Home Blog Page 2404

HAPPENINGS AT THE VANDERBURGH COUNTY GOP

0
GOP ELEPHANT

Central Committee:
     Wayne Parke, Chairman
Mary Jo Kaiser, Political Director
                                          Dottie Thomas, Vice Chairman
                                                  Lon Walters, Secretary
     Farley Smith, Treasurer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
What:             GOP Caucus for Office of German Township Trustee Board
Where:         815 John St., Ste. 110, Evansville, Indiana Evansville
When:          Tuesday, February 2, 2021 at 6:00 PM (doors open at 5:30 PM)

As Chairman of the Vanderburgh County Republican Party, I am calling a Republican German Township Caucus to be held on Tuesday, February 2, 2021 at 6:00 PM.
The purpose of the Caucus is to fill the vacancy on the German Township Trustee Board.  This position is vacant due to the election of Board member Frank Peterlin to the Trustee position.
Any person interested in filing for this vacant trustee board position must reside in German Township, must complete a CEB-5 and CAN-12 forms, and have submitted these forms to Wayne Parke, Republican Party Chairman, prior to 4:00 PM Friday, January  29, 2021. Only German Township Precinct Committeemen will be allowed to vote to fill this position. The ONLY proxy allowed is the Vice-Committeeman who can vote in the absence of the Precinct Committeemen. 
At the Caucus, each candidate will  be permitted to have someone make a two-minute nomination speech and the candidate will be given three minutes to tell the PCs why they are the best candidate.
Wayne Parke
Chairman, VCRP
815 John St.
Suite 110
Evansville IN 47713

Years in the Making

 

After several years of planning and months of recruitment and interviews, it was a true joy to help kick off the inaugural class of the Indiana Republican Diversity Leadership Series. This has been a long-gestating program that is now underway to grow our party and create meaningful relationships with communities that have not historically been aligned with our party. As we continue to win at every level of government in Indiana, it’s critical that our party attracts new members who are inspired by our message. I’m confident that The Indiana Republican Diversity Leadership Series will help us achieve even greater heights.This week also brought the unwelcome but not surprising news that the new presidential administration will pursue a left-wing agenda. In his first few days in office, Joe Biden halted construction of the Keystone Pipeline and border wall. With a stroke of a pen, Biden killed over 10,000 union jobs, weakened our border security, and paved the way for higher gas prices. The president also approved taxpayer-funded abortions, higher insulin prices, and is banning fracking after saying he wouldn’t. We knew this was coming and it just reinforces that our work as Republicans doesn’t stop. Even though there is no election in Indiana this year, we’re laying the groundwork for our future success in 2022 and 2024.

It’s clear from the opening days of the new administration that Republicans will need to remain united to fight back against the left-wing agenda. Our ideas are better and our track record is better and together we can put conservative leadership back in charge in Washington DC.

Thanks,
Kyle

Mid-Week Musings
January 27, 2021
Executive Orders/Executive Overreach
           Pen manufacturershad to be encouraged by the start of the Biden administration last week as the President signed dozens of Executive Orders ranging from climate accords to COVID immunization. My guess is that the President was as familiar with the content of the orders he signed as some Congressmen were with the contents of the last COVID relief bill. Nevertheless, the President will be signing many more Executive Orders in the near-term reversing Trump-era orders and skirting legislative action.
           Example: the Census Bureau reported on January 21st that, “All work on the immigration status of the population of the United States regarding the 2020 Census was suspended on January 12, 2021.”
           Back home in Indiana, the Indiana General Assembly is about to have its say on executive orders (emergency ones anyway) as it deals with a number of bills introduced this session on the topic. Here is a sample: HB 1121 authored by Jim Lucas (R); HB 1123 authored by Matt Lehman (R); HB 1184 authored by Alan Morrison (R); HB 1244 authored by Ed Clere (R); HB 1250 authored by Chuck Goodrich (R); HB1296 authored by J.D. Prescott (R); HB 1354 authored by Mike Speedy (R); HCR 2 authored by Curt Nisly (R); SB 181 authored by Mike Gaskill  (R); and, SB 256 authored by Aaron Freeman (R). You may also want to look at SB 48 authored by Jim Tomes (R).
The Chief Executive Spoke Last Tuesday
           On Tuesday, January 19th Governor Eric Holcomb delivered his fifth State of the State address, not to a joint session of the General Assembly, but virtually due to the pandemic.
1.       Governor Holcomb outlined Indiana’s strong financial standing which continues to defy all the odds and puts our state in a position to:
·        Increase K-12 funding by $377 million and restore higher education funding by $103 million in the coming year.
·        Pay down $400 million of teacher pension debt.
·        Pay off outstanding bonds and mortgages on I-69 and three state hospitals.
2.       He doubled down on his commitment to making the Hoosier workforce stronger, more inclusive, and more prepared than ever before, including:
·        Building on the past successes of Indiana’s Workforce Ready and Employer Training Grant programs to fill thousands of open job positions.
·        Governor Holcomb is again asking the General Assembly to pass pregnancy accommodations for expecting mothers.
3.       He laid out a strong foundation for modernizing and strengthening Indiana’s infrastructure, including:
·        Completing I-69 from Evansville to Indianapolis, in addition to upgrading US Routes 30 and 31.
·        Expanding on our Next Level Connections program that’s bringing rural broadband to underserved communities.
·        Steaming ahead on two of the nation’s largest public transit rail projects.
4.       Governor Holcomb highlighted how Indiana’s investments in strong public health are paying dividends for Hoosiers:
·        Indiana’s infant mortality rate now stands at an all-time record low.
·        Over 575,000 eligible Hoosiers have scheduled their COVID vaccines.
·        Indiana now leads the nation in adoptions out of foster care.
5.       To close out his speech, Governor Holcomb emphasized the need to modernize our state government so that it works for all Hoosiers by:
·        Outfitting all state police officers with body cameras.
·        Appointing our state’s first Chief Equity, Inclusion, and Opportunity Officer to improve diversity outcomes across state government.
·        Getting Indiana’s diversity dashboard up and running as well as completing an outside review of our state’s law enforcement agencies and academies.
“Despite all the challenges and roadblocks that 2020 threw at us, there’s plenty of reasons for Hoosiers to be hopeful for a stronger, safer, and more stable tomorrow here in Indiana.” Eric Holcomb
The Importance of Taking In a Wide Range of Information
           What’s the value of reading authors and publications with which you disagree? What’s the use in reading only those sources which see things the same as you? Recently, one of our Chairs asked me why the State Party was paying for a newsletter that contained opinions and contributors not always supportive of Republicans. To me, these questions go to the heart of one of our greatest challenges as a party. We have to be willing not just to listen to people with different views from our own, but to really hear what they are saying.  We have to be knowledgeable of all sides of public issues in order to make our case for the positions we take. We have to be able to convince people to support us, not just coerce acceptance of our policies. We can only do that if we are willing to take in a wide range of information to process and use.

Aces overcome 16-point deficit to defeat Crusaders

0

UE holds Valpo to 18 second-half points

Four University of Evansville men’s basketball players reached double figures in an exciting comeback that saw the Purple Aces overcome a 16-point first half deficit to defeat Valparaiso by a final of 58-51 on Monday night at the Ford Center.

 

A 19-4 stretch in the first half saw Valparaiso (6-11, 3-5 MVC) open up a 28-12 lead.  Evansville (8-8, 6-4 MVC) was able to cut that deficit to nine points at halftime before holding the Crusaders to just 18 second-half points on the way to a 7-point win.  Jawaun Newton and Shamar Givance scored 12 points apiece.  Newton was an efficient 6-for-8 from the field while Givance was credited with 5 assists and 5 rebounds.  Jax Levitch was a perfect 3-for-3 from long range on his way to 11 tallies while Noah Frederking finished with 10 points, all coming in the second half.

 

“Valparaiso was generating good shots in the first half and they were able to make them.  I thought we needed to tighten up defensively and make it more difficult for them,” Aces head coach Todd Lickliter said.  “Our guys made a concerted effort to change that and I thought we defended it better and the stats show that.  We also got some poise and moved the ball a little more.”

 

Valparaiso had the upper hand at the start, jumping out to a 7-2 lead with the Aces converting just one of its first six attempts.  Jax Levitch got UE back on track with a 3-pointer to make it a 7-5 game.  After a triple by Shamar Givance made it a 9-8 game in favor of the Crusaders, neither team scored for a span of nearly four minutes.

 

That changed when Daniel Sackey scored five in a row inside of the 12-minute mark.  His baskets sent the Crusaders on a 19-4 stretch that saw them open up a 28-12 lead with 5:35 left in the half.  They hit seven out of eight attempts in the run while the Aces went cold, hitting two out of seven tries while turning it over five times.

 

Facing the deficit, the Aces made their way back in the final minutes of the half, chopping off seven points to head to the break trailing by a score of 33-24.  In the final minute, a 3-point play by Givance cut the deficit to 11 before Jawaun Newton converted a jumper at the buzzer to get his team back within nine.  The El Paso native hit 4 of his 5 attempts in the opening half.

 

UE continued to close the gap as the second half got under way when triples by Evan Kuhlman and Levitch made it a 37-32 game at the 16:25 mark.  A few minutes later, a tip-in by Noah Frederking got Evansville back within a possession at 39-36.  Junior Iyen Enaruna had a stretch that got UE within one thanks to a triple before his 3-point play gave Evansville its first lead at 47-45 with five minutes remaining.

 

Valparaiso quickly tied it up, but with the score knotted at 49-49, the Aces buckled down on every possession to take control of the game.  Newton started what would be a 7-0 run with a layup with 3:10 remaining before a Givance steal turned into a 3-pointer by Noah Frederking.  Following a Valpo miss, it was Givance connecting on a driving layup to push the lead to seven.  The Crusaders got back within five thanks to a Donovan Clay dunk in the final minute, but a pair of Frederking free throws put the game on ice and helped the Aces finalize the 58-51 win.

 

It was Clay leading the way for the Crusaders with 14 points.  He was 7-for-14 from the field.  In the first half, VU shot 54.2%, but UE’s defense clamped down in the final 20 minutes, holding them to 18 points on 9-of-24 shooting (37.5%).  Valpo was 5-for-8 from outside in the first half, but 0-for-5 in the second.  They shot 45.8% on the night with UE finishing at 44.2%.  The rebounding battle went Evansville’s way by a 34-24 final.

 

With the win, the Aces improved to 6-4 in the MVC and 5-1 at home in league games.  With the weekend sweep, UE is over the .500 mark in the MVC at this point in the season for the first time since 2016.

 

Up next for UE is a series at Loyola.  The Aces and Ramblers tangle on Saturday, Feb. 6 and Sunday, Feb. 7 with each game set to begin at 1 p.m. inside Gentile Arena.

 

VANDERBURGH COUNTY RECENT BOOKING RECORDS

0

https://www.vanderburghsheriff.com/recent-booking-records

Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners Meeting Agenda

0
civic center

AGENDA Of The Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners on February 2, 2021 At 3:00 pm, Old National Events Plaza Exhibit Hall A

  1. Reconvene Emergency Meeting
  2. Attendance
  3. Pledge of Allegiance
  4. Action Items 
    1. County Recorder: Contract Extension with Fidlar Technologies
    2. Rural Broadband Consulting Agreement with Morley 
    3. Superintendent of County Buildings: 
      1. OCH Lease with Artwork Unlimited
      2. OCH Lease with New Visions Counseling
    4. Health Department: 
      1. COVID-19 Vaccination Report and Update 
      2. Patoka Lake Contract for Water Testing
      3. COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics Volunteer Staff Contracts
  5. Department Head Reports
  6. New Business
  7. Old Business
  8. Consent Items
    1. Approval of January 19, 2021 Emergency Meeting Minutes
    2. Employment Changes 
    3. Burdette Park Vehicle Surplus Request
    4. County Auditor: Claims Voucher Reports 1/18-1/22/2021 & 1/25-1/29/2021
    5. Health Department: Request to Roll Over Accrued Time from 2020
    6. Letter of Support of HB 1426-Rural Broadband Access
    7. County Engineer: 
      1. Department Reports and Claims
      2. Vehicle Surplus Request
  9. Public Comment
  10. Recess Meeting

Evansville Police Department Pension Board Meeting

0

The Evansville Police Department Pension Board will hold an Executive Session on Wednesday, February 3, 2021 at 8:15 a.m.  The meeting will be held in Room 301 of the Civic Center Plaza.

The Executive Session will be closed as provided by:

I.C. 5-14-1.5-6.1(7). For discussion of records classified as confidential by state or federal statute.

Immediately following the Executive Session, a regular Open Session will be held 

in Room 301 of the Civic Center Plaza.

UE Faculty Endorses Questions About Institutional Realignment

0
u of E

UE Faculty Endorses Questions About Institutional Realignment

Evansville— 2/1/21 —The University of Evansville (UE) Faculty has endorsed a Faculty Senate resolution that asks the President of the university, Christopher M. Pietruszkiewicz, to clarify how his institutional realignment process will proceed. The resolution passed by 78 votes to 13 with 6 absences. The President now has until Friday to respond to the resolution.

The resolution endorsed by the Senate and the faculty argues that, while the implementation of the President’s institutional realignment plan has begun, much remains unclear regarding all three of its parts: the academic, the administrative, and the athletic. The resolution begins by discussing the academic part of the institutional realignment plan. It notes that the President has frequently said that he wishes to invest in existing areas of the university and to add new programs, but he has yet to formally name any of those areas of investment or new programs. It is also observed that the President has so far not publicly stated who will make the decisions regarding those areas of investment and new programs.

The resolution then goes on to discuss the administrative and athletic aspects of the institutional realignment plan. After quoting the President’s statement that those aspects of the plan “were considered from the beginning of the process,” the resolution explains the faculty’s present relationship to the administrative and athletic parts of the institutional realignment plan:

The faculty has received no data or information regarding how those areas were evaluated.

The “Realignment” section of the university’s website publicly offers historical data on the faculty, but provides no such data on the Administration or Athletics. Indeed, at this time, the President has yet to even confirm whether or not he has received the analysis of the Athletics program that he requested from BKD.

The resolution continues by noting the faculty has a right to “involvement in the non-academic parts of the institutional realignment plan” because this is an aspect of shared governance. This idea is supported by a quote from the AAUP’s “Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities,” a document that was endorsed by the President and the Chair of the Board of Trustees in their August 26th letter to the faculty:

The allocation of resources among competing demands is central in the formal responsibility of the governing board, in the administrative authority of the president, and in the educational function of the faculty. Each component should therefore have a voice in the determination of short- and long-range priorities, and each should receive appropriate analyses of past budgetary experience, reports on current budgets and expenditures, and short- and long-range budgetary projections.

As the resolution observes, “when institutional budgetary decisions are made, the faculty is entitled to a voice in those determinations and to a number of different forms of data.” Therefore, “it is necessary for the faculty to be involved in all the budgetary decisions within the construction of the institutional realignment plan.”

The resolution concludes by asking the President to offer written responses to twelve questions:

1. Why did the Senior Administrative Team publicly release an incomplete draft academic realignment plan that contains only proposed deletions and lacks any proposed additions?

2. What is the timeline for the proposed investments in existing programs and additions of new programs?

3. Who will make decisions regarding the proposed investments in existing programs and additions of new programs?

4. Will these program additions follow the procedure for “Curriculum Changes” outlined on p.219 of the Faculty Manual?

5. Will the faculty, the Senate or any committee thereof vote on the final complete academic realignment plan?

6. Did the Senior Administrative Team complete a full institutional review before the release of the draft academic realignment plan?

7. Why did the Senior Administrative Team not design its evaluation and decision-making processes to enable complete draft realignment plans for all areas to be released at the same time?

8. What is the timeline for the construction of the institutional realignment plan?

9. What criteria were used in the evaluations of the Administration and Athletics?

10. Will any of the data used within the evaluations of the Administration and Athletics be released to the faculty or made public?

11. How will the faculty be involved in the construction of the sections of the institutionalrealignment plan that relate to the Administration and Athletics?

12. Will the faculty, the Senate or any committee thereof vote on the final complete institutional realignment plan?

We, the UE chapter of the AAUP, are delighted that the faculty has supported this resolution. Despite the President’s Wednesday e-mail to the faculty regarding his draft academic realignment plan, much remains unclear regarding the larger institutional alignment process. The questions in the endorsed resolution need to be answered as fully and as quickly as possible so that everyone has a clear sense of the path that lies ahead. We sincerely hope that the President recognizes and responds to this need.

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

COVID-19 Crisis Response Fund Makes Final Push To Reach Goal

0

$5.1 Million of $6 Million Goal Secured

Evansville, IN: The COVID-19 Crisis Response Fund of the Greater Evansville Region is asking community members to “Do What You Can” once again to provide crucial assistance as the pandemic persists.

More than $2.6 million of the $5.1 million raised has been distributed to dozens of local nonprofits serving immediate needs as it relates to the crisis. These funds have been used for emergency financial assistance, shelter, personal protective equipment, technology, and other critical necessities.

As the pandemic lingers, the Fund seeks to move further into the phases of recovery and restoration. Continued support is vital to getting our neighbors back to work, helping our small nonprofits survive, and building a more resilient future for the Greater Evansville region.

In addition to immediate relief, the fund will support:

  • “Back-to-work” efforts
  • Technology advancements to support remote work or schooling
  • Mental health needs
  • Struggling nonprofits that have lost revenue due to cancelled fundraising eventsDonations can be made by credit card at covidresponsefund.com. Cash and check donations are accepted at all Old National Bank and Heritage Federal Credit Union branches. Checks should be made payable to United Way of Southwestern Indiana and reference Covid-19 Crisis Response Fund of the Greater Evansville Region (or GERF) in the memo. Mail checks to:United Way of Southwestern Indiana 318 Main Street, Suite 504 Evansville, IN 47708

All EVPL Locations Will Be Opened On A Limited Schedule

1

All,

For the past few weeks, members of the Administrative Team and the Location Managers have been discussing how and when EVPL would resume “in-person” services.  It was decided to resume our in-person services beginning Monday, February 15.

All EVPL locations will be open 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday – Friday, and 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Saturdays.  All other EVPL services (EVPL to Go, Book a Librarian and etc.) will continue 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

These conversations were not easy, and as to be expected were often difficult.  Trying to pick the “perfect time” to resume our in-person services, knowing that there are still varying levels of apprehension among our EVPL staff made this decision very difficult.  Unfortunately, with this disease, the pandemic and nature of our chosen profession, there will never be a perfect time.

Our jobs require us to work with the public, and often times to set the example of how to operate in these difficult times.  As I have said before your altruism, dedication, and caring are what make our profession and EVPL so unique.

Most scientists feel COVID-19, in some form, will be here for some time.  They also feel we can resume some functions of our daily life, as long as we are careful, and take the necessary precautions. Please remember how important it is to wear face coverings, use hand sanitizer, and continue to follow social distancing guidelines.

In the past two weeks we have seen the number of COVID-19 infections within Vanderburgh County go down significantly.  For the first time in almost two months, Vanderburgh County’s seven day positivity rate had gone below 10%.  We have not seen this figure this low since before the Thanksgiving Holiday break.

We appreciate everyone’s efforts to keep your coworkers and the public as safe as we can.

Scott Kinney

CEO-Director Of the Evansville/Vanderburgh Public Libraries

 

USI Men’s Basketball Gets New Schedule For February

0

USI Men’s Basketball Gets New Schedule For February

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball will emerge from its January quarantine to face a newly revised February schedule as it races toward the end of the 2020-21 regular season. The Screaming Eagles will be scheduled to play six of its final 10 games at Screaming Eagles Arena.

The Eagles (7-3) revised schedule begins next week on the road when their visit to William Jewell College has been moved from February 4 to February 5 (Friday) with a new start time of 6 p.m. The movement of the USI-WJC game to Friday also pushed the start of the Eagles game at Rockhurst University February 6 to 4 p.m.

USI also announced the rescheduling of three of the four games postponed due quarantine. Thursday’s USI-Quincy University showdown has been re-scheduled for February 10 at 3 p.m., while Saturday’s USI-Truman State University contest will be played February 15 at 3 p.m.

The Eagles’ game versus the University of Illinois Springfield, which had been rescheduled from December 3 to February 2, is being moved to February 23 at 5 p.m. The USI-Lewis University home game and the USI-McKendree University road game remains postponed indefinitely.

           The completely updated USI Men’s Basketball schedule in February is:

Date Time H/A Opponent Location
February 4, 2021 (Thursday) 6 p.m. Away William Jewell (Mo.) Liberty, MO
February 6, 2021 (Saturday) 4 p.m. Away Rockhurst Kansas City, MO
February 10, 2021 (Wednesday) 5 p.m. Home Quincy Evansville, IN
February 13, 2021 (Saturday) 3:15 p.m. Home Drury Evansville, IN
February 15, 2021 (Monday) 3 p.m. Home Truman State Evansville, IN
February 18, 2021 (Thursday) 7:30 p.m. Away Missouri Science & Technology Rolla, MO
February 20, 2021 (Saturday) 3:15 p.m. Away Maryville St. Louis, MO
February 23, 2021 (Tuesday) 5 p.m. Home Illinois Springfield Evansville, IN
February 25, 2021 (Thursday) 7:30 p.m. Home Lindenwood Evansville, IN
February 27, 2021 (Saturday) 3:15 p.m. Home Missouri – St. Louis Evansville, IN

 

VANDERBURGH COUNTY DEMOCRAT PARTY CHAIRPERSON WiLL NOT SEEK RE-ELECTION

1
Vanderburgh County Democratic Party
Central CommitteeEdie Hardcastle, Chair; ediehardcastle@gmail.com
Nick Iaccarino, Vice Chair
Alex Burton, Political Director
Cheryl Schultz, Treasurer
Melissa Moore, Secretary
Letter from the Chair

 

We have just lived through the most extraordinary January most of us have ever experienced. January 6th was a day of riotous insurrection that defiled America’s US Capitol building and led to a historic 2nd impeachment of Donald Trump. But, on January 20th, thanks in part to the 21,000 brave men and women of our National Guard, we were privileged to witness the inauguration of a new President of the United States, Joe Biden and the first woman and person of color to hold the office of Vice President, Kamala Harris.While national events have been unfolding at a breakneck speed, your Vanderburgh County Democratic Party has been working locally on expanding our grassroots programs, planning voter registration efforts for 2021, and preparing for a reorganization that is required by all County Parties.

All Precinct committeepersons will receive a call to caucus letter mid-February that will contain the caucus details of the reorganization scheduled for March 6.  On this date, Central Committee Officers will be voted in for a term of four years.  Our current officers, Nick Iaccarino, Melissa Morehead Moore, and Cheryl Schultz, will be running again to retain positions on the Central Committee.

I have chosen not to run again for Party Chair. Instead, I hope to continue to serve our Party as the Grassroots Coordinator, part of a team of amazing leaders who have made significant progress swinging Vanderburgh County back towards blue since 2016.

Now that Democrats are in control nationally, America can again make strides towards tackling climate change, building back infrastructure, and increasing access to affordable health care. However, Democrats must break the stranglehold that Republicans have on our state government if we ever hope to halt their efforts to dismantle public education, restrict voting rights, and keep wages stagnant and working families in poverty in Indiana.

Moving our state forward and away from regressive policies will require great Democratic candidates stepping up in 2022 and our Party supporting them through grassroots outreach to voters so that we may replicate the electoral successes modeled in Georgia and Wisconsin. Our goal is to turn Vanderburgh County back to blue in 2022 and with your continued commitment to our Democratic team, I know we will.

Thank you,

Edie Hardcastle
Chair, Vanderburgh County Democratic Party
Ready to run for office? Join us for our Candidate Call-Out to learn more about running in 2022, hear personal experiences from newly elected officials, and find out how to file to run!
Indiana Democratic Party Event on Zoom Tuesday, February 16, 2021
5:00 – 6:30pmCST Find more information HERE.
We extend our deepest sympathy to City Councilman Jim Brinkmeyer and his family on the death of his daughter-in-law, Haley Link Brinkmeyer, January 21.  Haley was married to Jim’s son, Evan.  Funeral services were held on January 29.
1...2,4032,4042,405...7,279Page 2,404 of 7,279