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Governor Pence to Sign Education Agenda Bills Focused on Supporting Teachers and Schools

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Governor Mike Pence  signed two agenda bills focused on supporting teachers and schools. The first, Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 200, holds schools harmless for their A-F grades for the 2014-2015 year to accommodate the transition to more rigorous academic standards. The second, House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1003, ensures that teacher bonuses and evaluations are not negatively impacted by the transition to a new test this year. The Governor will be joined by Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann, State Superintendent Glenda Ritz, House Speaker Brian Bosma, Senate President Pro Tem David Long, Senate Minority Leader Tim Lanane and House Minority Leader Scott Pelath. Details below.

 

 

 

Paving the way for Hoosier success

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With the first two weeks of legislative session under my belt, I have a full plate of topics and proposals to discuss with fellow lawmakers. One of the main courses being dished out within the House is road funding.

Hoosier roadways serve 6.6 million people and contribute $246 billion to our economy, and it is vital we continue supporting our transportation system. As the Crossroads of America, we have invested into our roads and bridges by:

  • Completing or nearly completing 87 roadway projects;
  • Constructing 413 new centerline miles;
  • Reconstructing 65 interchanges;
  • Resurfacing 6,350 miles of highway; and
  • Rehabilitating or replacing 1,070 bridges.

There is still work to be done, as roadways are key to our economic growth and serve as the arteries to Indiana’s beating heart of productivity.

Indiana’s state and local transportation systems are funded through revenues collected from taxes and fees related to cars and commercial trucks, along with a bit of federal funding. Road funding from the state comes from the sales tax, driver’s license fees and the gas tax.

We have made it more than a decade without raising the gas tax, but that has not kept up with the inflation of our economy. Our vehicles are more fuel efficient, resulting in decreased collections from the gas tax. In fact, some cars and trucks can make it through our state without stopping and refueling. This is why Indiana should not rely on one single approach to get the funding needed for Hoosier roads.

Our transportation infrastructure touches every part of our economy and will to drive economic development in the future. It is my goal to maintain and improve our roads and bridges while keeping our commitment to fiscal responsibility.

As various road funding proposals are considered, I will do my best to represent House District 75 and meet the needs of our communities. Please contact me with your thoughts and input by calling (317)232-9833 or emailing h75@iga.in.gov.

Board of School Trustees of the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation will meet in executive session

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The Board of School Trustees of the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation will meet in executive session at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, January 25, 2016, in the John H. Schroeder Conference Centre at the EVSC Administration Building, 951 Walnut, IN 47713, Evansville, IN. The session will be conducted according to Senate Enrolled Act 313, Section 1, I.C. 5-14-1.5-6.1, as amended. The purpose of the meeting is for discussion of collective bargaining, (2)(A); initiation of litigation or litigation that is either pending or has been threatened specifically in writing, (2)(B); purchase or lease of property, (2)(D); and job performance evaluation of individual employees, (9).

The regular meeting of the School Board will follow at 5:30 p.m. in the EVSC Board Room, same address.

Principal Celebrates Hard Work of Students/Staff by Being  a Mime for a Day

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Friday, Jan. 22, 11 a.m.

Daniel Wertz Elementary School, 1701 S. Red Bank Road

 

In the past three years, Daniel Wertz has improved its pass rate on ISTEP, and Principal Doug Mills wants to celebrate that success – even though greater improvements are coming!  Going from one of the schools scoring in the lower third of EVSC schools to this year scoring in the upper third (65.2% pass rate on English/Language Arts; and a 64.2% pass rate on Math) in a year when pass rates dropped dramatically across the state –Mills is pleased with the hard work of his students and staff.  In addition to doing better on ISTEP, the school has greatly improved its overall growth on the test – a figure that is used in the calculation of School Accountability Grades, which will be approved by the State Board of Education on Tuesday.  Each year, Mills challenges each grade to set a high pass rate goal.  This year, he said if a grade meets the goal, he would dress as a mime and not speak for the day.  This year’s fifth graders (last year’s 4th graders) met his expectations and their goal!  Mills will be ‘talking’ as only a mime can ‘talk’ to students during their lunch periods.

Edwards for Recorder Campaign Kickoff RESCHEDULED

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Edwards for Recorder

Rescheduled for

Friday,

January 29th
Filing: 4:00 PM at the Vanderburgh
County Election Office

Reception to

follow at the

Fraternal

Order of Police

– 801 Court St

 

Governor Pence Signs Education Agenda Bills Focused on Supporting Teachers and Schools

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Ensures transition to more rigorous standards does not affect test scores, teacher bonuses and compensation

 

Indianapolis – Governor Mike Pence today signed two agenda bills in the rotunda of the Indiana Statehouse focused on supporting teachers and schools. The first, Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 200, authored by Sen. Dennis Kruse (R – Auburn), Sen. Luke Kenley (R – Noblesville), and Sen. Ryan Mishler (R – Bremen), holds schools harmless for their A-F accountability grade for the 2014-2015 year to accommodate the transition to more rigorous academic standards. The second, House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1003, authored by Rep. Robert Behning (R – Indianapolis), ensures that teacher bonuses and evaluations are not negatively impacted by the transition to a new test this year.

 

“Today, we are saying thank you to Indiana’s dedicated teachers by ensuring that the results of our new test with higher standards will not negatively impact them, their families, or our schools,” said Governor Pence. “These new laws ensure that teacher compensation and bonuses will not be affected by the results of our recent ISTEP test and will ensure that our schools’ performance is fairly reflected when A-F grades are assigned later this year. I am grateful for the swift and bipartisan efforts by members of the General Assembly and the Superintendent that put our kids, schools, and teachers first.”

 

The Governor was joined today by Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann, Superintendent Glenda Ritz, Speaker Brian Bosma, and President Pro Tem David Long. Legislators in attendance for HEA 1003 included author Rep. Robert Behning (R – Indianapolis), sponsors Sen. Ryan Mishler (R – Bremen), Sen. Luke Kenley (R – Noblesville), Sen. Jean Leising (R – Oldenburg), Sen. Mark Stoops (D – Bloomington), and Sen. Ed Charbonneau (R – Valparaiso), and co-author Rep. Anthony Cook (R – Cicero). Legislators in attendance for SEA 200 included bill authors Sen. Luke Kenley (R – Noblesville) and Sen. Ryan Mishler (R – Bremen), bill sponsor Rep. Robert Behning (R – Indianapolis), and bill co-authors Sen. Ed Charbonneau (R – Valparaiso), Sen. Jean Leising (R – Oldenburg), Sen. Mark Stoops (D – Bloomington), Sen. Carlin Yoder (R – Middlebury), Sen. Lonnie Randolph (D – East Chicago), and Sen. Jeff Raatz (R – Centerville).

 

To learn when bills reach the Governor’s desk or to subscribe for updates when bills are signed, visit 2016 Bill Watch.

 

A photo from today’s bill signings can be found attached.

Women’s Swimming and Diving travels to Illinois State

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Aces swim on Friday at 5 p.m.

  Competition continues for the University of Evansville women’s swimming and diving team as the Purple Aces travel to Illinois State for a 5 p.m. meet on Friday.

 

Evansville began its spring season last week at Saint Louis.  In diving action, Courtney Coverdale took top honors in the women’s 1-meter as her score of 269.40 was almost 40 points better than her nearest competition.

 

Building off of her efforts over the break, Charlotte Lechner came home victorious in the 100 fly.  Lechner finished in 1:01.25, just over a half second ahead of second place.  Also earning a win was Michaela Kent, who paced the competition in the 100 backstroke.  She recorded a time of 1:00.15, 0.97 ahead of the runner-up.

 

Kent contributed to a 2nd place finish in the 200 medley relay.  Joining her were Amy Smith, Kristen Myers and Mackenzie Harris as they swam a 1:51.71.  Myers came in second in an exciting race in the 50 free.  Her 25.14 put her in second, just 0.05 behind the winner of SLU.  She followed that up with a 27.05 in the 50 fly, good for her second runner-up finish of the day.  Harris registered a second place of her own as a 55.21 put her second in the 100 free.

Justices agree: No mistrial because of juror’s Facebook friend

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Jennifer Nelson for www.theindianalawyer.com

The Indiana Supreme Court granted transfer to a case to affirm the Court of Appeals decision denying a mistrial for a man who argued a juror’s being “friends” with the victim’s relative on Facebook required the mistrial.

After Kastin Slaybaugh was convicted of rape, he sought the mistrial, claiming that a juror had denied in voir dire knowing the victim or her family, but he discovered a relative of the victim was Facebook friends with the juror. The juror said she had more than 1,000 “friends” on Facebook because she was a Realtor and used it for networking purposes. She denied knowing the victim or her family, and said she did not recognize the victim’s name during voir dire or recognize her while she testified.

The trial court determined the juror was being truthful and denied the motion for a mistrial. The Court of Appeals affirmed in September.

“Slaybaugh merely suggests that the evidence reviewed by the trial court — specifically, the Facebook pages submitted with his motion — support a decision opposite that of the trial court. Slaybaugh’s argument that the trial court abused its discretion by finding that the Juror was truthful during voir dire is nothing more than an invitation to reweigh the evidence and the court’s credibility determination, which we will not do,” Judge Rudolph Pyle wrote. “Slaybaugh has failed to meet his burden of showing juror misconduct. Indeed, he has failed to show that there was misconduct, let alone gross misconduct.”

“We agree with the result reached by the Court of Appeals, grant transfer, expressly adopt and incorporate by reference the Court of Appeals opinion in accordance with Indiana Appellate Rule 58(A)(1), and affirm the trial court,” the two-page per curiam opinion from the Supreme Court stated.

The case is Kastin E. Slaybaugh v. State of Indiana,  79S02-1601-CR-28.

Women’s Basketball sets out for Missouri State and Wichita State

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Aces looking for success to close out three-game road swing

  The University of Evansville women’s basketball team will be back in action this weekend as Missouri Valley Conference play will continue with showdowns at Missouri State on Friday and Wichita State on Sunday.

 

The Purple Aces (2-14, 1-4 MVC) will be hoping to get back on the winning side of things after falling to Southern Illinois last Saturday in Carbondale. UE was done in by a Saluki team that connected 13 times from three-point. The shooting performance was a stark contrast to Bradley’s efforts the game before, when the Aces held the Braves to an anemic 2-for-24 night from beyond the arc. Perimeter defense will likely be a factor in both UE games this weekend as Missouri State (11-7, 4-2 MVC) currently ranks third in the Valley with a .313 percentage from distance. Conversely, Wichita State (3-14, 0-6 MVC) is eighth in the league at .276.

 

The Aces are led by Sara Dickey, who is the only player on the roster to start all 16 contests this season. The junior out of Montezuma, Ind., averages a team-best 16 points per game, which is more than twice that of the second-highest scorer on the roster. She’s also accounted for 40 of the team’s 99 three-pointers on the year.

 

Dickey enters the weekend with 1,404 career points, which ranks fifth all-time in UE’s history books, and she’s on track surpass past fourth-ranked Barb Dykstra, who graduated in 1986 with 1,430 career points.

 

Dickey is not the only standout on UE’s squad, as she’s been joined over the last month of games by fellow junior Sasha Robinson, who averages seven points and 6.4 rebounds per game. The Nashville, Ind., product is 41 rebounds away from moving into UE’s top 10, and in the Bradley victory earlier this month, she registered her first double-double of the season with 10 points and 14 boards.

 

Kenyia Johnson has also had some big games in recent weeks as she’s moved over to the point guard position. A sophomore, Johnson had been held to single-digit points in road games while excelling at the Ford Center. However, in last week’s loss at SIU, she was 5-of-7 from the field with 10 points and three assists.

 

Meanwhile, Missouri State, which currently sits fifth in the Valley standings, will be looking for its first conference victory in Springfield. The Bears are 4-0 on the road, but they’re 0-2 at JQH Arena, falling to both Drake and Northern Iowa. Wichita State, on the other hand, sits in 10th place after dropping all six of their league games, with a 60-55 loss to Bradley last Friday serving as the only game decided by less than 10 points.

 

WSU and SIU will play on Friday.

 

Tipoff between MSU and UE is slated for 7 p.m.

 

Police arrest the same man for illegal possession of a handgun for the 2nd time this week

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Evansville Police arrested 28 year old JAMON RANDOLPH on weapon a drug dealing charges during a car stop on Wednesday.
RANDOLPH was the passenger in a vehicle that was stopped for a traffic violation around 6:30 Wednesday evening. During the stop, officers located a handgun, approximately 1 pound of marijuana, a prescription narcotic, digital scales, and $7,161 in cash.
RANDOLPH was arrested for Possession of a Handgun Without a Permit, Dealing Marijuana, Possession of Marijuana, and Possession of a Schedule II Narcotic without a Prescription. He is currently in the Vanderburgh County Jail.
RANDOLPH was arrested earlier this week after he tried to flee from officers during a car stop. His charges from that arrest include Possession of a Handgun without a Permit, Resisting Law Enforcement, and Reckless Driving. RANDOPLH was in possession of over $11,000 during that arrest. He was out on bond at the time of his second arrest.

 

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