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HEALTH DEPARTMENT UPDATES STATEWIDE COVID-19 CASE COUNTS
Fleeing Suspect Flips Vehicle then Fights with Deputies
Shortly before 11 PM yesterday evening a Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s deputy attempted to stop a silver Nissan Altima in the area of Diamond Avenue and Saint Joseph Avenue because the driver had run off the edge of the roadway a few times. Rather than stopping, the driver, later identified as Brad Cole of Evansville, led the Sheriff’s Office on a pursuit before losing control and completely flipping his vehicle. Cole was not wearing a seatbelt at the time and as a result was ejected from the driver seat into the rear passenger seat of his car. Determined to avoid arrest Cole then climbed out of the window in an attempt to run; however the deputy gave chase.
The pursuing deputy deployed his Taser against the suspect as he was reaching into his waistband, but the Taser proved ineffective. The chase continued until another deputy joined in to help subdue Cole as he fought them. While Cole was being taken into custody deputies located suspected methamphetamine and marijuana. Cole was transported to a local hospital due injuries sustained when his vehicle crashed, and will be arrested for the following charges upon his release: resisting law enforcement, battery on law enforcement, possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, reckless driving, and driving with a suspended license.
Arrested Brad Cole, 39, of Evansville
Presumption of Innocence Notice: The fact that a person has been arrested or charged with a crime is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
THE FAMILY FOUNDATION CALLS SLOTS BILL A “ALICE IN WONDERLAND” POLITICAL MOVE
Sullivan’s Bill Paves Way For Personal Delivery Robots Passes Out Of The House
The Indiana House of Representatives voted 95-0 to advance State Rep. Holli Sullivan’s (R-Evansville) legislation that would pave the way for local governments to begin partnering with companies to utilize autonomous delivery robots in communities throughout the state.
According to FedEx, on average, more than 60 percent of small businesses’ consumers live within three miles of a store location and expect more products to be delivered to their home. To support the use of this growing technology, Sullivan’s bill would set up guidelines for device regulations, acceptable roadway routes and local government involvement.
“The pandemic highlighted the importance of businesses thinking outside the box to get their products to Hoosiers’ doorsteps,” Sullivan said. “This bill sets up a framework to help local cities and towns partner with businesses, like FedEx and Amazon, to decide if this new delivery technology is the right fit and how best to deploy it.”
Sullivan said a personal delivery device is a robot that delivers goods to consumers through contactless methods. She said each device has different specifications depending on its service provider and types of goods it’s meant to carry. FedEx’s robot, named Roxo, stands approximately four feet tall, is able to carry up to 100 pounds, travels within a five-mile radius and can climb steps and curbs to deliver packages. In comparison, Amazon’s electronic robot, called the Amazon Scout, is smaller and drives best along sidewalks in neighborhoods. Hoosiers could order takeout, groceries or receive small or large packages. Sullivan said even before COVID-19, there was a growing need for on-demand, hyper-local delivery services, but now the pandemic has highlighted the importance of alternative ways for Hoosiers to receive online purchases.
According to Sullivan, House Bill 1072 would also include safeguards, allowing neighborhoods to voice their support or concern if a program were to start in their community and establishing requirements for devices to have such as cameras, headlights, turn signals, accessibility and more.
By implementing these devices, Sullivan said she also expects it to generate more jobs as people would be needed to maintain or repair each device, analyze data and monitor the devices’ operation.
“Indiana invests a large amount of money in K-12 STEM education, and we are nationally known for some amazing higher education institutions,” Sullivan said. “Having this kind of innovation would create job opportunities for those students, and encourage them to continue living and working in Indiana.”
UE Faculty Senate Releases Results of Faculty Poll on Realignment
UE Faculty Senate Releases Results of Faculty Poll on Realignment
Daniel Byrne, Secretary-Treasurer UE AAUP
Evansville— 2/3/21 —The University of Evansville (UE) Faculty Senate has released the results of a faculty poll on the university’s ongoing realignment process. The poll was conducted between Wednesday, January 27th and Sunday, January 31st. Seventy faculty members participated in the poll.
Of the seventy respondents, twenty-three (33%) said that they had met with a senior administrator todiscuss the draft academic realignment plan. Four of those twenty-three (17%) reported that the President had been present at one or more of those meetings. When asked whether they would characterize the meetings they attended as “meaningful and productive,†seven of the twenty-three (30%) responded affirmatively and sixteen responded negatively. The seven who found their meetings to be “meaningful and productive†praised EVPAA Dr. Michael Austin for his interest in their proposals.
Of the sixteen faculty members who felt otherwise, a number commented that their questions went unanswered at their meetings.
The poll also asked the faculty if they approve of the draft academic realignment plan. Sixty-eight faculty members answered this question and sixty-two (91%) said that they do not approve of that plan. Among the negative responses, the most oft-cited problems with the plan were the incompleteness of the data from which the plan was constructed and the lack of faculty involvement in the construction of the plan.
Of the six positive responses, a number noted the need for the university to achieve financial stability.
The next question asked faculty members if they are concerned about the future of tenure at the University of Evansville. Sixty of the sixty-nine respondents (87%) said that they are. Many of those sixty expressed worries regarding the attitudes of the President and the Board of Trustees towards tenure.
Among the nine who are not concerned about the future of tenure at the university, there was little consensus, but some did point to the fiscal challenges being faced by the President and the Board.
The last question in the poll asked, “How do you believe the faculty should respond to the realignment plan going forward?†This question elicited a wide range of responses. The common themes within themajority of the responses were the need for the faculty to continue to push back against the President’s plan, the importance of public action, and support for the university’s AAUP chapter.
We, the UE chapter of the AAUP, thank the Senate for conducting this extremely helpful poll. We would also like to thank each and every faculty member who took the time to participate in the poll. The results offered a variety of perspectives on the realignment process and all were helpful and valuable.
As the realignment process moves forward, we hope that more such polls will be conducted.
To learn more:
• Visit our website at saveue.com • Follow us on Facebook at Save UE
• Follow us on Twitter at @Save_UE • Follow us on Instagram at save.ue
• E-mail us at ueaaup@gmail.com
Visit IndianaUnclaimed.Gov on First-Ever National Unclaimed Property Day
Today, on the first-ever National Unclaimed Property Day, Attorney General Todd Rokita is encouraging Hoosiers to visit IndianaUnclaimed.gov and search for unclaimed property.
The Office of the Attorney General’s Unclaimed Property Division has millions of dollars of unclaimed property to return to Hoosiers who take the time to search for their property at IndianaUnclaimed.gov. Searching for property takes just a few minutes and costs no money.
Attorney General Rokita is the only attorney general in the United States to oversee a state’s unclaimed property program. A longtime proponent of fiscal responsibility, Attorney General Rokita is committed to reuniting Hoosiers with their property.
Last year, the Office’s Unclaimed Property Division received more than $128 million in property and returned more than $55 million to Hoosiers. Millions of dollars’ worth of property is just waiting to be claimed at IndianaUnclaimed.gov by rightful owners, Attorney General Rokita said.
“It is a unique mission of this office to hold our citizens’ unclaimed property and to make sure it gets back into their hands, and I am committed to carrying out this responsibility with integrity and efficiency,†Attorney General Rokita said. “Our Office has made it extraordinarily easy for Hoosiers to search for and claim their property. I encourage all Indiana residents to visit IndianaUnclaimed.gov to get started.â€
Generally, unclaimed property is defined as a financial asset with no activity by its owner for an extended period. This includes unclaimed wages or commissions, savings and checking accounts, stock dividends, insurance proceeds, underlying shares, customer deposits or overpayments, certificates of deposit, credit balances, refunds, money orders, and safe deposit box contents.
In most cases, unclaimed property is held by the state for 25 years. After 25 years, unclaimed property can no longer be claimed and becomes the property of the state. To prevent property from becoming abandoned or unclaimed, Attorney General Rokita recommends Hoosiers do the following:
- Keep a record of all bank accounts;
- Indicate your interest in and awareness of all accounts by contacting the holder (the company that reported the unclaimed funds to the state) at least once every three years;
- Record all stock certificates and be sure to cash all dividends received;
- Record all utility deposits, including telephone, cable, and electricity deposits; and
- Cash all checks promptly, no matter how small.
If you file a claim at IndianaUnclaimed.gov, please allow up to 90 days for your claim to process.
For more information about the Office’s Unclaimed Property Division, visit IndianaUnclaimed.gov. You may also contact the Unclaimed Property Division at 1-866-462-5246 or updmail@atg.in.gov.
You may also like and/or follow the Unclaimed Property Division on Facebook by clicking here.
McNamara’s Bill Getting Hoosiers Back To Work, Bad Drivers Off The Road
The House Courts and Criminal Code Committee recently voted to support State Rep. Wendy McNamara’s (R-Evansville) legislation helping Hoosiers with suspended licenses get back on track.
According to the Indiana Prosecutor Case Management System, driving with a suspended license has been the top misdemeanor every year from 2015 to 2019. McNamara worked with Gov. Eric Holcomb on House Bill 1199, which would provide the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles more flexibility when working with Hoosiers whose suspended license is a result of not having insurance.
“Being caught driving without insurance can be like quicksand for low-income Hoosiers, because losing your license could mean losing your job and the ability to make ends meet for your family. Some people can’t bounce back from that, and we’ve got to do more to help,” said McNamara, chair of the committee. “By no means is this bill a get-out-of-jail-free card for those who intentionally break the law, but it’s a helping hand for Hoosiers whose insurance coverage lapsed accidentally. For motorists who work quickly to correct this, this bill would soften the consequences and they can get back on the road faster.”
According to McNamara, her bill would allow the BMV to lift a license suspension if an individual can provide proof that they maintained insurance for a period of 180 days. She also said if a person fails to show proof of insurance, pay outstanding court fines or appear in court for a traffic violation case for a misdemeanor or felony charge, the suspension on their license would continue.
Additionally, McNamara said this bill would allow the Indiana Department of Correction and BMV to help nonviolent offenders reentering the workforce by delaying their license reinstatement fees. Those who have completed their sentence, are serving time on probation or are currently enrolled in job training courses, and maintain consistent employment for at least three years could be eligible for this flexibility. She also said this bill gets Hoosiers back to work while also ensuring dangerous drivers are not on the road.
“Inmates released early for good behavior, parole or because they have completed their sentence, are likely to experience difficulties transitioning back into normal life,” McNamara said. “This bill attempts to ease the financial requirements to reinstate their license upfront, so they can obtain a job and take care of immediate expenses before paying back the fees.”
This bill would also extend the Traffic Amnesty program for one year. The program, which was created last session, allows Indiana residents with suspended drivers licenses or unpaid traffic fines imposed before Jan. 1, 2019, the option to petition the court for a reduced fine of up to 50 percent.
Commission to Combat Drug Abuse  Meets Virtually Friday
INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana’s Commission to Combat Drug Abuse will meet virtually Friday morning. At the meeting, Executive Director for Drug Prevention, Treatment and Enforcement Douglas Huntsinger and other commission members will discuss continued efforts related to the drug crisis. Chairman Huntsinger will make an announcement.
WHAT: Indiana Commission to Combat Drug Abuse
WHO:
- Douglas Huntsinger, Executive Director for Drug Prevention, Treatment and Enforcement
- Members of the Commission to Combat Drug Abuse
- Justin Phillips, Director, Overdose Lifeline, Inc.
WHEN:Â Friday, February 5, 2021 at 1 p.m. ET
LIVESTREAM LINK: https://www.in.gov/recovery/commission.htm