Approximately 97,000 property and 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.Â
FOUR WAYS TO PAY YOUR BILL AT THIS TIME
Pay at the Treasurer’s drop box in front of the Civic Center @ 1 NW MLK Jr Blvd. Evansville, IN 47708
Mail to – Vanderburgh County Treasurer  PO Box 77   Evansville, IN 47701
President Extends Social Distancing Guidelines Through End of April
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The federal government is extending Coronavirus social distancing guidelines through April 30, 2020 as modeling estimates that the peak in death rate is likely to hit in two weeks.Â
 Indiana Election Commission acts on executive order moving Primary to June 2, 2020
Last week the Indiana Election Commission moved forward with Governor Eric Holcomb’s request to postpone the Primary Election to June 2, 2020. Actions taken by the Indiana Election Commission in support of the approval of the June 2 Primary move are:
Moves all election dates by 28 days.
Avoids reprinting ballots and other forms that have the May 5th, 2020 date.
It allows everyone to cast an absentee ballot by mail without having a specific reason to do so.
Grandfathers applications already received for an absentee ballot, which did not state an excuse permitting the person to vote by mail.
Permits county election boards to conduct meetings electronically rather than in person.
Encourages counties to appoint medical professionals to act as traveling absentee boards to help voters confined in medical facilities to cast a ballot.
Permits family members and caregivers of a confined voter to personally deliver and return a ballot.
Allows county election boards to consolidate voting locations and vote center sites and to take spacing measures to ensure the safety of voters.
Loosens restrictions on students who wish to serve as poll workers or absentee board members.
Allows county election boards to begin expeditiously counting ballots at 6 a.m. on Election Day.
Advises county election boards that election results must be determined by 3 p.m. on June 12th.
The Election Commission’s full actions can be found here, along with an updated election calendar in the appendix. Some of the dates of importance from the updated Election Calendar are:
Monday, May 4: Voter Registration Deadline
Tuesday, May 5: Early Voting Begins In Person
Friday, May 8: End of Pre-Primary Election Campaign Finance Reporting Period
Thursday, May 14: Traveling Boards Begin
Thursday, May 21: Deadline for a Request for an Absentee By-Mail Ballot to Be Received by the Clerk or Board of Elections and Registration
Sunday, May 31: End of Pre-Primary Supplemental Campaign Finance Large Contribution Reporting Period
Monday, June 1: Deadline for Traveling Boards & Noon Deadline for Early Voting
Tuesday, June 2: Primary Day (noon is the deadline to return absentee ballots)
 2020 Primary Election Update:Â
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Voter Registration Period for the 2020 Primary has been  extended to
Monday, May 4, 2020.
Registration can be done online or by mail as follows:
Register to Vote Online: Register to vote online by visiting indianavoters.com. Indiana residents with a valid Indiana driver’s license or Indiana state-issued identification card will be able to use this tool to submit a new voter registration application or to update an existing voter registration record.
Register to Vote by Mail : To register to vote or update your current registration by mail, you will need to complete and return the Voter Registration Form (VRG-7) on or before May 4, 2020. ONLY the version of the state voter registration form (VRG-7) published on the Indiana Secretary of State Election Division website will be accepted by the Vanderburgh County Voter Registration office. Return the completed form to the Vanderburgh County Voter Registration office or the Indiana Election Division by midnight, May 4, 2020.
Get a copy of form VRG-7: Voter Registration Application by visiting the Indiana Voter Portal HERE
Mail your completed VRG-7 form to : Vanderburgh County Voter Registration
Civic Center Complex, Room 214
1 NW M.L. King, Jr. Blvd
Evansville, IN. 47708
For more information visit the Vanderburgh County Voters Registration webpage, or call 812-435-5222.
2020 Primary Election Update:
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Absentee Voting to begin Tuesday, May 5, 2020
The first day that a voter may vote an absentee ballot for the 2020 Primary Election has been changed to Tuesday, May 5, 2020. Early voting at the Election Office will be 8:00 am – 4:00 pm weekdays starting Tuesday, May 5, 2020, and conclude at Noon on Monday, June 1, 2020.
To vote absentee by mail:
 Request an APPLICATION FOR ABSENTEE BALLOT by contacting the Vanderburgh County Election Office at 812-435-5122, or by downloading the APPLICATION FOR ABSENTEE BALLOT found on the Vanderburgh County Clerk Elections web page.
Mail the completed  APPLICATION FOR ABSENTEE BALLOT to:
Vanderburgh County Election
P.O. Box 3343
Evansville, IN 47732-3343
 The revised deadline for absentee-by-mail applications to be received by the Election Office for the 2020 Primary Election is 11:59 p.m., Thursday, May 21, 2020.Â
 If you have any questions, please call the Election Office at 812-435-5122.
 The Vanderburgh County Election Office is located at : Civic Center Complex, Room 216
1 NW ML King Jr. BLVD , Evansville, IN
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The VCRP is in need of poll workers for the June 2, 2020, Primary Election. To be poll workers you must be a registered voter residing in Vanderburgh County. Additionally, poll workers cannot be a close relative to a candidate whose name appears on the ballot, and cannot be the chairman or treasurer of the committee of the candidate whose name appears on the ballot.
Vote Center Poll Worker compensation is $275 for Inspectors, $195 for Republican Judges and$195 for Republican Clerks. Training is a requirement.  For more information or to volunteer to be a Republican poll worker contact the Vanderburgh County GOP at 812-425-8207 or Email VCRP Political Director Mary Jo Kaiser at beamerjo59@gmail.com
 Contact Mary Jo Kaiser at 812-425-8207 if you have any questions.
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A State That Works Together:
As news and information on the coronavirus continue to rapidly change — we want to make sure you have the resources you need to stay up to date!
Indiana State Department of Health – The Indiana State Department of Health is posting important information, and frequent updates to their website — as well as offering an Indiana coronavirus map, and other resources for Hoosiers! Check out their website here!
Indiana Coronavirus Hotline – Get help with any questions you have regarding COVID-19 via Indiana’s toll-free, 24/7 hotline! Call 877-826-0011!
FAQ’s on Indiana’s Stay-at-Home Order — This is definitely a new challenge for all of us. Click here to help answer some of your questions!
File for Unemployment – Many Hoosiers are temporarily unemployed due to COVID-19. Click here for information and to file for unemployment!
We’re going to get through this together! Help one another, and share these resources with friends and family who need them!
(from 03/27/20 Party Line Newsletter)
Let Us Work Together to Support Local Communities
 The coronavirus pandemic has affected so many aspects of our daily lives, and now we all must do our part to protect ourselves and each other. To fight the spread of the virus, the governor’s “stay-at-home” order is in place through April 6. This unprecedented effort is to help save lives and alleviate the strain on our health care system. Hoosier families and businesses are resilient and patient, but Indiana’s leaders understand the need for Hoosiers to get back to work as soon as possible. In the meantime, please consider opportunities to support your local community and neighbors.
To curb the spread of COVID-19, many Hoosiers are adjusting to working from home. If you’re setting up your “home office” for the first time, it can be difficult to stay on task and be productive.
Try these tips to help manage your day at home:
Keep a designated workspace;
Maintain a routine;
Over-communicate with colleagues;
Make to-do lists of work tasks;
Set ground rules with others in the home about working conditions; and
Schedule breaks throughout the day.
By working remotely and social distancing, we can do our part to help slow down the spread of the coronavirus. Indiana is working hard to protect Hoosiers and helpful resources are available by clicking here.
Stay in touch with GOP state legislators representing our area (click links below):
President Trump worked with Congress to secure bipartisan legislation that will provide emergency relief to families and small businesses that have been impacted by the coronavirus. H.R. 748, the CARES Act, is an unprecedented relief package totaling more than $2 trillion. The Coronavirus Relief Bill provides much needed economic relief for American families and businesses who are hurting through no fault of their own.  READ MORE
INDIANAPOLIS—Indiana state officials said Monday the expected surge in COVID-19 cases later this month will require new, aggressive actions from healthcare providers, including an effort to double the number of ventilators and critical care beds currently available and to hire more personnel.
Speaking alongside Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box, representatives from the Indiana State Department of Health and other state leaders, Gov. Eric Holcomb said he is enacting two additional executive orders to ensure healthcare providers can react to the growing number of COVID-19 cases. The disease has sickened 1,786 and killed 35, according to ISDH data, and is not expected to peak until mid-to-late April at the earlier and could extend into May.
Dr. Kris Box, commissioner of the Indiana State Department of Health. Photo by Janet Williams, TheStatehouseFile.com
“There will be a beginning and a middle and an end to this pandemic,†Holcomb said “Right now, as our numbers are growing, I think it’s only appropriate to underscore the fact that as we see the surge coming, we see a true surge of Hoosier kindness and love and generosity.â€
The daily briefing, which had been held in-person at the Statehouse, was conducted via an online link that allowed journalists from across the state to participate.
The first executive order Holcomb discussed Monday directs healthcare centers, including dentists, abortion clinics and others, to cancel or postpone all non-emergency medical procedures so that more resources can be devoted to COVID-19.  The order also removes certain regulations to allow retired medical professionals, medical students and others who are eligible to help hospitals in their fight against the virus, among other provisions.
A second executive order will go into effect Tuesday and directs bars and restaurants around the state take to-go orders only, reiterating Holcomb’s initial directive that restaurants suspend in-person dining service on March 16.
The goal of Monday’s executive order, Holcomb said, is to ensure hospitals have the staff and supplies they need to ensure patients diagnosed with COVID-19 can live and recover.
Gov. Eric Holcomb last week at his daily briefing on the impact of the coronavirus on Indiana. Photo by Janet Williams, TheStatehouseFile.com
The response to adding needed personnel, so far, has been positive: Around 5,300 medical professionals volunteered to serve as of Monday morning, according to state health officials.
In other areas, particularly in expanding critical care capacity and personal protective equipment availability, work remains to be done.
Dr. Jennifer Sullivan, secretary of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, said state leaders determined there were an estimated 1,177 ventilators available on March 1. Hospitals have been asked to reallocate ventilators used in elective surgeries to COVID-19 treatment, and other sources like the EMS and National Guard will contribute more as needed.
Sullivan added hospitals have managed to increase the number of intensive care unit (ICU) beds available around the state by about 35%, from a baseline 1,432 beds to around 1,940.
The state continues to lead efforts to distribute personal protective equipment (PPE) like N95 masks and gowns to healthcare providers, having made around 285 deliveries so far. But more is needed, and those who can donate supplies are asked to contact state leaders directly at COVIDResponse@iedc.IN.gov.
“In partnership with the State of Indiana, each hospital is identifying strategies to expand vital resources for the most affected by COVID-19 while shifting patients who need less intensive treatment to other settings,†representatives for the Indiana Hospital Association said in a statement.
Local officials are taking steps to respond to the consequences of the virus, too. Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett led a video conference Monday morning with Michael Huber, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, to announce new loans available to small businesses through a multimillion-dollar fund.
“To my knowledge, this is the largest investment the city has ever made in direct support for small businesses and entrepreneurs,†Huber said.
The fund, called the Rapid Response Loan Fund, currently has $3.7 million available to invest in eligible local businesses, who could receive anywhere between $1,000 and $25,000 in loans. But local officials said they hope to raise $10 million for the fund.
This weekend, U.S. Surgeon General and former Indiana State Health Commissioner Jerome Adams listed Indianapolis among several emerging hotspots for the virus around the country. Other cities included New Orleans, Chicago, Detroit and Miami.
Other groups continue to mobilize in response to the virus. The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana, for example, submitted an emergency petition Monday to ask the Indiana Supreme Court to take new action to prevent disease spread in the Indiana Department of Correction and in county jails.
“People in jails and prisons have little ability to inform themselves about preventative measures, or to take such measures if they do learn of them,†said Jane Henegar, executive director of the ACLU of Indiana. “We must drastically reduce the number of people who are arrested and detained pretrial. Locking people up unnecessarily amid this pandemic, especially those who are medically vulnerable, threatens their health and, potentially, their lives.â€
In the press conference, Box said strike teams being led by the state department of health to assess high-risk areas like nursing homes are also surveying jails for the disease. Box added that if someone incarcerated were to test positive for COVID-19, they would be removed from their facility and sent to the hospital for isolation and treatment.
FOOTNOTE: Erica Irish is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
Like every swimmer in the NCAA, Indiana’s Ryley Ober had her world turned upside down when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the US and cancellations, university shutdowns and travel restrictions started coming fast and furious.
Ober, who has now wrapped up her freshman season with the Hoosiers, was getting set to attend her first NCAA Championship meet before it was cancelled on March 12.
“On Thursday we were training for NCs, I was supposed to go there on the 800 free relay, and then Friday I was booking a flight home,†said the Bradenton, Fla., native. “Everyone’s back at their house, thankfully everyone that I know is safe, healthy, so that’s been a big blessing. But it’s really thrown everything out of cycle.â€
In this time of uncertainty for everyone, Ober has been able to spend more time on a lifelong passion.
“I’ve been doing art my entire life,†said the 19-year-old. “I was definitely one of those kids in elementary school whose favorite hour of the day would be art class. So I’ve always loved it. But then I got more serious about it in high school, I did some local art competitions and got some small scholarships for it.â€
Initially planning on pursuing illustration or something similar as her major in college, the six-time Florida 2A State Champion recognized that art was more of a way for her to disconnect.
“I realized, art for me is more of a release,†she said. “And once it turned into a job or something that was like work, it kind of took away that excitement or happiness that it brought.â€
Now a journalism major, Ober admits it’s difficult to keep up with her artistic exploits amid the busy life of a student-athlete, but she always manages to find a bit of time to do it for herself.
“I try to make sure, at least on the weekends, to take, even if it’s just 10-15 minutes, just sit down and do some sketching or something,†she said. “I know it brings me joy and I think it’s really important for everyone to take the time to do something that’s just for them that brings them joy, and it can help with the rest of the stressful situations. Whether it be in the middle of a pandemic, or just normal student-athlete life.â€
Ober, who has also developed a love of photography over the last few years, has been painting a lot since the pandemic came into effect. She points to one specific piece of art, one of a sea turtle, that stands out as a recent favorite.
“It kind of means a lot to me because through all of this one of the silver linings was that I was able to come home and see my family again,†she said. “I live in Florida, so we have a lot of sea turtles, and it just kind of represents coming home for me.â€
Ober admits that her freshman year was full of challenges, both for the Hoosiers and her personally. But, she knows that enduring all of these difficulties ultimately will make everything sweeter in the end.
“This was a tough season, I mean, freshman year I think for most people is really tough,†she said. “Given everything that’s gone on, we’ve been through a lot. And I think one of the things that we as a team like to focus on, is the more you go through, the stronger you will rise. We’ve been through a lot, but it’s bonded us together in a way that I know next season we’re going to rise stronger than ever, and we’re going to be a force to be reckoned with.
“Personally, I had a couple of injuries this season, so it wasn’t exactly what I wanted. But, as I said, the more you go through, the better the success will be at the end of it.â€
Individually, Ober placed 16th at Big Tens in the 200 free, coming less than half a second off her personal best time in the prelims in 1:47.16, and also split 1:46.48 on the fifth-place finishing 800 free relay.
Already with a qualifying spot locked up for the Olympic Trials in the 200 free, the former member of the Sarasota Tsunami Swim Team was planning on staying in Bloomington for the long course season. But now, with the Olympics and therefore the Trials moved to 2021, everyone remains up in the air — though she still plans to return to Indiana for training when practices open up.
“Definitely looking forward to getting back to the team as soon as possible and training,†she said. “I was planning on training up there for long course season through Trials. But now it’s kind of like, we don’t really know because everything is very iffy right now for everyone.â€
@IndianaSwimDive
The University of Evansville has created the UE Challenge: a weekly virtual challenge that is focused on changemaking.
Erin Lewis, interim director of the Center for Innovation and Change said, “We have found that the best ideas come during challenging times. Changemaking doesn’t know boundaries, and changemakers always find a way around any obstacle. We’re excited to see what creative ideas come out of this challenging moment.”
UE will choose a winner from each challenge and feature the winning idea on social media and the UE website. If you want to participate, you can find out more online and place your idea at evansville.edu/UEChallenge.
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.â€
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.)Â 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.)Â 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.)Â 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.)Â 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.)Â 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.)Â 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.)Â 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.
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.
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. 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:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Gov. Holcomb
State Health Commissioner Kristina Box, M.D., FACOG
WHEN:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 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.
Superior Court: Professional Services Agreement with Veronica Inkenbrandt
Sheriff: Agreement with Quality Correctional Care for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention ServicesÂ
BRIT TPA and Assured Acknowledgement
Berry Plastics Hold Harmless Agreement
Hornby Lane Emergency Road Access Approval
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
Department Head Reports
New Business
Old Business
Consent Items
Approval of March 23, 2020 Emergency Meeting Minutes
Employment ChangesÂ
County Treasurer Monthly Report: February 2020
County Clerk Monthly Report: February 2020
County Auditor Claims Voucher Reports for 3/16-3/20/2020 and 3/23-3/27/2020
