Gov. Eric J. Holcomb will announce his appointment to serve on the Indiana Court of Appeals and replace the position vacated by Judge John Baker’s retirement.
WHO:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Gov. Holcomb
Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Loretta Rush
Court of Appeals Judge Robert Altice Jr.
WHEN:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1 p.m. ET, Tuesday, September 1
Read Stateline coverage of the latest state action on coronavirus.
As workers grow desperate for unemployment benefits, criminals filing fraudulent claims are clogging state unemployment systems, making legitimate claimants wait even longer for help.
States that were generous and quick to help workers were also quick to be targeted by scammers. In response, states have had to slow down the processing of claims and even claw back some money, delaying payouts to people supposed to be getting them.
States with no income tax, such as Washington and Nevada, had no income records to help substantiate claims, making it easier for fraudsters to get the money they didn’t deserve. For that reason, those states were hit harder and had more trouble weeding out fraud.
And new benefits for “gig†workers put states into uncharted waters, without the extra verification of a traditional employer with records of layoffs and wages.
“We were hit with a massive criminal attack. Our state was the first big state to get hit,†said Washington state Employment Security Commissioner Suzi LeVine at an August news conference. She said Washington was targeted in April and May because it started distributing CARES Act benefits sooner than other states, and it has a relatively high maximum state benefit of $844 a week.
Washington paid out $576 million in fraudulent claims that peaked in early May, according to reports provided to Stateline. It recovered $340 million after pausing benefits to identify fraud and taking back money deposited on debit cards.
Nevada cited widespread fraud as one reason for a backlog of claims that resulted in a court order to speed payment and a state task force designed to get money to people who need it without lining the pockets of fraudulent applicants.
“While working to address the critical needs of Nevadans, we will also maintain our focus on stopping fraud,†said Rosa Mendez, a spokesperson for the Nevada state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.
Arizona is still struggling to verify more than 1 million gig worker claims that might be fraudulent, said Brett Bezio, a spokesperson for the state Department of Economic Security. The state got 2.7 million applications and has only 3.4 million workers.
To ensure that legitimate claimants get their money, the state started paying 90,000 claims that had been held up for review after determining they weren’t fraudulent, with checks going out in late August, Bezio said.
The state agency “has focused immense efforts toward ensuring that all those eligible receive benefits,†Bezio said.
The federal Office of Employment and Training Administration is helping states by keeping a “Suspicious Actor Repository†and holding weekly calls to share strategies. The National Association of State Workforce Agencies, a trade group, manages an “integrity center†with resources to help states control fraud.
Washington state called in 54 National Guard troops to help with identity verification. Those blamed for the false claims include a Nigerian digital crime group called “Scattered Canary†that hit Washington state and Hawaii early.
Scattered Canary also was implicated in fraudulent applications in Florida, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island and Wyoming.
But there also have been arrests of U.S. residents. On Aug. 25, 33 people were charged in a scheme to get fraudulent unemployment benefits for thousands of Pennsylvania state prisoners. On Aug. 20, three Iowa men were charged with impersonating residents of Arizona and Massachusetts to get benefits.
Massachusetts paused benefits payments to investigate fraud.
Hawaii also had to pause benefits when it became clear that millions in claims were bogus. More than $125 million in claims were stopped but not before fraudsters got about $36 million.
Like many states, Hawaii found many applications coming from overseas and ended up using a location app to make sure workers were in the state before processing claims.
Hawaii also started requiring more verification, including copies of both sides of a driver’s license and social security card, and a selfie with the ID cards, said William Kunstman, a spokesperson for the Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.
The fraud crackdowns have been yet another impediment for people struggling to get help from outdated, overwhelmed state unemployment systems.
Amy Swanner of Lake Stevens, Washington, lost not only unemployment benefits but $4,500 in savings on a debit card when the state Employment Security Department started investigating her identity. The investigation began because the card still carried her maiden name, which changed when she got married last year.
A bartender who hasn’t worked since March, Swanner said the identity issue was resolved when she sent her marriage license. But because neither her bank nor the state agency can tell her where her savings went or how to get them back, she said, she considers them stolen.
“That money was supposed to be our backup,†Swanner said. “I’m grateful for the help I’m getting. But somebody stole my savings.â€
Such issues were common as the state tried to claw back money paid to fraudsters, often deposited on mass-market debit cards as the one Swanner uses, said Andra Kranzler, an attorney handling a lawsuit by workers seeking faster benefits payments.
Some of the people who need help most, such as people in low-wage jobs, or with several gig jobs, tend to use such cards. Many of them do business on public Wi-Fi, so internet addresses are inconsistent, drawing sometimes unfair cutoffs and scrutiny.
“It’s falling disproportionately on the most vulnerable people, the low-wage workers who are already facing economic insecurity,†Kranzler said. “They need help desperately.â€
The state Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case, likely in the fall or winter.
Another state that was quick to pay out benefits, Arizona, also ended up slowing payments in order to investigate fraud. In July the state stopped accepting multiweek claims without an investigation, Bezio said, and that single action significantly slowed the number of claims filed.
The state Department of Economic Security doubled its staff dedicated to investigating fraud and found tens of thousands of fraudulent applications, including stolen identities used to claim benefits. Complaints of lost benefits to deserving workers followed, even as some people got benefits they never applied for.
Among other states dealing with unemployment, fraud are California, Colorado, and Montana.
California put out a warning about potential fraud Aug. 6, after some residents were notified about benefits they didn’t need and hadn’t applied for.
Colorado stopped payment on $34 million in claims deemed suspicious in July. The state started requiring phone verification for claims of more than one week in benefits, which caused claims to drop by 40%, which the state acknowledged could include legitimate workers unable to get through clogged lines.
Montana also fell victim to fraud and slowed approvals for gig workers, quadrupling staff for investigations. The state estimated in June that it has blocked $220 million in fraudulent claims.
A May report from the federal Labor Department’s Office of the Inspector General warned that the gig workers benefits system, which relies on self-certification that a worker is entitled to the benefits, is “highly vulnerable to improper payments and fraud†and warned states to ask for more documentation before paying claims.
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 31, 2020) – Gov. Andy Beshear on Monday updated Kentuckians on the state’s continuing efforts to fight the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) in the commonwealth.
“I’m a big believer that our world can be much better than it is right now,†the Governor said. “That’s why I do this. I think my kids deserve a better Kentucky and a better world than they’re growing up in. We have an opportunity based on coming together to defeat the crisis of the moment, to build a better Kentucky that has fewer crises now and in the future.â€
Overdose Awareness Day
Today, Gov. Beshear recognized International Overdose Awareness Day, a global event held on Aug. 31 each year to bring awareness to the overdose epidemic, reduce the stigma of drug-related deaths and acknowledge the grief of family and friends left behind.
“Awareness is the key to survival during most medical emergencies; and that’s certainly true in the case of a drug overdose,†the Governor said. “If you find a loved one has overdosed, or even a complete stranger, knowing how to react could mean the difference between life and death.â€
Those needing access to naloxone or more resources on how to respond to an overdose can find more information on the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy’s webpage.
The Governor also spoke about one overdose victim and his family’s struggle in the aftermath of his untimely death.
“As Attorney General I filed more lawsuits against opioid distributors and manufacturers than anyone else in the country. My friend Emily, who leads Fed Up in Kentucky, lost her son TJ right before he was going to deploy with our National Guard,†the Governor said. “There’s so much pain out there, and somebody may make a bad decision at the start, but by the time an overdose happens typically someone has been suffering from an addiction that we cannot treat as a bad decision. We have to treat it as the disease that it is, knowing that it is preventable, knowing that all of us can step in to either try to help an individual suffering from it, or hopefully be there with the training necessary to protect them in that worst case scenario.â€
Gov. Beshear said he promised Emily he would continue to seek to provide resources to help people overcome addictions while also holding unscrupulous drug companies responsible.
Gov. Beshear noted that public health officials say that since the start of the pandemic in the U.S., they are seeing the largest number of overdose deaths since 2017.
Kentuckians struggling with substance use disorders, either themselves or within their families, can call 833-8KY-HELP (833-859-4357) to speak with a specialist about treatment options and available resources.
A live specialist will help locate everything from medication-assisted treatment to faith-based care, and walk through all the variables, such as location and cost. Callers can speak to a specialist from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (EDT), Monday through Friday. During non-business hours, callers may leave a message and the call center staff will get back in touch with them.
Gov. Beshear said the Governor’s Mansion will be lit up with purple lights this evening to honor the lives lost to overdose deaths.
‘The Fast 4 at 4’
Gov. Beshear on Monday highlighted a variety of issues of importance to Kentuckians and the commonwealth.
“The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is proud to be part of Team Kentucky and to have a role in preparing the ground for new, job-creating industrial sites,†Secretary Gray said.
The projects are:
For more information and to view the complete news release, click here.
Case Information – Monday, Aug. 31
As of 4 p.m. Aug. 31, Gov. Beshear said there were at least 48,396 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 381 of which were newly reported Monday. Forty-three of the newly reported cases were from children ages 18 and younger, of which two were children ages 5 and under. The youngest was a 1-year-old from Madison County.
“We always have lower numbers on Sundays and Mondays, due to lab closures over the weekend. But the White House report for this week still has 59 of our 120 counties in the red or yellow zone,†said Gov. Beshear. “We don’t want any of our counties in either. Let’s remember how serious this is and not act like everything is normal.â€
Unfortunately, Gov. Beshear reported three new deaths Monday, raising the total to 933 Kentuckians lost to the virus.
The deaths reported Monday to include a 61-year-old man from Lincoln County; a 72-year-old woman from Martin County; and a 65-year-old man from Owen County.
“When we make bad decisions, most often somebody else pays for it, and can pay for it with their lives,†said Gov. Beshear.
As of Monday, there have been at least 877,443 coronavirus tests performed in Kentucky. The positivity rate currently stands at 4.42%. At least 10,375 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus.
For additional information, including up-to-date lists of positive cases and deaths, as well as breakdowns of coronavirus infections by county, race and ethnicity, click here. To see all recent daily reports, click here.
Information about COVID-19 and schools is also being made available. To view the reports, click here for K-12 and here for colleges and universities.
Case Information – Sunday, Aug. 30
Due to limited reporting on the weekends, some updated information is now available from Sunday, Aug. 30.
As of Sunday, there were 874,597 coronavirus tests performed in Kentucky. The positivity rate was at 4.54% and at least 10,355 Kentuckians had recovered from the virus.
For a detailed look at coronavirus case information from Sunday, Aug. 30, click here.
Kentucky Enhanced VINE
Today, Gov. Beshear, who formerly served as Kentucky’s attorney general, announced more than $500,000 in grant funding will build an expansion of services for crime victims in the commonwealth.
“We must continue to create more victim-centered services to help our fellow Kentuckians move forward after their darkest days,†said Gov. Beshear. “This system is another step in the right direction in creating more services focused on victims and survivors and connecting them with the support and information they deserve.â€
He said the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet has awarded the Kentucky Department of Corrections $551,000 in federal Victims of Crime Act grant funding for significant enhancements to be made to the Victism Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) system, the state’s victim notification program.
“VINE offers timely and potentially life-saving notifications via email and phone about an offender in custody,†Gov. Beshear said. “With the new funding, VINE also will help victims locate services they might need, provide alerts via text message and create a unified database.â€
Some of the key features of Kentucky Enhanced VINE include:
The new platform will take several months to complete, and Enhanced Vine is expected to launch September 2021.
For more information and to view the complete news release, click here
Child Care Guidelines
Eric Friedlander, Secretary of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, spoke Monday about changes to the emergency regulations relating to child care, which aim to balance the safety and health of our children, caregivers and the public.
“We also recognize our children’s need to learn and socialize and the essential role of child care for working parents. It is good that everyone is now recognizing the importance of child care,†Secretary Friedlander said. “It has been a difficult time for child-care providers. CARES Act funding has resulted in over $67 million going to Kentucky child-care providers.â€
In unveiling “Journey to a New Kentucky: Changes to Child-Care Facilities Guidance,†Secretary Friedlander said the department was offering a plan to address increasing capacity and the pre-existing shortages of registered and certified providers, while continuing to enforce child care standards.
Among the provisions in the new guidance:
More Information
Read about other key updates, actions and information from Gov. Beshear and his administration at governor.ky.gov, kycovid19.ky.gov and the Governor’s official social media accounts Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Kentuckians can also access translated COVID-19 information and summaries of the Governor’s news conferences at teamkentuckytranslations.com.
USI family,
As we begin our second week of classes, I want to compliment our community on the amazing effort I’ve seen so far from our students, faculty and staff to help keep one another safe. But we have a long way to go this semester. If you were to consider this academic year as comparable to a marathon, we just crossed the starting line and it will take hard work, flexibility and grace to see us through to the finish line.
Let me underscore again the vitally important need to avoid gathering in large groups, maintain good hand hygiene, wear face coverings and allow for six feet or more of distance between individuals.Â
This is imperative because we have seen the number of reported cases of COVID-19 within our University community rise in recent days. This is due to individuals doing the right thing by filling out the self-report form and University contact tracing protocols being followed. Everyone is strongly encouraged to self-monitor and check daily for COVID-19 symptoms. If you have symptoms or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should fill out the form so you can be assessed and contact tracing can begin, if necessary.
Because we know that our community is concerned about the number of positive cases, we have developed a public COVID-19 dashboard. The dashboard is a way to provide information to the public while maintaining the required confidentiality of those who have tested positive or are determined to be close contacts. The dashboard will be updated on a weekly basis and provide data from the previous week. It is now available on the COVID-19 website.
The database shows weekly positive case numbers and total reported cases since the self-report form became available in March 2020. The numbers are categorized into two groups–students and employees. Importantly, a bar graph of the student cases also shows the weekly numbers of those in self-isolation (those COVID-19 positive), both off campus and on campus. Additionally, the database shows numbers off and on campus of students who are in quarantine (those identified as Close Contacts–within six feet of someone who has COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more). We appreciate the hard work of those doing the contact tracing. This investigative work by trained, dedicated employees allows us to provide this information and is vital in helping prevent the spread in our community. Additional information may be added to the dashboard over time. You are invited to review the dashboard every Friday afternoon for the latest updates.
Once again, thank you for the work you are doing to care for one another. We must not let our guard down. Mitigating the spread of this pandemic is in the best interest of each and every one of us.
Stay well,
Ronald S. Rochon, PhD
USI President
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FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 31, 2020) – Gov. Andy Beshear on Monday updated Kentuckians on the state’s continuing efforts to fight the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) in the commonwealth.
“I’m a big believer that our world can be much better than it is right now,†the Governor said. “That’s why I do this. I think my kids deserve a better Kentucky and a better world than they’re growing up in. We have an opportunity based on coming together to defeat the crisis of the moment, to build a better Kentucky that has fewer crises now and in the future.â€
Overdose Awareness Day
Today, Gov. Beshear recognized International Overdose Awareness Day, a global event held on Aug. 31 each year to bring awareness to the overdose epidemic, reduce the stigma of drug-related deaths and acknowledge the grief of family and friends left behind.
“Awareness is the key to survival during most medical emergencies; and that’s certainly true in the case of a drug overdose,†the Governor said. “If you find a loved one has overdosed, or even a complete stranger, knowing how to react could mean the difference between life and death.â€
Those needing access to naloxone or more resources on how to respond to an overdose can find more information on the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy’s webpage.
The Governor also spoke about one overdose victim and his family’s struggle in the aftermath of his untimely death.
“As Attorney General, I filed more lawsuits against opioid distributors and manufacturers than anyone else in the country. My friend Emily, who leads Fed Up in Kentucky, lost her son TJ right before he was going to deploy with our National Guard,†the Governor said. “There’s so much pain out there, and somebody may make a bad decision at the start, but by the time an overdose happens typically, someone has been suffering from an addiction that we cannot treat as a bad decision. We have to treat it as the disease that it is, knowing that it is preventable, knowing that all of us can step in to either try to help an individual suffering from it, or hopefully be there with the training necessary to protect them in that worst-case scenario.â€
Gov. Beshear said he promised Emily he would continue to seek to provide resources to help people overcome addictions while also holding unscrupulous drug companies responsible.
Gov. Beshear noted that public health officials say that since the start of the pandemic in the U.S., they are seeing the largest number of overdose deaths since 2017.
Kentuckians struggling with substance use disorders, either themselves or within their families, can call 833-8KY-HELP (833-859-4357) to speak with a specialist about treatment options and available resources.
A live specialist will help locate everything from medication-assisted treatment to faith-based care and walk through all the variables, such as location and cost. Callers can speak to a specialist from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (EDT), Monday through Friday. During non-business hours, callers may leave a message and the call center staff will get back in touch with them.
Gov. Beshear said the Governor’s Mansion will be lit up with purple lights this evening to honor the lives lost to overdose deaths.
‘Fast 4 at 4’
Gov. Beshear on Monday highlighted a variety of issues of importance to Kentuckians and the commonwealth.
“The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is proud to be part of Team Kentucky and to have a role in preparing the ground for new, job-creating industrial sites,†Secretary Gray said.
The projects are:
For more information and to view the complete news release, click here.
Case Information – Monday, Aug. 31
As of 4 p.m. Aug. 31, Gov. Beshear said there were at least 48,396 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 381 of which were newly reported Monday. Forty-three of the newly reported cases were from children ages 18 and younger, of which two were children ages 5 and under. The youngest was a 1-year-old from Madison County.
“We always have lower numbers on Sundays and Mondays, due to lab closures over the weekend. But the White House report for this week still has 59 of our 120 counties in the red or yellow zone,†said Gov. Beshear. “We don’t want any of our counties in either. Let’s remember how serious this is and not act like everything is normal.â€
Unfortunately, Gov. Beshear reported three new deaths Monday, raising the total to 933 Kentuckians lost to the virus.
The deaths reported Monday to include a 61-year-old man from Lincoln County; a 72-year-old woman from Martin County; and a 65-year-old man from Owen County.
“When we make bad decisions, most often somebody else pays for it, and can pay for it with their lives,†said Gov. Beshear.
As of Monday, there have been at least 877,443 coronavirus tests performed in Kentucky. The positivity rate currently stands at 4.42%. At least 10,375 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus.
For additional information, including up-to-date lists of positive cases and deaths, as well as breakdowns of coronavirus infections by county, race and ethnicity, click here. To see all recent daily reports, click here.
Information about COVID-19 and schools is also being made available. To view the reports, click here for K-12 and here for colleges and universities.
Case Information – Sunday, Aug. 30
Due to limited reporting on the weekends, some updated information is now available from Sunday, Aug. 30.
As of Sunday, there were 874,597 coronavirus tests performed in Kentucky. The positivity rate was at 4.54% and at least 10,355 Kentuckians had recovered from the virus.
For a detailed look at coronavirus case information from Sunday, Aug. 30, click here.
Kentucky Enhanced VINE
Today, Gov. Beshear, who formerly served as Kentucky’s attorney general, announced more than $500,000 in grant funding will build an expansion of services for crime victims in the commonwealth.
“We must continue to create more victim-centered services to help our fellow Kentuckians move forward after their darkest days,†said Gov. Beshear. “This system is another step in the right direction in creating more services focused on victims and survivors and connecting them with the support and information they deserve.â€
He said the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet has awarded the Kentucky Department of Corrections $551,000 in federal Victims of Crime Act grant funding for significant enhancements to be made to the Victims Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) system, the state’s victim notification program.
“VINE offers timely and potentially life-saving notifications via email and phone about an offender in custody,†Gov. Beshear said. “With the new funding, VINE also will help victims locate services they might need, provide alerts via text message and create a unified database.â€
Some of the key features of Kentucky Enhanced VINE include:
The new platform will take several months to complete, and Enhanced Vine is expected to launch in September 2021.
For more information and to view the complete news release, click here
Child Care Guidelines
Eric Friedlander, Secretary of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, spoke Monday about changes to the emergency regulations relating to child care, which aim to balance the safety and health of our children, caregivers and the public.
“We also recognize our children’s need to learn and socialize and the essential role of child care for working parents. It is good that everyone is now recognizing the importance of child care,†Secretary Friedlander said. “It has been a difficult time for child-care providers. CARES Act funding has resulted in over $67 million going to Kentucky child-care providers.â€
In unveiling “Journey to a New Kentucky: Changes to Child-Care Facilities Guidance,†Secretary Friedlander said the department was offering a plan to address increasing capacity and the pre-existing shortages of registered and certified providers while continuing to enforce child care standards.
Among the provisions in the new guidance:
More Information
Read about other key updates, actions and information from Gov. Beshear and his administration at governor.ky.gov, kycovid19.ky.gov and the Governor’s official social media account Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Kentuckians can also access translated COVID-19 information and summaries of the Governor’s news conferences at teamkentuckytranslations.com.
###
INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 28, 2020) – Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs today announced 40 Indiana Main Street programs will receive $200,000 through Taking Care of Main Street. This is a new program providing operational support for Indiana Main Street organizations impacted by COVID-19.
“Main Street organizations are a lifeline for small businesses who are doing their best to survive the effects of this pandemic,†said Lt. Gov. Crouch. “Ensuring small businesses are able to survive requires a comprehensive approach. This funding can help bridge the gap.â€
The goal of this program is to support Indiana Main Street organizations that provide leadership and services to the businesses and members, using the Main Street Approach, with special attention to organizations that have been significantly impacted by COVID-19.
“As we saw from these applications, most Main Street organizations are dealing with loss of funding from a variety of reasons related to COVID-19,†said Matt Crouch, Interim Executive Director of OCRA. “Since their leadership and guidance is a valuable tool for economic recovery, OCRA is grateful to provide this state assistance.â€
Eligible expenses could include salaries, administrative fees, space/equipment rental or staff development and training. For more information, visit www.in.gov/ocra/3016.htm.
Below is a summary of how each Main Street organization plans to use the $5,000 funding:
Attica Main Street will use the funding to help with annual expenses to include board insurance, promotional materials, billboards, table toppers, Facebook advertising and website maintenance.
Auburn Main Street will use the funding for downtown business promotion, operational expenses and helping search for a new Executive Director.
Cambridge City Main Street plans to use the funding for ongoing efforts to support local businesses through promotions, town events and business owner engagement.
Columbia City Connect will use the funding to cover salary expenses.
Crawfordsville Main Street Program, Inc. plans to use the funding for program manager and board training for long-range business adaptations to include innovative small business online promotion and visitor attraction, computer software upgrades and website improvements.
Decatur Main Street will cover payroll and utility expenses with the funding.
Destination Huntingburg will use the funding to continue the 2020 work plans, as well as aid in 2021’s planned projects.
Develop New Albany plans to employ a part-time Program Coordinator.
Discover Downtown Franklin will use the funding to fund the five-year strategic plan and associated planner. Implementing a new strategic plan was a primary goal listed in Franklin’s 2020 work plan.
Downtown Angola Coalition plans to promote downtown businesses virtually through interviews and profiles as part of mini-documentaries. This funding will also help establish an outdoor downtown history museum where small plaques will be displayed with historical and human-interest stories.
Downtown Bloomington Inc. plans to use the funding for the organization’s main street insurance, membership software, communication software expenses, general office and media designer expenses.
Downtown Evansville EID will use the funding to allow the Downtown Evansville Economic Improvement District to move forward with an alley lighting and planting project. This alley connects a parking area to Main Street and will add to the downtown experience.
Downtown Goshen, Inc will use the funding to support and promote downtown businesses and help administer a Facade Incentive Program for Central Business District buildings.
Downtown Terre Haute will use the funding for salaries of the Office and Program Coordinator, as well as provide promotional help to local businesses who have been most impacted by COVID-19.
Experience the Heart of Kendallville plans to hire a professional consultant with Gibbs Planning Group to help the Main Street build organizational capacity through a thorough analysis of previous downtown planning efforts and conditions. As part of this service, Gibbs Planning will provide workshops for downtown merchants, including topics such as visual merchandising.
Frankfort Main Street, Inc. will use the funding to cover salaries and business training.
Greater Lafayette Commerce plans to develop a series of SMART workshops during Downtown Development Week, to help business owners recover from the pandemic. Additionally, they will develop and promote a Christmas scavenger hunt and Shop Small Saturday to help drive sales.
Greenfield Main Street Inc. plans to fund a portion of the new Executive Director’s salary and to update the downtown office space.
Heart of Rushville will use the funding to help with support from events that had to be cancelled. It will also be used to provide PPE, downtown lighting, and to purchase a blue tooth sound system, which will be used for special downtown events.
Jeffersonville Main Street, Inc. will use the funding to promote the downtown businesses and help supplement organizational operating expenses.
Kirklin Main Street, Inc. plans to use the funds to support downtown murals and other quality of place initiatives.
Logan’s Landing Association, Inc. plans to use the funding to assist with ongoing operating costs including payroll, taxes, insurance, telephone and utility bills, office supplies and postage.
Madison Main Street Program plans to update the Madison Main Street web page with a new space for  business materials, event and workshop plans and registrations, grant information and applications, real estate listings, sponsor and donor recognition, interactive maps for business locations and inventory, community press releases and staff and business training.
Main Street Brookville Inc. will use the funding to coordinate programming and provide technical assistance to help transition to an online platform by helping build a business’s website integrated with merchant services. In addition, grant funds will be used to help sustain operational costs.
Main Street Corydon will use the funding for salaries, PPE costs, office supplies, printing, social media marketing, activities, equipment rental, administrative fees and staff development.
Main Street Greensburg will use the funding to fund the salary of a new part-time assistant.
Main Street Richmond-Wayne County, Inc. plans to use the funding for operational expenses.
Main Street Shelbyville will use their funding to bridge a gap left by the loss of sponsorships, memberships and event income. The funding will help with continued promotion and facilitation of programming such as COVID-19 survival webinar with ISBDC, the Downtown Highlights series, and for the administration of the downtown grant programs.
Muncie Downtown Development Partnership, Inc. plans to launch a marketing message in the fall and will use the funds for the development of the campaign, hard costs for media buys and collateral costs. The campaign is focused on getting residents and visitors to return to the downtown.
New Castle Main Street, Inc. will use the funding to support operating expenses like marketing, administrative materials, postage, website maintenance, etc.
Noblesville Main Street will use their funding to support increased expenses for the farmers market. The market is their main event, with the largest profit margin, and funds the Event Manager position for the following year.
Manchester Alive plans to purchase equipment to help create interviews, videos and photos for social media and websites; to execute a downtown celebration and help supplement office support salaries.
Rediscover downtown Peru, Inc. will use the funding to expand the downtown façade Improvement Program and be able to continue marketing and advertising efforts.
Seymour Main Street Program will use the funding towards the Executive Director’s salary.
Streets of Monticello Association plan to use the funding for operational expense that include insurance, website maintenance, P.O box rental, staff training and purchase PPE for a variety of upcoming events.
The Heart of Lebanon will use the funding towards the Executive Director’s salary.
Uptown Project Inc. plans to continue to enhance downtown Francesville, support local business and create a mural.
Vevay Main Street will fund the director’s salary.
Wabash Marketplace Inc. will use the funding towards part-time employee’s salaries.
Warsaw Community Development Corporation will use the funds to create a downtown mural and other quality of place initiatives.
FOOTNOTE: Under the leadership of Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch, who also serves as the Secretary of Rural Development, the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs’ (OCRA) mission is to work with local, state and national partners to provide resources and technical assistance to assist communities in shaping and achieving their vision for the community and economic development. For more information, visit ocra.in.gov.
Attorney General Curtis Hill has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene to enable the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to require abortion clinics to follow standard procedures in performing chemical abortions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A U.S. district court recently ruled that the FDA must suspend several of its normal rules during the pandemic — including a requirement that mifepristone, an abortion drug, be dispensed only in a clinic, medical office or hospital. Then, a federal appeals court denied a motion to stay the injunction imposed by the district court.
Attorney General Hill is joined by Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry and eight other states in a brief filed with the Supreme Court supporting the FDA’s motion for a stay of the district court’s ruling pending an appeal.
Indiana, Louisiana and other states have laws similar to the FDA protocol at issue, but they have previously been denied formal entry into the case as parties. The states are now asking to participate as amici curiae, or “friends of the court.â€
“The rules governing chemical abortions are designed to protect women’s health,†Attorney General Hill said. “They are fully enforceable and safe to follow during the current pandemic. Federal courts should not use COVID-19 as an excuse to interfere with the FDA’s long-established and well-considered procedures.â€
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I moved nearly 3,000 miles from my home in Washington State to take my first job as an education reporter. I was so excited to cover education that I agreed to work in an office I had never seen, in a part of Florida I had never visited. I started the job just before Christmas when all of the other reporters were on vacation. I was sitting in an empty newsroom, listening to the scattershot noises of the police scanner, when the door burst open and in walked one of the most colorful characters I have ever encountered in a newsroom: the gossip columnist.
He grabbed a desk nearby, and I listened with a mixture of horror and fascination as he spoke to a source. Every third word out of his mouth was profanity. Finally, he hung up the phone and introduced himself. When I said that I was the new education reporter, he scrunched up his nose and spit out words I’ll never forget.
“No one cares about education. Find scandals. They care about scandals,†he said.
You might expect that attitude from a gossip columnist, but I have encountered it many times in my 18 years as a journalist, often from editors who had the power to shape news coverage of their communities. The idea that education is somehow less important, less interesting, or less relevant than politics, business, or crime has always been wrong. These last few months — as public and private schools across the country have closed their buildings and struggled to reopen during the coronavirus pandemic — have shown just how wrong. The vital and complex role that schools play in our society has been vividly demonstrated for the doubters. There has, perhaps, never been a more important time to invest in education journalism.
That’s why I am proud to join Chalkbeat as a story editor, working with our bureaus in Chicago and Philadelphia. As a growing nonprofit news organization, Chalkbeat has a mission about which I care deeply. Journalists here are “committed to covering one of America’s most important stories: the effort to improve schools for all children, especially those who have historically lacked access to quality education.â€
During my career in journalism, I have sometimes had to fight to write stories about children who weren’t well served by the American education system, particularly Black students in under-resourced communities. At times, the message that I should focus on other students or other schools was conveyed subtly. Other times, it was explicit. And yet, some of my best work as a reporter was done in defiance of that message. At Chalkbeat, coverage is centered around equity and, in my short time here, I have seen how seriously the reporters, editors, and other staff members take that mission.
In Philadelphia, where Chalkbeat just launched its newest bureau, senior writer Dale Mezzacappa, explained one of the reasons that she has continued to write about education: “Bluntly, the American system doesn’t just tolerate racial and economic segregation and inequity, it is built on it. And it sucks all of us in. Without a second thought, individual families build their lives around the idea of ‘moving to a good school district,’ which most often means leaving one that has many low-income students (and usually, students of color) for one that has fewer.â€
Chalkbeat also has a deep commitment to local news, with eight bureaus operating across the country. It’s both thrilling and bittersweet to join a news organization that is expanding. In the last two decades, I have worked at four local newspapers. All four have gone through devastating and repeated rounds of layoffs and buyouts while closing regional bureaus and shrinking coverage areas. Every education team I have been part of has grown smaller, and the two bureaus I worked in years ago have closed. Like so many journalists, I have endured pay cuts, abysmal health insurance, and starting a family without the benefit of paid maternity leave.
The collapse of local news has been devastating, with so many of my former colleagues leaving the news industry. It is because of these experiences that I value what Chalkbeat has been able to build: a sustainable nonprofit newsroom with a diverse mix of funding that serves as a model for other news organizations.
Despite all of the changes in journalism, I have been fortunate to continue to cover education, first as a reporter and now as an editor. It is the easiest thing in the world to accept a job at a news organization I admire, with colleagues I rely on — first, as a reader — to tell one of America’s most important news stories.
