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HOT JOBS IN EVANSVILLE
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Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners Agenda
Agenda of The Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners for July 13, 2021 At 3:00 pm, Civic Center Complex, Room 301
- Call to Order
- Attendance
- Pledge of Allegiance
- Action ItemsÂ
- Health Department:Â
- COVID-19 Vaccine Update
- Contract with SM Eastland Mall for COVID-19 Vaccinations
- Grant Contract with IDOHÂ
- Authorization for Counsel to Vote to Approve Purdue Pharma Bankruptcy Plan
- Computer Services: OnSolve Mass Notification Software Contract
- Purchasing: Approval to Advertise RFP-01-CC-2021: Vehicle and Industrial Batteries
- YWCA Grant Agreement
- McFarland Contract for Services
- Board Appointment
- Stinson Evans Tombstone Dedication Proclamation
- County Engineer:Â
- Award Contract Number VC2105-01 “Concrete Street Repairs†to JBI Construction Inc.Â
- Bridge Inspection Supplemental Agreement with BLN
- Boonville New Harmony road Right of Way Offer-Parcel 19
- IDEM Notice of Intent for Phase 2 of Kansas Road
- ESRI Renewal Quote for GIS Software
- Sidewalk Waiver Request for Green River Meadows
- Health Department:Â
- Department Head Reports
- New Business
- Old Business
- Consent Items
- Approval of June 22, 2021 Meeting Minutes
- Employment ChangesÂ
- Sheriff’s Office: Windemere Farms HOA Road Closure Request
- County Clerk Surplus Request: Miscellaneous Office Equipment
- County Treasurer May 2021 Monthly Report
- Board of County Commissioners: Request for Appropriation
- County Auditor:Â
- Submission of Statement of Salaries & Wages (Form 144)
- Claims Voucher Reports: 6/21-6/25/2021 & 6/28-7/2/2021 & 7/5-7/9/2021
- Rezonings
- Final Reading of Rezoning Ordinance VC-4-2021 (Tabled from 6/22 Meeting)
Petitioner: Elite Development Group, LLC
Address: Roscommon Road
Request: Change from R-3 to Planned Unit Development
- Public Comment
- Adjournment
Todd Rokita Sues To Recover $154 Million On Behalf Of Taxpayers Fleeced By Virtual Schools
Attorney General Todd Rokita has filed a lawsuit against a consortium of virtual schools and affiliated entities seeking more than $154 million in monies misappropriated from the State of Indiana.
Indiana’s lawsuit targets Indiana Virtual School (IVS); Indiana Virtual Pathways Academy (IVPA); Indiana Virtual Educational Foundation (IVEF); and other related entities and individuals.
“This lawsuit is historic because it represents the largest amount of monetary damages ever sought by our office following a State Board of Accounts investigation,†Attorney General Rokita said. “This massive attempt to defraud Hoosier taxpayers through complex schemes truly boggles the mind. This case demonstrates once again that public servants must remain ever vigilant in our work to safeguard the public treasury from opportunists.â€
IVS and IVPA operated online charter schools that were sponsored by the Daleville Community School Corp. from July 22, 2015, to Aug. 26, 2019, when Daleville officials revoked the charters. Daleville officials revoked their sponsorship of the schools because IVS and IVPA failed to meet minimum academic standards and failed to comply with accounting and related provisions required by Indiana law, among other reasons.
The State Board of Accounts (SBOA) conducted a special investigation and concluded that public funds were misappropriated through malfeasance, misfeasance, and/or nonfeasance.
“The State Board of Accounts is committed to creating a culture of accountability where public officials and institutions are held to the highest standards,†said State Examiner Paul Joyce. “We appreciate the Attorney General for bringing this action on behalf of all the citizens of the State of Indiana.â€
Because the virtual schools misrepresented the number of enrolled and attending students, the SBOA found that the schools wrongfully received more than $68 million collectively from the State of Indiana.
The audit also uncovered that the schools wrongfully disbursed more than $85 million collectively in public funds to vendors with related individuals in situations where there was no invoice or no itemized information on the invoice.
Attorney General Rokita is also seeking recovery of the audit costs SBOA incurred to conduct the investigation along with other penalties and punitive relief (amounting to three times the actual loss by the state). Attorney General Rokita also is seeking an order that the defendants disgorge any other ill-gotten gains unjustly and wrongfully received and diverted.
This matter has also been referred to federal and state criminal investigative agencies.
The lawsuit is attached.
Guest Column: Indiana Provides Big Boost For Law Enforcement
Indiana Provides Big Boost For Law Enforcement
Column submitted by House Speaker Todd Huston
The vast majority of us don’t worry whether we’ll make it home for dinner let alone whether we’ll make it home at all. That’s not the case for thousands of Indiana’s law enforcement officers who work hard to protect all Hoosiers. This year, legislators stepped up in a big way to recognize the sacrifices of the men and women in uniform by making strong investments in law enforcement training programs and facilities, and providing better hiring and crime-fighting tools.
This session, Republican efforts resulted in $70 million being directed to modernize law enforcement training facilities and programs. The Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in Plainfield is an expansive campus preparing law enforcement professionals for service through rigorous training. While ILEA offers many state-of-the-art training programs, some areas have not been updated since the 1970s. Our investment will help ILEA make much-needed improvements and enhance their top-notch training programs. We’re also providing salary increases for state police, conservation and excise officers, and funding to construct a new Indiana State Police post and laboratory.
Thanks to the next two-year state budget, local departments can now apply for one-time grants to purchase body-worn cameras. While many departments are already using this technology to increase transparency and accountability, the state is offering matching grants to help departments that may not have the resources to equip all of their officers.
House Enrolled Act 1006, authored by State Rep. Greg Steuerwald, is one of the greatest achievements of the legislative session. Referred to by many as “historic” and a “national model,” this robust legislation gives police more tools to vet candidates and hire the best officers. The law requires full employment record sharing between police departments so they can identify bad actors. I strongly believe that we honor the best by getting rid of the worst. This legislation received bipartisan support, total backing from law enforcement, and support from the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus.
To help solve more crimes across the state, Indiana will expand the use of High Tech Crimes Units so prosecutors and law enforcement can work with Indiana’s colleges to gather and process digital evidence in a variety of cases. Through the passage of House Enrolled Act 1082, university students could help find additional evidence or exonerate a person of interest.
Overall, Republicans delivered big wins this session for our hardworking law enforcement officers and the communities they protect. Whether investing in training programs and facilities, or providing enhanced hiring and crime-fighting tools, these efforts serve all Hoosiers. We recognize the tremendous efforts of those who wear the badge, and Indiana’s Republican lawmakers stepped up to help provide them the resources they need to do their jobs and come home safe.
FOOTNOTE: House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers) represents House District 37, which includes portions of Hamilton County and Fishers.
Almost Everything You Need To Know About IU Athletics In Three Minutes
If you’re new to IU or the collegiate athletics scene in general, the barrier to entry as a fan can look rather tall. With 24 teams representing 16 extremely distinct sports, you may feel like all you can do is cheer on the athletes wearing red, which gets tricky since that applies to nearly half the schools in the Big Ten.
That’s the conference in which all of IU’s teams compete, by the way. The Big Ten contains 14 schools, which should immediately tell you how well organized it is.
Most of those 14 schools are conveniently nestled in the Midwest, although there are a couple along the East coast. They aren’t relevant in the context of this guide, and honestly they’re barely relevant outside of it.
Part of being a Big Ten school means spending a lot of money on sports, which is a huge reason why IU has had so much success in so many different ones throughout the years — just don’t Google anything about the football team prior to, say, 2019.
Unequivocally the most popular sport at IU is men’s basketball. Even if you haven’t watched a single minute of Hoosier basketball, you’ve probably heard the name Bob Knight. You might have even watched the 1986 film “Hoosiers,†easily one of the 17 best sports movies ever made.
Basketball is to Indiana what Hollywood is to California or what hilariously bizarre criminals are to Florida. For IU, that means every basketball season starts with expectations higher than the five championship banners hanging from the rafters in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Now, if you ever visit Assembly Hall, you may notice the most recent date on those banners is from a time when your parents would have been in college. That’s a bit of a sore subject for Hoosier faithfuls, but a championship run could be right around the corner. IU just needs to actually make the tournament first.
Fortunately, basketball is far from the only sport at which the Hoosiers excel.
IU men’s soccer is hot off a national championship appearance, its fourth in the last decade. The team’s eight NCAA titles are the second most of any program, but the Hoosiers are still largely considered the best squad across collegiate soccer history. The school with the most championships hasn’t won one since 1973, which just so happens to be the same year IU men’s soccer gained varsity status.
Coincidence? Who’s to say?
Speaking of top-flight talent, both the men’s and women’s swimming and diving rosters are studded with Olympians, in case watching the literal greatest in the world compete at the highest level is something you’re into.
This winter, you have to catch a swimming and diving meet at the Counsilman Billingsley Aquatic Center — or as you might know it, the massive pool in the Student Recreational Sports Center you’re usually not allowed to go in.
Then there’s the team with the most recent success at Assembly Hall, IU women’s basketball.
Head coach Teri Moren has transformed the Hoosiers into a national competitor with championship aspirations. The fact that you can get into one of their games with no more than your student ID is the sort of fantastic steal you’ll see senior guard and gold medalist Grace Berger make regularly on the court.
Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the football team, which has also experienced a massive glow-up as of late. Again, not that you should ever, ever look into the program’s history, but its present is extremely sweet. Head coach Tom Allen is a neutron star of limitless energy worth the price of admission alone.
I’m pretty sure the bandwagon is still accepting riders, so hop on before IU messes around and becomes a football school.
These are the sports you’re bound to hear the most about during your time in Bloomington, but don’t overlook the hidden gems.
A softball game at Andy Mohr Field or a baseball game at Bart Kaufman Field is a great way to unwind after finals in the spring. Watching an IU wrestling match will leave you wondering how it’s possible to be that jacked and that flexible at the same time. If you didn’t go to the approximately 12 secondary schools in the world that have a water polo or field hockey team, now is the chance.
Above all, try to have fun and remember the best fans are the ones who exemplify sportsmanship. That means displaying humility in victory, being gracious in defeat and brutally mocking the team in black and gold if it so much as misses a free throw.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT UPDATES STATEWIDE COVID-19 CASE COUNTS
HEALTH DEPARTMENT UPDATES STATEWIDE COVID-19 CASE COUNTS
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Park-N- Rec Program Returns for 2021
Armadillos and bobcats and black bears, Oh My! These are not animals you expect to see in Indiana. Yet, it is not out of the question that Hoosiers may come across one of these creatures.
Just ask Vincennes University College of Technology Dean Ty Freed, who found a dead armadillo on his property in Daviess County last year. There was a confirmed black bear sighting in northeast Vanderburgh County last month. There is a growing bobcat population in Indiana, according to former VU Conservation Law Enforcement Program Chair and 30-year Indiana conservation officer Bill Browne.
There have been at least 26 armadillo sightings in Indiana, according to VU College of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Dean Curt Coffman. In the United States, armadillos typically live in humid subtropical climates found in states like Texas, Oklahoma, and Florida. Due to warmer winters, they are expanding their range and migrating to northern states.
Black bear populations are expanding, and they may pass through Indiana from established populations in adjacent states. Until 2015 when a black bear entered Indiana from Michigan, there had not been a confirmed report of one in the state since 1871. There have been four confirmed black bear sightings in the state in recent years.
Wait. Was that really a bear?
So who confirms a black bear sighting? It is the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
District wildlife biologists will study photos and look for bear tracks and other evidence before making a confirmation. District biologists often work out of Indiana’s Fish & Wildlife Areas, such as Sugar Ridge Fish & Wildlife Area in Winslow, where VU Biology alum Hillary Bulcher is the property manager. She manages more than 14,000 acres of state-owned public property for wildlife viewing, hunting, fishing, photography, nature hiking, kayaking, trapping, mushroom/berry gathering, and more. In addition, she manages archery, shotgun, and rifle/pistol shooting ranges at Sugar Ridge.
It is always a busy time within the DNR. It recently issued a request recommending that Hoosiers statewide remove their bird feeders and birdbaths while the state investigates why songbirds are getting sick and dying.
According to Coffman, “Feeders and birdbaths are communal areas for birds, making it easy for diseases to spread. Think of it as social distancing for birds. Eliminating this behavior will hopefully reduce the spread of any pathogen and allow DNR biologists to understand what is going on.”
VU has a strong connection to the agency. Up to 50 percent of the DNR’s Law Enforcement School graduates are VU alumni. In addition, internships with the DNR are offered to VU students through a popular partnership that pairs students with conservation officers. Students receive college credit and serve as counselors for Indiana Conservation Officer Organization summer youth camps. VU Conservation Law Enforcement majors have the advantage of learning from professionals in the field. Several other VU alumni have also been hired by the DNR’s Division of Forestry and Division of Fish & Wildlife.
“The mission of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources is to protect, enhance, preserve, and wisely use natural, cultural, and recreational resources for the benefit of Indiana’s citizens through professional leadership, management, and education,†Bulcher said. “It takes all kinds of people with different skills and interests to accomplish that mission. There’s a huge variety of careers that are related to natural resources. Within the Indiana DNR, there are more directly outdoor/nature-related divisions such as Fish & Wildlife (where I am), Forestry, Entomology & Plant Pathology, Nature Preserves, Outdoor Recreation, and State Parks. There are also divisions such as Communications, Engineering, Historical Preservation & Archaeology, Land Acquisition, Law Enforcement, Oil & Gas, Reclamation, and Water. Our natural resources are there for all people to enjoy, and they are an important part of physical and mental health for everyone.â€
Numerous exciting opportunities are available to individuals interested in rewarding and impactful careers by enrolling in VU degree programs such as Conservation Law Enforcement, Zoology and Marine Biology, Natural Resources and Environmental Science, Forestry and Conservation, and Biology.
Learning experiences outside the classroom
At VU, students immerse themselves in real-world settings and incredible adventures. They get out of the classroom and learn by doing.
Students get behind the wheel of a patrol boat on the Wabash River – which is adjacent to the Vincennes Campus – where they are introduced to boat crewman skills while learning about marine enforcement and response. They also set up and monitor trail cameras to observe wildlife and develop management plans for Robeson Hills, a 545-acre outdoor laboratory and environmental education site in Illinois managed by VU that includes a nature preserve. Students go out in the field removing invasive plants in parks and have an opportunity to explore a cypress swamp with VU alum and District Forester Travis Dunn. They also spend time in the great outdoors conducting bat studies. Students study rivers, lakes, and fish by electrofishing and ecological sampling. They also can earn SCUBA certification plus monitor a 150-gallon saltwater fish tank while studying marine biology. Zoology and Marine Biology students have also taken trips to the Amazon rainforest, Virgin Islands, San Diego, and Monterey Bay, California.
VU student Duane Hull of Olney, Illinois, has participated in various field excursions, including identifying plants in a nature preserve and visiting an apple orchard. It is hard to get more hands-on than the work he did alongside other students in a VU greenhouse growing plants and flowers for Earth Day.
Hull believes real experiences outside of a textbook or a classroom are positioning him for career success.
“It’s amazing because I’m a learn-by-doing sort of person,†he said.
Those skills have been helpful in his current summer internship. Hull is conducting natural resource conservation-related work as a Knox County Soil and Water Conservation District intern.
As a part of her college studies, Bulcher recalls learning to measure trees at Robeson Hills and tagging monarch butterflies for research. She worked on projects that monitored the health of beech trees and identified Kentucky coffeetrees locations for a genetic study. She also participated in an ongoing stream survey where students took measurements of stream parameters.
She utilizes skills she learned as a VU student in her role as a DNR property manager, including overseeing wildlife surveys, volunteer work, workshops, and daily operations such as habitat work and equipment, facilities, and grounds maintenance.
“I still use the skills such as measuring tree DBH (diameter at breast height) to make sure we are within bat guidelines,” Bulcher said. “I use a GPS to mark property boundaries, map fields, and trails, and mark locations of things that need to be done on the property very frequently in my current work. I was first introduced to these skills at VU, and they are still useful to me.â€
Bulcher added, “I think the most important indirect “skill†I acquired through the fieldwork at VU was general preparedness for fieldwork. Such as what’s the weather going to be like, what supplies will I need, and are there any potential hazards or safety concerns with the job or site conditions. I have to consider all of these things on a daily basis, if not for me, then for my team who could be at three different locations, all doing different jobs, being exposed to different weather and potential hazards, and needing different equipment and supplies.â€
Brian Bailey is an Indiana Department of Natural Resources conservation officer, VU Conservation Law Enforcement instructor, and VU alumnus. He also knows firsthand what it takes to pursue a career that benefits the environment, animals, and citizens.
“The more information a student can gather and the more of an expert they can become in any of those fields is very important when applying to be a conservation officer,†Bailey said.
With more than 180 degree programs to choose from, VU offers a wide range of bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, and certificates taught by expert faculty. Check out VU’s College of Science, Engineering and Mathematics and College of Business and Public Service for a variety of exciting career paths.
ISP Partnering With Indiana Motor Truck Association For “Trooper In A Truck”
The Indiana State Police Commercial Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division (CVED) along with the Lowell, Toll Road, Indianapolis, and Sellersburg Posts will be conducting a Trooper-in-a-Truck enforcement patrol on July 14, 2021. In the Pendleton District, CVED is teaming up with the ISP Aviation Section and district troopers to focus on the enforcement of unsafe and aggressive driving behaviors around commercial vehicles.
The Trooper-in-a-Truck initiative places a trooper in a commercial motor vehicle operated by a highly trained and qualified CDL driver. The trooper will observe for violations as the CMV driver drives the selected route. While no dangerous traffic violation will be ignored, the trooper-in-a-truck will be observing primarily for violations of Indiana’s “hand free†law. Despite the fact the most recent version of this law, prohibiting the use of hand-held communication devices in all but emergency situations, has been in effect for over a year, distracted driving continues to be major problem on Indiana’s roadways.
“The Indiana Motor Truck Association and its member carriers are partnering with ISP in this endeavor by providing the trucks and driversâ€, said Major Jon Smithers, ISP CVED Commander. “The IMTA and CVED have long had a strong and mutually supportive relationship as improving highway safety is a shared goal. The IMTA and its members have long been leading advocates for the implementation and enforcement of a strong and effective hands-free law and are passionate about educating our citizens about the dangers of distracted drivingâ€, Smithers continued.
Crashes involving large trucks are often high profile and may result in tragic consequences. While the statistics vary some, studies show that in crashes involving large trucks, it is more often the case in which it is the fault of the other vehicle. A large, heavy truck is far less maneuverable and takes substantially more distance to stop than a smaller vehicle. Unsafe, aggressive driving behaviors near a truck may lead to disastrous results.
CVED has conducted Trooper-in-a-Truck type patrols for the last few years, except in 2020. Most have been small events in the vicinity of Indianapolis. This year’s event will be much larger and, for the first time, will take place simultaneously in several areas across the state.
Update, Hit & Run Causing Death
**UPDATE**
Investigators were told by witnesses that there was a physical altercation between Dylan Birdwell and Patrick Adams on July 10, around 3:00 a.m. The fight was broken up and Adams left the scene. Birdwell got into his vehicle to leave the scene when Adams returned. Adams threw something at a vehicle that was being driven by Birdwell’s family member. According to witnesses, Birdwell drove his vehicle toward Adams. Birdwell swerved toward Adams and struck him with his vehicle. Witnesses stated that Adams did not have a weapon and was not blocking Birdwell’s path of travel when he was struck.
Evansville Police Investigators were able to develop enough evidence to charge 21-year-old Dylan Birdwell of Evansville with Voluntary Manslaughter and Hit and Run causing death. A warrant has been signed for his arrest.
Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to call the Evansville Police Detective Office (812) 436-7979 or the tip line (812) 435-6194Â
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