After the birth of Jesus and He grew older, He was on the move doing the things necessary for all mankind to become recipients of His salvation. The reason that Jesus was born into the world was because of the mercy and grace of a loving God. The words in Romans chapter 9 vs. 15 come to mind. The bible says; ‘For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy, on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.”
After the Apostles were given miraculous gifts Jesus said to them in Matthew 10 vs. 8; “Heal the sick, cleanse lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely you have received, freely give.” Before we go any further be advised, there are no Apostles today who can heal the sick, cleanse lepers, cast out devils and raise the dead.
Acts chapter 3 vss. 1 thru 3 says; “Now Peter and John went together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a certain lame man from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple, who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked alms.” The lame man was hoping to receive something. He was about to receive a tremendous blessing!
Vss. 4 thru 6 says; “And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said; “Look at us.” So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” Instantly the lame man was healed, because of the goodness of the Lord, who had endowed His apostles with miraculous gifts.
Vss. 7 thru 10 says; “And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple praising with them—walking, leaping, and, praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God.Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.”
Remember Peter said to the lame man “in the name of Jesus of Nazareth rise up and walk.” Believe it to the fullest extent possible that today there is power in the name of Jesus!
Philippians chapter 2 vss. 11 and 12 says; “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.”
Which begs the question? Do you know Jesus? If not you need to.
As the holiday season approaches, Indiana 211 is reminding Hoosiers that help is only three digits away. Whether families are seeking holiday meals, toy assistance, winter shelter, or support with basic needs, Indiana 211 is available to connect residents with local, trustworthy resources across all 92 counties. Holiday and Winter Resource Support
Hoosiers can contact 2-1-1 or search online at in211.org for statewide assistance programs including:
Holiday Meals & Food Programs
Christmas meal sites
Emergency food pantries
Holiday food box programs
Community meals with extended winter hours
Winter Shelter & Warmth Resources
Warming centers and overnight emergency shelters
Severe Weather Contingency shelters
Utility assistance agencies for heating support
Holiday Giving Programs
Toy distribution
Holiday clothing drives
Mental Health & Crisis Support
Immediate emotional support
Connections to local counseling, warm lines, and crisis teams
Referrals for grief support resources
If you or someone you know is currently experiencing thoughts of suicide, or a mental health or substance use crisis, please call 988 to reach Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and speak with a trained crisis specialist 24/7.
Get Help or Speak with a Community Navigator
Phone: Dial 2-1-1 or 1-866-211-9966
Available Mon.- Fri., 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
or
Text: Text your ZIP Code to 898-211 Available Mon.- Fri., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Indiana’s state budget surplus could grow to nearly $5 billion by the middle of 2027 under new and much rosier tax revenue projections.
An updated report presented Thursday to the State Budget Committee forecast tax collections growing by 4.2% this fiscal year and by 2.7% the following year.
That would give the state about $2.4 billion more than officials expected when the new state budget was finalized in April — and revenue growth was anticipated at 0.8% and 0.1% for the two years of the spending plan.
But Republican state fiscal leaders showed no signs of any spending boosts for the tight budget that took effect July 1.
“It was a positive forecast and it was good news for our state,” House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jeff Thompson said. “But remember, we’re less than 25% through this biennial budget, so there’s some uncertainty still.”
The revenue growth would push the state’s cash reserves from what had been an expected $2.7 billion in mid-2027 — about 12% of annual state spending — to $5 billion, or about 22% of state spending. That is well above the 10-15% level that leaders usually aim for.
Democrats said the unexpected revenue should allow the state to restore spending cuts made after the Legislature was “spooked” by the dismal April forecast.
Rep. Greg Porter, the top Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee, said the state needed to make better use of the available funds rather than more tax cuts.
“The people who really need it, the special needs individuals, our children, seniors, they’re going to be left out in the cold,” Porter said.
Gov. Mike Braun touted the revenue forecast as “evidence that our focus on jobs and wages to grow the economy is working.”
“We are boosting Hoosier wages and lowering taxes,” Braun said in a statement. “While many other states are struggling to gain momentum, Indiana is thriving and Hoosiers are keeping more money in their pockets.”
Medicaid costs growing slower
New projections also show Indiana’s Medicaid program costs will grow slower than expected as the number of people it covers has dropped about 15% in the first year of Braun’s administration.
Indiana Family and Social Services Administration Secretary Mitch Roob speaks during a State Budget Committee meeting on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (Photo by Tom Davies/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
The state’s rising Medicaid expenditures have been a major worry of state budget officialsfor the past several years — and a new forecast of those costs released Thursday indicated some relief.
The previous forecast released in April had Medicaid costs jumping by 9.5% during the current state fiscal year and 7.7% next fiscal year, for a total increase of $1.2 billion over those two years.
The new projections have those growth rates slowing to 3.2% and 6.4% per fiscal year, totaling about $465 million less in state spending for the two-year period.
That cost slowdown comes as Indiana’s enrollment in the low-income health care coverage has dropped from about 2 million people at the beginning of this year to 1.7 million in November — a removal of about one in every seven people who were enrolled.
Family and Social Services Administration Secretary Mitch Roob, who oversees the Medicaid program, attributed much of the enrollment drop to the income verification letters now sent every three months that started in April.
But the state’s Medicaid expenses haven’t dropped by a similar rate because those who’ve not maintained their enrollment are healthy and not often seeking health care, Roob said.
“You have fewer patients, but you’re covering the sicker patients,” Roob told the Indiana Capital Chronicle ahead of Thursday’s State Budget Committee presentation.
Roob said the state agency doesn’t know yet how frequently those dropped from the Medicaid rolls by not responding to the income-verification letters eventually are re-enrolled.
“You’d probably need at least 18 months worth of data to discern that,” Roob said. “I think that’s an important question and it’s worth knowing, but we don’t know it yet.”
Payment cuts for autism therapy
Medicaid officials presented their plan to reduce payments for applied behavior analysis, or ABA, therapy that is often used to improve communication and learning skills in children and young adults with autism or other developmental disorders.
The plan is to reduce the state’s current ABA therapy payment rate of about $68 an hour to near what Medicaid officials say is the national average of $61 an hour.
The payment cut is planned to take effect in April for a program that has seen its use surge in recent years. More than 8,000 Hoosiers rely on Medicaid to pay for ABA therapy, with most of them between three and eight years of age.
Roob said Braun had told him to get ABA therapy costs to a “reasonable” spot.
“We think smack dab in the middle is reasonable,” Roob said. “We value ABA therapy, right? But we can’t afford ABA therapy for all in perpetuity.”
Indiana’s Medicaid program began covering ABA services in 2016, spending about $21 million over the following year.
Expenditures peaked at $611 million in 2023, and dropped slightly to $445 million in 2024, after former Gov. Eric Holcomb’s administration set lower reimbursement rates.
VINCENNES, Ind., December 19, 2025 – Vincennes University continues its mission of service this holiday season, as VU students, staff, and faculty unite to support surrounding communities in a spirit of generosity and goodwill.
VU supported 95 children and 51 families through the University’s long-standing Christmas Families Project. This was made possible by the generosity of VU faculty and staff. They donated new toys, clothes, shoes, books, gift cards, and more to students and families from all six schools in the Vincennes Community School Corporation: Vigo, Riley, Franklin, Tecumseh-Harrison elementary schools, Clark Middle School, and Lincoln High School.
Meeting the needs of students also spurred a partnership between the VU Bowling Centerand the VU Student Success Center. They are hosting a special Food and Coat Drive on Dec. 19 and 20. Donations benefit Sandy’s Pantry, which serves VU students by helping address food insecurity and basic needs throughout the academic year.
Additionally, VU Athletics spread holiday spirit by hosting a toy drive during a Dec. 8 basketball doubleheader. This event supported the University’s Toys for Tots drive, ensuring that no child feels forgotten on Christmas.
The spirit of service extended across generations as VU students, staff, and faculty volunteers gathered at Jefferson Student Union to fill laundry baskets for the VU Generations Area 13 Agency on Aging & Disability’s 17th annual Build-A-Basket project. Filled with everyday essentials, the baskets provide older adults and individuals with disabilities across six counties, including Knox, Greene, Daviess, Dubois, Martin, and Pike, with items such as dish soap, toothpaste, and deodorant.
In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, students in the Ceramics Club and Culinary Artsprogram partnered to support Helping His Hands. Students in the Ceramics Club created around 120 one-of-a-kind bowls, while students in the Culinary Arts program prepared three kinds of delicious soups. They sold the soup in the handcrafted bowls for $15. All proceeds went to Helping His Hands, which operates a food pantry in Vincennes.
VU thanks everyone involved and all those committed to serving others throughout the year, which aligns with the University’s motto: Learn In Order To Serve.
Indiana Statehouse Tour Office
Guided tours of the Indiana Statehouse are offered Monday through Friday.
For more information contact us.
(317) 233-5293 Estanley@idoa.in.gov
December 22,1935 A 22-foot statue of St. Nicholas was completed at Santa Claus, Indiana. The 40-ton statue still stands as a symbol of the festive town.
December 23,1867 Businesswoman, entrepreneur and philanthropist Madam C. J. Walker is born in Indianapolis, she establishes a cosmetics company which makes her the first American woman to become a self-made millionaire.
December 24,1968 Apollo 8 becomes the first manned spacecraft to orbit the moon. Commander of the mission is Gary native Frank Borman.
December 25,1962 The Soldiers and Sailors Monument celebrates the first “Circle of Lights.”
Where in Indiana
Do you know where this photo was taken?
Visit us on Instagram to submit your answer.
1. How tall is the Soldiers and Sailors monument?
2.How many strands of garland does it take to create the Circle of Lights?
3. How many lights are strung on the Soldiers and Sailors monument to create the “Worlds largest Christmas tree”?
4. Who installs the garland and lights on the Soldiers and Sailors monument each year? Answers Below
Our Where in Indiana? from last week was taken in Santa Claus, Indiana.
“Christmas-time is the best time because it is the kindest time. Nobody ever felt very happy without feeling very kind, and nobody ever felt very kind without feeling very happy.”
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Missouri Valley Conference action continues for the University of Evansville men’s basketball team faces Drake at 3 p.m. on Sunday inside the Ford Center.
ESPN+ and Purple Aces Radio Network will have the broadcast.
Last Time Out
– Belmont scored the first six points of the game and would hang on for an 83-78 win over the Purple Aces on Tuesday
– Trent Hundley put together his top performance in an Evansville uniform hitting six of his 10 shots from long range on his way to 20 points
– Leif Moeller added 17 while AJ Casey scored 10 points; James Dyson-Merwe set highs in points (5) and rebounds (9) versus the Bruins
Taking Control
– Trent Hundley finished with 20 points in the MVC opener against Belmont
– Hitting a career-high six 3-pointers, Hundley had his top point tally in his time at UE
– Of his 20 points, 14 came in the second half as he played over 30 minutes
– Prior to the effort versus the Bruins, Hundley’s top scoring efforts at UE saw him register nine points on four occasions including the opening three games of the season
– Hundley is shooting 41.9% from outside and 44.2% from the field; he is 7th in the MVC in 3-point shooting
Double Figures
– For the first time since Nov. 23 against Akron, AJ Casey reached double figures with 12 points against Belmont
– Casey is averaging 8.8 PPG over the last four contests to go along with 2.0 steals
– He is UE’s second-leading rebounder with 5.5 per game including 11 versus Ball State
– Casey is 16th in the MVC with 5.50 boards/game and is 6th in offensive rbs (2.33/gm)
Finding the Scoresheet
– After averaging 5.9 PPG in the opening nine games, Leif Moeller has recorded 13.7 PPG in his last three games including a career-high of 21 points at WKU
– Moeller hit his first five 3-point tries in the second half at WKU after going 7-for-33 (21.2%) before that time; he is 9-of-18 from long range in the last three contests
– The freshman scored 17 points against Belmont while his first double figure effort was 14 points in the win over Oregon State
Huntsville, Ala.: The Thunderbolts were again victimized by strong opposing goaltending and rotten offensive luck, as they were shut out 2-0 at Huntsville on Friday night. The Thunderbolts’ next home game at Ford Center will be on Saturday, December 20th against the Peoria Rivermen at 7:00pm CT.
The first period was nearly scoreless, with Kristian Stead making several strong stops to keep Huntsville off the board. The Havoc did manage to take a 1-0 lead in the period’s final minute with a cross-crease pass and goal for Ben Schultheis. After a power play opportunity for Evansville went without a goal midway through the second period, the Havoc countered to make it 2-0 as Frank Trazzera scored with a shot that went off the post and into the net. Despite pulling Stead, the Thunderbolts were held scoreless down the stretch, 2-0 the final score. Stead did his best to keep Evansville in the game, stopping 28 of 30 shots. The Thunderbolts and Havoc meet again on Friday, January 9th in Huntsville, with Huntsville leading the regular season series 2-1.
Robert Burns (1759-1796), Scotland’s best-known poet and farmer, was ploughing his field one day when he upended a mouse’s winter nest. The poem Burns wrote in the original Scots language, “To A Mouse”, is as difficult to decipher as Peg and I found trying to comprehend conversations when we visited Scotland. Therefore, I will cite the English version that in part says to the “Little, sleek, cowering timorous beast”:
“I’m truly sorry man’s dominion
Has broken Nature’s social union,
And justifies that ill opinion,
Which makes you startle,
At me, your poor earth-born companion and fellow mortal?
….
But Mouse, you are not alone,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best-laid schemes of Mice and Men
Go oft awry,
And leave us nothing but grief and pain .…”
Then Burns turns his thoughts inward towards his own fate:
“Still you are blessed compared with me!
The present only touches you:
But Oh? I backward cast my eye,
On prospects dreary!
And forward, though I cannot see, I guess and fear.”
In other words, the mouse may have lost his present home, but it is not burdened with regrets from the past or dread of the future. Shelter alone is the mouse’s concern, but Burns is chained to past misfortunes and the possibilities of future disasters, much as each of us humans are. The mouse’s loss of a temporary home pales in comparison to mankind’s sentient reality.
Gentle Reader, you may wonder what these two conflicting perspectives have to do with anything. Of course, you may not even take note. However, to me the dilemma between the Wee Beastie’s loss of a nest and Burns’ acknowledgement that “ignorance may be bliss” came clearly into my mind when Peg said, “Jim, I smell a dead mouse in the kitchen”. Naturally, the onus was upon me to answer for the mouse’s demise and alter any more future consequences. I am married; I know the drill.
My first response was my fallback position for all domestic quandaries, I ignored it. Unfortunately, Peg was not willing to let nature deal with nature so waiting until the smell was gone was not feasible. Then I searched for a mouse corpse in the usual places, such as under the kitchen sink or near the pantry, nothing. Next, I checked around the outside of our log cabin to see if there was an odiferous source in Peg’s dried flowers, nope.
All easy solutions failed me. The dreaded, “Jim, someone (me) needs to crawl under the house to see if some animal (we have lots of them) died there and is rotting away”. Oh, the glories of flashlights, facemasks, knee pads and possible confrontations with Big Foot or perhaps an upset skunk. I donned my gear and armed myself with a large trash bag and a short-handled shovel.
After about an hour of banging my head and digging up suspect piles of damp dirt I declared a truce with Ma Nature and told Peg I thought the smell was well on its way to dissipation so we should just hang on awhile. You might already know how that resolution was received.
The combined leadership of Gehrich and Wright positions the college for continued growth and success during this transition.
VU Interim Provost Jaci Lederman said, “Outstanding leadership is measured by progress and preparedness for the future. Mike Gehrich exemplifies both. Kimberly Wright’s knowledge of the University and the College of Technology make her uniquely positioned to propel the college forward.”
Gehrich has served VU for more than 30 years. Before assuming the role of interim dean, he was the longtime director of VU’s Aviation Technology Center (ATC) in Indianapolis.
As dean, Gehrich improved operational efficiencies and enhanced external partnerships. His key achievements include obtaining significant Perkins funding for new equipment and renewing a vital partnership with Lincoln Welding. He also elevated the College of Technology by launching new programs, such as the Early College Certificate of Program Completion program, the Knox County Construction program, and a new 4-H camp in collaboration with Purdue University. Gehrich also invested strategically in core infrastructure, notably purchasing a new fleet of aircraft for the Aviation Flight Program.
Since 2001, Wright has held various roles at VU. She has been involved in numerous workforce development initiatives, including upskilling and training workers, developing curriculum and partnerships, and managing teams and projects of all sizes.
“I am honored to have been selected as interim dean, and I am excited for this new opportunity,” Wright said. “I look forward to working with University leaders, faculty, staff, and students to build on the strengths of the College of Technology.”
Wright contributed to VU’s launch of the firstAmazon Mechatronics and Robotics apprenticeship program in the nation as the program’s manager. As a College of Technology faculty member, she taught computer-integrated manufacturing, robotics, and electronics. Wright also held program coordinator and assessment roles. Additionally, she directed a Project Lead the Way initiative offering innovative learning experiences for five local high schools. She also coordinated theEarly College Program at Vincennes Lincoln High School.
Wright holds two VU degrees, an associate degree in Robotics and a bachelor’s degree in Technology Management. She also holds master’s degrees in Adult and Community Education and Executive Development for Public Service from Ball State University.
She is also a veteran of the U.S. Army and the Indiana Army National Guard. She served in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.
