“IS IT TRUE” JUNE 4, 2020
An Open Letter To USI Students From President Ronald S. Rochon
An Open Letter To USI Students From President Ronald S. Rochon
Dear Students,
I write this very difficult letter with sincere love, confusion, anger, and hurt. My heart is heavy, but it is not heavy with despair.
My intent was to send you a note of encouragement and to thank you for your continued trust and support of my effort to lead and serve USI as we negotiate COVID-19—preparing our campus for a safe return for fall classes.
Instead, I, like you, along with my family, and our faculty and staff, have been glued to the national response to the killing of Mr. George Floyd, an unarmed African American man in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I will be perfectly honest with you, seeing him die under the knee of that police officer paralyzed me. My only thought at that very moment was simply: NO. Not Again!
I remember the sadness, exhaustion, and anger I felt as I watched a fellow human being beg for relief from the officers just to consume oxygen, simply to survive. I remember my eyes welling up as I screamed at the television, Get off his neck! He can’t breathe! I remember calling across our home to my wife to phone our 22-year-old son. We needed to hear his voice at that very moment. I remember our 20-year-old daughter looking me in the eyes and asking, “Baba, are we safe?” as she sobbed in my arms. I remember wondering to myself, what do I tell her… this time?
I am not writing this today to make bold or blanket statements against institutionalized racism. I have none in me at the moment. I’m writing because I decided to stop pretending as if I’m “okay.” To stop pretending as if I can shoulder this pain, hurt, and confusion alone as I manage and lead our University.
I feel the need to express to you how tired I am, really tired, of seeing targeted violence against Black people within our nation. I am tired of the divisive lines drawn between race, privilege, identity, and education. I am tired of learning of young Black people being pulled from cars by officers sworn to serve and protect, and hearing the media decry their treatment because they were “college students.” As if certain class categories justify or vilify societal wrongs.
I am tired of pretending, even with my wife, that I do not fear for our own son each time he leaves our home. I am tired of telling my children that We will get through this. I am tired of worrying about losing friendships or hurting the feelings of others who have not shared my experiences or the history of my race as I speak my truth.
Your peers and friends, many international, who have remained at USI during this pandemic tell me they feel safe on our campus but are unsure if they will be when they step off of it. I see the innocence and hope in their faces as they seek assurances I cannot give.
Being a university president, I have learned that some expect me to have all of the answers and be the face of calm under such violent circumstances. But how can I, or any of USI’s faculty and staff be anything other than sickened and outraged by blatant wrongs?
My children, each of you and all the young people of every race and ethnicity within our community and beyond are the reason for my hope and optimism. You are the reason I serve our campus and our community with passion and purpose each and every day, and the reason our campus serves you*. You are also the reason I sleep restlessly each night, praying for YOUR safety-that you make decisions that lead to positive outcomes and remain safe. You are the reason I continue to smile during one of the most difficult and horrific weeks of my life, and why I will not surrender to despair. Students, you are the lifeline of our campus. It is your dreams, your presence, your innocence, even your naivety that motivates me to do more-motivates me to be better. It is my honor to be among you, and most importantly, to serve you. Thank you for being a significant part of my life!
I will never give up on you, our students. I am asking you to keep negativity away from your space. It only turns into bitterness and mistrust of “the other.” Staying positive and creating solutions takes incredible effort. I challenge and encourage you to pursue your goals with the intentional effort to transform your community, the state, nation, and our globe into a more compassionate, equitable, and understanding place. Be the answer to difficulty through collaboration and through the building of relationships. There is nothing passive through this approach; this will be the hardest work you will ever encounter!
As I pen this letter, I ache—as do many of you—for Mr. Floyd’s family and his community. We ache for our country. What we are facing within the United States and across the globe is complex and difficult. We are dealing with our most delicate resources—human emotion, history, future, and human life. The most complex and imperfect gift we have all been given is to learn to live and breathe together.
Peace and continued blessings,
Ronald S. Rochon, PhD
USI Presiden
EDITOR’S NOTE: The email below was distributed to the University of Southern Indiana students, as well as to employees and retirees, on Wednesday, June 3 via email.
Gov. Beshear Provides Update on Fight Against COVID-19
Visit the Governor’s Facebook page to watch today’s news conference
FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 3, 2020) – On Wednesday, Gov. Andy Beshear detailed the efforts undertaken to combat the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).
Sadly, the Governor reported the tragic loss of one of the youngest Kentuckians to fall victim to the deadly virus.
“Today we’ve got to announce that we have on our list of deaths a 9-month-old child from Hopkins County,†Gov. Beshear said. “We grieve for everybody we have lost from COVID-19. This is a reminder of how deadly this virus can be, how precious all of our lives are.
“As a father of two kids, one of which I was scared at birth might not make it, I want this family to know – and it’s a family I have never met even in my dad’s hometown county – that we, regardless of what will ultimately be listed as the cause of death, we are grieving for you, we care about you, and I cannot imagine how you are feeling right now.â€
Dr. Steven Stack, the commissioner for the Department for Public Health, said the child’s death initially was ruled to be a case of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS. He said a later COVID-19-positive test requires the death to be included in the reporting. Dr. Stack said the death of such a young person to coronavirus was rare yet devastating.
“I would encourage parents to not worry over, but that you should be concerned because for the individual, for the families, they suffer the illness or loss of a child,†Dr. Stack said. “For them it is real. It doesn’t make a difference if it is rare. For them, it was 100% occurrence. They lost their loved young ones. So it’s important we are all careful with this disease.â€
Early Action
Gov. Beshear spoke of the unimaginable loss suffered by all of the families and communities as this deadly virus has taken its toll. Deaths nationwide have surged to more than 105,000, with nearly 450 Kentuckians’ lives lost among them.
But months into the fight, several studies now show that the fast and focused response by the Governor’s administration, along with the sacrifices of people across the commonwealth, benefited Kentucky greatly.
“Every day I worried it would not be enough to blunt that curve,†Gov. Beshear said. “And we didn’t know when it was going to happen and thank goodness it did.â€
Among other actions, on March 6, the day of the first confirmed coronavirus case in Kentucky, Gov. Beshear declared a state of emergency and activated the Emergency Management Operations Center. In the weeks that followed, the Governor’s administration continued to take actions daily across a spectrum of issues to keep Kentuckians safe.
At all times, the guidelines and orders issued by Gov. Beshear and his cabinet officials have hewed closely to recommendations from the White House and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Gov. Beshear launched Healthy at Home on March 26, providing information, advice, and restrictions aimed at ensuring social distancing and protecting the state’s health care operations. The results are in: studies by the CDC, the University of Louisville, and the University of Kentucky all show that these early and decisive actions saved the lives of thousands of Kentuckians.
“Healthy at Home was a significant step. It was asking a lot of the people of Kentucky, and they did it and because of their efforts, we saved thousands of lives. I believe when we look back on this it will be 10,000-plus lives,†the Governor said. “I remember that the first modeling suggested we would lose 80,000 Kentuckians, and in the first couple of weeks people were scared.â€
As a result of this hard work, Kentucky is nationally recognized as among few states that are meeting the White House and CDC guidance for reopening the economy. Our cases are on a downward trend, our hospitals are able to handle the patient load, and our COVID-19 testing program is robust.
Gov. Beshear said while Kentuckians should be proud of the work we’ve all done, the road ahead remains challenging and requires resilience.
Kentucky was not spared from the worldwide economic upheaval caused by this deadly virus. Gov. Beshear said getting through it together as Kentuckians will require managing unprecedented unemployment, deep budget shortfalls, and steep growth in the use of public benefits.
No special session
Gov. Beshear announced Wednesday that he has reached an agreement with legislative leaders to avoid the need for the General Assembly to return in a special session to resolve budget matters.
Previously, the Governor had said he had expected to call a “short, targeted†special session to allow lawmakers to pass a reduced budget proposal to account for the revenue lost due to the global pandemic and response.
“All we are looking at is the Transportation Cabinet Budget. There is zero discretion in what needs to be done. It is a revision of a number,†Gov. Beshear said. “This is an agreement between all of the legislative leaders and the Governor’s office. So we do not believe at this time that there will be a need and there is agreement on the actions that have to be taken.â€
Louisville update
J. Michael Brown, secretary of the Governor’s Executive Cabinet, spoke about the state of an investigation into the death of David McAtee in Louisville.
“Yesterday, I reported that we believed from the preliminary autopsy that he died of a single gunshot wound to the chest. We still are of that belief. We have not recovered a whole bullet, but we have recovered, I understand from today, some fragments,†Secretary Brown said. “We are now in the process of trying to identify the very nature of those fragments to determine if they indeed came from one bullet or might have come from more than one bullet and, hopefully, be able to determine the caliber of the bullet.â€
Case information
As of 4 p.m. June 3, Gov. Beshear said there were at least 10,410 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 265 of which were newly confirmed Wednesday.
“I don’t think this 265 is cause for alarm, though it is at least a reminder just like what we’ve talked about today that this virus is still out there and spreading,†the Governor said.
Unfortunately, Gov. Beshear reported eight new deaths Wednesday, raising the total to 450 Kentuckians lost to the virus.
The deaths reported Wednesday to include two women, ages 91 and 99, from Edmonson County; an 84-year-old woman from Gallatin County; the 9-month-old baby girl from Hopkins County; three women, ages 91, 92 and 93, from Jefferson County; and a 48-year-old man from Shelby County.
“We need compassion now more than ever: compassion for these families, compassion for our fellow human beings who are hurting,†the Governor said. “So let’s make sure we turn on those green lights, that we ring those bells at 10 a.m. and let’s ring them for these families who are in pain. Let’s ring them for all families who are in pain.â€
At least 3,283 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.
Testing expansion
Gov. Beshear continues to urge Kentuckians to get tested for COVID-19. For information on how to register at sites throughout the commonwealth visit kycovid19.ky.gov.
“I know we are now in the upper half of states for the total number of tests that have been run, and that’s an incredible story, given where we started,†the Governor said about ongoing testing efforts.
Absentee Ballot Application Portal online
Gov. Beshear is encouraging all voters to use a new Absentee Ballot Application Portal now available online. A link to the State Board of Elections’ portal can be found at govoteky.com. He urged everyone who plans to vote in this month’s primary elections to go to the portal and request an absentee mail-in ballot.
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.
Feds Approve Indiana’s Innovative HIP Workforce Bridge Program
Indiana’s first-in-the-nation program is designed to help Hoosiers transition from HIP to private insurance; will be a critical component of the state’s COVID-19 recovery
The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration today announced it has received approval from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, for its HIP Workforce Bridge program – establishing a new, unique transitional phase for Healthy Indiana Plan members as they return to the workforce and to employer insurance or other health coverage. The program was designed and proposed by FSSA in 2019 after direction from Governor Eric J. Holcomb to support his Next Level agenda and find a way to help Hoosiers maintain coverage and avoid potential negative consequences from advancing in the workforce.
“The HIP Workforce Bridge program will be especially important during our state’s recovery from the COVID pandemic and as Indiana’s economy evolves,†Governor Holcomb said. “As Hoosiers skill up, go back to school and go back to work, HIP Workforce Bridge will make that transition from HIP to marketplace insurance or employer-based coverage easier to navigate and afford.â€
HIP Workforce Bridge will allow thousands of outgoing HIP participants to continue to use up to $1,000 from their POWER accounts for up to 12 months to pay premiums, deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance during their transition to commercial coverage. This assistance will be offered to individuals as soon as they become ineligible for HIP due to earning higher incomes. Indiana becomes the first state to establish such an innovative approach to eliminating the gap in health coverage that can prevent HIP members from pursuing meaningful employment.
A HIP POWER account is similar to a health savings account. Each member has $2,500 in their POWER account each year to use for health care expenses. Normally they would lose the ability to use these funds as soon as they are no longer enrolled in the program, and unlike traditional health savings accounts, POWER accounts do not stay with the enrollee if they move to private insurance.
Due to the public health emergency, FSSA is not currently disenrolling members of any health coverage program, but with CMS’s approval, HIP Workforce Bridge will be in place to support members immediately once the governor’s executive order expires.
Since 2008, the Healthy Indiana Plan, the state’s consumer-driven health care plan, has demonstrated remarkable success in providing coverage to its beneficiaries, empowering enrollees to become active participants in their health care coverage, and improving member health outcomes.
“Now more than ever, it is critical that we provide stability and peace of mind for Hoosiers, especially when it comes to matters of their health,†said Jennifer Sullivan, M.D., M.P.H., secretary of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. “We anticipate that more Hoosiers may need HIP health coverage during the emergency and we want to make sure that everyone can safely transition as they are able. This is one of our first efforts to mitigate the eligibility cliff effect in Indiana, which is a priority across all of our programs now more than ever.â€
HIP members facing dis-enrollment due to an increase in income will be notified of their option to participate in the HIP Workforce Bridge program.
ELPERS RESOLUTION WILL ALLOW CITY COUNCIL TO PLAN FOR FINANCIAL EMERGENCIES
2020 has been an unprecedented year so far due to COVID-19.  Families and businesses along with municipalities have had to make difficult decisions when it comes to their budgets.
City Council has made cuts to its 2020 budget this year because of revenue shortfalls.  Moving forward, its likely revenues will be lower this year and into 2021.  As a result, I am asking the council on Monday, June 8th, to change the current resolution regarding Riverboat (Casino)Expenditure.
The change would give City Council the ability to approve Casino funds for planned operating expenditures under times of emergency or disaster situations. Â
The current resolution states the money should not be used for operating expenses.  This action if passed would give council another tool to bridge the shortfall in tax revenues until the economy can make a full recovery.
Sincerely,
Justin Elpers
5th Ward City Council member
RESOLUTION C-2020-__ INTRODUCING: ElpersÂ
RESOLUTION REGARDINGÂ
RIVERBOAT REVENUE EXPENDITURE
WHEREAS, the Common Council of the City of Evansville, Indiana, recognizes that a riverboat has been operational on the Ohio River since December 1995, and operations continued in subsequent years;
WHEREAS, the City of Evansville, Indiana, receives millions of dollars each year in admission and waging taxes and land lease revenues;Â
WHEREAS, the Common Council of Evansville, Indiana (“City Councilâ€), adopted Resolution C-96-21, as amended, on May 20, 1996, expressing intent to appropriate riverboat tax and land lease receipts for special and/or one-time projects, including but not limited to, capital improvements and equipment purchases, storm drainage and street repair projects, economic development, economic revitalization, community development, disaster or emergency situations, establishing a trust fund to benefit future generations, or bond repayments, with none of these revenues ever to be used for operations;
WHEREAS, City Council deems it necessary and proper to further clarify this non-binding resolution adopted as Resolution C-96-21, as amended, in light of recent events.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Common Council of Evansville, Indiana (“City Councilâ€), that it intends to use City riverboat tax and land lease receipts for operations in emergency or disaster situations when designated by the governor or mayor.
Obituary For Army Veteran Carl Dean Underwood
Obituary For Army Veteran Carl Dean Underwood
Carl Dean Underwood, 92, of Evansville, passed away Wednesday, June 3, 2020, at his home. He was born July 14, 1928, in Ina, Illinois to the late Hershel and Geneva (Miller) Underwood.
Carl was a 1950 graduate of Indiana University. He entered the U.S. Army in 1950 and was discharged in December 1952 at Red River Arsenal at Texarkana, Texas. Carl was employed at Seeger Refrigeration Co. in December 1952 and retired from Whirlpool Corporation in December 1989. Carl enjoyed golf and was a member of Rolling Hills Country Club for many years. He also followed I.U. Sports and the St. Louis Cardinals.
Carl is survived by his wife, Mary Sue; daughter, Rebecca Davis; and son, Dr. Carl David Underwood; five grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.
In addition to his parents, Carl was preceded in death by a son, Stephen Tichenor, and Gloria.
Visitation will be from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday, June 8, 2020, at Ziemer Funeral Home East Chapel, 800 S. Hebron Avenue. A Memorial service will begin at 2:00 p.m. followed by military honors.
Memorial contributions may be made to your charity of choice.
Condolences may be made online at www.ziemerfuneralhome.com.
To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Carl Dean Underwood please visit our Sympathy Store.
U Of E Stevenson Published Oxford University Press Edited Book
Associate Professor of Psychology, Margaret Stevenson, and her colleagues, Bette Bottoms and Kelly Burke, published an Oxford University Press edited volume available for pre-order and in print July 1, 2020: “The Legacy of Racism for Children: Psychology, Law, and Public Policy.”
This volume examines issues that arise when minority children’s lives are directly or indirectly influenced by law and public policy. Uniquely comprehensive in scope, this trailblazing volume offers cutting-edge chapters on the intersections of race/ethnicity within the context of child maltreatment, child dependency court, custody and adoption, familial incarceration, school discipline and the “school-to-prison pipeline,” juvenile justice, police/youth interactions, and jurors’ perceptions of child and adolescent victims and defendants. The book also includes chapters focused on troubling situations that are less commonly researched, but growing in importance, including the role of race and racism in child sex trafficking and US immigration law and policy. Thus, individual chapters explore myriad ways in which law and policy shape the lives of marginalized children and adolescents – racial and ethnic minorities – who historically and presently are at heightened risk for experiencing disadvantageous consequences of law and policy. In so doing, The Legacy of Racism for Children can help social scientists to understand and work to prevent the perpetuation of racial discrimination in American laws and public policies.
Students at the University of Evansville shape powerful and enduring change. UE is the first in Indiana to be designated as an Ashoka U Changemaker Campus, and its changemaking culture empowers students to improve the world around them as UE Changemakers. With over 80 majors in the arts and sciences and pre-professional programs, UE’s diverse student body represents 44 states and 52 countries. U.S. News & World Report recognizes UE as the #6 Best College in the Midwest among private schools. For more information, please visit www.evansville.edu
EPA Announces $3 Million in Funding for Small Businesses to Develop Environmental Technologies
“We must meet our country’s most pressing environmental concerns with innovative solutions,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “The funding provided by EPA will allow these small businesses to pursue solutions to environmental challenges, including removing PFAS from water and soil and monitoring air quality during wildfires.”
These nine small businesses are receiving Phase II funding of up to $400,000 from EPA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. These companies were previously awarded a Phase I contract of $100,000 to develop innovative environmental technologies and are now receiving a Phase II award to further advance and commercialize the technology. This year’s SBIR Phase II recipients include:
- Faraday Technology, Inc., Englewood, Ohio, to develop electrochemical extraction and remediation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in soils and to develop electrochemical pretreatment of PFAS-contaminated wastewater and landfill leachate streams.
- framergy, Inc., College Station, Texas, to develop a novel water treatment technology to break down and mineralize PFAS.
- Intellisense Systems, Inc., Torrance, Calif., to develop a portable, easy-to-use air quality monitoring device to measure and track wildland fire pollutants.
- KWJ Engineering Incorporated, Newark, Calif., to assemble and field-test a sensor package that monitors air quality and pollution from wildland fires.
- microAeth Corporation dba AethLabs, San Francisco, Calif., to develop an integrated black carbon and carbon dioxide sensor platform for real-time identification and analysis of emissions from wildland fires.
- Polykala Technologies, LLC, San Antonio, Texas, to develop ‘smart’ polymer nanofiber mats for selective and efficient removal of PFAS from wastewater.
- Sporian Microsystems, Inc., Lafayette, Colo., to develop a low-cost system to identify harmful components in construction and demolition materials.
- TDA Research, Inc., Wheat Ridge, Colo., to develop a non-toxic paint stripper that is methylene chloride-free.
- 2WiTech, LLC, San Diego, Calif., to develop a low-cost portable sensing technology for detecting trace amounts of PFOA and PFOS in water.
EPA’s SBIR funding promotes local economies by empowering small businesses across the country to create jobs while developing novel environmental technologies. Phase II funding is specifically aimed at supporting these companies to bring their technologies to the marketplace. Since 1982, EPA’s SBIR program has provided over $189 million to 635 small businesses to develop technologies to solve the most pressing environmental problems. Approximately 29% of funded projects reported a growth in sales that exceeded five times the initial EPA funding.
EPA is one of 11 federal agencies that participate in the SBIR program, a competitive award-based program that supports small businesses to explore technological solutions with the ultimate goal of successful commercialization of those innovations. This program stimulates the economy while meeting the country’s research and development needs.