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USI receives $6 million leadership gift

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College of Nursing and Health Professions to be named for Kinney family

During a press conference held Wednesday, September 11 in the Health Professions Center on the USI campus, USI Interim President Steve Bridges announced a $6 million leadership gift from Evansville business leader and USI alumnus Wayne Kinney and his family. The announcement was made to an audience of nearly 75 students, faculty, administrators and guests of the University and family.

To honor the Kinney family for its generosity to the University, the USI College of Nursing and Health Professions (CNHP) will be named the Kinney College of Nursing and Health Professions. The College is physically housed in USI’s Health Professions Center.

“Mr. Kinney is a USI alumnus with an accounting degree, like me. He and his wife, Beth, also have raised two children who are USI alumni,” said Bridges. “With a background in information technology and healthcare, the Kinney family is well positioned to recognize the impact the USI College of Nursing and Health Professions, and our alumni are making in the community. We are extremely grateful for their generous gift which will serve to deepen the College’s vital impact.”

The $6 million unrestricted gift will be used to address the greatest needs of the College, allowing the ability to plan strategically. Among planned uses are student scholarships; equipment and technology purchases and upgrades; faculty development opportunities; and innovative health initiatives to remain forward-looking in the College’s approach to healthcare education.

“We are excited to be making this gift and to be part of USI’s ongoing story of success,” said Kinney. “We look forward to the many ways this investment will enhance the College of Nursing and Health Professions, its students and faculty and, ultimately, our community.”

Wayne is a 1977 accounting graduate of USI, and he worked full-time while attending. He later founded the Evansville-based Innovative Consulting Group, focused on flexible healthcare IT services and engaged with hospitals across the country. He and his wife, Beth, sold the company in 2023. They currently own JWK Management Group. Wayne serves on the USI Board of Trustees and USI Foundation Board of Directors.

Beth graduated from the University of Evansville where she majored in teacher education. She taught in Evansville schools for a number of years. The Kinneys’ son, Jeff, received his MBA from USI in 2010. Their daughter, Julie Burczyk, graduated magna cum laude from USI in 2006 with a degree in elementary education and earned a master’s degree in education from the University in 2009.

The Kinneys and their children and grandchildren reside in Evansville.

The College of Nursing and Health Professions, one of four colleges at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, Indiana, has a global influence in health, healthcare and healthcare education. The College offers baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral programs in nursing, as well as programs in Dental Assisting, Dental Hygiene, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Food and Nutrition, Health Informatics and Information Management, Health Services, Health Administration, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Occupational Therapy, Radiologic and Imaging Sciences and Respiratory Therapy. Completion programs for practicing professionals include Radiologic Technology, Respiratory Therapy, Health Services, Health Administration, Health Informatics and Nursing.  

The baccalaureate degree in nursing, master’s degree in nursing, doctoral degree in nursing practice and post-graduate APRN certificate are each accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Dental Assisting and Dental Hygiene programs are accredited by Commission on Dental Accreditation. Diagnostic Medical Sonography is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. Radiologic and Imaging Sciences is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology. Dietetics is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics. Occupational Therapy Assistant and Occupational Therapy are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education. Respiratory Therapy is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care. 

EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT

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EPD

 

 

 

 

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

Arrest Made After Shots Fired from Apartment Balcony

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On September 10th around 2:30 pm officers were dispatched to the 3900 block of Covert

Avenue for shots fired. On scene officers located a victim, along with several witnesses, who

reported that a male fired three shots toward the victim from an apartment balcony. No one was struck by the bullets.

Officers quickly established a perimeter and surrounded the apartment. Officers were eventually able to get the suspect, Selmo Cadet, to exit the apartment where he was taken into custody.

46-year-old Selmo Cadet was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, attempted battery with a deadly weapon, and criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon.

Owusu scores second goal in loss to Butler

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The Purple Aces put four shots on goal in Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS – The University of Evansville men’s soccer team suffered its second loss in a row in a 4-1 match against the Butler Bulldogs.
Graduate forward Sami Owusu (Denver, Colo. / Dayton) found the back of the net for the second time this season in the 69th minute, but it was too little too late to rally the Purple Aces on Tuesday night. UE got off to a quick start, putting up the first shot of the night. But it was Butler who struck first in the ninth minute on a solo shot from the left side of the 18 from freshman Jose Angel Luna.
Momentum shifted to the Bulldogs, but Evansville found its offense again in the 15th minute. The Aces took four shots in under two minutes, coming close but not quite finding the back of the net. The pace of play evened out between the two teams until Butler broke through for a second goal in the 35th minute. UE headed into the second half staring down a two-goal deficit, looking to break through on offense after leading in shots through the first 45 minutes.
Evansville came out of the half with a new energy, firing off four shots in the first seven minutes of the second half. But yet again the Bulldogs found a way to get to the back of the net in the 55th minute to make it a three-goal deficit for the Aces. UE wouldn’t let themselves be shut out of the match as Owusu scored in the 69th minute on a wide-arching right-footed shot off a defensive Butler play.
The goal gave Evansville some new life late in the game as forward Kai Phillip (Diego Martin, Trinidad, and Tobago) had a chance inside the attacking third two minutes later. While midfielder Jose Vivas (Teurel, Spain) had a shot ring off the post, coming just inches from his second goal in as many games. The Aces surging comeback was stymied by the Bulldogs in the final eight minutes as the Bulldogs added a fourth and final goal in the 85th minute.
Owusu was UE’s only player to register a point on the night while forward Nacho Diaz Barragan (Almeria, Spain) led the team with five shot attempts and three landing on goal. Evansville returns home to begin Missouri Valley Conference action on Saturday night. The Aces welcome another Bulldog team to town in the Drake Bulldogs on Sept. 14th. Kick-off from Arad McCutchan Field is set for 7 p.m.

Shorthanded Trailblazers pick up big Region 24 road sweep

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Shorthanded Trailblazers pick up big Region 24 road sweep

BELLEVILLE, Ill. – The Vincennes University volleyball team has been battle tested early in this season with multiple starters out of the lineup Tuesday night as VU headed to Belleville to take on Southwestern Illinois College.

Vincennes was able to keep their composure in a hostile environment and come away with their 42nd straight Region 24 victory, winning over the Blue Storm 25-20, 25-17, 25-16.

The Blazers were able to break away first in the first set with a 6-0 scoring run to take a 10-5 lead.

Southwestern Illinois slowly chipped away at this VU lead, cutting the deficit down to a single point at 21-20 before the Blazers slammed the door on the first set by scoring the final four points to take set one 25-20.

VU continued to ride this momentum into the second set, quickly building a 9-3 lead and later seemed to be in full control with a 21-11 advantage.

Southwestern Illinois again continued to fight and began to swing the momentum with four straight points, but were unable to erase the Vincennes lead as the Trailblazers took set two 25-17 to take a 2-0 match lead.

Set three began as another back-and-forth battle with VU holding onto a narrow 12-11 lead before freshman Brooklyn Summers (Loogootee, Ind.) subbed in and helped guide the Blazers on a 5-0 scoring run from the service line.

Vincennes continued to add on with a later 6-1 scoring run to close out set three 25-16 and complete sweep over the Blue Storm.

“We were missing a number of players tonight but that’s fine,” VUVB Head Coach Gary Sien said. “We have full confidence in the ones we put on the floor tonight. Tough situation on the road but we challenged everyone to play big to fill up the holes that we have missing.”

“I’m very proud of how each person rallied around each other despite the circumstances,” Sien added. “Their toughness and grit were displayed tonight for all to see.”

The VU offense was again led by a big game by sophomore Laura Tavares (Merida, Venezuela), who finished with 18 kills, four blocks, one dig and one set assist.

Sophomore Isadora Dias (Rio Grande de Norte, Brazil) continues to put up big numbers, finishing with eight kills, a team-high 21 digs, and three blocks.

Freshmen Martyna Sadowska (Pila, Poland) and Paulina Fister (Tuszyn, Poland) stepped up in a big way Tuesday, with Sadowska getting five kills, five blocks, three digs, and a pair of aces, while Fister ended her night with four kills and three digs.

Sophomore Allison Czyzewski (Louisville, Ky.) rounded out the VU offense with a pair of kills and one block.

Freshman Rylee Edwards (Fairfield, Ill.) stepped in at the setter position and ran a very good VU offense with 29 set assists and five digs.

Sophomore libero Grace Flexter (Oblong, Ill.) controlled the back-row defense on her way to 16 digs and one ace.

Sophomore Dylan DeCoursey (Montgomery, Ind.) and freshman Brooklyn Summers rounded out the VU box score with DeCoursey recording four digs and one block, while Summers ended with three digs.

“We are, of course, concerned with those missing but we have to be focused on those who are here,” Sien said. “Rylee set an excellent match, making some great choices out there. She was also instrumental in us making big runs with her serves and in her defense.”

“Martyna, who we recruited as a middle blocker, showed why we did that with her performance in hitting, blocking, and in her serving,” Sien added. “Paulina took some great swings out there as she is working her way back into the lineup.”

“Laura was next level in her swings,” Sien said. “That was probably a career night. We challenged our team members to lead and she led by her example. Isadora swung well and was outstanding in the back row as she covered from corner to corner.”

 

“IS IT TRUE” SEPTEMBER 11, 2024

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IS IT TRUE that according to credible sources at the Vanderburgh County Prosecutors Office that high volume of defendants who are only fluent in Haitian Creole, there are specific “Haitian Days” in the Vanderburgh County Misdemeanor Court that are typically held a couple of times a month?

IS IT TRUE that Translators are called in Vanderburgh County Misdemeanor court sessions and the non-English speakers will be addressed before any priorly scheduled English-speaking defendants, victims, or law enforcement as the non-English speakers can only be addressed when translators are available?

IS IT TRUE that It is not uncommon for a law enforcement officer to come in to testify in a misdemeanor case and have to wait several hours after his or her scheduled session due to the high volume of non-English speakers who receive priority when translators are available?

IS IT TRUE that over just two regular Misdemeanor Court sessions, 22 Defendants required a Haitian Creole translator – two of which have felonies in other jurisdictions?  …that Translators are also commonly used in the courts for the Spanish-speaking and Marshallese communities?

IS IT TRUE that EVSC recently sent out a plea to individuals or organizations that know people who are bi-lingual or multilingual?

IS IT TRUE that we have been told that the EVSC school system’s top three languages are Haitian-Creole, Marshallese, and Spanish? …that we have been told that EVSC has 50 plus nationalities, and isn;s not limiting additional languages.

IS IT TRUE that we have been told by credible sources tell us that there may be around 1,400 Haitian, Marshallese, and Spanish students enrolled in EVSC?  …that we have also been told that EVSC isn’t managing the unexpected influx of Haitian-Creole-speaking students?

Two Decades Later, the Enduring Legacy of 9/11

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Two Decades Later, the Enduring Legacy of 9/11

SEPTEMBER 11, 202

Americans watched in horror as the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, left nearly 3,000 people dead in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Nearly 20 years later, they watched in sorrow as the nation’s military mission in Afghanistan – which began less than a month after 9/11 – came to a bloody and chaotic conclusion.

The enduring power of the Sept. 11 attacks is clear: An overwhelming share of Americans who are old enough to recall the day remember where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news. Yet an ever-growing number of Americans have no personal memory of that day, either because they were too young or not yet born.

A review of U.S. public opinion in the two decades since 9/11 reveals how a badly shaken nation came together, briefly, in a spirit of sadness and patriotism; how the public initially rallied behind the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, though support waned over time; and how Americans viewed the threat of terrorism at home and the steps the government took to combat it.

As the country comes to grips with the tumultuous exit of U.S. military forces from Afghanistan, the departure has raised long-term questions about U.S. foreign policy and America’s place in the world. Yet the public’s initial judgments on that mission are clear: A majority endorses the decision to withdraw from Afghanistan, even as it criticizes the Biden administration’s handling of the situation. And after a war that cost thousands of lives – including more than 2,000 American service members – and trillions of dollars in military spending, a new Pew Research Center survey finds that 69% of U.S. adults say the United States has mostly failed to achieve its goals in Afghanistan.

A devastating emotional toll, a lasting historical legacy

Shock, sadness, fear, anger: The 9/11 attacks inflicted a devastating emotional toll on Americans. But as horrible as the events of that day were, a 63% majority of Americans said they couldn’t stop watching news coverage of the attacks.

Our first survey following the attacks went into the field just days after 9/11, from Sept. 13-17, 2001. A sizable majority of adults (71%) said they felt depressed, nearly half (49%) had difficulty concentrating and a third said they had trouble sleeping.

It was an era in which television was still the public’s dominant news source – 90% said they got most of their news about the attacks from television, compared with just 5% who got news online – and the televised images of death and destruction had a powerful impact. Around nine-in-ten Americans (92%) agreed with the statement, “I feel sad when watching TV coverage of the terrorist attacks.” A sizable majority (77%) also found it frightening to watch – but most did so anyway.

Americans were enraged by the attacks, too. Three weeks after 9/11, even as the psychological stress began to ease somewhat, 87% said they felt angry about the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

Fear was widespread, not just in the days immediately after the attacks, but throughout the fall of 2001. Most Americans said they were very (28%) or somewhat (45%) worried about another attack. When asked a year later to describe how their lives changed in a major way, about half of adults said they felt more afraid, more careful, more distrustful or more vulnerable as a result of the attacks.

A New York City police officer pauses at a makeshift memorial on the firetruck of Ladder Company 24 on Sept. 13, 2001, in New York City. Hundreds of the city’s firefighters lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. (Jose Jimenez/Primera Hora/Getty Images)

Even after the immediate shock of 9/11 had subsided, concerns over terrorism remained at higher levels in major cities – especially New York and Washington – than in small towns and rural areas. The personal impact of the attacks also was felt more keenly in the cities directly targeted: Nearly a year after 9/11, about six-in-ten adults in the New York (61%) and Washington (63%) areas said the attacks had changed their lives at least a little, compared with 49% nationwide. This sentiment was shared by residents of other large cities. A quarter of people who lived in large cities nationwide said their lives had changed in a major way – twice the rate found in small towns and rural areas.

The impacts of the Sept. 11 attacks were deeply felt and slow to dissipate. By the following August, half of U.S. adults said the country “had changed in a major way” – a number that actually increased, to 61%, 10 years after the event.

A year after the attacks, in an open-ended question, most Americans – 80% – cited 9/11 as the most important event that had occurred in the country during the previous year. Strikingly, a larger share also volunteered it as the most important thing that happened to them personally in the prior year (38%) than mentioned other typical life events, such as births or deaths. Again, the personal impact was much greater in New York and Washington, where 51% and 44%, respectively, pointed to the attacks as the most significant personal event over the prior year.

Just as memories of 9/11 are firmly embedded in the minds of most Americans old enough to recall the attacks, their historical importance far surpasses other events in people’s lifetimes. In a survey conducted by Pew Research Center in association with A+E Networks’ HISTORY in 2016 – 15 years after 9/11 – 76% of adults named the Sept. 11 attacks as one of the 10 historical events of their lifetime that had the greatest impact on the country. The election of Barack Obama as the first Black president was a distant second, at 40%.

The importance of 9/11 transcended age, gender, geographic and even political differences. The 2016 study noted that while partisans agreed on little else that election cycle, more than seven-in-ten Republicans and Democrats named the attacks as one of their top 10 historic events.

 

Rep. McNamara working with local law enforcement to stop tech-savvy criminals

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STATEHOUSE – A local burglary involving a high-tech signal jammer most often used to evade authorities has State Rep. Wendy McNamara (R-Evansville) and the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office working together to find legislative solutions.

During a meeting led by McNamara today at the Statehouse, the Interim Study Committee on Corrections and Criminal Code discussed concerns over criminals using signal jamming equipment, which can turn off Wi-Fi cameras, like Ring doorbells, and other devices that use radio frequencies, to avoid getting caught. Recently, Vanderburgh County sheriff deputies found a frequency jamming device in a burglary suspect’s vehicle, which they believe prevented their computer from working.

While it’s a federal crime to use this technology, McNamara said Indiana does not have a law on the books about intentionally interfering with communications.

“I’m very concerned about criminals’ use of this technology and the threat it presents to public safety,” McNamara said. “These jamming devices could mean a victim couldn’t call 911 for help or access their security cameras. We want to close any loopholes in state law to ensure criminals will be held accountable. That’s why I will continue working with the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office and other local law enforcement to find legislative solutions to propose during the upcoming legislative session.”

Vanderburgh County Sheriff Noah Robinson testified today during the study committee about the dangers of signal jamming devices and called for legislative action to help law enforcement hold criminals accountable.

“Indiana has a number of laws that deal with the interference with reporting of a crime, but none that deal with actually interfering with the signals that are being broadcast by our cellular and Wi-Fi devices,” Robinson said. “As a local law enforcement officer, it is frustrating to see someone use a device of this magnitude and the danger it poses and not have any teeth in Indiana law to allow us to take action to stop it or dissuade someone else from trying the same thing.”

McNamara said Robinson’s testimony helped her and the members of the interim study committee better understand the technology and law enforcement’s concerns, and she plans to craft legislation during the 2025 session, which will begin in January.