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Earth Day Reaches 50-Year Milestone Amid COVID-19 Lockdown

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Haley Carney
TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS—As environmental organizations marked the 50th anniversary of Earth Day with stay-at-home activities because of the COVID-19 lockdown, Dr. Woody Myers, the presumptive Democratic nominee for governor, released his plan to combat climate change.

“Hoosiers are suffering from a climate pandemic they can’t yet fully see, but whose effects we already feel,” said Myers. “We must take the lessons learned by our failed response to coronavirus and immediately apply them to tackle climate change in order to save our environment and improve Hoosier health before it’s too late.

Myers released his plan on Wednesday, the day when 50 years ago people across the country rallied for policies and changed behavior to protect the environment. His proposal includes increasing the number of forest acres from five million to 7.5 million, restore the Division of Forestry budget to past levels, strengthen a state conservation program, speed up the retirement of coal plants, update Indiana’s renewable energy standards and establish more renewable energy rebates, among others.

He criticized his Republican rival, Gov. Eric Holcomb, who is seeking a second term and said his commitment to planting one million trees isn’t enough.

Jesse Kharbanda, executive director of the Hoosier Environmental Council, said there are many things legislation can do to improve our environment and better our economy.

“[We need to] permanently protect forests, wetlands, and prairie’s from needless new ‘greenfield’ development such as new funding mechanism for land conservation, make rooftop solar more accessible and affordable, protect Hoosiers from the pollution that could contaminate their drinking water wells and air, and take better care of our rivers and lakes from stormwater runoff,” he said.

Kharbanda said that although the pandemic has been challenging for families across Indiana, it has considerably expanded opportunities to learn, engage, and act. When in-person Earth Month events and workshops got canceled, the HEC put together seven-days-a-week of programming, including calls-to-action on pressing environmental issues.

“The serious content of our online Earth Month programming has empowered our viewers to take action to advance public policy change on issues ranging from wildlife habitat protection to factory farming,” he said. “Our more light-hearted content, such as recipe-sharing of planet-friendly foods, has provided opportunities for people to bond with one another over food that leaves a much lighter footprint on the earth.”

The Indiana Forest Alliance also encouraged Hoosiers to take part in several stay-at-home outdoor activities.

On Wednesday, the alliance offered an online premiere of a film that explores the northern long-eared bat. The group also encouraged social distancing but suggested visits to wilderness trails in Indiana’s state forests, take part in their clean up the challenge on Saturday by collecting trash outdoors, document the biodiversity around them, and submit comments in response to a logging plan in southern Indiana.

FOOTNOTE: Haley Carney is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students. 

Vanderburgh County Lawmakers Announce Local Recipients Of $7,500 Teaching Scholarship

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Vanderburgh County Lawmakers Announce Local Recipients Of $7,500 Teaching Scholarship

Several area students pursuing a career in education recently received the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship, according to local legislators.

The statewide program awards scholarships to top-performing students who commit to teaching in Indiana for at least five years. Recipients receive $7,500 per year for up to four years of college to obtain a teaching license. The program began in 2017 thanks to legislation State Rep. Wendy McNamara (R-Evansville) supported.

“Teachers see children at their best and worst, and have to adapt to each of their unique needs,” McNamara said. “It’s a profession that’s not always easy, but can be incredibly rewarding. These students are pursuing a noble career that is challenging and fulfilling.”

According to State Rep. Matt Hostettler (R-Fort Branch), the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship is available to 200 high-achieving high school and college students each year who either graduate in the top 20% of their high school class or earn a score in the top-20th percentile on the SAT or ACT.

“Indiana has top-performing students who will be giving back to our communities and teaching in our schools,” Hostettler said. “When the best and brightest lead the classroom, they can have a significant impact on helping younger generations succeed.”

More than 350 students applied, with several scholarships recently awarded to students in Vanderburgh County:

  • Kiernan Bittner, Gibson Southern High School, University of Southern Indiana;
  • Alyssa Hooten, Central High School, Indiana State University;
  • Kira Johnson, Evansville Christian School Newburgh, University of Evansville;
  • Katelyn Skinner, North High School, University of Indianapolis; and
  • Evan Smith, North High School, Ball State University.

State Rep. Holli Sullivan (R-Evansville) said recipients must earn a 3.0 cumulative GPA and complete at least 30 credit hours per year in order to continue receiving the four-year renewable scholarship totaling $30,000.

“Teachers are vital to the success of our community and state,” Sullivan said. “These scholarship recipients are hardworking and talented, and we will benefit from having them in Hoosier classrooms, passing on their passion for knowledge.”

 

Moving Out and Not Coming Back

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Moving Out and Not Coming Back

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Indiana Inmates Making Masks To Help Flatten COVID-19 Curve

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BY INDIANA LAWYER STAFF

Inmates at two Indiana correctional facilities on opposite ends of the state are working to flatten the curve of COVID-19 by making masks for fellow inmates and staff.

In Northern Indiana, residents at Albion’s Chain O’ Lakes Correctional Facility worked together under the direction of caseworker Danette Smith to make masks to slow the spread of novel coronavirus.

Residents were designated into separate groups, each performing a function for preparing the masks to be sewn. The residents worked for three days cutting, ironing, and sewing more than 250 masks with materials donated by the facility’s staff and volunteers.

Inmates were able to make enough masks for every resident and staff to have one, leaving a few extra for emergency surplus.

Residents at a re-entry program at the Branchville Correctional Facility in Southern Indiana similarly worked to flatten the curve and limit exposure risk by transitioning from sewing quilts to making facemasks.

The facility’s Purposeful Living Units Serve Program has been using donated material, elastic, hair ties, and sewing machines to craft masks for each offender housed at Branchville, as well as all of its employees. In the past two weeks, more than 2,000 masks have been produced.

“Staff have shown amazing bravery and dedication throughout this process. We are doing everything within our power to keep this virus to the lowest numbers possible,” Branchville Warden Kathy Alvey said in a statement. “We have done an outstanding job in doing so. Safety for our staff, offenders and the community is our top priority. We are in this together and we will get through this. I am proud of how well our staff is handling this pandemic, as well as the offenders.”

EPA Recognizes Food Recovery Challenge Award Winners

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Winners Making Significant Progress in Reducing Food Waste in America

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) nationally recognizes the exceptional accomplishments of 15 businesses and organizations participating in EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge. This year’s national award winners applied innovative approaches and engaged in a variety of practical cost-effective actions and best practices to prevent and reduce food waste.

“Food Recovery Challenge participants are leaders in showing how preventing food waste and diverting excess wholesome food to people is an environmental win and a cost-saving business decision,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “Their accomplishments serve as excellent examples to other companies, governments, organizations, and communities.”

Food is a valuable resource. Efforts to reduce food waste and ensure excess food doesn’t go to waste are needed now more than ever. The innovation these businesses are showcasing can also serve as an example as the nation works together to address the COVID-19 public health emergency. Over 1,000 businesses, governments, and organizations participated in EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge in 2019. Participants prevented or diverted over 815,000 tons of food from entering landfills or incinerators, saving participants up to $42.3 million in avoided landfill tipping fees.

This year’s winners used innovative best practices to prevent and reduce food waste, such as:

  • Expanding composting infrastructure to more than double yearly food waste composted,
  • Creatively working with food banks and organizations to donate food that would otherwise be wasted,
  • Repurposing wholesome food into new dishes instead of letting it go to waste, and
  • Initiating programs that encourage composting and reducing food waste in the workplace.

EPA is recognizing Food Recovery Challenge participants and endorsers with awards in two categories: Data-driven and Narrative. The data-driven award recipients achieved the highest percent increases in their sector comparing year to year data. Narrative award winners made notable achievements in the areas of source reduction, leadership, innovation, education and outreach, and endorsement.

Data-Driven Award Winners by Sector

  • Grocers:  Sprouts Farmers Markets Store #407 (Alhambra, California)
  • Colleges and Universities: Keene State College (Keene, New Hampshire)
  • K-12 Schools:  Katharine Lee Bates Elementary School (Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts)
  • Sports and Entertainment Venues:  Savor…Chicago at McCormick Place – South Building (Chicago, Illinois)
  • Hotels, Resorts, and Lodging:  MGM Resorts International – Bellagio Hotel and Casino Las Vegas (Las Vegas, Nevada)
  • State/Tribal/Local Government: Los Angeles County Department of Public Works – Environmental Programs Division (Los Angeles, California)
  • Non–Profit:  ProduceGood (Encinitas, California)
  • Food Manufacturing: Signature Bread, Inc. (Chelsea, Massachusetts)
  • Restaurants and Food Service Providers: Captain’s Galley Restaurant at Pickwick Landing State Park (Counce, Tennessee)

Narrative Award Winners

  • Source Reduction: Wylie ISD Birmingham Elementary (Wylie, Texas)
  • Leadership: Firekeepers Casino Hotel - Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi (Battle Creek, Michigan)
  • Leadership – Honorable Mention:  Wylie ISD Harrison Intermediate School (Wylie, Texas)
  • Innovation:  Windward Zero Waste School Hui (Kailua, Hawaii)
  • Education and Outreach: Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Los Angeles, California)
  • Endorser:  Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (Nashville, Tennessee)

“Right Jab And Middle Jab And Left Jab” APRIL 26, 2020

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“Right Jab And Middle Jab And Left Jab” APRIL 26, 2020

“Right Jab And Middle Jab And Left Jab” was created because we have a couple of commenters that post on a daily basis either in our “IS IT TRUE” or “Readers Forum” columns concerning National or International issues.
The majority of our “IS IT TRUE” columns are about local or state issues, so we have decided to give our more opinionated readers exclusive access to our newly created “LEFT JAB and Middle Jab and RIGHT JAB”  column. They now have this post to exclusively discuss national or world issues that they feel passionate about.
We shall be posting the “LEFT JAB” AND “MIDDLE JAB” AND “RIGHT JAB” several times a week.  Oh, “LEFT JAB” is a liberal view, “MIDDLE JAB” is the libertarian view and the “RIGHT JAB is representative of the more conservative views. Also, any reader who would like to react to the written comments in this column is free to do so.

Midnight Madness CANCELED

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HOT JOBS IN EVANSVILLE

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Administrative Assistant
MetroNet 3.4/5 rating   122 reviews  – Evansville, IN
Responsive employer
401(k) company match and 100% vested on day 1. MetroNet has an immediate opening for an energetic; At MetroNet, we pride ourselves on providing cutting-edge…
Easily apply
Apr 24
Secretary to Assistant Principal (Dean)
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation 3.7/5 rating   59 reviews  – Evansville, IN
$16.46 an hour
This position works 43 Weeks per year, 5 days per week at 8 hours per day. Our people are the single most important asset we have in the EVSC.
Apr 21
Front Desk Receptionist
Talley Eye Institute – Evansville, IN
Talley Eye Institute is seeking an enthusiastic front desk receptionist to join our group. The Medical Receptionist manages efficient patient flow through…
Easily apply
Apr 23
Administrative Assistant – Surgicare
St. Vincent, IN 3.7/5 rating   5,186 reviews  – Evansville, IN
Part-Time, Monday -Thursday, 7 am – 3:30 pm (days and hours may vary). Vincent operates 24 hospitals in addition to a comprehensive network of affiliated joint…
Apr 22
Office Coordinator
Holiday Health Care 3.4/5 rating   13 reviews  – Evansville, IN
$10.00 – $10.82 an hour
The Village is seeking an applicant with a welcoming demeanor to make our visitors and residents feel at home. This Job Is Ideal for Someone Who Is:
Easily apply
Apr 24
Front Office Assistant
Motion Therapy, LLC – Evansville, IN
We are looking for a competent Executive Administrative Assistant to provide personalized secretarial and administrative support in a well-organized and timely…
Easily apply
Apr 20
Administrative Assistant
MetroNet 3.4/5 rating   122 reviews  – Evansville, IN
Responsive employer
401(k) company match and 100% vested on day 1. MetroNet has an immediate opening for an energetic; At MetroNet, we pride ourselves on providing cutting-edge…
Easily apply
Apr 24
Clerical Teachers’ Assistant for 2020-2021 School Year
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation 3.7/5 rating   59 reviews  – Evansville, IN
$10.14 an hour
The EVSC works diligently to ensure employees maintain the position that they are hired for but in some cases, transfers may occur in order to effectively serve…
Apr 20
Receptionist – Atria Newburgh
Atria Management Company, LLC – Newburgh, IN
Creates and prints fax cover sheets, memos, correspondence, reports, and other documents when necessary. Answers incoming telephone calls in a cheerful and…
Apr 19
Front Desk Clerk (Check-in/Check-out)
WOMEN’S HEALTH CARE P.C. – Newburgh, IN
If/when scheduling appointment, carefully screens patients for new address, new patient visit or update registration and informs patient of adequate information…
Easily apply
Mar 12

CVB Board Mtg Notice

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Notice of Vanderburgh County Council Personnel and Finance Meeting Cancellation

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Notice is hereby given that the Vanderburgh County Council’s, Personnel & Finance meeting scheduled for April 29, 2020 at

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