Fionna is a 3-year-old female tabby cat! She is sassy & sweet simultaneously. She currently lives in the VHS Operations Manager’s office, being pampered like the diva she is. Fionna needs a home with older kids and no dogs, please. She’s already spayed, vaccinated, and ready to go home today! Her $30 adoption fee also includes her registered microchip and a starter bag of food. Contact the Vanderburgh Humane Society at (812) 426-2563 for adoption details!
USI announces the 2017 Hall of Fame Class
The University of Southern Indiana Department of Athletics is pleased to announce the selection of the 2017 USI Athletic Hall of Fame class that will be inducted during homecoming week in February. The class of six individuals and one team was selected by a nine-member USI Athletic Hall of Fame Committee.
Any Screaming Eagles fan was eligible to nominate student athletes or teams on the 10th anniversary of their last season of competition, or a coach/administrator who has been separated from the Department of Athletics for two years.
This year’s class includes Moulton Cato ’85 (Men’s Soccer, 1981-84); Jenny Farmer Thurner ’04 (Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field, 1999-2004); Dean Mills ’97 (Men’s Soccer, 1992-95); Adrienne Seitz Runyan ‘ 99 (Women’s Basketball, 1995-99); Amy Stetler Harper ’99 (Softball, 1996-99); Nicole Vine Braun ’02 (Softball, 1998-2001); and USI’s 1983 GLVC Champion Women’s Tennis team.
“I continue to be amazed by the amount of outstanding student-athletes and teams this University has had,” said USI Director of Athletics Jon Mark Hall. “The Class of 2017 truly represents our growing tradition here at USI. The six individuals and one team that will be honored in February are truly worthy of this extraordinary honor. I know that the entire USI community is proud of this class and what it accomplished while at USI.”
Plans are underway for the induction ceremony on the evening of February 3.
2017 USI ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME CLASS
Moulton Cato (Men’s Soccer, 1981-84): Cato was a four-time All-GLVC and GLVC Champion for men’s soccer. The three-time All-Region performer finished his career as the all-time leader in assists (18 more than the second all-time leader and a record that has stood for 32 years). Cato also has had a successful career in club and college coaching following his USI career. He was a USI men’s soccer assistant coach for the GLVC championship teams in 1989, 1990, and 1991.
Jenny Farmer Thurner (Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field, 1999-2004):Â Thurner was a two-time All-American in Outdoor Track & Field, earning honors in the 3000 meters and 5000 meters. She also is the only four-time NCAA Division II All-Region performer in the history of USI Women’s Cross Country history. Thurner held USI records in the indoor 800 meters, the mile, 3000 meters, and 5000 meters, as well as outdoor records in the 800 meters, 1500 meters, and 3000 meters.
Dean Mills (Men’s Soccer, 1992-95):Â Mills played three years as a member of USI’s only NCAA Division I program from 1992 to 1994 and one year at NCAA Division II when the Eagles returned to the GLVC in 1995. He was an ISAA Scholar All-American in 1995, as well as earning NCAA II All-Region and Academic All-GLVC. The 1995 USI team captain was the team’s Most Valuable Player during the program’s last year at Division I.
Adrienne Seitz Runyan (Women’s Basketball, 1995-99): Seitz was the starting point guard for some of the best teams in the history of USI Women’s Basketball. She finished ranked in six major categories in the USI Women’s Basketball record books for individual statistics and remains ranked first in games played and assists; second in steals; 11th in blocked shots; 18th in rebounding; and 26th in scoring while playing with USI greats and Hall of Famers LeAnn Freeland and Eileen Weber. Seitz directed teams to an overall record of 97-27 and 69-11 in the GLVC during her four years. USI, as a team, won the GLVC twice, the GLVC tournament once, appeared in the NCAA Division II Tournament three times, won the 1997 NCAA II Midwest Regional championship, and advanced to play in the 1997 NCAA II championship game. Seitz also led USI to a perfect 20-0 GLVC campaign in 1998, a feat that has never been duplicated.
Amy Stetler Harper (Softball, 1996-99):Â Stetler was named All-Region twice and All-GLVC three times during a dominating four-year career. She continues to hold the season record for ERA, complete games, shutouts, and wins, as well as the career marks for ERA, wins, and shutouts. Stetler also set and holds the USI record with 51.1 consecutive shutout innings.
Nicole Vine Braun (Softball, 1998-2001):Â Vine was three-time All-Region player and a four-time All-GLVC performer. She also was a four-time Academic All-GLVC and a 2001 Academic All-District student. On the field, Vine ranks third all-time at USI in runs scored and in hits.
USI’s Perfect 1983 GLVC Championship Team:  The 1983 USI women’s tennis team was flawless in the GLVC Tournament winning each of the nine flights for a perfect score of 36 points. The perfect score was never duplicated in flighted GLVC Tournament history with conference changing to team head-to-head completion in the mid-1990. In addition to the perfect score in the GLVC Tournament, USI was a 14-1 overall, winning eight matches 9-0, and winning 117 of 135 sets. The members of the 1983 squad include Head Coach Jane Davis Brezette Lisa Titzer Dozier ’86, Laurie Peters ’86, Debbie Floyd Shelling ’85, Jennifer Northam McAtee ’92, Sherril Heldman ’87, Julie Workman, Marcia Huff ’85, and Vanessa Dixon Burka ’84.
Merry Christmas
Dear Friends,
Season’s greetings! I hope you get a chance to take some time out of your busy schedules to enjoy the magic of the holiday season.
There is no greater gift this time of year than spending time with family and loved ones.
May your Christmas holiday be filled with cheer, warm memories and happiness. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve you and your family in the Indiana General Assembly.
I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Sincerely,
State Rep. Wendy McNamara
“READERS FORUM” DECEMBER 23, 2016
WHAT IS ON YOUR MIND TODAY?
Todays “READERS POLL†question is: How do you rank the Vanderburgh County Commission job performance in 2016?
We urge you to take time and click the section we have reserved for the daily recaps of the activities of our local Law Enforcement professionals. This section is located on the upper right side of our publication.
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City County Observer has been serving our community for 16 years.
FOOTNOTES: Todays “READERS POLL” question is :How do you rank the Vanderburgh County Commission job performance in 2016?
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Scholarship Deadline IS December 31, 2016
| Dear Friend,
The deadline to apply for the Next Generation Teacher Scholarship, paying $7,500 per year for students pursuing a career in education, is Dec. 31. Students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA and complete at least 30 credit hours per year to continue receiving the grant. The Next Generation Teacher Scholarship is for students who will obtain their teaching license upon graduation and commit to teaching in Indiana for five consecutive years. Eligible students must be nominated by a teacher and submit their form to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. Click here for more information and to submit an application before the Dec. 31 deadline. Sincerely,
State Rep. Wendy McNamara |
Deadline To Apply For Educator Scholarship Is Fast Approaching
STATEHOUSE (Dec. 15, 2016) — The deadline to apply for the Next Generation Teacher Scholarship, paying $7,500 per year for students pursuing a career in education, is Dec. 31, according to State Rep. Holli Sullivan (R-Evansville).Â
Sullivan supported the creation of this scholarship to help incentivize top-performing students to pursue a career teaching in Hoosier classrooms.
“As the mother of a college freshman, I understand the costs of higher education,†Sullivan said. “These funds will help families and students by decreasing student-loan debt. I also have one child in high school and one in elementary school, so I know firsthand the impact a good teacher can have on a student. This is an investment in our future.â€
The scholarship is available to 200 high-achieving high school and college students each year who either graduate in the top 20 percent of their class or earn a score in the top 20th percentile on the SAT or ACT. While in college, students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA and complete at least 30 credit hours per year to continue receiving the grant. The Next Generation Teacher Scholarship pays $7,500 per year for up to four years to students who obtain their teaching license and commit to teaching in Indiana for five consecutive years.
Eligible students must be nominated by a teacher and submit their nomination form to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. Students can visit www.LearnMoreIndiana.org/nextteacher for information and to submit an application before the deadline on Dec. 31.
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COA reverses termination of parental rights, finds DCS exhibited ‘troubling behavior’
Olivia Covington for www.theindianalawywer.com
The Indiana Court of Appeals reversed Wednesday a decision terminating a mother and father’s parental relationships with their son, writing that the Department of Child Services had exhibited an “extraordinarily troubling pattern of behavior.â€
In May 2011, the Department of Child Services removed O.G. II from his parents’ home. Father O.G. admitted that both he and mother K.T. would test positive for marijuana, and K.T. admitted there was a history of domestic violence between her and O.G., so O.G. II was adjudicated a child in need of services.
DCS referred K.T. to domestic violence assessments and programs multiple times, and she completed a 26-week program. She also completed anger management classes at her own cost and saw success through home-based therapy sessions.
The boy was returned to his mother on a trial basis in August 2012 and remained in her care until May 2013. The juvenile court entered an order preventing O.G. from having contact with his child in February 2013. However, after O.G. went to K.T.’s home, kicked down her door and attacked her, the boy was removed and O.G. was arrested.
At the time of the termination hearing, K.T. was living with her mother and had a stable job, while O.G. was incarcerated through much of the CHINS case. However, he did complete anger management and parenting classes while in jail. During his incarceration, the assigned family case manager never contacted O.G., and the case manager further failed to comply with the juvenile court’s order that new service referrals be made for him.
DCS moved to terminate the parent-child relationship in May 2015, and the motion was granted in April 2016. Both parents appealed, with O.G. first arguing that his Department of Correction and Putnamville Correctional Facility records should not have been admitted as evidence because they constituted hearsay.
The Indiana Court of Appeals agreed, with Judge John Baker writing that those records did not meet the business records exception because they did not qualify under Indiana Rules of Evidence 803(6) or 902(11). Further, Baker wrote that the testimony of the guardian ad litem, who testified regarding what O.G. II had told her he wanted, was inadmissible hearsay because there is no known statute excepting GALs from the hearsay rule.
O.G. and K.T. then argued that the evidence was not sufficient to support the termination of their parent-child relationship with their son. The Court of Appeals again agreed, with Baker writing that K.T. had made progress toward her goal of breaking free from her abusive relationship by participating in services and ending her relationship with O.G.
Further, Baker wrote that K.T.’s random drug screens were not problematic and she had taken the initiative to improve her mental health and stability, including finding a place to live and maintaining a job.
Similarly, despite the family case manager’s failure to contact O.G., he completed parenting and anger management classes while in prison and was able to find a job and a place to live, Baker said.
“There is an extraordinarily troubling pattern of behavior in this case,†the judge wrote. “The FCM made little to no effort to contact Father at the initiation of the CHINS case. And then, after DCS made its own internal decision that the case plan was to reunify Child with Mother, the FCM’s minimal efforts to engage Father ceased altogether.â€
Thus, the unanimous panel held that the evidence did not support the termination of the parent-child relationship and the decision was remanded for further proceedings.
The case is In re the Termination of the Parent-Child Relationship of O.G. II (minor child) and K.T. (Mother) & O.G. (Father) v. The Indiana Department of Child Services, 49A02-1605-JT-1072.
Governor Mike Pence Volunteers at Wheeler Mission in Indianapolis
 Indianapolis – Today, Governor Mike Pence volunteered his time serving hot meals to those in need at Wheeler Mission Ministries in Indianapolis.
“During this season of giving, I was honored to extend a helping hand to Hoosiers in need at Wheeler Mission Ministries in Indianapolis,†said Governor Mike Pence. “During the holiday season and throughout the year, compassionate Hoosiers and organizations like Wheeler Mission give of their time, talents and treasures and invite those less fortunate in for a hot meal and a warm bed. In this special time of the year, let’s make a renewed effort to share the joy of this season with our neighbors, for it’s in giving that we receive the greatest Christmas blessing.â€
Wheeler Mission Ministries is a social services organization that helps the homeless in central Indiana by providing food, shelter, and recovery programs for the homeless, poor and addicted. Those interested in volunteering or giving may visit http://wheelermission.org/.
Photos are included below of the Governor volunteering at Wheeler Mission Ministries in Indianapolis.