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Board of Trustees Receives Updates On How Vincennes University Is Boosting Student Success
HOT JOBS IN EVANSVILLE
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Operation Prevention
The DEA has joined forces with Discovery Education to provide no-cost online tools that support every member of the community with the power of prevention. Help kickstart life-saving conversations today with standards-aligned English & Spanish-language resources for students in grades 3-12, plus additional resources designed for educators, families, and professionals.Â
Operation Prevention provides curriculum for students in grades 3-12 on with lessons on opioid prevention as well additional multi-drug modules. It also has an opioid prevention curriculum for employees in the workplace, and cultural resources for the American Indian/Alaska Native community. All components are available online at www.OperationPrevention.com and are free.
Attached are a combined flyer with information for both the school curriculum and the workplace, as well as a flyer for just the school curriculum (English on one side, Spanish on the reverse) and a fact sheet about the program, for more detailed information please view www.OpreationPrevention.com.
JUST IN: Over 3,300 Gather for Right to Life Annual Banquet at Old National Events Plaza
Over 3,300 Gather for Right to Life Annual Banquet at Old National Events Plaza
EVANSVILLE, IN (August 26, 2021) –Right to Life of Southwest Indiana will host its Annual Banquet at the Old National Events Plaza tonight at 6:00 p.m. with over 3,300 guests in attendance. Headlining the evening is keynote Candace Owens, founder of the BLEXIT foundation, an organization dedicated to driving conservative principles into urban communities; and, the host of the weekly “Candace Owens Show.”
The Banquet serves as the organization’s primary fundraising event which helps with its major programs and projects such as the three Safe Haven Baby Boxes which have been installed in Boonville and Evansville Fire Departments and providing over 30,000 diapers to local pregnancy care centers.
Along with having a star-studded speaking lineup with Owens, Right to Life will announce its intent of purchasing a Mobile Clinic that will provide services to women such as ultrasounds, pregnancy testing and counseling for those who are in underserved areas within Southwest Indiana.
“Right to Life has always been pro-life and pro-woman,†said Mary Ellen Van Dyke, executive director for Right to Life. “We are now providing more ways than ever to reach out to women who need help in unplanned pregnancies.â€
Other speakers featured are Mike Fichter, CEO and President of Indiana Right to Life; Dr. Christina Francis, Chairwoman of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians/Gynecologists; Jennifer Christie, who will share her testimony of choosing life after a brutal rape; and, Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life, who will be awarded the 2021 Life Achievement Award for his lifetime work dedicated to ending abortion.
The Banquet was sold out, but donations may still be made through the website atwww.rtlswin.org.
 About Right to Life of Southwest Indiana
THE MISSION – The mission of Right to Life of Southwest Indiana is to protect life.
THE VISION †The vision is to protect the right of human life from fertilization to natural death.  www.rtlswin.org
CenterPoint Energy Seeks Approval For 335 Megawatts Of Renewable Energy Serving Southwestern Indiana
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   Proposed Power Purchase Agreements Represent The Next Component Of Company’s Smart Energy Future Plan Evansville, Ind. – Aug. 25, 2021 – CenterPoint Energy (NYSE: CNP) today announced its Indiana-based electric and natural gas business, CenterPoint Energy Indiana South, has filed a request for approval from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) to enter into two power purchase agreements (PPAs) for an additional 335 megawatts (MWs) of solar energy as part of the next component in the company’s long-term electric generation transition plan. The company is requesting approval to purchase 185 MWs of solar power, under a 15-year PPA, from Oriden, which is developing a solar project in Vermillion County, Ind., and 150 MWs of solar power, under a 20-year PPA, from Origis Energy, which is developing a solar project in Knox County, Ind. Subject to necessary approvals, both solar arrays are expected to be in service by 2023. The total 335 MWs from these developments is expected to supply enough power to meet the needs of more than 70,000 homes or 12,000 commercial customers per year. “These additional renewable resources would serve our local electric customers, providing a cost-effective, stable energy option,†said Steve Greenley, Senior Vice President, Indiana Electric Operations for CenterPoint Energy. “We look forward to partnering with Oriden and Origis Energy as they bring these projects to fruition.†In addition to the proposed PPAs, the company has filed and is awaiting an order on two other components of its electric generation transition plan. In February, the company filed a request with the IURC seeking approval to acquire a 300 MW solar array and an additional 100 MW PPA. In June, the company filed an application requesting approval to construct two natural gas combustion turbines to replace portions of its existing coal-fired generation fleet. “Oriden is proud to support CenterPoint Energy’s efforts to diversify their electric generation portfolio and contribute to the future of cleaner energy for its customers,†said Masahiro Ogiso, President and CEO of Oriden. “It really takes a team effort with our stakeholders to develop a successful renewable energy project like this. We would like to thank the leadership team at the Vermillion Rise Mega Park and our partners in Vermillion County for supporting this important initiative.†The PPAs totaling 335 MWs represent the next component of the company’s Smart Energy Future Plan to meet stakeholder sustainability goals and implement a cost-effective, well-balanced energy mix for its 145,000 customers in southwest Indiana as outlined in last summer’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). In June 2020, CenterPoint Energy presented the IRP results, which illustrated a preferred portfolio including nearly two-thirds of energy generated from renewable resources and includes flexible generation to meet seasonal peak loads. The portfolio seeks to maintain continued reliability while saving electric customers an estimated $320 million over the 20-year planning period. Johan Vanhee, Chief Commercial and Procurement Officer with Origis Energy said, “We thank CenterPoint Energy for partnering with Origis Energy to acquire clean power from our solar project in Knox County. We look forward to the completion of the project to assist CenterPoint Energy in meeting the future energy needs of its southwestern Indiana electric customers.†Greenley added, “The additional energy obtained through the power purchase agreements will further CenterPoint Energy’s Smart Energy Future strategy. We’re pleased to be working with trusted developers in pursuit of continued renewable generation to support the communities we serve.†CenterPoint Energy delivers electricity to approximately 145,000 customers in southwest Indiana in all or portions of Gibson, Dubois, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh, and Warrick counties. Programs and services are operated under the brand CenterPoint Energy by Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company d/b/a CenterPoint Energy Indiana South. Forward-Looking Statement This news release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this news release, the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “goal,” “intend,” “may,” “objective,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “projection,” “should,” “target,” “will” or other similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions of management which are believed to be reasonable at the time made and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Any statements in this news release regarding future events, such as the entry into and proposed regulatory approval of the two PPAs and timing thereof, the Company’s long-term electric generation transition plan and expected timing, benefits and generation mix resulting therefrom, expected timing of completion and power to be generated from the solar projects related to the two PPAs, anticipated cost savings and other benefits to customers, and any other statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement contained in this news release speaks only as of the date of this release. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the provided forward-looking information include risks and uncertainties relating to: (1) the impact of COVID-19; (2) financial market conditions; (3) general economic conditions; (4) the timing and impact of future regulatory and legislative decisions; (5) effects of competition; (6) weather variations; (7) changes in business plans; and (8) other factors, risks and uncertainties discussed in CenterPoint Energy’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, CenterPoint Energy’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2021 and June 30, 2021 and other reports CenterPoint Energy or its subsidiaries may file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. About CenterPoint Energy As the only investor-owned electric and gas utility based in Texas, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is an energy delivery company with electric transmission and distribution, power generation and natural gas distribution operations that serve more than 7 million metered customers in Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas. As of June 30, 2021, the company owned approximately $36 billion in assets and also owned 53.7 percent of the common units representing limited partner interests in Enable Midstream Partners, LP, a publicly traded master limited partnership that owns, operates and develops strategically located natural gas and crude oil infrastructure assets. With approximately 9,500 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com. About Oriden Located in Pittsburgh, Oriden develops, constructs, finances, owns and operates renewable energy projects throughout the United States. As local governments, public institutions and corporations prioritize cleaner sources for their energy needs, they want a developer with the ingenuity, the agility and the speed of a start-up — a fearless pioneer. But they also want to mitigate risk with a proven veteran that has the financial strength and experience to develop, commercialize, operate and own a highly complex project. Oriden is an authorized provider of the power solutions brand of Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc., which has more than a century of experience manufacturing, servicing and providing power and energy solutions globally. For more information, visit the Oriden website and the Mitsubishi Power Americas website. About Origis Energy Origis Energy is bringing clean and cost-effective solar and energy storage solutions within reach for utility, commercial and industrial as well as public sector clients. The Origis team has worked to ensure the interests of all stakeholders are upheld in 170 projects worldwide totaling more than 4 GW to date of developed solar and energy storage capacity. Headquartered in Miami, FL, Origis Energy delivers excellence in solar and energy storage development, financing, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and operations, maintenance, and asset management for investors and clean energy consumers in the U.S |
Baez Leads Otters To Win With Three-Hit Night At The Plate
For the second time in as many nights, outfielder Jeffrey Baez led the Evansville Otters to a 6-2 victory against the Windy City ThunderBolts Wednesday after another monster night at the plate.
Talking about déjà vu, the Otters won their third straight game that finished with a 6-2 final score, going back to Sunday’s win against the Gateway Grizzlies.
Individually, outfielder Jeffrey Baez recorded a three-hit night and hit a home run for the second consecutive game.
On Wednesday, Windy City managed to take a 1-0 lead after the top of the first on a sac fly and what ended up being a long inning on the mound for Evansville Otters starting pitcher Ryan O’Reilly.
The Otters backed up their pitcher and had an answer just like in Tuesday’s game.
In the bottom of the first, Josh Allen doubled and then scored on a single by Dakota Phillips to tie the game.
The Otters grabbed the lead right after when Jeffrey Baez hit a deep, two-run home run over the left-field fence.
With a 3-1 advantage, O’Reilly found his groove on the mound. The right-hander allowed an RBI double to Windy City’s Donivan Williams in the fourth that brought the ThunderBolts back within one, but O’Reilly was not shaken.
O’Reilly earned the win, going seven innings and striking out five.
Windy City’s starter, Kenny Mathews, was pulled after six innings with five strikeouts and three runs allowed. He took the loss.
Evansville scored one run in the seventh and added two more in the eighth.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Baez led off with a single, stole second, and then proceeded to score on an RBI single by Gary Mattis.
Mattis also finished with a multi-hit game.
Following his single, Mattis swiped second and third base, and then scored on a wild pitch to give the Otters their 6-2 lead.
Otters reliever Augie Gallardo pitched the last two frames behind O’Reilly, striking out four and allowing no hits or runs.
Gallardo earned the two-inning save, which the Otters’ bullpen achieved for the second consecutive night after reliever Tyler Spring earned a two-inning save on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, the Florence Y’alls split a doubleheader against the Joliet Slammers, so the Otters’ Frontier League West Division standings lead sits at 2.5 games. The Southern Illinois Miners are also inching closer, trailing by only three games in the standings.
Evansville will be searching for a series sweep of the ThunderBolts for the second time this season at Bosse Field on Thursday at 6:35 p.m. Right-hander Logan Wiley of Windy City will go up against right-hander Austin Gossmann of Evansville in the pitching matchup. Gates open at 5:30 p.m.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT UPDATES STATEWIDE COVID-19 CASE COUNTS
833,968 Indiana Residents Known To Have The Coronavirus
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Commentary: They Won’t Listen Because They Don’t Have To
Commentary: They Won’t Listen Because They Don’t Have To
By John Krull
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS—Power, sadly, often responds only to power.
That’s the reality of the redistricting process in which the Indiana General Assembly now is engaged.
Advocates for responsible and responsive government made many creative suggestions. They have called for lawmakers to establish a process that allows citizens to submit maps of legislative districts that accurately represent Indiana and its people. The idea aims to be a win-win: Voters feel more ownership over the political process and legislators get the benefit of free labor and ingenuity.
The lawmakers’ response—at least that of the Republicans who form supermajorities in both chambers of the Indiana General Assembly—has been to pat the good-government types who came up with the idea on the head and send them off to bed.
Those same good-government types have called for the process to be transparent. They have asked—politely, deferentially—the legislators to commit to a series of public hearings on redistricting at places and times convenient for citizens to attend.
The lawmakers—or, again, at least the Republicans who own supermajorities—have refused to make even that modest commitment.
That’s because they don’t have to.
“The problem is that the supermajority doesn’t have to listen,†Common Cause of Indiana Policy Director Julia Vaughn said. “It’s really frightening to think that they’ve set out a timeline that would provide no additional public (statewide) hearings and very little time for people to evaluate the maps that they’re now going behind closed doors to draw.â€
She’s right on all counts, but that’s the reality.
The members of the Republican Party who hold supermajorities don’t feel any debt or obligation to the public.
That’s one of the dangers of gerrymandering—the dark science of drawing legislative maps so they unfairly and inaccurately favor one party over another. Politicians who end up wielding power no longer feel that they draw that power from the people they’re supposed to represent.
Instead, they feel beholden to the system that keeps them entrenched in office. They feel responsible to other members of their party.
But to no one else.
That is what makes gerrymandering such a pernicious practice. Because it seals public officials off from the public they are supposed to serve, it undermines confidence in the process of self-government among citizens and encourages unchecked arrogance among the elected.
That’s because those elected officials come to think of their seats as things that belong to them rather than positions of trust they must earn.
But the problem is that, with the advances in map-drawing technology, a gerrymandered legislature can become a self-perpetuating thing.
The reason the GOP has supermajorities in both chambers is that Republicans were able to draw the maps with surgical precision 10 years ago. They created districts that protected Republicans and stuffed Democrats into as few slots as possible.
That gave the GOP the power to govern much of the time behind closed doors.
Because Democrats no longer have enough power even to call for a bathroom break without Republican permission, most of the truly important debates over policy questions now take place in caucus. That means they are out of public sight, away from the eyes and ears of the people from whom lawmakers in a democratic republic are supposed to draw their authority to govern.
Advocates for good government have made persuasive, reasonable and responsible arguments for opening up the redistricting process and making it more responsive to the public. They argue, accurately, doing so will restore faith in government and thus make government more effective.
But this is not a moment when sweet reason is likely to carry the day.
The fact is that gerrymandering has given Republican lawmakers in the General Assembly almost unchecked power. They don’t feel like surrendering any of it, regardless of how just and respectful the requests are that they should do so.
They are not going to listen to arguments in favor of responsible redistricting and good government.
Because they don’t have to.
They have the power in this process.
And power, sadly, often responds only to power.
FOOTNOTE: John Krull is director of Franklin College’s Pulliam School of Journalism and publisher of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.