On November 11 around 3:00 p.m., the Evansville Police Department (E.P.D.) was called to the 100 block of Madison Ave. for a shots fired run. The caller told police dispatch that they initially heard several people arguing. Shortly after the arguing started shots began to ring out and people began to run from the area.
 One of the callers said that while people were running from the area, shots continued to be fired.Â
 A short time later E.P.D. was notified about a female who had been shot in the leg while standing in front of her residence. Officers quickly arrived and put a tourniquet on the female’s leg before she was transported to the hospital to receive further treatment.Â
 Many homes, as well as cars, were found to have bullet holes in them, but no further victims have been located at this time. Furthermore, no suspects have been located.Â
 The shooting victim is expected to survive her injures due to the quick action taken by the first responding officers.Â
 Anyone with knowledge of this shooting is asked to call E.P.D.’s Detective Office at 812-436-7979.
The Indiana Department of Health today announced that 5,156 additional Hoosiers have been diagnosed with COVID-19 through testing at state and private laboratories. That brings to 224,374 the number of Indiana residents now known to have had the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s dashboard.
A total of 4,512 Hoosiers are confirmed to have died from COVID-19, an increase of 31 from the previous day. Another 250 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, 1,853,700 unique individuals have been tested in Indiana, up from 1,837,630 on Tuesday. A total of 3,307,845 tests, including repeat tests for unique individuals, have been reported to the state Department of Health since Feb. 26.
Attorney General Curtis Hill has joined five other attorneys general in filing a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court challenging a court decision rewriting Pennsylvania’s absentee ballot receipt deadline.
The brief argues that, under the Constitution, state legislatures must choose the point at which states stop receiving absentee ballots and start counting votes — not state courts such as the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
Pennsylvania voters had 50 days to return their absentee ballots to ensure they were received by Election Day. Failure to do so was not the fault of state election law. The brief points to other courts that have upheld Election Day receipt deadlines, both before and during the pandemic.
In the brief, the attorneys general argue that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court improperly repealed the state legislature’s deadline by writing in a new postmark deadline with an arbitrary three-day-after-Election-Day cutoff.
“The U.S. Supreme Court has correctly stated previously that courts should not attempt to usurp the authority of state legislatures in matters related to election laws,†Attorney General Hill said. “With this brief, we are simply asking the Supreme Court to continue to uphold that principle.â€
Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter, who led the brief, made a similar point.
“The Pennsylvania Supreme Court acted in a legislative capacity when it changed the election rules,†he said. “Article I, Section 4 of the Constitution is clear — it is the duty of the legislative branch of each state that determines election rules. State election deadlines give the public the ability to quickly know the results of the election and promote confidence in those results. Changing the rules of the election right before voting starts robs the state of being able to set its own election laws and causes confusion among voters. We encourage the U.S. Supreme Court to review this case without delay.â€
The decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has consequences that could have a national ripple effect in future elections, the brief reads. It has created chaos that makes it impossible for state legislatures to know in advance whether the election rules they have enacted will or will not be reimagined by courts.
“Review is warranted now, even after the election, to secure the constitutional framework for our most fundamental democratic processes,†the brief concludes.
The U.S. Supreme Court need not wait for the next election cycle to precipitate yet another deluge of litigation allowing state courts to once again amend state law right before the election — and for the beneficiaries of these unconstitutional actions to argue that there is once again not enough time for this Court’s careful review on the merits.
INDIANAPOLIS — State Sen. Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, is counting on a strong relationship with Senate Republicans to address critical Democratic issues such as criminal justice reform and health care disparities in the next session of the General Assembly.
Taylor was selected by his peers last week to be the leader of the Indiana Senate Democratic Caucus, making him the first African American to assume the role. He replaces Sen. Tim Lanane, D-Anderson.
Sen. Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, pictured in 2019, was elected to lead Senate Democrats.
Photo by Emily Ketterer, TheStatehouseFile.com
“I’m very humbled by the opportunity, being in the legislature for 12 years now and I think the Senate Democrats have done a great job at championing the needs of some communities that are being left behind and I hope I am able to continue that path,†Taylor said.
As the Republicans hold a 39-11 supermajority in the Senate and a 71-29 House supermajority, Taylor said he remains confident that issues brought to the light in 2020 will be handled come January in the legislative session.
Over the summer, Taylor played part in the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus calling for reforms to the criminal justice system that include a more inclusive hate crimes law, creating teams specially equipped to deal with mental illness, and decriminalizing marijuana possession.
Items on the criminal justice reform agenda include removing police officers from schools and replacing them with more social workers; developing local police policies that call for restraint on SWAT deployments; automatic external investigations of the shooting of unarmed civilians; requiring police to live in the communities they serve; and providing for more mental health testing of police officers.
“Anything that passes in any legislative body has to be cooperative,†Taylor said. “There has to be compromised.â€
Taylor said he believes the relationship between Senate President Pro Tempore Sen. Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, and Senate Democrats is strong enough to be able to pass bipartisan legislation in the Hoosier state.
Andrew Downs, a political science professor at Purdue University-Fort Wayne, said it will be challenging for Democrats to advance their agenda with the GOP having the supermajority. When asked about legislative redistricting, he said that from a numbers standpoint, Republicans can do what they want.
“There are things you can do, but being in the super minority makes their ability to have any impact very, very limited,†he said.
As for the new leaders among the Senate Democrats, Downs said it was time for a change, adding, “After a while, you expect there to be leadership changes when there is not a success.â€
In addition, other selected caucus positions are Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary, as assistant minority leader; Sen. J.D. Ford, D-Indianapolis, as minority caucus chair; Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago, as minority whip; and newly-elected Sen. Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, as assistant minority caucus chair.
Indiana House Democrats re-elected Rep. Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne, as the leader of their caucus. Other positions include Rep. Cherrish Pryor, D-Indianapolis, as floor leader, and Rep. Terri Austin, D-Anderson, as caucus chair.
House Democrats have four new members: Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster; Rep. Maureen Bauer, D-South Bend, daughter of long-time Rep. Pat Bauer who did not seek reelection; Rep. Mitch Gore, D-Indianapolis; and Rep. Renee Pack, D-Indianapolis.
FOOTNOTE: LaMonte Richardson Jr. is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
In consultation with Mayor Lloyd Winnecke, the Vanderburgh County Health Department the local health care community, and Venuworks, the seating capacity at the Ford Center for the upcoming University of Evansville 2020-21 men’s basketball season has been further restricted.
The Ford Center attendee capacity shall abide by Governor Holcomb’s current state-wide order of limiting large gatherings to 500 attendees or less without written exception from the local health department. In compliance with current CDC standards, the previously developed and approved “pod seating†social distancing plan shall be instituted to all attendees.
This decision was largely based on the rise in COVID-19 cases in Southwest Indiana, the local positivity rate of COVID-19 cases, the increasing census rate at Vanderburgh County hospitals and the overall health and well-being of the Evansville community.
Ford Center attendees shall be comprised of a limited number of UE students, home and visiting team families and guests as determined by the NCAA and the Missouri Valley Conference, designated game day personnel, current Aces Assist Members, and other contractually obligated partners. No tickets will be available for sale at this time. We are committed to further evaluating seating capacity with our community partners should circumstance permit reconsideration.
Season ticket holders will receive a letter in the mail over the next few days detailing options available for their paid 2020-21 season ticket amount.
Please direct any questions to the University of Evansville ticket office at 812-488-2237.
Shortly before the United States entered World War II, the 152nd infantry regiment reported to Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, for training. The Evansville Courier sent a group of correspondents and photographers to observe model bivouac and field demonstrations, as well as other activities of Tri-State soldiers who were reporting for duty.Â
In this photo dated April 6, 1941, a group of local residents paused for the camera outside of the camp’s recreational hall. From left to right, they included Rev. Richard Denbo, a chaplain and former pastor of Old North Methodist Church; Courier reporter John McCormick; Mrs. Robert Stilwell and her daughter, Virginia; Capt. Guthrie May; Courier reporter and editorial cartoonist Karl Kae Knecht; and Col. Robert Stillwell.Â
Indiana Department of Correction to Provide Naloxone to Offenders Upon ReleaseThe Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) today announced it will make the opioid reversal agent naloxone available to each offender upon release from an IDOC facility. “Expanding the availability of naloxone to all offenders upon release from one of our correctional facilities is one way we can ensure these individuals a smooth transition back into the community as contributing members of society, forever removed from justice-involved settings,†said Dr. Kristen Dauss, IDOC Chief Medical Officer. “Substance use disorder is a disease, and IDOC plays a critical role in connecting people to the quality treatment they need.†Naloxone, or Narcan, is a medication approved to reverse overdose by opioids. Naloxone is given when a person is showing signs of opioid overdose. It blocks the toxic effects of the overdose and is often the difference between a patient living and dying. Overdose Lifeline, Inc., an Indiana nonprofit dedicated to helping individuals, families and communities affected by substance use disorder through advocacy, education, harm reduction, prevention, resources and support, has provided 2,255 kits totaling over $84,000 to the IDOC for distribution to correctional facilities as needed. The organization has been on the front lines of the opioid epidemic since 2014. Naloxone is a critical tool for individuals, families, first responders and communities to help reduce opioid overdose deaths. During an offender’s pre-release medical screening, they are asked if they would like to leave with a free naloxone kit. The kit includes one dose of naloxone, instructions for use and a referral card for treatment. “We want to make naloxone available to anyone who needs it without any barriers,†said Christine Daniel, IDOC Executive Director of Transitional Healthcare. “When an offender accepts a kit upon release, they can feel confident knowing they’ll face no punitive action or judgement.†IDOC aims to replicate the naloxone program in each of Indiana’s 10 parole districts. Data will be collected over time to determine how many kits leave each facility. “These efforts align with both the state and Overdose Lifeline’s goal of reducing the stigma surrounding substance use disorder,†Dauss said. “We want to provide this lifesaving medication that could possibly reverse an overdose and save someone’s life.†A list of resources around naloxone may be found at the Indiana Department of Health website at optin.in.gov.
