Youth First, Inc. is celebrating the receipt of a $281,000 grant from the Youth Program Resilience Fund of Lilly Endowment Inc. The grant will help Youth First boost the mental health and well-being of thousands of young people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This much-needed grant will support multiple initiatives designed to lower the risks and lengthen the reach of Youth First during these extraordinary times,†said Parri O. Black, President & CEO of Youth First. “The grant will ensure over 42,000 young people, along with their parents and teachers, have access to Youth First’s social work services and prevention programs no matter what happens in the months to come.â€
Among other things, the grant will extend Youth First’s services into next summer after the school year ends, so that stressed and vulnerable youth and families continue to have the social and emotional support they need. It will also fund staff trainings, protective equipment, and other improvements that will increase the organization’s capacity to weather the pandemic.
Youth First’s mission is to strengthen youth and families by providing evidence-based programs that prevent substance abuse, promote healthy behaviors, and maximize student success. Youth First provides services and programs in 90 schools and communities in 11 Indiana counties: Daviess, Dubois, Gibson, Martin, Monroe, Morgan, Orange, Pike, Posey, Vanderburgh, and Warrick.
Youth First’s project is one of 297 grants awarded by Lilly Endowment’s Youth Program Resilience Fund to help youth- serving organizations across Indiana adapt to the challenges caused by COVID-19. The full list of grantees can be found here: https://lillyendowment.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/yprf-recipients.pdf. Grants from this fund are part of more than $170 million awarded by Lilly Endowment to help organizations service individuals and communities amid the pandemic.
PRINCETON — Gibson County Commissioners appointed retired International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Business Manager Paul Green as the clerk of the works for the proposed new jail construction project Wednesday, pending the Gibson County Council’s agreement to fund the project.
Commissioners expect to ask the county council for funding to begin the design of a 288-bed jail built on a new site, and to secure the property for the project.
If the council approves funding, commissioners will pursue an option to buy the property and compete for an engineering evaluation
Green’s role will be to work with the architectural firm American Structurepoint Inc. to submit a construction timeline to be submitted to U.S. Southern District Federal Court in order to comply with terms of a settlement agreement in a 2019 class action lawsuit filed against the county that alleges jail overcrowding and understaffing. The agreement sets out deadlines for achieving a jail that is not overcrowded and understaffed by January 2023.
County Attorney James McDonald read a statement at Wednesday’s board of commissioners meeting, explaining that commissioners are bound to the settlement agreement and its deadlines, which included hiring the architectural firm to present options to solve overcrowding and evaluate potential sites for an expanded jail.
American Structurepoint presented the study to the Gibson County Jail Committee in September, offering the options of a $41.8 million 288-bed jail built to accommodate needs for 20 years at a new site, a $34.4 million 196-bed jail built at a new site built to accommodate needs for 10 years, and a $44.6 million expansion of the jail to 288 beds at the current site.
The study recommended the 288-bed new build at a new site and the architectural firm proposed a construction schedule that includes six to seven months of design work, four to six weeks for bids and award, and 18 months of construction
Commissioners voted Oct. 6 to pursue the $41.8 million new build funded by cash reserves, revenue from the Economic Development Income Tax fund and the new jail tax fund. The Gibson County Council endorsed the new build option and identified funding sources as a combination of cash reserves, EDIT, and jail tax funds. The resolution was presented to the federal court judge on the settlement’s Oct. 13 deadline.
Commissioners voted Wednesday to direct the architect to design a 288-bed new site jail with an alternate bid that would defer 92 beds, and another alternate that would defer construction of the community corrections facility. “The commissioners will receive bids on the full 20-year solution and the less expensive 10-year solution in what is expected to be a very competitive bidding environment next year due to COVID,†McDonald said.
“We are under a very tight schedule to fulfill the requests in the lawsuit,†Commissioner Steve Bottoms said. “There are a couple of things I think we must do today, in order to have to have it constructed by January 2023,†he said as he offered the motion to direct the architectural firm to proceed and to hire Green as the clerk of the works for the project.
With a second from Board of Commissioners President Gerald Bledsoe, the motion passed 2-0. Commissioner Mary Key was not present at Wednesday’s meeting.
“We need to move forward on this as quickly as possible,†Bottoms said. “Even if do this immediately, the timeline will still be tight.â€
Even with the state expecting warmer temperatures this weekend, an Indiana winter will soon be here. The Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) encourages Hoosiers to get prepared during Winter Weather Preparedness Week, November 8-14.
Hoosiers can take advantage of the weekend warmth by ridding gutters of debris or leaves before snow and ice accumulate. When gutters are clogged and the ice and snow from winter storms melt, water can back up and flow beneath a roof, causing costly water damage. IDHS also recommends removing dead branches from trees surrounding the home. Ice and snow can weigh down branches, snapping them and potentially damaging property.
The National Weather Service, Chicago Office, offers two webinars on winter weather preparedness and weather spotter training on Nov. 12 and Nov. 19 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. EST/6:30 to 8 p.m. CST. The two identical sessions are free and open to the public, but registration is required.
Hoosiers also should use Winter Weather Preparedness Week to create or maintain a preparedness kit that may be needed during winter storms.
Items to add to a preparedness kit include:
Food and water for three days
Battery or hand-crank all-hazard (weather) radio
First aid kit
Extra clothing, sturdy shoes, blankets and personal hygiene items
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is honoring 75 truck carriers, logistics providers and freight shippers as industry leaders in supply chain environmental performance and energy efficiency with its annual SmartWay Excellence Awards. This year’s awardees, announced at a virtual award ceremony hosted by the EPA, represent the top-performing SmartWay Partners that move more goods more miles with lower emissions and less energy. The 2020 SmartWay Excellence awardees demonstrate how businesses in this crucial economic sector continue to lead through challenging times, exhibiting superior freight performance by saving fuel, shrinking their emissions footprints, and contributing to healthier air in the communities they serve.
“With this year’s SmartWay awards, EPA is recognizing 75 of our 3,700 plus SmartWay partners for outstanding environmental leadership in goods movement,â€Â said EPA Office of Air and Radiation Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator Anne L. Austin. “These companies are true leaders, investing in innovative technologies and business practices that save fuel, cut costs, and protect the environment.â€
This year’s awardee list is a diverse group of large and small companies from across North America that met or surpassed a high bar for recognition. Many are receiving the SmartWay Excellence award for the first time, while others have received the award at least five times, and three awardees earned the recognition in multiple categories.
Since 2004, SmartWay Partners have avoided emitting more than 134 million tons of air pollution, while saving 280 million barrels of oil and $37.5 billion in fuel costs – equivalent to eliminating annual energy use in over 18 million homes. SmartWay partners also help protect clean and healthy air by significantly reducing pollution that contributes to smog, including fine particulate matter and nitrogen oxides.
“Right Jab And Middle Jab And Left Jabâ€Â was created because we have a couple of commenters that post on a daily basis either in our “IS IT TRUE†or “Readers Forumâ€Â 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 JABâ€Â 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.
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Department of Health today announced that 4,462 additional Hoosiers have been diagnosed with COVID-19 through testing at state and private laboratories. That brings to 196,176 the number of Indiana residents now known to have had the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s dashboard.
A total of 4,269 Hoosiers are confirmed to have died from COVID-19, an increase of 45 from the previous day. Another 242 probable deaths have been reported based on clinical diagnoses in patients for whom no positive test is on record. Deaths are reported based on when data are received by the state and occurred over multiple days.
To date, 1,761,947 unique individuals have been tested in Indiana, up from 1,748,496 on Wednesday. A total of 3,073,855 tests, including repeat tests for unique individuals, have been reported to the state Department of Health since Feb. 26.
The state Department of Health will offer free drive-thru testing sites in the following locations today through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.:
Crown Point Lake County Health Department
2900 W. 93rd Ave.
Martinsville Morgan County Fairgrounds
1749 Hospital Dr.
Wabash Wabash Testing Clinic
1360 Manchester Ave.
West Lafayette White Horse Christian Center
1780 Cumberland Ave.
To find other testing sites around the state, visit www.coronavirus.in.gov and click on the COVID-19 testing information link.
INDIANAPOLIS — On the heels of his re-election win, Gov. Eric Holcomb addressed questions Wednesday about whether Hoosiers can expect more restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19.
In short: No, for now. Holcomb opened his weekly virtual press briefing by calling rumors he could impose more restrictions, like issuing a new stay-at-home order and closing schools, as misinformation. Indiana will continue with Stage 5 of its Back on Track reopening plan, Holcomb said, so long as the state’s hospitals are prepared to handle spiking cases and hospitalizations. He also emphasized that his administration’s decisions about the pandemic aren’t politically motivated.
Gov. Eric Holcomb at his weekly COVID-19 update urged Hoosiers to continue masking up and social distancing. TheStatehouseFile.com
“The only campaign that we’re running here is a campaign to try and save lives,†Holcomb said.
Indiana set a new record for COVID-19 cases reported in a single day Wednesday, adding another 3,756 cases and bringing the total to 191,764. And for the second consecutive day, hospitalizations related to COVID-19 peaked with some 1,897 reported hospitalizations. The state also reported 25 new deaths, continuing a devastating trend that saw 701 total Hoosiers die in October and 4,224 since the beginning of the pandemic.
But Holcomb and Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box said they remain confident Indiana can handle the surge at this time. To keep up that confidence, though, Box said hospitals need more support staff to handle the influx of COVID-19 patients. She noted some hospitals are again suspending elective surgeries to help treat those sickened by the virus and urged licensed healthcare professionals to volunteer to assist.
“They are frankly exhausted,†Box said of healthcare workers. “They are quarantined, or in family quarantine. They’re juggling family issues just like the rest of us…and some have even lost coworkers and family members to this disease. This all takes an incredible toll.â€
The National Guard deployed to help 149 long-term care facilities this week, which have been hit especially hard by the pandemic because of the vulnerable populations they serve. The goal has been to help staff at the facilities do their jobs by assisting with visitor screenings and making sure buildings adhere to guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control. More members of the National Guard are expected to deploy next week.
The state also continues to explore how to deliver a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available. Though many unknowns remain, ISDH Chief Medical Officer Dr. Lindsey Weaver said Indiana is still preparing for the first vaccines to arrive as early as this month, per direction from the federal government, and is currently looking for five pilot sites where those vaccines might be administered. Weaver also reiterated any vaccine released will go through a rigorous review process by the state before it is given to the public.
Until then, however, state leaders continue to urge Hoosiers to wear their masks, follow social distancing guidelines and practice good hygiene – a line that has been repeated multiple times at each COVID-19 briefing in response to questions about why the state has no plans for added restrictions, like those seen in the spring.
Dr. Lindsay Weaver, chief medical officer of the Indiana State Department of Health, provided an update on plan for distributing a COVID-19 vaccine when one becomes available. TheStatehouseFile.
But that’s continued to be a difficult sell for some areas of the state, Box explained. That includes Fountain County, one of three high-risk counties identified by a red label on the state’s COVID-19 dashboard for its rising positivity rate. Fountain County has been labeled a red county twice now, and Wednesday, Box spoke to a continued resistance there from people who don’t want to wear masks and follow other guidelines.F
“It takes buy-in from everybody in the community to work together, whether that’s the hospital system or the officials,†Box said.
Box said the Indiana Department of Homeland Security continues to help in educating the public about COVID-19 safety throughout the state, and Holcomb said local communities are empowered to make decisions that best address what they are experiencing during the pandemic.
“We do work together, from the state and local and federal level,†Holcomb said.
FOOTNOTE: Â Erica Irish is the 2020 Russell Pulliam student editor for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.Â
Every county in the state of Indiana employs a County Veterans Service Officer. They are a local point of contact for veterans in their county to assist with all veteran issues. They work closely with the Indiana Department of Veteran Affairs, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and various Veteran Service Organizations assisting veterans and their family members with Federal and State benefits they may be eligible for due to their military service. Click here to see a map of the state, locate your county and see contact information for your CVSO.
Veterans Day Virtual Events
There’s no shortage of observances, parades, events and workouts to join online! Here’s some of the largest Veterans Day events happening virtually.
Veterans Month Events
Veterans Day is Nov. 11, but veterans and their families are celebrated all month. View all events here.
Veterans Day Discounts
This Veterans Day discounts list will continue to be updated as we learn of more nationally available Veterans Day discounts, meals or other ways businesses and organizations want to give back to veterans. View the list here. Â
Veterans Day is Nov. 11
Submit artwork
Hey kids! To honor our veteran parents, grandparents, family and friends, we are asking for your artwork!
Submit a drawing of the service member or veteran in your life by Nov. 11Â with a note of appreciation and we will publish in a special bulletin. Send artwork to:
IDVA 777 N. Meridian St., Ste. 300 Indianapolis 46204 or e-mail to outreach@dva.in.gov.
*Optional to include child’s name, age, branch of service represented and city/town where you reside if you wish it to be posted with the artwork.
Virtual 5K Run/Walk
Make the most of Veterans Day and be in your own parade! Track your progress and share! Ask family and friends to join you in your 5K run or walk or go it alone, then share with veterans on social media. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A VETERAN TO PARTICIPATE.
Make the time arrangements to fit your schedule and invite others to join you (include the dog if he/she can finish the 3.1 miles).
Choose a place to walk/run.
Download or use an existing app to track your distance and progress.
Take pictures of your adventure.
Share a couple of pictures and your completed 5K on your app to the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs social media platforms.
Or send an e-mail to outreach@dva.in.gov with your name, if you are a veteran, branch of service, location of your journey and a comment if you would like. All of the information is optional.
Deadlines include finishing the 5K and sending pictures to our Outreach Team before Veterans Day Nov. 11.
November 4, 2020
Veterans Day Council event
The Veterans Day Council of Indianapolis, Inc., a voluntary non-profit organization fostering a wholesome relationship between the community and veterans of our Armed Forces, announces the cancelation of the annual Veterans Day breakfast and parade. In place of the annual events held near The American Legion Mall in Downtown Indianapolis, the Veterans Day Council will present a Veterans Day virtual service and awards ceremony to honor veterans. The virtual service will be live streamed online.
There is a Veterans Stand Down event 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 12 at the UAW Local 685: 929 E. Hoffer St. Kokomo. The event is free and masks are required. For more information, contact Angela Ciski 765.236.1071.
Through a grant from the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs, Indiana Legal Services Military Assistance Project has launched a Veteran Eviction Avoidance Project. If you are working with a veteran who is facing eviction or may face eviction or even fears eviction, please complete the online referral form with the veteran:Â http://ow.ly/DRtB50Bc5z0
The Veterans Eviction Avoidance Project serves all 92 counties in the state of Indiana and can take direct referrals from veteran service providers.
If you have questions, please contact the Military Assistance Project Director at Indiana Legal Services, Inc. Polli Pollem either via e-mail at polli.pollem@ilsi.net or by phone at 317.631.9410, x12295.
Are You a Veteran in Crisis or Concerned About One?
Did you know that USDVA offers same day services in Primary Care and Mental Health at 172 VA Medical Centers across the country? Make the Connection Resource Locator.
Did you know the MFRF COVID-19 emergency grant may used on a case-by-case basis by families for up to two months of household needs such as food, housing, utilities, medical services, childcare and other essential family support which has become difficult to afford due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Additionally, for applicants applying for COVID-19:
Removal of the requirement that the veteran’s hardship must have occurred as a result of their military service.
Removal of the required periods of war or conflict.
Modification of the $2,500 lifetime limit to allow the IDVA director to approve MFRF requests in excess of $2,500.
Removal of veteran’s ability to only utilize the fund to the total of $2,500, allowing veterans who have previously used the fund to apply for the MFRF COVID-19 relief.
(Shared from the Indiana Department of Revenue’s Tax Talk Blog. Tax Talk is a weekly blog published each Wednesday by DOR that discusses tax tips, DOR programs and helpful information for tax preparers. During tax season, blogs are posted on both Mondays and Wednesdays.)
INDIANAPOLIS – In November, we will be highlighting the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA) for our Money Monday series. Established in 1945, the IDVA has remained focused on assisting Hoosier veterans and qualified family members or survivors, with obtaining state and federal benefits.
As veteran communities and benefits evolve, the IDVA is dedicated to customizing communication to reach every veteran and family category or group. The IDVA staff creates, coordinates and participates in direct outreach events for veterans and their families across the state daily.
