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Attorney General Todd Rokita co-leads national coalition against FCC Inmate

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Attorney General Todd Rokita co-leads national coalition against FCC inmate rules that could dismantle countless local police investigations

Attorney General Todd Rokita is co-leading a 14-state lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) new rule that could limit phone calls for inmates and prevent local police from performing one of their most basic functions — investigating and preventing crimes by surveilling inmate calls.

By capping the cost for inmates far below any reasonable level, the FCC will impose new costs on taxpayers and deprive state and local authorities of many safety benefits that come from allowing inmates access to audio and video calls. The FCC’s new rule would likely force some jails to eliminate such services altogether — directly undermining the goal of expanding inmate access to calls that the FCC claims it is pursuing.

“Federal bureaucrats at the FCC are trying to dictate to our local sheriffs and state prison administrators how to manage their prison facilities,” Attorney General Rokita said. “Their unlawful tampering runs a very real risk of making our jails and therefore our communities less safe. That’s why we’re stepping forward to protect the interests of sheriffs, correctional officers, the Indiana Department of Correction and all Hoosiers to challenge this rule and defend common sense.”

Attorney General Rokita’s multistate challenge seeks the reversal of unlawful regulations that, among other things, impermissibly intrude into how state and local prisons and jails provide communication services to inmates. The feds’ new inmate phone call rules threaten to dismantle the monitoring of inmate communications — a valuable investigative tool available to local law enforcement.

Granting inmates’ access to communication services — which include both calls and other online services accessible by tablets, such as legal resources and religious materials — helps reduce violence and other disruptive behavior in inmate populations. By monitoring inmate calls, facilities are also able to identify suicide risks and criminal activity and gather information that can help solve crimes. Providing communication services for inmates has become a vital tool that state and local authorities rely on to keep inmates and the public safe.

By issuing this rule, the FCC has far exceeded its statutory authority to regulate inmate communication services and ignored important safety and economic considerations that should have guided the agency’s decision making.

Attorney General Rokita is co-leading this lawsuit with Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin. The 14 states will detail their arguments upon filing their opening brief later this year.

USI to host Pride Week to recognize, celebrate LGBTQIA+ community

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The University of Southern Indiana Center for Campus Life is excited to host Pride Week in honor of LGBTQIA+ History Month, happening Wednesday through Friday, October 9-11.

On Wednesday, October 9, the Center for Campus Life will host a screening and discussion of Paris is Burning at 5 p.m. in the Wright Administration Building, WA 2 (Forum 2). On Thursday, October 10, the center will host a Coming Out Party and Ga(y)me Night in the Student Life Lounge, located in the lower level of University Center East.

The week wraps on Friday, October 11 with the third annual PrideFest from noon to 3 p.m. on The Quad, featuring a resource fair and celebration. USI and community organizations, including USI Counseling and Psychological Services, the Dean of Students Office, Albion Fellows Bacon Center and Matthew 25, will provide resources and share queer history. Later that evening, several student organizations will partner to present a drag show at 7 p.m. in Carter Hall.

“For Pride Week, we wanted to make the events more about allowing students to see themselves in events offered on campus,” says Madi Martin, Graduate Assistant for the Center for Campus Life. “Whether it be about intersectionality in the LBGTQ+ community or just having a space to be exactly who they’re meant to be, it’s important for the CCL to offer events to help students feel seen and heard on campus.”

EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT

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EPD

Media 10-03-2024

FOOTNOTE: EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT information was provided by the EPD and posted by the City-County-County Observer without opinion, bias, or editing.

Aces swimming and diving back in action on Friday

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UE travels to Centre College

 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Returning to the pool for the second time in less than a week, the University of Evansville swimming and diving teams travel to Danville, Ky. to face Centre College.

Both squads had a nice opener at the Butler Double Dual as a total of three student-athletes earn weekly Missouri Valley Conference awards.  Maddie Rollett earned MVC Women’s Diver of the Week honors while a pair of men were recognized.  Patrik Vilbergsson earned MVC Men’s Swimmer of the Week honors while Gabe Lett was the league’s male Diver of the Week.

Vilbergsson picked up the win in the 200-yard backstroke, besting teammate Logan Tenison by a second.  He joined teammates Carlos Souto Vilas, Daniel Santos Lopez, and Sammy McCall in the 400-yard medley relay, earning a third place finish.

Santos Lopez had a nice individual performance, placing second in the 50 free.  His time was 21.62, just 0.04 off the winning time.  Joseph Capo added a pair of top three finishes.  In the 500 free, his 4:47.56 was runner-up while the 1000 free saw him take third with a time of 9:50.80.

Rollett highlighted the women’s squad, earning wins in both the 1-meter and 3-meter dives.  Her top score was a 242.33 in the 1-meter while her 3-meter tally finished at 228.38.  Sveva Brugnoli picked up the top finish for the swimmers.  Her time of 4:40.20 in the 400 IM gave her a third place finish.

UE men pick up two MVC weekly awards

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Aces competed at Butler Double Dual

 LOUIS – Capping off a solid opening week for the University of Evansville men’s swimming and diving team, the Missouri Valley Conference announced weekly award winners Patrick Vilbergsson and Gabe Lett.

Vilbergsson was named the MVC Men’s Swimmer of the Week while Lett was tabbed as the Men’s Diver of the Week.

Vilbergsson picked up a victory in the 200-yard backstroke to lead the Purple Aces men at the season-opening Butler Double Dual.  Taking on foes from Xavier, Saint Louis, and Butler, Vilbergsson took the victory with a time of 1:54.00.  He defeated teammate Logan Tenison by just over one second.  He was also part of the 400-yard medley relay team that took third place with a time of 3:28.01.

Making his college debut at the Butler Double Dual, freshman Gabe Lett picked up a pair of runner-up finishes.  In the 1-meter dive, he posted a score of 120.30.  Later in the day, his score of 120.15 in the 3-meter event gave him another 2nd place finish.

On Friday, the Purple Aces will be in Danville, Ky. to fa

University of Evansville to Host 22nd Annual Chili Bowl Sale

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u of E

WHAT: The 22nd Annual Chili Bowl Sale, a cherished community tradition, will feature handcrafted ceramic bowls for sale created by University of Evansville faculty, staff, and students.

WHEN: Thursday, October 3, 2024, from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. CDT.

WHERE: East Terrace Lawn, near Ridgway University Center on the University of Evansville main campus.

DETAILS: Bowls will be priced from $10 to $100. Payment by cash or check only. All proceeds will support local hunger relief efforts and help fund Clay Club materials and student travel to conferences and exhibitions.

 

UE women’s soccer returns home to host UNI

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The Purple Aces host the MVC Iowa schools over the week
 
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — After playing to a draw in the final Missouri Valley Conference game at Missouri State, the University of Evansville returns home for a week.
UE women’s soccer picked up its first road point of the year with a 1-1 tie at Missouri State on Thursday, September 26th. Freshman defender Emmy Brenner (Arlington, Tenn. / St. Benedict at Auburndale HS) scored the Aces’ first goal at Missouri State in over a decade in Evansville’s 1-1 tie. It was Brenner’s second goal of the season, coming in the 74th minute off a corner kick. Thursday’s match was also the Aces’ best shot accuracy performance of the season with 80% of their shots landing on goal.

Northern Iowa comes to Evansville with a 6-4-1 record after cruising through the non-conference portion of the season with only two losses. But the Panthers struggled early in conference action starting with back-to-back losses for the first time all season. UNI struggled to find the back of the net in the two MVC shutout losses to UIC and Missouri State. But the Panthers’ offense got back on track in their last game against Valparaiso with a commanding 4-0 win. UNI has three players leading their offense with five goals each on the season from senior midfielder Maddie Eastus, redshirt junior forward Olivia Knoepfle, and senior forward Lauren Heinsch.

With the goal on Thursday, Brenner was named the MVC Freshman of the Week by Valley staff on Tuesday afternoon. It is Brenner’s first weekly honor and the first Freshman of the Week honor for UE since the 2022 season. Along with honors from the Valley Brenner now leads the Aces on offense. She is the only player with multiple goals on the season and tied with senior forward Hailey Autenrieb (Cincinnati / Seton HS) for most points on the team with four.

Parks Board Drops Plans for $10 Million Giraffe Barn But Parks Board Still Approve $24 Million Bond

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Parks Board Drops Plans for Giraffe Barn But Parks Board Still Approve $24 Million Bond

by Johnny Kincaid

OCTOBER 3, 2024

Some members of the Board of Park Commissioners felt pressured to make a quick decision to support a bond that would borrow $24 million for park projects. The list of projects to be funded by the bond was a giraffe barn for Mesker Park Zoo with a price tag of $10 million.

When the bond measure was presented two weeks ago, board President Michelle Peterlin expressed concerns, saying, “We’re in a recession; now is not the time to build a $10 million giraffe barn.” When the board took no action on the resolution, Peterlin and Mayor Stephanie Terry met to work out a resolution.

Moments into yesterday’s board meeting, it was announced that the giraffe barn would be removed from the list of projects to be funded. However, removing the $10 million project will not reduce the bond amount; the total debt will remain at $24 million. Additional projects will not be added to the list, so the $10 million will be divided among the projects on the list. (A full list of projects is at the end of this article.)

In discussing the giraffe barn, Peterlin asked Mesker Park Zoo Director Eric Beck about the zoo’s net revenue. “That would be a negative number,” Beck replied. After pressing for more details, Beck estimated that the zoo loses about three million dollars annually.

Peterlin responded by saying, “You want us to take something that loses three million dollars a year and add another ten million to that. I just can’t do that.”

Sara Dauer, Corporate Counsel for the City of Evansville, told the board that the city has been discussing the need for the giraffe barn and was planning to write it into the 2026 budget, and the project would cost much more than the $10 million in the bond.

Administration officials made it clear that removing the giraffe project from the bond does not remove the need and that it could come up again in future bonding as soon as next year.

Ultimately, the board voted 4-1 to remove the giraffe barn and move forward with the bond process. This does not mean that they approved borrowing $24 million, it means that they are allowing the process to move forward.

The next steps include further discussion at the October 16 Board of Park Commissioners meeting, with time allocated to public comment and on October 30 with further comment with a vote to approve the bond at the board meeting. The sessions are held at noon in the Civic Center, room 305.

Here is the list of projects to be funded from the bond. Note that the allocated dollars have not been adjusted after the $10 million giraffe barn was removed.

Garvin Park – New playground equipment, and safety surfacing. This Project will replace the dated and unsafe equipment that needs replacement. $1,500,000.

Aquatics Facility Improvements – Improvements to city pools. $1,000,000.

Centerpoint Square –Completion of the 4th and Main site urban park. $2,000,000.

Golf Course Irrigation/Improvements – Replacement of the obsolete irrigation systems at Fendrich and Helfrich golf courses, as well as additional needed course improvements. $4,000,000.

CK Newsome Center Renovations – Renovation of the Community Center. $1,000,000.

Swonder HVAC Systems –Replacement of the rooftop units. $1,500,000.

Wessleman Playground Restrooms – Replace the existing restrooms near the former par 3 property with restrooms at the new accessible playground site. $850,000.

Mesker Park Veterinary Hospital – Renovation at Mesker Park Veterinary Hospital. $500,000.