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HEALTH DEPARTMENT UPDATES STATEWIDE COVID-19 CASE COUNTS
University of Southern Indiana Athletic Communications
University of Southern Indiana’s Men’s Cross Country placed second in their conference pod of three teams which included the Indianapolis Greyhounds and Lewis Flyers.
The new format to return to action did not disappoint as the Screaming Eagles (41) were only edged out by seven points to the Flyers (34), while six points separated the Eagles and Greyhounds (47) for the final team place.
USI was led by senior Gavin Prior finishing fourth overall as freshman Silas Winders had an impressive debut only seconds behind his teammate Prior to nab fifth.
Seniors Wyat Harmon and Grady Wilkinson both notched top-ten finishes in the 56-man field crossing the line eighth and ninth, respectively.
Last to score for the Eagles was another newcomer, junior transfer Noah Hufnagel who found himself in 15th place once he ran over and through the line.
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Retired Vanderburgh County Superior Court Judge Rich D’Amour Selected As A 2021 “Community Service Award Winner”
Retired Vanderburgh County Superior Court Judge Rich D’Amour Has Been Selected As A 2021 “Community Service Award Winner”
The City-County Observer is excited to announce that the Honorable Vanderburgh County  Superior Court Judge Rich D’Amour has been selected as an “Outstanding Community Services Award” winner for 2021.
Judge D’Amour has earned the repetition of being fair, impartial, and objective while adhering to the letter of the law. Judge D’Amour is an extremely personable person. He’s very well respected not only by his peers but by practicing attorneys alike.
He has served on numerous state judicial committees including the domestic relations committee where he helped draft the Indiana Child Support Guidelines, the Parenting Time Guidelines, and the Parenting Time Calendar. In 2013
Judge D’Amour established the Alternative Dispute Resolution Fund in Vanderburgh County which helps provide mediation services to low-income litigants. In 2016 he was one of six judges in Indiana chosen to start the new Indiana Commercial Court, a system of courts specifically developed to address business and commercial litigation. These courts are now permanently established in Indiana and are being adopted by other counties throughout the state.
Judge Rich D’Amour moved to Evansville in July of 1981 after getting his undergraduate degree from Notre Dame and his law degree from Indiana University. He practiced law over a period of 24 years. During that time he had the pleasure of practicing with such fine partners as Bob Zoss, Randy Craig, Steve Krohn, Edward Johnson, and Brian Carroll among others.
His areas of practice were primarily as a deputy prosecutor for 19 years, serving under Prosecutors Jeff Lantz, Bob Pigman, and Stan Levco and as a family law attorney. Rich estimates he has tried over 150 criminal jury trials and done several thousand divorces.
Happily, Rich has been married 45 years to Holly, a retired executive with Bristol-Meyers Squibb. In 2005, seeking a change from the hectic practice of law, Rich was appointed as Magistrate in the Vanderburgh Superior Court. He served in that position until 2011 when he was fortunate enough to be elected Judge in the Vanderburgh Superior Court, a position he holds to this day.
After nearly 40 years in the legal profession, Judge D’ Amour plans on retiring in the spring of 2021 and will be moving to Asheville, North Carolina with Holly to begin his next adventure in retirement
Joining Judge Rich D’Amour as a”CCO Outstanding Community Services Award” winners for 2021 are; former Vanderburgh County Treasurer and County Clerk Susan Kirk, State Senator Vaneta Becker, the popular three-term Mayor of Evansville  Lloyd Winnecke, prominent attorney, and community activist Charles L. Berger, retired Vanderburgh County Superior Court Judge Richard G. D’Amour, and the Co-Chairpersons of the “Feed The Hungry” collation of Vanderburgh County, Lisa Vaughn, and Evansville City Council member Alex Burton.
This event is scheduled for October 20, 2021, at Bally’s-Evansville Walnut rooms A and B at 12:00 noon.
FOOTNOTE: Because of the Covid-19 virus concerns we are currently re-assessing our plans to hold our annual award luncheon scheduled at Bally’s-Evansville on October 20, 2021. We will be making an announcement during the first week of October, 2021 concerning our decision about holding this event.
City Council Meeting September 28, 2020
AGENDA
| I. | INTRODUCTION |
| II. | APPROVAL OF MEETING MEMORANDUM |
| III. | REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS |
| IV. | SPECIAL ORDERS OF THE DAY |
| V. | CONSENT AGENDA:Â FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS |
| VI. | COMMITTEE REPORTS |
| VII. | REGULAR AGENDA:Â SECOND READING OF ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS |
A. ORDINANCE G-2020-11 An Ordinance Amending Section 2.10.120 (Common Council) of the Evansville Municipal Code Sponsor(s): Trockman, Moore Discussion Led By: ASD Chair Trockman Discussion Date: 9/28/2020 G-2020-11 Attachment:
B. ORDINANCE F-2020-13 An Ordinance of the Common Council of the City of Evansville Authorizing Repeal and Reappropriation of Funds within the Department of Metropolitan Development Sponsor(s): Beane Discussion Led By: Finance Chair Beane Discussion Date: 9/28/2020 F-2020-13 Attachment:
C. ORDINANCE F-2020-14 An Ordinance of the Common Council of the City of Evansville Authorizing Transfers of Appropriations, Additional Appropriations and Repeal and Re-Appropriation of Funds for Various City Funds Sponsor(s): Beane Discussion Led By: Finance Chair Beane Discussion Date: 9/28/2020 F-2020-14 Attachment:
| VIII. | RESOLUTION DOCKET |
| IX. | MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS |
A. THE NEXT MEETING of the Common Council will be Monday, October 12, 2020 at 5:30 p.m.
B. ADDITIONAL MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS
| X. | COMMITTEE REPORTS |
| XI. | ADJOURNMENT |
Board Approves Biennial Capital Improvement Budget Request
9/3/2020 | John Farless
At its regular meeting on Thursday, September 3, the University of Southern Indiana Board of Trustees approved the 2021-23 Capital Improvement Budget Request and two new line item requests for presentation to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education and State Budget Agency during the 2021 Indiana Legislative Session.
“In determining the Capital Improvement Budget Request, we reviewed the University’s 10-Year Capital Improvement Plan, while also considering the current environment of public higher education and the fiscal health of our state,†said Steve Bridges, Vice President for Finance and Administration. “It’s important that we consider the changes to course delivery models, the response to COVID-19 and whether more value can be brought through renovation of existing space rather than new construction.â€
The University is seeking $46 million for the proposed capital project, which includes renovation of the Wright Administration Building and phase I of renovation of the David L. Rice Library. Wright Administration renovation will focus on more efficient use of classrooms and creating more student facing spaces within the administration wing.
“The Wright Administration Building was the first building built on USI’s campus in 1967,†said Bridges. “The space has been adapted over time but is past due for a renovation.â€
Phase I of the Rice Library renovation focuses on some of the most utilized student spaces on campus. Proposed renovation would include technology upgrades, more common spaces for study and more coworking spaces for students to work jointly and remotely on group projects.
The first of two approved line item requests is a Nursing Expansion Initiative which seeks to support the significant healthcare needs of the region and state by building additional capacity in the academically-rigorous and successful nursing program. The second line item is the Strong Start to Completion Program. This program would be designed specifically to meet the needs of minority students in a comprehensive way, from enrollment to graduation.
In other business the Board of Trustees approved housing and meal plan rates for the 2021-22 Academic Year and heard an update on current construction projects.
AG Curtis Hill Urges Appellate Court To Protect Pipeline Construction
Attorney General Curtis Hill has asked a federal appeals court to reverse a lower court ruling that brought pipeline construction to a grinding halt nationwide.
He and 16 other states’ attorneys general filed a brief late Wednesday arguing that a federal district judge inappropriately transformed a case challenging one project into a nationwide injunction that affected new oil and gas pipelines in every state — no matter the project’s length, purpose or minimal environmental effect.
This coalition of 17 states won a stay in July at the U.S. Supreme Court. Now its member states seek ultimate reversal of the lower court ruling.
“Few of us think very often about the thousands of miles of crude oil pipelines that crisscross the United States,†Attorney General Hill said. “Like the electrical grid that enables us to light a room at the flip of a switch, we largely take such infrastructure for granted. But the recent expansion of these pipelines is a testament to American prosperity, signifying our nation’s increased production of domestic oil. And we must protect our ability to keep building them.â€
The original lawsuit in this case focused on a permit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers used to authorize the Keystone XL pipeline. The coalition argues the district court order inappropriately used that issue to strike down all projects that employed the same permitting process nationwide.
The coalition contends the district court ruling, if allowed to stand, would make needed infrastructure projects significantly more costly and time-consuming — and potentially render some completely unfeasible, thus eliminating an untold number of jobs.
Voters Experiencing Election Day Roadblocks Can Access Courts, Federal Judge Rules
By Taylor Wooten
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS—A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction allowing voters and candidates who experience roadblocks at the polls on Election Day to petition the local court to extend voting hours.
The lawsuit was initially filed in July on behalf of Common Cause Indiana against Secretary of State Connie Lawson and the Election Commission and argues that “shutting the courthouse doors to voters and erecting a multi-step process to obtain an extension of polling-place hours†is unconstitutional and places a burden on voters.
“We are relieved that voters will not be barred from seeking relief in state court should they face obstacles in casting their vote on Nov. 3,†said Julia Vaughn, policy director of Common Cause Indiana. “Given all the uncertainties surrounding the election this year it is particularly important that Hoosiers have all options available to protect their voting rights.â€
Under an Indiana law passed in 2019, only county election boards can request court orders to extend voting hours. Common Cause argues that the law is unconstitutional as it limits the ability of the public to vote past the 6 p.m. closing time under special circumstances such technical difficulties.
The lawsuit cited an example of voter arriving at a polling location that has run out of ballots close to the 6 p.m. deadline. Under that circumstance, “the voter must embark on a campaign to identify, contact, and potentially convince a group of three or even five members of her county election board to file the request.â€
The lawsuit points to past real-world examples of equipment troubles, delays in polling site openings and ballot shortages in Johnson, Monroe and Porter counties during the November 2018 election.
U.S. District Judge Richard Young for the Southern District of Indiana wrote Wednesday that the potential harm to Common Cause and Indiana voters is substantial if the amendments to the state’s election law, enacted in 2019, are allowed to stand.
Young, in his opinion, rejected arguments from the state that the regulations are necessary to protect the integrity of elections.
“If the Challenged Amendments are enjoined, Indiana voters will be able to go directly to court to seek an extension of hours,†Young wrote. “Indiana courts will again be able to grant relief when disenfranchising conditions occur at polling locations on Election Day.â€
The election law challenge is one in a string of lawsuits that have been filed over some of the state’s election laws and practices amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
On July 31, Common Cause Indiana and the state conference of the NAACP filed a lawsuit to force Secretary of State Connie Lawson and members of the Election Commission to count absentee ballots received past the noon deadline on Nov. 3.
In an ongoing case, Indiana Vote By Mail is fighting for the expansion of no-excuse absentee voting in November. Indiana is one of four states that require voters to have a reason for seeking an absentee ballot. A federal judge ruled against their request for an injunction to force the state to allow anyone to obtain an absentee ballot without a reason and the group has appealed to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. They are asking for an expedited review.
In an Indiana Election Committee virtual meeting on Aug. 11, the four members of the committee were divided along party lines on the issue of expanding mail-in voting to all, with the two Democrat members in support of the change and the two Republican members in opposition.
In a separate lawsuit involving absentee ballots, Senior U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker ruled on Aug. 21 that they cannot be rejected solely on the basis of non-matching signatures. Voters must instead notified if there is an issue with a signature and allowed a hearing.
Taylor Wooten is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
UE Recognized for Student Engagement by Wall Street Journal
UE Recognized for Student Engagement by Wall Street Journal
September 27, 2020
The University of Evansville (UE) was recently named to The Wall Street Journal’s annual U.S. College Rankings for student engagement, placing 16th in the nation among over 4,000 four-year colleges and universities in the United States. The complete report was published to The Wall Street Journal’s website on Thursday, September 17.
Now in its fifth year, the U.S. College Rankings focuses most on student success and learning outcomes. Insights for the report were gathered through the Times Higher Education U.S. Student Survey, which included questions about interactions with faculty and other students, whether a student felt involved and welcome, and whether the student would recommend the school.
“At the University of Evansville, we strive to offer a welcoming and active campus environment that serves as a home for our students,†said president Christopher M. Pietruszkiewicz. “Here, they can find a supportive network of faculty, administrators, and fellow students that shapes their college experience and prepares them for future success.â€
While the COVID-19 pandemic has caused UE to implement health and safety guidelines for its campus, students can still be involved and obtain an engaging college experience. The University offers over 130 student organizations and clubs, and the Center for Student Engagement can help students participate in community service opportunities, Greek Life, leadership development, and more.
Earlier this week, UE was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the #4 Best College in the Midwest, moving up two spots from the previous year. The University also received rankings for school value, veteran support, and international student representation.
