“READERS FORUM” JULY 2, 2019
We hope that today’s “READERS FORUMâ€Â 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.
WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND TODAY?
Todays “Readers Poll’ question is: Do you feel because the Democratic party doesn’t have a Mayoral candidate it’s going to hurt City Council canidates?
If you would like to advertise in the CCO please contact us at City-County Observer@live.com
LINK OF PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT FOR JACOBSVILLE NEIGHBORHOOD AREA
 LINK OF PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT FOR JACOBSVILLE NEIGHBORHOOD AREA
Public Health Assessment Summary
Exposure to lead and arsenic in the Jacobsville Neighborhood Soil Contamination (JNSC) site Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) assessed whether exposure to lead and arsenic in soil, sediment, surface water, and groundwater near the Jacobsville Neighborhood Soil Contamination (JNSC) site in Evansville, Indiana could harm people’shealth. ATSDR reviewed other potential sources of lead in older housing near the site which is likely to be contributing to lead exposures. The JNSC site is nearly 41â„2 square miles of mostly residential properties. In 2004, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) for long-term cleanup.
The EPA found that JNSC residential soils contained lead and arsenic due, in part, to air emissions from former foundries and factories that operated in the area from the late 1800’s to1990. As of December 2018, EPA has sampled over 5,000 properties and cleaned up over 2,300 residential properties. Approximately 4,000 properties will need/receive cleanup at the Site.
In 2016, the City of Evansville achieved a Federal Promise Zone designation, which allows access to 16 federal agencies, including workgroups for: Crime, Job Development, Education, Health, Housing, Economic Development, and Community Engagement. In 2017, Evansville adopted new procedures for reporting, monitoring, and preventing lead poisoning.
The Bottom Line:
- ï‚· Â Children who swallow soil and dust containing lead in JNSC yards could experience health problems which include slower growth and development, hearing damage, and attention and learning problems. Pica behavior is the eating of non-food items. Children with pica behavior are at a very high risk.
- ï‚· Â Pregnant women could accidentally swallow lead in soil that could affect their unborn child. The unborn child could experience similar health effects as the young exposed children from in utero exposures. Pregnant women with pica behavior present a high risk to their unborn children.
- ï‚· Â People who are exposed to arsenic in soil for long periods of time could have an increased risk of cancer of the skin, liver, bladder, andlungs.
- ï‚· Â Children in Vanderburgh County have higher blood lead levels (BLLs) compared to children statewide. ATSDR identified several factors associated with the increased risk of higher BLLs including age of housing, contaminated soil, poverty, and race.
DCS And Governor Sued Over Level Of Care For Vulnerable Children
DCS And Governor Sued Over Level Of Care For Vulnerable Children
By Victoria Ratliff
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS— A disability rights group has sued the state’s Department of Child Services to force change at an agency that has high numbers of children in an overburdened foster care system.
Indiana Disability Rights, an Indianapolis organization that advocates on behalf of children, filed the civil rights lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Evansville Tuesday on behalf of all children in the DCS system. It identifies nine children who are in the foster care system as representative plaintiffs in the case.
“It is traumatic enough being separated from your parents but to then be further traumatized by a system meant to protect is terrible,†said Melissa Keyes, legal director for IDR.
In addition to the agency, Director Terry Stigdon and Gov. Eric Holcomb are named in the lawsuit.
DCS declined to comment on the pending litigation. Holcomb’s office did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
Currently, DCS has 22,000 children who are in the legal or physical custody of DCS or an organization with whom DCS has a special relationship. More than 14,300 of these children are in out-of-home care.
IDR worksat the state level to protect individuals with disabilities by advocating on their behalf and regularly looks at facilities who serve those with disabilities.
After examining private secure facilities licensed by DCS, IDR officials noticed they weren’t at the quality level they expected. IDR reported its findings to DCS but eventually realized that nothing was happening. IDR officials said they believe the agency wasn’t doing what it should to make sure the facilities were up to standard.
IDR then connected with A Better Childhood, a national advocacy group for children, and Kirkland & Ellis, a global law firm, to help them with a lawsuit.
During the 2019 legislative session, lawmakers provided additional funding for DCS. Although it was less than requested, DCS’s budget was raised by $243 million for 2020, and $223 million for 2021, bringing the total budget to around $800 million a year.
Two laws were passed during the session to help change DCS policies. Senate Enrolled Act 1, authored by Sen. Erin Houchin, R-Salem, provides additional support for foster families. House Enrolled Act 1006, authored by Rep. Greg Steuerwald, R-Avon, extends the age foster children can receive services to 21 and updates the DCS caseload standard to comply with national guidelines.
During an event on June 13, Stigdon said that the annual turnover rate for family case managers is down nearly 19%. In 2017, the turnover rate was nearly one in three while the rate dropped to almost one in four in 2018.
Keyes said legislators and policy makers are too focused on statistics, such as case load numbers or number of employees, and not on the root cause of the issues.
“What we’re mainly looking at is more the systemic philosophical policy and practice change,†she said so children like Sara O., who is named in the lawsuit, get the level of care they need.
Sara, 14, was sexually abused by her father and was placed into foster care. After several years she was returned to him and abused again. She re-entered foster care and ended up in 17 different placements, including a state psychiatric hospital where she lived for three years.
Keyes said that the biggest issue that needs to be addressed is DCS’s tendency to put children like Sara in institutions when other community-based services should be used.
“Too often DCS is relying on placing kids in an institution when that is not a necessary level of care that they need,†she said.
The lawsuit also says that previous reports conducted by the Child Welfare Group (CWG) revealed many of the same issues, and “despite the fact that these issues have been called to the attention of officials before, they persist.â€
Some of the issues highlighted in the lawsuit are failure to provide safe and appropriate foster care placements, failure to provide appropriate services to the children and their families to allow safe reunification, failure to timely pursue termination of parental rights, and failure to seek and secure safe, permanent homes.
Sen. Tim Lanane, D-Anderson, in a written statement, said Democrats in the Senate have repeatedly called for lawmakers to make DCS a priority.
“The conditions and experiences these kids have faced are disheartening, disappointing and just plain wrong,†he said.
Rep. Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne, said the lawsuit shows that DCS needs oversight to protect Indiana’s most disadvantaged children.
IDR isn’t seeking monetary compensation but wants DCS to be held accountable for what the lawsuit calls failed policies and practices.
“We are looking for a systemic overhaul of how DCS is offering services to children to ensure that their rights are protected,†she said.
FOOTNOTE: Victoria Ratliff is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
Evansville Water and Sewer Utility Water Asset Management/Planning Manager Retires
Duane Gilles, Evansville Water and Sewer Utility’s Water Asset Management/Planning Manager, is retiring after nearly 47-years of service.
His last day on the job will be Wednesday, July 3, 2019. Duane started as a draftsman in 1972 and has worked on numerous major water and sewer repair and improvement projects, while serving as a trusted mentor and friend to his coworkers and colleagues. His kindness and institutional knowledge will be greatly missed.
Congratulations, Duane! Enjoy your retirement!!!
Jenner To Become Governor’s Senior Education Advisor
Governor Eric J. Holcomb announced Dr. Katie Jenner will serve as his senior education advisor as Dr. Lee Ann Kwiatkowski departs to become the Director of Public Education and Chief Executive Officer of Muncie Community Schools.
Gov. Holcomb has also recommended State Board of Education Chief of Staff Brian Murphy as the executive director of the board to replace Dr. Kwiatkowski. The board will review the governor’s recommendation during its July 10 business meeting.
“As a dedicated educator, Katie has an incredible passion for Hoosier students, teachers and families that will be instrumental in her statewide guidance as well as the remarkable breadth and depth her career in education has thus far covered,†Gov. Holcomb said. “While we will miss Lee Ann’s daily presence in the Governor’s office, I am pleased that she will continue her service to students and the state in her new role with Muncie schools, a perfect fit for both at exactly the right time.â€
Dr. Jenner started in K-12 public education in 2005 as a Career and Technical Education teacher in Kentucky. From 2009 to 2018, she worked for Madison Consolidated Schools in Indiana as an assistant principal and then assistant superintendent. Since then, she has served as Vice President of K-12 Initiatives and Statewide Partnerships for Ivy Tech Community College, leading statewide college strategies toward partnerships between K-12, Career Centers, and Ivy Tech. Dr. Jenner also serves on the Next Level Teacher Compensation Commission.
Dr. Kwiatkowski has served as the education policy director for Gov. Holcomb since 2018 and as the executive director of the Indiana State Board of Education. In addition to her work in the governor’s office, she served as chief of staff to Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Jennifer McCormick, and as a principal and assistant superintendent for M.S.D. Warren Township. From 2005 to 2011 she worked for the Indiana Department of Education. She began her career in education in 1984 as a classroom teacher and literacy facilitator for Indianapolis Public Schools. Dr. Kwiatkowski also serves on the Next Level Teacher Compensation Commission.
Murphy started his career at the State Board of Education in 2013 as deputy general counsel before being promoted to general counsel and then chief of staff. Prior to that, he completed a clerkship with the Mississippi Supreme Court and served as a prosecutor with the Marion County Prosecutor’s office for nearly seven years. He earned his law degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law.
Senator Braun’s Weekly Update | Trump’s Healthcare Transparency Win, Dem Debate, Bud
Last week, Senator Braun joined President Trump at the White House to celebrate the signing of a historic healthcare transparency executive order, notched a win for Hoosiers in the bill to lower prescription drug prices moving to the Senate floor, cut through the noise of the Democrats’ debates to remind Americans of President Trump’s remaking of the judiciary, and urged the House to take action to alleviate the humanitarian crisis on the southern border.Â
Ahead of the first Democratic primary debate, Senator Braun wrote in Fox News about President Trump’s complete remaking of the judiciary in just his first two years.
“As Democrats descend on Miami for their first presidential debate, it’s a good time to reflect on the fact that President Trump has kept his promise to nominate great conservative judges, with the Senate approving 125 judges since Trump took office — including 40 since I’ve been in the U.S. Senate.”
Senator Braun joined Neil Cavuto on Fox News to discuss President Trump’s executive order forcing the healthcare industry to become more transparent: one of his top priorities serving Hoosiers in the Senate.Â
“My message to our opaque and confusing healthcare industry: Are you that thickheaded? Get with it and go transparent or you’ll end up with one business partner named Bernie Sanders.”
Last week, Senator Braun joined Red and Blue on CBS News to discuss what Congress must do to address the humanitarian crisis at the southern border, trade with China and rising tensions with Iran, and huge progress in healthcare transparency with an executive order signed by President Trump.
Senator Braun also had an opportunity to weigh in on a recent police-involved shooting in Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s South Bend, stating: “You have to be 100% transparent.â€
Senator Braun joined Stu Varney on Fox Business to talk about his role in President Trump’s historic healthcare transparency executive order signing.
Senator Braun spoke with members of the Indiana media from across the statethis week about his decision to vote against the $750 million National Defense Re-Authorization Act, citing his support for pay raises for troops and a strong defense, but commitment to fiscal responsibility for both parties.
“I support strong defense and pay raises for our troops, but I can’t get behind a massive $750 billion spending package that busts our budget and puts us further into trillion dollar deficits. I agree with Admiral Mike Mullen: our debt is our greatest national security threat.”
Senator Braun visited New Albany, Indiana this week to speak to Hoosiers about the issues that matter most to them and their families.
“‘They’re fed up with business as usual there,’Â Braun said. ‘They like the fact that our president is shaking the system and want to make sure he gets re-elected. You’ve got guys like me there that know what’s important. You’ve seen enough of what I’m going to do, and I’m on great committees, so I’m in a position as a freshman senator to really make a difference.'”
Senator Braun took to the Senate floor to call out both parties for failing to hold the government accountable for its out of control spending, leading to a budget catastrophe that will primarily affect seniors, pensioners, and those who rely on the government for health insurance.
CONSUMER ALERT: Hoosiers Should Watch Out For Car Dealers Posing As Private Sellers On Craigslist
Hoosiers Should Watch Out For Car Dealers Posing As Private Sellers On Craigslist
Attorney General Curtis Hill today asked Hoosiers to watch for car dealers posing as private sellers on Craigslist — and to alert the Office of the Attorney General if and when they come across such listings.
Craigslist.com allows a seller to post either as a dealer or as a private party under “by owner.†Consumers are then able to search either category according to their preferences. Dealers are prohibited by Craigslist from advertising under “by owner.†Dealers who post misleading ads by posing as private sellers often run afoul of Indiana’s Deceptive Consumer Sales Act.
Typically, dealers trying to mislead potential buyers will:
- post photos of vehicles parked in residential neighborhood settings rather than on dealer lots;
- write ads appearing to be from private sellers, using language such as “I am selling my…â€; and
- provide contact information simply featuring someone’s first name and cell number, omitting any mention of the dealership or the dealership’s phone number or address.
Once reached on their cellphones, dealership employees often direct potential buyers to their commercial lots — hoping that once they have a consumer interested in a specific vehicle, the consumer will be agreeable to purchasing the vehicle from the dealer regardless of the consumer’s original intentions.
The Office of the Attorney General is currently investigating multiple dealers who have engaged in such behavior. These dealers are typically trying to reach an audience of car buyers who want to avoid interactions with dealers. Such consumers typically do not wish to pay dealer fees or subject themselves to aggressive sales tactics.
Anyone who believes they have encountered these kinds of deceptive ads on Craigslist or elsewhere is encouraged to file a consumer complaint with the Office of the Attorney General at indianaconsumer.com or by calling 1-800-382-5516.
Gov. Holcomb Details Next Round of Community Crossings Grant Program
Gov. Holcomb Details Next Round of Community Crossings Grant Program
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INDIANAPOLIS – Governor Eric J. Holcomb today announced the next call for projects is open in the Community Crossings grant program for shovel-ready local road construction projects. Community Crossings is part of Gov. Holcomb’s Next Level Roads program, a 20-year, fully funded plan to enhance Indiana’s highways and local roads.