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Attorney General Curtis Hill today is urging Indiana senior citizens to be vigilant as complaints of “grandparent scams†are becoming more common at the Office of the Indiana Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division (CPD).
Seniors, specifically those who have grandchildren, have become primary targets for scammers – and “grandparent scams†are just the latest evidence of this trend. “Grandparent scams†occur when a senior receives a call, email or Facebook message from a scammer claiming to be their high-school- or college-age grandchild, stating that they are in danger or have an emergency. The common thread is a plea for money – often upwards of thousands of dollars. In 2016, the CPD received 90 “grandparent scam†complaints through the first four months of the year. In 2017, however, the CPD has already received 130 complaints regarding “grandparent scams.â€
Scammers will contact a senior posing as the senior’s grandchild, claiming to be on vacation and needing money because they have been arrested, are in the hospital or have been robbed. When the scammer attempts to take advantage of the senior by phone, the scam is especially hard to spot because of the details used by the scammer — often leaving elders confused, scared and worried. The scammer will have done necessary research to present themselves as the senior’s real grandchild. The scammer will know the names of other family members in order to sound more convincing. These details are often pulled from Facebook or online obituaries. The call often occurs in the middle of the night to take advantage of the elder being tired and confused. The caller will sound distressed and panicked.
The scammer then asks the senior to send money – usually many thousands of dollars – to help them get out of jail or pay a hospital bill. The scammer often will ask the senior, or grandparent of the child they are posing as, to wire the money via Western Union or MoneyGram to a friend or attorney. Believing that they are helping their grandchild, the senior will send money — which is often routed to an overseas location. Another method is to ask the elder to purchase gift cards and send the scammer the codes. If the senior falls for the scam and sends something, the scammer, or fake grandchild, will call a second time claiming a new emergency that requires more money.
Because scammers often find their victims using data from online sources such as Facebook, consumers – especially seniors — are urged to review their Facebook privacy settings to ensure information is only shared with their friends and family. If someone calls you claiming to be a family member and asks for money, always verify the request is legitimate before you send money. Hang up the phone and call the family member believed to be requesting this assistance. If you receive a message or email, follow the same steps and call the family member believed to have reached out to you.
Another method is to ask the scammer questions that would be easy for the real grandchild to answer but difficult for a scammer to guess. Even if the scammer claims the situation is an emergency, there is always time to verify the situation before sending any money. Ask specific questions such as “Where did you go to elementary school?†or “Where were we the last time we saw each other?â€
Indiana senior citizens who believe they were targeted by a grandparent scam can call the Attorney General Consumer Protection Division at (800)-382-5516 or (317)-232-6330 or file a complaint at IndianaConsumer.com.
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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In an evening that celebrates the accomplishments of the University of Southern Indiana student athletes during the 2016-17 year, senior Haley Hodges (softball), senior Jeril Taylor(Louisville, Kentucky), senior Bobo Drummond (men’s basketball), and senior Kendyl Dearing (women’s basketball) were recognized as the top student athletes at the 15th annual USI All-Sports Banquet sponsored by Old National Bank Monday evening.
For the third time in the history of the ONB/USI Female Student Athlete of the Year award, Hodges joins a select club in being selected twice for USI’s top female athletic honor. The All-American catcher received co-honors last year with women’s cross country junior Emily Roberts (Fredericktown, Ohio).
Hodges has made her mark on the softball the field in the last two seasons, setting the career-records for home runs (40) and RBIs (162) this season. The computer science major also has earned Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Week twice.
This season, Hodges is hitting a team-high .408 with seven home runs and 40 RBIs. She also has a team-high .633 slugging percentage and is tied for first with 12 doubles
Hodges finished last year as a first-team All-American by the NFCA, the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (CCA), and by HeroSports.com; in addition to being named second-team CoSIDA Academic All-America. She set single-season school records for home runs and RBIs last year.
USI’s softball team, currently, is ranked fifth in the nation in the NFCA Division II Top 25 poll; first in the NCAA Division II Midwest Region; and first in the GLVC standings with a 39-9 overall record and a 18-6 mark in league play.
Previous winners of the award were Shannon Wells (2003, volleyball), Jenny Farmer (2004; cross country/track), Heather Cooksey (2005; cross country/track), Laura Ellerbusch (2006; volleyball), Allison Shafer (2007; cross country/track), Kristin Eickholt (2008; softball), Mary Ballinger (2009, 2010; cross country/track), Danielle LaGrange (2011, 2012; volleyball), Susan Ellsperman (2013; soccer), Anna Hackert (2014; basketball), MacKenzie Dorsam (2015; softball), and Emily Roberts (2016; cross country/track).
The ONB/USI Male Student Athlete of the Year, Taylor was dominating on the basketball court this year. The individualized studies major and the 2017 GLVC Player of the Year was named All-America by Basketball Times, Division II Bulletin, and the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
In addition to the All-America awards, Taylor was named NABC All-District; CCA first-team All-Midwest Region, and first-team All-GLVC. The 2017 four-time GLVC Player of the Week honoree also was selected to play in the NABC/NCAA Division II All-Star Game.
The Louisville, Kentucky, native led the team for the second-straight season in scoring and rebounding, averaging 19.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per contest. The senior also set a USI single-game record for scoring with 50 points in the road win at Truman State University and became the 19th USI player to reach 1,000 career points.
The USI Men’s Basketball finished the 2016-17 campaign with a 25-5 overall record and ranked 16th nationally after bowing out of the NCAA Division II Tournament in the Midwest Regional. The Eagles also finished second in the GLVC East Division with a 15-3 conference mark.
Previous winners of the award were Duncan Bray (2003, 2004; soccer), Matt Keener (2005; baseball), Chris Thompson (2006; basketball), Melvin Hall (2007; basketball), Paul Jellema (2008; cross country/track), Shaun Larsen (2009; baseball), Jamar Smith (2010; basketball), Trevor Leach (2011; baseball), Dustin Emerick (2012;Â cross country & track), Michael Jordan (2013; cross country & track), Johnnie Guy (2014, 2016; cross country & track), and Tyler Pence (2015, cross country & track).
Dearing and Drummond were named the female and male recipients the ONB/USI Screaming Eagles Pride Award. The award winners, who have been role models on the men’s and women’s soccer teams and in the department, were selected in a vote by the Athletics staff.
Dearing, a four-year member of the women’s basketball team and a major in exercise science, helped lead the USI student athletes as a member of the USI SAAC. The two-time Academic All-GLVC performer finished her career this year after playing in 76 games over four seasons.
A constant presence around USI Athletics and events, Drummond had been a leader on and off the court during his three years on the men’s basketball team. The sport management major helped lead the Eagles to the NCAA II Tournament this year by changing his role from a starter to coming off the bench after battling through a back injury. He finished his time at USI with career averages of 11.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game in 84 appearances as a Screaming Eagle.
Previous winners of the Pride Award were Ginnie Roberts (softball) 2003; Mike Arnold (men’s basketball) 2004; Brian Kendall (men’s cross country/track) 2005; Angie Davis (softball) 2006; Geoff Van Winkle (men’s basketball) 2007; Kathy Wood (softball) 2008;Â Austin Inge (men’s track) and Brittany Neuman (women’s basketball) 2009; Jeron Lewis (men’s basketball) and Sara Loete (softball) 2010; Lauren Meneghetti (women’s basketball) and Mohamed Ntumba (men’s basketball) 2011; Susan Ellsperman (women’s soccer) and Brendan Devine (men’s cross country/track) 2012; Ellena Stumpf (women’s tennis) and Scott Ernstberger (baseball) 2013; Stephanie Carpenter (women’s basketball) and Jeff Neidlinger (men’s soccer) 2014; Austin Davis (men’s basketball), and Mary O’Keefe (women’s basketball) 2015; and McKinsey Durham (women’s soccer) and Lucas Woodford (men’s soccer) 2016.
Jamie Seitz, an associate professor of accounting, was presented the Dr. Jane Davis Brezette Faculty Excellence Award. The award is presented to a USI faculty member who has contributed to the success of USI Athletics by mentoring student athletes and helping them to achieve their goals in the classroom and beyond. Previous winners of award were Dr. Jane Davis-Brezette, the former chair of Kinesiology and Sport and instructor in the Pott College of Science, Engineering and Education (2008); Tim Mahoney, an instructor in the Romain College of Business (2009); Patti Marcum, an instructor in the Pott College of Science Engineering, and Education (2011); Dr. Lacie Rogers, an instructor in the Romain College of Business (2012); Dr. Darrin Sorrells, an instructor and learning specialist in Academic Skills (2013); Chris Croft, an instructor in Pott College of Science Engineering, and Education (2014); Timothy Bryan, an instructor in accounting (2015); and Dr. Brandon Field, an associate professor of engineering (2016).
The USI Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) recognized women’s cross country with the Team GPA Award (3.54), while women’s basketball was presented with the Team Spirit Award.
Women’s cross country has earned the Team GPA Award for a third time (2017, 2016 2013), ranking second behind volleyball, which has won the award five times (2015, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007) since the creation of the award in 2006. Softball has won award twice, (2014 and 2012) , while women’s soccer (2006) and women’s basketball (2011) have each earned the honor once.
The Team Spirit Award, which is selected in a vote by the SAAC and created in 2005, is the first for women’s basketball. Men’s cross country/track & field (2005, 2009, 2011) and men’s soccer (2012, 2013, 2014) has been honored three times, while softball (2014, 2015) and men’s tennis (2007, 2008) have been chosen twice. Men’s basketball (2010), women’s soccer (2012), women’s cross country/track & field (2006), and baseball (2016) have been selected for the award once.
Gov. Eric Holcomb has signed into law legislation authored by State Rep. Ryan Hatfield (D-Evansville) that is designed to ensure that Indiana hospitals use the best possible practices when handling autopsies.
House Enrolled Act 1571, which takes effect July 1, extends the ability of hospital peer review committees to review all autopsies conducted at a facility. These committees — made up of health care professionals and hospital personnel – are designed to evaluate the quality of care at hospitals.
“This act will allow county coroners to make autopsy reports available to the peer review committee at the hospital where the decedent was treated immediately before death,†Hatfield said. “It will enable health care professionals to learn what has happened with each person, and find out if there is any additional information that can help them make better preventative care decisions.
“I am very appreciative of the help and input I received from my colleague State Rep. Ron Bacon (R-Chandler) on this legislation,†he continued. “This is a logical step forward in making sure that hospitals provide the best possible environments for safe and productive health care.â€
The University of Evansville will begin a day-long celebration of diversity with a dedication ceremony for the newly finished Diversity House. The dedication will take place on Tuesday, April 25 on the first floor of Ridgway University Center at 1:00 p.m. and tours of the home, located at 434 Weinbach Avenue, will begin at 2:00 p.m. or immediately following the ceremony.
The University of Evansville is committed to inclusion and the broadened commitment to promoting a more integral understanding of differences. The Diversity House is a physical reminder that UE stands behind this commitment. It is a safe space for students to gather and is equipped with technology and materials to facilitate collaboration and inclusion. There are both work spaces and game spaces as well as a fully functioning kitchen for social gatherings and more.
Those speaking at the ceremony will include: Thomas Kazee, UE’s president; Bob Jones, CEO of Old National Bank and member of the UE board of trustees diversity committee; Larry Roscoe, Reverend of the Church of the Nazarene and member of the UE board of trustees diversity committee; and Erika Taylor, CEO of the YWCA Evansville. Additionally, Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke will read a special proclamation for the day. Individuals will be available for interviews following the ceremony.
The diversity house dedication will kick off a day-long schedule of events for the YWCA’s “Stand Against Racism†day. Community members are invited to take a stand with the YWCA for peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. The full schedule of events is as follows:
All events following the dedication ceremony will be held outside of Ridgway University Center. In the event of rain, events will be moved inside to the first floor of Ridgway University Center.
Senior Grant Saylor (Newburgh, Indiana) was the top finisher for the Screaming Eagles, tying for 18th. Saylor was consistent all weekend, shooting an eight-over 224 (75-75-74). The next highest Eagle was junior Preston Van Winkle (Santa Claus, Indiana). Van Winkle improved in each round after a 79 in round one. In round two, he shot a 77 before carding a 73 in the third round to tie for 30th with a 13-over 229.
Freshman K.O. Taylor (Madisonville, Kentucky) fired a sub-80 round each day as well, placing 42nd with 17-over 233 (75-79-79).
As a team, USI finished 10th in the 14-team conference tournament. The Eagles were consistent with their scores, firing a 307, 311 and 309 for a three-round total of a 63-over 927. USI was tied for sixth after round one.
The University of Missouri-St. Louis was the team champion with a seven-over 871 (288-292-291). James Inman of Bellarmine University was the individual medalist with a three-under 213 (74-69-70).
University of Southern Indiana | 307 | 311 | 309 | Â Â 927 | Â Â Â +63 | Â Â 10th |
Saylor, Grant | 75 | 75 | 74 | Â Â 224 | Â Â +8 | Â Â t-18th |
Van Winkle, Preston | 79 | 77 | 73 | Â Â 229 | Â Â +13 | Â Â t-30th |
Taylor, K.O. | 75 | 79 | 79 | Â Â 233 | Â Â +17 | Â Â 42nd |
Bell, Travis | 78 | 80 | 85 | Â Â 243 | Â Â +27 | Â Â t-60th |
Tanriverdi, Kyle | 82 | 84 | 83 | Â Â 249 | Â Â +33 | Â Â t-64th |
# Indicates individual player
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Senior Wil Pahud shot an even 72 on Tuesday to lead the University of Evansville men’s golf team to a 6th place finish at the Missouri Valley Conference Men’s Golf Championship at Cog Hill Golf Club.
Pahud’s round saw him jump up the leaderboard to a tie for 21st place in the event with a 3-rond tally of 232.
Tyler Gray remained in the top ten, finishing in a tie for 8th. The junior carded a 75 on Tuesday, finishing the tournament with a 224. Four strokes behind him was Noah Reese. His effort of 75 in the third round vaulted him to a 15th place finish.
Matthew Ladd notched a 79 and tied Pahud’s total of 232 strokes. The duo finished in a tie for 21st. Jon Pick posted his low round of the championship as he notched an 81. His total of 251 strokes put him in 44th place.
Trent Wallace of Illinois State held on to take medalist with a score of 218. He defeated Wichita State’s Yannick Emmert by one shot. The Shockers took top team honors as their final of 883 came in five strokes ahead of the Redbirds.
UNI took third with an 899 while Missouri State (908) and Southern Illinois (915) finished off the top five. Evansville finished just one outside of the top five with a 916.