Edward Jones Invests in Local Community Financial Advisors Donate $10,000 for School Based Social Work

04/25/2017

Local Edward Jones Financial Advisors donated $10,000 benefiting Youth First Social Work and Program services in Vanderburgh, Warrick and Posey public and private schools. David Anderson and Mike Barker of Newburgh, Jim Back, James Beard, Brittany Dennis, Chris Fleck, Melissa Nicholson, Don Patton, Jr., John Lee Smith, Tyler Vieke, Ben Waits and Jack Young of Evansville, John Ubelhor of Boonville and Steven Harding and Drew Heckert of Mt. Vernon combined efforts to meet the growing need for effective mental health and drug prevention services in schools.

“Youth First social workers play a vital role in our schools,” said Jim Back. “The kids in our community have many more distractions and challenges than they did just 10 years ago. We’re proud to support Youth First social workers who are removing the barriers to learning.”

“We have many community partners,” says Parri Black, Youth First President and CEO. “I’m glad the Financial Advisors at Edward Jones recognize the important role that Youth First Social Workers play in our community’s schools. We appreciate their donation.”

Each year, Youth First hosts its Passport to Adventure auction to help raise critical funds to support its missionâ€”to strengthen youth and families through evidence-based programs that prevent substance abuse, promote healthy behaviors and maximize student success. The dollars raised from this event are critical to ensure the continuation of Youth Firstâ€™s free programs and services and to provide the support to youth, families and the community when needed most.

Thompkins Principal Nichole Alcorn states, â€œI donâ€™t even want to ever think about not having Katie Omohundro at Thompkins or not having Youth First in our building. Without Youth First we would not be able to reach the lives of the kids at the level that we are. Weâ€™d be putting band-aids on our childrenâ€™s issues.â€

Final Countdown

04/25/2017

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Lawmakers are working to wrap up the 2017 legislative session. At this point, we are finalizing the next two-year state budget and a comprehensive, long-term funding plan for our roads and bridges.

As we near the end of session,Â multiple billsÂ have already become law, including:

Providing assistance for military families: To better connect families with local resources and help with veterans-related issues, surviving spouses of veterans can now indicate their status on their driverâ€™s licenses and identification cards. The Bureau of Motor Vehicles will share this information with the Indiana Department of Veteransâ€™ Affairs in order to ensure they are connected with their county veteran service officers, who have specialized training and can offer assistance.

Lessening the burden of paying for college: To further assist and encourage families to save for college, a new law prevents funds inÂ CollegeChoice 529Â plans from being a factor in determining eligibility for financial aid or public assistance programs like Medicaid. CollegeChoice 529 direct savings plans are tax-exempt and can be used for a number of expenses related to higher education, and anyone can make contributions to a childâ€™s account.

Establishing penalties for illegal immigrants who possess firearms: To prevent illegal immigrants from possessing firearms, those who are unlawfully in the United States who knowingly have a gun can now be charged with a felony.

I look forward to highlighting other new laws I supported in the coming weeks.

Sincerely,

State Rep. Wendy McNamara

Indy Judges To Have Closed-Door Interviews Before Retention Nod

04/25/2017

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Indy Judges To Have Closed-Door Interviews Before Retention Nod

Dave Stafford for www.theindianalawyer.com

Marion Superior judges would appear behind closed doors before a committee comprised mainly of political appointees who would recommend whether jurists should or should not be retained in office, according to a bill that passed the General Assembly.

That process is among those spelled out inÂ House Bill 1036, which creates a new judicial-selection process for the 36 judges of Marion Superior Court. Lawmakers passed the bill Friday on the sessionâ€™s final day, with the House voting 69-30 and the Senate voting 28-22 to send the bill to Gov. Eric Holcomb.

The bill passed despite concerns that the public would not haveÂ a voice in elections, that the proposed bill could result in aÂ lawsuit challenging its constitutionality, and that the proposal couldÂ harm diversity on the bench.

The final version of HB 1036 restores the original proposed composition of the Marion Superior judicial selection committee and eliminates direct election of judges, instead providing voters the option to retain judges. Under the final bill, the 14-member committee will consist of:

one member each appointed by the speaker of the House, House minority leader, Senate president pro tem and Senate majority leader;
two members each appointed by the chairs of the Marion County Democratic and Republican parties;
four attorney members, one each appointed by the Indianapolis Bar Association, Marion County Bar Association, Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana and the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association; and
a member of the Court of Appeals and an Indiana Supreme Court justice.

The makeup of the panel is unique among Indianaâ€™s other counties with merit selection â€” Allen, Lake and St. Joseph â€” whose panels are evenly divided between lawyers and lay members and chaired by a justice. Also unique in the proposed Marion County judicial selection committee is its requirement to recommend, or not, that judges be retained.

The adopted measure for the first time describes that process for judges seeking retention. â€œEach judge is entitled to a hearing before the committee. The hearings shall be held in executive session.â€ Judges are presumed qualified for retention, the bill says, and the vote of nine members would be required to recommend a judge not be retained.

The panel will post retention recommendations on the Indiana Supreme Court website and inform news media of those recommendations, according to the legislation.

The General Assembly had to pass a new means of selecting Marion Superior judges after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the former system for electing judges was unconstitutional because it deprived residents a meaningful vote.

USI Softball Rallies Once, But Settles For DH Split With Quincy

04/25/2017

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University of Southern Indiana Softball rallied from a six-run deficit to win game one, but could not comeback from a three-run deficit in the night cap as it settled for a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader split with visiting Quincy University Monday afternoon at the USI Softball Field.

The No. 5 Screaming Eagles earned an 8-7 win in nine innings in the opener before falling, 4-1, in game two.

USI (40-10, 19-7 GLVC), which reached the 40-win plateau for the second time in program history and the first since 1998, closes the regular-season this weekend when it visits the University of Missouri-St. Louis Saturday at noon and Maryville University Sunday at noon.

Game 1 | Southern Indiana 8, Quincy 7 (9 inn.)

–Box Score

The Eagles scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to overcome a 7-1 deficit; then got a walk-off, RBI-single from junior third basemanÂ Mena Fulton(Bloomington, Indiana) in the last half of the ninth innings to earn an 8-7 win in the opener.

Quincy (16-16, 8-18 GLVC) got a two-run home run off the bat of senior infielder Lindsey Greene in the top of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead; then answered a USI tally with a pair of runs in the second to take a 4-1 advantage.

The Hawks tacked on more two-runs in the fourth frame on the strength of a two-run home run by senior second baseman Kaylee Jones; then scored another tally in the seventh inning to extend its advantage to Â Â 7-1.

Meanwhile, the Eaglesâ€™ offense had just three hits throughout the first six innings of the contest, including an RBI-single by senior outfielderÂ Grace ClarkÂ (Indianapolis, Indiana) in the first inning.

USI, however, began the seventh inning with three straight hits, including an RBI-double by sophomore designated playerÂ Lindsey BarrÂ (Whitesville, Kentucky) and an RBI-single by junior outfielderÂ Olivia Clark-KittlesonÂ (Carbondale, Illinois).

Junior first basemanÂ Marleah FossettÂ (Brownsburg, Indiana) had a two-run double to get the Eagles to within two runs, while senior catcherÂ Haley HodgesÂ (Portage, Indiana) hit a two-run home run over the leftfield fence to tie the game at 7-7.

After the Eagles loaded the bases in the last half of the ninth inning, Fulton hit a bloop-single into left-centerfield to push across the game-winning run.

Sophomore pitcherÂ Caitlyn BradleyÂ (Forest, Indiana) earned the win for the Eagles after giving up three runs off nine hits in eight innings of work. Bradley improved to 7-3 with the decision.

Game 2 | Quincy 4, Southern Indiana 1

–Box Score

After getting a sacrifice fly from Hodges to take a 1-0 lead in the last half of the first inning, the Eagles watched as the Hawks scored four unanswered runs to earn a 4-1 victory in game two.

Quincy took advantage of a pair of USI errors to score twice in the top of the fifth inning to take a 2-1 lead; then got a two-run double off the bat of sophomore outfielder Dana Walsh in the sixth to extend its lead to 4-1.

USI was held to just three hits in game two and just one hit in the final six innings of the contest.

Sophomore pitcherÂ Courtney AtkissonÂ (Bringhurst, Indiana) was charged with the loss after giving up four runs, two earned, off seven hits in seven innings of work. She falls to 10-6 with the loss.

Southern Indiana 8, Quincy 7 (Apr 24, 2017 at Evansville, IN) (Game 1)

Quincy………….. 220 200 100Â -Â 7 15Â 2Â Â Â Â Â (15-26, 7-18 GLVC)

Southern Indiana…. 100 000 601Â -Â 8 12Â 0Â Â Â Â Â (40-9, 19-6 GLVC)

Pitchers: Quincy – Griskell, Emily and Bettendorf, Kay. Southern Indiana – Leonhardt, Jennifer;

Bradley, Caitlyn(2) and Hodges, Haley.

Win-Bradley, Caitlyn(7-3)Â Loss-Griskell, Emily(10-12)Â T-2:05Â A-61

HR QU – Jones, Kaylee (1); Greene, Lindsey (12).

HR USI – Hodges, Haley (8).

Weather: 60s, sunny

Leonhardt, J faced 3 batters in the 2nd.

Game: 49-QU

Quincy 4, Southern Indiana 1 (Apr 24, 2017 at Evansville, IN) (Game 2)

———————————————————————-

Quincy………….. 000 022 0 -Â 4Â 7Â 0Â Â Â Â Â (16-26, 8-18 GLVC)

Southern Indiana…. 100 000 0 -Â 1Â 3Â 2Â Â Â Â Â (40-10, 19-7 GLVC)

———————————————————————-

Pitchers: Quincy – Quirk, Meghan and McLaughlin, Karli. Southern Indiana – Atkisson,Courtney

and Hodges, Haley.

Win-Quirk, Meghan(4-8)Â Loss-Atkisson,Courtney(10-6)Â T-1:20Â A-61

Weather: 70s, sunny

Game: 50-QU

Students from USI, other universities, invited to take advantage of USIâ€™s summer terms

04/25/2017

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Summer School 2017

ClickÂ hereÂ to view this release in a browser and download images.

While the Spring Semester is winding down and Commencement is only days away, it doesnâ€™t mean that the University of Southern Indiana campus will be quiet for the summer.

Each summer, thousands of students take advantage of three summer sessions that allow them to participate in a wide array of classes with flexible delivery options. Summer is a great time for current students to catch up or get ahead with courses. USIâ€™s summer terms also are a great opportunity for students attending other universities who want to take classes while home for the summer, or for new students wanting to get a head start before the fall semester begins.

Some of the many reasons students take summer classes at USI include:

Taking online classes to fit with busy schedules
Completing core requirements to free up more time for electives
Adding a major or minor
Staying on track to graduate in four years

USI offers three convenient summer sessions:

Summer I: May 10â€”June 9
Summer II: June 12â€”July 14
Summer III: July 17â€”August 11

The University also offers campus housing for summer terms. Rates are per day and students are housed in campus apartments. Summer housing is reserved for students enrolled in at least three hours each summer session.

A full list of course offerings, registration deadlines and more information about summer sessions can be found atÂ USI.edu/admissions/summer.

Vanderburgh County Democratic Party Calendar of Events 4/24/2017

04/25/2017

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Wednesday, April 26th	Meeting	6:00 PM	Vanderburgh County Democrat Club Meeting/Membership Blitz Location: FOP – 801 Court Street – Evansville, IN Free Pizza!
Wednesday, May 3rd	Fundraiser	TBD	Organized Labor Steak Night Fundraiser Details TBD
Friday, May 12th	Golf Scramble	TBD	Vanderburgh County Central Committee Golf Scramble Location: Eagle Valley Golf Course – 10350 Petersburg Rd – Evansville, IN More details coming soon
Wednesday, May 31st	Meeting	6:00 PM	Vanderburgh County Democrat Club Meeting Location: FOP – 801 Court Street – Evansville, IN
Saturday, June 10th	Golf Scramble	9:00 AM	Posey County Democrats Golf Scramble Location: Country Mark Golf Course – 1200 Refinery Rd. – Mt. Vernon, IN Cost: $75 per golfer. Contact: Ed Adams (812) 457-1183
Wednesday, June 28th	Meeting	6:00 PM	Vanderburgh County Democrat Club Meeting Location: FOP – 801 Court Street – Evansville, IN
Wednesday, July 12th	Golf Scramble	11:00 AM EST	8th District Democratic Committee Golf Scramble Location: Geneva Hill Golf Course – 13446 South Geneva Hills Road – Clinton, IN Cost: $75 per golfer. Â Sponsorships available. Contact: Jeff LehmanÂ jldemo@minerbroadband.com
Wednesday, July 26th	Meeting	6:00 PM	Vanderburgh County Democrat Club Meeting Location: FOP – 801 Court Street – Evansville, IN
Wednesday, August 30th	Meeting	6:00 PM	Vanderburgh County Democrat Club Meeting Location: FOP – 801 Court Street – Evansville, IN
Wednesday, September 27th	Meeting	6:00 PM	Vanderburgh County Democrat Club Meeting Location: FOP – 801 Court Street – Evansville, IN
Wednesday, October 25th	Meeting	6:00 PM	Vanderburgh County Democrat Club Meeting Location: FOP – 801 Court Street – Evansville, IN
Wednesday, November 29th	Meeting	6:00 PM	Vanderburgh County Democrat Club Meeting Location: FOP – 801 Court Street – Evansville, IN
Wednesday, December 27th	Meeting	6:00 PM	Vanderburgh County Democrat Club Meeting Location: FOP – 801 Court Street – Evansville, IN

UE Softball heads to Carbondale on Tuesday

04/25/2017

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Six days after splitting a doubleheader in Evansville, the Purple Aces and Southern Illinois softball squads meet in the rubber match on Tuesday at 4 p.m. in Carbondale, Ill. at Charlotte West Stadium.

In the second-to-last home weekend of the season, the Purple Aces dropped two out of three to Indiana State.Â The Sycamores took both ends of Saturdayâ€™s doubleheader but the Aces were able to earn a 4-2 win in game three.

Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Morgan Florey got the Aces on the board with a sacrifice fly before Morgan Lambert hit the go-ahead 3-run home run to give UE the win.

In three games this week, Morgan Florey threw 21 innings as she picked up two victories and allowed just three runs.Â She began the week with a complete game, 2-hit shutout over Southern Illinois while striking out 12 batters.Â She followed that up on Saturday with another gem, going the distance in the opener against Indiana State, giving up just one run on three hits while fanning six batters.

Florey registered her second win of the week on Sunday with another complete game effort.Â She is the likely starter on Tuesday at SIU.Â In three career starts versus the Salukis, Florey has tossed 27.2 innings while notching an unbelievable 0.76 ERA.Â The sophomore has gone the distance in 13 of her last 15 outings while posting a 1.85 ERA (3rd in the MVC).Â Her 170 strikeouts leads the league by 30.

Ashlee Kawall and Brittany Hay also have some of the top tallies in the Missouri Valley Conference.Â Kawall has notched 20 steals on the season, which ranks second in the conference.Â Hay has crossed the plate 34 times this year, the 5^th-highest tally in the league.

Limited to a 2-game series due to weather over the weekend, Southern Illinois took two games from Wichita State in a doubleheader on Sunday.Â SIU picked up a 3-2 win to start things off before clinching the series with a 5-4 victory.Â Shaye Harre paces the team with a .327 average while Merri Anne Patterson leads the Salukis with seven home runs and 37 RBI.

Brianna Jones has notched 11 victories in the circle while accumulating a 2.33 ERA.

Task Force for the American Worker to Hold First Hearing Tomorrow

04/25/2017

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CNBCâ€™s Larry Kudlow, Mayor of La Porte, Indiana to testify

Rep. Luke Messer (IN-06), chair of the Republican Policy Committee, announced the first hearing of the recently launchedÂ Task Force for the American WorkerÂ will be onÂ Tuesday, April 25.

CNBC Senior Contributor Larry Kudlow and Mayor of La Porte, Indiana Blair Milo will testify during the inaugural hearing, which aims to help set a policy agenda for the modern American worker.

WHAT:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â â€œAn Agenda for the Modern American Workerâ€Â hearing

WHO: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Mr.Â Larry Kudlow,Â CNBC Senior Contributor

TheÂ Honorable Blair Milo,Â Mayor of the City of La Porte, IN

Mr.Â John Friedman, Associate Professor of Economics at Brown University

Mr.Â Jim Pethokoukis, Editor of AEIdeas and a DeWitt Wallace Fellow

WHEN:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Tuesday, April 25, 2017, 2PM

WHERE:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Rayburn House Office Building 2360, Washington, D.C.

Launched by Chairman Messer, theÂ Task Force for the American WorkerÂ isÂ an effort toÂ examine challenges facing modern-day working Americans.

â€œFor generations, the American dream has meant that every American who works hard can find success. But in recent years, frozen paychecks, a tough job market and rising living costs make the American Dream too often seem out of reach,â€Â MesserÂ said. â€œDuring the 2016 election, Republicans promised a renewed focus on addressing these challenges and improving the lives of everyday working people. This Task Force is about making those promises a reality.â€

TheÂ Task ForceÂ will hold a series of hearings to examine workforce issues, including stagnant wages and a slow economic recovery, manufacturing, higher education costs, the opioid abuse epidemic, health care, retirement security and trade. Â The Task Force will seek to find solutions that help address each of these challenges.