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         Messer: Donnelly Votes Against Biggest Tax Cut in Decades
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BREAKING NEWS: Donnelly Votes Against Biggest Tax Cut in Decades Issues Statement Following Tax Cut Vote
Eagles’ fourth-quarter rally foiled in loss to Lincoln Memorial
University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball’s rally from an 11-point deficit was foiled Tuesday night as host Lincoln Memorial University pinned an 81-73 setback on the No. 8 Screaming Eagles.
USI (9-1), which led by as many as nine points in the first quarter and 38-37 at the break, roared back from a 62-51 spot early in the fourth quarter to tie the contest at 67-67 with just over five minutes to go in the game.
Lincoln Memorial (6-5), however, answered with an 11-3 run to put the Eagles in a hole they could not dig out of.
Junior forward Kacy Eschweiler (St. Charles, Missouri) led the Eagles with 21 points, while senior guard/forward Kaydie Grooms (Marshall, Illinois) chipped in 16 points and four assists. Junior guard Alex Davidson (Salem, Indiana) added a career-high 13 points, while senior forward Morgan Dahlstrom (Grayslake, Illinois) contributed 10 points and eight rebounds.
USI, which lost the rebounding battle, 45-28, also got six assists and three steals from senior guard Randa Harshbarger (Philo, Illinois).
Lincoln Memorial (6-5) scored 81 points despite committing 26 turnovers, thanks partly to eight three-pointers and a 19-of-27 effort from the free throw line. Senior guard Shea Coker and freshman forward Qua Hines each had 16 points to pace the Railsplitters.
The Eagles, who were whistled for 26 fouls, return to action December 31 at 3:15 p.m. when they host NAIA opponent Grace College.
Second victim from Monday robbery found deceased in car stolen during incident- Suspect in custody
Evansville Police have arrested EARL B. MARTIN, 38, on several charges related to the Monday night robbery and shooting on the east side.
Police believe MARTIN met with the victims in a parking lot near Green River Rd and Covert Ave around 9:00pm to conduct a drug deal. MARTIN got into a car that had been driven by Brandon Waldroup. MARTIN robbed Waldroup and his passenger, Christopher Hoefling. During the robbery, Waldroup was shot in the neck. Waldroup said MARTIN pulled him out of the car and drove away with Hoefling still in the car.
Police found the stolen car near Washington and Dexter on Tuesday night. A deceased male was found in the car. The deceasd man was identified by the Coroner as Christopher Hoefling. His cause of death remians under investigation.
MARTIN has been booked into the Vanderburgh County Jail.
Anyone with information on this case is asked to call EPD or WeTip at 1-800-78-CRIME.
Senate Republicans File Redistricting Reform Bill
By Janet Williams
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS – Two state Senate Republicans are introducing legislation to create a commission of lawmakers and the public to draw legislative district boundaries following the 2020 census.
John Ruckelshaus, of Indianapolis, and Mike Bohacek, of Michiana Shores, said Monday that they are responding to strong demand from their constituents to create a redistricting process that is open and fair.
Democrats in the Indiana House and Senate have made redistricting reform a top priority in the 2018 legislative session, which begins Jan. 3. Legislation that would have created a nonpartisan commission to draw district lines died in a House committee in March when Rep. Milo Smith, R-Columbus, refused to call for a vote on the measure.
Ruckelshaus said the bill he is introducing is similar to the one that died in the last session. The measure, Senate Bill 159, would create a nine-member redistricting commission composed of four lawmakers – one from each of the caucuses – and five members of the public. Public members would be selected by a committee of public university presidents.
The legislative maps drawn by the commission would then be subject to the approval of the Indiana General Assembly.
“We are driven to make this process as transparent a process as possible,†Ruckelshaus said, adding that the issue has been raised at every town hall event he has had with constituents this year.
Bohacek, in a statement, also said that a transparent process was important to him, adding, “I look forward to future conversations on how we can make redistricting more effective here in the state of Indiana.â€
Ruckelshaus was himself the victim of gerrymandering in the early 1990s when Democrats controlled the process and drew a map that put him in the same district as another Republican House member.
He said he has been working with Julia Vaughn of Common Cause on the legislation. Vaughn has been crisscrossing the state to rally public support for the redistricting reform.
Indiana’s state and congressional district boundaries are considered among the most gerrymandered in the country. For example, even though Democratic House candidates got 40 percent of the popular vote in 2016, they ended up with only 30 percent of the seat in the General Assembly.
State Rep. Ryan Hatfield, D-Evansville, said he hopes Republicans take the legislation seriously and allow lawmakers to vote on the issue.
“Gerrymandering has been done by both parties over the decades,†Hatfield said. “Simply because both parties have done it doesn’t make it right.â€
FOOTNOTE: Janet Williams is executive editor of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
EVSC Unveils OptIN Program Led by Executive Director B. J. Watts And Alex Burton, OptIN Program Manager
The Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation announced an innovative program aimed at helping students and parents identify all of the opportunities available to them upon high school graduation. OptIN, Opportunities through Partnerships that Transform and Inspire, will educate EVSC students on postsecondary and career options that best match their interests and strengths.
“OptIN will focus on extending and expanding options for all students,†said EVSC Superintendent David Smith. “We have students with incredible promise and we have first-rate employers that are not able to fill high-wage, high-demand positions. OptIN will connect students’ passion and interests with open positions in our community by ensuring our students have the education and transferable skills necessary for today’s workforce.â€
According to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, Research & Analysis, by year 2024 there will be 78,200 unfilled jobs in the Evansville area alone. Of those, nearly 75 percent will require either a high school diploma, postsecondary certification, or four-year degree. Evansville also mimics some of the same trends seen nationally. The 2016-2017 U. S. Talent Shortage Survey revealed some of the most difficult-to-fill jobs in the nation are skilled trades, health care workers, teachers and technicians. These are also high-demand job opportunities in the Evansville region.
“OptIN will have a long-lasting, positive impact on the entire Evansville community by providing local employers direct access to a highly-skilled workforce.†Smith said. “OptIN will significantly benefit Evansville and the surrounding community as we develop and retain our home-grown talent.â€
“As a community, our thinking has to change regarding how we define postsecondary success,†Smith said. “We certainly will continue to support students who choose to pursue a four-year degree, but we also have to realize that students can be extremely successful in a host of careers that build upon students’ skills and interests. OptIN will allow us to provide tangible opportunities that marry students’ aptitudes with their passions. It will leverage current initiatives and supports to ensure EVSC students and families are aware of the myriad of options and opportunities available for lifelong success.â€
OptIN will be led by Executive Director B. J. Watts, most recently an EVSC teacher. Watts  served on the Evansville City Council from 2001 – 2011 and as a Governor’s Appointee to the Indiana State Board of Education since 2011. Alex Burton, OptIN program manager, will work one-on-one with students to help them identify interests and develop the skills necessary to be successful.
Better Business Bureau Warns Donators of Charity Scams
DECEMBER 19TH, 2017Â 
 TYRONE MORRIS INDIANA
Giving is encouraged during the holiday season however the Better Business Bureau wants to raise awareness of holiday scammers.
The BBB says thieves are targeting those who are being charitable this holiday season with charity scams increasing in 2017.
President and CEO of Make a Wish Billi Jo Zielinski says, “Sometimes, there are people who want to take advantage of the goodwill and generosity that’s been seen this time of year.â€
Better Business Bureau employee Heather Aal says, “One of the markers or red flags of charity scams is a high-pressure/high-emotional sales pitch.â€
The Bureau suggest doing your research before donating to a cause to make sure your money is going to where you are intending.
Aces Visit 4th-Ranked Duke on Wednesday
Aces Looking For 11th Win Of The SeasonÂ
For the 10th time in its Division I history, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team will take on a top five opponent as the Purple Aces travel to Durham, N.C. to play 4th-ranked Duke on Wednesday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Game time is 6 p.m. CT and ESPN2 will have live coverage.
Senior Blake Simmons has continued his banner season in his final year with the Purple Aces. In victories over Austin Peay and Midway, Simmons averaged 18 points per game while shooting 60% from the field (12-of-20); Simmons matched his career-high of 18 points in both contests. Over his last five games, Simmons has averaged 16.2 points per game and has seen his season average jump to 12.3 PPG.
Making his first start on Sunday against Midway, K.J. Riley led UE to its fifth win in a row while falling just three assists shy of a triple double. The Bronx, N.Y. native finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds and 7 helpers. In two games over the weekend, Riley averaged 18.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game while getting to the line an unbelievable 28 times in two games; Riley hit 21 free throws over the weekend – the opposition combined to shoot just 17 free throws in the two games. His top game as a member of the UE squad came on Saturday against Austin Peay as he notched 22 points while hitting 14 out of 17 free throw attempts.
A 19-point effort against Midway marked the best in the young career of freshman Noah Frederking. The Okawville, Ill. product hit six field goals and four free throws in the win. He has started the last six games for UE, helping them win five of those contests. In his starts, Frederking has played an average of 28.5 minutes per game while reaching double digits in three of the last five games. He has played at least 15 minutes in each of the last eight games overall.
UE ranks 15th in the country, allowing just 61.9 points per game. It currently stands as the #2 defense in Evansville’s Division I history; the top defense in the 1981-82 season allowed just 60.1 PPG over 29 games.
Winning eight of its first ten games, the Purple Aces are 10-2 for the third time in four years. Between 1989 and 2014, the team did not record one such start.
Duke enters Wednesday’s contest with an 11-1 mark and are ranked fourth in the country. After starting the season at 11-0 and moving to #1 in the nation, the Blue Devils dropped their ACC opener at Boston College, 89-84. Marvin Bavley III leads the Blue Devils with 21.3 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. Bagley leads the NCAA with 102 field goals while his 135 total rebounds are second. Grayson Allen sits with 17.2 PPG. Trevon Duval is sixth in the nation with 80 assists.
Since the 1948-49 season, the University of Evansville has squared off against 70 ranked opponents, posting a 16-54 mark. Evansville has knocked off a ranked opponent in five out of the last eight seasons.
Indiana Law Schools Post Decline In Enrollment
Marilyn Odendahl for www.theindianalawyer.com
Although nationally the number of 1L students starting law school in the 2017 fall semester increased, the 2017 first-year class enrolled Indiana’s four law schools declined by nearly 100 students compared to the class that began in 2016.
Hoosier law schools welcomed a total of 628 new students in 2017, down from the 721 who started classes in the year before. Both Indiana University Maurer School of Law and Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law enrolled slightly fewer students this year but the biggest drop came from Valparaiso Law School which offered admission to 179 students but had only 28 accept the offer.
The data comes from the recently-released 2017 Standard 509 Information Reports from the American Bar Association. Stats from each of the 203 ABA-approved law schools, including those in Indiana, provide a snapshot of the incoming 1L class.
Overall, law schools reported 37,398 students beginning first-year classes in the fall of 2017. This is an increase of 291 students who started in 2016.
Nationally, the number of students working toward a J.D. degree across all three years slipped in 2017 by 795 students to 110,156 compared to 2016. However, students studying in non-J.D. programs buoyed the total enrollment in law schools to 126,638, a jump of 2,010 students from the year prior.
Enrollment data for the 1L students starting classes in the fall of 2017 in Indiana law schools is as follows:
IU Maurer welcomed a class of 162 who had a median LSAT of 161 and median GPA of 3.75. The Bloomington law school received 1,882 applications and made offers to 822 applicants for an acceptance rate of 43.7 percent.
IU McKinney enrolled a class of 240 who carried a median LSAT of 153 and a median GPA of 3.45. The Indianapolis law school received 873 applicants and made offers to 556 for an acceptance rate of 63.7 percent.
In 2016, IU Maurer and IU McKinney had 1L classes of 178 and 253, respectively.
Notre Dame Law School opened its doors to a class of 198 who came with a median LSAT of 164 and a median GPA of 3.73. The South Bend institution received 2,498 applicants and offered admission to 754 for an acceptance rate of 30.2 percent.
Last year, Notre Dame welcomed a smaller class of 187.
Valparaiso Law School entered the recruiting season for 2017 under public censure from the ABA. The northwest Indiana school was cited for admitting students who were unlikely to either complete their studies or pass the bar exam.
Since then, the ABA removed the censure but the law school has announced it is struggling under declining enrollment and decreased revenues. It will not admit students in the fall of 2018 and is looking for ways to remain open.
Valparaiso received just 471 applications for 2017 enrollment, down from the 777 submitted in 2016. The school had an acceptance rate of 38 percent. Although the 1L class is tiny, it boasts a median LSAT of 151 and median GPA of 3.19.