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HEALTH DEPARTMENT UPDATES STATEWIDE COVID-19 CASE COUNTS
Sheriff’s Office K9 Vehicle Damaged by Impaired Motorist
At 2:17AM on Friday December 11, 2020, the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to I-69, near the Green River Road exit for a motor vehicle crash. Deputies located a 2012 Audi AQ5 and a 2010 Ford Ranger in the median with heavy damage. The investigation resulted in the arrest of the driver of the Audi, Ryan Allen Jones,for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. Jones’ had a breath alcohol concentration of 0.208 g/210 mL of breath.
Deputies temporarily closed one of the northbound lanes of I-69 traffic in order for debris to be cleared from the roadway. While blocking the traffic lane a Sheriff’s Office vehicle, occupied by the deputy and his K9 partner, was rear ended by a 2016 Kia Sorento. The sport utility vehicle then crashed into the equipment trailer of the recovery crew that was clearing the debris. Even though there was condsiderable damage no one (including the canine) was injured during the crash.
The resulting investigation revealed that the driver, Ms. Breanne Kyle Lahart, was also under the influence of alcohol. Lahart failed on scene Standardized Field Sobriety Testing; however the Sheriff’s Office is awaiting confirmatory analysis of her blood by the Indiana Department of Toxicology. Lahart was arrested on probable cause and has a prior conviction for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated in 2016.
Arrested: (left) Ryan Allen Jones, 33, of Loogottee, IN and (right) Breanne Kyle Lahart, 28, of Evansville, IN. The image of Lahart is from her 2016 arrest.
Imaged above is the damaged Sheriff’s Office vehicle.
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.
UE Faculty Face Devastating Cuts
UE Faculty Face Devastating Cuts
Daniel Byrne, Secretary-Treasurer UEAAUP, ueaaup@gmail.com
Evansville— 12/11/20 — The President of the University of Evansville, Christopher M. Pietruszkiewicz, yesterday unveiled a plan that will cut essential departments, majors, and faculty members. The three departments to be eliminated entirely are Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Music, and Philosophy and Religion. In addition to the twelve majors within those departments, five more will be cut: Art History, History, Physics, Political Science, and Spanish. Faculty will be released from all five of those departments. There will also be losses in Biology, Chemistry, English and Creative Writing, and Math. In total, 38 Faculty members will lose their jobs: thirty-two in the College of Arts and Sciences and six in the School of Engineering and Computer Science.
In offering his plan, the President repeatedly referred to it as a “draft†and said that nothing has been decided as of yet. At the same time, he also pointed out that “impacted†Faculty members will be given 18-months notice and that such Faculty members will be meeting with the Provost, Dr. Michael Austin, “over the next couple of days.†Furthermore, the President noted several times that Faculty members will be given numerous opportunities “over the course of the next couple of weeks†to provide “questions and answers and comments and recommendations.†Yet, when asked if the Faculty, the Senate or any committee thereof would ever vote on the proposed plan, the President’s entire response was: “We would love the input of the faculty in general and if it comes as individual recommendations, if it comes as group recommendations, we’re happy for all of them.â€
The President’s approach to program change constitutes a serious and substantial breach of the university’s shared governance structure. Within that structure, the role of the faculty is clearly defined: “Faculty, acting with the President, determine all matters of educational policy with respect to academic programs including degree requirements, honorary degrees, curriculum changes, academic standards.â€
Determination is not “questions and answers and comments and recommendations.†Determination is voting. This is why the Faculty Senate has a Curriculum Committee that votes on program changes and then submits approved changes to the Senate for its endorsement. The President’s plan offers no recognition of the Faculty’s primary responsibility for educational policy.
We, the Faculty, deeply oppose the coming cuts and will fight them until they are withdrawn. Above and beyond the Faculty members who will lose their jobs, those cuts will also significantly harm the university’s staff, its administrators, and, most importantly, its students. As the President noted yesterday, the university’s “foundation†is its ability to offer a “well-rounded education†to each and every student. The coming cuts will remove departments and majors and so limit students’ major and course options. Those cuts will also necessarily result in a substantial contraction of the university’s General Education program. Every student at the university participates in this program and so every student will be affected.
We call upon students, staff members, administrators, alumni, board members, and everyone in the Evansville community to stand with us in fighting these cuts. The time has come to Save UE. Let’s do it!
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
State Files Civil Action Against Alleged Schemers Who Offered Respirator Masks To State Officials
Attorney General Curtis Hill has filed a civil lawsuit against an individual and a corporation that allegedly conspired to fraudulently obtain hundreds of millions of dollars from the State of Indiana during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The defendants, Zachary Puznak and Zenger LLC, offered to sell the state government millions of in-demand N95 respirator masks on behalf of the manufacturer, 3M. Indiana’s complaint alleges they had no actual connection to 3M, however. Nor did they have an ability to obtain N95 masks in such quantities.
The solicitation by Puznak and Zenger LLC, the complaint alleges, appears to have been nothing more than an attempt to quickly obtain a large monetary payment from the State of Indiana without delivering any product.
“These fraudsters tried to pull off their scheme in April of 2020,†Attorney General Hill said. “That’s when states across the nation were scrambling to obtain sufficient supplies of personal protective equipment to outfit first responders, health-care workers and essential businesses. Anyone attempting to use such times of crisis for unethical personal gain must be held accountable for their actions.â€
Indiana’s complaint alleges that Puznak and Zenger LLC committed multiple violations of Indiana’s Deceptive Consumer Sales Act and False Claims Act. Further, it seeks to prohibit Puznak and Zenger LLC from engaging in any sales of personal protective equipment to any purchasers in Indiana without first reporting specific details of their business activities to the Office of the Attorney General. Finally, the complaint seeks civil penalties to be determined at trial as well as reimbursement of litigation costs.
Meet Indiana First Lady Janet Holcomb
Meet Indiana First Lady Janet Holcomb
First Lady Janet Holcomb is the wife of Indiana’s 51st Governor Eric Holcomb. She grew up on a horse farm near Muncie, Indiana, where horses and ponies were her first passion in life. Janet rode competitively and loved participating in regional shows and 4-H.
She also developed a love of the arts, particularly drawing, early in life and went on to complete her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in fine arts at Ball State University. She was active in a number of campus organizations and was a member of a sorority. As a master’s candidate at Ball State, Janet held a graduate assistantship with the David Owsley Museum of Art.
As the daughter and granddaughter of small business owners, some of her most valuable lessons were learned at the family dinner table. Beginning in 2009, she served as vice president of her family’s manufacturing business, R&R Engineering, which has been producing and distributing bolts and fasteners across the U.S. and Canada for 50 years. For a decade prior to joining the business, Janet led many record-setting political fundraising efforts at the federal, state, and local levels. She has used her fundraising experience to benefit many non-profit organizations, including veterans’ groups, social service providers, animal welfare, arts organizations, and scouting programs.
Janet’s initiatives as First Lady are as broad as her interests. They include combating infant mortality, promoting the arts, supporting the state’s economic development efforts and promoting women in business. She enjoys encouraging youth organizations such as 4-H and scouting. Janet serves on the boards of Riley Children’s Foundation, the Hoosier Salon, and the alumni chapter of the Indianapolis FBI Citizens Academy.
Janet particularly enjoys sharing her passion for shooting sports and personal protection with other women. Earning her pistol instructor certification in 2015, she has led training classes throughout the state, often partnering with the Indiana National Guard and members of law enforcement.
In her role as First Lady, she frequently encourages young people to always try new things as one means of establishing an attitude of life-long learning. Following her own advice, Janet has appeared in two-holiday movies, grown a giant pumpkin, learned the art of cutting cattle on horseback, and appeared in an episode of the hunting show, “Pursue the Wildâ€, during which she successfully completed a Colorado Elk Hunt.
Janet enjoys cooking, reading, gardening, equestrian and bicycle riding, and anything that involves being outdoors, including fishing, hunting, and hiking.
Governor and First Lady Holcomb live in the Indiana Governor’s Residence with First Dog Henry. It should be noted that Henry, a miniature Schnauzer, has thousands of fans on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Scholarships For Civil Engineering Students
| Scholarships For Civil Engineering Students | |||||
| by State Representative Wendy McNamara | |||||
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The Indiana Department of Transportation is offering civil engineering students scholarships of up to $3,125 per semester and paid employment during summer breaks and upon graduation.
Students must be accepted or enrolled full time in one of Indiana’s certified civil engineering schools and apply using the form here. Applications for the 2021-2022 school year must be submitted by Dec. 31, 2020.
INDOT’s scholarship program uses federal funds to offer qualified students $3,125 per semester or $2,083 per trimester for up to five years of post-secondary civil engineering education. Scholarship funds can be used toward educational expenses, fees and books. In return, recipients will work for INDOT in full-time, paid positions during their summer breaks and upon graduation.
Eligible engineering programs include Purdue University, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Purdue University Fort Wayne, University of Southern Indiana, Trine University, Purdue University Northwest, University of Evansville, the University of Notre Dame, and Valparaiso University. To learn more about the INDOT Engineer Scholarship program and to apply, click  |
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Men’s Basketball To Face Former MCC Foe Saint Louis
Men’s Basketball To Face Former MCC Foe, Saint Louis
Riding the momentum from its first win of the season, the University of Evansville men’s basketball is back on the road for at Saint Louis for a 2 p.m. game on Saturday. NBC Sports Network and the Purple Aces Radio Network will have the broadcast
It’s Over!
– On Wednesday, the Purple Aces ended the longest winless drought in school history – 22 games – with a 68-65 win over Eastern Illinois
– It marked the first win for head coach Todd Lickliter since assuming the role in January of 2020
Last Time Out
– All five starters finished in double figures as the Aces fended off a furious challenge to defeat Eastern Illinois by a 68-65 margin on Wednesday night
– Making his season debut, Jawaun Newton poured in a career-best 19 points
– Evansville led by 15 (34-19) at halftime before EIU rallied, hitting its first six shots of the second half and 9 out of 13 triples in the latter period
– The Panthers came all the way back to tie the game before Evansville wrestled the lead away in the final minutes
Looking Back
– Evansville and Saint Louis were members of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference from 1982 through 1991
– The teams played 19 of their 29 all-time meetings over that span
– Since SLU departed the league in 1991, the teams have met just once – the 1998 Big Island Invitational in Hilo, Hawaii
– The Billikens have won five of the last six meetings in the series
He’s Back
– Making his season debut against Eastern Illinois, Jawaun Newton did not need much time to shake off the rust as he poured in a career-high 19 points in the big UE win
– Entering the game, Newton’s career scoring mark was 13 points in February at UNI, but he did it all versus EIU, knocking down 11 of his 13 free throw attempts
– He added 6 rebounds and 3 assists while drawing 8 fouls on the night
Continuing the success
– A season-high 15 points against EIU saw Evan Kuhlman raise he season average to 9.8 points per game
– It marked his second double-figure outing of the season after he opened with 10 at Louisville
– The consistent senior has scored at least seven in all four games while hauling in at least two rebounds while hitting all four of his free throw tries
Scouting the Opponent
– Saint Louis is a perfect 4-0 on the season and was ranked 27th in the AP Top 25 Poll and 28th in this week’s Coaches Poll
– The Billikens are a perfect 4-0 on the season, including an 85-81 win over LSU, and are outscoring the opposition by an average of 29.3 points per game
– Javonte Perkins is one of five double-digit scorers for SLU, averaging 19.8 points per game; he is a 60.4% shooter and checks in at 57.9% from outside
– Gibson Jimerson and Jordan Goodwin check in with 15.0 and 13.3 PPG, respectively
– Goodwin has notched 10.0 rebounds per contest