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The Hub 127 Co-work Space Opens in Gibson County, Indiana

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The Hub 127, a new co-working space in downtown Princeton, Indiana officially opens its doors on June 27 with a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house from 4:00-6:00 p.m. The 6,700 sq. ft. space is managed by the Gibson County Economic Development Corporation (GCEDC) and is one of 18 projects from the Regional Cities Initiative plan for Indiana’s Great Southwest. The Hub 127 which is a talent attraction amenity for Gibson County, offers singular workspaces, board and conference rooms, will cost approximately $495,000 with $99,000 being paid from Regional Cities funding.
“The Hub 127 co-working space is a transformational project for Gibson County and its surrounding areas, combining the best elements of the Regional Cities Initiative and southwest Indiana’s growing entrepreneurial culture,” said Elaine Bedel, president of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. “By adding a collaborative space for local entrepreneurs to work together, network and foster innovative ideas, the region is gaining a major amenity that will not only attract and retain talent, but also contribute to the growth and vibrancy of downtown Princeton.”
“The Hub 127 is going to offer our community members and visitors the perfect place to complete their work in any capacity,” said Paul Waters, President and CEO of the GCEDC. “This helps grow the entrepreneurial community creating a network of connections and collaboration in the area.”
“With the ever increasing entrepreneurial community in Southwest Indiana, it behooves us to offer this type of amenity for workers in the Gibson County area,” said Beth McFadin Higgins, President of the Southwest Indiana Regional Development Authority. “Talent comes in many forms and we want to make sure we’re creating environments that will help keep all of our workers here in Indiana’s Great Southwest.”
The ribbon cutting is open to the public with remarks at 4:30 p.m. Memberships at The Hub 127 can be obtained by reaching out to the GCEDC by email tamimuckerheide@gibsoncountyedc.org or calling (812) 386-0002.

Cass County Prosecutor Elected IPAC Chair

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 Cass County Prosecutor Lisa Swaim was elected to serve as Chair of the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council’s Board of Directors last week during IPAC’s annual Summer Conference.

Swaim, the Cass County Prosecutor since 2015, will serve as Chair for a term of one year. She takes over for St. Joseph County Prosecutor Kenneth Cotter. Swaim served as Cotter’s Vice-Chair during 2018-19.

Swaim was elected during an IPAC membership meeting consisting of elected prosecutors and chief deputies. She is joined by fellow officers Anthony Quinn, the Dubois County Prosecutor who will serve as Vice-Chair, and James “Brad” Landerwerlen, the Shelby County Prosecutor, who was chosen as the Board’s Secretary.

“I am grateful for the honor and the opportunity to serve as chair of the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council for 2019-2020,” Swaim said. “As we face the road ahead, I will continue the work of IPAC in support of our mission as prosecutors to seek justice through the investigation and prosecution of crimes with integrity and fairness.”

IPAC membership also approved a new slate of IPAC Board members during the meeting. The Board consists of five Republican prosecutors and five Democrat prosecutors, who serve in two-year terms. The following prosecutors were selected to serve on the IPAC Board.

  • Andrew Bryson, Union County
  • Kenneth Cotter, St. Joseph County
  • Daniel Hampton, Kosciusko County
  • Brad Landwerlen, Shelby County
  • Jeremy Mull, Clark County
  • Chris Owens, Scott County
  • Anthony Quinn, Dubois County
  • Wesley Schemenaur, Jay County
  • Steven Sonnega, Morgan County
  • Lisa Swaim, Cass County

Otters finish out homestand with big, fun promotions!

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June 27-30 will feature big, fun promotions at Bosse Field that you will not want to miss! Enjoy Evansville Otters baseball against the Schaumburg Boomers and the River City Rascals along with the rest of the fun-filled activites at the ballpark!
Hit the home stretch toward the weekend by taking advantage of special price drafts on Bud Light Thirsty Thursday! There’s nothing like enjoying a summer night at the ballpark with an ice, cold frosty one at discounted prices.
Thursday’s series finale against the Schaumburg Boomers is also presented by 14 WFIE. 14 WFIE will be LIVE at the ballpark for their evening newscasts, and there will be a ROKU giveaway every inning courtesy of 14 WFIE! Be sure to enter the raffle to win a ROKU as you enter the gates Thursday. You could go home a winner!
First pitch Thursday is at 6:35 p.m. with gates opening an hour before.
On Friday, the Otters will open a new series against division rival River City Rascals. Friday’s game is presented Deaconess Women’s Hospital and Holly’s House. Check out their booths on the outer concourse throughout the game!
Saturday’s game will be exciting for fans of all ages! It’s Deaconess Employee Night and Princess Night! The Otters welcome long-time partner Deaconess to the ballpark to help celebrate the Otters’ 25th anniversary season. Also, fans can interact with some of their favorite princess characters at Bosse Field! Get autographs and take pictures with some of your favorite princess characters! Kids can also join in on the fun by dressing in costume as their favorite princess or prince character. There will be an on-field parade to show off the costumes, starting at 6:15 p.m. Those wanting to participate in the on-field parade will need to meet at the left field picnic tent at 6 p.m. Plus, stay in your seat after the game for a big, dazzling firework show! 
First pitch Saturday is at 6:35 p.m. with gates opening an hour before.
Sunday’s series finale is at 5:05 p.m. and presented by North American Lighting, an Indiana Tool Plant.
Summer is here and it’s time to spend your nights by having some fun, with the Evansville Otters at Bosse Field!

AG Curtis Hill joins federal authorities in national crackdown on robocalling

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Represents the nation’s state AGs at Chicago press conference

Attorney General Curtis Hill today joined federal authorities at a Chicago press conference announcing a national robocalling sweep organized by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). In “Operation Call it Quits,” the FTC and its law enforcement partners announced 94 actions targeting operations around the country.

In 2018, Americans lost an estimated $10.5 billion to phone scams. That same year, Indiana residents reported losing more than $16 million to such scams. The actual amounts lost are probably much higher because many of the most vulnerable citizens — the elderly — don’t report their losses. Often, they’re embarrassed or intimidated, or they don’t even realize they’ve been scammed.

“Every year, our office gets more consumer complaints about unwanted robocalls than just about any other issue,” Attorney General Hill said. “At best, these calls represent a nuisance for families just wanting to enjoy peace and privacy without needless disturbances interrupting their routines. At worst, they represent scams that successfully steal people’s identities or hard-earned money. In Indiana, we are quite serious about stopping illegal robocalls, and our alliances with such partners as the FTC are valuable assets in this mission.”

Attorney General Hill was the only state attorney general attending the national press conference in Chicago.

“We’re all fed up with the tens of billions of illegal robocalls we get every year,” said Andrew Smith, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Today’s joint effort shows that combating this scourge remains a top priority for law enforcement agencies around the nation.”

At the press conference, Attorney General Hill also discussed his office’s recent civil complaint against a Maryland company and two individuals after receiving dozens of consumer complaints.

Anthony and Michael Valenti – doing business as American Health Services – persistently robocalled Hoosiers from Maryland-based phone numbers to pitch various insurance products. All of the calls began with prerecorded messages rather than a live speaker. Of the consumers who complained to the Office of the Attorney General, all but one had telephone numbers registered on the Indiana Do Not Call List. Further, the Valentis had no valid Indiana insurance licenses and had never registered the business with the Indiana Secretary of State.

In the complaint, the Office of the Attorney General alleges that these individuals and their company violated three Indiana statutes. As a result, they now could face up to $1.17 million in civil penalties, plus fees and costs.

“These are the kinds of actions we must continue to take against violators of laws intended to protect consumers,” Attorney General Hill said. “We will never stem the tide of illegal robocalling until we prove we have the resolve and wherewithal to make offenders pay.”

Administrator Wheeler Discusses North American Environmental and Transboundry Water Issues with Canada, Mexico at CEC

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler wrapped up trilateral meetings with Canada and Mexico as part of the 25th Anniversary of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) Council meetings in Mexico City. The meetings focused on resource efficiency, including working together to combat marine debris, and to encourage innovation and build partnerships to expand environmental protection and sustainable growth.

“I am pleased to work with my counterparts across North America to tackle some of our most pressing environmental issues such as water infrastructure and marine litter,” said Administrator Wheeler. “Our trilateral work on marine litter mitigation in communities along our shared border watersheds will help produce a toolkit and best practices that can be replicated in other North American communities and across the globe.”

In a closing trilateral statement, members of the CEC reaffirmed its determination to continue the work of protecting the environment and ecosystems, as well as to encourage innovation and build partnerships in favor of sustainable growth. Additionally, the nations agreed to increase cooperation between our countries on trade and environment priorities to protect and enhance the North American environment. The full statement is available here: http://www.cec.org/news-and-outreach/press-releases/cec-council-statement-2019

This year, Mexico hosted the Regular Session, with the participation of over 200 representatives from government, Indigenous communities, civil society groups, academia, the scientific community, and the private sector.

Of note, Administrator Wheeler announced the launch of the EcoInnovation Network. This network will facilitate the creation of innovation centers in North America with a focus on cultivating North American leaders in innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainable growth.

“Through this network, innovation centers within academic institutions in Canada, Mexico and the United States will share or secure the capacities to empower youth and communities with tools and resources to innovate and succeed in enhancing environmental stewardship,” said Administrator Wheeler.

Founding institutions of this Network include: The University of Oklahoma Tom Love Innovation Hub; The University of Oklahoma Ronnie K. Irani Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth; Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec; Universite Laval, Quebec; Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC; University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario; University of Anahuac, Mexico City; Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro, Queretaro State.

Administrator Wheeler also had the opportunity to meet with the newly appointed Mexican Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Victor Manuel Toledo. In their meeting, the two leaders discussed issues of mutual concern including the Border 2020 plan, Tijuana River wastewater and transboundry pollution. Administrator Wheeler also congratulated the Minister and the Government of Mexico for ratifying the USMCA.

Under the Border 2020 bi-national environmental program, the two countries agree to implement core programs to improve air quality, water quality, address solid waste, improve emergency preparedness and response, and enhance environmental compliance. This program encourages participation from communities and local stakeholders within 100 kilometers (62 miles) of the international border between the United States and Mexico.

Additionally, the issue of Tijuana waste water is of concern to both countries, and especially our communities along the border near Tijuana, Mexico and California. The North American Development Bank will be releasing a report in the coming days with results from a diagnostic study that will include infrastructure option on both sides of the border to reduce dry-weather transboundary flows in the Tijuana River.

Administrator Wheeler raised the issue with the Minister, with the goal of developing short and long-term options and strategies to increase capacity and/or replace aging infrastructure to minimize transboundry impacts. The EPA also continues to work closely with border stakeholders to find technical and financial solutions to clean up this wastewater.

Board of Public Safety

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Board of Public Safety

Purchase Agreement for Potential Fourth Port Extended

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INDIANAPOLIS — Governor Eric J. Holcomb announced today that the state has extended the option to decide if it will purchase land near Lawrenceburg that could be the site of the state’s fourth port.

The Ports of Indiana entered into an agreement in September 2017 to purchase up to 725 acres of land that was formerly the American Electric Power plant. That option was set to expire June 30.

The option has been extended by six months to enable the seller, Tanners Creek Development, LLC, to complete its environmental remediation plan for the site and submit it to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. If the Ports of Indiana decides to move forward, the total cost for the land and equipment would be approximately $8 million.

Indiana has three state ports operating on the Ohio River and Lake Michigan, with locations in Jeffersonville, Mount Vernon and Burns Harbor/Portage. Over the years, the Ports of Indiana has expanded each of its ports and now operates approximately 2,800 acres along Indiana’s navigable waterways. Indiana’s ports contribute over $7.8 billion per year to the state economy and support nearly 60,000 jobs.

EVSC to Celebrate End of Summer School with Science Show

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EVSC Celebrates End of Summer School with Science Show
Thursday, June 27
10 – 10:45 a.m.
Stringtown Elementary School, 4720 Stringtown Rd. 
To celebrate the end of summer school, USI Chemistry Professor Dr. Jeff Seyler will be at Stringtown Elementary School Thursday to put on a science show for students. The show will include science experiments and demonstrations.

Justices uphold $1.3 million judgment for crash victim

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Katie Stancombe for www.theindianalawyer.com

A divided Indiana Supreme Court has affirmed an award of $1.3 million to a woman suffering long-lasting injuries resulting from car wreck. The majority held that evidence of a medical expert witness’s professional license status and reasons for his professional discipline may be admissible to challenge his credibility.

Levetta Tunstall rear-ended Dawn Manning while Manning was waiting at a stop sign, leaving Manning with permanent and chronic pain from back and neck injuries. With little relief from her pain nearly a year after the accident, Manning was informed by medical expert Dr. Steven Paschall that she had reached maximum medical improvement. Due to her limited ability to function normally, a jury awarded Manning $1.3 million.

Tunstall’s motion to correct error was denied, and on appeal she argued that Marion Superior Court abused its discretion by refusing to admit evidence regarding Paschall’s disciplinary history with the Indiana Medical Licensing Board. Paschall was disciplined twice in 30 years, and at the time he examined Manning, Paschall was facing a disciplinary complaint that ultimately resulted in the indefinite probation of his medical license for at least one year.

But the Indiana Court of Appeals found the exclusion of that information to be harmless, and further excluded evidence of the reasons for his past professional discipline. Judge John Baker dissented in a separate opinion, believing that excluding evidence of Paschall’s professional disciplinary history was reversible error.

Chief Justice Loretta Rush, writing for the Indiana Supreme Court majority in a Wednesday opinion, affirmed the jury’s award to Manning, holding that that both types of evidence may be admissible to challenge the expert’s credibility.

“Under the facts of this case, the trial court abused its discretion when it excluded evidence that the expert — doctor’s medical license had been on probation — though the error was harmless,” Rush wrote in Levetta Tunstall v. Dawn Manning, 19S-CT-18. “And the trial court properly excluded evidence of the reasons for the doctor’s professional discipline, as that evidence was inadmissible under certain evidentiary rules.”

Finding both parties partially correct in their arguments, the majority noted that the trial court abused its discretion in excluding Paschall’s license probation, but properly excluded evidence of the reasons for his past professional discipline. The status of his medical license, Rush wrote, was relevant to the credibility of his medical opinion and the probative value of that evidence outweighed any of Evidence Rule 403’s dangers. Any error was harmless however, the majority concluded, finding the fact that Paschall’s medical license had been on probation would have been “a small drop in the large bucket of Tunstall’s evidence attacking his credibility.”

Additionally, it noted that Manning presented substantial and consistent testimony about how her injury had significantly and permanently impacted her life. But the majority found the trial court did not abuse its discretion in excluding why Paschall was disciplined because the evidence was inadmissible under Indiana Evidence Rules 608 and 609.

Writing in a separate dissent, Justice Geoffrey Slaughter opined that though agreed that the exclusion of Paschall’s past licensure status was an abuse of discretion, the error was not harmless.

“The fact and recency of Dr. Paschall’s past professional discipline persuade me that this evidence likely would influence how a reasonable jury weighs his testimony. In my view, the exclusion of this evidence was not only erroneous but also prejudicial,” Slaughter wrote, stating he would reverse the trial court’s judgement and remand for a new damages trial.

National Pro-Life Bridges Day

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On Friday, June 28, pro-life volunteers from Right to Life of Southwest Indiana will hold large banners on the Vann Avenue pedestrian bridge over the Lloyd Expressway with the message that “Abortion Takes a Human Life”.  As part of the National Pro-Life Bridges Day, taking place in more than 50 cities throughout the United States, the group will hold their banners during the morning and afternoon rush hours.

“With all of the national controversy over abortion this year, we want to bring the conversation back to basics”, explained Mary Ellen Van Dyke, Executive Director of Right to Life of Southwest Indiana, who is organizing the banner display in Evansville on June 28.  “We keep hearing about special cases and rare circumstances, but the simple truth is that every single abortion takes a human life.  We want the people of southwest Indiana to think about that.”

This nationwide day of public outreach is being coordinated by the Chicago based Pro-Life Action League.  Evansville is one of 50 locations where National Pro-Life Bridges Day is being held.  Other cities include Tampa, Florida; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Atlanta, Georgia; St. Paul, Minnesota; San Antonio, Texas; Los Angeles, California and the suburbs of Chicago, Boston and Washington, DC.  Organizers expect to exceed the total of one million commuters reached during the inaugural Pro-Life Bridges Day last year.

 

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