Vincennes University Agribusiness majors place second at national livestock judging contest

05/17/2024

VINCENNES, Ind., May 16, 2024 – A team of Vincennes University Agribusiness – Animal Husbandry majors showcased their outstanding expertise by placing second in the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Livestock Judging Contest last month. In addition to the team’s success, VU student Sidnee Mason emerged as a standout performer, placing second as an individual participant.

The VU Livestock Team that rose to the occasion includes; Joe Records (Elnora, Indiana), Mason Guthrie (Salem, Indiana), Sidnee Mason (Hazelton, Indiana), Rayne Held (Freelandville, Indiana), Delani Bateman (Loogootee, Indiana), and Katie Stenftenagel (Jasper, Indiana).

The contest was held at the College of Southern Idaho and was part of the NACTA Judging Conference, which annually hosts a variety of agricultural contests for 2-year and 4-year member institutions. The conference is a vital part of preparing college students for careers in agriculture by improving their decision-making, communication, and technical skills within their chosen field.

“NACTA helped me gain confidence when speaking to individuals I have never met,” Sidnee Mason said. “I learned how operations are ran in Idaho. NACTA will help enhance my VU journey by creating opportunities and connections that would have never been available if I didn’t go.”

The VU Livestock Team’s performance at the NACTA Judging Conference reinforces VU’s dedication to agricultural education and solidifies its position as a leader in preparing students for success in the agriculture industry.

VU Agribusiness and Horticulture Program Chair Jennifer Steffy said, “VU’s students invested significant effort and time to prepare for the Livestock Judging Contest. Placing second is proof of the knowledge, skills, and high-quality education students receive here at VU. We take great pride in their amazing achievement, and we are 100 percent certain that these students will make significant contributions to the agricultural industry as they step into the real world.”

Attorney General Todd Rokita co-leads half of U.S. states against new EPA rule that threatens to increase Hoosier utility bills

05/17/2024

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Attorney General Todd Rokita and 24 other attorneys general this week took the next step in preventing the Biden administration’s “Clean Power Plan 2.0” from imposing a stranglehold on the states and everyday Hoosiers as they cool, heat and light their homes. Attorney General Rokita’s office is leading a motion to stay this intrusive new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule that places absurd anti-coal & gas mandates on power plants.

This new rule exceeds the EPA’s statutory authority — effectively requiring a shift away from coal by setting unrealistic standards for coal plants. The U.S. Supreme Court held in West Virginia v. EPA that Congress never gave the EPA such statutory power.

“By trying to foist this economy-crushing debacle on Indiana, the Washington elites are proving once again they have nothing but contempt for hardworking Hoosiers,” Attorney General Rokita said. “Rest assured that we’re working nonstop to protect our people from these ruthless schemes and hold these federal bureaucrats accountable to the rule of law.”

The unlawful new rule, which fits the agenda of left-wing climate extremists, threatens the reliability of the nation’s power grid and invites higher utility costs.

In their court motion, the attorneys general note that the new rule effectively forces some power plants out of business — ignoring the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 West Virginia v. EPA decision clarifying that Congress did not give the EPA power to “direct existing sources to effectively cease to exist.” Rather, Congress sought to respect the role of individual states in balancing regional economic interests with environmental priorities such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The rule abandons cooperative federalism. Although the federal government is legally required to give states discretion in implementing standards, the EPA’s new standards are so stringent that they erase state discretion.

Attorney General Rokita is co-leading the 25-state effort with West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey. After filing the initial lawsuit last week, the attorneys general are now seeking a stay of the new rule pending the outcome of the litigation.

CDC: Indiana reports significant decrease in overdose deaths in 2023

05/17/2024

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INDIANAPOLIS – Gov. Eric J. Holcomb today applauded new provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicating a nearly 18% decrease in overdose deaths in Indiana, the second-highest percentage decrease among all 50 states.

“Hours after I was sworn in as governor in 2017, I signed an executive order creating a new cabinet-level position in state government dedicated to reversing the trend of overdose deaths,” Gov. Holcomb said. “In the seven years since, Indiana has taken thoughtful steps to address this epidemic. This encouraging trend underscores the collective efforts and strategic initiatives implemented to combat substance use throughout our great state.”

An estimated 107,543 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States in 2023, marking a 3% decline nationally compared to 2022, according to the latest provisional figures reported Wednesday by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics.

In Indiana, an estimated 2,190 individuals died by drug overdose in 2023, a 17.85% decrease compared to 2022. Indiana is among four states that reported the largest year-over-year declines of 15% or more in overdose deaths in 2023.

Since taking office, Gov. Holcomb has placed a significant emphasis on curbing drug overdoses. In 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved an extension to Indiana’s existing Section 1115 Medicaid demonstration waiver, expanding coverage for a full-range of substance use disorder treatment services to Hoosier Medicaid members.

The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s Division of Mental Health and Addiction has expanded residential treatment beds by 385% since 2017, accounting for a total of 2,900 beds statewide, and the total number of outpatient addiction treatment providers has increased by 8%.

In September 2023, Gov. Holcomb unveiled Shatterproof Treatment Atlas, a free, confidential tool to connect Hoosiers in need with appropriate addiction treatment and deliver user-friendly information about the quality of available programs.

“From the outset of his administration, Gov. Holcomb has emphasized the need for an all-hands-on-deck approach to combat the drug epidemic,” said Douglas Huntsinger, executive director for drug prevention, treatment and enforcement for the State of Indiana. “These numbers are a testament to the collaborative efforts of countless stakeholders who have contributed to Indiana’s comprehensive treatment and recovery infrastructure.”

Through a partnership with Overdose Lifeline, Inc., an Indiana nonprofit dedicated to helping those affected by substance use disorder, the State of Indiana is distributing roughly 24,000 doses of opioid-reversal agent naloxone each month.

In recent months, FSSA has dedicated over $30 million of the State’s share of national opioid settlement funds to support the creation of 440 new recovery residence beds, implement 15 harm reduction street outreach teams, and expand behavioral health initiatives in the state judicial and correctional systems.

“While we celebrate this progress, it is not lost on us the thousands of Hoosiers who have lost their lives or are currently living with this disease,” Gov. Holcomb said. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to furthering efforts to prevent substance use, expand access to treatment, and support Hoosiers on their path to recovery,”

USI online Master of Business Administration Program earns top 20 ranking by Fortune Education

05/17/2024

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The University of Southern Indiana Romain College of Business Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program has been ranked 20th in Fortune Education’s Best Online MBA Programs for 2024. The USI MBA Program has earned consistent accolades for its online program and affordability by Fortune, U.S. News & World Report and multiple other outlets.

“We are thrilled our faculty, staff and students have earned this recognition for the transformational work being accomplished through the USI MBA Program,” said Dr. Jack Smothers, Master of Business Administration Director. “Most importantly, students are learning to lead motivated teams in the workplace, create valuable products and services and implement ethical solutions for sustainable operations. We are proud of our impact on business practice and thankful for the opportunity to work with leaders of today and tomorrow.”

Dr. Michael Dixon, Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, added: “Interest in USI’s MBA continues to increase. Prospective students from across the United States and from countries around the world regularly submit inquiries and applications to our MBA Program. The program’s faculty, students and graduates are generating this interest. Recognition by Fortune Education underscores that quality.”

USI’s MBA Program is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), considered the “gold standard” for business accreditation. The affordable program can be completed in as few as 12 months with six start dates each year and is offered fully online or with a mixture of online and on-campus classes. We often hear from our graduates that the experiences they gain while pursuing their USI MBA greatly increase the pipeline of opportunities available to them.

“We are grateful to the President, Provost, School of Graduate Studies, the entire USI leadership and all stakeholders whose support has been crucial to the success of the MBA Program,” said Dr. Sudesh Mujumdar, Dean of the Romain College of Business. “I am highly appreciative of our world-class faculty who display their expertise every single day to ensure that the MBA Program continues to create high-impact learning experiences for all students.”

The MBA Program can be customized with concentrations in accounting, data analytics, engineering management, healthcare administration, human resource management, marketing, project management and supply chain management. For more information on USI’s MBA Program and how to apply, visit USI.edu/business/mba.

New Book Release By Local Author Scott Conrad, “Damaged But Doable”

05/17/2024

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“Damaged But Doable”

Author Scott Conrad Publishes Second Book Sharing His Story of Heartache and Hardship as He Breaks the Cycle of Abuse in His Life

APRIL 17, 2024

With the release of ‘Damaged But Doable,’ Conrad opens up in detail about the different types of abuse, the struggles of coming out, battling suicide depression, an eating disorder and a recent struggle with narcissistic abuse.

Each chapter of the abuse is chronicled in his testimony. Conrad brings to light childhood trauma, depression, and a recent suicide attempt. Furthermore, he details the different types of abuse beyond physical, as he shares his experiences with emotional, verbal, mental, financial and narcissistic abuse.

To obtain a copy of the book, one may do so by ordering it online at Amazon in three formats: paperback, hardback and Kindle. ‘Damaged But Doable’ is now available for purchase.

Through Amazon, ‘Damaged But Doable’ has regularly ranked in the Top 75 Teen & Young Adult Body, Mind & Spirit and the Top 100 for Inner Child Self Help books. The ISBN is 979-8324372309.

On Saturday, June 15^th from 4:00 – 5:30 p.m., Conrad will be signing and reading from ‘Damaged But Doable’ at Your Brother’s Bookstore located on Main Street in Downtown Evansville.

In addition to his second published title, Conrad also works as a Contributor for FanSided. You can find his articles on NinerNoise.com, 8points9seconds.com, and theviewfromavalon.com.

To answer any questions and to provide further information about the release and the book itself, please reach out to Conrad at guerrinconrad@gmail.com

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Two Indiana State Police Investigators Honored by United States Attorney, Southern District of Indiana

05/17/2024

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(Indianapolis, IN)-United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers held an awards ceremony recently at which numerous individuals with varying degrees of investigative and support expertise were honored for their tireless efforts in a multitude of federal criminal investigations. Among those honored were two veteran Indiana State Police investigators.

Lieutenant Lester M. Norvell was honored with the Investigative Excellence Award in a Criminal Case for his work on a case involving a free bankruptcy program scheme which saw numerous victims from around the country surrendering their vehicles, which then became part of larger series of sham auctions. In all, approximately $1 million was taken in over a three-year period by two men, who have since been convicted and sentenced to federal prison for wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering.

Sergeant Jennifer E. Barnes was honored with the Outstanding Collaborative Criminal Investigation Award for her work in which five defendants and their co-conspirators targeted and exploited elderly victims in an elaborate grandparent scheme which saw nearly 70 victims scammed out of more than $683,000 over an 11-month time frame. All five were convicted and sentenced to a combined 24 years in federal prison and ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution in this nationwide “Grandparent Scam”.

“The pace, complexity and scope of the investigations brought in the Southern District of Indiana are a true testament to the quality of our partners in federal, state and local law enforcement agencies”, said Myers. “These awards are given…and recognize the very high level of commitment and professionalism of an entire prosecution team”, he concluded.

U.S. Attorney, Southern District of Indiana Zachary A. Myers (L) and Indiana State Police Lieutenant Lester M. Norvell (R).

U.S. Attorney, Southern District of Indiana Zachary A. Myers (L) and Indiana State Police Sergeant Jennifer E. Barnes (R).

EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT

05/17/2024

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EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT

FOOTNOTE: EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT information was provided by the EPD and posted by the City-County-County Observer without opinion, bias, or editing.

EVSC Early College Event at Ivy Tech Today

05/16/2024

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What: EVSC Early College Senior Celebration and Alumni Reception

When: May 16, 2024

Noon-1 p.m.: Senior Celebration
1-2 p.m.: Alumni Reception

Where:
Senior Celebration, Room 147, Vectren Auditorium, Ivy Tech Main Campus

Alumni Reception, Room 152, Koch Student Center (Commons), Ivy Tech Main Campus

Otters drop home opening doubleheader

05/16/2024

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EVANSVILLE, IN – The Evansville Otters dropped a twin bill to the Gateway Grizzlies during their 2024 home opener at historic Bosse Field. The final scores included a 5-3 finish in the opener and a 3-1 score in the nightcap.

Errors in the field proved costly for the Otters (1-5) tonight. Three mistakes in the field led to six unearned runs for the Grizzlies (3-3) en route to dropping both games.

Game 1 – Gateway 5, Evansville 3

After a one-out error in the top of the second inning, the Grizzlies jumped on the board first putting together two runs to take an early advantage. They added another on a pair of hits in the third to make it 3-0.

The Otters offense strung together a two-out rally in the bottom of the frame. After a walk from David Mendham, Jomar Reyes and newly acquired Randy Bednar went back-to-back for a pair of home runs to center and left field respectively. With the homers, the score was tied at three.

Gateway spoiled the fun in the fifth inning with another pair of unearned runs coming into score.

The offense could not muster any more runs together, and the score was finalized. Zach Smith took the loss, surrendering five runs, but just one earned.

Mendham and Reyes had multi-hit games. In his Otters debut, Bednar reached three times with a pair of walks.

Game 2 – Gateway 3, Evansville 1

In the final game, scoring came few and far between in the pitchers duel. In the third inning, Gateway punched first with a two-out, two-run home run. Both runs were unearned after an error earlier in the frame.

They added in the fifth with their second home run of the game. This time, a solo shot.

The Otters only run came in the bottom of the fifth inning. With runners on second and third, Mendham grounded into a fielder’s choice RBI to bring home Bryan Rosario.

Taking the hard-luck loss was the starter Braden Scott. Despite his dominant display on the mound while going the distance, he allowed three runs (one earned). He did not allow a walk and struck out six.

Riley Delgado had a two-hit performance to lead the way in the nightcap.

Evansville looks to avoid the sweep and regain momentum in their six-game home stand tomorrow as they finalize the three-game set with the Grizzlies at 6:35 PM CT.

BASEBALL ACES HOST UIC IN CRUCIAL MVC SERIES BEGINNING THURSDAY

05/16/2024

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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Second place in the Missouri Valley Conference will be up for grabs this weekend, with one of the main deciding series for seeding taking place at the University of Evansville’s German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium, as Evansville and UIC will square off in a key three-game series. The series will begin on Thursday night at 6 p.m. with all three games of the series being available in the Tri-State area on 107.1 FM-WJPS and on-line on ESPN+.

Evansville (29-22 overall) and UIC (32-16 overall) will bring identical 15-9 Missouri Valley Conference records into Thursday’s series opener. The Purple Aces and Flames currently are tied for second place in the Valley standings, with both Murray State and Illinois State just a game back in the league standings. If either UE or UIC sweeps this weekend’s series, they will automatically earn the Valley’s No. 2 seed in the upcoming MVC Tournament which will be hosted at Braun Stadium May 21-25. If UE wins the series and Murray State loses one game at Bradley, then UE would finish second. If UIC wins the series, it will finish second, as long as Illinois State loses a game to Belmont.

It marks the second-straight year in which UE and UIC meet with conference tournament seedings on the line. Last year, Evansville won two out of three games against UIC in Chicago, thanks to a dramatic two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning from current senior Kip Fougerousse in a 2-1 series-clinching victory in the regular-season finale. Fougerousse has been on absolute fire at the plate over the last six games, hitting .583 with four home runs and five multi-hit games over the last six contests.

Overall, graduate outfielder Mark Shallenberger continues to lead the UE offense, as he will bring a .396 batting average into this weekend’s series. This weekend’s series could determine the winner of the MVC’s Player of the Year award, as Shallenberger and UIC’s Kendal Ewell are two of the top candidates this year. Ewell currently is one point higher than Shallenberger in the league’s batting title race, as he will bring a .397 average into the weekend set. Ewell, a transfer from Kentucky, has launched 19 home runs this year, while driving in 63 RBI for the Flames.

Freshman LHP Kenton Deverman (7-1, 3.61 ERA) will get the start for UE in the series opener on Thursday. UIC has yet to officially announce a starting pitcher for Thursday’s contest. Right-hander Dillon Schueler (5-2, 6.03 ERA) has been UIC’s traditional opening-game starter this year.