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EPA Honors 2020 ENERGY STAR® Award Winners

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) are honoring 191 ENERGY STAR partners for their outstanding contributions to public health and the environment. The award winners –including Fortune 500 companies, schools, retailers, manufacturers, home builders, and commercial building owners and operators – have demonstrated national leadership in cost-saving energy efficient solutions. Recipients of the 2020 ENERGY STAR Awards come from 37 states.

“I salute the 2020 ENERGY STAR award winners,” said Anne Idsal, EPA Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation. “These leaders demonstrate how energy efficiency drives economic competitiveness in tandem with environmental protection.”

For more than 25 years, EPA’s ENERGY STAR program has been America’s resource for saving energy and protecting the environment. Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its thousands of partners helped American families and businesses save more than 4 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity and achieve over 3.5 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions. In 2018 alone, ENERGY STAR and its partners helped Americans avoid nearly $35 billion in energy costs.

Here are just a few examples of how ENERGY STAR Award Winners are taking action:

(New York, Ny.) Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, biopharmaceutical company, reached the ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry goal with a 10.5% energy intensity reduction at its Humacao site, participated in the inaugural ENERGY STAR Treasure Hunt Campaign, and conducted 14 energy treasure hunts that identified over $12 million in energy and water savings, and reduced its energy intensity by nearly 14% since 2013.

(San Francisco, Ca.) Digital Realty, a real estate investment trust, achieved ENERGY STAR certification for 30 data centers representing 64% of its U.S. portfolio and benchmarked 100% of its U.S. real estate portfolio with the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager®.

(Orange, Ct.) Energize Connecticut, a statewide energy efficiency initiative (in partnership with Eversource Energy and AVANGRID), promoted ENERGY STAR HVAC and water heating products through many channels (independent and big-box retailers, manufacturers, equipment distributors, and contractors), provided incentives to nearly 27,000 ENERGY STAR certified units, and delivered ENERGY STAR services to 6,600 single-family and 2,350 multifamily residences.

(Palo Alto, Ca.) HP, a global technology company, certified 96% of eligible products, trained 1,300 HP employees on the value of ENERGY STAR, and integrated ENERGY STAR information into events reaching over 465,000 partners and customers.

(Los Angeles, Ca.) KB Home, a large national home builder, achieved the milestone of more than 137,000 cumulative ENERGY STAR certified homes built to date, more than any other home builder.

(Hoffman Estates, Il.) Kenmore, a home appliance provider, partnered with Bob Vila in an ENERGY STAR promotion that gained 500,000 participants, utilized ENERGY STAR point-of-sale materials, and delivered a web-based ENERGY STAR training to over 90% of sales associates selling ENERGY STAR certified Kenmore brand appliances.

(New York, Ny.) MetLife, a global financial services company, gained ENERGY STAR certification for 25 real estate properties representing over 12 million square feet, delivered real-time energy monitoring dashboards with ENERGY STAR scores to more than 110 investment properties, and promoted ENERGY STAR certified programmable thermostats to MetLife customers.

(Mokena, Il.) Ozinga Bros. Inc., a construction materials and logistics company, built a corporate ENERGY STAR energy management program that reduced energy intensity by 15% in its first year.

(Fairfax, VA) Patuxent Environmental Group (PEG), a home energy rating company, certified more than 5,000 homes as ENERGY STAR in 2019, for a total of more than 78,000 since 2007.

(Tulsa, Ok.) Public Service Company of Oklahoma, an electric utility company, achieved 122% of its energy savings goal by providing incentives for many ENERGY STAR certified products–lighting, appliances, heat pump water heaters, electric vehicle supply equipment, pool pumps, and HVAC equipment–and producing a comprehensive training program involving sales associates, home energy raters, and homebuilders.

Read more about the ENERGY STAR Awards and Award Winners’ achievements.

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR® is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations—including more than 40 percent of the Fortune 500®—rely on their partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions. Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its thousands of partners helped American families and businesses save more than 4 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity and achieve over 3.5 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions. In 2018 alone, ENERGY STAR and its partners helped Americans avoid nearly $35 billion in energy costs. More background information about ENERGY STAR can be found at: https://www.energystar.gov/about and https://www.energystar.gov/about/origins_mission/energy_star_numbers.

 

EPA Encourages Americans to Only Flush Toilet Paper

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is encouraging all Americans to only flush toilet paper, not disinfecting wipes or other non-flushable items that should be disposed of in the trash. Flushing only toilet paper helps ensure that the toilets, plumbing, sewer systems and septic systems will continue working properly to safely manage our nation’s wastewater. While EPA encourages disinfecting your environment to prevent the spread of COVID-19, never flush disinfecting wipes or other non-flushable items. These easy steps will keep surfaces disinfected and wastewater management systems working for all Americans.

Preventable toilet and sewer backups can pose a threat to human health and present an extra challenge to our water utilities and their workforce. Flushing anything other than toilet paper, including disinfecting wipes, can damage internal plumbing, local sewer systems and septic systems. Fixing these backups is costly and takes time and resources away from ensuring that wastewater management systems are otherwise working properly. EPA thanks wastewater utilities and their workforce for their courageous efforts at a time when resources may be stretched thin. Having fully operational wastewater services is critical to containing COVID-19 and protecting Americans from other public health risks. Our nation’s wastewater employees are everyday heroes who are on the frontline of protecting human health and the environment every single day.

Gov. Holcomb to Provide Updates in the Fight Against COVID-19

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Gov. Eric J. Holcomb, the Indiana State Department of Health and other state leaders will host a virtual media briefing in the Governor’s Office to provide updates on COVID-19 and its impact on Indiana.

 

WHO:             Gov. Holcomb

State Health Commissioner Kristina Box, M.D., FACOG

 

WHEN:           2:30 p.m. ET, Tuesday, March 31

 

Media RSVP

Please register HERE by 1 p.m. ET Tuesday, March 31. Late requests will not be accepted. One confirmation will be sent per media outlet. If you are confirmed to attend the event, you will receive additional logistics in a separate email, including details on an opportunity to test the system at 11:15 a.m. today.

 

Logistical questions can be directed to agray@gov.in.gov.

 

Media outlets that wish to broadcast the press conference live are encouraged to use the high quality livestream. The livestream is also available to the public. Direct Link: https://livestream.com/accounts/18256195/events/9054752/player?width=960&height=540&enableInfoAndActivity=true&defaultDrawer=feed&autoPlay=true&mute=false

 

AGENDA Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners

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AGENDA

Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners

Old National Events Plaza Locust Room B,C

March 31, 2020

10:00 am

  1. Reconvene Emergency Meeting
  2. Attendance
  3. Pledge of Allegiance
  4. Action Items 
    1. 2020 Local Elected Officials Agreement
    2. Superior Court: Professional Services Agreement with Veronica Inkenbrandt
    3. Sheriff: Agreement with Quality Correctional Care for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Services 
    4. BRIT TPA and Assured Acknowledgement
    5. Berry Plastics Hold Harmless Agreement
    6. Hornby Lane Emergency Road Access Approval
    7. Resolution No. CO.R-03-20-007: Resolution Allowing County Employees to Use COVID-19 Benefits As Approved at the Emergency Meeting of the Vanderburgh County Council on March 25, 2020
  5. Department Head Reports
  6. New Business
  7. Old Business
  8. Consent Items
    1. Approval of March 23, 2020 Emergency Meeting Minutes
    2. Employment Changes 
    3. County Treasurer Monthly Report: February 2020
    4. County Clerk Monthly Report: February 2020
    5. County Auditor Claims Voucher Reports for 3/16-3/20/2020 and 3/23-3/27/2020
    6. County Engineer:
      1. Department Reports
      2. Peck Road Notice of Termination
  9. Public Comment
  10. Recess Meeting

Dresden Shooting

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    On Monday March 31 around 4:15 p.m., the Evansville Police Department was called to the 1400 block of Dresden Street for a shots fired call. The first responding officers located a victim that had been grazed by a bullet on their arm. That victim was immediately transported to the hospital to receive treatment for a minor wound. 

  Witnesses told officers that a dark colored vehicle, with tinted windows, had pulled up and began shooting. It is believed that there was more than one shooter in the vehicle. Multiple vehicles were struck by bullets and shell casings were recovered.

  If anyone has information about this shooting, they are asked to contact Detective Aussieker, with the Evansville Police Department at 812-436-7981.

Dresden Shooting

Hit and Run

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 The Evansville Police Department’s Hit and Run Unit is looking for help in identifying this person who was involved in a hit and run motor vehicle accident on February 21 in the Walmart parking lot at 401 N. Burkhardt Rd. 

  If anyone knows who this person is, they are asked to contact the Evansville Police Department’s Hit and Run Unit at 812-436-7941.

Gov. Holcomb Details COVID-19 Surge Plan

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Governor also signs executive order

Governor Eric J. Holcomb today signed an executive order and detailed Indiana’s plan for the anticipated spike in COVID-19 cases. To see a copy of the executive order, click here: https://www.in.gov/gov/2384.htm

“We see a surge coming and we’re calling in the reinforcements, bolstering Indiana’s capacity to provide additional health care services during this emergency,” said Gov. Eric J. Holcomb. “By eliminating licensing barriers and tapping in to the available talent pool of healthcare workers, Hoosiers are staffing up and stepping up to meet this challenge head-on.”

The executive order allows the following professionals who do not currently hold an active license to practice:

  • medical professionals who retired or became inactive in the last five years
  • medical professionals who hold licenses in other states
  • medical professionals who held licenses in other states and retired or became inactive in the last five years
  • certain medical students and graduates

These professionals must register with the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency via their website at www.in.gov/pla. These professionals will be able to assist in screenings, telemedicine and other basic procedures to allow regularly licensed medical professionals to be on the frontline.

In Indiana, the baseline number of critical care hospital beds is 1,432. As of Monday, hospitals have already taken steps to increase the number of critical care hospital beds to 1,940. Overall, the state’s plan is to double the number, if needed, by taking existing noncritical care hospital beds, recovery rooms, operating rooms and outpatient facilities, turning them into critical care hospital beds.

In Indiana, the baseline number of ventilators is 1,177 ventilators. As of Monday, hospitals have identified another 750 ventilators that can be used for critical care patients. Overall, the state’s plan is to double the number, if needed, by repurposing ventilators from operating rooms, ambulatory care centers, EMS and the Indiana National Guard.

Additionally, the surge plan calls for moving less critical patients to alternate facilities including neighborhood hospitals, medical clinics and state-owned hospitals, such as unopened floors at the NeuroDiagnostic Institute hospital in Indianapolis and the Richmond State Hospital.

If needed, after all of these steps are exhausted, Indiana will be prepared to put patients in alternative facilities. The Indiana National Guard and Department of Homeland Security, in conjunction with FEMA, are in charge of these plans.

The state of Indiana has been working on plans related to COVID-19 since January, and each hospital has a disaster plan in place. Planning has become more specific for state health and hospital officials as models of the projected impact of coronavirus became available. Based on those models, Indiana’s patient surge is expected to begin soon and the peak is expected to be mid-April to mid-May.

Attached are the graphics used in Monday’s press conference.

Click here to download public service announcements (PSAs) recorded by the state for your use: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/egf210ognxxyx4h/AADYd7E-tBn7P6gtiLSZUiVBa?dl=0

More information may be found at the ISDH website at coronavirus.in.gov and the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.

 

EPD REPORT

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EPD REPORT

Vanderburgh County Recent Booking Records

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

“IS IT TRUE” MARCH 31, 2020

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We hope that today’s “IS IT TRUE” will provoke honest and open dialogue concerning issues that we, as responsible citizens of this community, need to address in a rational and responsible way?

(Recently we detected an issue where our subscribers may have not been getting breaking news alerts from the City-County Observer. This notification is to let you know that starting today you have been added to receive future news alerts.  If you no longer want to receive future news alerts please opt-out by clicking the  link in your e-mail to unsubscribe)

IS IT TRUE that “Government Shouldn’t Do For People What They Can Do For Themselves”?  …now is the time for “Government To Do For People What They Can’t Do For Themselves”?

IS IT TRUE we are told that when you have a major crisis the best approach is to plan for the worst?  …that sometimes the truth can bring fear but adversity brings strength?

IS IT TRUE it was recently reported in the local media that at least one EPD officer has tested positive for the Coronavirus and is quarantined?…we certainly wish this officer a quick recovery? …we were just informed that a number of officers on the Evansville Police Department have also been quarantined for 14 days due to potential exposure to the Coronavirus? …if our information is correct we feel that this situation merits a public statement from someone with authority concerning the current status of the EPD?

IS IT TRUE because of the uncertainly of the Coronavirus members of the Evansville Fire Department were told to cancel any planned vacations?  …also members of the Police Departments were told not to plan any future vacations?

IS IT TRUE that personal property tax bills for Vanderburgh County have been mailed this week with Spring payment being due on or before May 11th, 2020. Fall payment due on or before November 10th, 2020? …due to the COVID-19 crisis, (per Executive Order 20-05), the Governor has excused property tax penalties for 60 days?

IS IT TRUE that many people are extremely disappointed that the Mayor, County Council, and County Commissioner continue to discuss the status of the Coronavirus with local medical providers vie the phone? …its time that our elected officials get real and call a  press conference to explain to the masses that the deadly Coronavirus is already at our footsteps and provide us with their detailed plans how they are going to keep us safe?
IS IT TRUE last Friday Indiana State Health officials said that Coronavirus cases in Indiana probably won’t peak until mid-to-late April?  …that Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb said “We don’t see the peak yet, these numbers are compounding,” Holcomb said. “This is like a snowball that’s rolling downhill and getting bigger and bigger and bigger.”?  …when asked if he plans to extend the “Stay-At-Home” order, he said, “he is making decisions day-by-day and will wait closer to the end date of April 7 to decide”? …we wonder why the Governor would waste his time extending his “Stay At Home” order because very few people are paying attention to his current “Stay-At-Home” order?
IS IT TRUE all you have to do is drive around Evansville and Vanderburgh County its obvious that our local officials aren’t enforcing Governor Holcomb state-mandated “Stay-At-Home” order?
IS IT TRUE we watched Governors Andrew Como (NEW YORK), Andy Beshear KENTUCKY), J.B. Pritzker (ILLINOIS) speak in detail on how to protect people from the Coronavirus? …they are brutally direct, honest, well informed and well-spoken? …they understand how deadly this virus can be and how to take it head-on?  … it’s also obvious that they are putting ordinary citizens, first responders and health professionals above profits?
IS IT TRUE over the years the  City Of Evansville “Rainy Day Fund” was spent on non-essential items?  …the past and present City Council members never required the Mayor to refurbished this fund to a sustainable level?
IS IT TRUE if the city had been a little more frugal with the donations to local non-profits they would have additional funds available to help with the budgetary shortfall caused by deficit spending and the CORONAVISUS crisis?
IS IT TRUE it appears that the working poor of Evansville who rely on public transportation is the beneficiary of the financial cuts to the METS transportation budget?
IS IT TRUE Federal Grants are awarded to Governmental entities to be used for specific programs or projects but the Grants shouldn’t be used as a way to balance their budgets?
IS IT TRUE we hope that the financial adjustments made to the 2020 Fire Department budget don’t hamper the future fire fighting capabilities of the Department?
IS IT TRUE  that any kind of lipid solvent will disrupt the Coronavirus, such as soaps, detergents, and smaller alcohols? …you need to use about 70% ethanol in water for optimum effectiveness
IS IT TRUE that people don’t care who you were but they only care who you are now?
IS IT TRUE when the people fear the Government we have Tyranny!  When the Government fears the people we have Liberty?

IS IT TRUE our “READERS POLLS” are non-scientific but trendy?

Today’s “Readers Poll” question is: Should medical providers and elected officials conduct their medical briefings in public instead of talking with each over the phone?
Please take time and read our articles entitled “STATEHOUSE FILES, LAW ENFORCEMENT, “READERS POLL”, BIRTHDAYS, HOT JOBS”, EDUCATION, OBITUARIES and “LOCAL SPORTS”.
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