Home Blog Page 3644

Local Veterans and Military Hopefuls Speak Out Against Transgender Military Ban

0

Local Veterans and Military Hopefuls Speak Out Against Transgender Military Ban

JANUARY 23RD, 2019 MEGAN DIVENTI INDIANA

Local veterans and military hopefuls are speaking out against the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold President Trump’s ban on transgender military members.

Katherine Lowrie is an 18-year-old Owensboro native with dreams of enlisting in the U.S. Army.

“It just kind of breaks my heart that neither I or anybody else like me can join because of this ban,” says Katherine Lowrie, Army hopeful.

Lowrie is openly transgender and was part of the ROTC through high school.

“I looked into the army. I thought it would be a great opportunity to advance my career and I actually wanted to go into the Army as either EOD or infantry,” says Lowrie.

She says her dream of joining the military runs in her family.

“My grandfather was telling me about whenever he was in the Navy and I was just like it sounded amazing,” says Lowrie.

On Tuesday, the United States Supreme Court granted the Trump Administration’s request to ban people who identify as transgender from serving in the military.

The High Court ruled five to four allowing the plan to take effect with the court’s five conservatives approving the president’s proposal while the remaining four saying they would not impose a ban on transgender military members.

A decision directly affecting people like Lowrie.

“Then I went back the second time and they said I can’t join because there was a new ban in place they just can’t accept people like me,” says Lowrie.

April Barnett, United States Marine Corps Veteran, is also transgender and says if someone is able to serve and wants to that’s what should matter.

“If someone wants to serve the country, their country, my country, your country, if they can do it there shouldn’t be any problems,” says April Barnett, USMC Veteran and Tri-State Alliance Transgender Support Group Chair.

Until a few years ago, service members could be discharged from the military for being transgender, but that all changed under President Obama. In 2016, the military announced transgender people already serving in the military could continue to openly serve.

“I really don’t understand why they want to do what they’re doing. I grew up in an era where I don’t really, and maybe it was going on at that time, but it wasn’t something that I was aware of so this is all new to me,” Bob Reinhart, VFW Post 2714 Commander and Air Force Veteran.

Lowrie says otherwise.

“If you’re willing to serve your country you should be able to serve your country no matter if you’re gay, straight, transgender, whatever,” says Lowrie.

In response to the Supreme Court’s decision, Lowrie says she’s currently looking into a new career in a surgical tech program.

Right now members of the transgender community say they’re overwhelmed with uncertainty asking ‘What happens next?’

JUST IN: EPD Theft Investigation

0

Evansville Police are investigating a theft of scrap metal. The theft happened in the overnight hours of January 10th-11th, 2019.

Surveillance footage shows two white males taking scrap metal from a business in the 4900 blocks of Oak Grove Rd. The cameras also captured images of their car. Please note the plastic window covering and lack of rear hubcap. 

If you recognize the car or the men, contact EPD or WeTip. 

pastedGraphic.png   

USI Students Ready To Prepare Taxes Through Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program

0

Through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA), University of Southern Indiana students in the Romain College of Business will provide free federal and state income tax preparation on Mondays, February 4 through March 18.

“We have 15 students enrolled in the program this year,” said Dr. Brett Bueltel, assistant professor of accounting. “Our students are excited for the opportunity to serve our community and gain real world experience preparing tax returns.”

In VITA programs, the Internal Revenue Service partners with national and local organizations to provide tax services to individuals with low-to-moderate income at no cost to the taxpayer. Accounting students will interview and prepare the taxes of those taxpayers who make an appointment for the service. VITA sites do not prepare Schedule C business forms or Schedule E rental forms. Federal and state tax returns are prepared at the time of the appointment, and all taxpayers must be available to sign their returns. Preparation of returns typically takes 90 minutes to two hours to complete.

The sessions will be held by appointment only in Room 1004 in the Business and Engineering Center on the following Mondays: February 4, 11, 18 and 25; and March 11 and 18. Appointments will be available at 5 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. The USI VITA site is closed March 5 for Spring Recess. All USI employees are eligible to take advantage of the VITA tax preparation services.

Individuals are required to bring their tax information, photo identification cards and Social Security cards for themselves and any dependents. International students must bring their passports and visas as well. The IRS encourages electronic filing and returns will be filed electronically for those who are eligible.

Please bring copies of your prior year state and federal tax returns if they are available. Your tax returns from the prior year are very helpful in preparing correct and complete current year returns. Paper returns will be prepared for those taxpayers who do not qualify for electronic filing or prefer paper returns.

To make an appointment, call the Romain College of Business at 812-464-1718.

Arts Council’s Free Kid’s Film Festival Includes Free Admission To The Evansville Museum

0

Arts Council’s Free Kid’s Film Festival Includes Free Admission To The Evansville Museum

Families in Evansville can enjoy a free day of international children short films and activities this Saturday at the Evansville Museum of Arts, History, and Science thanks to the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana.

The free admission is part of the Arts Council’s annual children’s film festival, which features the New York International Children’s Film Festival Kid Flicks Tour from 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 26 at the museum’s Koch Immersive Theatre.

Admission to the museum and theatre would normally cost $60 for a non-member family of four with two adults and two kids over the age of 4, but thanks to the Arts Council’s generous contribution to host the event, admission is free for all to enjoy.

“Children’s familiarity with film, and the humor and charm of short films make the Children’s International Film festival an approachable avenue to introduce young people to other cultures and ideas,” said Arts Council Executive Director Anne McKim.

The New York International Children’s Film Fest Kid Flicks Tour features the best international short films from the prestigious film event. From 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Saturday, people can come and go as the theatre shows 30 short films from 13 countries. The average runtime for films is 7 minutes.

In addition to the short films, the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library will offer children’s activities connected to the event’s international themes. The Evansville Museum of Arts, History and Science is also hosting its Super Saturdays on Saturday, Jan. 26. The theme is “Artspocalypse” – a hands-on, out-of-the-box art experience for the whole family, including creating melted crayon art, painting rocks, inventing art monsters and more.

FILM SCHEDULE:

11:30 a.m. – Kid Flicks 1 (Ages 3-7)
9 films in English, or no dialogue. Average runtime of 6 minutes.
12:30 p.m. – Kid Flicks 2 (Ages 8+)
9 films in English, with English subtitles, or no dialogue. Average runtime of 9 minutes. 2 p.m. – Viva Kid Flicks! (Ages 7+)
11 films in Spanish with English subtitles, or no dialogue. Average runtime of 7 minutes.

For more information, contact Zach Evans with the Arts Council at zach.evans@artswin.org.

The Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana is a 501(c)3 nonprofit located in Downtown Evansville at 212 Main St. The Arts Council operates the Bower-Suhrheinrich Foundation Art Gallery and is the only free public art space in the city. To learn more about the Arts Council, visit artswin.org, and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

St. Vincent Evansville Birth Announcements for January, 2019

0

Jessica and Andrew Reckelhoff, Evansville, daughter, Bernadette Marie, January 10

Amanda and Chad Oost, Evansville, son, Miles Everett, January 11

Maria and Brian Heathcott, Evansville, son, Gunner Michael, January 13

Samntha and Dakota Hall, Evansville, son, Elliott Shane, January 15

Jasmine Jackson and Ryan Russell, Evansville, son, Ryan Bernell Jr, January 18

Kendal and Erick Voelker, Evansville, son, Miller Nathaniel, January 18

Elisabeth and Tanner Boarman, Mount Vernon, IN, son, Caiden Todd, January 18

Misty and Dallas Wickstrom, Mount Vernon, IN, son, Landon Michael, January 18

Ally and Seth Ferguson, Evansville, daughter, Emme Kate, January 18

COA: Expungement Petitioners Can’t Cross-Examine Victims

0

Olivia Covington for www.theindianalawyer.com

Expungement petitioners do not have the right to cross-examine the victims of their crimes who submit victim impact statements, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled in a Tuesday decision upholding the denial of a Marion County expungement petition.

In Jason Arthur Keene v. State of Indiana, 18A-XP-228, Jason Keene pleaded guilty in April 2009 to stalking his then-wife, Ginger. Then in May 2017, Keene petitioned to expunge the stalking conviction, but the state objected.

During an ensuing hearing, Keene “diminished his responsibility for the crime, maintained that he had merely caused Ginger emotional pain, and stated that ‘I did not stalk her,’ claiming that she had created text messages to support the stalking charge.” The state, however, moved to admit a letter from Ginger, which was admitted as evidence over Keene’s objection.

The Marion Superior Court then denied Keene’s expungement petition, citing to the “continuing trauma the victim has experienced as a result of the crime.” On appeal, Keene argued the trial court erred in admitting Ginger’s written statement, but the Indiana Court of Appeals disagreed.

Specifically, Judge John Baker wrote for the unanimous appellate panel that under Indiana Code section 35-38-9-9(d), a victim of the offense for which expungement is sought can submit a “written statement in support of or in opposition to the petition at the time of the hearing.” Keene failed to prove that statute is unconstitutional, Baker said, because expungement proceedings are civil, not criminal.

Further, under Cloum v. State, 779 N.E.2d 84, 92-93 (Ind. Ct. App. 2002), criminal defendants don’t have the right to cross-examine a victim who provides a victim impact statement, Baker said.

“We are confident that the purpose of victim statements in expungement proceedings is the same as that in criminal proceedings — to guarantee that the victim’s interests are fully and effectively represented as the trial court makes it expungement decision,” Baker wrote. “And as in criminal proceedings, we would not want to require victims to have to make their statements under oath or to subject a victim to defense cross-examination.”

“We likewise find that expungement petitioners do not have the right to cross-examine victims who provide victim statements as authorized by statute,” the judge continued. “Therefore, the fact that a cross-examination requirement was not written into the statute does not render it unconstitutional on its face, nor does the fact that Keene was not permitted to cross-examine the victim in this case render the statute unconstitutional as applied.”

2019 Frontier League Tryout And Draft Set For April 23-24

0
The 27th annual Frontier League Tryout Camp and Draft will be held on Tuesday, April 23 and Wednesday, April 24 at Joliet Route 66 Stadium, home of the defending champion Joliet Slammers.
All 10 Frontier League teams will be represented at the workouts, and scouts from multiple Major League Baseball teams also attend.  Representatives from other independent leagues participate as well. Advance registration is available at frontierleaguetryouts.eventbrite.com while walk-up registration will begin at 8:00 AM on Tuesday, April 23.
The workouts officially begin at 9:00 AM on April 23 and will feature a 60-yard dash, fielding and throwing drills for infielders, outfielders, and catchers, and batting practice for position players while pitchers will throw 15-20 pitch bullpens.  Following the first day, the field managers will post a list of players invited back for inter-squad games on April 24.  At the conclusion of the games, action will break for 30 minutes as clubs and prepare for the draft.
An average of 35 players each season have been drafted and signed to spring training contracts over the past eight years.  Each year, at least one tryout camp participant has appeared in the Frontier League’s All-Star Game. Several draftees have gone on to be signed by Major League Baseball organizations, with four draftees having ascended to the Major Leagues (Chris Jakubauskas, Seattle; Josh Smoker, New York Mets; Chris Smith, Toronto; and Robert Stock, San Diego).
13 tryout attendees have been signed by MLB clubs during the season over the past six years.
“We are excited to bring our Tryout Camp to the Chicagoland area for the first time in 13 years,” commented Frontier League commissioner Bill Lee.  “The recent upgrades to Joliet Route 66 Stadium, highlighted by the new turf playing surface, make Joliet a great facility for our workouts.”
The Frontier League is entering its 27th season in 2019 and features ten teams stretching from Pennsylvania to Missouri and from Kentucky to the Great Lakes.  The Frontier League annually advances the most players to MLB organizations of any of the independent leagues. Over 100 players have signed with MLB clubs since the start of the 2015 season, and 36 former Frontier League players have played in the Major Leagues, 10 seeing MLB action in 2018.
The Frontier League is a professional, independent baseball organization located in the Midwestern United States. The league formed in 1993 and is the oldest active independent league.
To be eligible to play in the Frontier League, you must be at least 18 years old to play and must have been born on or after October 1, 1992 to be eligible.
Joliet Route 66 Stadium is located in downtown Joliet, hear the intersection of I-80 and I-55.  For more information, please visit www.frontierleague.com or contact the Frontier League offices at 618.215.4134 or office@frontierleague.com.

RELAX, PEOPLE! THEY’RE JUST COOKIES!

0

Sergeant Carey Huls Named Sellersburg District’s Public Information Officer

0

Superintendent Douglas Carter has announced the lateral appointment of Sergeant Carey Huls to serve as the Sellersburg District Public Information Officer. Huls was the successful candidate of a promotion process that included a written test, an oral interview and a culmination of seniority, education and overall job performance. The Sellersburg District is made up of Washington, Scott, Harrison, Floyd and Clark Counties. Sergeant Huls’ predecessor, Sergeant Jerry Goodin, recently retired from the state police to serve as the Sheriff of Scott County.

Carey Huls is a native of Salem Indiana and a 1984 graduate of Indiana University where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice in 1995. Prior to college Huls served our country in the United States Navy from 1985 until 1991. After his service to the Navy, Huls enlisted with the Indiana Army National Guard where he served as an Infantry Squad Sergeant from 1992 until 1996.

Upon graduation from the Indiana State Police Recruit Academy in June of 1995, Huls was assigned to the Seymour District where he primarily patrolled Jackson County. In 2003 he transferred to the Sellersburg Post where he patrolled until his promotion to Corporal in 2008. After serving as a district duty officer for nine years, Huls was promoted to the position of Squad Sergeant where he supervised a group of troopers assigned to the district’s special criminal enforcement squad. During his time on the department Huls also served as a firearms instructor.

Sergeant Huls’ new duties will include the coordination of public education programs and to serve as the Department’s news media liaison on public safety, crime prevention and law enforcement public interest issues.  He will also be available to present public safety and informational programs to community and service organizations.

Sergeant Carey Huls has been married to his wife Jessica for 24 years and they have five children.

Bolt For The Heart Donates 134 more Automatic External Defibrillators

0

Late this morning, January 23, 2019, the President and Board Members of the Bolt For The Heart (BFTH) foundation were welcomed to Governor Holcomb’s office for a personal “Thank you” for donating an additional 134 AED units to the Indiana State Police.  This brings the total number of AED units donated to the state police to 465 and marks the fulfillment of a 2014 pledge by BFTH to put an AED in state police road patrol vehicles.  The value of this donation exceeds $600,000.

Gov. Holcomb visited with Pierre Twer, the President of the BFTH, a non-profit organization, along with BFTH Board Members, corporate friends of BFTH and state police officers that recently received an AED the result of the latest fund raising drive held on Thanksgiving Day last year.

Related to the most recent donation of AED units, Pierre Twer commented, “While this past Thanksgiving Day run raised enough funds to purchase 114 AED units, we couldn’t have made the goal of 134 without a special donation from our good friends and partners at HeartSaver, a committee of volunteers representing Deaconess Foundation and The Heart Hospital at Deaconess Gateway in Evansville, Indiana.”  Twer continued, “HeartSaver donated 20 AED units in 2018 and 15 in 2017, all of which allowed for the placement of placed AEDs in state police vehicles from the Jasper, Evansville and Putnamville state police posts.”  Twer concluded, “Since October of 2014 HeartSaver has helped save countless lives through their donation of more than 300 AEDs in the tri state region of Southern Illinois, Southwestern Indiana and Western Kentucky.”

Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter, who was also present at today’s event commented, “I can’t put into words what the donations of AEDs has meant to the state police and to the people whose lives have already been saved because of organizations like HeartSaver and Bolt For The Heart.”  Carter concluded, “Pierre, all I can truly say is ‘Thank you’ for having a vision and putting that vision into action through Bolt For The Heart; no one will ever truly know how many lives your vision will save.”

When asked about what the future holds for Bolt For The Heart Twer said, “Now we’re ready to turn our efforts toward the many other local and county police agencies in Indiana that could benefit by having an AED in an officer’s patrol vehicle, because our ultimate goal is to have an AED in every police vehicle in Indiana.”

More About Bolt For The Heart

The donation of the AED’s to the state police was borne the result of an experience Pierre Twer had while running in the 2010 Boston Marathon. During that race Pierre witnessed another marathon runner suffer a cardiac arrest. That runner was saved by an AED.

This inspired Pierre to collaborate with Heart Reach Carmel and establish the Bolt for the Heart 5K Family Thanksgiving Run, of which 2018 was the seventh year for the run and the third consecutive year the Indiana State Police was the primary recipient of the AED’s. Since its inception, this 5K run has grown from 41 runners to more than 3,000 that participated this past Thanksgiving Day run or in a virtual run held at locations across Indiana.

Each year since the run started 100% of the proceeds have been used to purchase AED’s for donation to not for profit organizations. The support from the central Indiana community for the Bolt race has been tremendous as many people enjoy running a 5K knowing their registration fees are going directly to buying AED’s for police vehicles.

In 2015, the Board of Directors of Bolt for the Heart identified the Indiana State Police as the recipient of AED’s from funds raised in the 2015 Thanksgiving Day run, which ISP Supt. Carter was also a registered runner. In fact Supt. Carter ran the entire 5K run in full state police uniform!

At the conclusion of the press conference attending troopers were issued their AED’s and placed window stickers on their patrol cars to easily identify the police vehicle was equipped with an AED.

History & Source of AED’s Donated to ISP Through BFTH:

2014 = Bolt Donation Day                                           5 AED’s

2015 = Bolt for the Heart Race, Presented in 2016   55 AED’s

2016 = IU Health Donation Day                                15 AED’s

2016 = IU Health Additional Donation                     50 AED’s

2016 = Indiana State Police Alliance                        10 AED’s

2016 = IU Health Community Engagement Dept     30 AED’s

2016 = Bolt for the Heart Race                                  50 AED’s

2017 = Bolt for the Heart Race,                                 90 AED’s

*Includes 15 Units donated by HeartSaver / Deaconess Hospital

2018 = Corporate Donations                                      26 AED’s

2018 = Bolt for the Heart Race                               134 AED’s

*Includes 20 units donated by HeartSaver / Deaconess Hospital

Total Donated: 465 AED’s

For more information about Bolt for the Heart visit: http://boltfortheheart.com/

1...3,6433,6443,645...7,194Page 3,644 of 7,194