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ETFCU’s Bill Schirmer Honored As Indiana’s Top Credit Union Leader

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ETFCU’s Bill Schirmer Honored As Indiana’s Top Credit Union Leader

Schirmer, BillBill Schirmer, president and CEO of Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union, was honored by the Indiana Credit Union League as its Professional Achievement Award winner for 2018.

Schirmer is the first recipient from an Evansville-based credit union in the award’s 29-year history. The recognition came at the ICUL’s annual meeting in Indianapolis.

Criteria for the ICUL Professional Achievement Award includes understanding and personifying the credit union philosophy of “people helping people”, promoting the credit union ideal, exhibiting leadership and management ability, possessing an ability to coordinate and work with volunteers and staff, maintaining a record of success in improving the financial fitness of the credit union, being dedicated to the importance of continuing education and training, and successfully developing and expanding services to credit union members.

Schirmer joined ETFCU in April of 2012 after serving as Vice President and CFO of Lake Michigan Credit Union in Grand Rapids. His nomination noted that, since he joined ETFCU, the organization has grown from 68,000 members to more than 202,000 and now operates 15 branches in Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee, with another five expected to open in those states by mid-2019.

With more than $1.5 billion in assets, ETFCU is Indiana’s second-largest credit union. In 2017 alone, ETFCU added 26,421 new members; increased net worth by $22.3 million, with total equity at $145 million; grew loans 12 percent to $1.16 billion; grew loans serviced by 13 percent to $2.38 billion; grew total assets by 14 percent to $1.46 billion; and increased mobile banking users by 11,033 – a staggering 41 percent increase. The credit union returned more than $2.3 million to members via Vertical and Platinum Rewards checking accounts that offer a 3 percent rate of return on balances up to $15,000 (increased to $20,000 for 2018) and refund fees up to $15 per month for non-ETFCU ATM transactions.

That work earned ETFCU recognition by Forbes as “Best-in-State” among Indiana credit unions, based on the results of an independent survey.

In 2017, ETFCU supported numerous non-profits and awarded ten $5,000 college scholarships to members and children of members. Schirmer chaired the boards at the EVSC Hangers School Clothing Resource bank and Habitat for Humanity of Evansville (which will become the 26th city nationwide to make its 500th house build this year). He championed an organizational campaign to fund a complete house build for Habitat, as well as an employee effort to boost United Way of Southwestern Indiana campaign giving from $12,000 to $45,000 – the largest increase among involved companies. Schirmer also serves as a board member of the EVSC Foundation and Junior Achievement of Southwest Indiana, and serves on the Advisory Council for the University of Southern Indiana.

At the ICUL meetings, ETFCU also received notice for the Dora Maxwell Award for community service for its support of Hangers. Schirmer serves as president of the Hangers board and raises funds for the organization during its annual Celebrity Scoop Night, where he again this year was the top fundraiser.

ORSANCO AUDIT FOR 2018

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 ORSANCO is continuing to work on closing out year-end financial statements, making preparations for a number of very exciting upcoming program projects and are preparing for our upcoming Technical Committee and Commission meetings in Covington, Kentucky, on February 12-14.

 ORSANCO

Staff is continuing the process to finalize fiscal year 2018. Audit field work has been completed and we will be presenting the audit results to the Audit Committee at its meeting on February 13, 2018 and to the Commission at the February 14, 2018 Commission meeting in Covington, Kentucky. We are also finalizing our schedule for the preparation of the 2020 Budget that will be presented to the ORSANCO Program & Finance Committee on April 25, 2019 for review and ultimately for consideration by the full Commission at its June Commission meeting.

Federal 106 Grant

As reported last month, finance staff (Joe Gilligan) submitted the closeout paperwork for the 2018 106 Grant. An application was submitted for the federal 2019 program. Any funds remaining in the FY18 grant will be continued into the FY19 grant. We do not have any update beyond this to provide due to the Federal Government partial shutdown that has closed the USEPA.

USGS Gage Stations

Through December 31, 2018 a total of $84,354 has been collected. The total due USGS of the amount collected to date is $82,700. ORSANCO receives the remainder for administrative support for overseeing this effort from a finance standpoint.

ORBA

We will be presenting a proposed United States Army Corp of Engineers Planning Assistance to States (PAS) agreement to the Commission for consideration and hopefully for approval at the February 14, 2019 Commission meeting. This effort will help support the development of an Ohio River Basin Restoration Strategy. This project, if approved by the Commission, will include ORSANCO in-kind matching resources in the form of staff time and possibly time from our member states’ staff to help develop the plan. We plan to incorporate assistance from Ohio River States that are not members of ORSANCO.

ODS

Operation and Maintenance – Preventative maintenance services were performed at Weirton and Louisville sites. Repairs were also performed at Portsmouth, St. Albans, and Huntington. Two stations are currently off-line due to instrumentation issues. Evansville is down due to a pump issue and the Parkersburg site is experiencing problems with the purge & trap unit. Repair visits have been scheduled. The Westview and St. Albans units are down due to staffing limitations. All other sites are operational.

ODS Renovation Work Group – The Work Group continues to meet and make progress on evaluating options for the next generation of the Organics Detection System. An update on their efforts will be presented at the upcoming Water Users Advisory Committee in January and at the February Commission meetings.

Spills

ORSANCO received 36 spill reports from the National Response Center in November; 17 of which had the potential to impact the Ohio River. None required field investigations by staff.

There was a coal barge incident that occurred on Christmas Day. This incident resulted when a tug boat pushing 15 coal barges loaded with coal struck the Second Street Bridge over the Ohio River in Louisville. Six of the barges were recovered, and at least 6 of the barges loaded with coal sunk and spilled their coal contents into the Ohio River.

This incident received media coverage but did not result in any significant impact to downstream drinking water utilities and is not expected to impact aquatic life because coal is fairly inert in aggregate form. Our spill response team did notify downstream utilities on Christmas to keep them informed of the spill.

Contaminant Source Inventory Project

Source Water Protection staff participated in webinars with US EPA and Corona Environmental to introduce representatives from Portsmouth and Maysville water utilities to the efforts underway to develop an Ohio River contaminant source inventory. Phase 1 of the project, which was completed earlier in 2018, covered the Ohio River from Maysville to Cincinnati. The current phase of the project will extend upstream of Portsmouth. Potential contaminant threats to drinking water intakes are being cataloged and uploaded into the WaterSuite software which is a GIS database management system.

Nutrients / HABs

Greg Youngstrom participated in the Regional Technical Assistance Group for Nutrient Criteria Development conference call. In addition, staff met with representatives from Marshall University, Northern Kentucky University, and US EPA to evaluate Greenup Locks & Dam site for possible HAB camera deployment. Our team also hosted a meeting with US EPA to review results from the Phase 1 HAB RARE grant and to discuss next steps for this effort.

Permit Reviews

Staff received and reviewed 7 NPDES permits (3 draft, 2 modifications, and 2 final) to ensure compliance with ORSANCO’s Pollution Control Standards. No significant issues were identified.

Biological Water Quality Subcommittee (BWQSC)

Staff have been focused on preparations for the upcoming (BWQSC) meeting to be held January 22 and 23. This Subcommittee is comprised of technical staff from the mainstem state biological departments as well as several other stakeholders such as the US Army Corp of Engineers, USEPA and the USFWS. This meeting is integral towards the development of our 2020 Biological Program Plan as well as our 5 Year Biological Program Plan. We appreciate the great support we receive from this subcommittee and will be reporting outcomes from the meeting to TEC next month as well as incorporating their input into our upcoming FY20 budget preparations.

2017 Pool Reports

The 2017 Pool Reports including the one page summary documents for New Cumberland, Meldahl, and Newburgh, were finalized. Drafts of similar documents were initiated for the 2018 pools (Emsworth Pike Island); final drafts will not be available until the spring once the macroinvertebrate samples are processed.

2019 Field Season Planning

The 2019 Seasonal Biologist positions were announced with several applications already received. Pending budget approval, our intention will be to fill six positions for assistance with normal Ohio River and NRSA activities. Staff are currently analyzing a new source of Ohio River flow data for comparison with biological indicator results, while working with NOAA staff on the potential to use new models to generate historical and current flow data for the Ohio River mainstem. The scientific collection permit application is underway for the 2019 field season.

Bimonthly/Metals

An analytical Memorandum of Agreement for laboratory services was agreed upon and signed for the Clean Metals Program that will cover the program through August of 2019. Staff have secured permission to sample from the new USACE Project of Olmsted Locks & Dam. Staff will continue to substitute Olmsted as a bimonthly/metals site in lieu of the recently deactivated Lock & Dam No. 52. Staff still plan to initiate a paired sampling with Olmsted and L&D 52 once staff regain access to the L&D 52 site.

NRSA

All special use permits for 2019 NRSA sites have been acquired and nearly all landowner permission for 2019 NRSA sites on private property has been secured. Remaining permissions will be obtained during reconnaissance trips this spring. These necessary tasks can be tedious and thanks to the diligence of our contractual biologist, Ryan Hudson, staff can now readily plan for another successful NRSA season.

Mercury

Staff is in the process of finalizing preliminary draft reports on instream loads, point source loads, and an overarching summary report that pulls together all the project components (atmospheric, point source and instream). A draft summary of findings will be presented at the February TEC meeting.

PFAS

The TEC-PFAS workgroup call is scheduled for January 15, noon-2pm. A set of decision points regarding design of an Ohio River water quality study have been sent to the group ahead of the call. Two options for monitoring site selection have been developed by the EPA Corvalis probabilistic design team. Staff has been working with the USGS and EPA regarding potential use of the EDI flow-proportional cross-sectional sampling method for PFAS sample collection. This would be the preferred method; however, we are investigating potential contamination issues associated with that method. A report will be provided to TEC in February on this project.

Staff attended an OEPA PFAS meeting in Dayton on December 18. Participants included USEPA, OEPA, USGS, Ohio State, Great Miami River Conservancy, and ORSANCO. This was a kick-off meeting to summarize what is going on in the state regarding PFAS monitoring. They plan to continue to meet quarterly.

Contact Recreation

ORSANCO Environmental Scientist, Stacey Cochran, recently completed a very good Bacteria Trend Report detailing 2001-2015 bacteria trend data and results that shows that efforts conducted by waste water utilities and Ohio River mainstem states to reduce combined sewer overflows has resulted in notable reductions in bacteria levels in the Ohio River.

Stacey manages our Contact Recreation Program

This has provided the data to allow Stacey to complete this very important report.

Our Communications team will be working with the waste water utilities as well as mainstem state public information folks to coordinate a press release that details the improvement that our Contact Recreation program demonstrates. The focus on the release will be to highlight the great work that waste water utilities and our member states have done to improve CSO discharges to the Ohio River. Our trends report demonstrates the improvements very well.

Pollution Control Standards (PCS)

As reported last month, the PCS Committee established a subcommittee to assist with the 2018 Pollution Control Standards Review. The subcommittee met four times via conference call and in person and provided their report to the full Pollution Control Standards committee on December 14 to consider proposals developed by the subcommittee. Two proposals were reviewed and the PCS Committee hopes to have a recommended proposal for the Commission to consider at its February 14 Commission meeting. In an effort to keep the ORSANCO Watershed Organizations Advisory committee members informed of the Committee’s work, there have been a couple of high level discussions with Watershed Organization members to discuss some of the proposal considerations.

Upcoming Calls/Meetings

February 12-14, 2019 – Commission Meeting in Covington, Kentucky
April 25, 2019 – Program and Finance Committee Meeting (NKY location to be determined) June 4-6, 2019 – Commission Meeting in Richmond, Virginia
October 8-10, 2019 – Commission Meeting (Location to be determined)
February 11-13, 2020 – Commission Meeting in Covington, Kentucky
June 9-11, 2020 – Commission Meeting (Location to be determined) through which ORSANCO conducts weekly monitoring, between Aand October, of bacteria levels in six urban areas along the Ohio River (Pittsburgh, Wheeling, Huntington, Cincinnati, Louisville, and Evansville). Samples are collected at upstream and downstream locations. Samples are analyzed for bothand October, of bacteria levels in six urban areas along the Ohio River (Pittsburgh, Wheeling, Huntington, Cincinnati, Louisville, and Evansville). Samples are collected at upstream and downstream locations. Samples are analyzed for both fecal coliform and E. Coli bacteria and October, of bacteria levels in six urban areas along the Ohio River (Pittsburgh, Wheeling, Huntington, Cincinnati, Louisville, and Evansville). Samples are collected at upstream and downstream locations. Samples are analyzed for both fecal coliform and E. Coli bacteria and October, of bacteria levels in six urban areas along the Ohio River (Pittsburgh, Wheeling, Huntington, Cincinnati, Louisville, and Evansville). Samples are collected at upstream and downstream locations. Samples are analyzed for both fecal coliform and E. Coli bacteria.page3image19661184

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Krista Hamby Weiberg Appointed Magistrate of the Vanderburgh Superior Court

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THE Honorable Krista Hamby Weiberg was recently appointed Magistrate of the Vanderburgh Superior Court. Prior to her appointment as Magistrate, Ms. Weiberg worked as the Vanderburgh Superior Court’s Administrator for six years. In that role she served as Judge Pro Tempore and acquired a wealth of knowledge and experience in the Court system.

Ms. Weiberg graduated with a Juris Doctor degree from Valparaiso University School of Law. In law school, she served as president of Phi Alpha Delta, legal intern at the law school’s Civil LawClinic that offered free legal advice to indigent individuals, earned a Pro Bono Certificate of Honor and attended a Summer Program in Cambridge, England.

From 2006 through 2012, Ms. Weiberg worked as a Staff Attorney for the Vanderburgh Circuit Court. She and her husband have one daughter.

Business Owners Learn More About Huntingburg Downtown Project

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Business Owners Learn More About Huntingburg Downtown Project

JANUARY 12TH, 2019 PAUL WILCOXEN INDIANA

Business owners in Huntingburg along the 4th Avenue construction area had the chance to hear updates on the project.

“The turnout and feedback was just excellent,” said Huntingburg Mayor Denny Spinner (R).

The message was clear at Thursday’s special public meeting to give an update on the 4th Avenue construction project; businesses will be open.

Nearly three dozen people showed up with excitement for the project, but there were also concerns with how it might affect business.

“We came to really find out, for the local businesses, how it’s going to affect us and what the construction will be like and how long it will take,” said business owner Sara Durcholz.

The project will be in three phases. East of Highway 231 to Jackson Street will be the first part. Then phase two will be on the west side to Geiger Street before finishing off work on 231.

Durcholz’s shop is located in phase one.

“It’s exciting to have this project to this point,” Spinner said. “There’s a lot of great questions that need to be asked and answered but I believe what we heard tonight was a thorough plan for this project to move forward and be successful.”

Mayor Spinner knows there are several factors to consider, undergoing a project like this.

“It was great to hear the questions that were here, and I hope as this project moves forward, it will be something that we can continue to communicate in a way that those questions are answered,” said Spinner.

Durcholz says even though there are uncertainties with how the construction will affect business, she believes – when it’s all said and done – it will be worth it.

“No one loves construction,” Durcholz said. “At the end of the day, Huntingburg has always been our home. It’s a small local community, and it’s time to bring Fourth Street [and] modernizer it a little bit.”

Mayor Spinner believes communicating with the public and business owners has helped push the project forward.

“One of the things that set our proposal apart was our ways we have communicated with the public about the projects we anticipated,” Spinner said. “I think that’s something we’ve had to have in order to be successful.”

 DR. D’ANGELO S. TAYLOR ANNOUNCES AS 2ND WARD CANDIDATE FOR CITY COUNCIL

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 DR. D’ANGELO S. TAYLOR Will ANNOUNCE AS 2ND WARD CANDIDATE FOR CITY COUNCIL ON JANUARY 14, 2019

Dr. D’AngeloTayor announces that he’s a candidate for the 2nd Ward City Council seat in the Democratic party primary. His primary opponent will be current  2nd Ward City Councilwomen Missy Missy.

He’s earned his Doctor of Educational Leadership from the University of New England. He earned his Master of Arts in Political Science at Western Illinois University. His Thesis was about “Student Government: Through the Lens of Transformational Leadership and Emotional Labor.”  Dr. Taylor earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science Western Illinois University.

His Significant Accomplishments Are:

  • Created a peer-mentoring (Collegiate Men of Distinction) mentorship program centered around academic excellence and leadership opportunities 
  • Increased the fall to spring grade-point average for Black men (who participate in the Collegiate Men of Distinction program) at the University of Southern Indiana
  • Was selected as a Title IX investigator at the University of Southern Indiana
  • Increased applicant pool in the St. Louis Metropolitan area by over forty percent of the previous pool (fifty-five applicants)
  • More than doubled the projected enrollment (15 students) for the St. Louis Metropolitan region (actual number: 35)
  • Awarded the Rising Star Award by the Missouri Association for College Admissions Counseling (MOACAC)
  • Appointed as Chair of the Inclusion, Access and Success Committee for MOACAC (2014-2015)
  • Planned academic workshops and college fairs for the entire State of Illinois; geared toward aspiring first-generation college students
  • Created and planned the first-ever college and career fair for the District of Illinois which featured over twenty schools and served over nine hundred students

 He was elected as a Western Illinois University Board of Trustees from July 2009-June 2010, October 2012-June 2013. He played a key role in securing funds for renovation projects, totaling approximately eight million dollars

He currently serves as the Vice President of the John M. Caldwell Community Development Corporation.

 

Judge: State’s ‘Bureaucratic Quagmire’ Harms Disabled Woman

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The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration has 21 days to arrange home health care for an elderly woman with quadriplegia who has been confined to a hospital or nursing home since February 2016, a federal judge has ruled. The decision comes after the judge ruled previously that the FSSA’s failure to develop a home-based care plan violated the woman’s rights under three federal laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Karen D. Vaughn again prevailed Wednesday in her case in the Indiana Southern District Court. Vaughn sued three FSSA employees in February 2016 after she was unable to return home following a several-week bout with pneumonia. Before her illness, Vaughn had lived in her home and received in-home care to assist her with basic activities such as eating and bathing, but after her January 2016 hospital stay, the FSSA said it could not find providers to continue her home-based assistance.

Ruling on cross-motions for summary judgment in June 2017, Chief Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson concluded FSSA had violated Vaughn’s rights under the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act and the Medicaid Act. The case then moved to the issue of the appropriate remedy, and Magnus-Stinson rejected the state’s argument that injunctive relief was improper.

“The Court concludes, based on the undisputed evidence, that Ms. Vaughn has suffered and would continue to suffer irreparable injury as the result of continued institutionalization,” the chief judge wrote in a Wednesday order. “Ms. Vaughn has presented undisputed medical testimony as to the dangers that institutionalization poses to her health, and she has already suffered demonstrable physical harm.”

That harm, the judge wrote, includes repeated surgeries for recurrent ulcers. Further, Magnus-Stinson said Vaughn has also suffered “adverse mental and emotional consequences associated with the institutional segregation and isolation that the ADA prohibits.”

In their defense, the FSSA employees have argued throughout the case that they could not find care providers to meet Vaughn’s needs because the Indiana Medicaid plan would not provide sufficient reimbursement. But Magnus-Stinson rejected the notion that FSSA’s efforts to find in-home care for Vaughn were sufficient under the law, finding instead that a “bureaucratic quagmire” resulted in the agency making only “paltry efforts” to coordinate internally to secure care for Vaughn.

Specifically, the judge noted the state agency delegated most of the work of finding in-home care providers for Vaughn to contracted case managers, not agency employees. When those contractors failed to find a healthcare agency willing to meet Vaughn’s needs, Magnus-Stinson said FSSA was “content to stop trying.”

“In choosing this course of action, Defendants appear motivated by two concerns: administrative minimization through contractual delegation, and cost-savings,” the chief wrote. “Notably absent from that list is the concern Defendants have professed during the latter stages of this litigation — a ‘shared’ desire to get Ms. Vaughn out of the institution in which she is being held.

“The irony of Defendants’ recalcitrance is highlighted by FSSA’s purported mission, to ‘develop, finance and compassionately administer programs to provide healthcare and other social services to Hoosiers in need in order to enable them to achieve healthy, self-sufficient and productive lives,’” she wrote.

Judge: State’s ‘bureaucratic quagmire’ harms disabled woman

Magnus-Stinson also pointed to FSSA testimony regarding the Community and Home Options to Institutional Care for the Elderly and Disabled, or CHOICE, program. CHOICE is a state-funded program that provides for home healthcare, but FSSA Division of Aging employee Erin Wright testified that Medicaid programs such as Vaughn’s and the CHOICE program do not interact.

The judge, however, pointed to an administrative statute holding that the Division of Aging “shall” administer CHOICE by developing “policies and procedures for coordinating CHOICE with the Medicaid waivers and other funding sources for in-home and community-based services.”

“At a minimum, and certainly during the pendency of this lawsuit, the Court expected that the officials of different divisions within FSSA would have met to discuss how their various programs (which are often used in combination with one another to provide for the entirety of an individual’s care) could coordinate to solve the problem of providing Ms. Vaughn with care in a non-institutional setting,” the chief judge wrote. “That never happened in Ms. Vaughn’s case … .”

Thus, the court rejected FSSA’s argument that it had undertaken “exhaustive” efforts to enable Vaughn to return home, finding instead that their efforts amounted to just one activity: calling home healthcare providers to ask whether they would care for Vaughn under the established Medicaid funding regime.

“The evidence here has demonstrated that if the Court were to accept Defendants’ position, Ms. Vaughn (and no doubt other similarly situated, ventilator-dependent individuals in Indiana) would be relegated to institutions,” she wrote. “In this court’s view, that is an outcome that the ADA prohibits.”

The permanent injunction entered by the court requires FSSA to arrange for “provision of the home health and attendant care services represented on this summary,” including services such as suctioning, helping to prepare meals, bathing and assisting with medication, among other duties approved by Vaughn’s case manager. The court noted the agency will have to work directly with Vaughn to develop a specific care plan, and further noted that her ruling on injunctive relief complies with the holding in Steimel v. Wernert, 823 F.3d 902 (7th Cir. 2016).

“Through the tireless efforts of the magistrate judge, the Court attempted to engage the parties to craft a solution, and to allow Defendants to look within or amend their own programs to bring their treatment of Ms. Vaughn into compliance with the Americans with Disability Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and the Medicaid Act,” the judge concluded. “The only response has been bureaucratic intransigence, while a vulnerable citizen of our state has deteriorated as she remains institutionalized.

“If the Defendants will not act to protect Ms. Vaughn and her rights,” Magnus-Stinson wrote, “the Court will.”

The case is Karen D. Vaughn v. John J. Wernert, M.D., et al., 1:16-cv-03257.

Fall 2018 issue of Southern Indiana Review available for purchase

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The latest issue of Southern Indiana Review (SIR), the University of Southern Indiana’s literary review, is now available for purchase. SIR presents a cross-section of emerging and established artists and writers whose work is both regional and national in scope and degree of recognition. With the support of the Indiana Arts Commission and National Endowment for the Arts, SIR is published in October and May by the University of Southern Indiana and sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts. Find out more about SIR.

SIR features award winning, talented writers from around the globe, in poetry, fiction, nonfiction and drama. View the complete writers’ list and bios for the Fall 2018 issue. SIR is available for purchase online, in the USI Campus Store and at Barnes and Noble.

This issue features artwork from artist Brianna McCarthy, a mixed media visual communicator working and living in Trinidad and Tobago. She is a self-taught artist and aims to create a new discourse examining issues of beauty, stereotypes, and the intricacies and dynamics of representing Afro-Caribbean women who are portrayed as being strong, long-suffering, exoticized and picturesque beings against a backdrop of poverty, hardship, abuse and/or scorn. Her form takes shape through masking and performance art, fabric collage, traditional media and installation pieces.

Contributors

  • Artwork
    • Brianna McCarthy
  • Poetry
    • Lindsay Remee Ahl
    • Leila Chatti
    • Caroline Crew
    • Tommy D’Addario
    • Raphael Dagold’s
    • Rebecca Hazelton
    • Matthew Kilbane
    • BenjamÃŒn Naka-Hasebe Kingsley
    • Keetje Kuipers
    • Marty McConnell
    • Jacques J. Rancourt
    • Frances Simán
    • Brian Tierney
    • Michael Torres
  • Fiction
    • K Chess
    • R. M. Cooper
  • Nonfiction
    • Rochelle Hurt
    • Nancy McCabe
  • Drama
    • James Armstrong
    • Dave Harris
    • Wynne Hungerford

Aces host Indiana State on Saturday at 1 p.m.

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The opening stretch of Missouri Valley Conference play wraps up on Saturday when the University of Evansville men’s basketball team plays host to Indiana State in a 1 p.m. game at the Ford Center.

Setting the Scene

– The Aces have won three of the last four home games against the Sycamores

– Evansville enters Saturday’s game with an 8-1 mark in nine home games; UE has excelled at home in recent years, going 10-1 to start the 2017-18 season, 9-1 in its first ten games in 2016-17 and 11-0 to start the 2015-16 campaign

 

Last Time Out

– Putting together what was arguably its best game of the year, the Purple Aces defeated Loyola by a 67-48 final on Tuesday night at the Ford Center

– UE had its best shooting night of the season, finishing at 52.9%; it was the first time UE finished at 50% or higher this season

– K.J. Riley had 15 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds while Marty Hill and Shea Feehan scored 13 points apiece

– The defense held Loyola to just 37.3% shooting and a 6-to-17 assist/turnover ratio

– Trailing 6-5, UE went on a 13-0 run and led by double figures for the duration

 

Takeaways from Loyola

– Evansville was 8-of-19 (42.1%) from outside; it was the first time UE shot 40% from 3-point range since finishing at 47.1% (8/17) at Ball State

– Through three MVC games, UE is allowing the opposition to shoot just 19.6% from long range

– In the three game prior to the Loyola contest, Noah Frederking attempted just one shot; he was 2-3 from outside versus the Ramblers with six points

– Dainius Chatkevicius attempted and made his first three in the contest

 

Putting it together

– Marty Hill is gaining confidence each and every time out and chipped in 13 more points on a 5-of-7 night from the floor against Loyola

– Hill has been on fire from outside, hitting 13 of his last 23 attempts from long range; in the last two home games, he is 8-of-11 from outside

– In the home win over Drake, Hill scored 24 points while hitting five out of seven 3-pointers in 39 minutes of work

 

Winning with Defense

– After holding Loyola to 37.3% shooting, the Aces have rocketed to the top of the Valley standings in shooting defense; opponents are shooting just 41.5% against UE

– Over its last seven games, Evansville has held each opponent to 40.3% shooting or lower

– The 3-point defense for the Aces is 2nd in the league, giving up just 30.9% of its outside shots; MVC opponents are shooting just 19.6% against UE from outside

 

Scouting the Opponent

– Indiana State makes its way south on Route 41 with a 9-6 mark and have gone 1-2 to begin Valley play

– The Sycamores opened with a loss at Loyola before earning a 65-60 win over Bradley

– Last time out, they were defeated by Missouri State, 72-57

– Jordan Barnes and Tyreke Key anchor the ISU offense, averaging 18.2 and 16.1 points per game

– Barnes excels from the line, shooting 88.9% while Key is shooting 54.8% from the field and 52.8% from outside

 

Hill accuser Reardon files bills to oust officials guilty of sexual misconduct

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Olivia Covington for www.theindianalawyer.com

The Indiana lawmaker who publicly accused Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill of drunkenly groping her in early 2018 has filed a series of bills allowing for the removal of elected officials who commit sexual misconduct and enhancing the penalties for such conduct.

Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon, D-Munster, announced Friday that she has filed House Bills 1573, 1581, 1577 and 1574, all of which deal with sexual harassment. Two of the bills, 1573 and 1581, address sexual misconduct committed by public officials, while 1577 would expand the definition of “employers” who can be charged with workplace discrimination. For its part, HB 1574 would create the crime of lewd touching and would institute enhanced penalties for public officials who commit that crime.

“Through my own experience and through conversations with law enforcement and the public alike, it is clear that there are many loopholes in a system that should protect women and men from having to face sexual harassment in the workplace,” Reardon said in a Friday statement. “It is not a problem confined to government agencies but includes businesses across this state. It is important that our elected officials set the standard for behavior and provide a clear idea of what will happen to penalize those who choose to consistently engage in this conduct.”

Under the proposed language of HB 1573, a 12-member officeholder oversight commission would be created to investigate complaints against statewide elected officials who do not hold constitutional offices, including the attorney general and the superintendent of public instruction. If such officials are found guilty, the commission would have authority to remove them from office.

Lawmakers could also be removed for sexual or other misconduct “inconsistent with the Legislature’s high ethical standards.” Sexual misconduct would be defined as “unwelcome sexual advances, unwelcome requests for sexual favors or unwelcome verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.”

Under 1581, statewide office holders, legislators, special state appointees and local elected officials who are charged with crimes unrelated to their official duties or who are found to have acted outside the scope of their duties would be prohibited from using taxpayer funds to pay for legal counsel or damages. And under 1577, employers with as few as one employee — versus the six-employee standard now in place under Indiana’s civil rights law — could be charged with workplace discrimination.

Finally, HB 1574 would define “lewd touching” as the act of knowingly or intentionally rubbing or fondling a person’s covered or uncovered genitals, pubic area or female breasts without the other person’s consent. That offense would be enhanced to a Level 6 felony for certain offenders, including statewide officeholders and legislators.

“What we want to emphasize is that people should look upon their workplace as somewhere they can be treated with respect,” Reardon said. “A better work environment leads to better productivity.

“All people — women and men alike — deserve the right to come to work without fear that they will be harassed or subject to behavior that should not be tolerated in a civilized society,” she continued. “The standards outlined in these four bills protect their rights and send a clear message that people who sexually harass others will face the consequences of their actions.”

Reardon’s bills come against the backdrop of sexual misconduct allegations against both Hill and House Speaker Brian Bosma, who has been accused of having a sexual relationship with a former intern in the 1990s. A special prosecutor declined to press criminal charges against Hill, finding that he could not prove the AG touched Reardon and the three other women in a rude, angry or insolent manner.

The four women responded with a tort claim notice indicating their intent to pursue a civil action against Hill. If the accusers prevail, state taxpayers could be on the hook to pay the damages awarded to the women.

Further, Hill has hired private attorneys to defend him against potential civil action and has created a legal defense fund, Fairness for Curtis Hill, to foot his legal bills. Hill’s attorney, Indianapolis employment lawyer Kevin Betz, has denied that he has been paid for his services through public funds.

Reardon’s sexual harassment legislation also comes as the House and Senate are in the process of revising their codes of ethics to explicitly prohibit sexual harassment by a lawmaker. The Senate Ethics Committee approved proposed languageearlier this week, while the House Ethics Committee heard public testimony on Thursday.

The Indiana General Assembly website does not yet indicate which committee(s) Reardon’s bills will be assigned to.

“It is my strong hope that the Leaders in the General Assembly will join me and the chorus of people who have been affected by this broken system in seeking these necessary workplace protections for all Hoosiers,” she said.

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