qualify for Build, Learn, Grow scholarships, an adult in the household must work in an essential business (examples include health care, human services, retail, restaurant and food service, essential infrastructure, media, manufacturing and logistics, religious and charitable organizations and many others). For qualifying families with household incomes up to 250% of the federal poverty level, Build, Learn, Grow scholarship will cover 80% of their cost. Families with incomes between 251% and 400% of the federal poverty level will qualify for 60% of costs covered and those with incomes at 401% of the federal poverty level and above will qualify for 20% of costs covered. A scholarship level chart can be found here.

Families should complete the Build, Learn, Grow Scholarship Fund application found hereand submit it to their early care and education provider. Families not currently connected to an early care and education program will be able to find a list of participating programs on the Build, Learn, Growwebsite also on the eligibility page. All providers who currently accept federal child care assistance are encouraged to enroll. Currently more than 1,700 child care and out-of-school providers are enrolled throughout Indiana.

The scholarships will be funded by more than $101 million provided to Indiana by the federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, or CRRSA.

To administer the Build, Learn, Grow scholarship program, the Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning has partnered with Early Learning Indiana and Indiana Afterschool Network, the state’s leading organizations supporting early care and education and out-of-school-time programs.

Early care and education and out-of-school-time programs interested in receiving children with Build, Learn, Grow scholarships can learn more at Providers.BuildLearnGrow.org.

About the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act

The CRRSA Act appropriated $10 billion in supplemental child care funds, providing states, territories, and tribes participating in the federal Child Care Development Fund the opportunity and resources necessary to respond to the unprecedented challenges faced by children, families, and child care providers during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency. The law expands flexibility to provide child care assistance to families and children, supports child care providers, and provides lead agencies such as FSSA with additional funds to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19. CRRSA Act funds are supplemental discretionary CCDF funds. CCDF is the primary federal funding source for child care subsidies to help eligible working families with low incomes access child care and improve the supply and quality of child care for all children.

About the Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning
The Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning is a division of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. The office oversees early child care, education and out-of-school-time programs.

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