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Meet Scott Kinney CEO-Library Director Of The  Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library

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Meet Scott Kinney CEO-Library Director Of The Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library

Earlier this week the Publisher of the City-County Observer contacted me and asked me to write a short article about myself and the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library.  We chatted for a few minutes and during that conversation, I was able to tell him about all the exciting things that have been going on at EVPL.  I began working at EVPL on January 4th, 2020. Who knew what a tumultuous year 2020 would have been back then?  The year began normally enough, I was able to visit all of our wonderful facilities and meet many of our wonderful staff members.  Of course, everything changed in early March, when a new virulent virus had begun spreading across my newly adopted state. 

In consultation with our outstanding library Board of Trustees, we, unfortunately, had to suspend in-person library services in mid-March.  Like many other public libraries across our state and nation, EVPL moved quickly, pivoting to enhance our online services.  

Your EVPL staff never stopped serving the residents of Vanderburgh County.  We enhanced our eBook, eAudio, Movie, and Music download offerings.  We enhanced our website to make it more user friendly, added an online library card registration feature, and increased the number of student eCards.  EVSC students in grades 3-12 now have EVPL student eCards that allow them to access all the EVPL online resources.  These services were also made available to the private schools in Vanderburgh County. 

EVPL also enhanced our already popular “EVPL to Go” curbside service.  This service is now available Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., at every EVPL location.  We also took the time to make many repairs to our facilities, striping parking lots, installing new lighting fixtures and installing new security cameras at our locations.  We also installed new water fountains that allow our users to fill water bottles.

New computer equipment was also installed in preparation for re-opening to the public.  We now have new self-check stations at every EVPL location. Wi-Fi reach was extended, and Wi-Fi printing was made available at all EVPL locations. 

Your dedicated EVPL staff also participated in professional development workshops, ensuring they will be providing you the best possible service.  We also completed our newest EVPL Strategic Plan.  Some of the action items are already underway, like our new Maker Space, complete with 3D printers, Podcasting, Cricuts, Drawing tablets, SLR camera and green screen.

We also re-launched Business Central, adding a new page for people looking to expand their business or to learn how to start a new business.  We also hired a new Business Librarian.   Education Central was also rebranded.  We have enhanced both our digital and print education materials and will continue to build partnerships with educators and homeschool families.

Most importantly, the EVPL staff using our new maker tools learned how to take our programming online.  We hosted and presented Storytimes, authors, musicians, and created new tutorials to help you use our newly expanded resources.  Our talented staff has created some of the best digital programmings I have seen, but I might be just a little bit biased.  

These are just some of the exciting things that have happened this past year.  Stay tuned, because I am sure there will be plenty more new and exciting things this coming year.

I almost forgot, Ron asked me to tell you a little bit about myself.  Sorry about that, it much more fun writing and telling you our great library staff.  Besides, I am a firm believer in you are only as good as what you are accomplishing now, and not what you have done in the past.

However, with that said a promise is a promise. 

In my most previous position, I was the Director of the Mobile Public Library, located in Mobile, Alabama. While there, I worked with elected officials, the Library Board of Trustees, Friends of the Library, and the Mobile Public Library Foundation to provide the best in library service to more than 412,000 thousand Mobile area residents. The Mobile Public Library was also recognized for meeting the Gold Standard by the Alabama Library Association, their highest honor.

Prior to being named the Director of the Mobile Public Library, I was the Director of the Sweetwater County Library System located in Green River, Wyoming.  The Sweetwater County Library System is the largest County Library System inland area served in the country, serving residents over 10,500 square miles. In addition, I served as the director of the Chadron Public Library in Chadron, Nebraska. While in Chadron, CPL launched a plan that provided literacy development for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. CPL also instituted Homebound Services, Adult Summer Reading and created programs to revitalize the library’s teen user base.

I also served as the Manager of Access Services of the Laramie County Library System in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where I oversaw the Technical Services Division.  While at LCLS I also managed the Public Computer Room, served as a reference librarian and maintained the library system’s website. As a member of the LCLS Management Team, I was involved in the planning process for Laramie County Library System’s new 100,000 sq ft Central Library, the 2008 National Library of the Year. Prior to this I also held several positions at Both Florida State University and Kearney State College.

Preserve Women’s History, Inspire Others

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by Indiana Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch

For me, a highlight of 2020 has been chairing the Indiana Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission. The commission was created to commemorate and celebrate the 100th anniversary of Indiana’s ratification of the 19th Amendment, which guaranteed that the right to vote could not be denied on the basis of gender. By preserving the collective work incredible Hoosier women and men made throughout this movement we are inspiring future generations.

As a commission, we wanted to ensure that this important piece of history is not and will not be forgotten. The suffrage movement demonstrated that ordinary people, when working together, can make an extraordinary impact. The legacy of women leading the way in Indiana is not a new phenomenon, rather it is a part of the very fabric of who Hoosiers are.

During 2020, I traveled our state to share and learn more about how the suffrage movement unfolded in Indiana. The Commission developed and supported programming aimed at unearthing untold or lesser-known stories as well as those that would both educate and preserve the individual and collective legacies of women whose efforts were instrumental in the movement.

Some of my favorite moments include:

  • Jan. 16 Statehouse Celebration – Hundreds, from General Assembly members and suffrage commissioners to Girl Scouts, League of Women Voters members and ordinary citizens, gathered to recognize Indiana’s ratification of the 19th Amendment.
  • Preserving Women’s Legacy Grants – One-time grants allowed Indiana Main Street organizations in Angola, Michigan City and Peru to discover, preserve and tell stories about the contributions women made in their communities.
  • Suffrage Block Party – In August, the Indiana Historical Society, Indiana State Museum and others hosted a weeklong virtual celebration featuring talks, and workshops highlighting the work of suffrage scholars, thinkers, artists around Indiana.
  • New artworks unveiled at the Statehouse – Two original works of art, a quilt titled “Together” by Indianapolis artist Kassie Woodworth and a painting titled “nineteenth” by Decatur artist Shelby Nower, were unveiled as part of the state’s permanent public art collection.
  • New discoveries – Thanks in part to Indiana Humanities’ May Wright Sewall Fellowships, we learned more about how Indiana women shaped suffrage and politics, including the lives and work of Black Hoosier suffragists and Monroe County and South Bend-area suffragists, and the participation of Black Hoosier women in the 1920 elections immediately following the ratification of the 19th Amendment.

More can be found about these projects and other activities the commission supported throughout the year at IndianaSuffrage100.org.

This year serves as a reminder that we truly are in this together. The collective work women and men of the 19th and 20th centuries committed themselves should serve as both a reference and a charge to dream wildly and pursue the unthinkable. When we preserve women’s history, we are equipping future generations with the understanding that it takes everyone to raise Indiana and our nation to greater heights than ever before.

EPA Releases Guidance On Destroying And Disposing Of PFAS And PFAS-Containing Materials

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) aggressive efforts under the PFAS Action Plan, the agency is releasing new interim guidance on destroying and disposing of certain PFAS and PFAS-containing materials for public comment. Specifically, the new interim guidance outlines the current state of the science on techniques and treatments that may be used to destroy or dispose of PFAS and PFAS-containing materials from non-consumer products, including aqueous film-forming foam for firefighting.

“With this interim guidance, EPA is providing important scientific information on available technologies that can assist with the destruction and disposal of PFAS,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “This action is a critical part of our efforts to increase the understanding of PFAS and support our federal, state, tribal and local partners as we address these emerging chemicals of concern.”

In the limited time provided under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20 NDAA), the interim guidance assembles and consolidates information in a single document that generally describes thermal treatment, landfill and underground injection technologies that may be effective in the destruction or disposal of PFAS and PFAS-containing materials. To help ensure informed decision-making, the technology-specific information describes uncertainties and how those uncertainties should be weighed given situation-specific factors, such as the waste’s physical phase (liquid, solid, gas).

EPA’s ongoing research and development is leveraging in-house expertise and external partnerships to help address the knowledge gaps identified in the draft interim guidance. Additionally, there are many current research efforts being coordinated across the federal government to help address PFAS destruction. EPA will incorporate this increased knowledge into future versions of this guidance to help decision-makers choose the most appropriate PFAS disposal options for their particular circumstances.

As required by the FY20 NDAA, the interim guidance addresses PFAS and PFAS-containing materials including:

  1. Aqueous film-forming foam (for firefighting).
  2. Soil and biosolids.
  3. Textiles, other than consumer goods, treated with PFAS.
  4. Spent filters, membranes, resins, granular carbon, and other waste from water treatment.
  5. Landfill leachate containing PFAS.
  6. Solid, liquid, or gas waste streams containing PFAS from facilities manufacturing or using PFAS.

The interim guidance is not intended to address destruction and disposal of PFAS-containing consumer products, such as non-stick cookware and water-resistant clothing.

The agency is also providing guidance on testing and monitoring air, effluent, and soil for releases near potential destruction or disposal sites. EPA’s interim guidance captures the significant information gaps associated with PFAS testing and monitoring and identifies specific research needs to address the FY20 NDAA requirements.

EPA will accept comments on the Interim Guidance for 60 days following publication in the Federal Register. For more information, please see www.epa.gov/pfas. EPA will then consider and incorporate comments, as appropriate, into a revised document. EPA will also review and revise the interim guidance, as appropriate, or at least once every 3 years.

EPD DAILY ACTIVY REPORT

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EPD

EPD REPORT

“RIGHT JAB AND MIDDLE JAB AND LEFT JAB” DECEMBER 23, 2020

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Right Jab And Middle Jab And Left Jab” was created because we have a couple of commenters that post on a daily basis either in our “IS IT TRUE” or “Readers Forum” columns concerning National or International issues.

The majority of our “IS IT TRUE” columns are about local or state issues, so we have decided to give our more opinionated readers exclusive access to our newly created “LEFT JAB and Middle Jab and RIGHT JAB”  column. They now have this post to exclusively discuss national or world issues that they feel passionate about.
We shall be posting the “LEFT JAB” AND “MIDDLE JAB” AND “RIGHT JAB” several times a week.  Oh, “LEFT JAB” is a liberal view, “MIDDLE JAB” is the libertarian view and the “RIGHT JAB is representative of the more conservative views. Also, any reader who would like to react to the written comments in this column is free to do so.

ADOPT A PET

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 Groundhog is a 2-year-old female! She is named that because someone abandoned her in the VHS’ back parking lot, where the shelter’s family of wild groundhogs hangs out. She is a sweet girl and will make somebody a wonderful pet. Her adoption fee is $40 and she can go home TODAY spayed, microchipped, and vaccinated. Get details at www.vhslifesaver.org/adopt!

 

 

Eagles release 2021 baseball schedule

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USI receives votes for Collegiate Baseball Preseason Poll

University of Southern Indiana Baseball is set to throw out the first pitch of 2021 February 26 when Lake Erie College visits the USI Baseball Field. The Screaming Eagles also start the season in the national spotlight after receiving votes for the Collegiate Baseball Division II Top 40 preseason poll.

The Eagles have been ranked or received votes for the national preseason poll each of the last 14 years, getting the top spot in 2011 and 2015 after winning the 2010 and 2014 national championships.
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USI throws out the first pitch in two months when it hosts a three-game series with Lake Erie  February 26-28 at the USI Baseball Field. The three-game series starts a 40-game COVID-19 shortened schedule that includes a 32-game Great Lakes Valley Conference slate.

? The non-conference schedule also is highlighted by a three-game road trip to Trevecca Nazarene University (March 5-6); a home-and-home series with Kentucky Wesleyan College (April 9 and 13); and a single game at home versus Oakland City University (April 28).

The 32-game 2021 Great Lakes Valley Conference schedule starts March 12-14 when USI visits the University of Illinois Springfield for a four-game series. USI begins the home portion of the league schedule March 19-21 when preseason 37th-ranked Quincy University visits the USI Baseball Field.
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The conference home campaign, in addition to four-game sets with Quincy, includes the University of Missouri-St. Louis (April 2-4); Lewis University (April 16-18); and the University of Indianapolis (April 30-May 2). The Eagles are on the road in the GLVC against Maryville University (March 26-28); McKendree University  (April 9-11); and preseason 7th-ranked Lindenwood University (April 23-25).
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The GLVC Tournament is May 13-16 and will be played at the Lou Brock Sports Complex in St. Louis, Missouri.

The NCAA Division II Tournament has changed this season to include a super-regional format. The Midwest Regional is May 20-22, followed by the Midwest Super-Regional May 28-29. The NCAA II Championship Series is June 5-12 in Cary, North Carolina.
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The Eagles begin their 15th season under the direction of Head Coach Tracy Archuleta, who has a 483-265 (.646) record at USI and is the all-time winningest coach in the history of the program. USI was 6-8 in 2020 before the season was cut short due to COVID-19.

HEALTH DEPARTMENT UPDATES STATEWIDE COVID-19 CASE COUNTS

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BREAKING NEWS: State Has Been Reporting Inaccurate COVID-19 Positivity Rate

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Holcomb

State Has Been Reporting Inaccurate COVID-19 Positivity Rate Due To Computational Error

 

Indiana Lawyer and  Indianapolis Business Journal Staff

Indiana health officials have erred in reporting the state’s COVID-19 positivity rate since the beginning of the pandemic due to a problem with the way it was computed, resulting in a lower rate than would be accurate.

Dr. Kristina Box, Indiana health commissioner, said Tuesday that she believed that the reported 7-day positivity rate for the state has consistently been two to three percentage points lower than it should have been.

“The error we discovered is in the software logic coding used to calculate our positivity rate. The error has existed since we began reporting the data,” Box said during Gov. Eric Holcomb’s weekly press conference on the pandemic. “We’ve been working with outside data scientists to identify the issue and to develop a fix.”

Next week, the state plans to correct the state’s 7-day and all-time positivity rate, as well as the methodology for calculating the 7-day positivity rate for counties.

However, other statistics related to the pandemic reported by the state — including the number of cases per 100,000 individuals, the number of deaths and the overall test counts — have not been affected, Box said. Holcomb emphasized that the movement trends in the positivity rate throughout the pandemic closely mirrored the accurate numbers, and thus officials wouldn’t have made any different decisions.

On Tuesday, state health officials reported that the state’s 7-day positivity rate was 12.2% for all tests and 24.2% for unique individuals.

Aces show resiliency in non-conference finale

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UE falls by 72-63 final

Trailing by as many as 15 points, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team cut the deficit to five in the final minutes before falling to Belmont by a final of 72-63 on Monday evening at the Ford Center.

Making his second appearance in a Purple Aces (2-4) uniform, Samari Curtis had a career game, recording 19 points on a 3-for-4 game from outside and an 8-of-10 showing from the charity stripe.  Noah Frederking added 11 for Evansville.

“I thought the difference in the game was how physical they (Belmont) were.  They were able to drive it to the rim and play through the contact,” UE head coach Todd Lickliter explained after the game.  “We knew it was going to be a challenge.  Every possession was so crucial tonight, you did not get many breaks; we had to be efficient on every possession.  We are making those strides.”

Shooting 55.3% on the night, Belmont (8-1) was effective in the paint, outscoring UE by a 44-16 final in that department.  JaCobi Wood paced the Bruins with 18 points while Luke Smith tallied 14.  Wood was 6-for-8 from the floor and connected on six of his seven free throw tries.

Belmont scored on its first two possessions to take an early 4-0 lead before the Aces took their first advantage, scoring 14 in a row to make it 14-4.  Evan Kuhlman had the first two buckets of the night before Shamar Givance found Noah Frederking for an open three on the break.  The Aces continued their blistering start as Jawaun Newton added a pair of free throws before a Givance layup and Samari Curtis triple capped off the run and gave UE a double-digit advantage at the 11:47 mark.

While the Aces were hitting on all cylinders, the Bruins missed six in a row and turned the ball over four times while going scoreless for just over seven minutes.  They quickly reversed that trend, going on a 29-7 run.  Following their scoreless drought, BU hit 11 of their final 15 shots in the period.

Trailing by 10, the Bruins posted five in a row before Thomasi Gilgeous-Alexander found an open Iyen Enaruna for a nice layup. That put a temporary half to the run before Belmont added 10 more unanswered. Following Curtis’ second triple of the game at the 4:55 mark, the Bruins added 11 more in a row to go up 30-19 with 2:31 remaining in the half.

In a wild final 11 seconds of the half, the teams combined to hit three triples.  Givance found Newton with 11 ticks left before EJ Bellinger answered on the other end.  With just under three seconds left, Shamar Givance heaved one up from several feet behind the line that found the bottom of the net at the buzzer to make it a 36-27 game in favor of Belmont at the half.

Givance and Bellinger each had seven to lead their teams in the first period.

Out of the half, Belmont’s hot streak continued as they extended the advantage to a game-high 15 points at 45-30.  A pair of triples from Kuhlman and Curtis quickly knocked six off of the lead five minutes into the half.  Evansville hit five out of six from outside in the final sequence of the first half and the opening portion of the second.

As the game transitioned into the final minutes, the Bruin lead hovered around 10-12 points, but the Aces staged a late rally to get back into it.  Belmont led by 10 with four minutes remaining before Frederking drilled his third long ball of the night.  Following a missed Bruin shot, Newton converted a jumper in the paint that made it a 66-61 game with 2:33 left.

UE had a chance to get even closer as a Kuhlman block gave the Aces a chance to get within a possession, but a turnover saw Belmont extend the lead back to seven before they would finish with the 72-63 win.  The Aces finished the night shooting 40.0% while Belmont finished at 55.3%.  The Aces took 11 3-pointers with 11 finding the bottom of the net.  Frederking and Curtis hit three apiece.

Missouri Valley Conference action is next with Evansville beginning play on Sunday, December 27 with a 3 p.m. game at Southern Illinois.  Monday’s contest against the Salukis will be a 5 p.m. tip.

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