Home Blog Page 3207

Statement From Superintendent David Smith Concerning Dramatic Drop In Test Scores With ILEARN

1

The statement made by Superintendent Smith At A Recent School Board Meeting Regarding The Possibility Of Indiana Exercising The Hold Harmless Provision For ILEARN:

“The EVSC fully supports Governor Eric Holcomb and State Superintendent Jennifer McCormick’s request to exercise a hold harmless provision in response to the extreme drop in state test scores for the initial year of Indiana’s ILEARN assessment. And, while this may offer a short-term remedy, the EVSC is concerned public confidence will continue to erode in the state’s ability to create an accountability system that fairly assesses the performance of our Indiana schools. This is the second time in five years that Indiana has used the “hold-harmless” provision, and it is no secret that Indiana schools are still dealing with the impact of changing academic standards while adjusting to the third testing vendor in these same five years. Further frustration developed this past summer for parents as they had an extremely short timeline for submitting rescores.

Moving forward, we respectfully ask state legislators, the Indiana Department of Education and the Indiana State Board of Education to do a thorough study of a seemingly flawed accountability system that fails to include multiple measures to accurately show the academic progress of Hoosier students. We also strongly believe a comparative analysis should be undertaken to conduct an accurate comparison between our students and those around the nation to see where Indiana students perform on national assessments. We believe this will show Indiana students perform at a higher level than their counterparts around the nation.

It is not surprising that parents, community members, and educators are losing confidence and becoming increasingly frustrated because our state is having to exercise the hold harmless provision for the second time in the past five years due to testing concerns. It is becoming abundantly clear that our reliance on high stakes testing alone is resulting in a flawed accountability system that is failing our most important commodity, the students of our state.”

EDEN REVISITED

1

EDEN REVISITED

Gavel Gamut By Jim Redwine

The Garden of Eden set a standard no other garden can match. All Adam and Eve had to do were wander around fig leaf-less and enjoy earth’s bounty. Well, there was that small inconvenience of avoiding the fruit of one tree, but even with that tree, there was no pruning, no Japanese beetles and no cultivation. Not even the concept of weeding and tilling was mentioned. In sum, neither a hoe nor Roundup were issued. There was no need for Adam to devise strategies to avoid his wife’s complaints that Mother Nature was winning the battle over whether fruits and vegetables or crabgrass would dominate. Adam could simply prop up his feet and if he could have accessed cable T.V., watch football without guilt. Ah, if only Peg’s garden were the same. 

“Jim, have you ever looked at the garden recently? I have no idea what that stuff is growing out there but it sure is not the late-season vegetables I planted. It is humiliating to see the neighbors’ weed-free plants. Don’t you care?”

I bit my tongue and suppressed a truthful response. “Would you like for me to till the garden AGAIN?” Then I suggested IGA had a cornucopia of ripe and blemish-free tomatoes and onions. “You know, Peg, grocery stores need our business. We should try to be good community members and help keep those folks employed.” That sounded reasonable, to me.

“We buy plenty of groceries that we can’t grow such as paper products, detergent, peanut butter, and practically everything else we need. The stores won’t close if you weed our garden so we can grow a few fresh tomatoes. Is that stupid football game about over?” I did not tell her it was the third game of the day.

As I put down my iced tea and forced myself off the couch my life flashed through my brain. How did this come to be? Did it go all the way back to Eve? Did her seemingly benign offering of a weed-free apple to Adam determine the fate for all husbands for all time? And if it is not too impertinent to raise this issue, why did God include weeds in His grand scheme anyway? It’s probably as simple as He didn’t have a wife so He wasn’t worried.

Anyway, I slowly went from my cool den to my hot barn and found my two-cycle gas tiller. The tiller was about as reluctant as I was to face the hopelessly entwined non-edible vegetation. I primed the engine. I used starter fluid. I pulled on the cord for what seemed like an hour, so much so I caused a blister before the tiller gave up and started. Then I trudged through the tangled mess that Peg claims are a garden. I completely understood the poetic analogy of William Cullen Bryant’s poem Thanatopsis in which he cautioned against approaching death (or gardening) like one being “scourged to his dungeon”. What I could not do was conquer my desire to dig out my old container of 2-4D and use the nuclear option. Unfortunately, Peg had anticipated just such a course of action and she had already disposed of it.

Okay, after only two hours and one blister the garden was tilled. Perhaps it will be at least two weeks before the weeds reemerge in all their sardonic evil. Once again, I ask you, would it have been too hard to design the whole thing better?

For more Gavel Gamut articles go to www.jamesmredwine.com

Or “Like” us on Facebook at JPegRanchBooks&Knitting

U Of E  Men’s Volleyball Picks Up First Win Of The Season On Opening Day

0

U Of E  Men’s Volleyball Picks Up First Win Of The Season On Opening Day

UE Earns Split At Redhawks Invitational

 CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Opening day was a successful one for the University of Evansville volleyball team as the Purple Aces earned a split in contests against Western Illinois and Jackson State.

The Purple Aces fought to the finish in the opener against the Leathernecks, dropping a 3-2 match, but rebounded in a big way, taking a 3-0 victory over Jackson State in Friday’s finale.  It marked the first Division I win for Aces interim head coach Fernando Morales, who was proud of the way his squad performed.

“We had a great day overall.  In the first game, we had a few chances to win, but overall, it was a nice performance,” Morales said.  “We are happy about earning our first win of the season in the second match.  We know we have things to improve on and the girls are working really hard towards that.”

After a hard-fought loss to open the day, the Aces came out poised and ready to pick up a win against JSU.  Alondra Vazquez did her best to make sure that happened, leading all players with 16 kills.  Rachel Tam posted nine.  Cecilia Thon and Allana McInnis has 17 assists apiece while Melanie Feliciano had a strong effort with 13 digs and three service aces.  Fellow freshman Hannah Watkins contributed six block assists in the winning effort.

Game one saw Evansville make a huge rally at the midway point.  The Tigers jumped out to a 10-6 lead before UE turned the tables.  A 13-2 run saw the Aces take what would be an insurmountable 19-12 lead.  Feliciano played a pivotal role in the rally; with UE down 10-7, her precise serving sent the Aces on a 9-0 run.  Vazquez had three kills in a row at one point and a total of four in the rally.  UE kept the foot on the gas and took a 25-18 win.

Jackson State provided another threat in game two.  With the score knotted at 12-12, the Tigers scored five straight to open up a 17-12 lead.  The Aces never relented and fought back to tie it up at 20-20 before continuing what would be an 8-0 stretch to go up 24-20.  Feliciano was the server once again in the rally and had back-to-back aces.  Vazquez added the final kill in what was a 25-21 UE win.

Evansville fended off another challenge in the third frame to earn the win.  JSU turned a 12-12 score into a 16-13 lead.  The Aces came back to tie it at 17-all before six ties led to a 22-22 score.  That is when a few timely defensive plays came in handy.  UE forced a pair of errors to go up 24-22.  Following a Tiger point, Feliciano had the clinching kill in a 25-23 victory.

Friday’s opener saw Rachel Tam post 21 kills with Melanie Feliciano tallying 19 as Western Illinois dealt UE a 3-2 defeat.  Alondra Vazquez and Patricia Joseph checked in with 11 and 9 kills, respectively.  Allana McInnis tallied 45 assists while Gabriela Macedo posted 22 digs.  It was her first action since the season-opening weekend of 2018.  Feliciano posted a double-double with 14 digs of her own.

Western Illinois jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the opening frame, but Evansville came right back with an 8-0 run.  Allana McInnis provided flawless serving while adding an ace and kill in the rally.  The Leathernecks cut the gap to as little as two points at 16-14, but the Aces never let them get closer.  Up 21-18, UE finished on a 4-2 stretch to take a 25-20 win.  Rachel Tam had six kills in the set while Melanie Feliciano had five.  Chloe Bontrager ended the set with a kill of her own with Elena Redmond providing the assist.

Evansville carried its momentum into the second game.  Up 11-10, the Aces reeled off six in a row to extend their advantage to 17-10.  Feliciano provided three consecutive kills in the rally.  Western Illinois pushed back and cut the deficit to 21-20.  After UE pushed its lead back to a pair, the Leathernecks posted the final five points of the set to finish with a 25-22 win.

A nice stretch opened game three for UE as they jumped out to a 6-2 advantage.  Alondra Vazquez had an ace and kill.  WIU posted four in a row to tie the score at 6-6.  Nine ties led to a 15-15 score before a UE error gave the Leathernecks the lead.  Another kill by Vazquez turned the tides as the Aces scored the next eight points to go up 23-16.  Following a Western Illinois tally, Patricia Joseph registered back-to-back kills to clinch the third set, 25-17.

WIU had the advantage early in the fourth set, opening up an 8-5 lead.  Evansville responded with three in a row to tie it up, but the Leathernecks were able to push their lead up to seven points – 19-12 and finished with a 25-18 win.  In the fifth game, Evansville led by a 10-8 score, but a late rally saw the Leathernecks clinch the match with a 15-12 decision in the decisive set.

Tomorrow, the Aces wrap up the opening weekend with a 2 p.m. contest against host Southeast Missouri State.

Aces See Comeback Fall Short Against SEMO

0

Aces See Comeback Fall Short Against SEMO

 SEASON STATS | BOX SCORE

 EVANSVILLE – The University of Evansville women’s soccer team saw their comeback fall short against Southeastern Missouri, 2-1, Friday night at Arad McCutchan Stadium.

SEMO struck early in the match off a corner kick that bounced around in the box before finding the back of the net by Megan Heisserer.

The Purple Aces responded in the 20th minute with Emily Ormson converting for the first time this season off of a nice pass around play by UE.

Going into the locker room SEMO led the shot attempts with eight, while UE carded four.

The Redhawks would control the momentum in the second half, while Aces Jaymee-Lee Hunter and goalkeeper Michaela Till keeping the game tied with some great defensive plays.

SEMO would find the net again in the 74th minute on a high served free-kick that got past the Aces, which would end up being the deciding goal.

Till recorded eight saves off of 19 shots faced with 11 aimed at the goal.

UE will hit the road to take on Belmont on Sunday, Sept. 8 at 2 p.m. on ESPN+.

GEAR: To buy the newest official Aces athletic gear, check out the new Aces Sideline Store operated by BSN Sports on the front page of GoPurpleAces.com.

INFO: For all of the latest information on University of Evansville athletics, visit GoPurpleAces.com or follow the program on Twitter via @UEAthletics.

DONATE: For information on giving to UE Athletics or its individual athletics programs, visit the DONATE tab on the top of GoPurpleAces.com.

TICKETS: To purchase tickets for University of Evansville athletics events, log on to GoPurpleAces.com and click on the TICKETS tab on top of the page.

–www.GoPurpleAces.com–

Art Council Of Southwestern Indiana Call for All Community Members!

0
The Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana wants to tell your story through images of the people, places, memories, and things that you love.
The community is invited to contribute to a fall 2019 art installation by sharing personal photographs for display in the Bower-Suhrheinrich Foundation Gallery. To participate, individuals will submit 5 photos, one for each of the following categories:
  1. A person you love
  2. An object you love
  3. A place you love
  4. An important memory
  5. A photo of yourself

Participants do not need to be artists, and there are no age or eligibility requirements to enter the exhibit.

  • Images may be new or old but must be printed on photo paper (historic photographs may be submitted on original material)
  • Images may not exceed 8.5 inches by 11 inches in size and maybe smaller
  • All photos must be labeled on the back with the submitter’s name, phone number, and email address.
  • Photos must be delivered in a large (e.g. manila) envelope labeled with submitter’s name, phone number, and email address. THIS IS TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF YOUR PHOTOS DURING DROP OFF AND PICK UP.
  • The Arts Council retains the right to reject photos from the exhibit deemed offensive or inappropriate. Inclusion in the project is at the discretion of the Arts Council staff and Board of Directors.
September 10 – 14, 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm:
Drop off images at the Arts Council
October 11 & 12, 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm:
Pick up images at the Arts Council
September 28, 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm:
Public exhibit reception
at the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana
212 Main Street, Evansville, IN 47708

Driver of Stolen Vehicle Crashes into Ohio River

0

On Friday, September 06, 2019 at 12:41 a.m. deputies with the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to David Enterprises on Evansville’s west side in regards to a vehicle being driven through the fence surrounding the business. Deputies discovered at that time that the vehicle was stolen from the business. Approximately twenty minutes later deputies were dispatched to a hit and run collision that occurred in the campground at Burdette Park. The suspect vehicle description given to dispatch matched the description of the stolen vehicle.

At 1:40 a.m. Evansville Police Department (EPD) Officers located a vehicle matching the description of the stolen vehicle traveling eastbound on the Lloyd Expressway near Fulton Avenue. EPD officers attempted to stop the vehicle near Ohio Street and Ray Becker Parkway. The unidentified driver of the vehicle refused to stop and a pursuit ensued. The pursuit continued into the Ohio River bottoms on Old Henderson Road. Near the 15000 block of Old Henderson Road the driver steered the vehicle down the river bank and crashed into the river.

The driver of the vehicle then fled further into the water to evade capture. Water rescue personnel from the Perry Township Fire Department and Henderson County responded to the scene in order to conduct rescue efforts. The Vanderburgh County Emergency Management Agency responded to conduct an aerial search of the area. The driver of the vehicle has not been located. The investigation is ongoing. More information will be released as it becomes available.

Senator Mike Braun Announces Staff Mobile Office Hours for September 2019 

0

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Mike Braun announced his staff mobile office hours for September to better assist Hoosiers.

“I have been traveling the state on my Summer of Solutions tour, visiting 50 cities and speaking to Hoosiers about what’s most important to them like lowering the price of prescription drugs, aiding our veterans, workforce development, and education,” said Senator Mike Braun. “My staff will be holding mobile office hours throughout the state in September to assist Hoosiers with these issues and other concerns.”

Senator Braun will continue to announce further dates and locations for regular mobile office hours through his website, Facebook, Twitter, and email list.

MOBILE OFFICE HOURS: 

Akron
Thursday, September 19 at 2:00 PM to 5:00 pm
Akron-Carnegie Public Library
205 E Rochester Street
Akron, IN

Anderson
Wednesday, September 11 at 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Anderson Public Library
111 E 12th Street
Anderson, IN

Argos
Tuesday, September 24 at 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Argos Public Library
142 N Michigan Street
Argos, IN

Bedford
Wednesday, September 25 at 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Bedford Public Library
1323 K Street
Bedford, IN

Boonville
Tuesday, September 24 at 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Boonville Warwick County Library
611 W Main Street
Boonville, IN

Bourbon
Tuesday, September 10 at 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Bourbon Public Library
307 N Main Street
Bourbon, IN

Brazil
Thursday, September 26 at 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Brazil Public Library
204 N Walnut Street
Brazil, IN

Bristol
Friday, September 30 at 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Bristol Fire Department
405 E Elkhart Street
Bristol, IN

Corydon
Monday, September 9 at 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Corydon Town Hall
219 N Capitol Avenue
Corydon, IN

Decatur
Tuesday, September 10 at 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Decatur Community Center
231 E Monroe Street
Decatur, IN

Etna Green
Wednesday, September 18 at 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Etna Green Town Hall
106 S Walnut Street
Etna Green, IN

Flora
Friday, September 6 at 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Flora Public Library
109 N Center Street
Flora, IN

Fort Wayne
Tuesday, September 10 at 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM
New Haven Community Center
7500 St Rd 930 E
Fort Wayne, IN

French Lick
Tuesday, September 24 at 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Melton Public Library
8496 West College Street
French Lick, IN

Kewanna
Wednesday, September 25 at 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Kewanna-Union Township Public Library
210 E Main Street
Kewanna, IN

Kokomo
Thursday, September 19 at 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Kokomo Howard County Public Library
220 N. Union Street
Kokomo, IN

Ladoga
Tuesday, September 10 at 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Ladoga Public Library
128 E Main Street
Ladoga, IN

La Porte
Tuesday, September 10 at 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
La Porte County Commissioner’s Building
555 Michigan Avenue, Unit 100
La Porte, IN

Madison
Friday, September 6 at 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Madison City Hall
101 W Main Street
Madison, IN

Michigan City
Tuesday, September 17 at 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Michigan City Hall
100 E Michigan Blvd #2
Michigan City, IN

Monrovia
Thursday, September 19 at 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM
Morgan County Public Library- Monrovia Branch
145 S Chestnut Street
Monrovia, IN

Muncie
Tuesday, September 10 at 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Delaware County Government Center (Commissioner’s Conference Room)
100 W Main Street
Muncie, IN

New Carlisle
Monday, September 9 at 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
New Carlisle Public Library
408 S Bray Street
New Carlisle, IN

North Liberty
Monday, September 23 at 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
St. Joseph County Library- North Liberty Branch
105 E Market Street
North Liberty, IN

Peru
Monday, September 9 at 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Peru City Town Hall
35 S Broadway Street
Peru, IN

Richmond
Friday, September 13 at 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Wayne County Administration Building (Courthouse Annex)
401 E Main Street
Richmond, IN

Royal Center
Tuesday, September 24 at 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Royal Center Public Library
203 N Chicago Street
Royal Center, IN

Scottsburg
Monday, September 16 at 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Scottsburg City Hall
2 E McClain Avenue
Scottsburg, IN

Seymour
Friday, October 4 at 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Seymour City Hall
301 N Chestnut Street
Seymour, IN

Wakarusa
Thursday, September 26 at 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Wakarusa Town Hall
100 W Waterford Street
Wakarusa, IN

Warsaw
Thursday, September 26 at 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Warsaw Community Public Library
310 E Main Street
Warsaw, IN

West Lebanon
Wednesday, September 18 at 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
West Lebanon Public Library
200 N High Street
West Lebanon, IN

Zionsville
Thursday, September 12 at 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public library
250 N 5th Street
Zionsville, IN

AG Curtis Hill To Participate In Bipartisan, Multistate Investigation Into Large Tech Firms

0

WHO: A bipartisan group of attorneys general representing a broad coalition of states.

WHAT: Attorneys general will announce the launch of a multistate investigation into whether large tech companies have engaged in anticompetitive behavior that stifled competition, restricted access and harmed consumers.

WHEN: 2 p.m., Monday, Sept. 9, 2019 (Media may arrive at 1:30 p.m.)

WHERE: Media staging areas in front of the U.S. Supreme Court Building, 1 First Street NE, Washington D.C.

Ascension St. Vincent launches Ascension Online Care To Offer Consumers Convenient 24/7 Access To Quality Care

0

Patient-Friendly Platform is Supported with New Marketing Campaign

Ascension St. Vincent launched its new Ascension Online Care platform, giving consumers 24/7 access to the compassionate, personalized care they need – anytime, anywhere.

 Ascension Online Care (ascension.org/onlinecare) is online urgent care that allows a patient to have a one-on-one video visit with a healthcare provider – using the device of their choice: a smartphone, tablet or laptop. The cost of a visit is $49 at the time of the visit, can be paid using a credit card or HSA/FSA and does not require insurance.

With this new online platform, Ascension St. Vincent offers a comprehensive virtual care option for urgent, episodic and non-emergency needs. Connected to the broader network of doctors and specialists at Ascension St. Vincent, Ascension Online Care is part of a trusted healthcare brand, with the ease of availability from home or on the go.

A new Access to Care, Anytime Anywhere marketing campaign, including television advertising, radio advertising, online advertising, and direct mail, launched this week, to raise awareness of this innovative offering.

“We are committed to offering access points that open the front door to our services to those who need it most, and this campaign is a great example of our brand promise of delivering compassionate, personalized care for those we serve,” said Nick Ragone, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Ascension. “Ascension Online Care is our first Ascension-branded consumer access product, and our marketing campaign is designed to build broad awareness among those who need greater access to care from home, at a lower cost, or simply at a more convenient time,”

Ascension Online Care can be used to treat a wide variety of symptoms and conditions, including:

  • cold/flu
  • fever
  • sinus or upper respiratory infections
  • non-life-threatening allergic reactions
  • seasonal allergies
  • sore throat/cough, and more.

“Consumers and patients now have access to comprehensive care within our trusted network of services, which includes primary, specialty, urgent, emergency and now online care,” said Jonathan Nalli, Senior Vice President, Ascension, and Ministry Market Executive, Ascension Indiana. “We are excited to provide this service as an option, so consumers can get the right care, at a time and in a setting that is convenient for them.”

Ascension St. Vincent joins all other Ascension markets across the country to offer this comprehensive online care service.

 

Evansville Philharmonic Celebrates Hits of the 60s, 70s & 80s!

0

The Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Alfred Savia, will celebrate “Music of the 60s, 70s, & 80s!” on Saturday, September 7, 2019 at 7:30 PM at the Lincoln Amphitheatre.

The Orchestra will begin the concert with the selections from “Fiddler on the Roof” followed by Henry Mancini’s “Moon River” from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, “The Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha plus The Best of Burt Bacharach including “What the World Needs Now Is Love” “Do You Know The Way to San Jose?,” and “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head.” The first half concludes with a Beach Boys Medley, “Good Vibrations,” “I Get Around,” and “California Girls” The second half gives tribute to Lennon and McCartney with “Eleanor Rigby,” Neil Diamond with “Sweet Caroline,” and Billy Joel with “Just The Way,” “My Life,” “Honesty,” “Uptown Girl” plus enjoy music from more great artists of the era!

1...3,2063,2073,208...7,229Page 3,207 of 7,229