The third annual Dream Bigger weekend kicked off Friday morning at the Dream Car Museum.

Friday through Sunday, Evansville Police will be selling barbecue meals to raise money for the annual Cops Connecting with Kids which is an annual trip they take kids to Disney World.

Also, there’s the chance to get an up close look at the corvette that sits high in the sky. “It’s important for police agencies do more than just police. And this is a very unique program. We have not found any other department in the country that works the way that we do with the sheriff’s office on behalf of schools to where they can take undeserved kids that work hard in class, that are good citizens on an all expenses paid trip to Walt Disney World,” says Sgt. Jason Cullum.

Along with the Disney trip, EPD also hopes to raise enough money to provide 2,000 food baskets to families in need for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Charter School Act challenge Cites ‘Pervasively Sectarian’ Sponsor

Dave Stafford for www.theindianalwyer.com

A group challenging the constitutionality of Indiana’s Charter School Act argued in court filings this week that the sponsor of the school it named in its federal lawsuit “is pervasively sectarian and was allowed to reverse a discretionary decision of state officials.”

Grace College, which holds the charter for Seven Oaks Classical School Inc. in Ellettsville, “is an evangelical Christian community whose members accept scripture as the inerrant and inspired word of God,” the plaintiffs’ response brief claims. “It does not separate its theological mission from its educational mission, but applies biblical values globally in everything it does.”

Attorneys who argue Indiana’s Charter School Act violates the Establishment Clause and Article 1, Section 6 of the Indiana Constitution also bring an as-applied challenge regarding Seven Oaks. They argue its charter violates the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1988 holding in Bowen v. Kendrick, “that even if a statute aiding religion were valid on its face, individual applications of it can be unconstitutional if the particular organization possesses ‘pervasively sectarian’ characteristics.”

The arguments were raised in a brief filed Tuesday in opposition to Charter Oaks’ motion to dismiss the case filed in April by the Indiana Coalition for Public Education of Monroe County and South Central Indiana Inc. The groups of educators claim they were harmed because Seven Oaks “diverted more than $750,000 away from the public schools, and approximately $22,500 in state funds were paid to Grace College.”

In its motion to dismiss, Seven Oaks denies that it is sectarian, and that the statute under I.C. § 20-24-1-1 specifically names Grace College among entities that may receive state funding as the holder of charters to operate K-12 schools. The motion to dismiss also says plaintiffs have “not identified any conduct of either Grace College or Seven Oaks that violates the Establishment Clause.”

“The Coalition’s federal claims have no basis in First Amendment jurisprudence, which has long recognized that Congress and state legislatures need not and cannot categorically exclude religious institutions from participating in government initiatives or from receiving publicly available benefits to compensate them for their participation,” Seven Oaks argues.

“The participation of religiously affiliated colleges and universities in Indiana’s charter school program as charter authorizers is especially unobjectionable because the Act limits state financial support for the authorizing institutions to reimbursement of administrative expenses incurred in that role; the Act provides no state funding for the authorizing institutions’ day-to-day operations.”

The Indiana Supreme Court in 2013 upheld the constitutionality of the school vouchers in Meredith v. Pence, and Seven Oaks relies on that holding in its motion to dismiss to challenge to the Charter School Act. But plaintiffs argue Seven Oaks exaggerated the Supreme Court’s holding because Grace College is a religious institution rather than a “religiously affiliated” college, and therefore the state constitution’s Religious Benefits Clause prohibits its receipt of money from the state treasury.

Attorneys for the coalition are James A. Tanford and William Groth. Seven Oaks is represented by Thomas L. Shriner Jr. and Scott A. Harkness. The pleadings in Indiana Coalition for Public Education-Monroe County and South Central Indiana, Inc., v. Jennifer McCormick, et al., 1:17-CV-1295, are before Chief Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson in the District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.

By Tom Purcell

“It makes me feel guilty for complaining about any little problems that I am facing.”

“Ah, yes, I’m certain you are talking about the massive impact of Hurricane Harvey and the tremendous suffering it is causing for untold numbers of Americans.”

“That’s right. At least dozens of people have died from that awful storm, a number that is sure to grow. A family of six met its end when its van got washed away by a wall of water. A shivering toddler clung to his dead mother, who drowned trying to protect her children. I can’t begin to imagine the pain and suffering that people affected by the storm are enduring.”

“As awful as Harvey has been, many people have shown incredible selflessness and heroism. When things are at their worst, and Harvey has certainly been that, many people are at their best.”

“There is no question about that. I get goose bumps when I think of the first responders risking their lives to rescue thousands. The police, the Coast Guard, the search-and-rescue teams have been nothing short of amazing. One policeman drowned while working to save others.”

“Other individuals also displayed tremendous heroism. Did you see the story about people at an apartment complex who formed a human chain to rescue an expectant mother? The woman went into labor in the thick of the storm and they protected her until emergency responders could arrive.”

“But then again, some of the worst people among us are at their worst during tragedy. Some retailers jacked up the cost of bottled water, for instance, to take advantage of the situation. One was charging nearly $100 for a package of bottled water!”

“It is tragic that anyone would look to increase their profits this way.”

“What’s worse is that fake charities form in such situations to steal money that good-hearted citizens think they are donating to Harvey’s victims. These dirty rotten crooks use email and social media to solicit funds.”

“That is regrettably true, too. According to CNN Money, more than 4,600 websites advertising relief efforts popped up after Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. Law enforcement suspected most were frauds. Before you give, carefully research charity organizations.”

“Who can we trust anymore?”

“Well, Fortune assembled a list of legitimate charities that will help Harvey’s victims. The Red Cross is always a good place to start. You can donate money online, by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or, reports Fortune, you can text ‘HARVEY’ to 90999 to make a $10 donation. You can also donate blood at Red Cross blood drives.”

“What about the Salvation Army?”

“That, too, is a legitimate organization. The Salvation Army is requesting donations of $25 or above, but any amount is welcome.”

“What about Houston-area charities?”

“Fortune reports that the City of Houston Relief Fund is also a good one. It was established by Houston’s mayor, Sylvester Turner. It accepts online credit-card donations, checks and wired money, and all of the donated funds are tax-deductible.”

“I’d love to donate money to a reputable charity that will help the children who are suffering from Harvey.”

“Fortune recommends an organization called Save the Children. It provides ‘cribs and shelter to displaced children, along with other items to help care for them.’ Food is also needed and we are all encouraged to donate it, too.”

“How do we donate food?”

“An organization called Feeding Texas is leading the food-donation effort. Fortune reports that it is ‘looking for ready-to-eat staples like pop-top meat/fish, powdered milk, cereal, canned fruit, fruit cups, peanut butter and jelly as well as cleaning supplies.’”

“Well, the least we can do is donate money and food to help out our fellow citizens. That’s what I’m going to do right now.”