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Davis Earns GLVC Weekly Golf Honors

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USI women’s golf senior Grace Davisearned her first career GLVC weekly honors following her third career tournament victory this past week. Davis led the Screaming Eagles to victory at the Flyer Women’s Intercollegiate (Lemont, Ill.) by carding a 156 (+12) for the 36-hole outing. She finished strong with three birdies in the final round and 22 total pars for the tournament.

Davis pushed USI to its second consecutive tournament victory, beating out conference foes Lewis (host) and Maryville while also besting tri-state rival Kentucky Weslyan. This marked back-to-back top-five performances for Davis, who finished tied for third at USI’s first outing of the fall at Drury, a tournament that the Screaming Eagles also won.

USI claimed two more spots in the top 10 at the Lewis-hosted tournament with Brooke Moser finishing tied for sixth and Halle Gutwein tied for tenth.

Screaming Eagles women’s golf will return to the links on October 10-11 at the Tiffin Fall Invitational (Tiffin University) at Mohawk Golf & Country Club (Tiffin, Ohio).

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HEALTH DEPARTMENT UPDATES STATEWIDE COVID-19 CASE COUNTS

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Vanderburgh County Recent Booking Records

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

Executive Order: Restrictions On Social Gatherings From Mayor Winnecke

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Executive Order No. 2020-4

Vanderburgh County Commissioner Cheryl Musgrave Calls For Accurate Facts  About the Status of COVID-19 VIRUS

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Vanderburgh County Commissioner Cheryl Musgrave Calls For Accurate Facts  About the Status About Thr COVID-19 VIRUS

Evansville, IN- The most important issue for Vanderburgh County and Evansville today is the coronavirus.

Over the past several weeks, I’ve been on phone calls with medical experts and advisers for hours. Here’s what I’ve heard.

  1. Hospital capacity:  The hospitals are at or near capacity with over 20% of Vanderburgh County’s hospital beds occupied with COVID-19 patients.
  2. Record high numbers are testing positive to COVID-19 at local testing sites.
  3. The highest positive test rate in District 10 is among the 50 to 69 age group.

Vanderburgh County Commissioners have asked, repeatedly, for clear guidance about how to handle this situation. The medical advisers have not given us any standards or evidence-based recommendations.

My responsibility to the public is clear. In the absence of any such recommendation about what the Commissioners should do, it is premature for local government to make mandatory policies.  The public deserves to know the facts so that they can make their best decisions.

I call on our local hospitals to provide public, daily, and informative updates about the progress of the pandemic in plain English.

I strongly recommend that individuals, families, businesses, and schools refrain from hosting any large gathering, and to be extra cautious about hosting any gathering indoors. Wear masks to protect others and yourselves. And remember that Covid-19 is not the only illness to worry about: this is the right time to get a flu shot as well.

The Commissioners continue to monitor this situation closely. We will act on the best scientific evidence available to us consistent with our legal authorities and our need to protect the public health. At this moment, it is imperative that individuals and groups take every step they can to help bring down the spread of the virus as we move into the winter months.

We want to do all we can to slow the spread of the pandemic as we wait for a vaccine or more widely-available effective treatment. We will keep you informed as the situation develops.

During this difficult time, my thoughts are with everyone who has lost a loved one, who has fallen ill, or who is helping to care for those who are sick or are vulnerable. I also recognize the hard work and bravery of our nurses, doctors, and other frontline healthcare professionals, as well as the efforts of the essential workers who are keeping our community going.

This is a tough time. We all deserve the facts. And we will get through this, together.

EPA Actions Support Water Utility Resiliency, Advanced Wastewater Monitoring in Response to COVID-19

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is highlighting two actions that support the water sector, public health and the environment in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. First, the agency is working with federal, state, and local partners to develop new and emerging wastewater monitoring technologies that can provide an early indication of COVID-19 infections at the community-level to help inform state and local public health decisions. Second, the agency is continuing its support of the operational and financial resiliency of drinking water and wastewater utilities by releasing a voluntary survey to help assess the challenges faced by these entities as a result of COVID-19.

“As communities recover from the COVID-19 national health emergency, water utility services continue to be vital to support public health and protect the environment,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “With these actions, EPA is doubling down on its support for the water sector, proving that our research program, key partnerships with states, and innovative thinking are helping our nation’s water systems get even safer and healthier.”

EPA is using new and emerging technologies to help provide an early indication of COVID-19 infection in communities. EPA researchers are working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop and evaluate methods for detecting different forms of RNA from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Once developed, researchers will use the methods to quantify the levels detected in untreated wastewater. This research also involves interpreting the data generated by these analytical methods and accurately relating virus levels in wastewater to potential infection trends within the community. This work is being conducted in coordination with CDC, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and other federal agencies through the National Sewage Surveillance Interagency Leadership Committee. This research, both in the near term and after full validation, can assist local and state decision-making related to COVID-19.

“The water sector is a key partner in our efforts to reduce the spread of coronavirus,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water David Ross. “The cutting-edge tools that we are working to provide are giving the water sector and public health officials the data and information they need to make critical decisions in our joint efforts to recover and safely reopen our nation’s schools, businesses, and communities.”

Ohio Pilot Project

EPA has been working with the State of Ohio to develop a wastewater monitoring plan for SARS-CoV-2 to inform public health decisions. The initial focus of this research was to rapidly assess approaches for detecting SARS-CoV-2 within wastewater. Once the approach was identified, EPA researchers began using it to analyze wastewater samples from treatment plants across southwestern Ohio, including Cincinnati and Dayton. EPA researchers are working with state and local health departments to estimate rates of infection within these communities.

“Our researchers are uniquely qualified to respond quickly during national public health emergencies and understood that they could apply their research on wastewater sampling and analysis to inform current public health decisions and needs,” said Principal Deputy Administrator for the Office of Research and Development and Acting EPA Science Advisor Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta. “We have long-standing relationships with our partners in Ohio and were able to quickly determine their needs and put together a research program that could inform Ohio and provide an approach for communities across the state.”

“Monitoring raw wastewater in sewage collection systems provides Ohio with early-warning information that helps community leaders make proactive decisions to prevent outbreaks,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. “Assistance from the U.S. EPA’s Office of Research and Development has been crucial in this work to help limit the spread of coronavirus in Ohio.”

Earlier this month, Ohio began posting the wastewater monitoring results on its public Coronavirus Dashboard for use by the Governor and state health department as an additional metric for determining public health advisory levels. EPA’s collaboration with the State of Ohio not only expands the sampling capacity of the wastewater monitoring effort, but increases its effectiveness by informing analytical approaches, facilitating interlaboratory comparisons, and standardizing data reporting approaches across utilities and labs. The efforts of early adopting states, like Ohio, are being used by CDC to develop recommended approaches for a SARS-CoV-2 National Wastewater Surveillance System.

COVID-19 Water Sector Survey

To support continued water sector resiliency, EPA is conducting a voluntary survey to learn how drinking water and wastewater utilities across the country have been affected—operationally and financially—by COVID-19. The 2020 COVID-19 Water Sector Survey will help identify and evaluate certain impacts to water utilities stemming from operational and financial challenges. This voluntary survey will facilitate the collection of useful information in a uniform format to guide the development of technical assistance which could help sustain water utility operations and supports planning for the future. Information collected in the survey will be anonymized prior to any public release.

 

Evansville Civic Theatre Announces “The Community Is Our Stage!”

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 Evansville Civic Theatre is proud to launch its fall “Half-Season” Friday, October 9th, with an outdoor performance of Samuel Beckett’s classic “Waiting for Godot!”

The show kicks of ECT’s plans to step outside of the Fulton Avenue building and make the community its theatre: “Waiting for Godot,” directed by Leo Kempf, will hit the stage at Mt. Vernon’s Riverbend Park Amphitheatre on October 9-11, followed by a visit to Evansville’s Wesselman Park for shows on October 16-21. All shows begin at 6:00 p.m.

The season then will continue in November with “The Man From Earth,” written by Jerome Bixby. The play, which was originally scheduled to be part of last season’s Underground series, will stream directly to you with an online performance in November. ECT then will wrap the half-season with an original Christmas Radio Hour in December. That performance, featuring holiday stories performed by Tri-State residents, will be available to stream beginning in mid-December.

“With the recent pandemic, the Board of Directors and I agreed that it would be in the best interest for the health and safety of our patrons to not hold performances in our building on Fulton Avenue until it is safer to do so,” said Managing Artistic Director Kevin Roach. “That said, we are excited to try something new and fresh, and bring theatre to audiences in ways we never have before, following the lead of many other theatres around the nation.”

Tickets for the half-season are on sale now; individual tickets for all shows are $15. Patrons also may purchase a half-season pass, granting admission to all three productions, for $40. Tickets are available at www.evvcivic.org, or by calling the Box Office.

 In addition, Evansville Civic Theatre plans to stream content online throughout the fall – from Talent Tuesday videos performed by artists in the community, to a full production of “The Laramie Project” by Moises Kaufman, which was preparing to hit the stage before the 2019-2020 season was forced to a premature end by the COVID-19 pandemic.

 Visit and follow the ECT Facebook page to keep updated on all of the virtual theatre opportunities available through ECT this fall!

 “It’s important to keep our community engaged and interested during this time, not only for entertainment purposes but also cultural value; we want to remind the citizens of Evansville that the Arts will not be beaten by this situation,” said Roach. “The way we present theatre may change, but our devotion to enriching people’s lives with the performing arts is strong.”

 For additional information, please contact ECT Managing Artistic Director Kevin Roach at 812-425-2800 or kroach@evvcivic.org.

 Show Descriptions:

 Waiting for Godot: Two seemingly homeless men wait for someone—or something—named Godot. Vladimir and Estragon wait near a tree, inhabiting a drama spun of their own consciousness; the result is a comical wordplay of poetry, dreamscapes, and nonsense, which has been interpreted as mankind’s inexhaustible search for meaning.

 The Man From Earth: After history professor John Oldman unexpectedly resigns from the University, his startled colleagues impulsively invite themselves to his home, pressing him for an explanation. But they’re shocked to hear his reason for premature retirement…

ADOPT A PET

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Deuce is a male American Staffordshire Terrier (“pit bull”) mix. He has a beautiful chocolate coat and is a good-sized boy, weighing in at 58 lbs. He has gotten along with several other dogs in his time at VHS, and would like to meet yours at home if you’re thinking of adopting! Deuce is about 2 years old. His adoption fee is $25 on October 1-3 only thanks to the Bissell Pet Foundation, and that includes his neuter, microchip, vaccines, and more. Contact Vanderburgh Humane at www.vhslifesaver.org/adopt for details!

BETTER BUT STILL NO CIGAR By Jim Redwine

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redline

GAVEL GAMUT

By Jim Redwine

www.jamesmredwine.com

(Week of 12 October 2020)

BETTER BUT STILL NO CIGAR

Presidential and Vice-Presidential Debates are good in theory. But as currently practiced, they could be better. While both major political parties publish their platforms, hardly any of us read them. Also, if we did, we would have to filter them through lenses of biases, the parties’ and our own. Live debates where ideas, proposals, promises and past performances are tested by opponents are much more likely to inform the electorate than either party’s talking points. So, if we can agree debates are good in theory, how can we enhance their value? As my personal education, training and experience has involved the courtroom model, I have a preference for a similar system for debating the complicated issues our politicians must resolve.

If the candidates were trying a lawsuit over what is the better system of addressing health care, the economy, international diplomacy, education, immigration, infrastructure, racial-gender-ethnicity matters, law and order or the environment, just to name some of our nation’s and the world’s complex and often interrelated problems, we would not require each leader to state their entire case in two minutes with a fifteen second follow-up as a “judge” attempts to keep the proceeding on track.

If each major party and any qualifying third party was required to establish its nominees by September first of the presidential election year, we would have two months to schedule debates. Of course, the candidates could campaign and raise issues as they see fit outside of the debates but the debate schedule would be determined by the non-partisan Federal Election Commission. The Commission would have the authority to choose topics and procedures but only one in-depth examination of a single topic, say Health Care, would be discussed. The candidates could present their own visions for addressing our nation’s health care and would also have the right to contrast their vision with their interpretation of their opponent’s vision. The debates should be an hour long with each side having twenty minutes to present their positions, then each side would have ten minutes to respond to the opponent’s statements. The order of presentation would be determined by a coin flip. The judge’s role would be strictly to enforce time limits and confinement to the specific subject area.

Almost no one can pay attention to anything but a ballgame or a gossip column for more than twenty minutes at a time. And most Americans may prefer watching sausage being made to watching the debates. However, the option would be there and it should be paid for out of the Federal Election Commission assets so no one is tempted to put their thumb on the scale.

As we all have experienced, nothing is as dangerous and wrong as a quick and facile answer to a complex problem. And, we certainly are facing numerous tough issues in numerous areas. We can encourage our politicians to carefully analyze these sticky wickets and then be prepared to tell us how they would deal with them if they receive our votes.

I suggest we encourage debates but that we devise a system where they are actually valuable. It is not the fault of the candidates if we try to force two-minute answers to life-time problems. Perhaps we should give them a chance to surprise us. And we still have some time before November third. We could, at least, hold two or three debates of critical issues before we have the necessity of locking ourselves into a four-year sentence.

For more Gavel Gamut articles go to www.jamesmredwine.com

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EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT

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EPD

EPD REPORT

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