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St. Vincent Hit and Run

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  The Evansville Police Department’s Hit and Run Unit is asking for the public’s help in locating the people and vehicle identified in these pictures. 

  This stems from a hit and run motor vehicle accident that occurred in the parking lot of St. Vincent Hospital sometime on August 24. The driver of this vehicle struck the victim’s vehicle and left the scene without reporting the accident. 

  If anyone has information on this case they are asked to contact the Hit and Run Unit at 812-436-7942.

St. Vincent Gunshot Victim

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   Around 9:00 p.m. on August 27, the Evansville Police Department was called to St. Vincent Hospital about a male who had been shot in the face. 

  When officers arrived they spoke to the victim’s mother who told them she picked the victim up in the 800 block of Madison Avenue after he had called her to tell her that he had been shot. After picking him up, his mother then rushed him to the hospital. 

 The victim was conscious and alert when detectives attempted to speak with him, but refused to give many details about what happened. 

 Meanwhile, officers were able to locate a vehicle in the 800 block of Madison that was registered to the victim. This vehicle had bullet holes in it as well as a broken driver’s side window. Upon further investigation, blood was located in the vehicle as well. 

  The victim is expected to survive his injuries. 

  Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Evansville Police Department’s Detective Office at 812-436-7987 or 812-436-7979

VAANDERBURGH COUNTY RECENT BOOKING RECORDS

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

AG Curtis Hill: Full 11-Member U.S. Court of Appeals Should Uphold Indiana Law Requiring Parental Notice When Minors Seek Abortions

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Attorney General Curtis Hill this week asked the full 11-member U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider and uphold Indiana’s requirement that parents be notified when their minor children seek abortions.

Indiana’s law provides that such notification be made unless a judge finds it would not be in the best interests of a minor seeking an abortion, such as if she resides with abusive family members.

The notification requirements apply specifically to minor children already deemed by a court to be sufficiently mature to make their own decisions regarding abortion, thereby exempting them from laws requiring they have parents’ outright consent to undergo the procedure.

Planned Parenthood has argued that minor children exempted from parental consent requirements are logically entitled to obtain abortions without their parents being notified. Indiana has maintained that merely notifying parents of planned abortions is distinct from obtaining their consent for the procedures.

In 2019, a three-judge panel of the Seventh Circuit upheld a preliminary injunction against the enforcement of Indiana’s parental notice law. Following that decision, the court denied, by a vote of 6-5, Attorney General Hill’s petition for a hearing by the full 11-member court. Two judges who voted against en banc rehearing wrote that they voted as they did because only the Supreme Court could provide clarity in the constitutional standards applicable to abortion regulations.

In late June, however, the U.S. Supreme Court decided June Medical Services L.L.C. v. Russo, addressing the constitutional law of abortion. And on July 2, the High Court sent Indiana’s parental notice case back to the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals for further consideration in light of the June Medical decision.

In this week’s filings, Attorney General Hill asks once again that the full 11-member U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals consider the Indiana parental notice requirement.

“We previously fell one vote short of receiving a hearing by the full court,” Attorney General Hill said. “The answers provided in the June Medical case should provide further impetus for such a hearing.”

States have a clear interest in protecting the rights of parents and the well-being of minors, Attorney General Hill said.

“Even when courts permit minors to obtain abortions without parental consent, those same parents still have rights and responsibilities for the care and upbringing of their daughters,” Attorney General Hill said. “As they love and care for their children, parents need to know what they have experienced. An abortion is a procedure that could have severe implications for future medical treatment. It is also a procedure that could bear on a child’s emotional needs and future mental health.”

 

Virtual Charter Schools See Spike In Interest As Families Grapple With The Pandemic’s Disruption

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Virtual Charter Schools See Spike In Interest As Families Grapple With The Pandemic’s Disruption

By Matt Barnum

New data suggests virtual charter schools are seeing a sharp uptick in interest and enrollment across the country.

K12, the country’s largest operator of virtual schools, says enrollment has jumped from 123,000 students last year to 170,000 this year, and that number could still grow. Connections Academy, the country’s second-largest virtual school network, doesn’t have national enrollment numbers yet but says applications have jumped 61%.

For both companies, those figures include charter schools and virtual schools run on behalf of school districts.

Those numbers are in line with spikes reported in Oklahoma, where enrollment in virtual charter schools increased from 19,000 to 33,000 students this year, as well as in Michigan, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Utah. Together, they’re the clearest evidence yet that the virtual charter school model is appealing to new families at a moment of upheaval and uncertainty for school districts across the country.

“Parents are looking for stability,” said Jeanna Pignatiello, the chief academic officer for K12. “Going to an organization that has been supporting this type of learning for 20 years provides them with some comfort.”

The full scale of the enrollment increase won’t be clear for months. School hasn’t started yet in some parts of the country, the virtual schools are still enrolling students, and parents in schools of all types may reassess their options as this year unfolds. But if the growth is substantial, it will both put an increased financial strain on school districts that lose students and indicate a reversal of fortunes for the virtual charters, which have faced growing skepticism for their disappointing test scores and graduation rates.

In the 2017-18 school year, the most recent year with national data available, 300,000 students were enrolled in full-time virtual public schools. Most attended virtual charter schools, and about half were in a school run by the companies K12 or Connections Academy, an arm of Pearson. It’s a tiny fraction of the 50 million students in American public schools, but the virtual number will almost certainly be higher this year.

That’s because of parents like Ashley Moyer of Fort Wayne, Indiana. She found herself considering her options after being disappointed by the remote instruction offered this spring by her 12-year-old son’s school, which she said featured few assignments that were graded only for completion. “He really didn’t get the same education he would have got had they continued to be in the classroom,” she said.

She decided to give the school another shot when it reopened a few weeks ago. But on the two or three days each week her son is scheduled to learn from home, Moyer said the instruction still failed to challenge her son, and she worries the district may eventually go fully online. Her plan now is to switch him into a K12-run school in the state.

“If he’s going to be forced to be at home and do e-learning, I want him actually learning,” she said.

But the virtual charter school model is far from proven. National research, as well as studies in Georgia, Indiana, and Ohio, have shown that students in virtual charter schools make substantially less progress on state math and reading tests than demographically similar students in non-virtual public schools. A study looking specifically at K12 and Connections Academy schools found the same.

“All the evidence is very, very clear when we talk about outcomes,” said Gary Miron, an education researcher at Western Michigan University who has studied virtual charter schools. “These schools are failing miserably.” (Virtual schools have long disputed the studies’ findings, arguing that they don’t fully account for the unique student population the schools serve.)

Specific virtual charter schools have also been embroiled in enrollment scandals — in multiple instances, collecting public money for students even after they were no longer attending the virtual school. Even some pro-charter groups have called for tighter regulation of virtual charters, or even prohibiting charter schools from being run virtually.

“Some virtual charter schools have poor performance records. That hasn’t changed,” said Nina Rees, the president of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, which in 2016 released a report critical of virtual charter schools’ academic performance.

Perhaps as a result of the increased scrutiny, enrollment growth in virtual schools leveled off between 2016 and 2017, and policymakers in some states have put restrictions on their funding and growth.

But all bets are off thanks to the pandemic, which has upended the year ahead and increased interest among policymakers and parents in fully virtual schooling.

“If there’s ever a moment in time where we have to set our differences aside on how education is delivered, this is it,” Rees said.

Indeed, it’s not clear to what extent the prior research on virtual charter school effectiveness still applies. With many schools of all types shifting to remote instruction this fall, the alternative to a virtual charter school this year will often be a virtual district school, complicating comparisons.

“I don’t know who is going to do better this year, and I’m afraid that both sides are going to do poorly,” said Miron.

The virtual charter schools are making their case to parents with ads encouraging families to consider a virtual option.

“New to the virtual school? K12 has powered online learning for 20 years,” reads one Facebook ad. “Enroll today and gain the confidence in knowing that they’re learning safely at home,” says another.

K12 declined to say whether the company had increased its marketing budget for this coming school year. A spokesperson for Connections Academy said its advertising budget for this year did not increase as a result of the pandemic.

Virtual school companies wield substantial political influence, but they’ve also faced setbacks and opposition from some public school groups as they’ve tried to grow. Earlier this month, the North Carolina board of education rejected an effort by two virtual schools to increase their enrollment limit, citing concerns that it would hurt school district finances.

“We as a board are responsible for all of the students across the state,” said board member Jill Camnitz. “I want to be sure that, in order to provide some options for some students who don’t have them right now, that we make sure we don’t send negative ripples all the way across the state.”

“There are thousands of parents of students out there just looking for an option in the midst of an emergency,” countered Dan Forest, North Carolina’s lieutenant governor, who opposed the decision.

Critics fear that virtual schools’ performance issues will persist. Virtual charter schools tend to have particularly large student-to-teacher ratios, and school leaders have reported struggling to keep students engaged.

Allison Bazin, a spokesperson for Connections Academy, said its schools are prepared to meet their students’ needs. “Schools have hired new teachers and are providing rigorous start-of-school training and ongoing professional development in online teaching. Pearson has invested in providing schools with benchmark assessment tools that will allow them to identify learning gaps and put appropriate supports in place right away,” she said.

Connections Academy schools usually have class sizes of 30 to 50 students, Bazin said.

K12 says it’s hired new teachers and may hire more. “Most importantly, we’re focused on ensuring families have an outstanding academic experience,” K12 CEO Nathaniel Davis said on a recent earnings call with investors.

“Are we going to lose some whenever schools open back up? Absolutely,” he said. “But will we lose them all? I don’t think so.”

FOOTNOTE: Sarah Darville contributed to reporting.

Volunteer USI Honors Award Recipients At Virtual Recognition Event

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Members of Volunteer USI, the University of Southern Indiana’s volunteer organization, celebrated another successful year and honored three award recipients during their annual Volunteer Recognition Event, held virtually on Wednesday, August 26.

The Student Volunteer of the Year award recognizes a student who has performed outstanding volunteer service to USI and/or the community through the Volunteer USI program. The Mentor of the Year award recognizes a USI faculty, staff, alumni or community member who has mentored a current USI student to enhance their development in their overall academic field. The Volunteer of the Year award recognizes a USI faculty, staff, alumni or community member who has performed outstanding volunteer service to USI and/or the community through the Volunteer USI Program.

Student Volunteer of the Year

Erika Uebelhor, a junior studying political science and psychology with a minor in pre-law from Ferdinand, Indiana, was recognized as the 2020 Student Volunteer of the Year. Uebehlor volunteers for multiple USI student organizations, most notably the Student Ambassadors Organization (SAO) for which she has donated over 100 hours to help facilitate positive visit experiences for prospective students and their guests. Erika also serves on the SAO’s executive board as secretary and has received two Ambassador awards for her many volunteer hours with SAO.

“Erika makes everything she touches better than it was before,” says Erika’s nominator. “While I recognized very quickly that Erika was going to leave her mark from the moment she stepped foot on campus, how much she has done for USI in just two years is truly phenomenal.”

Mentor of the Year

Shenae Rowe, Food and Nutrition Director for the Warrick County School Corporation was recognized as the 2020 Mentor of the Year. Rowe serves as a preceptor for current students to obtain service hours for their nutrition practicums, as well as for USI graduates in their dietetics distance internships. She is an annual guest speaker on school foodservice and nutrition in USI’s Community Nutrition Course, and an advocate for public policy regarding school nutrition guidelines. Rowe also volunteers for the Southwest Indiana Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Association and the School Nutrition Association.

“School food service is a challenging and demanding field, and Shenae is very skilled at effectively communicating to students the value of the field and the positive impact they can have on children’s health and well-being,” writes Rowe’s nominator. “Her positive outlook and passion for nutrition and dietetics help change mindsets and stereotypes that often accompany this field of nutrition.”

Volunteer of the Year

Donna Nelson, a long-time supporter of USI Athletics and devoted USI volunteer for many years, was recognized as the 2020 Volunteer of the Year. Nelson serves as a board member for the USI Varsity Club and volunteers her time for numerous USI Athletics events, including basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, cross country and other Varsity Club events. She always has a bright smile and a listening ear for all USI visitors and athletic event attendees. Donna arrives early and stays late when needed, going above and beyond for USI and giving her time to any and all events she can.

“Donna has a heart of gold,” writes Nelson’s nominator. “Whether it is sitting in the cold at a cross country meet or in the heat at a baseball game, Donna is there with a smile on her face. She is so friendly to all campus visitors, and we are so fortunate to have her as a member of our USI Athletics family.”

Established in 1996, Volunteer USI is a University-wide program to recruit, place and recognize volunteers who give their services and talents to benefit USI and the surrounding communities. Volunteers contributed a total of 44,716 hours throughout the 2019-2020 fiscal year, and the program has recorded a total of more than 2.1 million volunteer hours since its inception.

Lt. Gov. Crouch Announces 42 COVID-19 Response Phase 2 Recipients

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Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs today announced that an additional 42 rural Hoosier communities will receive more than $10.09 million in federal grant funding through the COVID-19 Response Program.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our Hoosier economy and they have made considerable sacrifices during the COVID-19 crisis.” said Lt. Gov. Crouch “This funding will help Hoosier small businesses continue to recover and will help make investments necessary to create safer spaces for their customers and staff.”

On April 30, Lt. Governor Crouch announced 61 COVID-19 Response Phase 1 recipients, who received more than $10.7 million in funding. To continue addressing the economic impact caused by COVID-19 on rural Hoosier businesses, OCRA launched a second phase of the COVID-19 Response Program.

“Many of the business owners face already-slim margins, which make these grants even more essential for their survival,” said Matt Crouch, Interim Executive Director of OCRA. “OCRA is pleased to be able to continue our support for small businesses which is integral to the recovery of Indiana’s rural economy.”

Eligible applicants for this program could apply for up to $250,000 and include non-entitlement local units of government. The two eligible economic recovery activities included grants or loans to businesses to retain Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI) jobs.

Funding for the COVID-19 Response Phase 2 funding is derived from Indiana’s CARES Act allocation.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed by Congress and signed into law on March 27, 2020. Through the Coronavirus Relief Fund, the CARES Act provides for payments to State, Local, and Tribal governments navigating the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Below is a summary of the projects being funded under each category. For more information on the program, visit www.in.gov/ocra/3010.htm.

Grants To Businesses To Retain Jobs

The City of Bedford is awarded $241,873 to provide $10,000 grants to small businesses including retail and commercial businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The City of Boonville is awarded $250,000 to provide $10,000 grants to businesses located in the city to retain LMI employees.

The City of Charlestown is awarded $250,000 to provide $10,000 grants to small businesses that have been most severely impacted by the economic downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The City of Jeffersonville is awarded $250,000 to provide $10,000 grants to retain jobs for local, small businesses that employ less than 100 LMI employees and the pay rate.

The City of Madison is awarded $250,000 to provide $5,000 to $10,000 grants to qualified businesses supporting LMI employees.

The City of Monticello is awarded $250,000 to provide grant funds to local businesses, within the City of Monticello, to help with payroll and other operational costs.

The City of Mount Vernon is awarded $250,000 to provide $10,000 grants to small businesses retaining full-time LMI employees.

The City of Shelbyville is awarded $250,000 to provide $10,000 grants to small businesses with fewer than 100 employees located within the City limits.

The City of Scottsburg is awarded $250,000 to provide grant loans of up to $10,000 to small businesses that have been most severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The City of Washington is awarded $250,000 for continuing to aid businesses through funding which assists with rent payments, utilities, payroll, insurances, and other costs associated with business operations.

The Town of Clarksville is awarded $250,000 to provide grants of up to $10,000 to small businesses that have been most severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Town of Fort Branch is awarded $250,000 to award grants in the amount of up to $10,000, to businesses located in the town limits, to retain full-time LMI employees.

The Town of Hagerstown is awarded $250,000 to assist LMI employees at local, small businesses by providing grants to fund working capital in reopening, restocking, and to help pay for remote work technology.

The Town of Haubstadt is awarded $150,000 to help local small businesses with 25 employees or less to continue operating during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Town of Nashville is awarded $250,000 to provide grants to businesses for retaining low-to-moderate income employees’ jobs. The grants, up to $10,000 each, will be for small businesses that have a revenue equal to or less than $1 million, have 100 employees or less, and have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Town of New Harmony is awarded $250,000 and will be awarding economic development grants, of up to $10,000 per business applicant, to provide an infusion of operating capital and to retain full-time LMI employees.

The Town of Spencer is awarded $250,000 to provide grants up to $10,000 each to local, small businesses to retain LMI jobs.

Daviess County is awarded $250,000 to provide up to $10,000 grants to 25 to 30 small businesses that have been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with priority given to business owners who are veterans, minorities, or women.

Gibson County is awarded $250,000 and intends to award grants in the amount of up to $10,000 to businesses retaining LMI employees.

Jennings County is awarded $250,000 to provide $5,000 to $10,000 grants to eligible for-profit businesses to assist with LMI job retention through employee salaries, rent/mortgage payments, health/ safety materials, or innovative technology services to accommodate remote work or a change in operations.

LaGrange County is awarded $250,000 to assist small businesses by providing grants for working capital needs.

La Porte County is awarded $250,000 to fund the La Porte County Action Fund, Working Capital, and Payroll Assistance Grants to businesses for retaining LMI jobs.

Marshall County is awarded $250,000 to create the Marshall County Crossroads Loan Program. This county-wide micro-loan program would be used to provide funds to businesses or for employees of businesses that fit into the size standard of less than $1 million in gross annual sales and less than 20 LMI employees.

Orange County is awarded $250,000 to provide grants of up to $10,000 to small businesses and microenterprises to retain jobs held by LMI employees, provide working capital and/or support remote work for employees.

Posey County is awarded $250,000 to award grants of up to $10,000 to businesses, located in the corporate limits of Posey County, to help retain full-time LMI employees.

Pulaski County is awarded $250,000 and will provide grants, not to exceed $10,000, to assist small businesses that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ripley County is awarded $250,000 to create the Small Business COVID Response Grant which will provide $10,000 to eligible businesses with less than 100 employees.

Tippecanoe County is awarded $250,000 to launch a program to support small businesses that have been adversely affected by COVID-19.

Vanderburgh County is awarded $250,000 to provide grants up to $10,000 (each) for small businesses located within Vanderburgh County, but excluding the City of Evansville.

Wabash County is awarded $160,000 and will issue grants to businesses ranging from $2,000 to $10,000, based on retained employee counts. Specifically, the funds will be used for costs incurred or ongoing operating expenses to help to retain LMI jobs.

Loans To Businesses To Retain Jobs

The City of Angola is awarded $250,000 to provide low-interest, forgivable loans to businesses in the retail and restaurant sector.

The City of Hartford City is awarded $250,000 to assist small businesses by providing loans to fund working capital in reopening, restocking, and to help pay for remote work technology.

The City of New Haven is awarded $237,500 to manage the intake process of a new micro-loan program to retain LMI jobs and business.

The Town of North Judson is awarded $250,000 and will start a revolving loan program to help businesses retain jobs and keep their businesses open.

Dearborn County is awarded $250,000 to create a revolving loan fund focused on small to medium-sized businesses that have seen a negative impact due to COVID-19.

Fayette County is awarded $250,000 to assist small businesses, within Fayette County, by providing loans to fund working capital and to help pay for remote work technology.

Grant County is awarded $100,000 to create a COVID-19 Loan Fund to assist 21 county businesses in applying for a $7,500 loan to offset revenue losses, pay bills, sponsor sick-pay for workers, help transition to remote work.

Jefferson County is awarded $250,000 to establish a quick deploy, county-wide, LMI low-interest revolving loan program for critical financial resources to small/micro for-profit businesses for working capital, retention of LMI employees and remote work capabilities.

Parke County is awarded $250,000 to create LMI Revolving Loans which will target business owners or employers that have concentrations of LMI families and individuals.

Randolph County is awarded $250,000 to assist small businesses by providing loans to fund working capital in reopening, restocking, and to help pay for remote work technology.

Switzerland County is awarded $250,000 to establish a Small Business Loan Program. The funds will provide working capital to local small businesses suffering significant losses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whitley County is awarded $250,000 to establish a COVID-19 fund, in their existing revolving loan fund program, to continue to create jobs and stimulate private investment.

AG Curtis Hill Announces $85M Multistate Settlement With Honda Over Defective Airbag Systems

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AG Curtis Hill Announces $85M Multistate Settlement With Honda Over Defective Airbag Systems

Attorney General Curtis Hill announced today a more than $85 million multistate settlement with Honda over vehicle safety issues related to defects in frontal airbag systems in certain Honda and Acura vehicles that were sold in the United States.

Due to these defects, Honda has recalled approximately 12.9 million Honda and Acura vehicles with suspect airbag inflators since 2008. This includes 189,397 vehicles in Indiana. Ruptures of these faulty airbags have resulted in at least 14 deaths and over 200 injuries in the U.S. alone. Honda also delayed in reporting the defects to consumers.

“It is important to hold companies accountable when they fail to keep the customers who use their products safe,” Attorney General Hill said. “We hope this settlement will signal to manufacture companies that consumer safety must be a top priority.”

Honda’s conduct allegedly violated several states’ consumer protection laws, including the Indiana Deceptive Consumer Sales Act. The company will pay more than $85 million to the states that sued. Indiana will receive more than $1.7 million of that money. 

As part of the settlement, Honda has also agreed to:

  • Take steps to ensure that future airbag designs include “fail-safe” features to protect passengers in the event inflators rupture;

  • Change its procurement process for new frontal airbags to ensure that its suppliers have the appropriate industry certifications and satisfy key industry performance standards;

  • Improve record-keeping and parts tracking;

  • Implement procedures designed to prevent a tragedy like this from ever happening again, such as requiring the company to approve all new frontal airbag designs before the company will consider them for use in new Honda and Acura vehicles;

  • Prohibit misleading advertisements and point-of-sale representations regarding the safety of Honda’s vehicles, including the airbags; and

  • Make improvements in critical areas such as risk management, quality control, supplier oversight, training and certifications, and implementing mandatory whistleblower protections.

Hoosiers who own a Honda or Acura vehicle are strongly encouraged to visit hondaairbaginfo.com or call Honda’s toll-free customer service number at 888-234-2138 to see if their vehicle is subject to a recall. You may also check for open recalls by going to Safercar.gov. All safety recall repairs are free at authorized Honda dealers.

Buttigieg calls Pence Republican National Convention Speech Part Of An ‘Alternate Reality’

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Buttigieg calls Pence Republican National Convention Speech Part Of An ‘Alternate Reality’

August 27, 2020  
Posted by:

By Erica Irish 
TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS — In his prime-time speech at the Republican National Convention Wednesday, Vice President and former Indiana Gov. Mike Pence called America “a nation of miracles” and promised viewers a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the year.

Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg said Republicans at their national convention are living in an alternate reality. He participated in a virtual press conference sponsored by the Democratic National Committee. TheStatehouseFile.com

But former South Bend Mayor and Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg and Symone Sanders, a senior adviser for the Joe Biden campaign, don’t buy Pence’s claims and other arguments from Republican speakers who took the stage at Maryland’s Fort McHenry.

Buttigieg and Sanders argued the biggest issues of today — from the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on public health and the economy to racial justice — should’ve been center stage at the convention. Instead, they argued, Pence and RNC failed to send the right message to Americans, and in some cases ignored key issues altogether.

“Last night was like witnessing an alternate reality,” Buttigieg said.

Buttigieg and Sanders criticized Pence for not outlining specific measures the current administration could take to repair the economy and other consequences of COVID-19, damage they largely attribute to the administration’s failure to act in the first place.

More than 177,000 people have died from the virus nationwide, and 3,047 have died of COVID-19 in Indiana, according to a Thursday report from the state health department. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified more than 5.7 milllion cases nationwide, compared to 90,504 known cases in Indiana.

Sanders said Americans need a president who will understand the gravity of the pandemic and other issues that have emerged with it.

Symone Sanders, senior advisor to the Biden/Harris campaign, critiqued the Republican National Convention in a virutal news conference with former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg. TheStatehouseFile.com

“The American people are crying out for the sort of compassionate leadership that Joe Biden offers,” Sanders said.

But Buttigieg and Sanders ignored the few specific claims Pence did make about the virus in his speech, including his assurance a vaccine would be available by the end of 2020.

In his speech, Pence also noted steps the Trump administration took to slow the virus, touting increased testing across the nation and the president’s choice to ban travel from mainland China in February. Pence also claimed that no American who needed a ventilator because of COVID-19 was denied one, citing a successful push to build 100,000 ventilators in 100 days.

Biden gave several details in his nomination acceptance speech last week about how he would address the virus if elected. He said he would make masks required nationwide, for one, and also spoke to the need for rapid testing, gathering enough medical supplies and giving schools the resources they need to safely reopen.

Buttigieg and Sanders also claimed clear conversations about racial justice were absent from Pence’s speech. While Pence did address the unrest that’s emerged around the country after several high-profile deaths of Black men and women by police, he did not speak to their lost lives. He instead prioritized the administration’s commitment to protecting communities from violence and supporting law enforcement.

“The American people know we do not have to choose between supporting law enforcement and standing with our African-American neighbors to improve the quality of their lives, education, jobs and safety,” Pence said, noting the Trump administration supported African Americans from the beginning. He provided some — but not many — examples of this support elsewhere in his speech, notably improved unemployment for African Americans nationwide.

Where Pence stood clear, however, was in the administration’s unwavering support for law enforcement. He said the administration “backs the blue” and will push back on efforts to defund the police. In one of several mentions to special guests, Pence extended condolences to the family of Dave Patrick Underwood, a homeland security officer who was shot and killed while defending a federal building in Oakland, California, in May.

Pence warned that, if Biden is elected, Americans won’t be safe. Buttigieg argued Thursday the vice president isn’t in the position to make such a claim.

“He can’t have it both ways,” Buttigieg said. “On one hand, he said the amount of stability and peace and safety in our cities depends on who’s president. Donald Trump is president right now. All of this is unfolding on his watch.”

The RNC will televise another night of speeches Thursday night, when President Donald Trump is expected to accept the party’s nomination for re-election.

FOOTNOTE: Erica Irish is the 2020 Russell Pulliam editor for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students. 

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Program To Address Evictions And Foreclosures

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MAYOR
MAYOR

A new program to help those facing eviction and those trying to collect rent is available statewide. The Indiana Supreme Court is launching the Landlord and Tenant Settlement Conference Program to provide a free avenue for landlords and tenants to reach a mutually beneficial resolution.

As the pandemic persists courts face a backlog of eviction and foreclosure cases. Chief Justice Loretta Rush explained, “The increase in eviction and foreclosure cases requires swift action. This program is a no cost opportunity for landlords and tenants to resolve their dispute outside of court with a neutral facilitator. Possibilities include negotiated payment plans, back payments, or move-out dates—without the legal costs and stigma of an eviction. In the best of outcomes, more tenants will stay in their homes and more landlords will receive rent. That’s a win for the parties and the community.”

Landlords or tenants who want to request facilitation can do so at courts.in.gov/facilitate or through the Reopen Evansville Rent & Utility Assistance Portal.

Facilitators will help the parties fairly discuss their situation and aid them in finding viable resolutions. Some resolutions may include allowing tenants to stay in the home, while others may not. But in all instances, the facilitation will be free to the parties and allow both sides an opportunity to see if a settlement can be reached before an eviction case is filed or, if an eviction case has already been filed, to see if an agreement can be reached between the parties before the court makes a decision in the eviction case.

The facilitators are registered mediators, attorneys, and senior judges who are provided training, resources, and compensation. Landlords and tenants can expect to receive neutral assistance from them. Already more than 100 facilitators have agreed to serve.

The Indiana Supreme Court through its Office of Judicial Administration is launching the program with support from the Indiana Bar Foundation and Office of the Governor.

 

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