| Attorney General Todd Rokita today thanked one of his own, Deputy Attorney General John Millikan, for his work recouping more than $3.3 million in funds taken fraudulently from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD).
Millikan has targeted funds deposited into bank accounts by scammers who collected unemployment benefits using other people’s identities through information gathered from the dark web. Such criminal activity soared during the COVID-19 pandemic as DWD faced pressure to push payments out quickly to newly jobless individuals. The Rokita administration has recovered more than $242 million for Hoosiers since January 2021. “This office is full of staff serving with servants’ hearts on behalf of Hoosiers to protect their liberty and property,†Attorney General Rokita said. “Typically, the fruits of their labors, though important, go unheralded because they occur outside the limelight. But I am always honored to gratefully recognize, on behalf of all Hoosiers, these diligent public servants.†Investigators found that fraudsters often funneled their ill-gotten gains to either the same bank account or several set up around the country within the same bank. One such bank, Green Dot Bank, held approximately $3.15 million dollars in fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits. DWD staff provided important guidance throughout the efforts to claw back the money, Millikan said. “With the help and dedication of the Department of Workforce Development, we were able to identify and recover large-scale unemployment benefits-related fraud,†Millikan explained. “I am grateful for the good-faith negotiations from Green Dot Bank and other financial institutions that brought about this great result for Hoosier taxpayers. The Rokita administration will continue to investigate and assist in clawing back unemployment funds paid out due to fraud.” If you learn that your identity has been fraudulently used in a claim for unemployment benefits, you should report it to the Office of the Attorney General via this online form for reporting identity theft. Additionally, you should report it to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development via that agency’s website. Finally, you should also file a report with local law enforcement and the Indiana State Police, which offers an online form that can be filled out and emailed to uifraud@isp.IN.gov. |
Todd Rokita And Team Recoup $3.3 Million For The Department Of Workforce Development
The College Tour Premiere Happening Today
WHO: Featuring Alex Boylan, The College Tour Host and former Amazing Race winner; USI President Ronald S. Rochon; USI student cast members and their families/guests. Students, employees, retirees, alumni, and the general public are invited to the event.
WHAT: The College Tour Premiere will allow USI student cast members and their families/guests and the USI and local communities an exclusive, first look at USI’s 30-minute episode of The College Tour. The series, created to empower students to virtually travel across America for an inside look at colleges, filmed USI’s episode November 1 through November 5, 2021, on campus. The episode features 10 segments exploring academic excellence, USI history, Screaming Eagles pride, and more. Following the premiere event, the episode will be available at USI.edu/collegetour and will become available to 200 million potential viewers via Amazon Prime Video and a variety of streaming platforms later this spring.
WHEN: The College Tour Premiere will be held at 3 p.m. today, Wednesday, February 16. At the start of the event, student cast members, Alex Boylan and President Rochon will walk the USI red carpet into the Screaming Eagles Arena. A photo opportunity will be available at the top of the carpet inside the Arena. The 30-minute episode will then be premiered on the jumbotron in the Arena. As the credits roll, students will return to the Arena floor to share their initial reactions. Media interviews with student cast members, Boylan and Rochon are also welcome at the conclusion of the event at approximately 3:45.
WHERE: The College Tour Premiere will be held in the Screaming Eagles Arena. A map of the USI campus, featuring the Screaming Eagles Arena, can be found at USI.edu/map.
*Promo graphics and videos can be found on the University’s social media accounts. A USI website, USI.edu/collegetour, featuring USI’s episode of The College Tour, student cast member bios and more will be launched following the premiere event.
*A limited number of media parking spots will be reserved in Lot C, Bay 4 in front of the Screaming Eagles Arena.
GOVERNOR’S PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION SCHEDULES LISTENING TOURS
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Otters Set Game Times For 2022 Season At Bosse Field
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Evansville Otters announced game times for the 2022 regular-season home schedule at Bosse Field.
The Otters will play 48 regular-season games at Bosse Field, starting with an opening nine-game homestand May 13-22 against the New Jersey Jackals, Empire State Greys, and Quebec Capitales.
Game times for the home season schedule are as follows:
Tuesday through Saturday are 6:35 p.m.
Sunday games in May and August are 12:35 p.m.
Sunday games in June and July are 5:05 p.m.
Midweek day games on the Otters’ schedule are June 1 and June 8, both starting at 12:05 p.m. against the Lake Erie Crushers and Windy City ThunderBolts, respectively.
The Otters will host three preseason exhibition games in May. May 3 and May 10 are 10:05 a.m. starts against the Gateway Grizzlies and the Black Sox, respectively, while the May 6 exhibition against the Grizzlies starts at 6:35 p.m.
The full promotional schedule will be released in the coming weeks.
Season ticket packages are on sale now for the 2022 season at Historic Bosse Field.
Full and half season tickets packages are available as well as Flex 20 and 10 ticket packages.
Historic New Harmony Awarded Nearly $100,000 Through Lily Endowment Initiative
The University of Southern Indiana’s Historic New Harmony program has been awarded a planning grant of just under $100,000 from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative. The grant is helping Historic New Harmony explore how to strengthen efforts to depict religion in its exhibitions, educational outreach and other programs.
Lilly Endowment’s initiative seeks to assist museums and cultural organizations in the United States in displaying exhibitions, providing educational programs and engaging in other activities to strengthen their capacities to provide fair and accurate portrayals of the role religion has played and continues to play in the United States and across the globe. It is designed to educate and lift the contributions that people of all faiths and diverse religious communities make to our greater civic well-being.
New Harmony was the site of two 19th century utopian communities. Founded in 1814 by a group of German Pietists under the leadership of Father George Rapp, the Harmonists sought religious freedom. The second community, under the leadership of industrialist Robert Owen and his business partner William Maclure, hoped to establish a model community where education and social equality would flourish. In 1985, the University of Southern Indiana assumed management of Historic New Harmony, encouraging cultural and educational programs, while maintaining historic properties.
“We are thrilled by this opportunity presented by Lilly Endowment to bring attention to New Harmony,†said Leslie Townsend, Director of Community Engagement and Historic New Harmony. “This grant will provide the capacity to research and develop plans for exhibits and programming that will build upon New Harmony’s rich cultural and spiritual heritage.â€
Historic New Harmony will work with University of Southern Indiana faculty, staff and students and area faith leaders to develop a proposal for a second grant that would help fund implementation of new exhibitions and programs. The deadline for the proposal is August 1.
Lilly Endowment launched the Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative in 2019 when it awarded planning grants totaling nearly $2 million to organizations to help them explore how programming in religion could further their institutional missions. In 2020, Lilly Endowment made 18 grants totaling more than $43 million to help organizations implement their plans.
​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 inspires innovation and progressive thought through its programs and collections. For more information, visit the USI website at USI.edu/hnhor contact Leslie Townsend, Director of Community Engagement and Historic New Harmony at ltownsen@usi.edu or 812-465-7013.
About Lilly EndowmentÂ
Home And Community Based Services Stabilization Grant Deadline Quickly Approaching
The Feb. 18, 2022, is the deadline for the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration for the Home- and Community-Based Services Stabilization Grant opportunity, as described in our HCBS Enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage Spend Plan. Interested eligible HCBS Medicaid providers have until Feb. 18, 2022, to complete the required grant attestation form.
HCBS providers can visit the Indiana HCBS Enhanced FMAP Spend Plan Page to obtain more information and access resources including an informational video, FAQ, provider bulletin, and Attestation Form. Topics covered in those resources include general background on the grants, eligible provider groups, process and timing expectations, grant methodology, and required provider attestations.
General InformationÂ
- Background: As identified in the IN FSSA HCBS Spend Plan, the HCBS Stabilization Grant has been made available by FSSA to support providers and frontline staff affected by the public health emergency.  Â
- Purpose: The purpose of the grant is both to retroactively address COVID-19-related expenses and challenges and to recognize the important work of frontline staff, including costs related to compensation and benefits, COVID-19 testing, personal protective equipment, and other COVID-19 related expenses, to allow providers to stabilize their operations.   Â
- Eligibility: Currently active HCBS Medicaid providers who were also active during the COVID-19 public health emergency. This is defined as HCBS Medicaid providers who (1) submitted a claims expenditure in CY2021 and (2) submitted a claims expenditure in CY2019, CY2020, and/or CY2021. Â
- Attestation process and timing: Interested qualifying providers must submit a signed attestation form by Feb. 18, 2022, to be considered.  Â
For more information, please see the informational video and FAQ. Please direct any questions and/or feedback to hcbs.spendplan@fssa.in.gov.Â
Indiana FFA Celebrates National FFA Week, Feb. 19-26
The Indiana FFA State Officer team will connect with members around Indiana promoting agriculture education and FFA in celebration of National FFA Week.
INDIANAPOLIS (Feb. 16, 2022) — The Indiana FFA Association and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture will celebrate all things blue and gold for National FFA Week from February 19 – 26, 2022. National FFA Week remembers more than 94 years of FFA tradition and history while also highlighting and celebrating the success stories of the 735,000 members of the national organization.
“I am incredibly proud of the work FFA members do year-round to support and promote Indiana agriculture,†said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Secretary of Agriculture. “National FFA Week is a great opportunity for our FFA members to show their community, schools and neighbors what FFA and serving others is all about. I am excited to see the work completed by these young leaders during this weeklong celebration.â€
Starting in 1948, the National FFA Board of Directors designated a weeklong celebration to recognize George Washington’s example and legacy as a leader and farmer. For the past 74 years, FFA members across the country have taken part in agricultural, leadership and service-based activities during National FFA Week.
“FFA has a strong history in agriculture and in community service,†said Bruce Kettler, Indiana State Department of Agriculture director. “This week is a great opportunity for FFA members to give back to their community and their school and to recruit new members to join this outstanding organization.â€
Tamara Ketchen, Director of the Indiana FFA Association, is looking forward to seeing all the work done this week in FFA chapters across the state.
“National FFA Week is a time for local chapters to highlight their programs showcasing their success and passion for agriculture,†Ketchen said. “We also use this as an opportunity to recognize community supporters and broadcast the mission of the organization.â€
During the week, chapters host a variety of events to educate, advocate and celebrate the agricultural industry. From a school petting zoo to a farmer’s breakfast, these activities pay homage to the dedication and commitment of today’s agriculturalists. During National FFA Week, the Indiana FFA State Officers travel the state to participate in activities with local FFA chapters and their communities.
FFA encourages the next generation of leaders who will change the world. FFA members are our future leaders, our future food suppliers, our future innovators and more! Whether it is through service projects or community gatherings, National FFA Week is a time for FFA members to raise awareness about agricultural education and the role the National FFA Organization plays in the development of agriculture’s future leaders.
USI Softball heads to Music City for six games
EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana Softball gets a taste of the Midwest Region this weekend when it heads to Smyrna, Tennessee, to compete in the Trevecca Nazarene University Music City Invitational.
All six of USI’s opponents this weekend are Midwest Region opponents, which will put added weight to the games’ outcomes.
The Screaming Eagles (3-3) open the weekend Friday when they take on Tiffin University at noon and Trevecca Nazarene at 2 p.m. USI continues the weekend with games against Kentucky Wesleyan College and the University of Findlay Saturday at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively, while Sunday’s final day pits the Eagles against Ferris State University (9 a.m.) and the University of Wisconsin-Parkside (11 a.m.).
Trailblazer basketball to host annual Play 4 Kay games Thursday
VINCENNES, Ind. – The Vincennes University Men’s team will be hosting their annual Play 4 Kay night at the P.E. Complex, Thursday, Feb. 17 when the VU men’s team takes on Region 24 opponent Southwestern Illinois.
All ticket sales for Thursday’s games will be donated to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, with a total donation goal of $1,000.
Vincennes University Athletics will also be taking donations all throughout the month of February to be donated to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.
Yow passed away from stage 4 breast cancer in early 2009. She coached the North Carolina State women’s basketball program from 1975 until shortly before her death. During her more than three decades on the sidelines for the Wolfpack, Yow earned induction into the Naismith Hall of Fame with more than 650 of her 700-plus career wins.
The nationwide Play 4 Kay program is an opportunity for coaches to raise breast cancer awareness and research funds on the court, across campuses, in communities and beyond. Since its inception in 2007, the Play 4 Kay initiative has generated more than $7.7 million for the cause.
VU Athletics began partnering with the Kay Yow Cancer Fund in 2013 and has since donated over $20,000.
Fans are encouraged to wear pink Thursday night to help show your support for cancer awareness and the continued battle for cancer research.
T-shirts will be available for purchase at the main gate as you enter the P.E. Complex, with all proceeds being donated to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.
You can donate to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund at the main gate at all VU basketball games in the month of February or you can donate directly through the Kay Yow Cancer Fund website at: https://support.kayyow.com/give/303125/#!/donation/checkout