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PELATH: STILL TIME FOR GOP TO COME TO ITS SENSES ON ROAD PLAN

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INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana House Democratic Leader Scott Pelath from Michigan City today issued the following statement after the House approved legislation (House Bill 1002) that implements a Republican plan to finance infrastructure improvements through increases in taxes and tolls:

“While people should take heart at the fact that the Indiana General Assembly appears destined to pass an infrastructure improvement plan this session, today’s vote shows we have a long way to go before we have an equitable, fair plan.

“Far too many House Republicans remain convinced that the way to solve this problem is by raising taxes at the pump and your local license branch. Perhaps that point of view might garner them some free cocktails at their local country club, but I believe they would get a different point of view if they expressed the same opinion at the local diner. They might end up wearing drinks rather than sharing them.

“In its current form, House Bill 1002 raises taxes on practically every Hoosier, except for the very elite. You will pay more every time you fill up your car with gas. You will pay more when you write that check to renew your license plates. The more cars you have, the more you will pay.

“And let’s not forget that this bill provides unlimited power to our governor to toll any road in the state.

“I will remind you that House Democrats advanced a plan that would have provided upwards of $800 to $900 million a year toward state and local roads without increasing a tax or raising a toll. House Republicans voted it down.

“Normally, these turns of events should create a permanent shudder among Hoosiers, but there is still time for some good to come of all this.

“Consider that House Bill 1002 contains the House Democratic proposal to dedicate every penny in sales taxes that you pay at the pump toward the roads you drive. Such an idea was inconceivable when House Democrats proposed it in 2016. Now it is considered a just and reasonable response.

“If the Republicans can come to their senses on that idea, then they certainly can realize that we can improve our roads and bridges without raising a tax on Hoosiers.

“As this bill moves over to the Indiana Senate, I am hopeful that negotiations and careful deliberations about the long-term impact of this legislation will continue. There is a path to follow. All it takes is the kind of courage that recognizes you do not have to inflict the largest tax increase in state history on the people who can least afford it.”

Popular Science producer to present on social media topics

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The University of Southern Indiana College of Liberal Arts 2017 Social Media Symposium will host “Creating Successful Social Media Strategies: Listen Before You Post,” a presentation by Jason Lederman, associate producer at Popular Science magazine, at 7 p.m. Thursday, February 23 in University Center East room 2217. The presentation is free and open to the public.

Before becoming associate producer, Lederman created the role of social media editor for the magazine. From September 2015 to February 2017, he was tasked with developing and implementing social media strategies for the 145-year-old brand and grew its combined audience to 12 million people, doubling its Twitter followers to over one million, tripling its Instagram following to over 21,000 and surpassing the 3 million likes threshold on Facebook. He also has authored more than 120 articles and produced more than 180 videos for Popular Science. Lederman holds a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University.

Lederman also will deliver the keynote address, entitled “How to Make Social Media Your Career,” at the 2017 USI High School Media Day on Friday, February 24 to assembled high school and middle school journalists and journalism instructors.

For more information about the symposium, contact Maria Frakes at mafrakes@eagles.usi.edu. To register for the event, visit USI.edu/liberal-arts/communications/news/symposium-registration.

Congress Rolls Back Obama Regulation on Coal Industry

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On Thursday, President Trump signed into law an important measure to protect Hoosier coal jobs, which was passed out of Congress earlier this month. The resolution, H.J. Res. 38, nullifies a rule submitted by the Department of Interior, known as the Stream Protection Rule. 

 

The resolution is a part of an effort by Congress to exercise its authority under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to roll back onerous regulations set forth at the end of President Obama’s second term.

 

In a recent radio interview with WIKY in Evansville, Dr. Bucshon explained, “One of the things we are looking at in Washington…is regulations that were put in in the last number of months of the Obama Administration, including one which is very important to my district called the Stream Buffer Rule, which would have devastated the coal mining industry across, not only our state, but across the country.” 

 

Dr. Bucshon went on to explain the disastrous impact this unnecessary, big-government regulation would have had on the Hoosier coal industry and the families it supports.

 

“It would have put approximately 65 percent of our coal reserves out of the market, essentially,”said Bucshon. “In addition, the rule wasn’t necessary because there’s already a tremendous amount of protections to protect the landscape and streams across the country. It was an ideological position taken by the administration to further their war on coal.”

 

The Obama administration developed the Stream Protection Rule through a process that lacked transparently and relevant input from stakeholders, spanned over eight years, and billed taxpayers roughly $10 million. Analysis of the final draft indicated the rule would result in a loss of one-third of the U.S. coal mining workforce and drastically reduce coal production in 22 states. Not to mention, it upended over 400 regulations currently in place.

 

The rule would be particularly devastating to Indiana’s economy and the families who rely on the coal industry.

 

According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, “Indiana annually is among the top ten coal producing states in the nation averaging 32,000,000 to 35,000,000 tons each year.”  And coal supports eight out of ten Hoosier jobs according to the, Indiana Coal Council.

 

Furthermore, every coal mine in the state of Indiana is located within the boundaries of the Eighth Congressional District.

 

Under the Congressional Review Act – a law passed in 1996 that established special congressional procedures for disapproving a broad range of regulatory actions issued by federal agencies – Congress can roll back regulations like the Stream Protection Rule by a simple majority in both chambers of Congress and a signature by the President.

 

With H.J. Res. 38 signed into law, the Stream Protection Rule cannot take effect or continue in effect. The agency also may not reissue that rule or any substantially similar rule.

 

Bucshon also noted that Congress will continue to use its authority under the Congressional Review Act to roll back other Obama-administration regulations.

 

“…there are a number of other regulations that we are looking at that came in at the last minute that we can overturn with the Congressional Review Act with a simple majority vote in the House and Senate and a signature from the White House,” said Bucshon.
Congressman Larry Bucshon, M.D. is a physician and Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee serving his third term representing Indiana’s 8th Congressional district. The 8th District of Indiana includes all or parts of Clay, Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Gibson, Greene, Knox, Martin, Owen, Parke, Perry, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Sullivan, Vanderburgh, Vermillion, Vigo, and Warrick counties.

Sullivan works to help victims of auto dealer fraud

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The Indiana House of Representatives today passed State Rep. Holli Sullivan’s (R-Evansville) bill that would help victims of unscrupulous auto dealership practices.
Sullivan said the bill is in response to incidents where individuals purchased cars from an Evansville dealership, but didn’t receive their vehicle titles before the business abruptly closed its doors. Unfortunately, court judgments against shady auto dealers don’t always result in consumer restitution and victims are left without their titles or other recourse.
The Indiana Secretary of State’s Office handles complaints and brings actions against auto dealers, but is not currently able to provide consumer restitution if the company fails to pay. Under this bill, the office would have the opportunity to provide restitution through a newly created consumer restitution fund.

“I worked with Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson to find a practical solution to address this problem and bring much-needed relief to victims in these difficult situations,” Sullivan said. “This can be quite a burden on people who have already invested money for a vehicle and do not have funds to move forward on a different automobile.”

 

“Over the years, my office has seen a few bad actors close up and leave town, leaving consumers in a bind and without a working vehicle or the title to their car,” Lawson said. “This bill creates a consumer restitution fund that will allow us to pay consumers up to $3,000 if they are victimized by a car dealer. In many cases, this can make a world of difference to the consumer and enable them to start the process of recovery.”

 

The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration. For more information on Sullivan’s bill, visit iga.in.gov.

Softball begins season at Plainsman Invite Aces travel to Auburn for weekend tournament

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The start of the 2017 season for the University of Evansville softball season is less than 24 hours away as the Purple Aces begin play at the Plainsman Invite on Friday at noon.

 

Below is the full schedule for the weekend:

Friday Feb. 17 – vs. Mercer – 12 p.m.

Friday Feb. 17 – vs. SIU Edwardsville – 7 p.m.

Saturday Feb. 18 – vs. Creighton – 1 p.m.

Saturday Feb. 18 – at #2 Auburn – 3:30 p.m.

Sunday Feb. 19 – vs. Creighton – 9:30 a.m.

 

Live stats are available all weekend and a video link for the Auburn contest are available at the tournament central page, which is linked above.

 

After one of the top ten turnarounds in the NCAA in 2016, the Purple Aces are poised for more in 2017.  UE returns 18 players from last year and welcome five newcomers to this year’s squad.  Just two players from last season are no longer with the team as Amanda Blankenship graduated and Danielle Freeman returned to the women’s swim team at UE.

 

In non-conference play this season, UE will face three of the top six teams in the preseason poll.  The Aces open the season in a tournament at #2 Auburn and travel to #1 Oklahoma in early March.  In the final weekend of non-conference play, UE will face preseason #6 Michigan in a tournament hosted by the University of Kentucky.

 

Evansville was picked sixth in the Preseason Missouri Valley Conference Poll.  The Aces received 53 points, just one behind 5th-place Illinois State.  Sophomore Morgan Florey was chosen to the Preseason All-Conference Team.

 

The reigning MVC Freshman of the Year earned recognition from Fastpitch News (FPN) as she appeared on their list of the top 50 pitchers in the NCAA.  Florey was ranked 33rd on the list.  Evansville also had two others receive MVC recognition last season.  Chandra Parr garnered her second All-Conference First Team honor while Susan Norris was named to the All-Defensive Team.

 

Mat Mundell and assistants Ashley Balazs & Aubrey Watson were the 2016 Missouri Valley Conference Coaching Staff of the Year.  The trio turned around a team that went 10-45 and 2-23 in conference play in 2015 into a true league contender as the squad was 24-26 overall and 12-14 in conference play in 2016.

 

Highlighting the weekend for UE is a game against Auburn, who is ranked second in the nation.  The Tigers stand at 3-1 after the Triple Crown Tournament last weekend in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  Their lone loss came to Washington, who is ranked in the top ten in the NCAA.  They fell by a 2-1 final in 10 innings.  They began the season with an impressive 3-2 win over defending national champion Oklahoma.

 

The weekend begins against Mercer, who went 2-2 in their home tournament last weekend.  They earned wins against Portland State and Dayton.  Friday’s second opponent will be SIU Edwardsville.  The Cougars went a perfect 5-0 in the Mardi Gras Classic last weekend in Monroe, La.  They defeated Grambling, Northwestern State, Prairie View A&M, Louisiana Monroe and Sam Houston State.

 

Creighton is the final opponent for UE.  The Aces will take on their former league foe twice in the opening weekend.  The Bluejays began their season at last weekend’s Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz.  They earned a win over Saint Mary’s, but dropped contests against #9 Oregon, Stanford, Cal Poly and San Jose State.

 

Governor Holcomb Visits East Chicago

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Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb and agency representatives will visit East Chicago today to meet with local officials and community leaders about the executive order he signed Feb. 9, 2017. The governor will be available to speak with media at 1:20 p.m. CT at the East Chicago Health Department Building at 100 W. Chicago Ave.

Governor Holcomb, Lt. Gov. Crouch and state legislators

East Chicago Mayor Anthony Copeland and other local officials

Representatives from East Chicago community groups

  • Outline goals and provide updates on Governor Holcomb’s executive orderdeclaring a 30-day disaster emergency for the Superfund site.
  • Media availability with Governor Holcomb at 1:20 p.m. CT

Media may capture the opening of a roundtable meeting with state and local officials and community leaders at 12:50 p.m. CT.

 East Chicago Health Department Building

100 W. Chicago Ave.

East Chicago, IN  46312

Our Rock Puns are All Real Gems.

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Our Rock Puns Are All Real Gems.

ISMHS GeoFest 2017

Jewelry? Got it. Fossils? Yup. Vitamins? No. Minerals? Yes. Crystals? Geodes? We have those, too!

Don’t miss the 15th Annual GeoFest at the Indiana State Museum this weekend – Feb. 17, 18 and 19. From shopping to fun family activities, from ancient fossils to new age crystals, GeoFest is the best place to indulge your inner rock hound.

GeoFest is included with museum admission.

BREAKING NEWS: King, Dalesandro Lead Hoosiers at Big Ten Championships

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King, Dalesandro Lead Hoosiers at Big Ten Championships

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Indiana University women’s swimming and diving team added another two league titles to the team’s haul at the 2017 Big Ten Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships on Friday night at the Boilermaker Aquatic Center in West Lafayette, Ind.

Heading in to the final day of competition on Saturday, the Hoosiers sit in second place with a total of 791.0 points, just 14.5 points behind first-place Michigan. Minnesota is in third place with 753.0 points, while Wisconsin is in fourth with a total of 741.0.

Lilly King put on a show in the Championship Final of the 100 breaststroke, defending her Big Ten title with the best time in the history of the event – 56.30. King’s mark breaks her own NCAA, American, U.S. Open, school, Big Ten and Big Ten meet records, as well as set the Boilermaker Aquatic Center pool mark.

King won the race by over 2.6 seconds and now owns the top three times in the NCAA this season. The Evansville, Ind. native now has won four individual Big Ten titles in her young career – the 100 and 200 breaststroke in 2016 and the 200 IM and 100 breast this season.

Laura Morley placed 14th overall in the 100 breast, placing sixth in the B Final with a NCAA B cut time of 1:01.54. Mackenzie Atencio was seventh in the C Final to take 23rd place with a NCAA B cut time of 1:02.36.

Gia Dalesandro had one of the best performance in the history of the 100 butterfly for the Hoosiers, winning Big Ten title with a school, Big Ten, Big Ten meet and Boilermaker Aquatic Center pool record time of 50.45. Her time is the fifth-best performance in the history of the event and the fastest time in the NCAA this year.

The title is the fourth individual crown for Dalesandro in her career and she becomes just the second Hoosier in Big Ten history to win the event, joining Rosie Wicht who won in 1984.

Also, in the Championship Final for Indiana, Christine Jensen took eighth place with a NCAA B cut time of 53.08.

Shelby Koontz won the C Final of the 100 fly with a personal-best and NCAA B cut time of 53.35 that ranks her as the sixth-best performer in the event in school history. Olivia Barker placed 19th overall with a NCAA B cut time of 53.83.

Kennedy Goss paced the Hoosiers in the 200 freestyle, placing fourth in the Championship Final with a NCAA B cut time of 1:44.30. Also in the A Final, freshman Maria Paula Heitmann took sixth overall with a NCAA B cut mark of 1:45.77.

In the B Final, Delaney Barnard touched third to place 11th overall with a personal-best and NCAA B cut time of 1:46.38. With her time, Barnard ranks as the 10th-best performer in the event in school history.

Holly Spears won the C Final of the 200 freestyle for the Hoosiers, touching the wall first with a time of 1:48.02.

In the Championship Final of the 3-meter dive, Jessica Parratto placed fifth overall with a NCAA qualifying score of 358.95. Parratto was consistent throughout her list, scoring over 57 points on all six of her dives.

The redshirt junior will look to make it 3-for-3 on Championship Finals on Saturday in the platform dive. Parratto won both the NCAA and Big Ten titles in the event in 2015.

Dalesandro continued her great night, leading the Hoosiers with a sixth-place finish in the 100 backstroke Championship Final with a personal-best and NCAA B cut time of 52.68. With her mark, Dalesandro ranks as the eighth-best performer in the event in IU history. Also in the A Final, Ali Rockett took eighth place with a NCAA B cut time of 53.00.

Rachel Matsumura placed third in the B Final to finish 11th overall with a personal-best time of 53.73 that puts her as the 15th-best swimmer in school history in the event. Marie Chamberlain won the C Final to place 17th overall with a NCAA B cut mark of 54.11.

In the 400 IM, Sam Lisy led the charge for the Hoosiers, placing seventh in the Championship Final with a NCAA B cut time of 4:12.15.

In the B Final, Reagan Cook placed third to take 11th overall with a NCAA B cut time of 4:13.65, while Bailey Pressey placed 13th overall with a NCAA B cut mark of 4:14.97. Shelly Drozda touched third in the C Final to place 19th overall with a personal-best time of 4:16.79. With her time, Drozda ranks as the 14th-best swimmer in the event at IU.

The Hoosiers will continue at the 2017 Big Ten Championships on Saturday morning with the prelims of the 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly, platform dive and 1,650 freestyle. The action gets underway at the Boilermaker Aquatic Center in West Lafayette at 11:00 a.m. ET.

Be sure to keep up with all the latest news on the Indiana men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams on social media – Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

100 Butterfly
1. Gia Dalesandro – 50.45 (Personal Best, School, Big Ten, Big Ten meet and Pool record, NCAA A cut)
8. Christine Jensen – 53.08 (NCAA B cut)
17. Shelby Koontz – 53.35 (Personal Best, NCAA B cut)
19. Olivia Barker – 53.83 (NCAA B cut)

400 IM
7. Sam Lisy – 4:12.15 (NCAA B cut)
11. Reagan Cook – 4:13.65 (NCAA B cut)
13. Bailey Pressey – 4:14.97 (NCAA B cut)
19. Shelly Drozda – 4:16.79 (Personal Best, NCAA B cut)

200 Freestyle
4. Kennedy Goss – 1:44.30 (NCAA B cut)
6. Maria Paula Heitmann – 1:45.77 (NCAA B cut)
11. Delaney Barnard – 1:46.38 (Personal Best, NCAA B cut)
17. Holly Spears – 1:48.02

100 Breaststroke
1. Lilly King – 56.30 (Personal Best, NCAA, American, School, Big Ten, Big Ten meet and Pool record, NCAA A cut)
14. Laura Morley – 1:01.54 (NCAA B cut)
23. Mackenzie Atencio – 1:02.36 (NCAA B cut)

100 Backstroke
6. Gia Dalesandro – 52.68 (Personal Best, NCAA B cut)
8. Ali Rockett – 53.00 (NCAA B cut)
11. Rachel Matsumura – 53.73 (Personal Best, NCAA B cut)
17. Marie Chamberlain – 54.11 (NCAA B cut)

3-Meter Dive
5. Jessica Parratto – 358.95 (NCAA Qualifying score)

200 Freestyle Relay
4. Ali Rockett, Lilly King, Shelby Koontz, Holly Spears – 1:30.41

Get Your Tickets Early For The AVETT BROTHERS!

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To view this email as a web page, go here.

AVETT BROTHERS
TICKET PRE-SALE

Presale starts Wednesday, February 15 at 10:00am through Thursday February 16, 10:00pm.

TICKET PRESALE PASSCODE: HARD

Presale tickets available online through Ticketmaster at the button below, by phone at 1-800-745-3000 or at the Old National Events Plaza’s Box Office.
The Avett Brothers are coming to Evansville on June 15 at 8:00pm!
Seats are $74.50, $69.50, $59.50 and $39.50.

Tickets go on sale for the general public on Friday, February 17 at 10:00am.
AVETT BROTHERS TICKETS

EPD Activity Report

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EPD Report

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