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Ed Department Responds To Rep. Messer, Agrees To Restore Pell Grant Eligibility To Former ITT Tech Students

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WASHINGTON (Oct. 28, 2016) — In response to urging by Rep. Luke Messer (IN-06), the U.S. Department of Education today announced it will  restore Pell Grant eligibility to students who were using the grants to attend ITT Technical Institute when it abruptly closed last month.

Federal Pell Grants are provided to low-income students pursuing postsecondary education, and lifetime eligibility for the need-based grants is limited.

Messer sent a letter to the Education Department earlier this month, after he realized the Department was refusing to restore Pell Grant eligibility to ITT Tech students, leaving them with few options to finish their degrees.

The Education Department responded to Messer’s letter today, saying it would reverse its previous decision and reset Pell Grant eligibility to these students, per Messer’s suggestion that Section 437(c)(3) of the Higher Education Act required this action.

“ITT Tech closed largely at the hand of federal bureaucrats, yet they had no back up plan for the students who would be impacted the most,” Messer said. “For many low-income students, Pell Grants are their best shot to attend college and secure a better future for themselves. I’m relieved that the Education Department is doing right by these students and ensuring they have a path forward to continue their education.”

It’s estimated that the Education Department’s decision today could help more than 16,000 students.

Messer has also authored a bill that would allow veterans to recover their GI Bill educational benefits if they were using their benefits at a college or university that closes, preventing them from completing their degree.

The bill (H.R. 6003) would apply to the nearly 7,000 veterans who were enrolled at ITT Tech at the time it closed.

Based in Indiana, ITT Tech operated 130 campuses nationwide and served about 40,000 students when it announced on Sept. 6, 2016 that it would close. The announcement followed an Aug. 25 decision by the Education Department to prohibit the institution from enrolling new students using federal student aid.

CHANNEL 44 NEWS:

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Local Gas Station Gets Robbed of Hundreds in Cash

OCTOBER 30TH, 2016

BRI WILLIAMS EVANSVILLE, INDIANA

 A suspect gets away with $150 dollars cash in an Evansville armed robbery.

Police say a male suspect entered the Circle K gas station on West Columbia Street Saturday.

The clerk told police the suspect had his face covered and tapped a gun on the counter before demanding money. Police are still looking for the suspect.

EVSC Encouraging Family Fitness Through New Program

OCTOBER 30TH, 2016

LAUREN LESLIE EVANSVILLE, INDIANA

 The Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation is encouraging family fitness through a new program. Teachers, parents and children all enduring exercise together at the inaugural 5k on Sunday.The EVSC is launching its newest fitness program called “Bringing Fitness to Life.” The program is available to all teachers, students, staff and their families.

The initiative aims at heightening fitness across all generations involved in the EVSC, “It’s a family initiative, it doesn’t just go for the actual students or for the staff members the teachers or the other staff, it goes to them, their families, just everyone. We want to be part of that community presence that promotes health and wellness and fitness and says, ‘”It is great to get healthy,”‘ said Jason Woebkenberg. The inaugural run was a huge success with more than 200 participants. EVSC officials say they hope the event becomes an annual one.

Medicaid Expansion Credited For Getting Record Number Of Kids Insurance In Ohio

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Medicaid Expansion Credited For Getting Record Number Of Kids Insurance In Ohio

By Catherine Candisky

More than 95 percent of Ohio children have health coverage as the uninsured rate fell to historic lows in the wake of Obamacare.

A new report from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families credits Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act for the decline in uninsured children.

In Ohio, 26,000 children gained coverage between 2013 and 2015, the analysis showed, leaving an estimated 115,000 under the age of 19 without health insurance.

The state’s rate of uninsured children during that time fell to 4.4 percent, down from 5.3 percent, and just under the national average.

Advocates for children applauded Ohio leaders for the 2014 expansion of Medicaid, the tax-funded health care program for the poor and disabled. The move, they said, helped more kids gain coverage since the 1997 creation of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, a joint federal-state program for children whose families have modest incomes but now low enough to qualify for Medicaid.

Under Ohio guidelines, children in families with incomes up to 200 percent of poverty, $48,600 a year for a family of four, qualify for government coverage.

“Ohio leaders made the right decisions to invest in the health and well-being of Ohio’s children and their parents,” said Brandi Slaughter, chief executive officer of Voices for Ohio Children. “Today’s children will become tomorrow’s leaders and we need to make sure they get what they need to grow up healthy and reach their full potential.”

Nationwide, 1.7 million children gained coverage between 2013 and 2015, as the rate of uninsured kids dropped to 4.8 percent, down from 7.1 percent.

Put another way, the number of uninsured children declined by almost a third, dropping from 5.2 million in 2013 to 3.5 million in 2015.

Most newly insured kids acquired health coverage through Medicaid expansion and SCHIP, the report found, while employer-sponsored coverage remained stable, covering 46.5 percent of children nationwide.

“Children’s uninsurance rates have been declining over the past 30 years as a result of a phased-in expansion of Medicaid to all children below the poverty level in the 1980s and the creation of CHIP in 1997,” according to the report.

“The historic improvement for children between 2013 and 2015 is no doubt due largely to the impact of the Affordable Care Act.”

Ohio was among 41 states seeing improvements in coverage while only in Wyoming did rates decline. The rest remained about the same.

Vermont had the lowest uninsured rate, 1 percent, and Alaska had the highest, 10.6 percent.

Of the remaining 3.5 million uninsured children, half live in the South, with one in five living in Texas.

Indiana Conservation Officer Elected As Member Of National Safe Boating Organization  

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Indiana Conservation Officer Lt. Kenton Turner has been elected to serve on the executive board of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA).  During NASBLA’s 57th annual meeting, held on September 11-14, 2016 in Seattle, Washington, Lt. Turner was elected to serve the non-profit organization for the 2016-2017 calendar year.A native of Trafalgar, IN, Turner graduated in 1988 from Vincennes University with an Associate of Science Degree in Conservation Law Enforcement.  He began his career as a field officer with the DNR Law Enforcement Division in 1992.  He was named as the Indiana Boating Law Administrator in May 2013.  Turner graduated from the 265th session of the FBI National Academy at Quantico, VA September 2016.

Turner has served as vice chair of NASBLA’s Preparedness and Response Committee 2013-2015 and as a member of the Enforcement and Training Committee 2015-2016.

NASBLA is a national nonprofit organization that works to develop public policy for recreational safe boating safety.  NASBLA represents the recreational boating authorities of all 50 states and the U.S territories.  NASBLA offers a variety of resources, including training, model acts, education standards and publications.  Through a national network of thousands of professional educators, law enforcement officers and volunteers, the organization affects the lives of over 76 million American boaters.

“Lt. Turner’s leadership on the national stage is another example of how Indiana Conservation Officers are recognized for being Indiana’s foremost water response agency”, said Danny L. East, DNR Law Enforcement Division Director.  “The training and expertise of our officers to patrol our state’s waterways is second to none, with this appointment we now have the opportunity to provide guidance to other state’s boating enforcement agencies.”

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Media contact: Captain William T. Browne, DNR Division of Law Enforcement, 765-509-0207

For full details, view this message on the web.

Indiana Officer Faces 13 Felonies Including Voter Fraud

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Indiana Officer Faces 13 Felonies Including Voter Fraud

A police officer faces 13 felony charges in connection with the 2015 primary election in Ohio County.

Rising Sun officer Lowell Ross Colen was arrested Wednesday afternoon on charges including ghost employment, official misconduct, forgery and voter fraud. He’s accused of influencing residents to vote in this year’s Ohio County primary election and filling out absentee applications and ballots for people who aren’t eligible to vote in the county.

A four-month investigation by Indiana State Police determined that Colen forged signatures on some of the applications and ballots, and then submitted them to the Ohio County Clerk’s Office.

State Police believes some of the criminal activity may have taken place while Colen was on duty and wearing his uniform.

It wasn’t immediately known if Colen has an attorney.
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THE NAME GAME by Jim Redwine

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Gavel Gamut By Jim Redwine

(Week 31 October 2016)

♪ THE NAME GAME ♪

As a lifetime member of the Indiana University Alumni Association I receive regular email postings from IU. Not all of them are requests for more money. Today I received notice my alma mater has renamed the basketball gymnasium “Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall”.

In 2008 I received notice my Indiana University Law School had been renamed the Indiana University Mauer School of Law in honor of Micky Mauer. The Skjodt family gave $40 million dollars. Micky Mauer gave $35 million dollars. Nobody from IU sought input from me on either change. As far as I can tell both changes were made for the best of reasons, i.e., we wanted the money.

When I was on campus (1963 – 1970) we had another arena where we held ballgames, enrolled in classes and ran around a dirt track. At the law school we had a library, classrooms and study areas. My guess is they still do.

I recall as an undergraduate being involved in the pros and cons of building the $28 million dollar Assembly Hall. The pros named it Assembly Hall in an effort to convince the cons it would not be just a gym for basketball but an educational edifice where academic and cultural events would trump mere athletics. I never had an English or psychology or geology or any other class there. Cultural events were then and are now held in the IU Auditorium by Showalter Fountain.

The taxpayers of Indiana established IU in 1820. Indiana University has several campuses with Bloomington being the main one. The total budget for all campuses for 2015 – 2016 is $3.27 billion dollars. The gifts from Mauer and Skjodt are a total of $75 million or about .2% of the total budget.

I appreciate people who contribute money, time, talent and sweat to IU. I think they should be encouraged to do so and be rewarded when they do. That is why we have statues, plaques, paintings and busts of heroes and contributors. Perhaps a room within Assembly Hall and the Indiana University School of Law where contributors are honored might be good. A statue or bust of Mauer and Skjodt, and others, would be fine with me. I assume they are fine people.

However, the naming of an edifice built with money from all Hoosiers and maintained with money from all Hoosiers might best be named for all Hoosiers. What’s to be done when someone wealthier or more narcissistic comes along? Do we rename the entire institution or perhaps tear it down and start anew so we can give it a new name?

I understand and, in fact, agree with honoring those who have performed great service to others by naming things after them. The city of Washington, D.C. comes to mind.

However, the current trend of pay for play in which multibillion dollar institutions sell naming rights for relatively small amounts reminds me of that old joke about quibbling over the price of an evening’s entertainment with someone who will play for a large sum but is offended by a small one.

Car Seat Fitting Seminar

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Date: 11/2/2016
Time:
Location: Ohio Township Fire Department
Capacity:
Contact: 812-450-2229
Description: Car seat checks are offered at no cost and take place BY APPOINTMENT ONLY every Wednesday from 9:00 am to 11:00 am at the Ohio Township Fire Department located at 4333 Epworth Rd., Newburgh, IN. Program Length: 15 to 20 minutes.

Participants may have their car seat checked for proper installation and receive instructions on proper fitting. It will be helpful if the participant is able to take part in the installation demonstration. Crawling in the back seat may be required. Please remember car seats older than 6 years should not be used, nor should car seats from garage sales and second hand shops. Appointments are encouraged prior to discharge. If school is cancelled in Vanderburgh or Warrick counties due to weather conditions, all appointments will also be cancelled. You may install the car seat and we will check it or we will instruct you how.

To schedule a car seat fitting, please call 812-450-2229 or click here.

Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners Meeting

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AGENDA

Vanderburgh County

Board of Commissioners

November 1, 2016

4:00 pm, Room 301

  1. Call to Order
  2. Attendance
  3. Pledge of Allegiance
  4. Invocation
  5. Action Items
    1. Contracts, Agreements and Leases
      1. Superior Court: Maximus Consulting Services, Inc. Agreement
      2. Purdue Extension: Xerox Contract
      3. Sheriff:
        1. LeadsOnline PowerPlus Investigation System Service Package
        2. Agreement for Computer Consultant Services
      4. Computer Services: Master Agreement and Statement of Work Amendment # 3
      5. Commissioners:
        1. 2016 Jacob’s Village Grant Agreement
        2. Youth Care Center Detention Services Agreement with the Evansville Rescue Mission
      6. Health Department: iSalus Agreement
  6. Department Head Reports
  7. New Business
  8. Old Business
  9. Public Comment
  10. Consent Items
    1. Approval of October 18, 2016 Meeting Minutes
    2. Employment Changes
    3. Auditor:
      1. Surplus Request Office Supplies
      2. Approval of October 2016 A/P Voucher
    4. Weights and Measures: Monthly Report
    5. Treasurer: September 2016 Monthly Report
    6. Engineering: Department Head Report
    7. Superintendent of County Buildings: Highway Garage Lighting Update Completion Form
  11. Rezoning
    1. Final Reading of Rezoning Ordinance VC-6-2016

Petitioner: Jeffrey Seng

Address: 4011 Big Cynthiana Road

Request: Change from C-4 to R-1

Adjournment

EVSC Innovative Options Plan Open Houses 

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Now is the time that eighth grade students and their families begin planning for high school and decide in which classes and programs their students can enroll for next school year. Among the myriad options available in EVSC high schools, the district also offers special innovative programs in which students can enroll. Many of the programs are half day, meaning students spend half of the school day at their home high school and the other half involved in the innovative program of their choice. In addition to the half-day innovative programs, students can also choose to attend the EVSC’s newest high school – New Tech Institute or enroll online through the EVSC’s Virtual Academy.

Each innovative option in the EVSC is hosting an open house for families to get more information. In addition to each individual open house, the EVSC is hosting an Advanced Learners Fair on Thursday, Nov. 3, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Southern Indiana Career and Technical Center, located at 1901 Lynch Rd. Each innovative option will be represented at the fair.

Open houses for each innovative option as well as a short description of the program are as follows:

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme: November 16, 7 p.m., Bosse High School Media Center

IB, housed at Bosse High School, is a half day program that is one of only 18 in the state of Indiana. It is a comprehensive liberal arts program for students who are motivated and desire a rigorous college prepatory course. For more information, visit www.evscschools.com/ib.

Southern Indiana Career and Technical Center: November 7; 5:30 – 7 p.m. and November 19, 10:30 a.m. – noon; Southern Indiana Career and Technical Center

SICTC is open to juniors and seniors. It offers 10 different career clusters and all programs prepare students for high-skill, high-wage and high-demand careers. Visit www.evscschools.com/sictc

Randall T. Shepard Leadership and Law Academy: November 2, 6 p.m.; Harrison High School

The Shepard Academy is open to students who are interested in law or criminal justice as well as leadership. It is named after Harrison alumnus and former Indiana Chief Justice Randall Shepard who also takes an active role in the class. Visit www.evscschools.com/shepard

Medical Professions Academy: November 15, 6:30 p.m., Central High School Media Center

MPA is housed at Central High School and is for students who are interested in a career in medicine. MPA integrates science, English, digital communication and Project Lead the Way biomedical sciences courses. Visit www.evscschools.com/mpa

New Tech Institute: November 21, 6:30 p.m., New Tech Institute

New Tech Institute is a full-day high school for students in grades 9 – 12. It is focused on creating an entrepreneurial environment and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) opportunities for students through project based learning and partnerships. Visit www.evscschools.com/newtech

Virtual Academy: November 14, 4 p.m., Southern Indiana Career and Technical Center

Virtual Academy is an online learning option for students in grades K-12. The Virtual Academy offers general courses as well as Honors and Advanced Placement courses. Visit www.evscschools.com/evscva

 Early College High School: November 19, 9:30 – 10:30 a.m., Southern Indiana Career and Technical Center
Students enrolled in EVSC’s Early College High School have the opportunity to earn an associate’s degree while simultaneously earning their high school diplooma. Visit www.evscschools.com/earlycollege

 

The Staff for the Governor and First Lady Will Hand Out Halloween Candy to Trick-or-Treaters

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Indianapolis – Tomorrow evening, trick-or-treaters can stop by the Governor’s Residence to get Halloween candy. The staff for the Governor and First Lady will dress in costume to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters at the Meridian Street entrance.  Details below.

Monday, October 31: 

5:30-7:00 p.m. EDT – Staff to hand out Halloween candy to trick-or-treaters

*Media are welcome to shoot b-roll and take photos.

Governor’s Residence, 4750 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN

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