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USDA Launches Ace the Waste! Food Waste Contest for Students

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Food waste is a problem everyone can tackle, including our nation’s youth. As part of Winning on Reducing Food Waste Month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is launching Ace the Waste! A student competition for food waste reduction ideas. This first-ever competition calls on students to come up with creative solutions to reduce food loss and waste in the United States.

The problem of food waste affects everyone. More than one third of food in the U.S. is lost or wasted. This amounts to 133 billion pounds, or $161 billion worth of food each year. Food is the single largest type of waste in landfills. Students age 11 to 18 are encouraged to submit proposals on reducing food loss and waste anywhere along the supply chain, from the farm to the dinner table and beyond. Topic ideas for the proposal include:

  • Preventing food waste – such as ideas to prolong the storage life of food; improve efficiencies in the processing of food and its distribution; and create new products from unharvested or unsold crops (like so-called “ugly fruit and vegetables”) or from food processing by-products.
  • Recovering wholesome, excess food to feed people – such as innovative approaches for getting excess food to people who need it and measuring the value of food donations.
  • Recycling food scraps to keep them out of landfills – such as ideas to connect food waste generators with recyclers and to create animal feed, compost, and energy.
  • Raising awareness – such as ideas about how to make students more aware about the amount of food being wasted and let them know how to reduce it.

Students may submit 1-2 page proposals or 1-2 minute videos. Proposals will be judged on impact potential; originality and creativity; clarity of expression; and adherence/appropriateness to theme. Judges will include representatives from USDA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). One winner will be selected from each of two categories – ages 11-14 and ages 15-18. The winner of the challenge will be honored with recognition on USDA’s social media accounts and website, receive a certificate of appreciation, and will have the opportunity to discuss their proposals with USDA leadership.

The deadline for proposals is 5 p.m. EDT, Friday, May 24, 2019. Submit your ideas to the Ace the Waste! competition (PDF, 238 KB) today.

About the Winning on Reducing Food Waste Initiative

The Winning on Reducing Food Waste Initiative is a collaborative effort among USDA, EPA, and FDA to affirm their shared commitment to work towards the national goal of reducing food loss and waste by 50 percent by 2030. The agencies agree to coordinate food loss and waste actions such as: education and outreach, research, community investments, voluntary programs, public-private partnerships, tool development, technical assistance, event participation, and policy discussion on the impacts and importance of reducing food loss and waste.

During Winning on Reducing Food Waste Month and beyond, join the conversation on social media with the #NoWastedFood hashtag. Learn more about USDA, EPA, and FDA programs and resources to reduce food loss and waste.

Tri-State Food Bank Receives “Living Our Values” Award from Feeding America

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Tri-State Food Bank has been named a recipient of the 2019 “Living Our Values Award” by Feeding America’s new CEO, Claire Babineaux-Fontenot.  The 2019 “Living Our Values Award” was presented to 19 Feeding America food banks across the nation “For Honorable and Generous Demonstration of Network Partnership and Collaboration During the 2019 Government Shutdown.”

“Food insecurity is indiscriminate and affects too many families, children, and seniors in the Tri-State. To address the growing need, Tri-State Food Bank provides food where it’s needed most. We are happy to be recognized by Feeding America for helping address the increased need for food during the government shutdown. It was another challenge we faced in our fight against hunger,” stated Glenn Roberts, Executive Director of Tri-State Food Bank. 

Established in 1982, Tri-State Food Bank distributes over 8 million pounds of food (over 7 million meals) annually to over 250 feeding programs in 33 counties throughout the Tri-State.

VANDERBURGH COUNTY DEATH REPORT FOR APRIL, 2019

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WK 04-22-2019 – 04-26-2019

The Children’s Center for Dance Education Presents “Jack & The Beanstalk Ballet”

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Come join the Children’s Center for Dance Education
as they climb the giant beanstalk! 

Old National Events Plaza
Sunday, May 5 at 3pm

Otters sign Wright, Rowland, and Calabrese; Draft Pruett and Maselli

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The Evansville Otters have signed right-handed pitchers Taylor Wright and Matt Rowland and catcher Rob Calabrese, and draft pitcher Tanner Pruett and infielder Anthony Maselli out of the Frontier League tryout camp and draft for the 2019 season.

Wright is from Berwyn, Pa. and joins the Otters for his first stint in professional baseball.

“Wright was recommended from a trusted Atlantic League pitching coach,” said Otters manager Andy McCauley. “He threw very well at their open tryout. I’ll be interested to see him throw.”

“I’m thrilled to be in camp and incredibly grateful for the Otters giving me a chance in professional baseball,” said Wright.

“I’ve missed being a part of a baseball team and excited to get back into the clubhouse.”

Wright played collegiately at Brown University, where he posted a 5.80 ERA with 67 strikeouts, 4-9 record, and 56 appearances in 113.1 innings pitched.

“I’m going to go out there and compete, but I’m going to enjoy every moment being back on the field,” said Wright.

Rowland, a Marietta, Ga. native, joins the Otters after a stint in the Atlanta Braves organization. Rowland was drafted by the Braves in the 11th round of the 2016 MLB June Draft out of Pope High School.

“I heard about Evansville from my roommate with the Braves organization, Jackson Pokorney,” said Rowland. “He said I’m going to love it in Evansville. The town really backs up the Otters.”

Pokorney was drafted by the Braves in the 29th round of the 2016 MLB Amateur Draft out of Evansville’s Mater Dei High School.

“Rowland was recommended by a trusted organizational scout who wanted to make sure he got with a good pitching coach like Max (Peterson),” said McCauley.

“I’m excited to come to Evansville and play for the Otters organization,” said Rowland. “It’s a nice change of culture and I’m excited to see what the season has in store.”

In 2018 with the Danville Braves of the Appalachian League, Rowland was 1-4 with a 3.83 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 13 starts and a total of 54.0 innings pitched.

“He had quality numbers with the Braves organization and should figure in highly on the staff,” said McCauley.

“My approach on the mound is to mix it up with heat, off-speed and movement to set up batters,” said Rowland. “I pitch to contact to put the ball in play toward the defense behind me.”

Calabrese, a Staten Island, N.Y. native, joins the Otters for the 2019 season after spending two years in the San Francisco Giants organization. In 2017, he played with the Salem Keizer Volcanoes in the Northwest League and with the Augusta GreenJackets of the South Atlantic League in 2018.

“Calabrese played with David (Cronin) at the University of Illinois-Chicago and is represented by an agent I’ve worked with for some time,” said McCauley.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to play,” said Calabrese. “I love playing this game and I look forward go out there with my teammates.”

Last year with the GreenJackets, Calabrese had a .193 batting average with five home runs, 21 RBI’s, 24 runs, and 38 hits in 67 games.

“He should be a quality bat in our lineup and work well with our pitchers with his organizational experience.”

“Offensively, I try to keep it simple, be a gap-to-gap hitter with some power,” said Calabrese.

“I’ve always believed pitching and defense wins championships, so I really pride myself on my defense. I feel it’s my job as a catcher to be a leader out there and help make my pitchers and teammates better.”

The catcher was drafted in the 10th round by the Giants in the 2017 MLB Draft out of the University of Illinois-Chicago.

The Evansville Otters made two selections out of the 2019 Frontier League Draft, selecting infielder Anthony Maselli and left-handed pitcher Tanner Pruett.

Maselli was selected by the Otters with the eighth overall pick in the league draft.

Finney “2018 Trooper of the District” at Evansville is Senior Trooper Michael Finney

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Through his hard work and dedication to public service, Senior Trooper Michael Finney has been selected as the “2018 Trooper of the District” for the Evansville District. Finney received his award earlier today at the Indiana State Police Spring Awards Ceremony held at the Indiana Government Center in Indianapolis. This award is presented to the Trooper at each district who has achieved outstanding efforts in the area of traffic and criminal enforcement, case and crash investigation, public information programs and community service and who has exemplified the professionalism and integrity expected of an Indiana State Trooper.

Finney is a twelve-year veteran of the Indiana State Police and is currently the only K-9 handler at Evansville. During 2018, Finney conducted 38 criminal investigations, made 112 criminal arrests and conducted 669 traffic stops. Finney also works very closely with the Evansville District All Crimes Policing (A.C.P.) Unit, which aggressively focuses on criminal activity and apprehending suspects involved in illegal drug activity. Finney and his K-9, Boomer, also conducted 32 free air sniffs, assisted other agencies 73 times, secured the perimeter on 28 details and made 10 apprehensions on 11 suspect searches. Finney and Boomer also assisted with 110 warrant services with fellow troopers and various other local, state and federal agencies.

Lieutenant Brian Bailey, Commander of the Evansville District, said “Senior Trooper Michael Finney and his K-9, Boomer, are a valuable asset to our community and to the Indiana State Police.”

Finney was also credited with helping save the life of an Evansville woman in 2018. Finney was off-duty and observed a woman lying on the ground near her doctor’s office, which is close to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville. Finney approached the woman and found her to be unresponsive. Her doctor and Finney performed CPR until EMS arrived. She was treated and taken to Deaconess Hospital. A few days after the incident, she posted a nice message on Facebook thanking Senior Trooper Finney and crediting him with saving her life.

 

Senior Weekend on tap for UE softball

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Senior Weekend is on tap for the University of Evansville softball team as the Purple Aces welcome Valparaiso to Cooper Stadium for a 3-game series.  Action begins on Saturday with a noon doubleheader before Sunday’s game starts at 11 a.m.  Festivities for UE’s seven seniors will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday with Bailee Bostic, Danielle Cassidy, Olivia Cheatham, Ashleigh Downing, McKenzie Johnson, Kristin Koepke and Emily Lockhart being recognized.

 

Last Week

– Evansville earned its first road conference sweep since 2017, taking three wins against Missouri State in Springfield on Friday and Saturday

– Senior Emily Lockhart pitched a gem in game one, allowing one run on four hits in a complete game effort as the Aces took a 3-1 win; Lindsay Renneisen added a home run

– The offense erupted for seasons-highs in runs (11) and hits (16) on its way to an 11-7 win; trailing 7-6 heading into the top of the seventh, Bailee Bostic led the frame off with a home run to tie the score before Haley Woolf hit the game-winning grand slam with two outs

– A grand slam was the difference in Saturday’s game as Eryn Gould recorded one in the second inning that made the difference in a 5-4 win

– Lockhart picked up the wins in all three contests while Izzy Vetter earned the first save of her career in the finale

– In Wednesday’s game at Indiana State, the Aces dropped a 3-2 game; Haley Woolf paced the team, registering three of UE’s seven hits in the contest

 

Reaching a Milestone

– Aces head coach Mat Mundell picked up the 200th win of his career in the opener at Missouri State

– In six seasons at Illinois-Springfield, Mundell accumulated 117 wins with the remainder coming in his time at Evansville

 

Player of the Week

– For the second time in her career, sophomore Eryn Gould earned MVC Player of the Week accolades on April 22

– Gould is on an absolute roll for the Purple Aces, entering the Valpo series with a 10-game hit streak

– Over the previous ten games, Gould is batting .464 (13-of-28) while raising her average from .244 to .296

– She capped off the weekend series victory at MSU, batting .444 with two home runs and seven RBI; her grand slam in Saturday’s series finale was the difference in a 5-4 UE win

– Gould checks in with a .296 average while starting all 42 games at catcher, second base and in the outfield

– She leads the team with nine home runs, eight doubles, 25 runs and 27 RBI

 

Showing Her Power

– Freshman Haley Woolf accounted for three of the Aces’ seven hits at Indiana State; her hit tally was the most in her time at UE

– She continues to hit home runs in the times her team needs them the most and did so once again at Missouri State

– With the score tied at 7-7 in game two at MSU, Woolf hit a 2-out grand slam that clinched the Aces win; it was her first homer on the road this season as her other three came at Cooper Stadium

 

Scouting the Opponent

– Valparaiso comes to Evansville with a 15-24 mark and stand at 4-16 through their first 20 conference games

– Carly Trepanier has the top average for the Crusaders, hitting .284 on the season while Jaymee Lawton has a team-high five home runs and 22 RBI

– In the circle, Kelsie Packard has a 3.24 ERA with 88 strikeouts while winning eight games

 

Eleven Quick Impact Placebased Grants Awarded

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Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs awarded more than $52,000 to 11 communities and organizations for quality of place initiatives through the Quick Impact Placebased Grant.

“Making small, but meaningful changes to the quality of place in our state not only brings communities together, but lets visitors know that Indiana is a welcoming place,” Crouch said. “I am excited to see these grants being used in such innovative ways, and I look forward to visiting the final projects.”

This is the third year for the competitive matching grant program designed to fund placemaking and quality of life projects that spark community-wide conversations and creativity.  This year, an educational component was added to the program, encouraging applicants to include youth involvement in the proposed project.

“Creating a place where people want to live is a critical element to creating a sustainable, interconnected community and strong economic development strategy,” said Jodi Golden, Executive Director of OCRA. “These applicants understood how to take an underutilized asset, enhance it and further activate that space beyond just the initial project.”

Awarded projects receive grant funds ranging from $2,500 to $5,000. For more information, visit in.gov/ocra/quipgrant.

Batesville Main Street
City of Batesville, $5,000
This grant will commission a collaborative mural project to activate an infrequently used alley in the town square. After a review of submitted design plans by local high school students, a selected artist will lead students in the artistic process to develop and implement the idea, with the theme of music, which is a nod to the music and arts culture in Batesville.

Brown County Enrichment for Teens/ Kids on Wheels
Town of Nashville, $5,000
Funding will assist the community in creating skateable art in the Deer Run Park’s new skate park.  Stained leaves will be incorporated into the concrete design, highlighting the town’s heritage of fall leaf colors. Local adults and youth will be volunteering time and labor to build elements of the park.

Center City Development Corporation
City of Richmond, $5,000
The grant will allow the community to install and activate community games in downtown Elstro Plaza. A combination of commercial concrete game tables and wooden games constructed in community workshops, this project creates opportunities for the community to come together to Play in the Plaza.

Coatesville Downtown Revitalization, Inc.
Town of Coatesville, $5,000
Funding will renovate the exterior of one of the town’s blighted centerpiece buildings, a 1930s gas station. Although it will be a non-functional station, the storefront will be revitalized into public space with a throwback theme. This project will transform an unusable space into a fun, community gathering spot, and be the location for the town’s annual car show.

Columbus Parks and Recreation Department
City of Columbus, $5,000
The grant will fund enhancements to Blackwell Park with upgrades to the trails and new park signage. In addition, new educational signage, bird houses and bee hotels will be added to provide visitors more opportunities to connect with the natural park setting.

Discover Plymouth
City of Plymouth, $3,500
This grant will be used to install a pollinator garden in the downtown district.  The garden will be easily accessible by all and will be used by the public library and Boys and Girls Club for educational purposes.

Tell City Regional Arts Association
City of Tell City, $5,000
Funding will create murals on the flood wall entrance to Sunset Park. The mural will be a stenciled, paint-by-number project to allow for community engagement and will accompany an additional mural being planned for the other floodwall entrance.

Tippecanoe Arts Federation, Inc.
City of Lafayette, $5,000
The grant will be used to create the Wabash Walls, a street art festival occurring in the Wabash Avenue neighborhood of Lafayette. The paint out involves several artists from around the nation and abroad painting in designated areas throughout the neighborhood.

Town of Dillsboro
$4,370
Funding will transform an asphalt space in the downtown to be used as a cultural, educational and community gathering place.  Murals and a dance floor will be painted by local artists, with a few pieces of outdoor furniture crafted by community artisans.

Wabash Marketplace
City of Wabash, $4,418
This grant will be used to beautify traffic control boxes by wrapping them in famous works of art in both Wabash and North Manchester. In addition, two of the designs will feature local artists depicting county landmarks.

Warren County Community Foundation
Town of Williamsport, $5,000
Funding will reinvigorate a former skate park into a family-friendly recreational area. This area will include a variety of games such as chess, checkers, tether ball and shuffleboard. The project was designed and lead by local youth who recognized a need and found a creative way to transform the space in a useful and innovative way.

Frolic on Franklin Today

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Since 2012, Franklin Street has drawn hundreds of thousands of visitors to their nearly 40 yearly events, most of which are free to the public. Offering both nightlife attractions and family centered events, the Franklin Street Events Association has set a standard for other towns and neighborhoods to strive towards. Since the formation of the FSEA, nearly 20 new businesses have made their homes on Franklin, now one of the state’s most vibrant urban centers. Every business has seen substantial growth and many have expanded due to the millions of dollars of commerce flowing through the doors of Franklin Street businesses.

Held at the heart of Franklin Street, on the West Library Lawn, it will be an evening of dining, dancing and celebrating all that is Franklin Street and the small business owners and volunteers whose passion has captured local loyalty and provided a model of how collaboration can achieve amazing results.

All proceeds raised from Frolic on Franklin go towards the Franklin Street Event’s Association and their efforts to continue to fund more vibrant community.

Entertainment will be provided by: The Fanatics
Formal Attire
Elegant steak dinner with salad, green beans, macaroni and cheese, baked potatoes, rolls & dessert courtesy of Lamasco Bar and Grill, Leroys Tavern, Pistons, Franklin Street Pizza Factory, Culinary Innovations by April Boeke, Be Happy Pie Company, and Piece of Cake.

ADOPT A PET

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Harrison is a 10-month-old male mixed breed. He has PLENTY of energy & needs an active family who can get him into some obedience and socialization classes! He was originally transferred to VHS from Warrick County Animal Control so we don’t have a lot of info on his background. His adoption fee is $110 and includes his neuter, microchip, and vaccines. Contact Vanderburgh Humane at (812) 426-2563 for adoption details!

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